A jacking mechanism and battery storage apparatus

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of jacking mechanism and battery storage equipment, jacking mechanism includes rack, conveyor belt subassembly and first jacking subassembly, tray is slid in material rack upper and lower;Conveyor belt subassembly is used to make material rack move into material rack parking position;Part first jacking subassembly can pass through material rack to promote tray upper and lower movement;Battery storage equipment includes material rack, multiple trays and the jacking mechanism, jacking mechanism is used to promote tray to rise;With battery storage equipment, the battery cell in the tray in the uppermost position in material rack is taken out, the rest tray is driven to rise by first jacking subassembly, manipulator continues to take out the tray in the uppermost position at this time, and the above process is recycled until all battery cell in material rack are taken out completely, without manually layer by layer grasping battery cell, improve the handling efficiency of battery cell;Without additional Z-axis movable mechanism on manipulator to layer by layer grasp battery cell, reduce the floor area of equipment, reduce production cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery technology, specifically to a lifting mechanism and a battery storage device. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, during the production process of automated equipment for pouch cells, cells are stored in trays to facilitate their turnover within the workshop. Typically, multiple trays are stored simultaneously in one rack. However, in these technologies, the bottom of the trays is a fixed structure that cannot be raised or lowered. Therefore, when cells need to be moved, manual handling is required to grasp them layer by layer to achieve the transfer of multiple trays. This process increases the workload of operators and reduces handling efficiency. Alternatively, the Z-axis motion mechanism of a robotic arm can be used to grasp downwards to achieve the transfer of multiple trays. This process requires a separate Z-axis motion mechanism for the robotic arm, resulting in increased floor space and production costs. Utility Model Content

[0003] The embodiments of this utility model provide a lifting mechanism and a battery storage device, which can improve the technical problems of increased workload for operators, low handling efficiency, or increased production costs.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a lifting mechanism, which includes:

[0005] A frame, wherein a material rack parking position is provided on the frame, the material rack parking position is used to place the material rack, and a material tray that can slide up and down is provided inside the material rack;

[0006] A conveyor belt assembly is disposed on the frame, the conveyor belt assembly being used to move the rack into the rack parking position;

[0007] A first lifting assembly is disposed on the frame, and at least a portion of the first lifting assembly is capable of passing through the rack to push the tray up and down.

[0008] In one embodiment, the conveyor belt assembly is provided with a clearance hole, and at least a portion of the first lifting assembly can pass through the clearance hole and the material rack to push the material tray up and down, which can avoid motion interference between the conveyor belt assembly and the first lifting assembly, thereby realizing the layer-by-layer transport of the material tray and meeting the material tray transport requirements at different height positions.

[0009] In one embodiment, an upper limit switch and a lower limit switch are provided at intervals along the movement direction of the first lifting component to limit the movement range of the first lifting component, ensure that the tray is accurately transferred to the appropriate position, avoid collision between the first lifting component and other components, and thus reduce the wear of mechanical parts.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first lifting assembly is equipped with a sensor for detecting the emptying status of the material rack, eliminating the need for frequent manual checks, reducing labor intensity, and greatly improving the automation level of the equipment.

[0011] Secondly, embodiments of this utility model provide a battery storage device, which includes a rack, multiple trays, and a lifting mechanism. The rack is placed on the lifting mechanism, and the multiple trays are spaced apart on the rack in a vertical direction. The lifting mechanism is used to push the trays upward.

[0012] In one embodiment, the battery storage device further includes a plurality of baffles, which are respectively connected to the periphery of the frame to limit the rack within the rack parking position. Under the action of the baffles, the rack is limited within the rack parking position to prevent the rack from moving.

[0013] In one embodiment, the lifting mechanism further includes a second lifting component connected between the conveyor belt assembly and the frame to drive the conveyor belt assembly to move up and down. The second lifting component can drive the conveyor belt assembly to reach or exceed the maximum height of the baffle, so that the conveyor belt assembly is not disturbed by the baffle and can smoothly receive the racks moving from one process to the battery storage device.

[0014] In one embodiment, at least one of the baffles has a guide ramp at one end. When the conveyor belt assembly receives the rack, the guide ramp is used to guide the rack to move to the conveyor belt assembly, making the placement and handling of the rack smoother and reducing the impact and friction of the rack when it enters the parking position.

[0015] In one embodiment, at least two opposing baffles are provided with rollers, and the second lifting component can drive the material rack to cooperate with the rollers so that the material rack can move to the next station via the rollers, preventing the material tray from colliding with the baffles and causing wear, and ensuring that the material rack is smoothly transferred to the next station.

[0016] In one embodiment, at least one of the baffles is vertically movably connected to the frame. When the baffle is in a first position, it is used to confine the material rack within the material rack parking position. When the baffle is in a second position, it is used to avoid the material rack so that the material rack can move to the next station. When all the material trays in the material rack are removed, the height of one of the baffles is adjusted. At this time, the material rack is moved by the other moving equipment. With the assistance of the rollers, the material rack can be smoothly transferred to the next station.

[0017] The beneficial effects of embodiments of the lifting mechanism of this utility model are as follows:

[0018] When the material rack completes the previous process and is transferred to the lifting mechanism, the conveyor belt assembly receives the material rack and drives it forward to its parking position. When it is necessary to transfer the battery cells from the trays placed in the material rack, the robotic arm removes the tray located at the top of the material rack. Then, the first lifting assembly lifts the remaining trays, raising the lower trays to the highest point of the material rack until they are opposite the robotic arm. The robotic arm then removes the tray at the top and repeats the above process until all the battery cells in the material rack have been removed. Thus, there is no need for manual handling of the battery cells layer by layer, reducing the workload and improving the efficiency of battery cell handling. There is also no need to set up an additional Z-axis moving mechanism on the robotic arm to handle the battery cells layer by layer, reducing the equipment footprint and lowering production costs.

[0019] The beneficial effects of embodiments of the battery storage device of this utility model:

[0020] When the material rack completes the previous process and is transferred to the lifting mechanism, the conveyor belt assembly receives the material rack and drives it forward to the rack parking position. At this point, the material rack can be placed on the storage device for temporary storage. When it is necessary to transfer the battery cells from the trays placed in the material rack, the robotic arm takes out the tray located at the top of the material rack. Then, the first lifting assembly can lift the remaining trays, raising the trays at the bottom to the highest point of the material rack until they are opposite the robotic arm. The robotic arm then takes out the tray at the top and repeats the above process until all the battery cells in the material rack have been removed. Thus, there is no need for manual picking up the battery cells layer by layer, reducing the workload and improving the efficiency of battery cell handling. There is also no need to set up an additional Z-axis moving mechanism on the robotic arm to pick up the battery cells layer by layer, reducing the equipment footprint and lowering production costs. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments 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 drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism provided in another embodiment of the present invention from another viewpoint;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery storage device provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the battery storage device provided in another view according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a top view of the battery storage device provided in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0027] Figure Labels

[0028] 1. Lifting mechanism;

[0029] 100. Machine frame; 101. Material rack parking position;

[0030] 110. Conveyor belt assembly;

[0031] 120. First lifting component;

[0032] 130. Upper limit switch;

[0033] 140. Lower limit switch;

[0034] 2. Battery storage device;

[0035] 200. Material rack;

[0036] 210. Material tray;

[0037] 220. Baffle; 221. Guide ramp;

[0038] 230. Second lifting component;

[0039] 240. Roller. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model. In addition, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for illustration and explanation of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. In the present utility model, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" generally refer to the upper and lower positions of the device in actual use or operation, specifically the drawing directions in the accompanying drawings; while "inner" and "outer" refer to the outline of the device.

[0041] Firstly, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, this utility model embodiment provides a lifting mechanism 1, including a frame 100, a conveyor belt assembly 110, and a first lifting assembly 120. The frame 100 is provided with a material rack 200 parking position 101 for placing the material rack 200. The material rack 200 is provided with a material tray 210 that can slide up and down. The conveyor belt assembly 110 is disposed on the frame 100 and is used to move the material rack 200 into the material rack parking position 101. The first lifting assembly 120 is disposed on the frame 100, and at least a portion of the first lifting assembly 120 can pass through the material rack 200 to push the material tray 210 up and down.

[0042] When the material rack 200 completes the previous process and is transferred to the lifting mechanism 1, the conveyor belt assembly 110 can receive the material rack 200 and drive the material rack 200 to continue moving forward into the material rack parking position 101. When it is necessary to transfer the battery cells placed on the material trays 210 in the material rack 200, the robot arm takes out the material tray 210 located at the top of the material rack 200. Then, the first lifting assembly 120 can drive the remaining material trays 210 to rise, so that the material trays 210 located at the bottom are raised to the highest point of the material rack 200 until they are opposite the robot arm. The robot arm continues to take out the material tray 210 located at the top at this time, and repeats the above process until all the battery cells in the material rack 200 have been taken out. Thus, there is no need for manual picking up the battery cells layer by layer, which reduces the workload of manual labor and improves the handling efficiency of battery cells. There is also no need to set up an additional Z-axis moving mechanism on the robot arm to pick up the battery cells layer by layer, which reduces the footprint of the equipment and reduces production costs.

[0043] In some embodiments, the conveyor belt assembly 110 is provided with clearance holes, and at least a portion of the first lifting assembly 120 can pass through the clearance holes and the rack 200 to push the tray 210 up and down. The clearance holes prevent motion interference between the conveyor belt assembly 110 and the first lifting assembly 120. After the conveyor belt assembly 110 transports the rack 200 to the rack parking position 101, the robot arm removes the uppermost tray 210. Then, the first lifting assembly 120 can immediately perform a lifting operation through the clearance holes, causing the lower trays 210 to rise until the highest tray 210 is opposite the robot arm. Regardless of the height of the tray 210 within the rack 200, the first lifting assembly 120 can accurately contact and lift the tray 210 through the clearance holes, thereby achieving layer-by-layer transport of the tray 210 and meeting the transport requirements of trays 210 at different heights.

[0044] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 2As shown, an upper limit switch 130 and a lower limit switch 140 are provided at intervals along the movement direction of the first lifting component 120 to limit the movement range of the first lifting component 120. The upper limit switch 130 and the lower limit switch 140 can accurately limit the highest and lowest positions of the first lifting component 120. When only one tray 210 remains in the material rack 200, the first lifting component 120, with the assistance of the upper limit switch 130, can accurately move the tray 210 to the appropriate position, and avoid the first lifting component 120 from colliding with other components while continuing to rise, thus preventing the first lifting component 120 from overtraveling. At the same time, the lower limit switch 140 can also ensure that the first lifting component 120 returns to the designated position when descending, avoiding the phenomenon of the first lifting component 120 not being lifted to the correct position during lifting, which facilitates subsequent handling operations.

[0045] By setting the upper limit switch 130 and the lower limit switch 140, it is also possible to prevent the first lifting component 120 from being excessively lifted or lowered due to misoperation or malfunction, thereby avoiding damage to the material tray 210, the material rack 200 or the lifting component itself.

[0046] In addition, the upper limit switch 130 and the lower limit switch 140 can prevent the lifting assembly from moving frequently within unnecessary strokes, thereby reducing the wear of mechanical parts by precisely controlling the range of motion of the lifting assembly.

[0047] It should also be noted that the positions of the upper limit switch 130 and the lower limit switch 140 can be adjusted according to different production needs. For example, if it is necessary to handle material trays 210 or racks 200 of different heights, the stroke range of the first lifting assembly 120 can be changed by adjusting the position of the limit switches, thereby improving the versatility and adaptability of the lifting mechanism 1.

[0048] In some embodiments, the first lifting assembly 120 is equipped with a sensor for detecting the emptying status of the material rack 200. In this embodiment, the sensor can detect the remaining status of the material tray 210 inside the material rack 200 in real time and determine whether the material rack 200 has been emptied, thereby eliminating the need for frequent manual checks, reducing labor intensity, and greatly improving the automation level of the equipment. In addition, by automatically detecting the emptying status of the material rack 200 by the sensor, the lifting mechanism 1 can stop operating immediately after the material rack 200 is emptied, avoiding equipment idling or shutdown due to untimely manual checks, thereby avoiding equipment failure or damage caused by the lifting assembly running unloaded.

[0049] Secondly, referring to Figures 3 to 5As shown, this utility model embodiment provides a battery storage device 2, including a material rack 200, a plurality of material trays 210 and the aforementioned lifting mechanism 1. The material rack 200 is placed on the lifting mechanism 1, and the plurality of material trays 210 are spaced apart on the material rack 200 in the vertical direction. The lifting mechanism 1 is used to push the material trays 210 upward.

[0050] The battery storage device 2 possesses all the exclusive advantages of the aforementioned lifting mechanism 1:

[0051] When the material rack 200 completes the previous process and is transferred to the lifting mechanism 1, the conveyor belt assembly 110 can receive the material rack 200 and drive the material rack 200 to continue moving forward into the material rack parking position 101. At this time, the material rack 200 can be placed on the storage device for temporary storage. When it is necessary to transfer the battery cells placed on the material trays 210 in the material rack 200, the robot arm takes out the material tray 210 located at the top of the material rack 200. Then, the first lifting assembly 120 can drive the remaining material trays 210 to rise, so that the material trays 210 located at the bottom are raised to the highest point of the material rack 200 until they are opposite the robot arm. The robot arm continues to take out the material tray 210 located at the top at this time, and repeats the above process until all the battery cells in the material rack 200 have been taken out. Thus, it is not necessary to manually grab the battery cells layer by layer, reducing the workload of manual labor and improving the handling efficiency of battery cells. It is also not necessary to set an additional Z-axis moving mechanism on the robot arm to grab the battery cells layer by layer, reducing the footprint of the equipment and reducing production costs.

[0052] In some embodiments, the battery storage device 2 further includes a plurality of baffles 220, which are respectively connected to the periphery of the frame 100 to confine the rack 200 within the rack parking position 101. The baffles 220 ensure that the rack 200 is parked within the rack parking position 101. When the rack 200 is conveyed to the rack parking position 101 by the conveyor belt assembly 110, the baffles 220 restrict the lateral and longitudinal movement of the rack 200, ensuring that the rack 200 is accurately parked within the rack parking position 101. Accordingly, the rack parking position 101 can serve as a temporary storage location. When the tray 210 does not need to be transferred, the rack 200 is confined within the rack parking position 101 by the baffles 220, preventing the rack 200 from moving.

[0053] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 4As shown, the lifting mechanism 1 also includes a second lifting component 230, which is connected between the conveyor belt assembly 110 and the frame 100 to drive the conveyor belt assembly 110 to move up and down. The second lifting component 230 can drive the conveyor belt assembly 110 to reach or exceed the maximum height of the baffle 220. When the material rack 200 completes the previous process and is transferred to the lifting mechanism 1, the second lifting component 230 adjusts the vertical position of the conveyor belt assembly 110 so that the conveyor belt assembly 110 reaches or exceeds the maximum height of the baffle 220. This ensures that the conveyor belt assembly 110 is not disturbed by the baffle 220 and can smoothly receive the material rack 200 that has moved from the first process to the battery storage device 2. When the conveyor belt assembly 110 drives the material rack 200 to move smoothly to the material rack parking position 101, the second lifting component 230 drives the conveyor belt to descend. At this time, the baffle 220 can limit the material rack 200 and prevent the material rack 200 from moving laterally or longitudinally.

[0054] It should also be noted that during the transfer of battery cells, the baffle 220 can also limit the material rack 200, preventing the material rack 200 from moving laterally or longitudinally, thereby preventing the material rack 200 from shifting during the up-and-down movement of the material tray 210, preventing the material rack 200 from falling, and thus preventing safety accidents.

[0055] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 3 As shown, at least one baffle 220 has a guide ramp 221 at one end. When the conveyor belt assembly 110 receives the rack 200, the guide ramp 221 guides the rack 200 to move to the conveyor belt assembly 110, so that the rack 200 is guided into the rack parking position 101. The guide ramp 221 makes the placement and handling of the rack 200 smoother, reduces the impact and friction of the rack 200 when entering the parking position, and can effectively protect the baffle 220, the conveyor belt assembly 110 and other key components, reducing the maintenance cost of the equipment.

[0056] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 5 As shown, at least two opposing baffles 220 are equipped with rollers 240. The second lifting assembly 230 can drive the material rack 200 to cooperate with the rollers 240, so that the material rack 200 can move to the next station via the rollers 240. When all the material trays 210 in the material rack 200 are removed, the material rack 200 is moved by other moving equipment. At this time, with the assistance of the rollers 240, the friction between the material rack 200 and the baffles 220 can be changed from sliding friction to rolling friction, preventing the material trays 210 from colliding and wearing with the baffles 220, and ensuring that the material rack 200 is smoothly transferred to the next station.

[0057] In some embodiments, at least one baffle 220 is vertically movably connected to the frame 100. When the baffle 220 is in a first position, it confines the material rack 200 within the material rack parking position 101. When the baffle 220 is in a second position, it avoids the material rack 200, allowing the material rack 200 to move to the next station. Accordingly, when all the material trays 210 in the material rack 200 have been removed, the height of one of the baffles 220 is adjusted so that the maximum height of the baffle 220 is lower than the conveyor belt assembly 110. At this time, the material rack 200 is moved by the other moving equipment, and with the assistance of the rollers 240, the material rack 200 can be smoothly transferred to the next station.

[0058] In some embodiments, a lifting plate is movably connected to the rack 200. The lifting plate is located between the tray 210 and the first lifting assembly 120, which is connected to the lifting plate to move the tray 210. During actual handling, a rack 200 may have multiple trays 210. Therefore, by using the lifting plate, when the uppermost tray 210 is removed, the first lifting assembly 120 lifts the lifting plate, simultaneously raising the remaining trays 210 within the rack 200, thus enhancing the adaptability and flexibility of the equipment.

[0059] It is understood that in this embodiment, a material rack 200 contains multiple material trays 210, and the material trays 210 contain battery cells. In other embodiments, the items in the material trays 210 are not limited to battery cells and can be set according to actual needs. Similarly, the battery storage device 2 is not limited to battery storage and can be set in other different fields according to actual needs.

[0060] The embodiments of this utility model have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this utility model. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this utility model. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this utility model. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

Claims

1. A lifting mechanism, characterized in that, include: A frame (100) is provided with a material rack parking position (101) for placing a material rack (200), and a material rack (200) is provided inside the material rack (200) for sliding up and down. A conveyor belt assembly (110) is disposed on the frame (100) for moving the rack (200) into the rack parking position (101); A first lifting assembly (120) is disposed on the frame (100), at least a portion of the first lifting assembly (120) being able to pass through the rack (200) to push the tray (210) up and down.

2. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveyor belt assembly (110) is provided with clearance holes, and at least a portion of the first lifting assembly (120) can pass through the clearance holes and the rack (200) to push the tray (210) up and down.

3. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, An upper limit switch (130) and a lower limit switch (140) are provided at intervals along the movement direction of the first lifting component (120) to limit the movement range of the first lifting component (120).

4. The lifting mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first lifting assembly (120) is equipped with a sensor, which is used to detect the emptying status of the material rack (200).

5. A battery storage device, characterized in that, The device includes a material rack (200), a plurality of material trays (210), and a lifting mechanism (1) as described in any one of claims 1-4. The material rack (200) is placed on the lifting mechanism, and the plurality of material trays (210) are spaced apart on the material rack (200) in the vertical direction. The lifting mechanism is used to push the material trays (210) upward.

6. The battery storage device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The battery storage device (2) also includes a plurality of baffles (220), which are respectively connected to the periphery of the frame (100) to limit the rack (200) to be located within the rack parking position (101).

7. The battery storage device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism (1) further includes a second lifting component (230), which is connected between the conveyor belt assembly (110) and the frame (100) to drive the conveyor belt assembly (110) to move up and down. The second lifting component (230) can drive the conveyor belt assembly (110) to reach or exceed the maximum height of the baffle (220).

8. The battery storage device according to claim 7, characterized in that, At least one of the baffles (220) has a guide ramp (221) at one end, which is used to guide the rack (200) to move to the conveyor assembly (110) when the conveyor belt assembly (110) receives the rack (200).

9. The battery storage device according to claim 7, characterized in that, At least two opposing baffles (220) are provided with rollers (240), and the second lifting assembly (230) can drive the rack (200) to cooperate with the rollers (240) so that the rack (200) can move to the next station via the rollers (240).

10. The battery storage device according to claim 9, characterized in that, At least one of the baffles (220) is movably connected to the frame (100). When the baffle (220) is in the first position, the baffle (220) is used to confine the material rack (200) within the material rack parking position (101). When the baffle (220) is in the second position, the baffle (220) is used to avoid the material rack (200) so that the material rack (200) can move to the next station.

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