Battery cell handling equipment

Abstract

This utility model provides a battery cell handling device, which includes a frame, a first transmission device, a robot arm, and a balancing device. The first transmission device is mounted on the frame. The robot arm is connected to the first transmission device and configured to move vertically up and down under the drive of the first transmission device. The balancing device is connected to the robot arm and configured to generate a balancing force that counteracts at least part of the robot arm's weight. The first transmission device also includes a protection mechanism configured to brake the first transmission device when the resistance experienced by the robot arm in the vertical direction exceeds a threshold. This can improve the technical problem that battery cells are prone to safety accidents after impact during vertical handling.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery technology, specifically to a battery cell handling device. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of industries such as new energy vehicles, the demand for lithium batteries has surged, driving production towards automation and intelligence. As a core component, the production efficiency and quality of battery cells are crucial. Traditional manual handling suffers from low efficiency and poor consistency, making it difficult to meet the demands of modern production. Therefore, automated handling of battery cells by robotic arms has become a trend.

[0003] When a robotic arm moves battery cells into an upward-facing storage device, factors such as positioning errors, inaccurate motion control, or environmental interference may cause the battery cells to collide with the storage device vertically. Such collisions can not only damage the battery cells and affect product quality, but may also damage the robotic arm and production line equipment, and even cause safety accidents such as impact-induced fires. Utility Model Content

[0004] This utility model provides a battery cell handling device to improve the technical problem that safety accidents are easily caused by impacts during the vertical handling of battery cells.

[0005] To achieve the above and other related objectives, this utility model provides a battery cell handling device, including a frame, a first transmission device, a robot arm, and a balancing device; the first transmission device is mounted on the frame; the robot arm is connected to the first transmission device and configured to move vertically up and down under the drive of the first transmission device; the balancing device is connected to the robot arm and configured to generate a balancing force that counteracts at least part of the weight of the robot arm; the first transmission device further includes a protection mechanism configured to brake the first transmission device when the resistance experienced by the robot arm in the vertical direction exceeds a threshold.

[0006] In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the first transmission device further includes a base plate, a first power unit, a first power transmission unit, and a first mounting plate; the base plate is mounted on the frame; the first power transmission unit is mounted on the base plate; the first mounting plate is drively connected to the first power transmission unit; a robot arm is disposed on the first mounting plate; a protection mechanism connects the first power unit and the first power transmission unit, and the protection mechanism is configured to disconnect the connection between the first power unit and the first power transmission unit when the resistance experienced by the robot arm in the vertical direction exceeds a threshold.

[0007] In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the balancing device includes a balancing element, which is mounted on the base plate, and the balancing force output end of the balancing element is connected to a robot arm.

[0008] In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the balancing device further includes a floating joint, which is fixed to the balancing force output end of the balancing element.

[0009] In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the balancing element is a balancing cylinder.

[0010] In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the balancing device further includes a pressure regulating valve, which is installed on the base plate and connected to the balancing cylinder to adjust the pressure of the balancing cylinder.

[0011] In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the balancing device further includes a weighing sensor, which is disposed on the base plate and / or the first power transmission unit to detect the weight of the load borne by the first power transmission unit.

[0012] In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the balancing device further includes a control system. The control system is connected to the weighing sensor to receive gravity signals, and the pressure regulating valve is connected to the control system to receive control signals.

[0013] In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the protection mechanism is a torque limiter.

[0014] In one example of the battery cell handling device of this utility model, the first power unit includes a drive shaft, the first power transmission unit includes a drive wheel, and a torque limiter is installed on the drive wheel and is connected to the drive shaft for transmission.

[0015] In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the battery cell handling equipment includes a second transmission device, the second transmission device includes a second power unit, a second power transmission unit and a second mounting plate that is transmissionally connected to the second power unit, and a first transmission device is mounted on the second mounting plate.

[0016] This utility model relates to a battery cell handling device, which includes a protection mechanism and a balancing device. The protection mechanism can immediately brake the first transmission device when the resistance encountered by the robotic arm in the vertical direction exceeds a threshold. When the robotic arm is handling a battery cell vertically, if the cell collides with another battery cell, causing indirect resistance to the robotic arm, the first transmission device is immediately braked when the resistance exceeds the threshold. This prevents the robotic arm from continuing to move, which could lead to cell deformation, electrode breakage, or internal short circuits, thus reducing the risk of the battery cell catching fire due to impact. The balancing device provides a balancing force opposite to the direction of the robotic arm's gravity to counteract at least part of the robotic arm's weight. This reduces the driving force required for the robotic arm to move up and down with the first transmission device. Therefore, even if a collision occurs, the instantaneous impact force on the battery cell is significantly reduced, significantly decreasing the incidence of battery cell safety accidents.

[0017] In addition, the introduction of the balancing device makes the movement of the robot arm more stable and controllable, avoids instantaneous impacts caused by acceleration and deceleration inertia or improper path planning, improves the compliance of the handling process, and reduces the probability of collisions. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other embodiments can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first transmission device in an example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0023] Figure 5 A side view of an example of the battery cell handling device of this utility model.

[0024] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A magnified view of a section at point C;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a front view of an example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 8 for Figure 7 DD section view in the image.

[0027] Component designation explanation:

[0028] 100. First transmission device; 110. Protection mechanism; 120. Base plate; 130. First power unit; 131. Drive shaft; 140. First power transmission unit; 141. Drive wheel; 150. First mounting plate; 160. Torque limiter; 200. Robotic arm; 300. Balancing device; 310. Balancing element; 320. Floating joint; 321. Connecting plate; 330. Balancing cylinder; 331. Cylinder mounting plate; 340. Pressure regulating valve; 350. Weighing sensor; 351. Sensor mounting plate; 360. Air pump; 400. Second transmission device; 410. Second power unit; 420. Second power transmission unit; 430. Second mounting plate; 500. Battery cell; 600. Frame. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification. This utility model can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this utility model. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. It should also be understood that the terminology used in the embodiments of this utility model is for describing specific implementation schemes and not for limiting the scope of protection of this utility model. Test methods in the following embodiments that do not specify specific conditions are generally performed under conventional conditions or according to the conditions recommended by the respective manufacturers.

[0030] When numerical ranges are given in the embodiments, it should be understood that, unless otherwise specified in this invention, both endpoints of each numerical range and any value between the two endpoints may be selected. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this invention, as well as the prior art known to those skilled in the art and the description of this invention, may be implemented using any prior art methods, equipment, and materials similar to or equivalent to those in the embodiments of this invention.

[0031] It should be noted that the terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "middle" and "one" used in this specification are only for clarity of description and are not intended to limit the scope of implementation of this utility model. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered as within the scope of implementation of this utility model.

[0032] Please see Figures 1 to 8This utility model provides a battery cell handling device, including a frame 600, a first transmission device 100, a robotic arm 200, and a balancing device 300. Driven by the first transmission device 100, the robotic arm 200 moves the battery cell 500 vertically up and down. The first transmission device 100 also includes a protection mechanism 110. In the event of a collision between the robotic arm 200 and the battery cell 500, the protection mechanism 100 can brake the first transmission device 100 to prevent the robotic arm 200 from continuing to move and causing a safety accident to the battery cell 500. Furthermore, the balancing device 300 provides a balancing force opposite to the direction of gravity of the robotic arm 200, reducing the driving force required for the robotic arm 200 to move up and down with the first transmission device 100. This significantly reduces the instantaneous impact force on the battery cell 500 even if a collision occurs, thus significantly lowering the incidence of battery cell safety accidents.

[0033] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The battery cell handling equipment includes a frame 600. The structure of the frame 600 is not limited; it can be placed on the ground or mounted on a wall, as long as it can be used to mount the first transmission device 100. In this embodiment, the frame 600 includes two columns and a crossbeam connecting the two columns. The first transmission device 100 can be directly mounted on the crossbeam or indirectly mounted on the crossbeam through other transmission devices, so that the robot arm 200 has multiple degrees of freedom for composite motion.

[0034] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 The robotic arm 200 is connected to the first transmission device 100 and is configured to move the battery cell 500 vertically under the drive of the first transmission device 100. Figure 1 As shown in the Z-direction. The robotic arm 200 is used to grasp the battery cell 500. The robotic arm 200 can take various forms, including but not limited to gripper type, vacuum suction cup type, or magnetic suction type. The structural form of the robotic arm 200 is not the main technical innovation of this application, and can be obtained by referring to existing technology or through commercial means, so it will not be described in detail here. For example, taking the handling of prismatic battery cell 500 as an example, the robotic arm 200 in this embodiment adopts a gripper type suitable for grasping prismatic battery cell 500. It can be understood that the type of battery cell 500 handled by this battery cell handling equipment is not limited, including but not limited to prismatic batteries, pouch cells 500, cylindrical cells 500, and other types of battery cells 500. The robotic arm 200 can be selected accordingly to be compatible with the battery cell 500 being handled.

[0035] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2The first transmission device 100 is used to drive the robotic arm 200 to transport the battery cell 500 to a preset position. Typically, the movement directions of the robotic arm 200 include linear motion along the X, Y, and Z axes, and rotational motion around the X, Y, and Z axes. The X, Y, and Z axes are as follows: Figure 1 As shown. The first transmission device 100 operates in a vertical direction, as... Figure 1 As shown on the Z-axis, it can be understood that the first transmission device 100 can work in conjunction with transmission devices that realize movement in other directions, so that the robot 200 can realize linear motion in one or more directions of linear motion along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, rotation in one or more directions of rotational motion around the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and simultaneous linear and rotational motion. The first transmission device 100 has various structural forms, which are not limited here. For example, it may include a power unit that provides power and a power transmission unit that can transmit power. The power unit includes, but is not limited to, electric motors, hydraulic power components, or pneumatic power components. The power transmission unit can be a ball screw drive, synchronous belt drive, gear and rack drive, or other power transmission units used for linear motion.

[0036] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 8The inventors discovered that when the robotic arm 200 handles the battery cell 500, factors such as positioning errors, inaccurate motion control, or environmental interference may cause the battery cell 500 to collide with the storage device or other equipment. If such collisions are allowed to continue, they will not only damage the battery cell 500 but may also damage the robotic arm 200 and production line equipment, and may even cause safety accidents such as impact-induced fires. In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the first transmission device 100 includes a protection mechanism 110, which is configured to brake the first transmission device 100 when the robotic arm 200 experiences resistance in the vertical direction exceeding a threshold. It can be understood that there are multiple ways to brake the first transmission device 100. For example, the first transmission device 100 can be braked by controlling the power unit of the first transmission device 100 to stop working, or by disconnecting the connection between the power unit and the power transmission unit. The purpose of both methods is to stop the robotic arm 200 from moving. Specifically, when the battery cell 500 collides with another object, the robotic arm 200 indirectly experiences resistance. When the resistance exceeds a threshold, the protection mechanism 110 immediately brakes the first transmission device 100. The protection mechanism 110 can be of various types and is not limited to any one of them. For example, it could be a control system capable of controlling and stopping the power supply to the first transmission device 100 to brake it. It could also be a torque limiter 160, a safety clutch, a shear pin, etc., that brakes the first transmission device 100 by disconnecting the power unit from the power transmission unit. It should be noted that in the method of disconnecting the power unit from the power transmission unit, the power transmission unit must be selected as a mechanism that immediately stops power transmission upon disconnection of the power input to prevent inertia from preventing the first transmission device 100 from braking. Through the above methods, the first transmission device 100 can be braked immediately when the resistance experienced by the robotic arm 200 exceeds a threshold. The protection mechanism 110 prevents the robotic arm 200 from continuing to move, which could cause deformation of the battery cell 500, breakage of the electrode, or internal short circuit, reducing the risk of the battery cell 500 catching fire due to impact.

[0037] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2Considering that when the robotic arm 200 or the battery cell 500 collides vertically, although the protection mechanism 110 can immediately brake the first transmission device 100, both the robotic arm 200 and the battery cell 500 have a certain weight. Therefore, there is still a risk of deformation of the battery cell 500, breakage of the electrode, or internal short circuit during the collision. In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, a balancing device 300 connected to the robotic arm 200 is also provided. The balancing device 300 is configured to generate a balancing force that counteracts at least part of the weight of the robotic arm 200. The balancing device 300 can be of various types; for example, it can achieve load balancing by setting counterweights, spring balancers, or balancing cylinders 330. There is no limitation on this type, as long as it can achieve the effect of balancing the load and counteracting gravity. The balancing device 300 provides a balancing force opposite to the direction of gravity of the robotic arm 200 to counteract at least part of the weight of the robotic arm 200. This reduces the driving force required for the robotic arm 200 to move up and down with the first transmission device 100. Therefore, even in the event of a collision, the instantaneous impact force on the battery cell 500 is significantly reduced, significantly decreasing the incidence of accidents involving the battery cell 500. Furthermore, the introduction of the balancing device 300 makes the movement of the robotic arm 200 smoother and more controllable, avoiding instantaneous impacts caused by acceleration / deceleration inertia or improper path planning, improving the compliance of the handling process, and reducing the probability of collisions.

[0038] Please see Figures 2 to 6In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the first transmission device 100 further includes a base plate 120, a first power unit 130, a first power transmission unit 140, and a first mounting plate 150. The first power unit 130 is used to output power and can be an electric motor, hydraulic power component, or pneumatic power component, etc., without limitation; in this embodiment, an electric motor is used. The first power transmission unit 140 is mounted on the base plate 120 and is connected to the first power unit 130 via transmission. The structure of the base plate 120 is not limited and can be any structure that can securely mount the first power transmission unit 140. The first power transmission unit 140 can be a power transmission unit for linear motion, such as a ball screw drive, synchronous belt drive, or rack and pinion drive, without limitation. It should be noted that when the first power transmission unit 140 is disconnected from the first power unit 130, the transmission of power can be stopped immediately to prevent the robot arm 200 from continuing to collide due to inertia. In this embodiment, the first power transmission unit 140 uses a synchronous belt drive. The first mounting plate 150 is connected to the first power transmission unit 140 to drive the first mounting plate 150 to perform linear motion. In this embodiment, the first power transmission unit 140 realizes the power transmission of linear motion along the Z-axis, i.e., lifting motion. The robot arm 200 is mounted on the first mounting plate 150 and can perform linear motion with the first mounting plate 150 under the drive of the first power transmission unit 140. The structure of the first mounting plate 150 is not limited, as long as it can stably mount the robot arm 200.

[0039] Please see Figure 7 and Figure 8 When the robotic arm 200 or the battery cell 500 collides vertically, the protection mechanism 110 can immediately brake the first transmission device 100. Specifically, the protection mechanism 110 is connected to the first power unit 130 and the first power transmission unit 140. The protection mechanism 110 is configured to disconnect the connection between the first power unit 130 and the first power transmission unit 140 when the resistance experienced by the robotic arm 200 in the vertical direction exceeds a threshold, thereby interrupting the power output of the first power unit 130. In this embodiment, the protection mechanism 110 interrupts the transmission connection between the motor and the synchronous pulley, and the first power transmission unit 140 immediately stops power transmission, thereby braking the first transmission device 100 and stopping the robotic arm 200 from moving. This setting can directly cut off the power to achieve a rapid response effect, reducing the risk of further damage to the battery cell 500. It can also directly protect the core components, the first power unit 130 and the first power transmission unit 140, reducing maintenance costs.

[0040] Please see Figures 2 to 6In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the balancing device 300 includes a balancing element 310. The balancing element 310 can be of many types, including but not limited to a counterweight, a spring balancer, or a balancing cylinder 330. The balancing element 310 is mounted on the base plate 120, and its balancing force output end is connected to the robot arm 200. For example, in one embodiment, the balancing element 310 uses a counterweight, which is suspended from one end of a steel wire rope. The other end of the steel wire rope is the balancing force output end, used to connect to the robot arm 200. A pulley is fixed to the base plate 120, and the steel wire rope passes around the pulley, changing the weight of the counterweight into a pulling force to balance the weight of the robot arm 200 and the battery cell 500. In another embodiment, the balancing element 310 uses a spring balancer. The body of the spring balancer is mounted on the base plate 120, and the balancing force output end of the spring balancer is a retractable hook used to connect to the robot arm 200 to balance the weight of the robot arm 200. All of the above settings can balance the weight of the lifting and moving robotic arm 200, reducing the driving force required for the robotic arm 200 to move up and down with the first transmission device 100. This means that even if the battery cell 500 collides, the instantaneous impact force on the battery cell 500 will be significantly reduced compared to before, thus significantly lowering the incidence of battery cell 500 safety accidents. In addition, the balancing device 300 can also make the movement of the robotic arm 200 more stable and controllable, avoiding instantaneous impacts caused by acceleration / deceleration inertia or improper path planning, improving the compliance of the handling process, and reducing the probability of collisions.

[0041] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 6 Considering the potential coaxiality deviation in the connection between the balancing element 310 and the robot 200, and the possibility of slight swaying or deflection during the robot 200's lifting and lowering, all of these factors can lead to a decrease in the efficiency of balancing force transmission, and may even damage the balancing element 310 or the robot 200 in some rigid connection applications. Therefore, in one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the balancing device 300 further includes a floating joint 320, which is fixed to the balancing force output end of the balancing element 310. Various types of floating joints 320 are available, including but not limited to spherical bearing floating joints 320, universal joint floating joints 320, or elastic bushing floating joints 320. The floating joint 320 can provide radial, axial, and angular floating to achieve multi-degree-of-freedom compensation, reducing the damage to the balancing element 310 and the robot 200 caused by slight swaying or deflection of the robot 200, thereby improving the efficiency of balancing force transmission and extending the service life of the balancing element 310 and the robot 200.

[0042] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 6In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the balancing element 310 is a balancing cylinder 330. Specifically, the balancing cylinder 330 is fixedly connected to the base plate 120 via a cylinder mounting plate 331. The end of the piston rod of the balancing cylinder 330 is the output end of the balancing force. The end of the piston rod is connected to the robot arm 200 via a flange or floating joint 320. To facilitate the connection between the flange or floating joint 320 and the robot arm 200, preferably, a connecting plate 321 is provided on one side of the robot arm 200 connected to the first mounting plate 150 and / or on the first mounting plate 150. The flange or floating joint 320 is connected to the connecting plate 321 to realize the connection between the piston rod and the robot arm 200. The balancing cylinder 330 is connected via... The air pump 360 provides compressed air. When the air pump 360 pumps gas into the balancing cylinder 330, the balancing cylinder 330 applies an upward force to the robot arm 200. This force can balance the weight of the first mounting plate 150 and the robot arm 200 borne by the first power transmission unit 140. Ideally, the load borne by the first power transmission unit 140 is approximately zero, thereby further reducing the driving force required for the robot arm 200 to move up and down with the first transmission device 100, significantly reducing the actual impact energy, and significantly reducing the incidence of safety accidents involving the battery cell 500.

[0043] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3 In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the balancing device 300 further includes a pressure regulating valve 340. The pressure regulating valve 340 is installed on the base plate 120 and connected to the balancing cylinder 330 through an air pipe to regulate the pressure of the balancing cylinder 330. This arrangement can, on the one hand, adjust the balancing cylinder 330 to achieve a suitable pressure to counteract the pressure of the robot arm 200; on the other hand, by adjusting the pressure, the balancing cylinder 330 can be matched with robot arms 200 of different weights, thereby improving the versatility of the balancing cylinder 330.

[0044] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 4In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the balancing device 300 further includes a weighing sensor 350, which is disposed on the base plate 120 and / or the first power transmission unit 140 to detect the weight of the load borne by the first power transmission unit 140. It can be understood that the load may only include the robot arm 200 connected to the first power transmission unit 140, or it may be the sum of the robot arm 200 and other structural components connected to the robot arm 200; this is not limited. The weighing sensor 350 may be installed on the base plate 120 or on the first power transmission unit 140; this is not limited, as long as it facilitates stable installation, and the weighing sensor 350 needs to be located at a position where the lower end of the robot arm 200 can abut. In this embodiment, the weighing sensor 350 is installed on the lower end of the first power transmission unit 140 through a sensor mounting plate 351 to detect the weight of the robot arm 200 and the first mounting plate 150.

[0045] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3 In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the balancing device 300 further includes a control system. The control system is signal-connected to the weighing sensor 350 to receive gravity signals, and the pressure regulating valve 340 is signal-connected to the control system to receive control signals. Specifically, the weighing sensor 350 can detect the gravity of the robot arm 200 and output the gravity detection signal to the control system. The control system processes the gravity detection signal and calculates the required air pressure, then outputs a control signal to the pressure regulating valve 340 and adjusts the air pressure of the pressure regulating valve 340 so that the balancing cylinder 330 can generate a balancing force that matches the gravity of the robot arm 200 to counteract the balancing force of the robot arm 200. Preferably, the pressure regulating valve 340 is a precision pressure regulating valve for precise pressure adjustment. It can be understood that if the robotic arm 200 is connected to other external components and can rise and fall together with the robotic arm 200, then the external components can also achieve gravity offset through the above control process. This is not limited to the robotic arm 200. For example, in the embodiment, the gravity of the first mounting plate 150 used to mount the robotic arm 200 can also be offset by the balancing cylinder 330. By adjusting and controlling the air pressure of the balancing cylinder 330 through the control system, the automatic control of load balancing is realized, and the accuracy of the balancing force output by the balancing cylinder 330 is improved.

[0046] Please see Figure 7 and Figure 8In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the protection mechanism 110 is a torque limiter 160. The torque limiter 160 directly senses the torque of the drive shaft 131 through a mechanical mechanism, without relying on electricity or a control system, so it can still provide protection in the event of a power outage or circuit failure. In addition, the torque threshold of the torque limiter 160 can be set according to the threshold of the resistance experienced by the robot arm 200 to avoid over-protection or under-protection problems.

[0047] Please see Figure 7 and Figure 8 In one example of the battery cell handling device of this utility model, the first power unit 130 includes a drive shaft 131, the first power transmission unit 140 includes a drive wheel 141, and a torque limiter 160 is installed on the drive wheel 141 and is connected to the drive shaft 131. The drive shaft 131 is connected to the drive wheel 141 through the torque limiter 160, which enables the torque limiter 160 to disconnect the drive shaft 131 from the drive wheel 141 when the resistance experienced by the robot 200 exceeds a threshold, that is, when the torque of the torque limiter 160 reaches a preset threshold, thus achieving emergency braking. This setting can directly protect the core components that transmit power, such as the first power unit 130 and the first power transmission unit 140, thereby reducing maintenance costs.

[0048] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 7 In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the battery cell handling equipment includes a second transmission device 400. The second transmission device 400 includes a second power unit 410, a second power transmission unit 420, and a second mounting plate 430 connected to the second power unit 410. The first transmission device 100 is mounted on the second mounting plate 430. The second power unit 410 is used to output power and can be an electric motor, hydraulic power component, or pneumatic power component, etc., without limitation. In this embodiment, an electric motor is used. The second power transmission unit 420 is mounted on the frame 600 and is connected to the second power unit 410. The second power transmission unit 420 can be a power transmission unit for linear motion, such as a ball screw drive, synchronous belt drive, or gear and rack drive, without limitation. The second mounting plate 430 is connected to the second power transmission unit 420 to drive the second mounting plate 430 to perform linear motion. In this embodiment, the second power transmission unit 420 realizes the power transmission of linear motion along the X-axis, that is, left and right movement. In some other embodiments, the second power transmission unit 420 can be configured to achieve linear motion along the Y-axis. The first transmission device 100 is mounted on the second mounting plate 430 and can move linearly with the second mounting plate 430 under the drive of the second power transmission unit 420. The structure of the second mounting plate 430 is not limited, as long as it can stably mount the robot arm 200.

[0049] In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, the battery cell handling equipment also includes a third transmission device (not shown in the figure). The third transmission device is used to realize the linear movement of the robot 200 along the Y-axis. The third transmission device is not the main inventive point of this utility model and can be designed with reference to existing technology. It will not be described in detail here.

[0050] Please see Figures 1 to 8 In one example of the battery cell handling equipment of this utility model, in order to realize the protective functions of the balancing device 300 and the protection mechanism 110 in the battery cell handling equipment, it is necessary to perform preliminary settings on the balancing device 300 and the protection mechanism 110 before use. The preliminary setting process includes:

[0051] The theoretical weight of the robot arm 200 is calculated by design. The input pressure of the pressure regulating valve 340 is adjusted by calculation to make the balancing force generated by the balancing cylinder 330 offset the weight of the robot arm 200.

[0052] The first power unit 130 controls the first power transmission unit 140 to lower the robotic arm 200 to a distance of about 5mm from the weighing sensor 350 and then stop.

[0053] Disconnect the first power unit 130 and the brake, manually lift the robot arm 200 appropriately and slowly lower it until it fully contacts the weighing sensor 350. The current weight of the robot arm 200 is obtained by actual measurement. Then, the pressure regulating valve 340 is finely adjusted so that the balancing force of the balance bar can offset the weight of the robot arm 200.

[0054] Adjust the torque limiter 160 to meet the acceleration requirements of the robot arm 200, so as to brake the first transmission device 100 when the resistance experienced by the robot arm 200 exceeds the threshold.

[0055] The robot arm 200 clamps the uncharged battery cell 500, and the second transmission device 400 is set to an incorrect position, causing the battery cell 500 to collide.

[0056] When the resistance of the battery cell 500 impacts is greater than the set force of the torque limiter 160, the first power unit 130 disengages from the first power transmission unit 140, thus completing the protection of the battery cell 500.

[0057] Complete the initial setup of the balancing device 300 and the protection mechanism 110.

[0058] This utility model relates to a battery cell handling device, which includes a protection mechanism and a balancing device. The protection mechanism can immediately brake the first transmission device when the resistance encountered by the robotic arm in the vertical direction exceeds a threshold. When the robotic arm is handling a battery cell vertically, if the cell collides with another battery cell, causing indirect resistance to the robotic arm, the first transmission device is immediately braked when the resistance exceeds the threshold. This prevents the robotic arm from continuing to move, which could lead to cell deformation, electrode breakage, or internal short circuits, thus reducing the risk of the battery cell catching fire due to impact. The balancing device provides a balancing force opposite to the direction of the robotic arm's gravity to counteract at least part of the robotic arm's weight. This reduces the driving force required for the robotic arm to move up and down with the first transmission device. Therefore, even if a collision occurs, the instantaneous impact force on the battery cell is significantly reduced, significantly decreasing the incidence of battery cell fires.

[0059] Therefore, this utility model effectively overcomes some practical problems in the prior art, thus possessing high utilization value and significance. The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model and are not intended to limit it. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this utility model should still be covered by the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A battery cell handling device, characterized in that, include: frame; A first transmission device is installed on the frame; A robotic arm, connected to the first transmission device, is configured to move vertically up and down under the drive of the first transmission device; A balancing device, connected to the robotic arm, is configured to generate a balancing force that counteracts at least a portion of the weight of the robotic arm; The first transmission device further includes a protection mechanism configured to brake the first transmission device when the resistance experienced by the robot arm in the vertical direction exceeds a threshold.

2. The cell handling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first transmission device also includes a base plate, a first power unit, a first power transmission unit, and a first mounting plate; The base plate is mounted on the frame; The first power transmission unit is mounted on the base plate; The first mounting plate is connected to the first power transmission unit. The robotic arm is mounted on the first mounting plate; The protection mechanism connects the first power unit and the first power transmission unit, and the protection mechanism is configured to disconnect the first power unit from the first power transmission unit when the resistance experienced by the robot in the vertical direction exceeds a threshold.

3. The cell handling equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The balancing device includes a balancing element, which is mounted on the base plate, and the balancing force output end of the balancing element is connected to the robotic arm.

4. The cell handling equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The balancing device also includes a floating joint, which is fixed to the balancing force output end of the balancing element.

5. The cell handling equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The balancing element is a balancing cylinder.

6. The cell handling equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The balancing device also includes a pressure regulating valve, which is installed on the base plate and connected to the balancing cylinder to regulate the pressure of the balancing cylinder.

7. The cell handling equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The balancing device further includes a weighing sensor, which is disposed on the base plate and / or the first power transmission unit to detect the weight of the load borne by the first power transmission unit.

8. The cell handling equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The balancing device also includes a control system, which is signal-connected to the weighing sensor to receive gravity signals, and the pressure regulating valve is signal-connected to the control system to receive control signals.

9. The cell handling equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protection mechanism is a torque limiter.

10. The cell handling equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first power unit includes a drive shaft, the first power transmission unit includes a drive wheel, and the torque limiter is installed on the drive wheel and is connected to the drive shaft in a transmission manner.

11. The cell handling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery cell handling equipment includes a second transmission device, which includes a second power unit, a second power transmission unit, and a second mounting plate that is transmissionally connected to the second power unit. The first transmission device is mounted on the second mounting plate.

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