Battery cell appearance detection equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of battery cell processing, in particular to battery cell appearance detection equipment. The battery cell appearance detection equipment comprises a feeding carrying mechanism, an edge and corner angle detection module and a side surface detection module, according to the battery cell transplanting mechanism, the battery cell transplanting mechanism of the battery cell appearance detection equipment clamps at least two battery cells at the same time, so that a plurality of battery cells in the battery cell group can be detected through the detection module, and the detection speed of the battery cells is improved. In addition, the battery cell appearance detection equipment further comprises a first battery cell pitch changing mechanism, a circulating line detection device and a discharging rotary transplanting mechanism, the circulation line detection device comprises a circulation transmission loop line, a battery cell clamping trolley, a wide side surface detection module and a top detection module used for detecting at least one of top surface edges, top surface corner angles, pole columns and anti-explosion valves of the battery cells, and all parts of the battery cell appearance detection equipment can realize efficient and high-precision detection of the appearance of the battery cells and are compatible with various defects; meanwhile, the overall space layout is compact, and the space utilization rate is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery cell processing technology, specifically to a battery cell appearance inspection device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most battery cell appearance inspections are conducted manually, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. The results are highly dependent on the inspector's skills and focus, and overly subjective inspections can easily lead to missed or incorrect detections. Using inspection equipment can improve inspection quality. Current equipment includes transmission lines that transport the cells one by one through inspection stations, allowing for item-by-item defect inspection. While current battery cell appearance inspection equipment can significantly improve inspection quality, the efficiency is relatively low because each cell is inspected individually. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides a battery cell appearance inspection device to improve the low inspection efficiency caused by the current battery cell inspection equipment that inspects each battery cell individually.

[0004] In a first aspect, some embodiments provide a battery cell appearance inspection device, comprising:

[0005] A loading and conveying mechanism, used for loading and conveying battery cells;

[0006] An edge and corner detection module, wherein the edge and corner detection module is used at least to detect the side edges of the battery cell;

[0007] A side detection module, which is used to detect the side of the battery cell;

[0008] A battery cell transplanting mechanism includes a transplanting clamping mechanism and a transplanting moving mechanism. The transplanting clamping mechanism includes transplanting claw mechanisms for clamping battery cells, and the number of transplanting claw mechanisms is at least two so that the transplanting clamping mechanism can clamp a battery cell group consisting of at least two battery cells. The transplanting moving mechanism is used to drive the transplanting clamping mechanism to move, and the moving path of the transplanting clamping mechanism passes through at least one of the edge and corner detection module and the side detection module, so that the edge and corner detection module or the side detection module detects the battery cell group clamped by the transplanting clamping mechanism.

[0009] And a first cell pitch changing mechanism, which is used to receive the cell group held by the cell transfer mechanism and change the spacing between adjacent cells in the cell group; the first cell pitch changing mechanism is located between the edge and corner detection module and the side detection module, and is used to change the pitch of the cell group after detection by one of the edge and corner detection module and the side detection module.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the number of the cell transfer mechanism is at least two, wherein at least one cell transfer mechanism is a first cell transfer mechanism and at least one of the cell transfer mechanisms is a second cell transfer mechanism. The first cell transfer mechanism is used to transport the cell between the edge and corner detection module and the first cell pitch changing mechanism, and the second cell transfer mechanism is used to transport the cell between the first cell pitch changing mechanism and the side detection module. The spacing between two adjacent pairs of transfer gripper mechanisms in the second cell transfer mechanism is smaller than the spacing between two adjacent pairs of transfer gripper mechanisms in the first cell transfer mechanism.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the first cell transfer mechanism includes a first frame, the feeding and conveying mechanism and the first cell transfer mechanism share the first frame, the feeding and conveying mechanism includes a feeding clamping mechanism and a feeding moving mechanism that drives the feeding clamping mechanism to move, the feeding moving mechanism and the transfer moving mechanism of the first cell transfer mechanism are respectively installed on opposite sides of the first frame.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cell appearance inspection equipment further includes a circulation line inspection device, which is located downstream of the side inspection module. The cell has a wide side and a narrow side, and the side inspection module is used to inspect the narrow side. The circulation line inspection device includes a circulation transmission loop, at least two cell clamping trolleys, and a wide side inspection module. The cell clamping trolleys are mounted on the circulation transmission loop, causing the circulation transmission loop to drive the cell clamping trolleys in a cyclical motion. The wide side inspection module is used to inspect the wide side of the cell located on the circulation transmission loop.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the circulating line detection device further includes a top detection module for detecting the top of the battery cell on the circulating transmission loop. The top detection module is used to detect at least one of the top surface edge, top surface corner, terminal post, and explosion-proof valve of the battery cell. The circulating transmission loop includes a transmission line drive mechanism for driving the independent cyclic movement of each battery cell clamping trolley.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cell appearance inspection equipment further includes a feeding frame and a feeding rotary transfer mechanism, wherein the feeding rotary transfer mechanism includes:

[0015] A material feeding moving mechanism is movably mounted on the material feeding frame;

[0016] A feeding pitch variable mechanism is mounted on a feeding moving mechanism; the feeding moving mechanism is used to drive the feeding pitch variable mechanism to move up, down, left, and right; the feeding pitch variable mechanism includes at least two feeding movers with variable spacing.

[0017] A feeding clamping mechanism is used to clamp a battery cell from the battery cell clamping trolley, and the number of feeding clamping mechanisms is two or more; at least one of the feeding clamping mechanisms is rotatably mounted on the mover;

[0018] And a material feeding rotation drive mechanism, which is used to drive the material feeding clamping mechanism to rotate relative to the material feeding actuator.

[0019] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the transplanting mechanism of the first cell transplanting mechanism moves along the X direction, the transplanting mechanism of the second cell transplanting mechanism moves along the Y direction, and the circulation line detection device is arranged with the second cell transplanting mechanism along the X direction and with the first cell transplanting mechanism along the Y direction.

[0020] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the feeding and handling mechanism, the first cell transfer mechanism, and the circulation line detection device are arranged sequentially in the Y direction. The second cell transfer mechanism includes a second frame, and the transfer moving mechanism of the second cell transfer mechanism and the side detection module are both located on the side of the second frame facing away from the circulation line detection device.

[0021] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the first cell pitch-changing mechanism includes:

[0022] Variable pitch base;

[0023] A pitch-changing mechanism includes a pitch-changing base, at least two moving parts, and a pitch-changing drive mechanism. The moving parts are movably mounted on the pitch-changing base, and the pitch-changing drive mechanism is used to drive the moving parts to move relative to the pitch-changing base and change the distance between adjacent moving parts. The pitch-changing base is rotatably mounted on the pitch-changing base.

[0024] A rotary drive mechanism is provided for driving the variable pitch base to rotate.

[0025] A first gripper mechanism is provided, wherein at least one first gripper mechanism is mounted on the upper side of the moving member; the first gripper mechanism includes a first gripper, a second variable-pitch gripper, and a variable-pitch gripper driving mechanism, wherein the variable-pitch gripper driving mechanism is used to drive the first gripper and the second variable-pitch gripper to move closer and further apart to achieve clamping and releasing of the battery cell; the first gripper mechanism has a battery cell supporting surface for supporting the battery cell, wherein the battery cell supporting surface is located between the first gripper and the second variable-pitch gripper.

[0026] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the edge and corner detection module includes an edge detection module and a bottom edge and corner detection module. The edge detection module is used to detect the side edges and bottom edges of the battery cell, and the bottom edge and corner detection module is used to detect the corners of the bottom surface of the battery cell. The bottom edge and corner detection module and the edge detection module are arranged in the moving direction of the transfer mechanism of the first battery cell transfer mechanism.

[0027] According to the battery cell appearance inspection equipment of the above embodiment, since the battery cell transfer mechanism of the battery cell appearance inspection equipment clamps at least two battery cells simultaneously, it can inspect multiple battery cells in a battery cell group through the inspection module. Compared with the method of inspecting battery cells one by one, it can improve the inspection speed of battery cells. In addition, according to the inspection requirements, the spacing between adjacent battery cells in the battery cell group can be adjusted by the first battery cell pitch adjustment mechanism, so that the side inspection module can inspect the battery cell group with small spacing, reducing the amount of data processing, while adapting the battery cell group to the edge inspection module's requirement for large spacing between adjacent battery cells. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery cell appearance inspection equipment in some embodiments;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the positions of the material handling mechanism and the edge detection module in some embodiments;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cell support and transplanting clamping mechanism in some embodiments;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the gripper mechanism of the cell support and transplantation clamping mechanism in some embodiments;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the side detection module in some embodiments;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery cell clamping and supporting device in some embodiments;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery cell casing testing equipment in some embodiments;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cyclic transmission loop in some embodiments;

[0036] Figure 9 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of section A.

[0037] List of feature names corresponding to the labels in the figure:

[0038] 10. Material handling mechanism; 101. Material clamping mechanism; 102. Material moving mechanism;

[0039] 20. Battery cell; 201. Wide side; 202. Narrow side;

[0040] 30. First cell pitch-changing mechanism; 31. Pitch-changing base; 311. Base body; 312. Moving slide; 313. Moving slide drive mechanism; 3131. Drive motor; 32. Pitch-changing mechanism; 321. Pitch-changing base; 322. Moving component; 33. Rotation drive mechanism; 331. Rotation drive motor; 34. First gripper mechanism; 341. First gripper; 3411. First gripper arm; 34111. Gripper arm guide rail; 34112. First fixing hole; 412, First clamping component; 34121, Clamping block; 341211, First part; 341212, Second part; 34122, Stop block; 34123, Slot; 342, Second gripper; 3421, Second gripper arm; 3422, Second clamping component; 343, Gripper drive mechanism; 3431, Gripper cylinder; 344, Support component; 3441, Battery cell support surface; 3442, Support plate; 3443, Connecting plate; 3444, Clearance groove;

[0041] 40. Side detection module;

[0042] 50. Cell transplanting mechanism; 501. Transplanting clamping mechanism; 5011. Transplanting gripper mechanism; 502. Transplanting moving mechanism; 503. First cell transplanting mechanism; 5031. First frame; 504. Second cell transplanting mechanism; 5041. Second frame; 505. First movable base; 506. Second movable base; 507. First transplanting gripper; 508. Second transplanting gripper;

[0043] 60. Circulating line detection device; 601. Circulating transmission loop; 6011. Circulating line mover; 6012. Conveying track; 60121. Shuttle track; 60122. Detection track; 6013. Circulating line base; 6014. Circulating linear motor; 6015. Sliding contact power supply guide rail; 6016. Shuttle linear motor; 603. Wide side detection module; 604. Top surface edge detection module; 605. Top surface corner detection module; 606. Explosion-proof valve detection module; 607. Top surface detection module; 608. Pole post detection module;

[0044] 602. Cell clamping trolley; 621. Bearing seat; 6211. Bearing part; 62110. Bearing component; 6212. Base plate; 6213. Mounting plate; 6214. Support component; 62141. First support component; 62142. Second support component; 6215. Lead screw seat; 622. First trolley gripper; 6221. Clamping component; 6222. Transmission connecting component; 62221. Nut mounting part; 62222. Clamping component connection. Parts; 623, Second carriage gripper; 624, Gripper drive mechanism; 6241, Drive motor; 6242, Lead screw; 62421, Positive lead section; 62422, Negative lead section; 6243, Synchronous belt; 6244, Driven pulley; 6245, Driving pulley; 625, Guide rail; 6261, First moving part; 6262, Second moving part; 6271, Open position sensor; 6272, Clamping position sensor; 6273, Sensing element;

[0045] 70. Edge detection module; 80. Bottom edge detection module; 90. Barcode scanning detection module; 100. Barcode scanning NG module; 200. Front-end load-bearing and transfer mechanism; 300. Front-end transplanting mechanism; 400. Transfer and positioning module; 500. Bottom surface detection module;

[0046] 600. Mid-section load-bearing and transfer mechanism; 6001. Mid-section mounting base; 6002. Mid-section mover; 6003. Mid-section gripper mechanism; 6004. Mid-section rotary drive mechanism; 6005. Linear guide rail;

[0047] 700. Cart loading mechanism; 7001. Loading gripper mechanism; 800. Unloading frame; 900. Unloading rotary transfer mechanism; 9001. Unloading moving mechanism; 90011. First unloading moving seat; 90012. Second unloading moving seat; 9002. Unloading clamping mechanism; 9003. Unloading rotary drive mechanism; 9004. Unloading pitch changing mechanism.

[0048] Explanation of reference numerals in parentheses in the accompanying drawings: The feature referred to by the reference numerals in parentheses in the accompanying drawings is the feature represented by both the number inside the parentheses and the number outside the parentheses. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Similar elements in different embodiments are referred to by related similar element reference numerals. In the following embodiments, many details are described to facilitate a better understanding of the present application. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that some features may be omitted in different situations, or may be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, certain operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification. This is to avoid obscuring the core parts of the present application with excessive description. For those skilled in the art, detailed description of these related operations is not necessary; they can fully understand the related operations based on the description in the specification and general technical knowledge in the art.

[0050] Furthermore, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any suitable manner to form various embodiments. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can be rearranged or adjusted in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various orders in the specification and drawings are only for the clear description of a particular embodiment and do not imply a necessary order, unless otherwise stated that a particular order must be followed.

[0051] In the description herein, it should be understood that the terms “center,” “longitudinal,” “lateral,” “length,” “width,” “thickness,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” “outer,” “clockwise,” “counterclockwise,” “axial,” “radial,” and “circumferential” indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0052] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0053] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection, an abutment, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0054] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0055] The embodiments described in the detailed implementation can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. For example, different implementation methods can be formed by combining different embodiments. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the various possible combinations of the embodiments will not be described separately.

[0056] Most battery cells used in electric vehicles are prismatic cells, which have six surfaces: front, back, top, bottom, and two sides. To ensure product quality and safety, the six surfaces of the cells, as well as the appearance of the explosion-proof valves and terminals, need to be inspected for defects during the production process. These defects include, but are not limited to, stains, short circuits, ink splatter, pinholes, exposed areas, bumps, corrosion, leakage, scratches, dents, and pits. Addressing the low efficiency of current cell appearance inspection equipment that inspects each cell individually, this application provides a cell appearance inspection device that can inspect at least two cells forming a cell group at at least some inspection stations, thereby improving the low inspection efficiency.

[0057] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 1 to 4 The battery cell appearance inspection equipment includes a feeding and handling mechanism 10 for handling battery cells 20, an edge and corner detection module, a battery cell transfer mechanism 50, a first battery cell pitch changing mechanism 30, and a side detection module 40. The edge and corner detection module is used to detect at least the side edges of the battery cell 20, and the side detection module 40 is used to detect the side of the battery cell 20.

[0058] The cell transfer mechanism 50 includes a transfer clamping mechanism 501 and a transfer moving mechanism 502. The transfer clamping mechanism 501 includes transfer claw mechanisms 5011 for clamping the cell 20. There are at least two transfer claw mechanisms 5011, allowing the transfer clamping mechanism 501 to clamp a cell group consisting of at least two cells 20. The transfer moving mechanism 502 drives the transfer clamping mechanism 501 to move. The moving path of the transfer clamping mechanism 501 passes through at least one of an edge and corner detection module and a side detection module 40, allowing the edge and corner detection module or the side detection module 40 to detect the cell group clamped by the transfer clamping mechanism 501. The cell transfer mechanism 50 of the cell appearance inspection equipment clamps at least two cells 20 simultaneously and can detect multiple cells in a cell group through the edge and corner detection module or the side detection module 40. Compared to detecting each cell 20 individually, this improves the detection speed of the cell 20.

[0059] The first cell pitch adjustment mechanism 30 is used to receive the cell assembly held by the cell transfer mechanism 50 and change the spacing between adjacent cells 20 in the cell assembly. The first cell pitch adjustment mechanism 30 is located between the edge and corner detection module and the side detection module 40, and is used to adjust the spacing of the cell assembly after detection by either the edge and corner detection module or the side detection module 40. According to the detection requirements, the spacing between adjacent cells 20 in the cell assembly can be adjusted by the first cell pitch adjustment mechanism 30, allowing the side detection module 40 to detect cell assemblies with small spacing, reducing the data processing load, while simultaneously adapting the cell assembly to the edge detection module's requirement for large spacing between adjacent cells 20.

[0060] Furthermore, in some embodiments, please refer to Figures 1 to 5 The number of cell transfer mechanisms 50 is at least two, wherein at least one cell transfer mechanism 50 is a first cell transfer mechanism 503 and at least one cell transfer mechanism 50 is a second cell transfer mechanism 504. The first cell transfer mechanism 503 is used to transport the cell 20 between the edge and corner detection module and the first cell pitch changing mechanism 30, and the second cell transfer mechanism 504 is used to transport the cell 20 between the first cell pitch changing mechanism 30 and the side detection module 40. In some embodiments, the spacing between two adjacent pairs of transfer gripper mechanisms 5011 in the second cell transfer mechanism 504 is smaller than the spacing between adjacent pairs of transfer gripper mechanisms 5011 in the first cell transfer mechanism 503.

[0061] Regarding the cell transfer mechanism 502 of the cell transfer mechanism 50, please refer to some embodiments. Figure 1 and Figure 5The transplanting and moving mechanism 502 is a linear motion slide module. The transplanting and moving mechanism 502 includes a first moving seat 505, a second moving seat 506, a first driving mechanism, and a second driving mechanism. The first driving mechanism drives the first moving seat 505 to move horizontally, thereby changing the horizontal position of the battery cell 20. The second driving mechanism drives the second moving seat 506 to move vertically, thereby clamping and releasing the battery cell 20. In some embodiments, the second moving seat 506 is movably mounted on the first moving seat 505, and the transplanting clamping mechanism 501 is mounted on the second moving seat 506. The first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism can employ common driving forms such as a drive motor and lead screw and nut mechanism, a linear motor, a drive motor and belt drive mechanism, or a drive motor and rack and pinion mechanism.

[0062] Regarding the cell transfer mechanism 50 and the transfer clamping mechanism 501 of the cell transfer mechanism 50, please refer to some embodiments. Figure 1 and Figure 5 The transplanting clamping mechanism 501 is suspended on the transplanting moving mechanism 502. Specifically, in some embodiments, please refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 5 The transplanting gripper mechanism 5011 includes a first transplanting gripper 507, a second transplanting gripper 508, and a transplanting gripper drive mechanism. The transplanting gripper drive mechanism is used to drive the first transplanting gripper 507 and the second transplanting gripper 508 to move closer and further apart. The transplanting gripper drive mechanism can be a gripper cylinder, a linear motor, a combination of a drive motor and a lead screw and nut mechanism, or a combination of a drive motor and a belt drive mechanism. Each transplanting gripper mechanism 5011 is fixed on a second movable seat 506. Of course, in some other embodiments, the transplanting clamping mechanism 501 may also include a transplanting mechanism seat, with each transplanting gripper mechanism 5011 fixed on the transplanting mechanism seat, and the transplanting mechanism seat fixed on the second movable seat 506.

[0063] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The first cell transplanting mechanism 503 and the second cell transplanting mechanism 504 are similar in structure except for the spacing between the transplanting gripper mechanism 5011, and will not be described in detail here.

[0064] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The first cell transfer mechanism 503 moves along the X direction, and the second cell transfer mechanism 504 moves along the Y direction. In some embodiments, the X direction is perpendicular to the Y direction; in other embodiments, the angle between the X direction and the Y direction can be any other suitable angle between 0 degrees and 180 degrees.

[0065] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The first cell transfer mechanism 503 includes a first frame 5031. The loading and conveying mechanism 10 and the first cell transfer mechanism 503 share the first frame 5031. The loading and conveying mechanism 10 includes a loading clamping mechanism 101 and a loading moving mechanism 102 that drives the loading clamping mechanism 101 to move. The loading moving mechanism 102 and the transfer moving mechanism 502 of the first cell transfer mechanism 503 are respectively installed on opposite sides of the first frame 5031. This simplifies the structure of the equipment and reduces the space occupied. In some other embodiments, the loading and conveying mechanism 10 may also have an independent loading frame.

[0066] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The feeding clamping mechanism 101 of the feeding and conveying mechanism 10 can adopt the structure of the transfer clamping mechanism 501. Of course, in some other embodiments, the feeding and conveying mechanism 10 can also transport the battery cells 20 one by one.

[0067] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The feeding and conveying mechanism 102 of the feeding and conveying mechanism 10 can adopt the structural form of the transplanting and moving mechanism 502, which will not be described in detail here.

[0068] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The battery cell appearance inspection equipment also includes a loop line inspection device 60, which is located downstream of the side inspection module 40. The battery cell 20 has a wide side 201 and a narrow side 202, and the side inspection module 40 is used to inspect the narrow side 202. The loop line inspection device 60 includes a loop transmission loop 601, at least two battery cell clamping carriages 602, and a wide side inspection module 603. The battery cell clamping carriages 602 are mounted on the loop line mover 6011 of the loop transmission loop 601 and are used to clamp the battery cell 20 and move it along the loop transmission loop 601. The wide side inspection module 603 is located on the transmission path of the loop transmission loop 601 and is used to inspect the wide side 201 of the battery cell 20 located on the loop transmission loop 601. The circular transmission loop 601, also known as the ring transmission line, is used to drive the cell clamping carriage 602 in a cyclical motion, allowing the cells 20 on the cell clamping carriage 602 to pass through the detection module in the circular line detection device 60. By driving the cyclical motion of the cell clamping carriage 602 through the circular transmission loop 601, the detection efficiency of the wide side 201 of the cell 20 can be improved.

[0069] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1, Figure 7 and Figure 8 The cell clamping carriage 602 includes a first carriage gripper 622 and a second carriage gripper 623, which are spaced apart in the direction of movement of the circular linear actuator 6011. The first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 are used to clamp the narrow side 202 of the cell 20, so that the wide side 201 of the cell 20 faces the wide side detection module 603. This makes it easier for the wide side detection module 603 to detect the wide side 201.

[0070] Regarding the loop detection device 60, further, in some embodiments, please refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The circulating transmission line detection device 60 also includes a top detection module, which is located on the transmission path of the circulating transmission loop 601 and is used to detect the top of the battery cell 20 on the circulating transmission loop 601. The top detection module is used to detect at least one of the top surface edges, top surface corners, terminals, and explosion-proof valves of the battery cell 20.

[0071] Specifically, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 The top detection module includes a top edge detection module 604, a top corner detection module 605, a pole detection module 608 for detecting poles, and an explosion-proof valve detection module 606. The top edge detection module 604, the top corner detection module 605, and the explosion-proof valve detection module 606 are arranged sequentially in the transmission direction of the circular transmission loop 601.

[0072] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The cyclic transmission loop 601 includes a transmission line drive mechanism for driving the independent cyclic movement of each cell clamping carriage 602. Independent operation of the cell clamping carriage 602 better adapts to the testing time requirements of different testing modules, reduces waiting time, and improves testing efficiency. Simultaneously, the overall spatial layout is compact, with high space utilization and sufficient maintenance space. Specifically, in some embodiments, the transmission line drive mechanism includes a linear motor.

[0073] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 7 and Figure 8The circulating transmission loop 601 includes a conveying track 6012, a circulating line mover 6011 located on the conveying track 6012, and a cell clamping carriage 602 fixed on the circulating line mover 6011. Specifically, in some embodiments, the circulating transmission loop 601 is a magnetically driven conveying line. In some embodiments, the circulating transmission loop 601 is a magnetically levitated circulating line, where each circulating line mover 6011 can be independently controlled to move without needing to synchronize with each other, thus achieving cyclic detection and greatly improving detection efficiency. It should be noted that the main purpose of this embodiment is to provide a cell 20 clamping and carrying device applied to the circulating transmission loop 601. The circulating transmission loop 601 is a relatively mature existing technology, and its detailed structure will not be described in detail. For ease of understanding, a brief introduction to one type of magnetically driven conveying line of the circulating transmission loop 601 is as follows:

[0074] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 The circulating transmission loop 601 includes a loop base 6013, and the transmission line drive mechanism includes a circulating linear motor 6014, a sliding contact power supply rail 6015, and a tethering linear motor 6016. The loop mover 6011 is movably mounted on the conveying rail 6012. The loop base 6013 is made of marble to reduce vibration generated during the operation of the moving mechanism, thereby further increasing the detection accuracy.

[0075] The conveying track 6012 includes a shuttle track 60121 and a detection track 60122, with two of each. The outer casing detection device is located beside the detection track 60122. A circulating linear motor 6014 drives a circulating linear actuator 6011 to move linearly along the detection track 60122. A shuttle linear motor 6016 drives the shuttle track 60121 to switch between the two detection tracks 60122. After the circulating linear actuator 6011 moves onto the shuttle track 60121, it can switch between the two detection tracks 60122. In some other embodiments, the track of the circulating conveying loop 601 can also be a circular track, with the actuator driven by a circular linear motor; in this case, the shuttle linear motor 6016 is not required.

[0076] In other embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 7 The casing inspection device also includes a top surface inspection module 607, which is used to inspect the top surface of the battery cell 20. In some embodiments, each inspection module is a vision inspection device, which inspects the battery cell 20 by collecting image information of the battery cell 20.

[0077] Regarding the battery cell clamping carriage 602, please refer to some embodiments. Figure 6The battery cell clamping carriage includes a support base 621, a first carriage gripper 622, a second carriage gripper 623, and a gripper drive mechanism 624. The support base 621 includes a support portion 6211 for supporting the battery cell 20. At least one of the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 is movably mounted on the support base 621. The gripper drive mechanism 624 includes a drive motor 6241 and a linear transmission mechanism. The linear transmission mechanism is drively connected to at least one of the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623, so that the drive motor 6241 adjusts the initial distance between the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 through the linear transmission mechanism.

[0078] After the battery cell 20 is placed on the support portion 6211 of the support base 621, the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 move closer together to clamp the battery cell 20. For battery cells 20 of different sizes, the gripper drive mechanism 624 of the battery cell 20 clamping support device can adjust the initial distance between the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 through a linear transmission mechanism, thus accommodating battery cells 20 of different sizes. Therefore, through the adjustment action of the drive motor 6241 and the linear transmission mechanism, both clamping and releasing of the grippers can be achieved, and the initial distance between the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 can also be adjusted, adapting to battery cells 20 of different sizes and providing better adaptability.

[0079] It should be noted that the initial spacing described in this application refers to the initial spacing set for a certain size of battery cell 20. Specifically, before clamping the battery cell 20, the spacing between the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 is the initial spacing. After the battery cell 20 is placed on the support portion 6211, under the driving action of the gripper driving mechanism 624, the spacing between the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 is reduced from the initial spacing to clamp the battery cell 20.

[0080] Regarding the form of the linear drive mechanism, please refer to some embodiments. Figure 6 The linear transmission mechanism is a lead screw and nut mechanism, which includes a lead screw 6242, a first nut, and a second nut. The lead screw 6242 includes a forward lead section 62421 and a reverse lead section 62422. The first nut is installed on the forward lead section 62421, and the second nut is installed on the reverse lead section 62422. The first carriage gripper 622 is connected to the first nut, and the second carriage gripper 623 is connected to the second nut. The lead screw and nut mechanism has high precision and can more accurately adjust the distance between the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623.

[0081] To further improve adjustment accuracy, please refer to some embodiments. Figure 6The drive motor 6241 is an integrated drive and control stepper motor, and the drive motor 6241 and the lead screw 6242 are driven by gears or belts. In some other embodiments, the drive motor 6241 can also be a servo motor. The drive motor 6241 can also be connected to the lead screw 6242 via a reducer. The integrated drive and control stepper motor can control the clamping force of the gripper by controlling the number of output pulses, which can effectively avoid damage to the battery cell caused by excessive clamping force. At the same time, controlling the opening and closing amount can also achieve compatible clamping of batteries of different sizes.

[0082] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The drive motor 6241 is connected to the lead screw 6242 via a synchronous belt 6243. A driven pulley 6244 is fixed to one end of the lead screw 6242, and a driving pulley 6245 is fixed to the output shaft of the drive motor 6241. The driving pulley 6245 and the driven pulley 6244 are connected by the synchronous belt 6243, enabling the driving pulley 6245 to drive the driven pulley 6244 to rotate. The synchronous belt 6243 is arranged on the horizontal side of the support 621, and the rotation axis of the drive motor 6241 is parallel to the rotation axis of the lead screw 6242.

[0083] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The support 621 includes a base plate 6212 and a mounting plate 6213 located above the base plate 6212. The drive motor 6241 is mounted between the base plate 6212 and the mounting plate 6213. The first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 are movably mounted on the mounting plate 6213. In this way, the drive motor 6241 can be installed using the space between the base plate 6212 and the mounting plate 6213, resulting in a more compact overall space.

[0084] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The mounting plate 6213 is equipped with a guide rail 625. The first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 are movably mounted on the guide rail 625. A lead screw 6242 is located between the bearing portion 6211 and the guide rail 625, passing through the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623. This position of the lead screw 6242 above the guide rail 625 facilitates the installation of both the guide rail and the lead screw. Guided by the guide rail 625, the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 are less prone to jamming, resulting in better stability. In some other embodiments, the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 can also be movably mounted on the mounting plate 6213. In some other embodiments, the mounting plate 6213 can also be fixed to the drive motor 6241, which is fixed to the base plate 6212.

[0085] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6The support base 621 includes a support member 6214, which is fixed to the mounting plate 6213. The bearing portion 6211 is a bearing member 62110 fixed to the top of the support member 6214. Specifically, in some embodiments, please refer to... Figure 6 The support member 6214 includes a first support member 62141 and a second support member 62142. The first support member 62141 and the second support member 62142 are spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the first trolley gripper 622. The first trolley gripper 622 and the second trolley gripper 623 are both movably mounted on a guide rail 625, which passes between the first support member 62141 and the second support member 62142. By supporting the carrier member 62110 with the first support member 62141 and the second support member 62142, the reliability of the carrier member 62110 can be improved. At the same time, the space between the first carrier member 62110 and the second support member 62110 can be used to install the guide rail 625, resulting in a more compact overall space.

[0086] Specifically, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The first support member 62141 is a hollow support plate. Similarly, the structure of the second support member 62142 can be the same as that of the first support member 62141. In some other embodiments, the first support member 62141 can also be a support column.

[0087] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The support member 62110 is a support plate, one side of which is fixed to the first support member 62141 and the other side is fixed to the second support member 62142.

[0088] Furthermore, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The first support member 62141 and the second support member 62142 form a gripper movement area, which allows at least a portion of the first trolley gripper 622 and at least a portion of the second trolley gripper 623 to enter. This fully utilizes the space between the first support member 62141 and the second support member 62142, making the overall structure of the supporting device more compact. In some other embodiments, the first trolley gripper 622 and the second trolley gripper 623 may not enter the area between the first support member 62141 and the second support member 62142; for example, the first support member 62141 and the second support member 62142 may be attached together.

[0089] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The support member 6214 is fixed to the mounting plate 6213 by fasteners, and the carrier member 62110 is fixed to the support member 6214 by fasteners. Fasteners can be screws, rivets, etc. In some other embodiments, the support member 6214 and the carrier member 62110 can also be integrally formed.

[0090] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The guide rail 625 is provided with a first moving member 6261 and a second moving member 6262, both of which are movably mounted on the guide rail 625. Specifically, both the first moving member 6261 and the second moving member 6262 have sliding grooves that slide and engage with the guide rail 625. The first carriage gripper 622 is fixed to the first moving member 6261, and the second carriage gripper 623 is fixed to the second moving member 6262. The first carriage gripper 622 is movably mounted on the guide rail 625 via the first moving member 6261, and the second carriage gripper 623 is movably mounted on the guide rail 625 via the second moving member 6262.

[0091] Regarding the structure of the first carriage gripper 622, in some embodiments, the first carriage gripper 622 includes a clamping member 6221 and a transmission connector 6222. The transmission connector 6222 is fixed on the first moving member 6261, and the clamping member 6221 is fixed on the transmission connector 6222. A first nut is fixed on the transmission connector 6222.

[0092] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The transmission connector 6222 includes a nut mounting portion 62221 and a clamping member connecting portion 62222. The clamping member connecting portion 62222 extends from the top of the nut mounting portion 62221 in a direction away from the second trolley jaw 623. The clamping member 6221 is fixed to the clamping member connecting portion 62222. A lead screw seat 6215 is provided on the mounting plate 6213. The two ends of the lead screw 6242 are rotatably mounted on the lead screw seat 6215. When the first trolley jaw 622 and the second trolley jaw 623 are open, the clamping member connecting portion 62222 is above the lead screw seat 6215. The extension of the clamping member connecting portion 62222 from the top of the nut mounting portion 62221 in a direction away from the second trolley jaw 623 avoids interference with the lead screw seat 6215, reduces the length of the lead screw 6242, and thus reduces the size of the device.

[0093] To prevent the clamping member 6221 from damaging the battery cell 20, the clamping member 6221 includes a protective pad for contacting the battery cell 20. The protective pad may be made of flexible materials such as rubber or silicone.

[0094] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The structure of the second trolley gripper 623 is the same as that of the first trolley gripper 622, and will not be described in detail here.

[0095] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6One of the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623 is equipped with a photoelectric transmitting module, and the other with a photoelectric receiving module. When the battery cell 20 is clamped between the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623, the photoelectric receiving module cannot receive the signal emitted by the photoelectric transmitting module, thus sensing that the battery cell 20 is between the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623. When there is no battery cell 20 between the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623, the photoelectric receiving module can receive the signal emitted by the photoelectric transmitting module, thus sensing that there is no battery cell 20 between the first carriage gripper 622 and the second carriage gripper 623.

[0096] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The mounting plate 6213 is equipped with an open position sensor 6271 and a clamping position sensor 6272. The second trolley gripper 623 is equipped with a sensor 6273. When the first trolley gripper 622 and the second trolley gripper 623 are open, the open position sensor 6271 can detect the sensor 6273. When the first trolley gripper 622 and the second trolley gripper 623 are clamping the battery cell 20, the clamping position sensor 6272 can detect the sensor 6273. Specifically, both the open position sensor 6271 and the clamping position sensor 6272 are slot-shaped photoelectric sensors, and the sensor 6273 is a sensing plate fixed on the second trolley gripper 623.

[0097] Furthermore, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The first cell transfer mechanism 503's transfer moving mechanism 502 moves along the X direction, and the second cell transfer mechanism 504's transfer moving mechanism 502 moves along the Y direction. The circulating line detection device 60 is arranged with the second cell transfer mechanism 504 along the X direction and with the first cell transfer mechanism 503 along the Y direction. This allows for a more compact overall layout and higher space utilization. In some other embodiments, the movement direction of the first cell transfer mechanism 503's transfer moving mechanism 502 may also be the same as the movement direction of the second cell transfer mechanism 504's transfer moving mechanism 502.

[0098] Furthermore, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The feeding and handling mechanism 10, the first cell transfer mechanism 503, and the circulation line detection device 60 are arranged sequentially in the Y direction.

[0099] Furthermore, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5The second cell transfer mechanism 504 includes a second frame 5041. The transfer moving mechanism 502 and the side detection module of the second cell transfer mechanism 504 are both located on the side of the second frame 5041 facing away from the circulating line detection device 60.

[0100] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The edge and corner detection module includes an edge detection module 70 and a bottom edge and corner detection module 80. The edge detection module 70 is used to detect the side edges and bottom edges of the battery cell 20, and the bottom edge and corner detection module 80 is used to detect the corners of the bottom surface of the battery cell 20. The bottom edge and corner detection module 80 and the edge detection module 70 are arranged in the moving direction of the transfer moving mechanism 502 of the first battery cell transfer mechanism 503. In some embodiments, the edge detection module 70 is used to detect the side edges and bottom edges of the battery; the edge detection module 70 is a side edge and bottom edge detection module.

[0101] Regarding the first cell pitch-changing mechanism 30, please refer to some embodiments. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first cell pitch-changing mechanism 30 includes a pitch-changing base 31, a pitch-changing mechanism 32, a rotary drive mechanism 33, and a first gripper mechanism 34. The pitch-changing mechanism 32 includes a pitch-changing base 321 rotatably mounted on the pitch-changing base 31, at least two moving parts 322, and a pitch-changing drive mechanism. The moving parts 322 are movably mounted on the pitch-changing base 321. The pitch-changing drive mechanism drives the moving parts 322 to move relative to the pitch-changing base 321 and changes the distance between adjacent moving parts 322. The rotary drive mechanism 33 drives the pitch-changing base 321 to rotate, thus driving the pitch-changing mechanism 32 to rotate as a whole.

[0102] At least one first gripper mechanism 34 is mounted on the upper side of the movable component 322. The first gripper mechanism 34 includes a first gripper 341, a second gripper 342, and a gripper drive mechanism 343. The gripper drive mechanism 343 is used to drive the first gripper 341 and the second gripper 342 to move closer and further apart, so as to clamp and release the battery cell. The first gripper mechanism 34 has a battery cell support surface 3441 for supporting the battery cell, and the battery cell support surface 3441 is located between the first gripper 341 and the second gripper 342.

[0103] When the first gripper mechanism 34 grips the battery cell, the pitch-changing mechanism 32 can change the spacing between the battery cells. Since the pitch-changing base 321 of the pitch-changing mechanism 32 is rotatably mounted on the pitch-changing base 31, the pitch-changing base 321 can be driven to rotate by the rotation drive mechanism 33, thereby driving each of the first gripper mechanisms 34 to rotate simultaneously, changing the direction of the battery cell group. In this way, the first battery cell pitch-changing mechanism can not only achieve the direction of multiple battery cells, but also change the spacing between adjacent battery cells.

[0104] Regarding the pitch-changing mechanism 32, in some embodiments, the pitch-changing mechanism 32 adopts a mature pitch-changing slide table from the prior art. The pitch-changing drive mechanism can be a lead screw and nut mechanism, using positive and negative threaded screws to drive symmetrical sliders to move in opposite directions, achieving equal or unequal pitch changes. The pitch-changing drive mechanism can also be a belt drive mechanism, connecting multiple moving parts 322 via a synchronous belt to ensure motion synchronization. Pitch changes can also be achieved through the folding / unfolding of multi-stage linkages or telescopic rods. Alternatively, it can be a linear motor drive, where the linear motor drives each moving part 322 to move independently, precisely controlling its position. The number of moving parts 322 in the pitch-changing mechanism 32 can be two, three, four, or more than five, depending on the requirements.

[0105] Furthermore, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The gripper drive mechanism 343 includes a gripper cylinder 3431 fixed to the movable member 322. The first gripper mechanism 34 includes a support member 344, which is fixed to the upper side of the gripper cylinder 3431. The battery cell support surface 3441 is located on the support member 344. Fixing the support member 344 to the gripper cylinder 3431 makes the gripper drive mechanism 343 more compact. Specifically, the support member 344 is fixed to the cylinder body of the gripper cylinder 3431. In some other embodiments, the support member 344 can be directly fixed to the movable member 322 in addition to being fixed to the gripper cylinder 3431. In addition to the support member 344 supporting the battery cell, in some other embodiments, the top surface of the gripper cylinder 3431 can also be used to support the battery cell, in which case the first gripper 341 and the second gripper 342 are located on both sides of the gripper cylinder 3431, respectively.

[0106] To further reduce the size of the first gripper mechanism 34, in some embodiments, please refer to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first gripper 341 and the second gripper 342 are both located above the gripper cylinder 3431. The support member 344 has a clearance groove 3444 through which at least a portion of the first gripper 341 and at least a portion of the second gripper 342 passes. Specifically, in some embodiments, the support member 344 includes a support plate 3442 and a connecting plate 3443. There are two connecting plates 3443. The two support plates 3442 are respectively connected to opposite sides of the support plate 3442, and the two connecting plates 3443 are arranged in a U-shape with the support plate 3442. The connecting plates 3443 are fixed to the cylinder body of the gripper cylinder 3431, and the two connecting plates 3443 and the support plate 3442 form the clearance groove 3444.

[0107] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4The variable pitch base 31 includes a base 311 and a movable slide 312, with the movable slide 312 movably mounted on the base 311. The first cell variable pitch mechanism also includes a movable slide drive mechanism 313 that drives the movable slide 312 to move relative to the base 311. The variable pitch base 321 is rotatably mounted on the movable slide 312. In this way, the first cell variable pitch mechanism can not only realize the reversal and rotation of the cell assembly, but also realize the translation of the cell assembly. Of course, in some other embodiments, the variable pitch base 31 can also be a fixed structure, with the variable pitch base 321 fixed on the variable pitch base 31.

[0108] Specifically, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The movable slide drive mechanism 313 may include a lead screw and nut mechanism that drives the movable slide 312. A drive motor 3131 drives the lead screw of the lead screw and nut mechanism to rotate, and the movable slide 312 is connected to the nut. The drive motor 3131 is a servo motor, capable of achieving high-precision position changes; the positioning accuracy of the movable slide drive mechanism 313 can reach 0.02mm. In some embodiments, the movable slide drive mechanism 313 may also be a belt drive mechanism, with the movable slide 312 connected to a synchronous belt, and the synchronous belt driven by pulleys to realize the movement of the movable slide 312. In other embodiments, the movable slide drive mechanism 313 may also be a linear motor, which drives the movable slide 312 to move linearly.

[0109] Regarding the structure of the first gripper 341, please refer to some embodiments. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first gripper 341 includes a first gripper arm 3411 and a first clamping member 3412 for cooperating with the second gripper 342 to clamp the battery cell. The first gripper arm 3411 extends in the moving direction of the first gripper 341. The first clamping member 3412 is fixed to the upper side of the first gripper arm 3411 and its position relative to the first gripper arm 3411 is adjustable along the extending direction of the first gripper arm 3411. Since the first clamping member 3412 is fixed to the first gripper arm 3411 and its position is adjustable, the first gripper 341 can adapt to battery cells of different sizes, thus improving the applicability of the first gripper mechanism 34.

[0110] Similarly, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4The second gripper 342 includes a second gripper arm 3421 and a second gripping member 3422 for gripping the battery cell. The second gripper arm 3421 extends in the moving direction of the second gripper 342. The second gripping member 3422 is fixed to the upper side of the second gripper arm 3421 and its position relative to the second gripper arm 3421 is adjustable along the extending direction of the second gripper arm 3421. The second gripper 342 can also be adjusted in position relative to the second gripper arm 3421 as needed. In this way, the second gripper 342, in cooperation with the first gripper 341, can have a wider adjustment range and is suitable for larger battery cell sizes.

[0111] In some other embodiments, besides the adjustable first gripper 341 and second gripper 342, the first gripper 341 and second gripper 342 can also be used only for a single size of battery cell. In this case, the first clamping member 3412 and the first gripper arm 3411 can be integrally formed, and the second clamping member 3422 and the second gripper arm 3421 can also be integrally formed. In some other embodiments, only one position of the first clamping member 3412 and the second clamping member 3422 can be adjustable.

[0112] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first clamping member 3412 is movably mounted on the first gripper arm 3411. The first gripper 341 includes a fixing member (not shown in the figure) for fixing the first clamping member 3412 to the first gripper arm 3411 after the first clamping member 3412 is moved into place.

[0113] Regarding the adjustable position of the first clamping member 3412, please refer to some specific embodiments. Figure 3 and Figure 4The first gripper arm 3411 is provided with a gripper arm guide rail 34111, and the first clamping member 3412 is provided with a guide groove adapted to the gripper arm guide rail 34111. The guide groove cooperates with the gripper arm guide rail 34111 to guide the first clamping member 3412 to move along the extension direction of the first gripper arm 3411, and adjust the distance between the first clamping member 3412 and the second clamping member 3422. The first gripper arm 3411 is provided with a plurality of first fixing holes 34112 arranged at intervals along the length direction of the first gripper arm 3411. After the position of the first clamping member 3412 is adjusted into place, the fixing member passes through the first clamping member 3412 and the first fixing holes 34112 to fix the first clamping member 3412 to the first gripper arm 3411. In some other embodiments, the first clamping member 3412 and the first gripper arm 3411 can also be fixed by other means, such as by tightening with a set screw, by snapping with an elastic buckle, or by magnetic attraction. In some other embodiments, the first gripper arm 3411 may also be provided with a gripper arm guide groove, and the first clamping member 3412 may be provided with a clamping member guide rail that is adapted to the gripper arm guide groove to guide the movement of the first clamping member 3412.

[0114] Similarly, the position adjustment method of the second clamping member 3422 can be the same as that of the first clamping member 3412, and will not be described in detail here.

[0115] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first clamping member 3412 includes a clamping block 34121 and a stop block 34122. The clamping block 34121 is fixed to the first gripper arm 3411 and is used to contact and clamp the battery cell. The stop block 34122 is fixed to the clamping block 34121 and acts as a stop for the battery cell. To prevent damage to the battery cell, the clamping block 34121 is covered with an elastic material, such as EPDM rubber or silicone, which effectively prevents the gripper from damaging the battery cell when clamping it. For some embodiments, please refer to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The stop block 34122 is U-shaped and has a U-shaped groove for holding the clamping block 34121. Specifically, in some embodiments, please refer to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The stop block 34122 is fixed to the clamping block 34121 by fasteners.

[0116] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The clamping block 34121 is T-shaped and includes a first part 341211 connected to the first gripper arm 3411 and a second part 341212 perpendicular to the first part 341211. The stop block 34122 is fixed on the second part.

[0117] Similarly, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The second clamping member 3422 can adopt the same structure as the first clamping member 3412, and the details will not be elaborated further.

[0118] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first clamping member 3412 is detachably connected to the first gripper arm 3411, and the second clamping member 3422 is detachably connected to the second gripper arm 3421. This allows both the first clamping member 3412 and the second clamping member 3422 to be removed. By replacing the first clamping member 3412 and the second clamping member 3422, different cell sizes can be accommodated, and maintenance of the clamping members is also convenient. Regarding the detachable connection method, any feasible method can be used, such as bolt connection, snap-fit, or magnetic fixation.

[0119] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 One of the first clamping member 3412 and the second clamping member 3422 is equipped with a photoelectric emitting module, and the other is equipped with a photoelectric receiving module. When there is a battery cell between the first clamping member 3412 and the second clamping member 3422, the photoelectric receiving module cannot receive the signal emitted by the photoelectric emitting module, thus sensing the absence of a battery cell. When there is no battery cell between the first clamping member 3412 and the second clamping member 3422, the photoelectric receiving module can receive the signal emitted by the photoelectric emitting module, thus sensing the absence of a battery cell in the first gripper mechanism 34.

[0120] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The rotary drive mechanism 33 includes a rotary drive motor 331, the lower end of which is fixed to the pitch base 31, and the pitch base 321 is fixed to the upper end of the rotary drive motor 331. This reduces the space occupied by the rotary drive motor 331. In some other embodiments, the pitch base 321 can also be directly rotatably mounted on the pitch base 31, and the drive motor drives the pitch base 321 to rotate through a gear system.

[0121] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The rotary drive motor 331 is a direct drive motor, also known as a rotary DD motor. The rotary DD motor is a direct-drive brushless motor with zero backlash, high rigidity, and a large hollow inner diameter, effectively reducing wear on the air hoses and cables mounted on it due to rotation. Furthermore, the rotary DD motor enables high-precision rotary positioning.

[0122] In some embodiments, the battery cell 20 is a spray-coated square-shell battery cell. The detection module for defect detection of the battery cell 20 is an optical detection module, which uses the vision of an image sensor to detect the appearance of the battery cell 20.

[0123] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The battery cell appearance inspection equipment includes a barcode scanning module 90, which is used to determine whether the QR code on the battery cell 20 is an NG code. The battery cell appearance inspection equipment also includes an NG code scanning module 100. If there is an NG code battery cell 20, the loading and conveying mechanism 10 moves to the NG code scanning module 100 and places the NG code battery cell 20 down. The NG code battery cell 20 is discharged through the pull belt of the NG code scanning module 100. After the module is full, it is manually removed.

[0124] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The battery cell appearance inspection equipment also includes a front-end carrying and transferring mechanism 200, which receives the battery cells 20 transported by the loading and transporting mechanism 10. The loading and transporting mechanism 10 transports at least two battery cells 20 simultaneously, and the number of gripper pairs in the corresponding front-end carrying and transferring mechanism 200 is the same as the number of gripper pairs in the loading and transporting mechanism 10. In some embodiments, the front-end carrying and transferring mechanism 200 includes a variable-pitch slide table with at least two variable-pitch movers. The gripper pairs of the front-end carrying and transferring mechanism 200 are mounted on the variable-pitch movers, so that the front-end carrying and transferring mechanism 200 can change the spacing between adjacent gripper pairs. In some embodiments, the front-end carrying and transferring mechanism 200 also includes a front-end carrying moving mechanism for driving the variable-pitch slide table to move, thereby realizing the transfer of the battery cells 20.

[0125] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The battery cell appearance inspection equipment also includes a front-end transfer mechanism 300 and a transfer positioning module 400. The transfer positioning module 400 is used to transfer the battery cell 20. The front-end transfer mechanism 300 is used to pick up the battery cell 20 from the front-end carrying and transferring mechanism 200. After being inspected by the bottom edge detection module 80, the front-end transfer mechanism 300 places the battery cell 20 on the transfer positioning module 400. Then, the first battery cell transfer mechanism 503 picks up the battery cell 20 from the transfer positioning module 400. After being inspected by the edge detection module 70, the first battery cell transfer mechanism 503 places the battery cell 20 on the first battery cell pitch changing mechanism 30. In some embodiments, the structure of the front-end transfer mechanism 300 is the same as the structure of the first battery cell transfer mechanism 503, which will not be described in detail here.

[0126] After the cell 20 undergoes pitch change and rotation by the first cell pitch change mechanism 30, the first cell pitch change mechanism 30 moves the cell assembly to below the second cell transfer mechanism 504. The second cell transfer mechanism 504 picks up the cell 20 and makes the cell assembly pass through the side detection module 40 to detect the narrow side 202 of the cell 20.

[0127] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The battery cell appearance inspection equipment also includes a bottom surface inspection module 500 and a mid-section bearing and transfer mechanism 600. The second battery cell transfer mechanism 504 picks up the battery cell 20 and inspects it through the bottom surface inspection module 500. After the second battery cell transfer mechanism 504 picks up the battery cell 20 and completes the inspection of the narrow side 202 and the bottom surface of the battery cell 20, it places the battery cell 20 on the mid-section bearing and transfer mechanism 600.

[0128] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 Regarding the mid-section load-bearing and transfer mechanism 600, the mid-section load-bearing and transfer mechanism 600 includes a multi-moving linear assembly, a mid-section gripper mechanism 6003, and a mid-section rotation drive mechanism 6004. The multi-moving linear assembly includes a mid-section mounting base 6001 and multiple mid-section moving parts 6002 movably mounted on the mid-section mounting base 6001. Each mid-section moving part 6002 can move independently relative to the mid-section mounting base 6001 to change the spacing between adjacent mid-section moving parts 6002. Specifically, in some embodiments, multiple mid-section moving parts 6002 are driven to move independently by a linear motor. The mid-section gripper mechanism 6003 is used to grip the battery cell 20 and is rotatably mounted on the mid-section moving parts 6002. There are multiple mid-section gripper mechanisms 6003, and at least one mid-section gripper mechanism 6003 is mounted on each mid-section moving part 6002. The mid-section rotary drive mechanism 6004 is mounted on the mid-section mover 6002 and is used to drive the mid-section gripper mechanism 6003 to rotate relative to the mid-section mover 6002. In some embodiments, the mid-section gripper mechanism 6003 has the same structure as the first gripper mechanism, which will not be described in detail here. In some embodiments, the mid-section rotary drive mechanism 6004 is a DD motor.

[0129] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 The middle section mover 6002 is mounted on the middle section mounting base 6001 and moves along the Y direction. The middle section bearing and transfer mechanism 600 also includes a linear guide rail 6005 extending along the X direction. The middle section mounting base 6001 is mounted on the linear guide rail 6005 and moves along the X direction.

[0130] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5The battery cell appearance inspection equipment also includes a trolley loading mechanism 700, which is used to pick up the battery cell 20 from the intermediate carrying and transferring mechanism 600 and place it on the battery cell clamping trolley 602. The trolley loading mechanism 700 includes a loading gripper mechanism 7001, the structure of which is similar to that of the transplanting gripper mechanism 501 described in the embodiment shown in the figure. The only difference is that the transplanting gripper mechanism 501 shown in the above embodiment is used to clamp the wide side 201 of the battery cell 20, while the loading gripper mechanism 7001 is used to clamp the narrow side 202 of the battery cell 20. In some embodiments, the number of loading gripper mechanisms 7001 in the trolley loading mechanism 700 is two or more.

[0131] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 9 The battery cell appearance inspection equipment also includes a feeding frame 800 and a feeding rotary transfer mechanism 900. The feeding rotary transfer mechanism 900 is used to clamp battery cells 20 from the battery cell clamping carriage 602 and rotate individual battery cells. The feeding rotary transfer mechanism 900 includes a feeding moving mechanism 9001, a feeding pitch changing mechanism 9004, a feeding clamping mechanism 9002, and a feeding rotary drive mechanism 9003. There are two or more feeding clamping mechanisms 9002, so that battery cells 20 can be clamped simultaneously from two or more battery cell clamping carriages 602.

[0132] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 9 The feeding pitch adjustment mechanism 9004 is mounted on the feeding moving mechanism 9001. The feeding pitch adjustment mechanism 9004 includes at least two feeding movers with variable spacing, and the feeding clamping mechanism 9002 is mounted on the feeding movers. The spacing of the feeding clamping mechanism 9002 can be adjusted by changing the spacing between the feeding movers.

[0133] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 9 The feeding pitch mechanism 9004 is a pitch-changing slide table driven by a linear motor. The feeding pitch mechanism 9004 includes a feeding linear motor, which drives the movement of each feeding actuator.

[0134] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 9 The unloading rotary drive mechanism is also mounted on the unloading mover of the unloading pitch mechanism 9004, and is used to drive the unloading clamping mechanism 9002 to rotate relative to the unloading mover. In some embodiments, the unloading rotary drive mechanism 9003 is a drive motor.

[0135] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 9 The unloading moving mechanism 9001 is a linear motion slide module, capable of driving the unloading pitch changing mechanism 9004 to move up, down, left, and right. Specifically, in some embodiments, the unloading moving mechanism 9001 includes a first unloading moving seat 90011 fixed on the unloading stator, a second unloading moving seat 90012 movably mounted on the first unloading moving seat 90011, and a linear drive mechanism driving the second unloading moving seat 90012. The unloading pitch changing mechanism 9004 is movably mounted on the first unloading moving seat 90011. The linear drive mechanism can be a linear motor, a drive motor and a lead screw and nut mechanism, a drive motor and a belt drive mechanism, etc.

[0136] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 9 The unloading clamping mechanism 9002 includes an unloading clamping seat, a first unloading jaw, a second unloading jaw, and an unloading jaw driving mechanism. The first unloading jaw, the second unloading jaw, and the unloading jaw driving mechanism are all mounted on the unloading clamping seat, which is mounted on the second unloading moving seat 90012. The unloading jaw driving mechanism can be a jaw cylinder.

[0137] In some embodiments, the moving mechanism mentioned in the above embodiments is driven by a linear motor and positioned by a grating ruler, which improves the handling speed of the battery cell 20 and the positioning accuracy.

[0138] In some embodiments, the cell handling mechanism mentioned in the above embodiments uses a grating ruler and a reading head with a resolution of 0.2μm to ensure that the repeatability of the positioning during handling can reach ±1.5μm.

[0139] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 1 to 9 Taking a battery cell group of four cells (20 cells) as an example, the workflow of the battery cell appearance inspection equipment is described as follows:

[0140] Four battery cells 20 are fed by a material conveyor belt on the logistics line. After the barcode scanning and detection module 90 determines whether the QR code on the battery cell 20 is an NG code, the four grippers of the loading and handling mechanism 10 pick up the four battery cells 20 at a time. If there is an NG code battery cell 20, the loading and handling mechanism 10 moves to the NG scanning module 100 and puts the NG code battery cell 20 down. The NG code battery cell 20 is discharged through the pull belt of the NG scanning module 100. After the module is full, it is picked up manually. If the battery cell 20 is an OK code battery cell, the loading and handling mechanism 10 moves to the front-end carrying and transfer mechanism 200 and puts the battery cell 20 down.

[0141] The front-end bearing and transfer mechanism 200 picks up four battery cells 20 at a time, and the front-end bearing moving mechanism transfers the battery cells 20 to the front-end transplanting mechanism 300. At the same time as the transfer, the four battery cells 20 change their distance, and the center distance of the battery cells 20 increases to meet the requirements of the bottom edge detection module 70 for the spacing of the four battery cells 20.

[0142] The grippers of the front-end transplanting mechanism 300 hold four battery cells 20 and transport them to the bottom edge detection module 80. After the bottom edge detection of each battery cell 20 is completed, the battery cell 20 is placed on the transfer positioning module 400. The front-end transplanting mechanism 300 holds four battery cells 20 and transports them to the side edge and bottom edge detection module 70. After the side edge and bottom edge detection of each battery cell 20 is completed, the battery cell 20 is placed on the front-end first battery cell pitch changing mechanism 30. The four battery cells 20 complete a 90-degree rotation and pitch change on the front-end first battery cell pitch changing mechanism 30, and the center distance of the battery cells 20 is reduced, so as to reduce the composite image of the battery cell 20 by the side detection module 40 and the bottom detection module 500.

[0143] The first cell pitch-changing mechanism 30 then transfers the cell 20 to below the second cell transfer mechanism 504. The grippers of the second cell transfer mechanism 504 hold the four cells 20 and move them at a constant speed through the side inspection module 40 and the bottom inspection module 500 to complete the narrow side appearance inspection and bottom appearance inspection. Afterward, the cells 20 are placed on the middle-section load-bearing transfer mechanism 600. The middle-section load-bearing transfer mechanism 600 uses a four-motor linear motor to change the pitch of two cells 20 in pairs and moves the cells 20 directly below the trolley loading mechanism 700. The grippers of the trolley loading mechanism 700 hold the two cells 20 and move them. The two battery cells 20 are transported to two battery cell clamping trolleys 602. The two battery cell clamping trolleys 602 carry the two battery cells 20 through the top surface detection module 607, the wide side detection module, and the terminal detection module 608 to complete the detection. The battery cell clamping trolleys 602 transfer the battery cells 20 to the top surface corner detection module 605, the top surface edge detection module 604, and the explosion-proof valve detection module 606 via the transfer track 60121 to complete the detection. Finally, the two battery cell clamping trolleys 602 are directly below the unloading position of the unloading rotary transfer mechanism 900. The grippers of the unloading rotary transfer mechanism 900 clamp the two battery cells 20 and transfer them to the OK logistics line or the NG logistics line.

[0144] The above examples illustrate this application only to aid understanding and are not intended to limit its scope. Those skilled in the art to which this application pertains can make various simple deductions, modifications, or substitutions based on the ideas presented.

Claims

1. An electrode appearance inspection apparatus characterized by comprising: include: A loading and conveying mechanism, used for loading and conveying battery cells; An edge and corner detection module, wherein the edge and corner detection module is used at least to detect the side edges of the battery cell; A side detection module, which is used to detect the side of the battery cell; A battery cell transplanting mechanism includes a transplanting clamping mechanism and a transplanting moving mechanism. The transplanting clamping mechanism includes transplanting claw mechanisms for clamping battery cells, and the number of transplanting claw mechanisms is at least two so that the transplanting clamping mechanism can clamp a battery cell group consisting of at least two battery cells. The transplanting moving mechanism is used to drive the transplanting clamping mechanism to move, and the moving path of the transplanting clamping mechanism passes through at least one of the edge and corner detection module and the side detection module, so that the edge and corner detection module or the side detection module detects the battery cell group clamped by the transplanting clamping mechanism. And a first cell pitch changing mechanism, which is used to receive the cell group held by the cell transfer mechanism and change the spacing between adjacent cells in the cell group; the first cell pitch changing mechanism is located between the edge and corner detection module and the side detection module, and is used to change the pitch of the cell group after detection by one of the edge and corner detection module and the side detection module.

2. The cell appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The number of the cell transfer mechanism is at least two, wherein at least one cell transfer mechanism is a first cell transfer mechanism and at least one of the cell transfer mechanisms is a second cell transfer mechanism. The first cell transfer mechanism is used to transfer the cell between the edge and corner detection module and the first cell pitch changing mechanism, and the second cell transfer mechanism is used to transfer the cell between the first cell pitch changing mechanism and the side detection module. The spacing between two adjacent pairs of transfer gripper mechanisms in the second cell transfer mechanism is smaller than the spacing between two adjacent pairs of transfer gripper mechanisms in the first cell transfer mechanism.

3. The battery cell appearance inspection equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first cell transfer mechanism includes a first frame. The feeding and conveying mechanism and the first cell transfer mechanism share the first frame. The feeding and conveying mechanism includes a feeding clamping mechanism and a feeding moving mechanism that drives the feeding clamping mechanism to move. The feeding moving mechanism and the transfer moving mechanism of the first cell transfer mechanism are respectively installed on opposite sides of the first frame.

4. The cell appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The cell appearance inspection equipment also includes a circulation line inspection device, which is located downstream of the side inspection module. The cell has a wide side and a narrow side, and the side inspection module is used to inspect the narrow side. The circulation line inspection device includes a circulation transmission loop, at least two cell clamping trolleys, and a wide side inspection module. The cell clamping trolleys are mounted on the circulation transmission loop, causing the circulation transmission loop to drive the cell clamping trolleys in a cyclical motion. The wide side inspection module is used to inspect the wide side of the cell located on the circulation transmission loop.

5. The cell appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The circulating line detection device further includes a top detection module for detecting the top of the battery cell on the circulating transmission loop. The top detection module is used to detect at least one of the top edge, top corner, terminal post, and explosion-proof valve of the battery cell. The circulating transmission loop includes a transmission line drive mechanism for driving the independent cyclic movement of each battery cell clamping trolley.

6. The cell appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein The battery cell appearance inspection equipment also includes a feeding frame and a feeding rotary transfer mechanism, wherein the feeding rotary transfer mechanism includes: A material feeding moving mechanism is movably mounted on the material feeding frame; A feeding pitch variable mechanism is mounted on a feeding moving mechanism; the feeding moving mechanism is used to drive the feeding pitch variable mechanism to move up, down, left, and right; the feeding pitch variable mechanism includes at least two feeding movers with variable spacing. A feeding clamping mechanism is used to clamp a battery cell from the battery cell clamping trolley, and the number of feeding clamping mechanisms is two or more; at least one of the feeding clamping mechanisms is rotatably mounted on the mover; And a material feeding rotation drive mechanism, which is used to drive the material feeding clamping mechanism to rotate relative to the material feeding actuator.

7. The cell appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The transplanting mechanism of the first cell transplanting mechanism moves along the X direction, the transplanting mechanism of the second cell transplanting mechanism moves along the Y direction, and the circulation line detection device is arranged with the second cell transplanting mechanism along the X direction and with the first cell transplanting mechanism along the Y direction.

8. The cell appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein The feeding and handling mechanism, the first cell transfer mechanism, and the circulation line detection device are arranged sequentially in the Y direction. The second cell transfer mechanism includes a second frame. The transfer and moving mechanism of the second cell transfer mechanism and the side detection module are both located on the side of the second frame facing away from the circulation line detection device.

9. The cell appearance inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein The first cell pitch-changing mechanism includes: Variable pitch base; A pitch-changing mechanism includes a pitch-changing base, at least two moving parts, and a pitch-changing drive mechanism. The moving parts are movably mounted on the pitch-changing base, and the pitch-changing drive mechanism is used to drive the moving parts to move relative to the pitch-changing base and change the distance between adjacent moving parts. The pitch-changing base is rotatably mounted on the pitch-changing base. A rotary drive mechanism is provided for driving the variable pitch base to rotate. A first gripper mechanism is provided, wherein at least one first gripper mechanism is mounted on the upper side of the moving member; the first gripper mechanism includes a first gripper, a second variable-pitch gripper, and a variable-pitch gripper driving mechanism, wherein the variable-pitch gripper driving mechanism is used to drive the first gripper and the second variable-pitch gripper to move closer and further apart to achieve clamping and releasing of the battery cell; the first gripper mechanism has a battery cell supporting surface for supporting the battery cell, wherein the battery cell supporting surface is located between the first gripper and the second variable-pitch gripper.

10. The cell appearance inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein The edge and corner detection module comprises an edge detection module and a bottom corner detection module, the edge detection module is used for detecting the side edge and the bottom edge of the battery cell, the bottom corner detection module is used for detecting the corner of the bottom surface of the battery cell, and the bottom corner detection module is arranged in the moving direction of the moving mechanism of the first battery cell transplanting mechanism together with the edge detection module.

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