Cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism and battery cell handling device

Abstract

The application provides a cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism and a battery cell carrying device. The cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism comprises a movable plate and a clamping jaw assembly. The movable plate is used for connecting a multi-dimensional driving mechanism. The clamping jaw assembly comprises: an end face clamping jaw unit, which comprises a driver and an insulating clamping jaw. The driver drives the insulating clamping jaw to open and close, so as to clamp the end face of the cylindrical battery cell in the axial direction. A circumferential surface adsorption unit is arranged in the clamping space of the insulating clamping jaw and is connected to the driver. The circumferential surface adsorption unit is used for adsorbing the circumferential surface of the cylindrical battery cell. The cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism of the application embodiment can take into account the stability and safety of the cylindrical battery cell grabbing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of new energy battery production technology, and more specifically, it relates to a cylindrical cell clamping mechanism and a cell handling device. Background Technology

[0002] In automated lithium battery production, the gripping and holding of cylindrical cells is a crucial step. Traditional gripper mechanisms mostly employ a single gripping or adsorption method, which has significant limitations:

[0003] The cylindrical battery cell surface is adsorbed by a vacuum suction cup, but the cylindrical battery cell surface must be flat and without air holes, otherwise the adsorption will fail due to poor sealing. In addition, there is a risk of material falling when the vacuum air circuit is abnormal, and the adsorption force is difficult to support large or irregularly shaped battery cells.

[0004] While mechanical grippers are used to clamp the end face of the battery cell, they are sensitive to the diameter tolerance of cylindrical battery cells. Excessive clamping force can easily damage the battery cell, while insufficient clamping force can lead to unstable clamping, especially during vibration or high-speed movement, which can easily cause shaking or even detachment.

[0005] In summary, both single adsorption and clamping solutions suffer from insufficient reliability and cannot meet the stringent requirements of the new energy manufacturing sector for efficient and stable clamping. Utility Model Content

[0006] This application provides a cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism that can balance the stability and safety of gripping cylindrical battery cells.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in this application embodiment is: to provide a cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism, including a movable plate and a gripper assembly, wherein the movable plate is used to connect a multi-dimensional drive mechanism;

[0008] The gripper assembly includes:

[0009] An end-face gripper unit includes a driver and insulating grippers, the driver driving the insulating grippers to open and close to axially grip the end face of a cylindrical battery cell; and

[0010] A peripheral adsorption unit is disposed within the clamping space of the insulating gripper and connected to the driver. The peripheral adsorption unit is used to adsorb the peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cell.

[0011] Furthermore, the insulating gripper includes two clamping members and two insulating sleeves. The clamping member includes a connecting part, an extension part, and a clamping part connected in sequence. The connecting part is connected to the output terminal of the driver. The extension part extends from the lower end of the connecting part in a direction away from the other clamping member. The clamping part is located at the outer end of the extension part. The clamping parts of the two clamping members face each other. One of the insulating sleeves covers the cell contact surface of one of the clamping parts.

[0012] Furthermore, the peripheral adsorption unit includes:

[0013] The mounting base includes a fixing part and a mounting part, the mounting part being located between the two connecting parts, one end of the connecting part being connected to the side of the driver, and the other end extending downward to connect to one side of the mounting part; and

[0014] An adsorption element is disposed on the mounting portion and extends radially along the clamping space to adsorb the circumferential surface of the cylindrical battery cell.

[0015] Furthermore, the adsorption component is one of an accordion suction cup, a multi-layer suction cup, a flat suction cup, and a magnetic suction cup, wherein the magnetic suction cup has an adsorption curved surface whose shape matches and fits the circumferential surface of the cylindrical battery cell.

[0016] Furthermore, the gripper assembly also includes a floating buffer assembly, comprising a guide structure and an elastic element. The guide structure connects the driver and the movable plate to define the sliding trajectory of the driver in the vertical direction, and the elastic element is compressed between the top of the driver and the bottom of the movable plate.

[0017] The floating buffer assembly also includes a limiting structure;

[0018] The guide structure includes a vertically arranged guide rail and a slider that can slide along the guide rail;

[0019] The limiting structure includes a collision block and a blocking block disposed at the bottom end of the guide rail;

[0020] The driver is connected to the slider via an extension frame, the collision block is disposed on the extension frame, and the elastic element is located between the top of the extension frame and the bottom of the movable plate;

[0021] In its natural state, the collision block is supported on the upper surface of the blocking block, and the elastic element is in a pre-compressed state;

[0022] When the peripheral adsorption unit contacts the cylindrical battery cell, the reaction force of the cylindrical battery cell drives the actuator to move upward, causing the collision block to separate from the blocking block and further compress the elastic element.

[0023] Furthermore, the cylindrical cell clamping mechanism also includes an overload detection component, which includes:

[0024] A sensor is disposed in the driver;

[0025] The first sensor, located on the movable plate, is used to detect whether the upward sliding distance of the sensing sheet exceeds a preset travel threshold.

[0026] When the driver slides upwards until it is detected by the first sensor, a fault alarm signal is triggered.

[0027] Furthermore, the gripper assembly also includes an in-situ sensor located near the gripping space of the insulating gripper, used to detect whether there are cylindrical battery cells at the picking station during material picking and to monitor the in-situ status of the battery cells in real time during transportation.

[0028] Furthermore, the elastic element is any one of a spring, an elastic washer, a disc spring assembly, a polyurethane rubber column, a silicone elastomer, or a gas-liquid damping cylinder.

[0029] Furthermore, the gripper assembly is provided in multiples, and the multiple gripper assemblies are arranged linearly or in an array on the movable plate.

[0030] This application also provides a battery cell handling device, including a multi-dimensional driving mechanism and a cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism as described in any of the above claims. The multi-dimensional driving mechanism is connected to the movable plate to drive the movable plate to move in multiple directions.

[0031] The beneficial effects of the cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism provided in this application embodiment are as follows: In the cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism of this application embodiment, the driver in the end face gripper unit drives the insulating gripper to open and close, clamping the end face of the battery cell along the axial direction, avoiding the problem of mechanical grippers being sensitive to diameter tolerance and preventing damage to the battery cell; the peripheral adsorption unit is set in the clamping space of the insulating gripper and connected to the driver, complementing the end face gripper and solving the problem of easy failure of single adsorption. The cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism of this application embodiment can ensure that the battery cell has no risk of falling off from multiple aspects, greatly enhancing the overall stability of the mechanism and meeting the stringent requirements of the new energy manufacturing field for efficient and stable clamping. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, 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 application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the cylindrical cell clamping mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the gripper assembly provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 An exploded view of the gripper assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a front view of the gripper assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 5 A side view of the gripper assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a side view of the cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0039] The following are the labeling elements in the figure:

[0040] 10. Movable board;

[0041] 20. Gripper assembly; 21. End face gripper unit; 211. Driver; 212. Insulating gripper; 2121. Holding member; 21211. Connecting part; 21212. Extension part; 21213. Gripping part; 2122. Insulating sleeve; 22. Peripheral adsorption unit; 221. Mounting base; 2211. Fixing part; 2212. Mounting part; 222. Adsorption member; 23. Floating buffer assembly; 231. Guide structure; 2311. Guide rail; 2312. Slider; 232. Elastic element; 233. Limiting structure; 2331. Collision block; 2332. Blocking block; 234. Extension frame;

[0042] 30. Overload detection component; 31. Sensing element; 32. First sensor;

[0043] 40. In-situ sensors;

[0044] 50. Cylindrical battery cell. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0046] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0047] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0048] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used 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 as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0049] Please see Figure 1 The cylindrical battery cell 50 clamping mechanism provided in this application embodiment will now be described. The cylindrical battery cell 50 clamping mechanism provided in this application embodiment includes a movable plate 10 and a gripper assembly 20, wherein the movable plate 10 is used to connect a multi-dimensional drive mechanism.

[0050] Reference Figure 1 The movable plate 10 is connected to a multi-dimensional drive mechanism, which can drive the movable plate 10 to move in multiple directions and dimensions within space. Specifically, the movable plate 10 can be made of high-strength aluminum alloy, which is lightweight and high-strength. In actual production, the movable plate 10 will be provided with multiple mounting holes to facilitate a secure connection with the multi-dimensional drive mechanism. The multi-dimensional drive mechanism can be a robotic arm or a three-axis translation mechanism.

[0051] Reference Figures 2 to 5 The gripper assembly 20 includes an end-face gripper unit 21 and a peripheral adsorption unit 22.

[0052] The end face gripper unit 21 includes a driver 211 and an insulating gripper 212. The driver 211 drives the insulating gripper 212 to open and close, so as to clamp the end face of the cylindrical cell 50 along the axial direction.

[0053] The actuator 211 includes, but is not limited to, finger cylinders, pneumatic fingers, pneumatic parallel grippers, servo electric grippers, etc., to provide clamping force to the insulating grippers 212. The insulating grippers 212 are typically made of insulating materials such as engineering plastics or epoxy resin, or of metal with an insulating layer on the surface. This ensures sufficient clamping strength while preventing damage to the battery cell due to static electricity or leakage during clamping. During operation, the actuator 211 drives the insulating grippers 212 to open and close, achieving axial clamping of the end face of the cylindrical battery cell 50. That is, the insulating grippers 212 are located at both ends of the cylindrical battery cell 50 along the axial direction and clamp the battery cell. The contact area between the insulating grippers 212 and the cylindrical battery cell 50 is the end face, not the circumferential surface, avoiding the sensitivity of mechanical grippers to diameter tolerances and preventing damage to the battery cell.

[0054] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 A peripheral adsorption unit 22 is disposed within the clamping space of the insulating gripper 212 and connected to the driver 211. The peripheral adsorption unit 22 is used to adsorb the peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cell 50. The peripheral adsorption unit 22 can employ negative pressure adsorption or magnetic adsorption. When using negative pressure adsorption, it is understood that the peripheral adsorption unit 22 has good flexibility and sealing properties, and can tightly fit the peripheral surface of the battery cell. If magnetic adsorption is used, the peripheral adsorption unit 22 can control the generation and disappearance of the magnetic force, thereby controlling the adsorption or release of the cylindrical battery cell 50.

[0055] In actual operation, the multi-dimensional drive mechanism first moves the movable plate 10 downward, causing the gripper assembly 20 to move towards the cylindrical cell 50. As the movable plate 10 presses down, the peripheral adsorption unit 22 first contacts the peripheral surface of the cell. After the peripheral adsorption unit 22 completes buffer contact with the peripheral surface of the cylindrical cell 50, the peripheral adsorption unit 22 stably adsorbs the peripheral surface of the cell. At the same time, the driver 211 of the end face gripper unit 21 is activated synchronously, driving the insulating gripper 212 to close axially and precisely clamp the end face of the cell.

[0056] The vacuum fixation of the peripheral adsorption unit 22 and the mechanical clamping of the end face gripper unit 21 form a double guarantee, realizing multi-dimensional stable fixation of the battery cell and significantly improving the reliability and adaptability of the clamping mechanism.

[0057] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4The insulating gripper 212 includes two clamping members 2121 and two insulating sleeves 2122. The clamping member 2121 includes a connecting part 21211, an extension part 21212, and a clamping part 21213 connected in sequence. The connecting part 21211 is connected to the output end of the driver 211. The extension part 21212 extends from the lower end of the connecting part 21211 in a direction away from the other clamping member 2121. The clamping part 21213 is located at the outer end of the extension part 21212. The clamping parts 21213 of the two clamping members 2121 face each other. One of the insulating sleeves 2122 covers the cell contact surface of one of the clamping parts 21213.

[0058] The clamping member 2121 is the main structure for realizing the clamping action, and it includes a connecting part 21211, an extension part 21212, and a clamping part 21213 connected in sequence. The connecting part 21211 is used to connect to the output end of the driver 211, and can be a threaded connection or a pin connection to ensure stable power transmission. The extension part 21212 extends from the lower end of the connecting part 21211 in a direction away from the other clamping member 2121, which provides sufficient placement space for the battery cell and also avoids interference with other components during the clamping process. The clamping parts 21213 of the two clamping members 2121 face each other and act directly on the end face of the cylindrical battery cell 50. The driver 211 drives the clamping members 2121 to open and close, realizing the clamping and release of the battery cell.

[0059] The insulating sleeve 2122 is a key component ensuring the safety of the battery cell. One insulating sleeve 2122 covers the contact surface of the battery cell of one clamping part 21213. The insulating sleeve 2122 can be made of materials with high insulation, high wear resistance and good flexibility, such as polytetrafluoroethylene and polyurethane. The insulating sleeve 2122 can effectively isolate the clamping part 2121 from the battery cell, preventing damage to the battery cell due to static electricity or leakage. In addition, its soft texture can avoid scratching or indentation on the surface of the battery cell during clamping, thus protecting the integrity of the battery cell to the greatest extent.

[0060] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 The peripheral adsorption unit 22 includes a mounting base 221 and an adsorption element 222.

[0061] Mounting base 221 includes a fixing part 2211 and a mounting part 2212. The mounting part 2212 is located between the two connecting parts 21211. One end of the connecting part 21211 is connected to the side of the driver 211, and the other end extends downward to connect to one side of the mounting part 2212.

[0062] One end of the fixing part 2211 can be tightly assembled with the side of the driver 211 by means of bolts or slots to ensure stable power transmission. The other end of the fixing part 2211 extends downward and connects to one side of the mounting part 2212 to form an L-shaped three-dimensional structure, so that the mounting part 2212 is located exactly between the connecting part 21211 of the two clamping parts 2121. This layout does not affect the normal opening and closing of the end face gripper unit 21, and makes full use of the idle space inside the gripper assembly 20, making the whole mechanism more compact.

[0063] An adsorption component 222 is disposed on the mounting portion 2212 and extends radially along the clamping space to adsorb the circumferential surface of the cylindrical battery cell 50. The adsorption component 222 can be a vacuum suction cup or an electromagnetic adsorption plate. Taking a vacuum suction cup as an example, a silicone suction cup has good flexibility and sealing performance. When it comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the cylindrical battery cell 50, it can quickly form a negative pressure by connecting to an external vacuum system through an air passage, thus firmly adsorbing the battery cell. If an electromagnetic adsorption plate is used, the battery cell is adsorbed by generating magnetism through an electric current. The radial extension design of the adsorption component 222 allows it to fit against a large area of ​​the circumferential surface of the battery cell. Combined with the axial clamping of the end face gripper unit 21, the battery cell is fixed from multiple directions. Even if there are minor defects or vent holes on the surface of the battery cell, the double fixing method can ensure that the battery cell does not shake or fall off during transportation, greatly improving the reliability and applicability of the cylindrical battery cell 50 clamping mechanism.

[0064] Specifically, the adsorption element 222 is one of an accordion suction cup, a multi-layer suction cup, a flat suction cup, and a magnetic suction cup. The magnetic suction cup has an adsorption curved surface whose shape matches and fits the circumference of the cylindrical battery cell 50.

[0065] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The gripper assembly further includes a floating buffer assembly 23, which includes a guide structure 231 and an elastic element 232. The guide structure 231 connects the driver 211 and the movable plate 10 to limit the sliding trajectory of the driver 211 in the vertical direction. The elastic element 232 is compressed between the top of the driver 211 and the bottom of the movable plate 10.

[0066] The guide structure 231 can be in the form of a linear guide rail 2311 or a guide post and guide sleeve. One end is connected to the driver 211 and the other end is connected to the movable plate 10, which limits the sliding trajectory of the driver 211 in the vertical direction to ensure the accuracy and stability of the movement.

[0067] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2The elastic element 232 is compressed and disposed between the top of the driver 211 and the bottom of the movable plate 10. When subjected to external force, the elastic element 232 can play a buffering role through its own compression and rebound. The elastic element 232 can be any one of a spring, elastic pad, disc spring assembly, polyurethane rubber column, silicone elastomer or gas-liquid damping cylinder.

[0068] In actual operation, the multi-dimensional drive mechanism first moves the movable plate 10 downward, causing the gripper assembly 20 to move towards the cylindrical battery cell 50. During this process, the elastic element 232 of the floating buffer assembly 23 is in a compressed state. As the movable plate 10 presses down, the driver 211 slides downward in the vertical direction through the guide structure 231, and the peripheral adsorption unit 22 first contacts the peripheral surface of the battery cell. Due to the buffering effect of the elastic element 232, the peripheral adsorption unit 22 flexibly adheres to the surface of the battery cell, automatically adapting to the size deviation or positioning error of the battery cell, and avoiding damage to the battery cell from hard collisions.

[0069] After the peripheral adsorption unit 22 makes buffered contact with the peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cell 50, the peripheral adsorption unit 22 stably adsorbs the peripheral surface of the battery cell. At the same time, the driver 211 of the end face gripper unit 21 is activated synchronously, driving the insulating gripper 212 to close axially and precisely clamp the end face of the battery cell. At this time, the elastic element 232 is further compressed due to the downward movement of the driver 211, ensuring that the peripheral adsorption unit 22 is in close contact with the surface of the battery cell through continuous elastic force, while the guide structure 231 always limits the vertical sliding trajectory of the driver 211, ensuring the smoothness of the double fixing process.

[0070] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The floating buffer assembly 23 further includes a limiting structure 233. The guide structure 231 includes a vertically arranged guide rail 2311 and a slider 2312 that can slide along the guide rail 2311.

[0071] The guide rail 2311 is generally made of high-hardness alloy steel with a high surface flatness, providing a precise and stable sliding track for the slider 2312. The slider 2312 can contact the guide rail 2311 through internal balls or rollers, achieving low-friction, high-precision linear sliding. The guide rail 2311 is generally vertically fixed on the movable plate 10, while the slider 2312 is connected to the driver 211 through an extension bracket 234, thus limiting the driver 211 to move only in the vertical direction.

[0072] The limiting structure 233 includes a collision block 2331 and a blocking block 2332 disposed at the bottom end of the guide rail 2311. The blocking block 2332 may be made of a metal material with high hardness, such as stainless steel, and is fixedly installed at the bottom end of the guide rail 2311 to limit the downward displacement of the driver 211.

[0073] The actuator 211 is connected to the slider 2312 via an extension frame 234. The collision block 2331 is disposed on the extension frame 234, and the elastic element 232 is located between the top of the extension frame 234 and the bottom of the movable plate 10. The extension frame 234 is a component connecting the actuator 211 and the slider 2312. It is typically made of high-strength metal sheet by bending or machining, possessing good rigidity and stability, and can firmly connect the actuator 211 and the slider 2312 together. Simultaneously, the extension frame 234 also provides an installation position for the collision block 2331 and reserves sufficient compression space for the elastic element 232. The collision block 2331 and the blocking block 2332 cooperate with each other to jointly control the range of motion of the actuator 211.

[0074] In its natural state, the collision block 2331 is supported on the upper surface of the blocking block 2332, and the elastic element 232 is in a pre-compressed state. When the peripheral adsorption unit 22 contacts the cylindrical cell 50, the reaction force of the cylindrical cell 50 drives the driver 211 to move upward, causing the collision block 2331 to separate from the blocking block 2332 and further compressing the elastic element 232.

[0075] In actual operation, when the multi-dimensional drive mechanism moves the movable plate 10 downwards and the gripper assembly 20 approaches the cylindrical battery cell 50, the peripheral adsorption unit 22 first contacts the battery cell. At this time, the reaction force generated by the cylindrical battery cell 50 on the peripheral adsorption unit 22 is transmitted to the extension frame 234 through the driver 211, thereby driving the driver 211 to overcome the pre-pressure of the elastic element 232 and move upwards, causing the collision block 2331 to separate from the blocking block 2332, and the elastic element 232 to be further compressed. In this process, the guide structure 231 ensures that the driver 211 can only slide smoothly in the vertical direction, avoiding deviation; while the blocking block 2332 and collision block 2331 in the limiting structure 233 ensure that the driver 211 will not move downwards excessively and damage the battery cell. When the reaction force disappears, the elastic element 232 pushes the driver 211 downwards by its own elastic restoring force, so that the collision block 2331 is supported again on the upper surface of the blocking block 2332, returning to the initial state.

[0076] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The cylindrical cell 50 clamping mechanism also includes an overload detection component 30, which includes an induction plate 31 and a first sensor 32.

[0077] The sensing element 31 is disposed on the actuator 211. The sensing element 31 is typically made of metal and is precisely mounted on the actuator 211. It can move synchronously with the movement of the actuator 211 and acts as a carrier for transmitting displacement signals. The sensing element 31 includes, but is not limited to, stainless steel plates, steel plates / sheets, or other opaque thin plates / sheets / blocks of any material. It is mounted on the extension frame 234 of the gripper assembly 20 and floats up and down vertically with the gripper assembly 20.

[0078] The first sensor 32 is located on the movable plate 10 and is used to detect whether the upward sliding distance of the sensing sheet 31 exceeds a preset travel threshold. When the driver 211 slides upward to the point where it is detected by the first sensor 32, a fault alarm signal is triggered.

[0079] The first sensor 32 can be a high-precision photoelectric sensor or a proximity sensor, fixedly mounted on the movable plate 10. Taking the photoelectric sensor as an example, it is mounted on the movable plate 10 and includes a transmitter and a receiver positioned opposite each other. The transmitter continuously emits infrared light, and the receiver is always ready to capture the light signal. Under normal operating conditions, the light can smoothly travel from the transmitter to the receiver, and the system is in a stable operating mode. However, when the gripper assembly 20 malfunctions, the driver 211 carrying the sensing plate 31 will produce a displacement beyond the normal range. Once the sensing plate 31 enters the optical path between the transmitter and the receiver under the drive of the driver 211, blocking the infrared light, the receiver of the photoelectric sensor cannot receive the light, thus triggering a signal change.

[0080] At this point, the system quickly identifies an abnormal stroke and immediately issues an alarm. This alarm indicates that the gripper assembly 20 has excessive stroke, resulting in overpressure. The alarm promptly alerts operators to troubleshoot the problem, preventing damage to the battery cells due to abnormal pressure. It also prevents component damage caused by continuous abnormal operation, greatly improving the safety and stability of the cylindrical battery cell 50 clamping mechanism and ensuring the smooth operation of the automated production process.

[0081] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5 The gripper assembly 20 also includes an in-situ sensor 40, which is located near the gripping space of the insulating gripper 212, for detecting whether there is a cylindrical battery cell 50 at the picking station during material picking, and for real-time monitoring of the battery cell's in-situ status during transportation.

[0082] The in-situ sensor 40 can be a diffuse reflection photoelectric sensor, infrared sensor, fiber optic sensor or inductive sensor, installed in a position adjacent to the clamping space of the insulating gripper 212, which can ensure that the detection area of ​​the sensor covers the space where the battery cell is located, without interfering with the normal opening and closing action of the gripper.

[0083] During the material handling process, when the gripper assembly 20 moves to the material handling station under the drive of the multi-dimensional drive mechanism, the in-situ sensor 40 immediately starts the detection program. If there is a cylindrical battery cell 50 at the material handling station, the infrared beam or sensing signal emitted by the sensor will be reflected or triggered by the battery cell. The sensor will convert the detected signal into an electrical signal and transmit it to the control system, indicating that there is material at the material handling station, and the gripper assembly 20 can perform subsequent gripping actions. Conversely, if the material handling station is empty, the sensor cannot receive a feedback signal, and the control system will determine that there is no material, suspend or adjust the action of the gripper assembly 20 to avoid invalid gripping.

[0084] During transportation, the in-situ sensor 40 remains continuously operational, monitoring the cell's position in real time. If a cell accidentally falls off or shifts beyond the sensor's detection range, the sensor's signal changes. The control system immediately recognizes this anomaly, issues an alarm, and stops the equipment, preventing disruption to subsequent production processes or equipment damage due to cell loss. By using the in-situ sensor 40 to monitor the cell's position throughout the entire process, the reliability of the cylindrical cell 50 clamping mechanism and the continuity of the production process are significantly improved, effectively reducing the risk of errors during production.

[0085] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 6 The gripper assembly 20 comprises multiple gripper assemblies 20, which are arranged linearly or in an array on the movable plate 10. The gripper assemblies 20 can be installed on the movable plate 10 in a linear arrangement or array distribution according to actual production needs. In a linear layout, the gripper assemblies 20 are arranged sequentially along a specific direction of the movable plate 10, resembling an orderly "gripping production line." This arrangement is suitable for scenarios involving single-row conveying and gripping of battery cells. For example, in a long and narrow production station, the linearly arranged gripper assemblies 20 can accurately and quickly grip and transfer battery cells moving sequentially on the conveyor belt. The spacing between each gripper assembly 20 is precisely calculated to ensure no interference and efficient collaborative operation. The number of gripper assemblies 20 can be 2, 5, 10, or even more. In some embodiments, there are 14 gripper assemblies 20 arranged in a row, capable of gripping 14 battery cells at a time, achieving efficient conveying.

[0086] The arrayed gripper assemblies 20 act like a closely cooperating "grabbing matrix," arranged in a staggered row and column configuration on the movable plate 10. This layout is suitable for large-scale, batch-type battery cell gripping tasks and is commonly found in automated production processes that require the simultaneous handling of multiple battery cells. For example, in the battery cell sorting and stacking processes, the arrayed gripper assemblies 20 can grip multiple battery cells at once, significantly improving processing efficiency per unit time. In some embodiments, there are 42 gripper assemblies 20 arranged in three columns (14*3), which can grip 42 battery cells at a time, achieving efficient transport.

[0087] This application also provides a battery cell handling device, including a multi-dimensional driving mechanism and a cylindrical battery cell 50 clamping mechanism as described in any of the above embodiments. The multi-dimensional driving mechanism is connected to the movable plate 10 to drive the movable plate 10 to move in multiple directions.

[0088] The battery cell handling device of this application includes the cylindrical battery cell 50 clamping mechanism in any of the above embodiments, and therefore has the beneficial effects brought by the cylindrical battery cell 50 clamping mechanism in any of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0089] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism, characterized in that, Includes a movable plate and a gripper assembly, the movable plate being used to connect a multi-dimensional drive mechanism; The gripper assembly includes: An end-face gripper unit includes a driver and insulating grippers, the driver driving the insulating grippers to open and close to axially grip the end face of a cylindrical battery cell; and A peripheral adsorption unit is disposed within the clamping space of the insulating gripper and connected to the driver. The peripheral adsorption unit is used to adsorb the peripheral surface of the cylindrical battery cell.

2. The cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insulating gripper includes two clamping members and two insulating sleeves. Each clamping member includes a connecting part, an extension part, and a clamping part connected in sequence. The connecting part is connected to the output terminal of the driver. The extension part extends from the lower end of the connecting part in a direction away from the other clamping member. The clamping part is located at the outer end of the extension part. The clamping parts of the two clamping members face each other. One of the insulating sleeves covers the cell contact surface of one of the clamping parts.

3. The cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The peripheral adsorption unit includes: The mounting base includes a fixing part and a mounting part, the mounting part being located between the two connecting parts, one end of the connecting part being connected to the side of the driver, and the other end extending downward to connect to one side of the mounting part; and An adsorption element is disposed on the mounting portion and extends radially along the clamping space to adsorb the circumferential surface of the cylindrical battery cell.

4. The cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The adsorption component is one of an accordion suction cup, a multi-layer suction cup, a flat suction cup, and a magnetic suction cup. The magnetic suction cup has an adsorption curved surface whose shape matches and fits the circumference of the cylindrical battery cell.

5. The cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripper assembly further includes a floating buffer assembly, comprising a guide structure and an elastic element. The guide structure connects the driver and the movable plate to define the sliding trajectory of the driver in the vertical direction. The elastic element is compressed between the top of the driver and the bottom of the movable plate. The floating buffer assembly also includes a limiting structure; The guide structure includes a vertically arranged guide rail and a slider that can slide along the guide rail; The limiting structure includes a collision block and a blocking block disposed at the bottom end of the guide rail; The driver is connected to the slider via an extension frame, the collision block is disposed on the extension frame, and the elastic element is located between the top of the extension frame and the bottom of the movable plate; In its natural state, the collision block is supported on the upper surface of the blocking block, and the elastic element is in a pre-compressed state; When the peripheral adsorption unit contacts the cylindrical battery cell, the reaction force of the cylindrical battery cell drives the actuator to move upward, causing the collision block to separate from the blocking block and further compress the elastic element.

6. The cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cylindrical cell clamping mechanism further includes an overload detection component, which comprises: A sensor is disposed in the driver; The first sensor, located on the movable plate, is used to detect whether the upward sliding distance of the sensing sheet exceeds a preset travel threshold. When the driver slides upwards until it is detected by the first sensor, a fault alarm signal is triggered.

7. The cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripper assembly also includes an in-situ sensor located near the gripping space of the insulating gripper, used to detect whether there are cylindrical battery cells at the picking station during material picking and to monitor the in-situ status of the battery cells in real time during transportation.

8. The cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic element is any one of the following: spring, elastic washer, disc spring assembly, polyurethane rubber column, silicone elastomer, or gas-liquid damping cylinder.

9. The cylindrical battery cell clamping mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The gripper assembly is provided in multiple ways, and the multiple gripper assemblies are arranged linearly or in an array on the movable plate.

10. A battery cell handling device, characterized in that, It includes a multi-dimensional driving mechanism and a cylindrical cell clamping mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the multi-dimensional driving mechanism is connected to the movable plate to drive the movable plate to move in multiple directions.

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