Automatic feeding system and battery production line

Abstract

The utility model relates to an automatic feeding system and a battery production line, and the system comprises an automatic material suction unit which comprises a second chamber; the conveying line is used for conveying the material containers; one end of the conveying line extends into the second bin and forms a discharging station; the vibration unit is arranged at the discharging station and used for vibrating the material container located at the discharging station; the material suction gun is arranged in the second bin and is used for sucking the materials in the material container; a measuring bin and a gas circulation loop; wherein the metering bin is connected with a discharge port of the material suction gun through a conveying pipeline; and the gas circulation loop is communicated with the metering bin and the second bin chamber so as to form a closed gas circulation channel. The automatic feeding system and the battery production line provided by the embodiment of the utility model have the advantage of low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery manufacturing technology, and in particular to an automated feeding system and a battery production line. Background Technology

[0002] From a market perspective, the application of battery devices is becoming increasingly widespread. Battery devices are not only used in energy storage systems for hydropower, thermal power, wind power, and solar power plants, but also extensively in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric cars, as well as in aerospace and other fields. As the application areas of battery devices continue to expand, the market demand is also constantly increasing.

[0003] In the battery production process, powder raw materials such as positive and negative electrode active materials and electrolyte raw materials are usually transferred from packaging barrels to feeding equipment by manual unpacking and dumping. However, this method is labor-intensive, has a long operation cycle, and operators are directly or indirectly exposed to toxic and harmful powders (such as sulfides), resulting in high occupational health risks. At the same time, the transportation of these powder raw materials often uses compressed air as a power source. When hazardous materials are mixed with air, they may form an explosive mixture. Even with nitrogen protection, most systems are open-circuit direct exhaust modes and do not recycle the protective gas, which not only causes a huge waste of high-purity nitrogen but also increases the cost of waste gas treatment and the environmental burden. Ultimately, this leads to huge battery production costs. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an automated feeding system and battery production line to address the problem of high battery production costs.

[0005] A first aspect of this application provides an automatic feeding system, comprising: an automatic suction unit including a second chamber; a conveyor line for conveying a material container; one end of the conveyor line extending into the second chamber and configured as a discharge station; a vibration unit disposed at the discharge station for vibrating the material container located at the discharge station; a suction gun disposed in the second chamber for suctioning material from the material container; a metering chamber and a gas circulation loop; wherein the metering chamber is connected to the discharge port of the suction gun via a conveying pipe; and the gas circulation loop connects the metering chamber and the second chamber to form a closed gas circulation channel.

[0006] By setting up an automatic suction unit and its second chamber to form a relatively sealed space, and combining it with a gas circulation loop to establish a sealed gas circulation channel, the gas circulation channel is only used for the flow of inert gas. This effectively isolates the battery materials from contact with moisture, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and other gaseous components in the air, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of harmful gases, including hydrogen sulfide, and eliminating the risk of explosion. By setting up a conveyor line and its unloading station, fully automatic positioning and conveying of the material containers is achieved, improving efficiency, avoiding manual contact, enhancing safety, and effectively reducing labor costs. The suction gun adsorbs the raw materials in the material container using negative pressure. The suction gun and the metering chamber are connected through a conveying pipe, forming a negative pressure pneumatic conveying path. The gas circulation loop connects the air outlet of the metering chamber with the air inlet of the second chamber to form a sealed gas circulation channel. In this way, the protective gas carries... Raw materials are transferred from the suction gun to the metering chamber along the conveying pipeline. The metering chamber can accurately supply the required raw materials to subsequent processes as needed. The gas circulation loop recovers, purifies, and re-introduces the inert gas after delivery to the second chamber, forming a closed loop. This enables efficient recycling of protective gas, significantly reducing the continuous consumption of fresh gas and the total amount of waste gas emissions, ultimately reducing the consumption and emissions of protective gas and effectively lowering gas delivery costs. Through the vibration unit installed at the unloading station, the material container is vibrated during the process of the suction gun drawing raw materials from it. This effectively shakes off the raw materials adhering to the container walls and, combined with weighing, achieves precise closed-loop control of the residual amount of raw materials. This significantly improves the raw material transfer rate and batch consistency, reduces raw material loss, and ultimately lowers battery production costs.

[0007] In one embodiment, the gas circulation loop includes a second filter, a fan, a cooler, a pressure tank, and a dryer arranged sequentially. The second filter is connected to the outlet of the metering chamber, and the dryer is connected to the inlet of the second chamber. By arranging the second filter, fan, cooler, pressure tank, and dryer sequentially, a complete and efficient gas purification and regeneration closed loop is formed. This continuously ensures the purity and dryness of the inert atmosphere in the second chamber while greatly improving the recycling rate of the protective gas, achieving efficient purification and circulation of the protective gas, and significantly reducing operating energy consumption and gas consumption costs.

[0008] In one embodiment, the gas circulation loop further includes a first filter disposed within the outlet of the metering chamber. By placing the first filter within the outlet of the metering chamber, the first filter can perform initial and efficient separation of the dust-laden gas leaving the metering chamber, directly intercepting most of the solid particles, thereby significantly reducing the dust load entering the downstream second filter. The cooperation between the first and second filters achieves two-stage filtration, which not only extends the life of the second filter and prevents filter failure, ensuring the service life of core components of the gas circulation loop such as the fan and cooler, and reducing the maintenance frequency of the gas circulation loop, but also further improves the cleanliness and reliability of the gas circulation loop throughout the entire gas circulation process through graded purification, ensuring the quality of the protective gas returning to the second chamber, and ultimately enhancing the long-term stable operation capability and economic benefits of the system.

[0009] In one embodiment, the automatic feeding unit further includes a first chamber, a hydrogen sulfide sensor, and a dew point sensor. The first chamber is located at the entrance of the second chamber, and one end of the conveyor line passes through the first chamber and extends into the second chamber. The hydrogen sulfide sensor is located in the first chamber, and the dew point sensor is located in the second chamber. By adding a first chamber connected in series with the second chamber and placing the hydrogen sulfide sensor in the first chamber and the dew point sensor in the second chamber, the conveyor line passes through the first and second chambers in sequence, ensuring that the material container must first pass through the first chamber. This effectively isolates the external environment from the second chamber, reducing the possibility of air impurities mixing into the gas in the second chamber. Furthermore, the first chamber allows for pre-inspection of the material container. During this pre-inspection, the hydrogen sulfide sensor can detect early leaks or abnormal gas generation in the material container, providing early warning and isolation of safety risks. By directly monitoring the dryness of the atmosphere in the second chamber using the dew point sensor, the contact between battery materials and moisture is effectively isolated, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of harmful gases, including hydrogen sulfide, and eliminating the risk of explosion.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first compartment and the second compartment are separated by an openable and closable second isolation door; and / or, an openable and closable first isolation door is provided at the entrance of the first compartment. By providing an openable and closable first isolation door at the entrance of the first compartment and an openable and closable second isolation door between the first and second compartments, it is ensured that the two key locations can be opened and closed independently. Specifically, the openable and closable first isolation door at the entrance of the first compartment constitutes the first controllable physical barrier between the automatic feeding unit and the external environment, effectively controlling the inflow of external air; while the second isolation door between the first and second compartments allows the first and second compartments to communicate with each other to transfer material containers, and can also be completely isolated when necessary, achieving double sealing.

[0011] In one embodiment, the automatic material feeding unit further includes a negative pressure recovery pipeline and an air supply pipeline. The air supply pipeline is connected to the first chamber to provide dry gas to the first chamber; the negative pressure recovery pipeline is connected to the first chamber to extract waste gas from the first chamber. By providing dry inert gas to the first chamber through the air supply pipeline, a dry and clean micro-positive pressure environment can be quickly established and maintained after the material container enters, effectively removing any humid air that may enter with the material container and blowing away any impurities that may adhere to the surface of the material container. The negative pressure recovery pipeline can actively and promptly extract any dust, volatile gases, or waste gas generated during pre-inspection that may overflow from the chamber and direct them to the treatment system, preventing them from accumulating or spreading in the first chamber.

[0012] In one embodiment, when the conveyor line inputs the material container into the first chamber, the gas supply line supplies gas to the first chamber (110) so that the first chamber can maintain a slightly positive pressure state with its internal air pressure higher than the ambient atmospheric pressure; and / or, when the material container is transferred from the first chamber to the second chamber, the negative pressure recovery line extracts the gas in the first chamber so that the first chamber is configured to maintain a slightly negative pressure state with its internal air pressure lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure.

[0013] In one embodiment, the gas circulation loop enables the second chamber to be maintained at a slightly negative pressure, with its internal pressure lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure.

[0014] In one embodiment, the conveyor line includes multiple chain conveyor sections arranged sequentially; wherein the first chain conveyor section is configured as a loading station, and the last chain conveyor section is configured as a unloading station; each chain conveyor section includes two rows of parallel chain plates, multiple rollers, multiple supports, and a drive device; the multiple rollers are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart, and the two ends of the rollers are rotatably connected to the two rows of chain plates, the supports are used to support the chain plates, and the drive device is drivenly connected to the rollers.

[0015] In one embodiment, the vibration unit includes a lifting plate, multiple support columns, a lifting drive device, and an elastic support column; the lifting plate is disposed below the chain plate at the unloading station; the lifting drive device is connected to the lifting plate for driving the lifting plate closer to or away from the chain plate; the support columns are fixed on the lifting plate and inserted into the gap between two adjacent rollers; the elastic support column is elastically supported at both ends of the lifting plate; when the lifting drive device drives the lifting plate to fit against the chain plate, the support column protrudes from the gap between two adjacent rollers, and the top of the support column is higher than the bearing surface formed by all the rollers.

[0016] In one embodiment, the automatic feeding system further includes a barcode scanning device; the end of the conveyor line away from the unloading station is configured as a loading station, and the barcode scanning device is installed at the loading station for scanning and recording the material container.

[0017] In one embodiment, the automatic feeding system further includes at least two weighing sensors; the end of the conveyor line away from the unloading station is configured as a loading station, at least one of the weighing sensors is located at the loading station, and at least another weighing sensor is located at the unloading station.

[0018] In one embodiment, the automatic feeding system further includes a screw feeder and a control valve; the screw feeder is connected to the feed port of the metering bin, and the control valve is located on the outlet side of the screw feeder.

[0019] A second aspect of this application provides a battery production line, including the aforementioned automatic feeding system.

[0020] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic feeding system provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the second compartment, metering compartment, and gas circulation loop provided for some embodiments of this application.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chain conveyor provided in some embodiments of this application.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation relationship between the unloading station and the vibration unit from a top view provided for some embodiments of this application.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the cooperation relationship between a material container, a feeding station, and a vibration unit provided in some embodiments of this application, wherein the material container is supported by the vibration unit.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0027] Automatic material feeding unit-100, first compartment-110, second compartment-120, air inlet-121, first isolation door-131, second isolation door-132, negative pressure recovery pipeline-140, air supply pipeline-150, hydrogen sulfide sensor-160, dew point sensor-170, conveyor line-200, unloading station-210, loading station-220, chain conveyor-230, chain plate-231, roller-232, bracket-233, vibration unit-300, lifting plate-310, support Column-320, Lifting drive device-330, Flexible support column-340, Suction gun-400, Discharge port-410, Metering bin-500, Conveying pipeline-510, Air outlet-520, Gas circulation loop-600, First filter-610, Second filter-620, Fan-630, Cooler-640, Pressure tank-650, Dryer-660, Barcode scanning device-710, Weighing sensor-720, Screw feeder-730, Control valve-740, Material container-900. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The embodiments of the technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this application and are therefore merely examples, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0030] In the description of the embodiments of this application, if the technical terms such as "first" and "second" appear, these terms are used only for descriptive purposes to distinguish different objects, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0031] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0032] In the description of the embodiments in this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0033] In the description of the embodiments of this application, if the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two (including two), such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. Similarly, if the term "multiple sets" appears, "multiple sets" refers to two or more sets (including two sets), and if the term "multiple pieces" appears, "multiple pieces" refers to two or more pieces (including two pieces).

[0034] In the description of the embodiments of this application, if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of 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 the embodiments of this application.

[0035] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the technical terms "installation," "connection," "joining," "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 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 the embodiments of this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0036] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via 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. Similarly, "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.

[0037] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0038] Currently, judging from market trends, the application of battery devices is becoming increasingly widespread. Battery devices are not only used in energy storage power systems such as hydropower, thermal power, wind power, and solar power plants, but also widely applied in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric cars, as well as in aerospace and other fields. With the continuous expansion of the application areas of battery devices, the market demand is also constantly increasing.

[0039] In related technologies, during battery production, powder raw materials such as positive and negative electrode active materials and electrolyte raw materials are usually transferred from packaging barrels to feeding equipment by manual unpacking and dumping. However, this method is labor-intensive, has a long operation cycle, and operators are directly or indirectly exposed to toxic and harmful powders (such as sulfides), resulting in high occupational health risks. At the same time, the transportation of these powder raw materials often uses compressed air as a power source. When hazardous materials are mixed with air, they may form an explosive mixture. Even with nitrogen protection, most systems are open-circuit direct exhaust modes and do not recycle the protective gas, which not only causes a huge waste of high-purity nitrogen but also increases the cost of waste gas treatment and the environmental burden.

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic feeding system provided in some embodiments of this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the second compartment, metering compartment, and gas circulation loop provided for some embodiments of this application. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chain conveyor provided in some embodiments of this application. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation relationship between the unloading station and the vibration unit from a top view provided for some embodiments of this application. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the cooperation relationship between a material container, a feeding station, and a vibration unit provided in some embodiments of this application, wherein the material container is supported by the vibration unit.

[0041] The first aspect of this application provides an automatic feeding system that can be applied to the pre-process of electrode slurry preparation for high-end batteries such as solid-state batteries and lithium-ion batteries. The automatic feeding system can realize fully automatic, closed, and precise metering and conveying of highly active and hazardous powder materials such as sulfides, thereby ensuring production safety, improving material utilization, and meeting the process requirements of large-scale continuous production.

[0042] See Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the automatic feeding system includes: an automatic suction unit 100, a conveyor line 200, a vibration unit 300, a suction gun 400, a metering chamber 500, and a gas circulation loop 600.

[0043] The automatic material suction unit 100 includes a second chamber 120. A conveyor line 200 is used to transport the material container 900. One end of the conveyor line 200 extends into the second chamber 120 and is configured as a discharge station 210. A vibration unit 300 is disposed at the discharge station 210 to vibrate the material container 900 located at the discharge station 210. A suction gun 400 is disposed in the second chamber 120 to suck up the material in the material container 900. A metering chamber 500 is connected to the discharge port 410 of the suction gun 400 through a conveying pipe 510; a gas circulation loop 600 connects the metering chamber 500 and the second chamber 120 to form a closed gas circulation channel.

[0044] The second compartment 120 is typically enclosed to prevent the material inside the material container 900 from contacting the outside air. The section of the conveyor line 200 located within the second compartment 120 is usually a chain conveyor 230, which serves as the unloading station 210. The suction gun 400 is located within the second compartment 120 and above the unloading station 210; the nozzle of the suction gun 400 can be driven to move up, down, left, and right via connecting rods, motors, cylinders, or other devices to suction the material inside the material container 900.

[0045] In this embodiment, an automatic suction unit 100 and its second chamber 120 form a relatively enclosed space, and a gas circulation loop 600 is used to establish a closed gas circulation channel. Only inert gas flows within the gas circulation channel, effectively isolating the battery materials from contact with moisture, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and other gaseous components in the air, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of harmful gases, including hydrogen sulfide, and eliminating the risk of explosion. By setting up a conveyor line 200 and its unloading station 210, fully automatic positioning and conveying of the material container 900 are achieved, improving efficiency, avoiding manual contact, enhancing safety, and effectively reducing labor costs. The suction gun 400 adsorbs the raw materials in the material container 900 using negative pressure. The suction gun 400 and the metering chamber 500 are connected via a conveying pipe 510, forming a negative pressure pneumatic conveying path. The gas circulation loop 600 connects the outlet 520 of the metering chamber 500 and the inlet 121 of the second chamber 120 to form a closed gas circulation channel. Therefore, the protective gas carries the raw materials from the suction gun 400 to the metering chamber 500 along the conveying pipe 510. The metering chamber 500 can accurately provide the required raw materials to the subsequent processes as needed. The gas circulation loop 600 recovers, purifies, and re-introduces the inert gas after delivery to the second chamber 120, forming a closed loop. This enables efficient recycling of the protective gas, thereby significantly reducing the continuous consumption of fresh gas and the total amount of waste gas emissions, ultimately greatly reducing the consumption and emissions of protective gas and effectively reducing gas transportation costs. Through the vibration unit 300 set at the unloading station 210, during the process of the suction gun 400 sucking the raw materials in the material container 900, the vibration unit 300 can apply vibration to the material container 900, thereby effectively shaking off the raw materials adhering to the wall of the material container 900. This can be combined with weighing to achieve precise closed-loop control of the raw material residue, significantly improving the raw material transfer rate and batch consistency, reducing raw material loss, and ultimately reducing battery production costs.

[0046] In some possible embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5As shown, the gas circulation loop 600 includes a second filter 620, a fan 630, a cooler 640, a pressure tank 650, and a dryer 660 arranged sequentially from end to end; the second filter 620 is connected to the air outlet 520 of the metering chamber 500, and the dryer 660 is connected to the air inlet 121 of the second chamber 120.

[0047] Thus, the second filter 620 can efficiently separate the dust-laden inert gas from the metering chamber 500, protecting downstream equipment; the fan 630 provides stable power for the entire cycle; the cooler 640 can reduce the gas temperature caused by compression or friction; the pressure relief tank 650 can effectively buffer system pressure fluctuations and improve operational stability; and the dryer 660 deeply removes moisture from the gas and strictly controls the dew point. By arranging the second filter 620, fan 630, cooler 640, pressure relief tank 650, and dryer 660 sequentially, a complete and efficient gas purification and regeneration closed loop is formed. While continuously ensuring the purity and dryness of the inert atmosphere in the second chamber 120, the recycling rate of the protective gas is greatly improved, achieving efficient purification and circulation of the protective gas, and significantly reducing operating energy consumption and gas consumption costs.

[0048] Alternatively, the protective gas may be nitrogen.

[0049] Optionally, the second filter 620 may be a bag filter or a carbon cartridge filter.

[0050] Alternatively, the blower 630 may be a centrifugal blower, an oil-free cleanroom blower, or a positive displacement blower.

[0051] Alternatively, the cooler 640 may be a plate heat exchanger, a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, or an air-cooled heat exchanger.

[0052] Optionally, the pressure relief tank 650 can be a pressure vessel-type buffer tank.

[0053] Alternatively, the dryer 660 may be an adsorption dryer.

[0054] In some possible embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the gas circulation loop 600 also includes a first filter 610, which is disposed in the gas outlet 520 of the metering chamber 500.

[0055] By setting up a first filter 610 inside the outlet 520 of the metering chamber 500, the first filter 610 can perform initial and efficient separation of the dust-laden gas leaving the metering chamber 500, directly intercepting most of the solid particles, thereby significantly reducing the dust load entering the downstream second filter 620. The first filter 610 and the second filter 620 work together to achieve two-stage filtration, which not only extends the life of the second filter 620 and avoids filtration failure, ensuring the service life of core components of the gas circulation loop 600 such as the fan 630 and the cooler 640, and reducing the maintenance frequency of the gas circulation loop 600, but also further improves the cleanliness and reliability of the gas circulation loop 600 throughout the gas circulation through graded purification, ensuring the quality of the protective gas returning to the second chamber 120, and ultimately strengthening the long-term stable operation capability and economic benefits of the system.

[0056] In some possible embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the automatic feeding unit 100 also includes a first chamber 110, a hydrogen sulfide sensor 160, and a dew point sensor 170. The first chamber 110 is located on the inlet side of the second chamber 120, and one end of the conveyor line 200 passes through the first chamber 110 and extends into the second chamber 120. The hydrogen sulfide sensor 160 is located in the first chamber 110; the dew point sensor 170 is located in the second chamber 120.

[0057] The first compartment 110 is typically enclosed to prevent the material inside the material container 900 from contacting the outside air. One end of the conveyor line 200 passes through the first compartment 110 and extends into the second compartment 120 as the unloading station 210, while the other end is located outside the first compartment 110 as the loading station 220. Specifically, the section of the conveyor line 200 within the first compartment 110 is typically a chain conveyor 230, which serves as the intermediate section connecting the unloading station 210 and the loading station 220.

[0058] In this embodiment, a first compartment 110 connected in series with the second compartment 120 is added, and a hydrogen sulfide sensor 160 is installed in the first compartment 110; a dew point sensor 170 is installed in the second compartment 120; the conveyor line 200 passes through the first compartment 110 and the second compartment 120 in sequence, so that the material container 900 must first pass through the first compartment 110. On the one hand, the first compartment 110 can isolate the external environment from the second compartment 120, effectively reducing the possibility of air impurities being mixed into the gas in the second compartment 120; on the other hand, the first compartment 110 can be used to pre-inspect the material container 900. In this pre-inspection stage, the hydrogen sulfide sensor 160 can detect early leakage or abnormal gas production in the material container 900, realizing early warning and isolation of safety risks; by setting the dew point sensor 170 to directly monitor the dryness of the atmosphere in the second compartment 120, the contact between battery raw materials and moisture is effectively isolated, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of harmful gases including hydrogen sulfide and eliminating the risk of explosion.

[0059] In some possible embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the entrance to the first compartment 110 is equipped with an openable and closable first isolation door 131.

[0060] Thus, when it is necessary to transport the material container 900, the first isolation door 131 can be opened to connect the first compartment 110 with the external environment, facilitating the transfer of the material container 900 from the outside to the first compartment 110 by the conveyor line 200. When the conveyor line 200 needs to transfer the material container 900 from the first compartment 110 to the second compartment 120, the first isolation door 131 can be closed to isolate the first compartment 110 from the external environment.

[0061] In some possible embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the first compartment 110 and the second compartment 120 are separated by an openable and closable second isolation door 132.

[0062] Thus, when it is necessary to transport the material container 900, the second isolation door 132 can be opened to connect the first compartment 110 and the second compartment 120, so that the conveyor line 200 can transfer the material container 900 from the first compartment 110 to the second compartment 120.

[0063] When the second isolation door 132 is closed, the first chamber 110 and the second chamber 120 are isolated, which facilitates the suction gun 400 to adsorb the raw materials in the material container 900 in the form of negative pressure. The suction gun 400 and the metering chamber 500 are connected through the conveying pipe 510 to form a negative pressure pneumatic conveying path. The gas circulation loop 600 connects the air outlet 520 of the metering chamber 500 and the air inlet 121 of the second chamber 120 to form a closed gas circulation channel.

[0064] Optionally, the second isolation door 132 and the first isolation door 131 can both be gates or roller shutters.

[0065] In this embodiment of the application, the second isolation door 132 and the first isolation door 131 can be set separately or in combination.

[0066] By setting an openable and closable first isolation door 131 at the entrance of the first compartment 110 and an openable and closable second isolation door 132 between the first compartment 110 and the second compartment 120, it is ensured that the two key locations can be opened and closed independently. Specifically, the openable and closable first isolation door 131 at the entrance of the first compartment 110 forms the first controllable physical barrier between the automatic material suction unit 100 and the external environment, effectively controlling the inflow of external air. The second isolation door 132 between the first compartment 110 and the second compartment 120 allows the first compartment 110 and the second compartment 120 to be interconnected to transfer the material container 900, and can also be completely isolated when necessary, achieving double sealing.

[0067] During the transportation of the material container 900, this double-sealing design ensures that when the material container is subjected to safety pre-inspection or abnormal handling in the first compartment 110, the clean and stable atmosphere in the second compartment 120 is completely isolated and protected from being affected. On the other hand, it also allows the first compartment 110 and the second compartment 120 to be independently replaced by gas or maintenance operations, which greatly improves the system's operational flexibility, safety and overall airtightness.

[0068] In some possible embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the automatic feeding unit 100 also includes a negative pressure recovery pipeline 140 and an air supply pipeline 150. The air supply pipeline 150 is connected to the first chamber 110 to provide dry gas to the first chamber 110; the negative pressure recovery pipeline 140 is connected to the first chamber 110 to extract waste gas from the first chamber 110.

[0069] In this embodiment of the application, by setting up a negative pressure recovery pipeline 140 and a gas supply pipeline 150, the gas supply pipeline 150 provides dry gas to the first chamber 110; and the negative pressure recovery pipeline 140 extracts the waste gas in the first chamber 110, a gas environment management system that can be actively controlled is constructed.

[0070] Specifically, dry inert gas is supplied to the first chamber 110 via the gas supply line 150, which can quickly establish and maintain a dry, clean, slightly positive pressure environment after the material container 900 enters. This effectively removes any humid air that may enter with the material container 900 and blows away any impurities that may be attached to the surface of the material container 900. At the same time, the negative pressure recovery line 140 can actively and promptly extract any dust, volatile gases, or waste gases generated during pre-inspection that may overflow from the chamber and direct them to the treatment system, preventing them from accumulating or spreading in the first chamber 110.

[0071] Alternatively, the drying gas may be nitrogen with a water content of less than 1 ppm.

[0072] Optionally, the exhaust gas in the first compartment 110 can be air containing hydrogen sulfide and moisture or nitrogen.

[0073] In some possible embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, when the conveyor line 200 inputs the material container 900 into the first chamber 110, the air supply line 150 supplies air to the first chamber 110 so that the first chamber 110 can maintain a slightly positive pressure state with an internal air pressure higher than the ambient atmospheric pressure.

[0074] When the material container 900 is transferred from the first chamber 110 to the second chamber 120, the negative pressure recovery pipeline 140 extracts the gas in the first chamber 110 so that the first chamber 110 can maintain a slightly negative pressure state with its internal air pressure lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure.

[0075] The gas circulation loop 600 enables the second compartment 120 to maintain a slightly negative pressure state where the internal air pressure is lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure.

[0076] The process of transferring material container 900 from the external environment to the second compartment 120 via conveyor line 200 will be described as an example.

[0077] In the first stage, the material container 900 is transferred from the external environment to the first chamber 110. At this time, the first isolation door 131 is opened, the second isolation door 132 is closed, the negative pressure recovery pipeline 140 is disconnected, and the gas supply pipeline 150 supplies dry gas to the first chamber 110. The dry gas can be nitrogen with a water content of less than 1 ppm. In this way, the first chamber 110 is constructed to maintain a slightly positive pressure state that is higher than the ambient atmospheric pressure, thereby replacing the gas in the first chamber 110 and effectively reducing the amount of air from the external environment entering the first chamber 110.

[0078] In the second stage, after the material container 900 is completely transferred to the first compartment 110, the first isolation door 131 is closed, the second isolation door 132 is closed, the negative pressure recovery pipeline 140 is disconnected, and the gas supply pipeline 150 is disconnected. The material container 900 can be pre-inspected through the first compartment 110. In this pre-inspection stage, the hydrogen sulfide sensor 160 can detect early leakage or abnormal gas production in the material container 900, realizing early warning and isolation of safety risks. After passing the pre-inspection, the next stage begins.

[0079] In the third stage, the material container 900 is transferred from the first compartment 110 to the second compartment 120. At this time, the first isolation door 131 is closed, the second isolation door 132 is opened, the negative pressure recovery pipeline 140 extracts the waste gas in the first compartment 110, and the gas supply pipeline 150 is disconnected. In this way, the first compartment 110 is constructed to maintain a slightly negative pressure state that is lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure, effectively reducing the amount of gas in the first compartment 110 entering the second compartment 120.

[0080] In the fourth stage, after the material container 900 is completely transferred to the second compartment 120, the second isolation door 132 is closed. The second compartment 120 is configured to maintain a slightly negative pressure state with an internal air pressure lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure. The dew point sensor 170 directly monitors the dryness of the atmosphere in the second compartment 120, effectively isolating the battery raw materials from contact with moisture, thereby effectively suppressing the generation of harmful gases, including hydrogen sulfide, and eliminating the risk of explosion.

[0081] In the fifth stage, the suction gun 400 adsorbs the raw material in the material container 900 under negative pressure. In this stage, the suction gun 400 and the metering chamber 500 are connected by the conveying pipe 510, forming a negative pressure pneumatic conveying path. The gas circulation loop 600 connects the air outlet 520 of the metering chamber 500 and the air inlet 121 of the second chamber 120 to form a closed gas circulation channel. In this way, the protective gas carries the raw material from the suction gun 400 to the metering chamber 500 along the conveying pipe 510. The metering chamber 500 can accurately provide the required raw material to the subsequent process as needed. The gas circulation loop 600 recovers, purifies and re-introduces the inert gas after conveying and returns it to the second chamber 120, forming a closed loop. This enables efficient recycling of the protective gas, thereby significantly reducing the continuous consumption of fresh gas and the total amount of waste gas emissions, ultimately greatly reducing the consumption and emissions of protective gas and effectively reducing gas transportation costs.

[0082] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, a slightly negative pressure state refers to an air pressure lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure, with a difference of 100~5000 Pa. A slightly positive pressure state refers to an air pressure higher than the ambient atmospheric pressure, with a difference of 100~5000 Pa.

[0083] In some possible embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5As shown, the conveyor line 200 includes multiple chain plate conveyors 230 arranged in sequence; wherein, the first chain plate conveyor 230 is configured as a loading station 220, and the last chain plate conveyor 230 is configured as a unloading station 210.

[0084] Each chain conveyor 230 includes two rows of parallel chain plates 231, multiple rollers 232, multiple supports 233, and a drive unit (not shown). The multiple rollers 232 are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart. The two ends of the rollers 232 are rotatably connected to the two rows of chain plates 231, the supports 233 are used to support the chain plates 231, and the drive unit is connected to the rollers 232 for transmission.

[0085] The conveyor line 200 adopts a modular structure with multiple chain plate conveyors 230 arranged in sequence. By constructing the first and last sections as loading station 220 and unloading station 210 respectively, the conveying process is clearly divided in terms of space and function, which facilitates maintenance and adjustment.

[0086] Each chain conveyor 230 consists of two rows of parallel chain plates 231, multiple spaced rollers 232, and a support bracket 233. The multiple rollers 232 are parallel to each other and spaced apart. The two ends of the rollers 232 are rotatably connected to the two rows of chain plates 231, and are driven by a drive device. This ensures the stability and reliability of the material container 900 during long-distance, cross-compartment transport.

[0087] Alternatively, the drive unit may be an electric motor or a motor.

[0088] In some possible embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the vibration unit 300 is a lifting vibration device.

[0089] The vibration unit 300 includes a lifting plate 310, multiple support columns 320, a lifting drive device 330, and elastic support columns 340. The lifting plate 310 is positioned below the chain plate 231 of the unloading station 210; the lifting drive device 330 is connected to the lifting plate 310 for driving the lifting plate 310 closer to or further away from the chain plate 231; the support columns 320 are fixed to the lifting plate 310 and inserted into the gap between two adjacent rollers 232; the elastic support columns 340 are elastically supported at both ends of the lifting plate 310. When the lifting drive device 330 drives the lifting plate 310 to conform to the chain plate 231, the support columns 320 protrude from the gap between two adjacent rollers 232, and the top of the support column 320 is higher than the bearing surface formed by all the rollers 232.

[0090] The support column 320 is precisely inserted into the gap between the rollers 232. When the material container 900 is being conveyed normally, the lifting plate 310 is driven to move downward away from the chain plate 231, and the support column 320 can be completely hidden under the conveying surface, ensuring unobstructed normal conveying of the material container 900. When the material container 900 is transported to the unloading station 210, and the lifting plate 310 is driven to move upward, the support column 320 can precisely protrude from below the bearing surface formed by all the rollers 232 and lift the material container 900. The reciprocating vibration of the lifting plate 310 is transmitted to the bottom of the material container 900 with almost no loss through the support column 320, thereby applying vibration to the material container 900. This effectively shakes off the raw materials adhering to the wall of the material container 900. Combined with weighing, this achieves precise closed-loop control of the residual amount of raw materials, significantly improves the raw material transfer rate and batch consistency, reduces raw material loss, and ultimately reduces battery production costs.

[0091] In some possible embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the automatic feeding system also includes a barcode scanning device 710. The end of the conveyor line 200 away from the unloading station 210 is configured as the loading station 220, and the barcode scanning device 710 is installed on the loading station 220 for scanning and recording the material container 900.

[0092] Specifically, the scanning device 710 can be a CCD camera or an electromagnetic receiver, capable of reading chips, QR codes, information stripes, or directly printed text content pre-attached to the material container 900.

[0093] The barcode scanning device 710 can automatically and contactlessly read the label information (such as material type and nominal weight) of the material container 900 before it enters the closed system, thus replacing traditional manual verification and recording. The barcode scanning device 710 can provide the acquired information (such as nominal weight information) to the control system (not shown), and the control system can use the nominal weight information as an accurate comparison benchmark for the weighing data of the subsequent feeding station 210, thereby realizing closed-loop monitoring of feeding accuracy. In addition, the automatic identification of material type by the barcode scanning device 710 can also eliminate the risk of mixing that may be caused by manual feeding, providing key information from the source of the automatic feeding system to facilitate informatization and intelligentization.

[0094] In some possible embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the automatic feeding system also includes at least two weighing sensors 720.

[0095] The end of the conveyor line 200 away from the unloading station 210 is configured as the loading station 220, at least one weighing sensor 720 is provided at the loading station 220, and at least another weighing sensor 720 is provided at the unloading station 210.

[0096] In this embodiment, weighing sensors 720 are respectively installed at the loading station 220 and the unloading station 210. The weighing sensor 720 at the loading station 220 is used to obtain the initial gross weight of the material container 900 when it enters the system, which can be verified with the nominal information obtained by the barcode scanning device 710. The weighing sensor 720 at the unloading station 210 is used to monitor the weight change during the material feeding process in real time. By comparing the weight data of these two key nodes, the control system can accurately calculate the actual consumption, determine whether the loading is completed in real time, and accurately assess the amount of raw material residue in the material container 900. This achieves precise closed-loop control of the amount of raw material residue, significantly improves the raw material transfer rate and batch consistency, reduces the loss of raw materials, and ultimately reduces the battery production cost.

[0097] In some possible embodiments, see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the automatic feeding system also includes a screw feeder 730 and a control valve 740; the screw feeder 730 is connected to the feed port (not shown) of the metering bin 500, and the control valve 740 is located on the outlet side (not shown) of the screw feeder 730.

[0098] By setting up the screw feeder 730, the raw materials temporarily stored in the metering bin 500 can be accurately, stably and continuously conveyed. Its feeding rate is controllable, which is particularly suitable for high-viscosity solid-state battery raw materials. The control valve 740 is set on the outlet side of the screw feeder 730. The control valve 740 provides rapid opening and closing control and can work in coordination with the screw feeder 730 to realize instantaneous start and stop of feeding and fine adjustment of flow rate. This ensures that the amount of raw materials supplied to downstream processes (such as slurry tanks) meets the strict process ratio requirements, effectively improving the accuracy, consistency and controllability of the entire batching process, and ensuring the quality stability of the final battery slurry from the discharge end.

[0099] Optionally, the control valve 740 may be a pneumatic valve.

[0100] A second aspect of this application provides a battery production line, including the aforementioned automatic feeding system.

[0101] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. 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.

[0102] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automatic feeding system, characterized in that, The automatic feeding system includes: Automatic feeding unit (100) includes a second compartment (120); A conveyor line (200) is used to convey material containers (900); one end of the conveyor line (200) extends into the second compartment (120) and is configured as a feeding station (210). A vibration unit (300) is provided at the unloading station (210) for vibrating the material container (900) located at the unloading station (210). A suction gun (400) is installed in the second chamber (120) and is used to suction the material in the material container (900); Metering chamber (500) and gas circulation loop (600); The metering chamber (500) is connected to the discharge port (410) of the suction gun (400) via a conveying pipe (510); the gas circulation loop (600) connects the metering chamber (500) and the second chamber (120) to form a closed gas circulation channel.

2. The automatic feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas circulation loop (600) includes a second filter (620), a fan (630), a cooler (640), a pressure tank (650), and a dryer (660) arranged sequentially end to end; the second filter (620) is connected to the outlet (520) of the metering chamber (500), and the dryer (660) is connected to the inlet (121) of the second chamber (120).

3. The automatic feeding system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gas circulation loop (600) further includes a first filter (610), which is disposed in the gas outlet (520) of the metering chamber (500).

4. The automatic feeding system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The automatic feeding unit (100) also includes a first chamber (110), a hydrogen sulfide sensor (160), and a dew point sensor (170). The first chamber (110) is located on the entrance side of the second chamber (120). One end of the conveyor line (200) passes through the first chamber (110) and extends into the second chamber (120). The hydrogen sulfide sensor (160) is located in the first compartment (110); the dew point sensor (170) is located in the second compartment (120).

5. The automatic feeding system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first compartment (110) and the second compartment (120) are separated by an openable and closable second isolation door (132); and / or, The entrance to the first compartment (110) is provided with an openable and closable first isolation door (131).

6. The automatic feeding system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The automatic feeding unit (100) further includes a negative pressure recovery pipeline (140) and an air supply pipeline (150). The air supply pipeline (150) is connected to the first chamber (110) to provide dry gas to the first chamber (110). The negative pressure recovery pipeline (140) is connected to the first chamber (110) to extract waste gas from the first chamber (110).

7. The automatic feeding system according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the conveyor line (200) inputs the material container (900) into the first chamber (110), the air supply line (150) supplies air to the first chamber (110) so that the first chamber (110) can maintain a slightly positive pressure state with an internal air pressure higher than the ambient atmospheric pressure; and / or, When the material container (900) is transferred from the first chamber (110) to the second chamber (120), the negative pressure recovery pipeline (140) extracts the gas in the first chamber (110) so that the first chamber (110) can maintain a slightly negative pressure state with its internal air pressure lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure.

8. The automatic feeding system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The gas circulation loop (600) enables the second chamber (120) to maintain a slightly negative pressure state where the internal air pressure is lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure.

9. The automatic feeding system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The conveyor line (200) includes multiple chain plate conveyors (230) arranged in sequence; wherein, the first chain plate conveyor (230) is configured as a loading station (220), and the last chain plate conveyor (230) is configured as a unloading station (210). Each of the chain conveyor sections (230) includes two rows of parallel chain plates (231), multiple rollers (232), multiple supports (233), and a drive device; the multiple rollers (232) are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart, and the two ends of the rollers (232) are rotatably connected to the two rows of chain plates (231), the supports (233) are used to support the chain plates (231), and the drive device is connected to the rollers (232) in a transmission connection.

10. The automatic feeding system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The vibration unit (300) includes a lifting plate (310), multiple support columns (320), a lifting drive device (330), and an elastic support column (340). The lifting plate (310) is disposed below the chain plate (231) of the unloading station (210); the lifting drive device (330) is connected to the lifting plate (310) for driving the lifting plate (310) to move closer to or away from the chain plate (231); the support column (320) is fixed on the lifting plate (310) and inserted into the gap between two adjacent rollers (232); the elastic support column (340) is elastically supported at both ends of the lifting plate (310); When the lifting drive device (330) drives the lifting plate (310) to fit against the chain plate (231), the support column (320) protrudes from the gap between two adjacent rollers (232), and the top of the support column (320) is higher than the bearing surface formed by all the rollers (232).

11. The automatic feeding system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The automatic feeding system also includes a barcode scanning device (710). The end of the conveyor line (200) away from the unloading station (210) is constructed as the loading station (220), and the barcode scanning device (710) is installed on the loading station (220) for scanning and recording the material container (900).

12. The automatic feeding system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The automatic feeding system also includes at least two weighing sensors (720). The end of the conveyor line (200) away from the unloading station (210) is configured as the loading station (220), at least one of the weighing sensors (720) is provided at the loading station (220), and at least another weighing sensor (720) is provided at the unloading station (210).

13. The automatic feeding system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The automatic feeding system also includes a screw feeder (730) and a control valve (740); the screw feeder (730) is connected to the feed port of the metering bin (500), and the control valve (740) is located on the outlet side of the screw feeder (730).

14. A battery production line, characterized in that, Includes the automatic feeding system as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

Images