Separation device

Abstract

The application relates to a separating device. The separating device is used for separating cell pieces and welding strips of a photovoltaic assembly, and comprises a shell, a crushing assembly and a conveying assembly; the shell is provided with a feeding port and a discharging port, and further has a fragment collecting area in the shell; the crushing assembly is arranged in the shell and located above the fragment collecting area, faces the feeding port and can crush the cell pieces of the photovoltaic assembly into cell piece fragments; the conveying assembly is arranged in the shell and located between the crushing assembly and the fragment collecting area, the cell piece fragments can fall into the fragment collecting area through the conveying assembly, and the welding strips of the photovoltaic assembly can fall into the conveying assembly and be conveyed to the discharging port through the conveying assembly for discharging. The separating device can automatically crush and recycle the scrapped cell pieces / strings, saves manpower, working hours and working sites, and can also avoid personnel safety hazards, equipment hazards and on-site 5S management problems caused by manual operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of photovoltaic module recycling technology, and in particular to a separation device. Background Technology

[0002] In photovoltaic module production, issues such as poor welding by string welding machines, rework and replacement of cells in string welding, rework and replacement of cells in stacked modules, and process abnormalities can lead to the scrapping of cells or cell strings. Currently, to achieve resource recycling, scrapped cells or cell strings are usually crushed, and the solder strips on the cells are removed for recycling.

[0003] However, the existing recycling process for photovoltaic module cells or strings has the following drawbacks: the cells are usually crushed or trampled by hand, and then the solder strips are collected by hand. This process can harm the health of the operators and also causes silicon dust to be generated at the operation site, which also requires centralized manual processing, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a separation device to address the aforementioned technical problems.

[0005] A separation device for separating solar cells and solder strips of a photovoltaic module, comprising:

[0006] The housing has an inlet and an outlet, and the housing also has a debris collection area inside;

[0007] A crushing assembly is disposed inside the housing and above the fragment collection area, the crushing assembly faces the feed inlet and is capable of crushing the battery cell into battery cell fragments;

[0008] A conveying assembly is disposed within the housing and located between the crushing assembly and the fragment collection area. The battery cell fragments can pass through the conveying assembly and fall into the fragment collection area. The welding ribbon can fall into the conveying assembly and be conveyed to the discharge port for discharge.

[0009] In one embodiment, the crushing assembly includes a first crushing wheel and a second crushing wheel rotatably disposed in the housing, the first crushing wheel and the second crushing wheel rotating in opposite directions and having a crushing gap between them opposite to the feed inlet.

[0010] In one embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the first rolling wheel and / or the second rolling wheel is provided with a plurality of rolling protrusions.

[0011] In one embodiment, the separation device further includes a roller brush assembly disposed within the housing, the roller brush assembly including a rotatable first roller brush and / or a rotatable second roller brush, the first roller brush being capable of scraping off battery cell fragments on the first crushing roller, and the second roller brush being capable of scraping off battery cell fragments on the second crushing roller.

[0012] In one embodiment, the first roller brush is located below the first rolling roller and rotates in the same direction as the first rolling roller, and the second roller brush is located below the second rolling roller and rotates in the same direction as the second rolling roller.

[0013] The separation device further includes a first guide baffle, which is disposed between the first roller brush and the second roller brush and surrounds a guide channel, which extends from the crushing gap to the top of the conveying assembly.

[0014] In one embodiment, the upper end of the material guide channel is flared, and / or the lower end of the material guide channel is inclined toward the discharge port.

[0015] In one embodiment, the conveying assembly includes a first pulley, a second pulley, and a conveyor belt, wherein the first pulley and the second pulley are rotatably disposed in the housing, and the conveyor belt is tensioned on the first pulley and the second pulley.

[0016] In one embodiment, the separation device further includes a vibrating element capable of vibrating the conveyor belt.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first pulley is located near the discharge port; the separation device further includes a peeling member rotatably disposed in the housing, the peeling member being located near the discharge port and rotating in the same direction as the first pulley, the peeling member being capable of peeling the welding strip from the conveyor belt.

[0018] In one embodiment, the separation device further comprises at least one of the following technical features:

[0019] The separation device further includes a second guide baffle disposed within the housing. The second guide baffle is located between the conveying assembly and the fragment collection area and forms a fragment collection inlet. The fragment collection inlet extends from one side of the conveying assembly to the other side along the conveying direction of the conveying assembly.

[0020] The separation device further includes a third guide baffle disposed inside the housing. The third guide baffle is close to the discharge port. After the welding strip is separated from the conveying assembly, it can slide out of the discharge port along the third guide baffle.

[0021] The separation device also includes a first transfer box, which is located in the fragment collection area;

[0022] The separation device further includes a second transfer box, which is located outside the housing and near the discharge port.

[0023] The aforementioned separation device, by incorporating a crushing and conveying assembly within its housing, can crush solar cells / strings and collect the cell fragments. It can also separate the solder ribbons from the cells / strings. The entire process takes place in a relatively enclosed space, requiring no human intervention, thus automating the crushing process. This avoids the safety risks associated with manual operation, such as cuts to the operator's skin, eye injuries from flying silicon wafer fragments, and respiratory damage from inhaled silicon wafer powder. It also prevents dust dispersion, avoiding contamination of surrounding raw materials and entry into equipment gaps by flying silicon powder particles. Furthermore, it improves efficiency and reduces labor costs; traditional manual separation typically requires 4-8 people, while this automated crushing equipment requires only one person for feeding and collecting materials. It also increases efficiency, saving approximately 50% of the time, and requires only about 6 square meters of space to operate.

[0024] In summary, the separation equipment provided in this application can automatically crush and recycle waste battery cells / strings, saving manpower, time and work space, and avoiding personnel safety hazards, equipment hazards and on-site 5S management problems that may be caused by manual operation. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a photovoltaic module separation device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first crushing wheel of the provided separation equipment.

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the stripping component of the provided separation equipment.

[0028] The labels in the attached diagram are explained as follows:

[0029] 10. Separation device; 100. Housing; 100a. Feed inlet; 100b. Discharge outlet; 100c. Fragment collection area; 110. Support; 120. Support leg; 200. Crushing assembly; 210. First crushing wheel; 210a. Crushing protrusion of the first crushing wheel; 220. Second crushing wheel; 220a. Crushing protrusion of the second crushing wheel; 300. Conveying assembly; 310. First pulley; 320. Second pulley; 3 30. Conveyor belt; 400. Roller brush assembly; 410. First roller brush; 420. Second roller brush; 510. First guide baffle; 510a. Guide channel; 520. Second guide baffle; 520a. Debris collection inlet; 530. Third guide baffle; 600. Vibrating component; 700. Stripping component; 710. Rotary wheel body; 720. Scraper; 810. First transfer box; 820. Second transfer box; 900. Baffle curtain. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0031] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0032] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are 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 at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0033] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," 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 or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] As the smallest unit of a photovoltaic (PV) module, solar cells are typically connected in series with other solar cells using solder ribbons. During PV module production, issues such as poor welding by the string welding machine, rework and replacement of cells in string welding, rework and replacement of cells in laminated modules, and process abnormalities can lead to the scrapping of solar cells or strings. Currently, to achieve resource recycling, scrapped solar cells / strings are usually shredded, and the solder ribbons on the cells are removed and recycled.

[0037] The current recycling of photovoltaic module cells / strings is mainly achieved manually, and the manual operation can specifically include the following steps:

[0038] (1) Clear an area of ​​about 6m×6m (the ground is concrete, and there are no equipment or materials within 5m around it).

[0039] (2) Operators wear labor protection and protective equipment;

[0040] (3) Operators should place the scrapped battery cells / strings on the ground. The number of battery cells / strings stacked should not exceed 3 layers (to avoid the battery cell fragments flying too far when the battery is hit).

[0041] (4) Operators should use a rubber hammer to strike the battery cells / strings, but the force should not be too great; strike for about 5 minutes, and then manually pick up the separated solder strips; if there are still too many battery cell fragments on the solder strips, continue striking.

[0042] (5) The operator repeatedly places the battery cells / strings and repeats step (4);

[0043] (6) After 3-5 rounds of smashing the battery cells / strings, use a broom to collect the battery cell fragments and put them into a cardboard box;

[0044] (7) Repeat steps (3) to (6) until the current cell and solder strip separation is completed.

[0045] However, the following potential problems may arise when performing the above operations:

[0046] (1) When the operator smashes the cell / string, the substrate of the cell is a silicon wafer with a thickness of about 130μm. The silicon wafer fragments are extremely sharp and can easily cut the operator's skin. They can also fly and injure the operator's eyes. Furthermore, if silicon powder is inhaled, it can damage the operator's respiratory system. All of these can cause harm to the operator's body.

[0047] (2) There is silicon dust at the operation site, which affects the 5S management on site. The scattered silicon dust particles will pollute the surrounding raw materials and may cause equipment failure if they enter the equipment gaps.

[0048] (3) Centralized manual processing requires a large number of personnel and takes a long time. For example, it takes 3 to 4 hours for 7 people to process 50kg of battery cells. This is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and also requires a large space.

[0049] In this regard, one embodiment of this application provides a separation device. This separation device is applied in the field of photovoltaic modules and is used to separate the soldered cells and solder ribbons after welding during the manufacturing process of photovoltaic modules. It can recycle the solder ribbons of scrapped cells / strings and can also be used to recycle scrapped photovoltaic modules, thereby realizing the recycling of resources.

[0050] like Figure 1As shown, the separation device 10 includes a housing 100, a crushing component 200, and a conveying component 300. The housing 100 has an inlet 100a and an outlet 100b, and also has a fragment collection area 100c inside the housing 100. The crushing component 200 is disposed inside the housing 100 and above the fragment collection area 100c. The crushing component 200 faces the inlet 100a and is capable of crushing the battery cells into battery cell fragments. The conveying component 300 is disposed inside the housing 100 and between the crushing component 200 and the fragment collection area 100c. Battery cell fragments can pass through the conveying component 300 and fall into the fragment collection area 100c. Welding ribbon can fall into the conveying component 300 and be conveyed to the outlet 100b for discharge.

[0051] When recycling scrapped battery cells / strings, the scrapped battery cells / strings enter the housing 100 through the feed inlet 100a. The crushing component 200 first crushes the battery cells / strings into battery cell fragments. However, the welding strips welded to the battery cells / strings are not crushed due to their excessive yield strength, but remain in their original shape or are slightly deformed, thereby achieving the purpose of initially separating the battery cells / strings and welding strips. Afterwards, the battery cell fragments can fall into the fragment collection area 100c for collection by their own gravity (or through a negative pressure pump, such as a negative pressure pump located at the bottom of the housing 100) through the conveying component 300. The welding strips can also fall into the conveying component 300 for discharge by their own gravity (or through a negative pressure pump, such as a negative pressure pump located at the bottom of the housing 100) and be conveyed to the discharge outlet 100b by the conveying component 300.

[0052] As can be seen, the photovoltaic module separation device 10 provided in this application, by setting a crushing component 200 and a conveying component 300 in the housing 100, can crush the cells / strings in the housing 100 and collect the cell fragments. It can also separate the solder ribbons on the cells / strings. The whole process is carried out in a relatively closed space without human operation, realizing the automation of cell / string crushing. This avoids the safety risks of manual operation, such as cutting the operator's skin, silicon wafer fragments flying and injuring the operator's eyes, and inhaling silicon wafer powder and damaging the operator's respiratory system. It also avoids dust dispersion and prevents flying silicon powder particles from contaminating the surrounding raw materials and entering the equipment gaps. It also improves efficiency and reduces labor costs. Traditional manual separation generally requires 4-8 people, while this automatic crushing equipment only requires 1 person for feeding and collecting materials. It also improves efficiency, saving about 50% of the time, and does not require a large work space. It can operate in an area of ​​about 6 square meters.

[0053] In summary, the separation equipment provided in this application can automatically crush and recycle waste battery cells / strings, saving manpower, time and work space, and avoiding personnel safety hazards, equipment hazards and on-site 5S management problems that may be caused by manual operation.

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments of this application, the crushing assembly 200 includes a first crushing roller 210 and a second crushing roller 220 rotatably disposed in the housing 100. The first crushing roller 210 and the second crushing roller 220 rotate in opposite directions and have a crushing gap between them opposite to the feed inlet 100a. Scrapped battery cells / strings can be inserted into the crushing gap between the first crushing roller 210 and the second crushing roller 220 through the feed inlet 100a of the housing 100. By rotating the first crushing roller 210 and the second crushing roller 220, the first crushing roller 210 and the second crushing roller 220 can squeeze the battery cells / strings, thereby crushing them.

[0055] The minimum width of the crushing gap is 1mm to 2mm, and can be set to, for example, 1mm, 1.1mm, 1.2mm, 1.3mm, 1.4mm, 1.5mm, 1.6mm, 1.7mm, 1.8mm, 1.9mm, 2mm, etc. This setting can effectively crush the scrapped battery cells / strings and reduce the resistance of the battery cells / strings passing through the crushing gap.

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown, the outer circumferential surface of the first crushing wheel 210 is provided with multiple crushing protrusions 211, and the outer circumferential surface of the second crushing wheel 220 is also provided with multiple crushing protrusions. The arrangement of the crushing protrusions allows the first crushing wheel 210 and the second crushing wheel 220 to fully crush the battery cells / strings. Alternatively, only the outer circumferential surface of the first crushing wheel 210 may be provided with multiple crushing protrusions, or only the outer circumferential surface of the second crushing wheel 220 may be provided with multiple crushing protrusions. The crushing protrusions can be semi-circular, cylindrical, polygonal, etc., and this application does not impose specific limitations here. Regarding the size and density of the crushing protrusions, as long as they can fully crush the battery cells / strings, this application also does not impose specific limitations here.

[0057] To facilitate the smooth insertion of battery cells / strings into the crushing gap between the first crushing roller 210 and the second crushing roller 220 through the feed inlet 100a, the feed inlet 100a can be located at the top of the housing 100, allowing the feed inlet 100a to be positioned vertically. The feed inlet 100a can be constricted to guide the entry of the battery cells / strings.

[0058] When the first crushing roller 210 and the second crushing roller 220 rotate and crush the battery cells / strings, some battery cell fragments will adhere to the outer circumferential surfaces of the first crushing roller 210 and the second crushing roller 220. Regarding this, as... Figure 1As shown, in one embodiment, the separation device 10 further includes a roller brush assembly 400 disposed within the housing 100. The roller brush assembly 400 includes a rotatable first roller brush 410 and a rotatable second roller brush 420. The first roller brush 410 can scrape off battery cell fragments on the first crushing roller 210, and the second roller brush 420 can scrape off battery cell fragments on the second crushing roller 220. The first roller brush 410 can be used to scrape off battery cell fragments attached to the first crushing roller 210, and the second roller brush 420 can be used to scrape off battery cell fragments attached to the second crushing roller 220, facilitating the collection of battery cell fragments. The first and second roller brushes can rotate synchronously with the first and second crushing rollers. Of course, in some other embodiments, the roller brush assembly 400 may include only the first roller brush 410 or the second roller brush 420.

[0059] The axial length of the first roller brush 410 is the same as the axial length of the first crushing roller 210, and the axial length of the second roller brush 420 is the same as the axial length of the second crushing roller 220. This arrangement allows the first and second roller brushes 420 to completely scrape away the battery cell fragments attached to the first and second crushing rollers. The axial length of the first and second crushing rollers can be set to 500mm; this application does not limit this setting, as long as it effectively crushes the battery cells / strings.

[0060] The first roller brush 410 can be located below or to the side of the first crushing roller 210, and the second roller brush 420 can be located below or to the side of the second crushing roller 220. This arrangement of the positions of the first roller brush 410 and the second roller brush 420 can prevent battery cell fragments from being scraped off by the first and second crushing rollers 220 and then splashed out from the feed inlet 100a of the housing 100.

[0061] In order to collect the battery cell fragments attached to the first and second crushing rollers 220 into the fragment collection area 100c of the housing 100, such as Figure 1As shown, in one embodiment, the first crushing roller 210 is located below the second crushing roller 220 and rotates in the same direction as the first crushing roller 210; the second roller brush 420 is located below the second crushing roller 220 and rotates in the same direction as the second crushing roller 220; the separating device 10 also includes a first guide baffle 510, which is located between the first roller brush 410 and the second roller brush 420 and surrounds a guide channel 510a, which extends from the crushing gap to the top of the conveying assembly 300. After the battery cell fragments attached to the first crushing roller 210 are scraped off by the first roller brush 410, they splash toward the second roller brush 420. Due to the obstruction of the first guide baffle 510, they move downward along the first guide baffle 510, and thus can pass through the conveying assembly 300 and fall into the fragment collection area 100c. Similarly, after the battery cell fragments attached to the second crushing roller 220 are scraped off by the second roller brush 420, they splash toward the first roller brush 410. Due to the obstruction of the first guide baffle 510, they move downward along the first guide baffle 510, and thus can pass through the conveying assembly 300 and fall into the fragment collection area 100c. As can be seen, by limiting the position and direction of the first and second crushing rollers and adding the first guide baffle 510, the battery cell fragments attached to the first and second crushing rollers can be collected into the fragment collection area 100c of the housing 100. In addition, the guide channel 510a formed by the first guide baffle 510 can guide the battery cell fragments and welding strips. The battery cell fragments and welding strips can fall into the conveying assembly 300 through the guide channel 510a, which is conducive to the collection of battery cell fragments and the discharge of welding strips.

[0062] The upper end of the feeding channel 510a is flared. This design facilitates the entry of battery cell fragments and solder ribbon into the feeding channel 510a. The lower end of the feeding channel 510a is inclined towards the outlet 100b. This design facilitates the solder ribbon falling onto the transmission channel, making it easier for the solder ribbon to exit.

[0063] The first guide baffle 510 may include two first guide baffles, which form a guide channel 510a at an interval. The first guide baffles are in close contact with the two side walls of the housing 100 opposite to each other along the axial direction of the first rolling roller 210, which can ensure the sealing of the guide channel 510a and effectively block the battery cell fragments attached to the first and second rolling rollers 220.

[0064] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1As shown, the conveying assembly 300 includes a first pulley 310, a second pulley 320, and a conveyor belt 330. Both the first pulley 310 and the second pulley 320 are rotatably mounted in the housing 100. The first pulley 310 is located near the discharge port 100b, and the conveyor belt 330 is tensioned on the first pulley 310 and the second pulley 320. When the first pulley 310 and the second pulley 320 rotate, the conveyor belt 330 can drive the welding strip towards the discharge port 100b, while battery cell fragments can pass through the conveyor belt 330 and fall into the fragment collection area 100c.

[0065] The conveyor belt 330 has multiple mesh openings that allow battery cell fragments to pass through, but these openings are smaller than the welding ribbon, preventing the welding ribbon from falling from the conveyor belt into the fragment collection area 100c. Regarding the mesh opening size, the length × width can be set to 10mm × 20mm; this application does not impose specific limitations on this, as long as it effectively filters the battery cell fragments to the fragment collection area 100c without affecting the conveying of the welding ribbon. Furthermore, the size of the conveyor belt 330 can be set according to the size of the housing 100; for example, the length × width of the conveyor belt can be set to 1300mm × 500mm, and this application does not limit this. Similarly, the size of the housing 100 is not specifically limited in this application, as long as it meets actual production needs. For example, the length × width × height of the housing 100 can be set to 600mm × 1450mm × 1550mm.

[0066] After the device has been running for a period of time, fragments of the solar cells will clog the mesh on the conveyor belt 330, hindering the collection of solar cells. Therefore, as follows... Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the separation device 10 further includes a vibrator 600, which is capable of vibrating the conveyor belt 330. When the vibrator 600 vibrates the conveyor belt 330, it can shake the battery cell fragments on the conveyor belt 330 into the fragment collection area 100c, thereby preventing the battery cell fragments from clogging the mesh on the conveyor belt 330.

[0067] The vibrating element 600 can be disposed between the upper and lower halves of the conveyor belt 330, and can vibrate up and down, effectively shaking off battery cell fragments on the conveyor belt 330 into the fragment collection area 100c. The vibrating element 600 may include a vibrating rod, which can rhythmically vibrate the conveyor belt 330 up and down. Alternatively, the vibrating element 600 can also utilize acoustic vibration to vibrate the conveyor belt 330.

[0068] The vibrating element 600 can be located in the middle of the first pulley 310 and the second pulley 320, or it can be located close to the first pulley 310 or the second pulley 320.

[0069] When the conveyor belt 330 transports the welding strip to the discharge port 100b, a portion of the welding strip will adhere to the conveyor belt 330 and cannot be discharged. To address this, if... Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the separating device 10 further includes a peeling member 700 rotatably disposed in the housing 100. The peeling member 700 is close to the discharge port 100b and rotates in the same direction as the first pulley 310. The peeling member 700 can peel the welding strip from the conveyor belt 330. The peeling member 700 can peel off the welding strip attached to the conveyor belt 330, so that the welding strip can be discharged from the discharge port 100b, which facilitates the discharge and collection of the welding strip.

[0070] The axial length of the peeling member 700 can be the same as the width of the conveyor belt 330, so that the peeling member 700 can fully peel off the welding strips attached to the conveyor belt 330.

[0071] like Figure 3 As shown, the stripping member 700 may include a roller body 710 and a plurality of scrapers 720 disposed circumferentially on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body 710. The length of the scrapers 720 in the axial direction of the roller body 710 is the same as the width of the conveyor belt 330.

[0072] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1 As shown, the separation device 10 also includes a second guide baffle 520 disposed within the housing 100. The second guide baffle 520 is located between the conveying assembly 300 and the fragment collection area 100c and forms a fragment collection inlet 520a. The fragment collection inlet 520a extends from one side of the conveying assembly 300 to the other side along the conveying direction of the conveying assembly 300. The arrangement of the second guide baffle 520 can form fragment collection inlets 520a that cover the entire conveyor belt 330. When the battery cell fragments pass through the conveyor belt 330, they can be guided by the fragment collection inlets 520a and fall smoothly into the fragment collection area 100c, without falling into the area outside the fragment collection area 100c in the housing 100, which facilitates the collection of battery cell fragments.

[0073] The second guide baffle 520 includes two inclined second guide baffles, which are spaced apart to form a debris collection inlet 520a. One second guide baffle is located below the first pulley 310 and extends inclined towards the debris collection area 100c, while the other second guide baffle is located below the second pulley 320 and extends inclined towards the debris collection area 100c. The ends of both second guide baffles near the debris collection area 100c are curved; this arrangement enhances the guiding effect on battery debris.

[0074] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1As shown, the separation device 10 also includes a third guide baffle 530 disposed within the housing 100. The third guide baffle 530 is located near the discharge port 100b. After the welding strip leaves the conveying assembly 300, it can slide out of the discharge port 100b along the third guide baffle 530. The conveyor belt 330 of the conveying assembly 300 transports the welding strip to the discharge port 100b, or the peeling member 700 peels the welding strip from the conveyor belt, allowing it to fall onto the third guide baffle 530 and then slide out of the discharge port 100b along the third guide baffle 530, thus achieving discharge without the need for an operator to remove the welding strip from the discharge port 100b. The third guide baffle 530 guides the sliding out of the welding strip and prevents it from falling into the housing 100, facilitating the collection of the welding strip.

[0075] The third guide baffle 530 may include an inclined third guide baffle. The housing 100 may include a bracket 110, and the third guide baffle and the second guide baffle near the discharge port 100b may be installed on both sides of the bracket 110, while the peeling member 700 is located directly above the bracket 110.

[0076] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1 As shown, the separation device 10 also includes a first transfer box 810, which is located in the fragment collection area 100c. The first transfer box 810 is used to collect battery cell fragments. Operators can periodically pick up and put in the first transfer box 810, eliminating the need for manual collection and cleaning of battery cell fragments in the fragment collection area 100c, thus avoiding damage to operators from battery cell fragments.

[0077] The housing 100 may be equipped with an openable and closable protective door. Opening the protective door allows for the placement and removal of the first transfer box 810, and also facilitates the cleaning of the conveyor belt 330. The protective door may have an electrical interlock function, meaning that the equipment cannot be powered on or started when personnel are operating the equipment while the door is open. Additionally, the bottom of the housing 100 may be equipped with support legs 120 to facilitate the installation of the separation device 10 on the work site.

[0078] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1 As shown, the separation device 10 also includes a second transfer box 820, which is located outside the housing 100 and near the discharge port 100b. After the welding strip comes out of the discharge port, it can fall into the second transfer box 820. The operator can periodically pick up and put in the second transfer box 820 without having to manually collect the welding strip, thus avoiding damage to the operator from the welding strip.

[0079] To ensure that the welding strip falls smoothly into the second transfer box 820, the separating device 10 also includes a baffle 900 disposed on the housing 100. The baffle 900 faces the first pulley 310 of the conveying assembly 300 and blocks the upper part of the discharge port 100b. The baffle 900 prevents the welding strip from splashing out of the conveyor belt 330 of the conveying assembly 300 and ensures that the welding strip can slide into the second transfer box 820 through the third guide baffle.

[0080] The following describes the separation process of solar cells / strings:

[0081] Step 1: Place the first and second transfer boxes in the fragment collection area 100c and the discharge port 100b respectively to collect the corresponding materials.

[0082] Step 2: The operator vertically places the scrapped battery cells / strings into the feed inlet 100a. The direction of placement of the battery cells / strings is parallel to the direction of the solder strips on the battery cells, and a maximum of two overlapping battery cells / strings can be placed at the same time.

[0083] Step 3: The battery cells / strings enter the crushing gap between the first crushing roller 210 and the second crushing roller 220 through the feed inlet; the first and second rollers start synchronously with the first and second crushing rollers, and the rotation of the first and second rollers is the same as the rotation of the first and second crushing rollers on the same side.

[0084] Step 4: The crushed battery cells / strings enter the feeding channel 510a and fall freely onto the conveyor belt 330 of the conveying assembly 300.

[0085] Step 5: After being crushed, the battery cells / strings fall onto the conveyor belt 330. Simultaneously, the vibrator 600 is activated, moving up and down a short distance to strike the conveyor belt 330, causing it to vibrate rhythmically. This vibration forces the battery cell fragments through holes in the conveyor belt 330 into the fragment collection inlet 520a below, entering the first transfer box 810. The welding strip remaining on the conveyor belt 330 is conveyed to the outlet 100b. The stripping device 700 rotates in the opposite direction to the lower half of the conveyor belt 330, and the scraper 720 on the stripping device 700 assists in detaching the welding strip from the conveyor belt 330, allowing it to enter the outlet 100b and then the second transfer box 820.

[0086] Step 6: Repeat steps 2 to 5 until the automatic separation of the battery cells / strings from the solder ribbon is completed.

[0087] Step 7: After every 2 to 4 hours of operation, the equipment is stopped; the protective door of the housing 100 can be opened to take out and put in the first transfer box 810, and the conveyor belt 330 is cleaned at the same time.

[0088] In summary, the separation device 10 provided in this application utilizes a crushing wheel design. The pressure from the two wheel surfaces causes the battery cells to break into fragments under external force, while the welding ribbons attached to the battery cells remain undamaged under this pressure, thus achieving the initial separation of the battery cells and copper wire welding ribbons. Then, the fragments pass through a conveyor belt 330 with a screening function, ensuring complete separation of the battery cell fragments and welding ribbons. Finally, the fragments and welding ribbons are collected by the first and second transfer boxes below. Through these functions, the device achieves the goals of manual feeding, automatic separation of battery cells and welding ribbons, and automatic collection.

[0089] 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.

[0090] 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. A separation device, characterized in that, The solar cells and solder ribbons used to separate photovoltaic modules include: The housing has an inlet and an outlet, and the housing also has a debris collection area inside; A crushing assembly is disposed inside the housing and above the fragment collection area, the crushing assembly faces the feed inlet and is capable of crushing the battery cell into battery cell fragments; A conveying assembly is disposed within the housing and located between the crushing assembly and the fragment collection area. The battery cell fragments can pass through the conveying assembly and fall into the fragment collection area. The welding ribbon can fall into the conveying assembly and be conveyed to the discharge port for discharge.

2. The separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crushing assembly includes a first crushing wheel and a second crushing wheel rotatably disposed in the housing. The first crushing wheel and the second crushing wheel rotate in opposite directions and have a crushing gap between them opposite to the feed inlet.

3. The separation device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The outer circumferential surface of the first rolling wheel and / or the second rolling wheel is provided with a plurality of rolling protrusions.

4. The separation device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The separation device further includes a roller brush assembly disposed within the housing. The roller brush assembly includes a rotatable first roller brush and / or a rotatable second roller brush. The first roller brush is capable of scraping off battery cell fragments on the first crushing roller, and the second roller brush is capable of scraping off battery cell fragments on the second crushing roller.

5. The separation device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first roller brush is located below the first rolling roller and rotates in the same direction as the first rolling roller; the second roller brush is located below the second rolling roller and rotates in the same direction as the second rolling roller. The separation device further includes a first guide baffle, which is disposed between the first roller brush and the second roller brush and surrounds a guide channel, which extends from the crushing gap to the top of the conveying assembly.

6. The separation device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The upper end of the material guiding channel is flared, and / or the lower end of the material guiding channel is inclined toward the discharge port.

7. The separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying assembly includes a first pulley, a second pulley, and a conveyor belt. The first pulley and the second pulley are rotatably disposed in the housing, and the conveyor belt is tensioned on the first pulley and the second pulley.

8. The separation device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The separation device also includes a vibrating element that can vibrate the conveyor belt.

9. The separation device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first pulley is close to the discharge port; the separation device further includes a peeling member rotatably disposed in the housing, the peeling member being close to the discharge port and rotating in the same direction as the first pulley, the peeling member being capable of peeling the welding strip from the conveyor belt.

10. The separation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The separation device also has at least one of the following technical features: The separation device further includes a second guide baffle disposed within the housing. The second guide baffle is located between the conveying assembly and the fragment collection area and forms a fragment collection inlet. The fragment collection inlet extends from one side of the conveying assembly to the other side along the conveying direction of the conveying assembly. The separation device further includes a third guide baffle disposed inside the housing. The third guide baffle is close to the discharge port. After the welding strip is separated from the conveying assembly, it can slide out of the discharge port along the third guide baffle. The separation device also includes a first transfer box, which is located in the fragment collection area; The separation device further includes a second transfer box, which is located outside the housing and near the discharge port.

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