A magazine sheeting device

Abstract

This application discloses a battery pack sorting device, comprising: a support plate with a positioning station on its upper surface for placing battery packs; a positioning mechanism disposed on the support plate and configured to fix the battery packs at the positioning station; an air knife mechanism connected to an air source device, the air knife mechanism including at least one air knife assembly having an air outlet facing the battery cells inside the battery pack, the air source device blowing airflow through the air outlet of the air knife mechanism onto the battery cells to be sorted inside the battery pack; and a pusher mechanism including at least two pusher assemblies disposed on adjacent sides of the battery pack at the positioning station, each pusher assembly being configured to extend from a corresponding clearance opening on the side wall of the battery pack when air is blown from the air outlet, to push the battery cells for sorting. Through this embodiment, an air gap is created between the battery cells, reducing frictional resistance, preventing the battery cell grid lines from scratching the grid lines or surface of adjacent battery cells, and improving the battery cell yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of photovoltaic cell manufacturing technology, specifically to a cell sorting device. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of photovoltaic cell manufacturing, automated equipment commonly uses cassettes to house and transport cells. Traditional cassette-based cell sorting devices typically use multi-directional mechanical pushers to apply force to stacked cells during automated sorting to align their edges. However, the grid lines of the cells have a certain height. When the mechanical pushers apply force, the cells stacked together due to gravity will experience relative displacement, causing the grid lines of one cell to scratch the grid lines or surface of adjacent cells, thus affecting the yield rate. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application aims to solve at least one technical problem existing in the prior art. Specifically, the embodiments of this application provide a battery pack sorting device to solve the problem that when the battery pack sorting device sorts the battery cells, the grid lines of the battery cells scratch the grid lines of adjacent battery cells or the surface of the battery cells.

[0004] The objective of this application can be achieved through the following technical solutions: This application provides a sheet sorting device for a material box, the sheet sorting device comprising: The support plate has a positioning station on its upper surface for placing the material box; The positioning mechanism, located on the support plate, is configured to fix the material box at the positioning station; The air knife mechanism is connected to the air supply equipment. The air knife mechanism includes at least one air knife assembly. The air knife assembly has an air outlet with an opening facing the battery cells in the material box. The air supply equipment blows airflow into the battery cells to be sorted in the material box through the air outlet of the air knife mechanism. The pusher mechanism includes at least two pusher assemblies on adjacent sides of the material box at the positioning station. Each pusher assembly is configured to extend from a corresponding clearance opening on the side wall of the material box when air is blown from the air outlet, so as to push the battery cells to be aligned.

[0005] This application uses a positioning mechanism to first position the material box at the positioning station. When the pusher mechanism pushes the battery cells in the material box to straighten them, the air knife mechanism blows air to create air gaps between the battery cells, reducing frictional resistance and preventing the grid lines of the battery cells from scratching the grid lines or surface of adjacent battery cells. After straightening, the edges of the battery cells in the box are aligned, which is convenient for use in subsequent stations. This reduces the probability of collisions between adjacent battery cells, reduces the breakage rate, and thus improves the yield of battery cells.

[0006] Optionally, the air knife mechanism may include four air knife assemblies, which are arranged in pairs facing each other, with two of the air knife assemblies having perpendicular air blowing directions.

[0007] By setting four air knife components in the air knife mechanism, with two pairs facing each other and the air blowing directions of the two air knife components perpendicular, the airflow acts on the battery cell from multiple directions, forming a more comprehensive and uniform airflow coverage, further reducing the friction of the battery cell in various directions and improving the alignment effect.

[0008] Optionally, the air knife assembly has at least one air outlet extending in a vertical direction or a plurality of air holes arranged in a vertical direction.

[0009] By arranging the air outlets or vents of the air knife assembly vertically, the stack height of the battery cells covered by the airflow or the total height of the battery cells floating under the action of the air knife can be increased, allowing the airflow to penetrate into the gaps between the battery cells more evenly. This ensures that the airflow effectively breaks the gravitational effect between adjacent battery cells and improves the loosening effect of the battery cells during the alignment process.

[0010] Optionally, the positioning mechanism includes a first limiting member, a second limiting member, and a side-pushing assembly; The first limiting member and the second limiting member are respectively disposed adjacent to the first side wall and the second side wall of the material box on the positioning station; The side push assembly includes a side push drive and two side push members. Both side push members are mounted on the drive end of the side push drive. The side push drive is configured to drive the two side push members to move simultaneously, so that they abut against and push the adjacent third and fourth side walls of the material box, until the first side wall of the material box abuts against the first limiting member and the second side wall of the material box abuts against the second limiting member.

[0011] The first and second limiting components provide reference positioning for the length and width of the material box. The two side pushers of the side push assembly, driven by the side push drive, simultaneously push the adjacent third and fourth side walls of the material box, so that the material box is accurately fixed at the positioning station. This provides a stable foundation for the subsequent regularization operation of the push plate mechanism and ensures the regularization accuracy.

[0012] Optionally, the pusher mechanism includes a mounting plate, which is located below the support plate and connected to the support plate; The pusher assembly includes a regular pusher plate, a guide plate, and an eccentric wheel mechanism, wherein: The push plate is vertically installed on the guide plate; The guide plate is slidably connected to the mounting plate via the first linear guide rail, and the sliding direction is perpendicular to the corresponding side wall of the material box. The guide plate is also provided with a hollowed-out guide area. The eccentric wheel mechanism includes a first motor and an eccentric bearing block. The first motor is mounted on the mounting plate, and the eccentric bearing block is mounted on the drive end of the first motor and extends into the guide area of ​​the guide plate. The eccentric bearing is configured to rotate under the drive of the first motor, driving the guide plate and the straightening push plate to reciprocate along the first linear guide rail to straighten the battery cells.

[0013] By placing the mounting plate of the pusher mechanism below and connecting it to the support plate, the aligning pusher is vertically mounted on the guide plate. The guide plate and the mounting plate are slidably connected through the first linear guide rail. The eccentric wheel mechanism drives the guide plate and the aligning pusher to reciprocate along the first linear guide rail, realizing periodic light pushing operation. This avoids excessive compression of the battery cells caused by continuous thrust. Combined with the air gap effect, it further reduces the risk of battery cell friction damage and improves the precision and safety of alignment.

[0014] Optionally, the pusher assembly also includes a second linear guide and an elastic element. The regular pusher is slidably connected to the guide plate via the second linear guide and elastically connected to the guide plate via the elastic element. The telescopic axis of the elastic element and the guiding direction of the second linear guide are both parallel to the guiding direction of the first linear guide.

[0015] In the pusher assembly, the aligning pusher and the guide plate are slidably connected by the second linear guide rail and elastically connected by the elastic element. When the aligning pusher encounters resistance, it can compress the spring backward, so that the aligning pusher adapts to the friction between the stacked cells, avoiding local pressure concentration due to rigid contact, and reducing the risk of cell wear and edge cracking.

[0016] Optionally, the pusher mechanism also includes a third linear guide and a first linear drive, and the pusher mechanism includes two pusher assemblies with their pushing directions perpendicular to each other; The mounting plate is slidably connected to the support plate via a third linear guide rail, and two push plate assemblies are mounted on the mounting plate. The fixed end of the first linear drive is fixedly connected to the carrier plate, and the driving end of the first linear drive is fixedly connected to the mounting plate. The first linear drive is configured to drive the mounting plate to move along the third linear guide rail to adjust the position of the regular push plates of the two push plate assemblies, so that the two regular push plates are in the appropriate position, which can extend into the material box from the opening of the material box to contact and push the regularized battery cells, or move away from the material box to prevent interference.

[0017] By combining the first linear drive and the eccentric wheel mechanism, the first linear drive can move the mounting plate, causing the straightening pushers of the two pusher assemblies to move closer to or further away from the battery cells. When they move closer, the edge of the battery cell to be straightened in the box is within the travel range of the straightening pusher, and the eccentric wheel mechanism drives the straightening pusher to perform a small-range reciprocating motion to smoothly perform the straightening process. When picking up or placing the box, the first linear drive drives the mounting plate to move, causing the straightening pusher to move away from the box, preventing interference and collisions during the picking up or placing of the box.

[0018] Optionally, the material box sorting device also includes a rotary motor and a rotary shaft connected to the drive end of the rotary motor. The positioning mechanism, the air knife mechanism and the push plate mechanism are all set on the support plate. The support plate is fixedly installed on the rotary shaft. The rotary motor is configured to rotate forward at least a first preset angle or reverse a first preset angle to switch the material box posture.

[0019] The rotating motor can drive the material box to rotate through the support plate, so that the battery cells in the material box are in an inclined position. The static friction between adjacent battery cells is reduced, making them more loose and easier to organize.

[0020] Optionally, the central axis of the rotating shaft is not perpendicular to any side wall of the material box located at the positioning station.

[0021] This allows a corner of the inner wall of the material box to be at its lowest point after changing its orientation, making it easier to use the inner walls on both sides of that corner to impact and straighten the battery cells.

[0022] Optionally, each of the air knife assemblies includes an air knife and a second linear drive, the air knife being disposed at the drive end of the second linear drive, the second linear drive being configured to drive the corresponding air knife assembly toward or away from the corresponding side wall of the material box.

[0023] With the cooperation of the air knife and the second linear drive, the second linear drive can drive the air knife to approach or move away from the corresponding side wall of the material box, ensuring that the airflow acts on the gap between the cells with the best pressure, avoiding airflow attenuation or excessive impact due to distance. After the cells are sorted, the air knife assembly can be retracted to avoid interference with the loading and unloading of the material box.

[0024] Optionally, the pusher mechanism includes four pusher assemblies, which are respectively located on the four sides of the material box at the positioning station, and the pushing direction of each pusher assembly is perpendicular to the side wall of its corresponding material box.

[0025] The pusher mechanism has four pusher components located on the four sides of the material box. The pushing direction of each pusher component is perpendicular to the corresponding side wall of the material box, which can realize simultaneous multi-directional or single-directional pushing, providing a more comprehensive and flexible pushing method for the alignment of battery cells, and improving the comprehensiveness and flexibility of alignment.

[0026] Optionally, the feeder assembly further includes a cover blocking assembly, which includes: The lifting drive component is fixedly mounted on the support plate; A blocking cover, located at the drive end of the lifting drive and extending at least partially above the material box at the positioning station, is configured to prevent the battery cells from leaving the material box at least during the alignment process.

[0027] The cover plate blocking assembly is designed to prevent the cells from leaving the storage box during the straightening process. This avoids cell breakage and ensures the safe and stable straightening process. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The present application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the feed box sheet handling device in one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a top view of the feed box sheet handling device in one embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the air knife mechanism in one embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the air knife assembly in one embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the pusher mechanism in one embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the pusher assembly in one embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a top perspective view of the assembly structure of the support plate and the mounting plate in one embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a bottom perspective view of the assembly structure of the support plate and the mounting plate in one embodiment of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the cover plate blocking assembly in one embodiment of this application.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 100. Support plate; 200. Positioning mechanism; 201. First limiting component; 202. Side push assembly; 2021. Side push drive component; 2022. Side push component; 300. Air knife mechanism; 301. Air knife assembly; 3011. Air outlet; 3012. Air knife; 3013. Second linear drive component; 400. Push plate mechanism; 401. Push plate assembly; 4011. Regularizing push plate; 4012. Guide plate; 4013. Guide area; 4014. First electric... Machine; 4015, Eccentric bearing block; 4016, First linear guide rail; 4017, Second linear guide rail; 4018, Elastic element; 402, Mounting plate; 403, First linear drive component; 404, Third linear guide rail; 500, Rotary motor; 600, Cover plate blocking assembly; 601, Lifting drive component; 602, Blocking cover plate; 700, Material box; 701, First side wall; 702, Third side wall; 703, Second side wall; 704, Fourth side wall. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0032] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, this application provides a material box sorting device, which includes a support plate 100, a positioning mechanism 200, an air knife mechanism 300, and a push plate mechanism 400.

[0033] The support plate 100 is a horizontally positioned plate, and its shape can be determined according to actual needs, without specific restrictions. The upper surface of the support plate 100 is provided with a positioning station, which is an area artificially marked on the upper surface of the support plate 100. The size of the positioning station is adapted to the bottom surface of the material box 700 and is used to place the material box 700.

[0034] The positioning mechanism 200 is installed on the support plate 100 and is configured to securely fix the material box 700 at the positioning station to prevent the material box 700 from shifting during subsequent cell sorting operations, thus providing a basic guarantee for the accurate sorting of the cells.

[0035] The air knife mechanism 300 is connected to an air source device (not shown) via an air passage and includes at least one air knife assembly 301. Each air knife assembly 301 has an air outlet 3011, which faces the battery cells inside the material box 700. Through an air pipe connection, the air knife assembly 301 can obtain compressed air from the air source device (such as an air compressor) and precisely blow it through the air outlet 3011 into the gaps between the stacked battery cells in the material box 700 at the positioning station.

[0036] The pusher mechanism 400 includes at least two pusher assemblies 401, respectively disposed on adjacent sides of the material box 700 at the positioning station. When the air knife assembly 301 blows air, each pusher assembly 401 can extend into the corresponding clearance opening on the side wall of the material box 700 to straighten the solar cells. On the one hand, at least two pusher assemblies 401 can act simultaneously from adjacent sides of the solar cells to achieve vertical edge alignment of the solar cells, significantly improving straightening efficiency. On the other hand, when the pusher assemblies 401 straighten, the air knife assembly 301 simultaneously blows out a high-speed airflow, using the airflow to resist the gravitational force between adjacent solar cells, creating an air gap between the solar cells in advance, greatly reducing friction between the solar cells, preventing the grid lines of one solar cell from scratching the grid lines or surface of adjacent solar cells, improving the yield of solar cells, and ensuring that the solar cells maintain integrity and performance during the straightening process.

[0037] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, in some embodiments, the positioning mechanism 200 includes a first limiting member 201, a second limiting member (not shown), and a side-pushing component 202.

[0038] Generally speaking, the shape of the material box 700 is roughly rectangular.

[0039] The first limiting member 201 and the second limiting member (not shown) are respectively disposed adjacent to the first side wall 701 and the second side wall 703 of the material box 700, serving as a reference limiting structure for positioning the material box 700.

[0040] The first limiting member 201 consists of two limiting rollers spaced apart along the length of the first side wall 701 of the material box 700. These rollers are mounted on the upper surface of the support plate 100 via a rotating shaft, with the rotation axis perpendicular to the upper surface of the support plate 100. The limiting rollers can roll and limit movement along the first side wall 701, effectively reducing friction between the rollers and the material box 700. The second limiting member is a limiting pin located at the center of the second side wall 703 of the material box 700 at the positioning station, used to constrain the position of the second side wall 703 of the material box 700. For example, the limiting pin can be a cylindrical pin, with its lower end inserted into a blind hole in the support plate 100, and the remaining part of the cylindrical pin used to limit the position of the material box 700. It should be noted that the specific forms of the first limiting member 201 and the second limiting member can be flexibly adjusted according to actual working conditions, and are not limited here.

[0041] The side-push assembly 202 includes a side-push drive 2021 and two side-push members 2022, both of which are mounted on the drive end of the side-push drive 2021. The side-push drive 2021 can drive the two side-push members 2022 to move synchronously, so that they respectively abut against and push the adjacent third side wall 702 and fourth side wall 704 of the material box 700 until the first side wall 701 of the material box 700 is tightly abutted against the first limiting member 201, and the second side wall 703 of the material box 700 is precisely fitted with the second limiting member, thereby achieving precise fixation of the material box 700 at the positioning station.

[0042] Specifically, the side-push drive component 2021 employs a cylinder to synchronously advance two side-push components 2022 along the diagonal direction of the material box 700 at the positioning station. Both side-push components 2022 utilize a roller structure, mounted on the drive end of the three-axis cylinder via a rotating shaft, with the rollers axially aligned along the height direction of the material box 700. This roller structure significantly reduces wear between the rollers and the material box 700 during side-push operation through rotational contact, extending the service life of the side-push components 2022, while ensuring uniform force distribution and smooth movement of the material box 700, thereby achieving precise positioning. Similarly, the specific forms of the side-push drive component 2021 and the side-push components 2022 can be adjusted according to actual working conditions and are not limited to a single form.

[0043] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, in some embodiments, the air knife mechanism 300 includes four air knife assemblies 301, which are arranged in pairs facing each other. The air outlets 3011 of one set of air knife assemblies 301 (located on both sides of the material box 700 along its length) face the center of the material box 700, and the air blowing direction is parallel to the length direction of the material box 700. The air outlets 3011 of the other set of air knife assemblies 301 (located on both sides of the material box 700 along its width) face the center of the material box 700, and the air blowing direction is parallel to the width direction of the material box 700. The air blowing directions of the two sets of air knife assemblies 301 are perpendicular to each other, so that the airflow acts on the battery cells from multiple directions, forming a more comprehensive and uniform airflow coverage, further increasing the spacing between adjacent battery cells, reducing the friction during alignment, and improving the alignment effect.

[0044] In other embodiments, the number and position of the air knife assemblies 301 can be adjusted according to actual needs. The material box 700 has four sides, so for example, when only one air knife assembly 301 is provided, it can be located on one of the sides of the material box 700; or, for example, when two air knife assemblies 301 are provided, they are located on two adjacent sides or two opposite sides of the material box 700, and together blow air onto the battery cells in the box; similarly, three air knife assemblies 301 can also be provided, which correspond to three of the sides of the material box 700 respectively.

[0045] Alternatively, the air blowing direction of the air knife assembly 301 is perpendicular to the side wall of the corresponding material box 700.

[0046] Furthermore, multiple air knife assemblies 301 (e.g., two or three) can be arranged along the length of the side of a single material box 700. The specific number can be determined according to actual needs and is not specifically limited here.

[0047] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, each of the air knife assembly 301 includes an air knife 3012 and a second linear drive member 3013, wherein the air knife 3012 is disposed at the drive end of the second linear drive member 3013, and the second linear drive member 3013 is configured to drive the corresponding air knife assembly 301 to move closer to or away from the battery cell in the box from one side of the corresponding side wall of the material box 700.

[0048] Specifically, the air outlet 3011 is located on the air knife 3012, and the air knife 3012 has an air passage that communicates with the air outlet 3011. The air source device is connected to the air passage of the air knife 3012 through an air pipe. Each air knife 3012 is fixedly connected to the piston rod of the corresponding second linear drive 3013 (such as a miniature cylinder) through a connecting plate. The second linear drive 3013 is mounted on a bracket on the edge of the support plate 100, and the driving direction is perpendicular to the corresponding side wall of the material box 700. The initial distance between the air knife 3012 and the side wall of the material box 700 can be 20-100mm. When it is necessary to straighten the battery cells, the second linear drive 3013 pushes the air knife 3012 closer to the material box 700, so that the air outlet 3011 extends into the clearance opening on the side wall of the material box 700. This ensures that the airflow acts on the gap between the battery cells with appropriate pressure, avoiding the possibility that the airflow will weaken due to excessive distance, resulting in the cells not being able to float; or that the airflow will be too strong due to excessive distance, resulting in the gap between the battery cells being too large and the cells floating too high. After straightening is completed, the air knife 3012 can be returned to its initial position to avoid interference with the loading and unloading actions of the material box 700, thus improving the compatibility of the automated production line.

[0049] Please see Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the air knife 3012 is a long strip structure with at least one slit-type air outlet 3011 extending continuously in the vertical direction. The width of the air outlet 3011 is 0.1-5mm, and the length of the air outlet 3011 is approximately the same as the height of the material box 700 or the height of the battery cells in the box, with a difference of no more than 30mm, so as to ensure that the airflow can penetrate into the gaps generated by the stacking of battery cells in the horizontal direction.

[0050] In other embodiments, the air knife 3012 is a multi-hole nozzle (not shown) with at least one row of air holes of 0.5-1mm in diameter (hole spacing 0.5-15mm) evenly distributed in the vertical direction. The axis of each air hole is perpendicular to the side wall of the material box 700. The distribution path of each row of air holes matches the height of the material box 700 or the maximum height of the battery cells after floating in the box, ensuring that air is blown between each layer of battery cells.

[0051] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the push plate mechanism 400 includes a mounting plate 402, which is a horizontal plate structure, located below the support plate 100 and slidably connected to the support plate 100. The specific form of the mounting plate 402 can be set according to the actual working conditions, and is not specifically limited here.

[0052] Taking one of the pusher plate assemblies 401 as an example, the pusher plate assembly 401 includes a regular pusher plate 4011, a guide plate 4012, and an eccentric wheel mechanism. The guide plate 4012 is a plate-shaped structure located between the mounting plate 402 and the support plate 100. The two guide plates 4012 are slidably connected to the mounting plate 402 via two sets of first linear guide rails 4016. The first linear guide rail 4016 includes a matching slide rail and a slider, and its guiding sliding direction is perpendicular to the corresponding side wall of the material box 700. A hollowed-out guide area 4013 is provided in the middle of the guide plate 4012. The guide area 4013 is roughly rectangular, but can also be elliptical or other shapes.

[0053] The alignment pusher plate 4011 is vertically positioned above the guide plate 4012, and its lower end is connected to the guide plate 4012. A buffer pad is provided on the side of the alignment pusher plate 4011 that contacts the solar cell. The buffer pad can be made of flexible materials such as rubber or silicone to prevent rigid contact between the alignment pusher plate 4011 and the solar cell, thus avoiding collision damage.

[0054] The eccentric wheel mechanism includes a first motor 4014 and an eccentric bearing block 4015. The first motor 4014, which may be a servo motor, is fixedly mounted on the lower surface of the mounting plate 402, and its motor shaft passes through the mounting plate 402 and connects to the eccentric bearing block 4015. The eccentric bearing block 4015 extends into the guide area 4013 of the guide plate 4012. The eccentric bearing block 4015 includes a body and a bearing. The body is fixedly mounted on the drive end of the servo motor, and the bearing is mounted on the body, meaning the inner ring of the bearing is fixedly connected to the body. The bearing is also located within the guide area 4013 of the guide plate 4012. When the servo motor operates, at a certain moment, a portion of the outer surface of the bearing's outer ring contacts a portion of the inner wall of the guide area 4013 of the guide plate 4012.

[0055] Taking one of the pusher plate components 401 as an example, if the distance between the outer ring of the bearing and the center of the bearing is r; the maximum distance between the rotation axis of the servo motor drive end and the eccentric bearing block 4015 in the projection on the horizontal plane is R, that is, under the drive of the servo motor, the eccentric bearing block 4015 performs a circular motion with the motor drive end as the center and R as the radius; the length of the guide area 4013 along the movement direction of the regular pusher plate 4011 is L1, and the length of the guide area 4013 along the direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the regular pusher plate 4011 is L2, then L1>=2r, R <L1<2R,L2> =2R. Of these three inequalities, the first inequality ensures that the guide area 4013 accommodates the bearing of the eccentric bearing block 4015; the second inequality ensures that when the stepper motor drives the eccentric bearing block 4015, the bearing of the eccentric bearing block 4015 abuts against the guide area 4013 and transmits power to the guide plate 4012 along the direction of movement of the regularizing push plate 4011; the third inequality ensures that when the stepper motor drives the eccentric bearing block 4015, the bearing will not transmit a force to the guide plate 4012 along the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the regularizing push plate 4011.

[0056] The eccentric wheel mechanism is configured such that when the first motor 4014 drives the eccentric bearing block 4015 to rotate, the eccentric motion of the eccentric bearing block 4015 is converted into the reciprocating motion of the guide plate 4012 along the first linear guide rail 4016, which in turn drives the sizing push plate 4011 to reciprocate synchronously, so as to repeatedly push the battery cells in the material box 700 to achieve sizing.

[0057] The eccentric wheel mechanism converts the rotational motion of the first motor 4014 into the reciprocating linear motion of the regular push plate 4011, enabling periodic light pushing operations (e.g., 1-2 times per second or more). This design avoids excessive compression of the solar cells due to continuous thrust, and, combined with the floating effect of airflow, further reduces the risk of frictional damage to the solar cells.

[0058] In addition, the structure of the other pusher assembly can be set with reference to pusher assembly 401, and will not be described in detail here.

[0059] Please see Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the pusher assembly 401 further includes a second linear guide 4017 and an elastic element 4018, wherein: The alignment pusher plate 4011 is slidably connected to the guide plate 4012 via two sets of second linear guide rails 4017. The guiding direction of the second linear guide rails 4017 is parallel to the guiding direction of the first linear guide rail 4016. An elastic element 4018 (such as a compression spring) is provided between the alignment pusher plate 4011 and the guide plate 4012. The extension axis of the elastic element 4018 is parallel to the guiding direction of the second linear guide rails 4017, and both ends of the elastic element 4018 are fixed or abutted against the mounting bases of the guide plate 4012 and the alignment pusher plate 4011, respectively. When the alignment pusher plate 4011 is driven, it will elastically contact the battery cell, avoiding excessive impact force on the battery cell and reducing the risk of edge breakage of the battery cell.

[0060] Please see Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, in some embodiments, the pusher mechanism 400 further includes a first linear drive 403 and a third linear guide 404 (including a slider and a guide rail). The pusher mechanism 400 may include two pusher assemblies 401 with mutually perpendicular pushing directions. The two pusher assemblies 401 are respectively disposed on one side of the third side wall 702 and the fourth side wall 704 of the material box 700, wherein: The third linear guide 404 is arranged between the support plate 100 and the mounting plate 402, and the third linear guide 404 is not perpendicular to the plane of any outer side wall of the material box 700. For example, the guiding direction of the third linear guide 404 forms a 45° angle with both the third side wall 702 and the fourth side wall 704. The mounting plate 402 is slidably connected to the support plate 100 through two parallel third linear guides 404. Both push plate assemblies 401 are located on the upper surface of the mounting plate 402, and their regular push plates 4011 partially extend above the support plate 100 and are located on the corresponding side of the material box 700, with their pushing directions perpendicular to the adjacent side walls of the material box 700.

[0061] The first linear drive unit 403 is a combination of a cylinder, electric cylinder, servo motor, and linear module, etc. Its fixed end is fixedly connected to the support plate 100, and its driving end is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the mounting plate 402, with its axis parallel to the third linear guide rail 404. The first linear drive unit 403 is configured to drive the mounting plate 402 to move along the third linear guide rail 404 and stop / fix it at a predetermined position. At this time, the straightening push plates 4011 of the two push plate assemblies 401 will approach the battery cells in the material box 700 along the length and width directions of the material box 700, respectively, so that the edge of the battery cell in the box is in the straightening stroke of the straightening push plate 4011, thereby realizing the synchronous straightening action of the battery cell in the length and width directions. Moreover, the specific position of the edge of the battery cell in the straightening stroke can be adjusted more precisely to adjust the straightening amplitude of each straightening action.

[0062] In addition, the first linear drive 403 can also drive the mounting plate 402 to move in the opposite direction, so that the two push plate assemblies 401 are away from the material box 700, which facilitates the picking and placing of the material box 700 and avoids interference and collision between the push plate assembly 401 and other components.

[0063] This application achieves joint drive by the first linear drive component 403 and the eccentric wheel mechanism. The first linear drive component 403 can move through the drive mounting plate 402, causing the regular push plates 4011 of the two push plate assemblies 401 to approach and contact the battery cell. During the process of gradually approaching the battery cell, the eccentric wheel mechanism drives the regular push plate 4011 to perform a short-stroke high-frequency reciprocating motion to finely adjust the battery cell. It also achieves the problem of avoiding interference when the push plate assembly 401 is away from the material box 700 during the picking and placing of the material box 700.

[0064] In other embodiments, the pusher mechanism 400 includes four pusher assemblies 401, respectively disposed on the four outer sides of the material box 700 at the positioning station. The pushing direction of each pusher assembly 401 is perpendicular to the side wall of its corresponding material box 700, and the clearance openings on the four side walls of the material box 700 are all located in the moving path of the pusher 4011 regulated by the corresponding pusher assembly 401. In addition, the four sets of pusher assemblies 401 can be driven by independent eccentric wheel mechanisms and first linear drive members 403. Through this driving method, the pusher assembly 401 can achieve unidirectional pushing or multidirectional simultaneous pushing.

[0065] Please see Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the cell sorting device further includes a rotary motor 500 and a rotary shaft (not shown) connected to the drive end of the rotary motor 500. The positioning mechanism 200, the air knife mechanism 300, and the push plate mechanism 400 are all mounted on the support plate 100. The support plate 100 is fixedly mounted on the rotary shaft. The rotary motor 500 is configured to alternately rotate forward and reverse by a first preset angle to switch the posture of the cell sorting box 700. More specifically, when the support plate 100 is driven to a horizontal posture, it can receive the cell sorting box 700 delivered by a person or a robot, or wait for a person or a robot to remove the sorted cell sorting box 700 in a horizontal posture. When the support plate 100 is driven to an inclined posture, the cell sorting box 700 on it also becomes inclined, reducing the pressure between the cell sorting boxes and thus reducing friction.

[0066] The first, second, and third preset angles can all be selected from 50° to 100°. For example, the first preset angle can be 50°, 65°, 87°, or 100°; the second preset angle can be 57°, 69°, 97°, or 100°; and the third preset angle can be the same as the second preset angle but in the opposite direction of rotation.

[0067] Specifically, the rotating motor 500 can be a servo motor and is connected to the rotating shaft through a reducer. The rotating shaft is vertically fixed at the center of the bottom surface of the support plate 100.

[0068] Furthermore, to make the solar cells easier to straighten, the rotating motor 500 can continuously change the tilt angle of the support plate 100 alternately in the forward and reverse directions after tilting the support plate 100 and the material box 700 it supports. This continuously shakes the material box 700, thereby shaking the solar cells in the box. After the solar cells slide, the airflow floats further loosen the overly tightly stacked solar cells, making it easier to straighten them.

[0069] Please see Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the central axis of the rotating shaft is not perpendicular to any side wall of the material box 700 located at the positioning station, so that when the material box is driven into an inclined posture, one of the inner corners of the material box is at its lowest point. As a result, when the straightening push plate 4011 moves away from the battery cell in the box during the straightening process, the two lower edges of the battery cell flexibly impact the inner wall of the material box, which also has a certain straightening effect and reduces the time required for straightening.

[0070] Specifically, the angle between the central axis of the rotating shaft and the first side wall 701 of the material box 700 can be arbitrarily selected from 5° to 60°. For example, the angle can be 45°, 15°, 22°, 5°, etc.

[0071] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 9 As shown, in some embodiments, the cell sorting device further includes a cover plate blocking assembly 600, the number of which can be flexibly configured as one or more according to actual needs. Taking a configuration with two cover plate blocking assemblies 600 as an example, the two cover plate blocking assemblies 600 are respectively arranged on the outer side of the second side wall 703 and the fourth side wall 704 of the cell 700 to prevent the cells from being detached from the cell 700 and generating fragments due to air blowing and / or rotation.

[0072] Each cover blocking assembly 600 includes a lifting drive 601 and a blocking cover 602. The lifting drive 601 is fixedly mounted on the support plate 100; the blocking cover 602 is located at the driving end of the lifting drive 601 and extends at least partially above the material box 700 at the positioning station, and is configured to block the top of the solar cells before, during, or after alignment to prevent the solar cells from leaving the material box.

[0073] Specifically, the lifting drive component 601 can be a cylinder, which is vertically fixed to the edge of the support plate 100 and located on one side of the positioning station. The blocking cover plate 602 is a flat plate structure, located above the positioning station, and its bottom surface is covered with a silicone pad. The blocking cover plate 602 is fixedly connected to the drive end of the lifting drive component 601 through a horizontal connecting rod.

[0074] Optionally, after the battery cells are aligned, the lifting drive 601 can drive the blocking cover 602 to descend, so that the silicone pad presses against the top of the battery cell stack, applying a preset pressure to keep the battery cell stack stable, and then rotates back to the horizontal position to prevent the battery cells from shifting or tilting again due to vibration during the adjustment of the material box 700.

[0075] Alternatively, before the cell straightening process begins, the lifting drive 601 can drive the blocking cover 602 to descend at least partially into the material box 700, maintaining a certain distance from the cell inside the box. This arrangement can prevent the straightened cell from falling out of the material box 700 due to tilting or shaking, without affecting the loosening of the cell inside the box.

[0076] The foregoing has provided a detailed description of one embodiment of this application, but the description is merely a preferred embodiment and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. All equivalent variations and modifications made within the scope of this application should still fall within the patent coverage of this application.

[0077] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this application do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Descriptions in this application regarding directions such as "left," "right," "left side," "right side," "upper part," "lower part," "top," and "bottom" are defined based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, not to indicate or imply that the described structure must be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting this application. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0078] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

Claims

1. A sheet handling device for a material box, characterized in that, The sheet sorting device includes: A support plate, the upper surface of which is provided with a positioning station for placing a material box; A positioning mechanism, disposed on the support plate, is configured to fix the material box at the positioning station; An air knife mechanism is connected to an air source device. The air knife mechanism includes at least one air knife assembly. The air knife assembly has an air outlet that faces the battery cells in the material box. The air source device blows airflow into the battery cells to be sorted in the material box through the air outlet of the air knife mechanism. The pusher mechanism includes at least two pusher assemblies located on adjacent sides of the material box at the positioning station. Each pusher assembly is configured to extend from a corresponding clearance opening on the side wall of the material box when air is blown from the air outlet, so as to push the battery cells to be aligned.

2. The material box sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air knife mechanism includes four air knife assemblies, which are arranged in pairs facing each other, with two of the air knife assemblies having perpendicular air blowing directions.

3. The material box sheet sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air knife assembly has at least one air outlet extending in the vertical direction or several air holes arranged in the vertical direction.

4. The material box sheet sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning mechanism includes a first limiting member, a second limiting member, and a side-pushing assembly; The first limiting member and the second limiting member are respectively disposed adjacent to the first side wall and the second side wall of the material box on the positioning station; The side-push assembly includes a side-push drive and two side-push members. Both side-push members are mounted on the drive end of the side-push drive. The side-push drive is configured to drive the two side-push members to move simultaneously, so that they respectively abut against and push the adjacent third and fourth side walls of the material box until the first side wall of the material box abuts against the first limiting member and the second side wall of the material box abuts against the second limiting member.

5. The material box sheet sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pusher mechanism includes a mounting plate, which is located below the support plate and connected to the support plate. The pusher assembly includes a regular pusher plate, a guide plate, and an eccentric wheel mechanism, wherein: The alignment push plate is vertically mounted on the guide plate; The guide plate is slidably connected to the mounting plate via a first linear guide rail, and the sliding direction is perpendicular to the corresponding side wall of the material box. The guide plate is provided with a hollowed-out guide area. The eccentric wheel mechanism includes a first motor and an eccentric bearing block. The first motor is mounted on the mounting plate, and the eccentric bearing block is mounted on the drive end of the first motor and extends into the guide area of ​​the guide plate. The eccentric bearing is configured to rotate under the drive of the first motor, driving the guide plate and the straightening push plate to reciprocate along the first linear guide rail to straighten the battery cells.

6. The material box sheet sorting device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The pusher assembly further includes a second linear guide rail and an elastic element. The regular pusher is slidably connected to the guide plate via the second linear guide rail and elastically connected to the guide plate via the elastic element. The telescopic axis of the elastic element and the guiding direction of the second linear guide rail are both parallel to the guiding direction of the first linear guide rail.

7. The material box sheet sorting device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The push plate mechanism further includes a third linear guide rail and a first linear drive component. The push plate mechanism includes two push plate assemblies, and their pushing directions are perpendicular to each other. The mounting plate is slidably connected to the bearing plate via the third linear guide rail, and the two push plate assemblies are disposed on the mounting plate; The fixed end of the first linear drive member is fixedly connected to the support plate, and the driving end of the first linear drive member is fixedly connected to the mounting plate. The first linear drive member is configured to drive the mounting plate to move along the third linear guide rail to adjust the position of the regular push plates of the two push plate assemblies.

8. The material box sheet sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material box sorting device also includes a rotating motor and a rotating shaft connected to the drive end of the rotating motor. The positioning mechanism, the air knife mechanism and the push plate mechanism are all disposed on the support plate. The support plate is fixedly installed on the rotating shaft. The rotating motor is configured to rotate forward at least a first preset angle or reverse a first preset angle to switch the material box posture.

9. The sheet handling device for the material box according to claim 8, characterized in that, The central axis of the rotating shaft is not perpendicular to any side wall of the material box located at the positioning station.

10. The sheet handling device for the material box according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the air knife assemblies includes an air knife and a second linear drive, the air knife being disposed at the drive end of the second linear drive, the second linear drive being configured to drive the corresponding air knife toward or away from the corresponding side wall of the material box.

11. The sheet handling device for the material box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pusher mechanism includes four pusher assemblies, which are respectively located on the four sides of the material box at the positioning station, and the pushing direction of each pusher assembly is perpendicular to the side wall of its corresponding material box.

12. The sheet handling apparatus for a feeding box according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The material box sheet handling device further includes a cover plate blocking assembly, which includes: The lifting drive component is fixedly mounted on the support plate; A blocking cover, located at the drive end of the lifting drive and extending at least partially above the material box at the positioning station, is configured to prevent the battery cells from leaving the material box at least during the alignment process.

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