Drying apparatus

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of drying device, applied to battery piece production.Drying device includes drying body and tank cover.Wherein, drying body is equipped with the accommodating cavity with top opening, accommodating cavity is equipped with the drying tank body for placing flower basket.Tank cover is single-piece structure, and can be movably installed in the top of drying body.Tank cover has opening state and closed state.Tank cover in the application is single-piece structure, its inside does not exist gap, ensure that tank cover can completely shield drying tank body when being in closed state, effectively avoid that unknown liquid and other foreign matters fall into drying tank body, to reduce the condition that battery piece is produced obvious water streak and flower basket tooth mark after completing drying process, improve the yield of production line battery piece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery cell manufacturing technology, and in particular to a drying device. Background Technology

[0002] In the HJT cell fabrication process, silicon wafers undergo rough polishing, gettering, ozone cleaning, pre-cleaning, texturing, post-cleaning, rounding treatment, hydrofluoric acid passivation, slow pulling, and drying. This process removes mechanical damage layers and contaminants from the incoming silicon wafer surface, creating a small, uniform "pyramid" textured surface. Subsequently, intrinsic amorphous silicon thin films and N-type and P-type amorphous silicon thin films are deposited on the front and back sides of the wafer, respectively. However, in actual cell production, defects such as liquid residue, watermarks, or basket-tooth marks result in low yield rates on the production line. Utility Model Content

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a drying device to address the problem of low yield of battery cells in the actual production process due to defects such as liquid residue, watermarks, or basket marks.

[0004] The technical solution is as follows:

[0005] On the one hand, a drying apparatus is provided for use in the production of battery cells; the drying apparatus includes:

[0006] The drying body has a receiving cavity with a top opening, and the receiving cavity has a drying trough for placing flower baskets;

[0007] The tank cover is a single-piece structure and can be movably installed on the top of the drying body. The tank cover has an open state and a closed state.

[0008] When the trough cover is closed, it covers the drying trough to prevent foreign objects from falling into it; when the trough cover is open, the drying trough is at least partially exposed so that the flower basket can be moved into or out of it.

[0009] In the drying device described above, the tank cover is a single-piece structure with no gaps inside, ensuring that the tank cover can completely cover the drying tank when it is closed. This effectively prevents foreign objects such as unknown liquids from falling into the drying tank, thereby reducing the occurrence of obvious watermarks and basket marks on the battery cells after the drying process due to residual chemicals, and improving the yield of battery cells on the production line.

[0010] The technical solution will be further explained below:

[0011] In one embodiment, the drying device further includes a drive mechanism that is kinetically connected to the tank cover and is used to drive the tank cover to switch between the open state and the closed state.

[0012] In one embodiment, the drying apparatus further includes a guiding mechanism configured to guide the tank cover as it switches between the open and closed states.

[0013] In one embodiment, the guiding mechanism is set to an inclined direction for guiding the slot cover.

[0014] In one embodiment, the guiding mechanism includes a guide wheel assembly. At least one of the guide wheel assemblies is provided on at least one side of the drying tank along two sides perpendicular to the inclined direction. All the guide wheel assemblies located on the same side of the drying tank are spaced apart along the inclined direction. All the guide wheel assemblies are used to guide the tank cover.

[0015] In one embodiment, the trough cover has a first side and a second side on both sides along the inclined direction, with the first side located below the second side. The drying device also includes a collection trough installed in the receiving cavity, the collection trough being configured to be located below the first side when the trough cover is in a closed state to collect foreign objects falling from the first side.

[0016] In one embodiment, the bottom of the collection tank is inclined, and the outer side wall of the drying body is provided with a waste discharge port, which is connected to the lowest side of the bottom of the collection tank.

[0017] In one embodiment, the drive mechanism is located on one side of the drying tank along the inclined direction and includes a drive member and a roller shutter shaft that is pulsatorically connected to the drive member. The roller shutter shaft is connected to one side of the tank cover and is capable of rolling up or releasing the tank cover under the drive of the drive member.

[0018] In one embodiment, the drying apparatus further includes a locking component configured to lock the tank cover to the drying body when the tank cover is in a closed state.

[0019] In one embodiment, the drying apparatus further includes a detection element for detecting whether any foreign objects have fallen into the drying tank. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The illustrative embodiments of this application and their descriptions are used to explain this application and do not constitute an undue limitation of this application.

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a Grade A good quality battery cell in one embodiment.

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell when watermarks are generated.

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a battery cell when it is filled with liquid.

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a solar cell when it produces basket-tooth patterns.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the drying apparatus in a semi-open state according to one embodiment.

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the drying device in the closed state.

[0028] Figure 7 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the drying body and collection tank in the process.

[0029] Figure 8 for Figure 6 A top view of the drying device.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0031] 10. Drying device; 100. Drying body; 110. Receiving cavity; 120. Drying tank; 130. Collection tank; 140. Waste discharge port; 200. Tank cover; 300. Drive mechanism; 310. Drive component; 320. Roller shutter shaft; 330. Bearing support seat; 400. Guide mechanism; 410. Guide wheel assembly; 420. Inclined support seat; 500. Locking assembly; 600. Detection component. Detailed Implementation

[0032] 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.

[0033] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in response to the problem of low yield of solar cells in the actual production process due to defects such as liquid residue, watermarks, or basket tooth marks, the inventors conducted tests and analyses and found that: in the production process of HJT solar cells, the monitoring of the SPC of the production line is particularly important in the cleaning-texturing process. The existing technology of texturing drying tank cover opening and closing methods are 2-piece split opening and 4-piece folding. When the drying tank is in the drying process, there are inevitably certain gaps between the multiple opening and closing tank covers. The baskets, silicon wafers and robotic arms that have just finished cleaning and are about to be dried will have some residual chemical solution. When the robotic arm picks up the freshly cleaned baskets and silicon wafers and passes through the drying tank in the drying process, the chemical solution carried by the baskets, silicon wafers and robotic arm will inevitably drip through the gaps in the tank cover onto the silicon wafers that are in the drying process or about to finish drying and onto the baskets. As a result, after the drying process is completed, the solar cells still have chemical solution residue, producing obvious watermarks and basket tooth marks.

[0034] Based on the above problems, the inventors designed and proposed the drying apparatus 10 of the following embodiments of this application to solve the above technical problems.

[0035] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in one embodiment, a drying apparatus 10 is provided for use in battery cell production. The drying apparatus 10 includes a drying body 100 and a tray cover 200. The drying body 100 has a receiving cavity 110 with a top opening, and a drying tray 120 for placing a flower basket is provided within the receiving cavity 110. The tray cover 200 is a single-piece structure and is movably mounted on top of the drying body 100. The tray cover 200 has an open state and a closed state.

[0036] When the cover 200 is closed, it covers the drying tank 120 to prevent foreign objects from falling into the drying tank 120; when the cover 200 is open, the drying tank 120 is at least partially exposed so that the flower basket can be moved into or out of the drying tank 120.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the drying device 10 has a single-piece cover 200 with no gaps inside, ensuring that the cover 200 can completely cover the drying tank 120 when it is closed. This effectively prevents foreign objects such as unknown liquids from falling into the drying tank 120, thereby reducing the occurrence of obvious watermarks and basket marks on the battery cells after the drying process due to residual chemicals, and improving the yield of battery cells on the production line.

[0038] The drying tank 120 can be configured as any of the tank structures in the prior art used for texturing and drying battery cells.

[0039] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, optionally, the drying device 10 also includes a drive mechanism 300, which is connected to the tank cover 200 and is used to drive the tank cover 200 to switch between an open state and a closed state. In this way, the drive mechanism 300 can control the state of the tank cover 200, improving the automation level of the drying device 10.

[0040] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in one embodiment, the drying apparatus 10 further includes a guiding mechanism 400, which is configured to guide the tank cover 200 during the switching between an open and closed state. Thus, the guiding mechanism 400 can guide the tank cover 200, ensuring that the tank cover 200 can switch between the open and closed states quickly and accurately, improving the practicality of the drying apparatus 10.

[0041] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the guiding mechanism 400 is further configured to guide the tank cover 200 in an inclined direction. Thus, when the tank cover 200 is closed, it tilts to block the drying tank 120. If waste liquid or other foreign objects fall onto the tank cover 200, gravitational potential energy, combined with the guiding effect of the tank cover 200, can be used to promptly remove the foreign objects from the tank cover 200, ensuring that the foreign objects falling onto the cover will not fall back into the drying tank 120, thereby improving the reliability of the drying device 10.

[0042] The tilt angle in the tilt direction can be flexibly adjusted according to actual usage needs. Specifically, in this embodiment, the tilt angle in the tilt direction can be set to 35°. In other embodiments, the tilt angle in the tilt direction can also be set to 30° or 45°, etc.

[0043] The guide mechanism 400 can be configured as a guide pulley block, guide rail or other guide structure.

[0044] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, optionally, the guiding mechanism 400 includes a guide wheel assembly 410, and at least one guide wheel assembly 410 is provided on at least one side of the drying tank 120 along the two sides perpendicular to the inclined direction. All guide wheel assemblies 410 located on the same side of the drying tank 120 are spaced apart along the inclined direction, and all guide wheel assemblies 410 are used to guide the tank cover 200.

[0045] Specifically, in this embodiment, the drying tank 120 is provided with at least one guide wheel assembly 410 on each of its two sides perpendicular to the inclined direction. Each guide wheel assembly 410 is located above the drying tank 120.

[0046] Specifically, in this embodiment, the guide wheel assembly 410 includes a mounting base, a rotating shaft mounted on the mounting base, a pulley sleeved on the rotating shaft, and a limiting flange disposed on the pulley. The outer side wall of the pulley is used for guiding engagement with the bottom wall of the groove cover 200. The limiting flange is used for limiting engagement with the side wall of the groove cover 200. The pulley can be integrally formed with the limiting flange, or it can be formed separately from the limiting flange.

[0047] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, optionally, the guide mechanism 400 also includes an inclined support base 420. The inclined support base 420 is installed above the drying tank 120 and has clearance holes corresponding to the drying tank 120. Each guide wheel assembly 410 is correspondingly installed on the inclined support base 420.

[0048] The inclined support 420 can be directly installed on the drying body 100, or indirectly installed on the drying body 100 with the help of intermediate elements (such as support legs).

[0049] like Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in one embodiment, the two sides of the tank cover 200 along the inclined direction are respectively configured as a first side and a second side, with the first side located below the second side. The drying apparatus 10 also includes a collection trough 130 installed within the receiving cavity 110. The collection trough 130 is configured to be located below the first side when the tank cover 200 is in the closed state to collect foreign objects falling from the first side. In this way, foreign objects falling onto the tank cover 200 can be collected in the collection trough 130 for centralized processing.

[0050] like Figure 7As shown, optionally, the bottom of the collection tank 130 is inclined. A waste discharge port 140 is provided on the outer wall of the drying body 100, and the waste discharge port 140 is connected to the lowest side of the bottom of the collection tank 130. In this way, by connecting the waste discharge port 140 to the waste discharge pipe of the main unit, foreign objects (mainly cleaning solutions for silicon wafers) that fall onto the tank cover 200 can be safely and smoothly transported to the waste discharge pipe through the collection tank 130 and the waste discharge port 140, improving the practicality of the drying device 10.

[0051] The tilt angle of the bottom of the collection tank 130 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual usage needs. Specifically, in this embodiment, the tilt angle of the bottom of the collection tank 130 can be set to 45°. In other embodiments, the tilt angle of the bottom of the collection tank 130 can also be set to 30° or 60°, etc.

[0052] Specifically in this embodiment, the collection groove 130 can be fixed to the inner wall of the receiving cavity 110 by snap-fit, screw-fit, adhesive or other means.

[0053] like Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, in one embodiment, the drive mechanism 300 is located on one side of the drying tank 120 along the inclined direction and includes a drive member 310 and a roller shutter shaft 320 pulverically connected to the drive member 310. The roller shutter shaft 320 is connected to one side of the tank cover 200 and can roll up or release the tank cover 200 under the drive of the drive member 310. Thus, the tank cover 200 has a roller shutter-type cover structure, which allows the tank cover 200 to switch between open and closed states with a small operating space, improving the practicality of the drying device 10.

[0054] In this specific embodiment, the slot cover 200 is made of flexible carbon fiber. This results in higher tensile strength, lighter overall weight, higher plasticity (less prone to bending and deformation under stress), and better resistance to friction, high temperatures, and acid and alkali corrosion. In other embodiments, the slot cover 200 can also be made of other flexible materials. The slot cover 200 can also be configured as a telescopic folding cover structure, with a corresponding telescopic linkage drive structure provided in the drive mechanism 300. The drive mechanism 300 is connected to the slot cover 200 and is used to drive the slot cover 200 to telescopically fold, allowing the slot cover 200 to freely switch between an open and closed state.

[0055] Specifically, in this embodiment, the drive mechanism 300 further includes a bearing support 330. The roller shutter shaft 320 is rotatably mounted on the bearing support 330 and connected to the second side of the slot cover 200. The bearing support 330 is mounted on the drying body 100. The drive component 310 can be configured as a stepper motor.

[0056] like Figure 5 and Figure 8 As shown, in one embodiment, the drying apparatus 10 further includes a locking component 500. The locking component 500 is configured to lock the tray cover 200 to the drying body 100 when the tray cover 200 is in the closed state. Thus, the locking component 500 can lock the tray cover 200 in the closed state, ensuring that when the basket carrying the silicon wafers is being dried in the drying tank 120, the tray cover 200 can reliably prevent foreign objects from falling into the drying tank 120, thereby improving the reliability of the drying apparatus 10.

[0057] The locking component 500 can be configured as a magnetic locking structure, a latch locking structure, or other locking structures. The number of locking components 500 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual usage needs.

[0058] Specifically, in this embodiment, the locking assembly 500 includes a first magnetic closure and a second magnetic closure. The first magnetic closure is mounted on a first side. The second magnetic closure is mounted on the drying body 100 and configured to magnetically attract and fix the tray cover 200 to the first magnetic closure when the tray cover 200 is in the closed state. Thus, when the tray cover 200 is about to switch to the closed state, the first and second magnetic closures work synchronously to attract and fix the tray cover 200 to the drying body 100, thereby effectively keeping the tray cover 200 in the closed state.

[0059] It should be noted that the first magnetic closure and the second magnetic closure cooperate to form a pair of second magnetic closures, and the drying device 10 includes at least one pair of magnetic closures. Specifically, in this embodiment, the drying device 10 includes two pairs of magnetic closures.

[0060] like Figure 5 and Figure 8 As shown, in one embodiment, the drying device 10 further includes a detection element 600, which is used to detect whether any foreign object has fallen into the drying tank 120. Thus, the detection element 600 is communicatively connected to the main unit. If a foreign object is detected falling into the drying tank 120, the detection element 600 sends an abnormal signal to the main unit, thereby triggering the main unit's safety protection program in a timely manner. This stops the movement of the tank cover 200 and the robotic arm, and the main unit simultaneously sounds an alarm, improving the practicality of the drying device 10.

[0061] The detection element 600 can be configured as an infrared sensor, an image sensor, or other detection structure. Specifically, in this embodiment, the detection element 600 is configured as a grating sensor, which includes a transmitter and a receiver. One of the transmitter and receiver is mounted on the first side, and the other is mounted on the inner wall of the receiving cavity 110 opposite to the first side.

[0062] The drying device 10 of this application was applied to an actual production line, and its performance was monitored for a preset period (six months). The improvements obtained are as follows:

[0063] 1. The watermark isolation rate decreased from 3.67% to 0.005%, a reduction of 99.86%; the basket tooth mark isolation rate decreased from 2.82% to 0.002%, a reduction of 99.93%; and the liquid-containing isolation rate decreased from 1.25% to 0.000%, a reduction of 100%.

[0064] 2. Through improvements, the amount of residual chemicals on the silicon wafer surface is reduced, the passivation effect is improved, the surface of the cell is cleaner and the film layer is more uniform after texturing, and the film layer has better matching with the subsequent PECVD process. The photoelectric conversion efficiency (Eta, Estimated Time of Arrival) of the solar cell is increased by 0.05%; the electrical performance is mainly reflected in the improvement of open circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF).

[0065] 3. After the watermark, basket tooth mark, and liquid residue issues are resolved, the number of times the chemical solution needs to be changed on the fabrication machine is greatly reduced. The cycle for changing the chemical solution in a single fabrication tank has been increased from 5.4wpcs to 12wpcs, resulting in a significant reduction in production costs and an increase in production capacity, with an increase of 3.3wpcs per shift.

[0066] In summary, the drying device 10 in this application can better control the existing process, effectively monitor the SPC of the production line, reduce costs and increase efficiency to improve the yield of battery cells, thereby continuously increasing production capacity while ensuring production quality throughout the entire production process.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] It should also be understood that, in interpreting the connection or positional relationships of components, although not explicitly described, connection and positional relationships are interpreted to include a range of error, which should be within the acceptable deviation range of a specific value as determined by a person skilled in the art. For example, "approximately," "about," or "substantially" can mean within one or more standard deviations, without limitation herein.

[0073] 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.

[0074] The above embodiments merely illustrate 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 drying apparatus for use in battery cell production, characterized in that, include: The drying body has a receiving cavity with a top opening, and the receiving cavity has a drying trough for placing flower baskets; The tank cover is a single-piece structure and can be movably installed on the top of the drying body. The tank cover has an open state and a closed state. When the trough cover is closed, it covers the drying trough to prevent foreign objects from falling into it; when the trough cover is open, the drying trough is at least partially exposed so that the flower basket can be moved into or out of it.

2. The drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drying device further includes a drive mechanism, which is connected to the tank cover and is used to drive the tank cover to switch between the open state and the closed state.

3. The drying apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drying device further includes a guiding mechanism configured to guide the tank cover as it switches between the open and closed states.

4. The drying apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The guiding mechanism sets the guiding direction of the slot cover to an inclined direction.

5. The drying apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The guiding mechanism includes a guide wheel assembly. At least one of the guide wheel assemblies is provided on at least one side of the drying tank along the two sides perpendicular to the inclined direction. All the guide wheel assemblies located on the same side of the drying tank are spaced apart along the inclined direction. All the guide wheel assemblies are used to guide the tank cover.

6. The drying apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The trough cover is configured as a first side and a second side on both sides along the inclined direction, with the first side located below the second side. The drying device also includes a collection trough installed in the receiving cavity, which is configured to be located below the first side when the trough cover is in a closed state to collect foreign objects falling from the first side.

7. The drying apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The bottom of the collection tank is inclined, and the outer side wall of the drying body is provided with a waste discharge port, which is connected to the lowest side of the bottom of the collection tank.

8. The drying apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The driving mechanism is located on one side of the drying tank along the inclined direction, and includes a driving member and a roller shutter shaft that is pulsatorically connected to the driving member. The roller shutter shaft is connected to one side of the tank cover and can roll up or release the tank cover under the drive of the driving member.

9. The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The drying device further includes a locking component configured to lock the tank cover to the drying body when the tank cover is in a closed state.

10. The drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The drying device also includes a detection element, which is used to detect whether any foreign objects have fallen into the drying tank.

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