X-ray battery cell internal defect efficient detection mechanism

Abstract

This application discloses a high-efficiency X-ray cell internal defect detection mechanism, including a four-axis loading robot, a second turntable mechanism, a first / second X-ray detection mechanism, a dual-head rotary unloading robot, a four-axis NG sorting robot, and an NG sorting frame. The four-axis loading robot transfers the cell to the second turntable mechanism. The rotating turntable drives the cell through the first and second X-ray detection mechanisms sequentially, utilizing the ability of X-rays to penetrate different materials to generate high-resolution internal structure images. After detection, the dual-head rotary unloading robot transfers the cell to a second unloading conveyor belt, and the NG sorting robot automatically sorts defective cells into the NG sorting frame based on the detection results. This application achieves full-circumferential coverage detection of the cell through the cooperation of dual detection mechanisms and turntable rotation. Combined with an automated loading, unloading, and sorting system, it significantly improves detection efficiency and accuracy, reduces manual intervention, and is suitable for the high-speed internal defect detection needs of power battery production lines.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery cell internal defect retrieval equipment, and in particular to a high-efficiency Xray battery cell internal defect detection mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of new energy technologies, lithium batteries, as important energy storage components, are widely used in electric vehicles, consumer electronics, energy storage systems, and other fields. As the core component of lithium batteries, the internal quality of the battery cell directly determines the battery's performance, safety, and lifespan. Therefore, efficient and accurate detection of internal defects is crucial during the cell manufacturing process.

[0003] Traditional methods for detecting internal defects in battery cells mainly rely on manual visual inspection or simple optical inspection equipment. However, these methods have the following limitations: manual visual inspection is easily affected by subjective factors and is difficult to detect minute internal defects, such as electrode misalignment, poor welding, and internal foreign objects. Manual inspection is slow and cannot meet the needs of large-scale production.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, X-ray inspection technology has been gradually introduced into the battery cell manufacturing industry. X-ray inspection offers advantages such as being non-destructive, high-precision, and highly penetrating, enabling a comprehensive scan of the battery cell's internal structure and effectively identifying defects such as electrode alignment, welding quality, and internal foreign objects. However, existing X-ray inspection equipment still has the following shortcomings:

[0005] (1) A single test can only cover a local area of ​​the battery cell, and cannot achieve efficient all-round testing.

[0006] (2) The coordination between the testing equipment and the loading and unloading mechanism is poor, making it difficult to achieve full-process automation.

[0007] (3) The sorting efficiency of good and bad products after testing is low, which affects the overall production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0008] The purpose of this application is to provide a highly efficient and automated X-ray cell internal defect detection mechanism, capable of comprehensive inspection of both the head and tail of the cell, and rapid sorting of good and defective products to meet the needs of large-scale production. This application is proposed against this background, aiming to provide a highly integrated, efficient, and capable X-ray cell internal defect detection mechanism to address the shortcomings of existing technologies.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0010] An efficient X-ray cell internal defect detection mechanism includes a four-axis loading robot, a second turntable mechanism, a first X-ray detection mechanism, a second X-ray detection mechanism, a dual-head rotary discharge robot, a second discharge conveyor belt, a four-axis NG sorting robot, and an NG sorting frame. The four-axis loading robot is positioned on one side of the second turntable mechanism and is used to transfer cells from the first discharge conveyor belt to the second turntable mechanism. The first X-ray detection mechanism, the second X-ray detection mechanism, and the dual-head rotary discharge robot are sequentially arranged around the second turntable mechanism. The first X-ray detection mechanism is used to detect whether there are defects inside the two corners of the cell head, and the second X-ray detection mechanism is used to detect whether there are defects inside the two corners of the cell tail. The dual-head rotary discharge robot is used to transfer the cells to the second discharge conveyor belt, and the NG sorting robot transfers defective cells to the NG sorting frame. Good cells are discharged via the second discharge conveyor belt.

[0011] Furthermore, the second turntable mechanism is provided with a movable adsorption carrier and a carrier translation module. The movable adsorption carrier is mounted on the carrier translation module, and the carrier translation module is used to drive the movable adsorption carrier to move the battery cell outward.

[0012] Furthermore, the mobile adsorption carrier is provided with a carbon fiber base plate, a sponge is provided on the carbon fiber base plate, the sponge is connected to an air guide plate, the air guide plate is connected to an air extraction device, and the air extraction device adsorbs and fixes the battery cell on the carbon fiber base plate through the air guide plate and the sponge.

[0013] Furthermore, a limit strip is provided on one side of the carbon fiber base plate.

[0014] Furthermore, the first X-ray detection mechanism includes a flat panel detector, a flat panel lifting drive device, an X-ray emitter, an X-ray emitter lifting drive device, and an X-ray emitter translation drive device. The flat panel detector and the X-ray emitter are arranged vertically opposite each other. The flat panel detector is mounted on the flat panel lifting drive device, which drives the flat panel detector to move up and down. The X-ray emitter is mounted on the X-ray emitter lifting drive device, which is mounted on the X-ray emitter translation drive device. The X-ray emitter translation drive device drives the X-ray emitter to move laterally, and the X-ray emitter lifting drive device drives the X-ray emitter to move up and down.

[0015] Furthermore, the NG sorting frame includes a mounting frame, a drawer box, sorting drawers, and a movable shielding cover. The drawer box is mounted on the mounting frame, and the upper end of the drawer box is an open end. Multiple sorting drawers are provided and arranged side by side inside the drawer box. The movable shielding cover is movably disposed on the open end of the drawer box. When one of the sorting drawers needs to leave the drawer box, the movable shielding cover first moves to the top of the sorting drawer and covers the top of the sorting drawer.

[0016] Furthermore, the drawer box is surrounded by lead plates on all sides and at the bottom.

[0017] Furthermore, a drawer self-locking cylinder is provided on the upper side of the drawer box, and one drawer self-locking cylinder corresponds to one sorting drawer.

[0018] Furthermore, the sorting drawer is equipped with multiple partitions, which divide the sorting drawer into multiple cell placement chambers.

[0019] Furthermore, the upper part of the partition plate is provided with a clearance groove.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0021] This application achieves comprehensive inspection of internal defects by setting up a first X-ray inspection mechanism and a second X-ray inspection mechanism to scan the two corners of the head and tail of the battery cell, respectively. Combined with the rotational motion of the second turntable mechanism, this enables all-round coverage inspection of internal defects in the battery cell. Furthermore, by employing X-ray technology and utilizing the differences in the penetrating power of X-rays on different materials, high-resolution images of the internal structure are generated to accurately identify defects such as electrode misalignment, poor welding, and internal foreign objects. Finally, this application achieves automated feeding, transfer, and unloading of battery cells through a four-axis loading robot and a dual-head rotary unloading robot. The NG sorting four-axis robot automatically transfers defective battery cells to the NG sorting box based on the inspection results, while good cells are unloaded via a second unloading conveyor belt. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 A top view of an efficient Xray cell internal defect detection mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second turntable mechanism provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mobile adsorption carrier provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first X-ray inspection mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first X-ray inspection mechanism provided in one embodiment of this application from another perspective;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an NG sorting frame provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the NG sorting frame from another perspective, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a dual-head rotary discharge robot provided in one embodiment of this application; Detailed Implementation

[0030] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of this application will now be described in detail. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only configured to explain this application and are not configured to limit this application. For those skilled in the art, this application can be implemented without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is merely to provide a better understanding of this application by illustrating examples of this application.

[0031] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0032] It should be understood that when describing the structure of a component, when referring to a layer or region as being "above" or "on top of" another layer or region, it can mean that it is directly above the other layer or region, or that it contains other layers or regions between it and the other layer or region. Furthermore, if the component is flipped over, that layer or region will be located "below" or "under" the other layer or region.

[0033] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0034] The following embodiments involve X-rays, also known as X-rays or X-rays. X-rays are electromagnetic waves with extremely short wavelengths and high energy, possessing strong penetrating power. They can penetrate many opaque materials (such as metals, plastics, and human tissue), and their absorption varies depending on the material's density and thickness during penetration. Based on this characteristic, X-rays are widely used in medical imaging, industrial non-destructive testing, and materials analysis. In this embodiment, X-ray inspection refers to the technique of using X-rays to perform non-destructive testing on the internal structure of a battery cell. By irradiating the battery cell with X-rays, the distribution and state of the electrodes, separators, tabs, and other structures inside the cell can be clearly observed, thereby determining whether the battery cell has internal defects (such as tab misalignment, electrode deformation, or foreign matter inclusions).

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, an efficient Xray cell internal defect detection mechanism includes a four-axis loading robot B1, a second turntable mechanism B2, a first Xray detection mechanism B3, a second Xray detection mechanism B4, a dual-head rotary discharge robot B5, a second discharge conveyor belt B6, an NG sorting four-axis robot B7, and an NG sorting frame B8.

[0036] A four-axis loading robot B1 is positioned on one side of the second turntable mechanism B2. The loading robot B1 is used to transfer the battery cells on the first discharge conveyor belt A11 to the second turntable mechanism B2. The first X-ray inspection mechanism B3, the second X-ray inspection mechanism B4, and the dual-head rotary discharge robot B5 are arranged sequentially around the second turntable mechanism B2. The first X-ray inspection mechanism B3 is used to detect whether there are defects inside the two corners of the head of the battery cell. The second X-ray inspection mechanism B4 is used to detect whether there are defects inside the two corners of the tail of the battery cell. The dual-head rotary discharge robot B5 is used to transfer the battery cells to the second discharge conveyor belt B6. The NG sorting four-axis robot B7 transfers the defective battery cells to the NG sorting box B8, while the good products are discharged through the second discharge conveyor belt B6.

[0037] The four-axis loading robot B1 transfers the battery cells from the first discharge conveyor belt A11 to the second turntable mechanism B2. The battery cells then pass through the first X-ray inspection mechanism B3 and the second X-ray inspection mechanism B4, where X-ray inspections are performed on the internal structure of the head and tail of the battery cells to determine if there are any internal defects. After the inspection is completed, the dual-head rotating discharge robot B5 transfers the battery cells to the second discharge conveyor belt B6. The NG sorting four-axis robot B7 transfers the detected defective battery cells (NG products) to the NG sorting box B8, while good products are output through the second discharge conveyor belt B6.

[0038] like Figure 2As shown, in one embodiment, the second turntable mechanism B2 is provided with a movable adsorption carrier B21 and a carrier translation module B22. The movable adsorption carrier B21 is mounted on the carrier translation module B22, and the carrier translation module B22 is used to drive the movable adsorption carrier B21 to move the battery cell outward.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment, a carbon fiber base plate B23 is provided on the mobile adsorption carrier B21, and a sponge B24 is provided on the carbon fiber base plate B23. The sponge B24 is connected to an air guide plate B25, and the air guide plate B25 is connected to an air extraction device (not shown in the figure). The air extraction device adsorbs and fixes the battery cell on the carbon fiber base plate B23 through the air guide plate B25 and the sponge B24. The sponge B24 is connected to the air extraction device through the air guide plate B25. When the air extraction device is working, a negative pressure is formed inside the sponge B24, which can evenly and stably adsorb and fix the battery cell. The softness and elasticity of the sponge B24 allow it to fit tightly against the surface of the battery cell, ensuring that the battery cell will not shift or shake during transportation. Traditional suction cup fixing methods may leave suction cup marks on the surface of the battery cell, affecting the appearance and quality of the battery cell. The soft material and uniform adsorption force of the sponge B24 can avoid damage or indentation to the surface of the battery cell, making it particularly suitable for battery cells with high surface quality requirements.

[0040] Carbon fiber is a low-density material with extremely low X-ray absorption, which has almost no impact on X-ray penetration. During cell X-ray inspection, the carbon fiber substrate B23 does not interfere with X-ray imaging, ensuring the accuracy and clarity of the test results.

[0041] In one embodiment, a limiting strip B26 is provided on one side of the carbon fiber base plate B23 to limit the placement position of the battery cell.

[0042] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment, the first X-ray detection mechanism B3 includes a flat panel detector B31, a flat panel lifting drive device B32, an X-ray emitter B33, an X-ray emitter lifting drive device B34, and an X-ray emitter translation drive device B35. The flat panel detector B31 and the X-ray emitter B33 are arranged vertically opposite each other. The flat panel detector B31 is mounted on the flat panel lifting drive device B32, which drives the flat panel detector B31 to move up and down. The X-ray emitter B33 is mounted on the X-ray emitter lifting drive device B34, which is mounted on the X-ray emitter translation drive device B35. The X-ray emitter translation drive device B35 drives the X-ray emitter to move laterally, and the X-ray emitter lifting drive device B34 drives the X-ray emitter B33 to move up and down.

[0043] The first X-ray inspection unit B3 and the second X-ray inspection unit B4 have the same structure.

[0044] like Figure 6 and 7 As shown, in one embodiment, the NG sorting frame B8 includes a mounting frame B81, a drawer box B82, sorting drawers B83, and a movable shielding cover B84. The drawer box B82 is mounted on the mounting frame B81, with an open end at the top. Multiple sorting drawers B83 are arranged side-by-side inside the drawer box B82. The movable shielding cover B84 is movably mounted on the open end of the drawer box B82. When one of the sorting drawers B83 needs to leave the drawer box B82, the movable shielding cover B84 first moves to above the sorting drawer B83 via the shielding plate drive module B88, covering the top of the sorting drawer B83. When the sorting drawer B83 needs to be moved out, the movable shielding cover B84 first covers the open end, forming a physical barrier to prevent X-ray leakage during the handling of defective products. Combined with the overall lead plate shell C design of the equipment, a double shielding is formed, meeting the industrial safety standards for protection against ionizing radiation.

[0045] Multiple sorting drawers B83 can be categorized and stored according to defect type (such as misaligned tabs, foreign object inclusion) or level (severe / minor) for easy subsequent targeted processing.

[0046] The "shield before picking" mechanism is achieved by moving the movable shielding cover B84, preventing operators from being directly exposed to X-rays. When a sorting drawer B83 is full, simply closing the corresponding movable shielding cover B84 is sufficient to open the sorting drawer B83, without stopping the machine and maintaining continuous production line operation.

[0047] In one embodiment, the drawer box B82 is surrounded by lead plates on all sides and at the bottom. Lead is a high-density metal with a strong ability to absorb X-rays. The lead plates surrounding the drawer box B82 form a comprehensive physical shielding layer, effectively preventing X-rays from leaking from the sides, bottom, and gaps of the box. Together with the movable shielding cover B84 at the top, it constitutes a complete radiation protection system, maximizing personnel safety.

[0048] In one embodiment, a drawer self-locking cylinder B85 is provided on the upper side of the drawer box B82, with one drawer self-locking cylinder B85 corresponding to one sorting drawer B83. The self-locking cylinder mechanically locks the sorting drawer B83 to ensure it remains fixed in the non-operational state, preventing the drawer from accidentally sliding out due to equipment vibration or accidental contact. Especially in X-ray inspection scenarios, this prevents personnel from being exposed to radiation if they do not follow the procedures. The cylinder and the movable shielding cover B84 form a linkage mechanism: the corresponding self-locking cylinder will only unlock and allow the drawer to be pulled out when the shielding cover completely covers the target drawer. This design ensures that the risk of X-ray leakage is minimized.

[0049] In one embodiment, the sorting drawer B83 is provided with multiple partition plates B86, which divide the sorting drawer B83 into multiple cell placement chambers. The partition plates B86 can physically isolate adjacent cells to prevent damage to the cell casing or electrodes due to shaking or friction during transportation or sorting.

[0050] In one embodiment, a clearance groove B87 is provided on the upper part of the partition plate B86. The clearance groove B87 provides an ergonomic grip space for the operator.

[0051] In one embodiment, a lead plate is disposed inside the movable shielding cover B84.

[0052] In one embodiment, a full discharge sensor B89 is provided on the side of the drawer box B82. The filling status of the sorting drawer B83 is monitored in real time. When the battery cells are detected to have reached a preset number, a stop or switching signal is automatically triggered to avoid problems such as battery cell stacking and inability of the shielding cover to close due to overfilling.

[0053] In one embodiment, a discharge sensor is provided at the bottom of the drawer box B82. The discharge sensor monitors the physical position of the sorting drawer B83 in real time. When the discharge sensor detects that the distance the sorting drawer B83 has been pulled out exceeds a safety threshold, the locking logic of the movable shielding cover B84 is immediately triggered.

[0054] like Figure 8 As shown, the dual-head rotary discharge robot B5 includes a first mounting frame B51, a first lifting and adsorption assembly B52, a second lifting and adsorption assembly B53, and a rotary drive assembly B54. The first lifting and adsorption assembly and the second lifting and adsorption assembly are mounted opposite each other on the rotary drive assembly, which is mounted on the first mounting frame.

[0055] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or 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.

[0056] The devices or elements referred to in the embodiments of this application or implied herein must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise precisely specified.

[0057] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented, for example, in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “may include” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0058] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although the embodiments of this application have been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A high-efficiency detection mechanism for internal defects in X-ray battery cells, characterized in that: The system includes a four-axis loading robot, a second turntable mechanism, a first X-ray inspection mechanism, a second X-ray inspection mechanism, a dual-head rotary discharge robot, a second discharge conveyor belt, a four-axis NG sorting robot, and an NG sorting frame. The four-axis loading robot is positioned on one side of the second turntable mechanism and is used to transfer battery cells from the first discharge conveyor belt to the second turntable mechanism. The first X-ray inspection mechanism, the second X-ray inspection mechanism, and the dual-head rotary discharge robot are arranged sequentially around the second turntable mechanism. The first X-ray inspection mechanism is used to detect whether there are defects inside the two corners of the battery cell head, and the second X-ray inspection mechanism is used to detect whether there are defects inside the two corners of the battery cell tail. The dual-head rotary discharge robot is used to transfer the battery cells to the second discharge conveyor belt. The NG sorting robot transfers defective battery cells to the NG sorting frame, while good products are discharged via the second discharge conveyor belt.

2. The high-efficiency detection mechanism for internal defects of X-ray battery cells according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second turntable mechanism is equipped with a movable adsorption carrier and a carrier translation module. The movable adsorption carrier is mounted on the carrier translation module, and the carrier translation module is used to drive the movable adsorption carrier to move the battery cell outward.

3. The high-efficiency detection mechanism for internal defects of X-ray battery cells according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mobile adsorption carrier is equipped with a carbon fiber base plate, on which a sponge is placed. The sponge is connected to an air guide plate, which is connected to an air extraction device. The air extraction device uses the air guide plate and the sponge to adsorb and fix the battery cells on the carbon fiber base plate.

4. The high-efficiency X-ray cell internal defect detection mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: A limit strip is provided on one side of the carbon fiber base plate.

5. The high-efficiency X-ray cell internal defect detection mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first X-ray detection mechanism includes a flat panel detector, a flat panel lifting drive device, an X-ray emitter, an X-ray emitter lifting drive device, and an X-ray emitter translation drive device. The flat panel detector and the X-ray emitter are arranged vertically opposite each other. The flat panel detector is mounted on the flat panel lifting drive device, which drives the flat panel detector to move up and down. The X-ray emitter is mounted on the X-ray emitter lifting drive device, which is mounted on the X-ray emitter translation drive device. The X-ray emitter translation drive device drives the X-ray emitter to move laterally, and the X-ray emitter lifting drive device drives the X-ray emitter to move up and down.

6. The high-efficiency X-ray cell internal defect detection mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The NG sorting frame includes a mounting frame, a drawer box, sorting drawers, and a movable shielding cover. The drawer box is mounted on the mounting frame, and the upper end of the drawer box is open. Multiple sorting drawers are arranged side by side inside the drawer box. The movable shielding cover is movably mounted on the open end of the drawer box. When one of the sorting drawers needs to leave the drawer box, the movable shielding cover moves to the top of the sorting drawer and covers the top of the sorting drawer.

7. The high-efficiency X-ray cell internal defect detection mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The drawer box is surrounded by lead plates on all sides and at the bottom.

8. The high-efficiency X-ray cell internal defect detection mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: A drawer self-locking cylinder is provided on the upper side of the drawer box, and one drawer self-locking cylinder corresponds to one sorting drawer.

9. The high-efficiency X-ray cell internal defect detection mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The sorting drawer is equipped with multiple partitions, which divide the sorting drawer into multiple cell placement chambers.

10. The high-efficiency X-ray cell internal defect detection mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that: The upper part of the partition plate is provided with a clearance groove.

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