Electrode face automatic masking and spraying device

Abstract

This invention provides an automatic electrode surface masking and spraying device, relating to the field of battery cell production technology. It includes a ring track conveyor, a wire-connected masking mechanism, UV spraying equipment, and a control system. The ring track conveyor enables the battery cell to circulate, eliminating return travel waste. The wire-connected masking blocks match the contours of the battery cell electrodes, explosion-proof windows, QR codes, and other protected areas, ensuring a tight fit and preventing contamination. The UV spraying equipment is located above the masking mechanism and can move along the conveying direction, adapting to battery cells of different sizes. The masking blocks provide gentle contact without scratches or residue, and the spraying parameters are fixed and highly consistent. This device improves production efficiency and spraying accuracy, enhances adaptability, reduces quality inspection rework rates, and is suitable for UV coating protection of electrode surfaces in the production of power and energy storage battery cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery cell manufacturing technology, and in particular to an automatic electrode surface shielding spraying device. Background Technology

[0002] With the growth in electric vehicle sales and the country's strong advocacy for low-carbon and green energy, the market demand for power batteries and energy storage batteries has exploded. As the core unit of battery modules, the battery cell must ensure that the insulation performance of the casing meets the standards during production and assembly. Furthermore, key areas such as electrodes, explosion-proof windows, and QR codes must be strictly protected from UV coating, otherwise it will lead to battery cell performance failure or unclear markings.

[0003] Currently, the mainstream process in the industry is manual masking, which involves manually applying masking tape or installing prefabricated components to complete the positioning and spraying, followed by manual removal of the masking material. This process relies on manual operation and suffers from problems such as low efficiency (unable to adapt to the high-speed operation of automated production lines), insufficient precision (manual positioning is prone to misalignment, resulting in contamination of protected areas or incomplete spraying of unprotected areas), high quality risk (removing and installing masking materials can easily scratch the battery cells or leave adhesive residue), and poor compatibility (straight-line conveying makes continuous production difficult, and adjustments for different battery cells are cumbersome), thus restricting the improvement of battery cell production capacity and quality.

[0004] Based on this, the present invention provides an automatic electrode surface masking spraying device to solve one or more of the problems mentioned above. Utility Model Content

[0005] This invention provides an automatic electrode surface masking spraying device to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution, including a ring track conveying device, a wire longitudinal and transverse connection masking mechanism, and a UV spraying equipment. The ring track conveying device is installed inside the guide rail bracket, and the wire longitudinal and transverse connection masking mechanism and the UV spraying equipment are installed on the spraying bracket, with one side of the ring track conveying device located inside the spraying bracket.

[0007] Preferably, the circular track conveying device is placed longitudinally. The circular track conveying device includes a motor drive assembly and a battery cell tray. The motor drive assembly consists of a drive wheel, a chain, and a driven wheel. The motor drives the drive wheel to rotate, and the drive wheel drives the driven wheel to rotate through the chain, thereby driving the battery cell tray to move cyclically along the circular track.

[0008] Preferably, the battery cell tray is provided with a positioning block, and a locking groove is opened on one side of the positioning block. The positioning block is used to calibrate the battery cell posture when the robot arm puts the battery cell into the tray, so as to ensure that the position of the battery cell protection area is uniform.

[0009] Preferably, the circular track conveyor is equipped with a locking mechanism at the masking spraying station. The locking mechanism includes a photoelectric switch and a cylinder drive assembly. The photoelectric switch is used to achieve the initial positioning of the tray, and the cylinder drive assembly is used to achieve the secondary fine positioning and locking of the tray.

[0010] Preferably, the wire-connected shielding mechanism includes a shielding box and a lifting drive assembly. During the spraying operation, the lifting drive assembly drives the shielding box to descend and fit against the surface of the battery cell. After the spraying is completed, the lifting drive assembly drives the shielding box to rise to a safe height of not less than 50mm.

[0011] Preferably, the lifting drive assembly includes a support frame, which is fixedly mounted on the top of the spraying bracket. Linear guide rails are symmetrically installed on both sides of the support frame. A connecting plate is fixedly connected to the movable end of each set of linear guide rails. The bottom of the connecting plate is connected to the shielding box through a shielding baffle.

[0012] Preferably, the shielding box is equipped with several sets of shielding blocks, and the shielding blocks are connected in both directions by connecting wires. The outline of the shielding blocks is completely matched with the electrode, explosion-proof window and QR code protection area of ​​the battery cell.

[0013] Preferably, the shielding block is made of polytetrafluoroethylene material, the top of the shielding block is designed as a ridge structure, and the connecting wires are high-strength nylon wires.

[0014] Preferably, the UV spraying equipment includes a linear guide rail two mounted on a spraying bracket, and a spray gun mounted on the output end of the linear guide rail two via a spray gun bracket.

[0015] Preferably, the cylinder drive assembly includes a cylinder and a bearing housing. Both the cylinder and the bearing housing are mounted on the guide rail bracket. The rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the bearing housing. The Z-shaped lever is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. One end of the Z-shaped lever is equipped with a roller, and the other end of the Z-shaped lever is hinged to the output end of the cylinder. The roller is used to cooperate with the locking groove on the cell tray to achieve precise positioning.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0017] The circular track conveyor system enables the cyclical flow of battery cells, completely eliminating the return travel waste problem inherent in traditional linear conveying methods. This significantly improves the overall utilization rate and production efficiency of the equipment, and can efficiently adapt to the high-speed operation requirements of automated production lines. The shielding blocks, connected by interwoven threads, perfectly match the contours of the battery cell electrodes, explosion-proof windows, QR codes, and other protected areas, ensuring a tight fit and precise positioning. This effectively avoids the risk of contamination due to deviation of protected areas, ensuring that critical functional areas of the battery cell are not affected by the coating. The spraying equipment is positioned above the shielding equipment and can move flexibly back and forth along the conveying direction, allowing for rapid adaptation to battery cells of different sizes and specifications without requiring large-scale adjustments to the main structure of the equipment. This significantly enhances the equipment's adaptability to diverse production needs. Furthermore, the shielding blocks make gentle contact with the battery cell surface, preventing scratches on the battery cell casing and eliminating residue issues such as adhesive residue. In addition, the spraying parameters are kept fixed through equipment presets, ensuring high consistency in battery cell spraying quality. This effectively reduces the rework rate due to appearance or performance defects, guaranteeing stable and reliable product quality. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings are provided to further understand the present invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0019] In the attached diagram:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting drive assembly structure in this utility model;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the shielding box structure in this utility model;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the UV spraying equipment in this utility model;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the cylinder drive assembly structure in this utility model.

[0025] In the diagram: 1. Circular track conveyor; 2. Wire longitudinal and transverse connection masking mechanism; 3. UV spraying equipment; 4. Battery cell tray; 5. Battery cell; 6. Support frame; 7. Linear guide rail one; 8. Connecting plate; 9. Masking baffle; 10. Masking box; 11. Masking block; 12. Connecting wire; 13. Linear guide rail two; 14. Spray gun bracket; 15. Spray gun; 16. Spraying bracket; 17. Guide rail bracket; 18. Positioning block; 19. Locking groove; 20. Cylinder; 21. Bearing seat; 22. Rotating shaft; 23. Z-type lever; 24. Roller. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0027] Furthermore, in this utility model, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" is for descriptive purposes only and does not specifically refer to any order or sequence, nor is it intended to limit the utility model. They are merely used to distinguish components or operations described using the same technical terms, and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions and features of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0028] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" 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 mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0029] Please see Figures 1-5 This utility model provides a technical solution, including a ring track conveying device 1, a wire longitudinal and transverse connection masking mechanism 2, and a UV spraying equipment 3. The ring track conveying device 1 is installed in the guide rail bracket 17, the wire longitudinal and transverse connection masking mechanism 2 and the UV spraying equipment 3 are installed on the spraying bracket 16, and one side of the ring track conveying device 1 is located in the spraying bracket 16.

[0030] Preferably, the circular track conveying device 1 is placed longitudinally. The circular track conveying device 1 includes a motor drive assembly and a battery cell tray 4. The motor drive assembly consists of a drive wheel, a chain, and a driven wheel. The motor drives the drive wheel to rotate, and the drive wheel drives the driven wheel to rotate through the chain, thereby driving the battery cell tray 4 to move cyclically along the circular track.

[0031] Preferably, the battery cell tray 4 is provided with a positioning block 18, and a locking groove 19 is provided on one side of the positioning block 18. The positioning block 18 is used to calibrate the posture of the battery cell 5 when the robot arm puts the battery cell 5 into the tray, so as to ensure that the position of the protected area of ​​the battery cell 5 is uniform.

[0032] Preferably, the circular track conveyor 1 is equipped with a locking mechanism at the masking spraying station. The locking mechanism includes a photoelectric switch and a cylinder drive assembly. The photoelectric switch is used to achieve the initial positioning of the tray, and the cylinder drive assembly is used to achieve the secondary fine positioning and locking of the tray.

[0033] Preferably, the wire cross-connection masking mechanism 2 includes a masking box 10 and a lifting drive assembly. During the spraying operation, the lifting drive assembly drives the masking box 10 to descend and fit against the surface of the battery cell 5. After the spraying is completed, the lifting drive assembly drives the masking box 10 to rise to a safe height of not less than 50mm.

[0034] Preferably, the lifting drive assembly includes a support frame 6, which is fixedly mounted on the top of the spraying bracket 16. Linear guide rails 7 are symmetrically installed on both sides of the support frame 6. A connecting plate 8 is fixedly connected to the movable end of each set of linear guide rails 7. The bottom of the connecting plate 8 is connected to the shielding box 10 through a shielding baffle 9.

[0035] Preferably, the shielding box 10 is provided with several sets of shielding blocks 11, and the shielding blocks 11 are connected longitudinally and laterally by connecting wires 12. The outline of the shielding block 11 is completely matched with the electrode, explosion-proof window and QR code protection area of ​​the battery cell 5.

[0036] Preferably, the shielding block 11 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene material, the top of the shielding block 11 is designed as a ridge structure, and the connecting wire 12 is a high-strength nylon wire.

[0037] Preferably, the UV spraying equipment 3 includes a linear guide rail 2 13 mounted on the spraying bracket 16, and a spray gun 15 mounted on the output end of the linear guide rail 2 13 via a spray gun bracket 14.

[0038] Preferably, the cylinder drive assembly includes a cylinder 20 and a bearing housing 21. Both the cylinder 20 and the bearing housing 21 are mounted on the guide rail bracket 17. The rotating shaft 22 is rotatably connected to the bearing housing 21. The Z-shaped lever 23 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 22. A roller 24 is mounted on one end of the Z-shaped lever 23, and the other end of the Z-shaped lever 23 is hinged to the output end of the cylinder 20. The roller 24 is used to cooperate with the locking groove 19 on the battery cell tray 4 to achieve precise positioning.

[0039] Preferably, the same linear motor is installed inside linear guide rail 7 and linear guide rail 13, and the model can be: 404LXR, 406LXR, 412XLR series.

[0040] Preferably, the motor (motor drive assembly for driving the circular track conveyor) can be a Siemens 1LE0001 series or a Bosch Rexroth MS2N series motor. The Siemens 1LE0001 series and Bosch Rexroth MS2N series motors can provide stable power to the circular track conveyor, driving the drive wheel to achieve the cyclical movement of the battery cell trays and meet the requirements for continuous battery cell transport.

[0041] Preferably, the photoelectric switch (used in the locking mechanism of the circular track conveyor to achieve initial tray positioning) can be: Debao DOB-LM18-10TPP-ZWM JY three-wire PNP photoelectric proximity switch or square photoelectric switch infrared diffuse reflection sensor E3Z-D61 / D81 DC three-wire NPN sensor. These two photoelectric switches possess characteristics such as fast response and anti-interference, and can accurately determine the position of the battery cell tray through optical detection, providing a signal to the locking mechanism to achieve initial tray positioning.

[0042] Preferably, the cylinder 20 (the cylinder drive assembly for the locking mechanism of the circular track conveyor) can be of the following models: SMC cylinder models CDQ2B32-75DZ, CDQ2A32-25DMZ, CDU16-15D, MHZ2-20D; or Airtac pneumatic miniature double piston rod dual-axis cylinders TN series (such as TN16X10*15-25X20 and other specifications). These cylinder products have good sealing performance and long service life, and can achieve secondary precise positioning and locking of the pallet by driving the Z-type lever in conjunction with the rollers and locking groove.

[0043] The working principle and beneficial effects of the above scheme are as follows: During use, the robotic arm grasps the battery cell 5 and places it into the battery cell tray 4 of the circular track conveyor device 1. The positioning block 18 on the battery cell tray 4 calibrates the posture of the battery cell 5 to ensure uniform position of the protected area. The control system starts the motor drive component, and the drive wheel drives the driven wheel to rotate through the chain. The battery cell tray 4 moves with the circular track towards the masking spraying station. When the battery cell tray 4 reaches the masking spraying station, the photoelectric switch detects the position of the tray and sends a signal to the control system. The circular track stops rotating, completing the initial positioning. Subsequently, the control system drives the cylinder 20. The output end of the cylinder 20 pushes the Z-shaped lever 23 to rotate around the rotating shaft 22. The roller 24 at one end of the Z-shaped lever 23 squeezes into the locking groove 19 of the battery cell tray 4 to achieve secondary precision positioning and locking. After the tray is locked, the control system triggers the lifting drive component of the wire longitudinal and transverse connection masking mechanism 2. The linear guide rail 7 drives the connecting... The receiving plate 8, the shielding baffle 9, and the shielding box 10 descend until the shielding block 11 inside the shielding box 10 adheres to the surface of the battery cell 5, precisely covering the electrodes, explosion-proof window, and QR code area. After shielding is completed, the control system drives the linear guide rail 13 of the UV spraying equipment 3 according to the preset parameters of the current battery cell 5 model, driving the spray gun 15 to move along the conveying direction to the spraying start position. The spray gun 15 is started, and UV coating is sprayed on the non-protected area of ​​the battery cell 5 at the preset speed and spraying amount to ensure uniform spraying. After spraying is completed, the spray gun 15 stops working and returns to the initial position with the linear guide rail 13. The lifting drive component drives the shielding box 10 to a safe height of not less than 50mm. The cylinder 20 is reset, the Z-type lever 23 drives the roller 24 to disengage from the locking groove 19, the tray is unlocked, and the circular track continues to run, conveying the battery cell 5 to the next process station. The empty tray returns to the loading station with the track, waiting for the next loading.

[0044] The motor drives the drive wheel to rotate, and the drive wheel transmits power to the driven wheel through the chain, so that the entire circular track forms a cyclic motion; the battery cell tray 4 is fixed on the chain and moves synchronously with the chain to realize the continuous conveying of the battery cells 5, eliminate the return waste of traditional linear conveying, and improve efficiency.

[0045] The masking block 11 is made of non-stick polytetrafluoroethylene and has a ridge-shaped structure on top. During the spraying process, the paint can drip naturally along the ridge-shaped surface, reducing the residue on the surface of the masking block 11, reducing the cleaning frequency, and preventing the paint from drying and affecting the subsequent masking effect.

[0046] The photoelectric switch achieves preliminary position calibration of the tray through optical detection, ensuring that the tray is roughly positioned at the masking and spraying station; the cylinder drive assembly precisely fixes the tray through the mechanical cooperation of the Z-shaped lever 23 and the locking groove 19, preventing the tray from shifting during the spraying process. The dual positioning design greatly improves positioning accuracy and ensures masking and spraying quality.

[0047] The linear guide rail 7 of the lifting drive assembly provides stable lifting guidance. The connecting plate 8 and the shielding baffle 9 transmit the power of the linear guide rail 7 to the shielding box 10, realizing the smooth lifting and lowering of the shielding box 10. During spraying, it lowers to fit the battery cell 5, and after spraying, it rises to a safe height, which not only ensures the shielding effect, but also does not affect the battery cell 5 conveying process.

[0048] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this utility model and their equivalents, this utility model also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An automatic electrode surface masking spraying device, characterized in that: It includes a ring track conveyor (1), a wire longitudinal and transverse connection masking mechanism (2), and a UV spraying equipment (3). The ring track conveyor (1) is installed in the guide rail bracket (17), the wire longitudinal and transverse connection masking mechanism (2) and the UV spraying equipment (3) are installed on the spraying bracket (16), and one side of the ring track conveyor (1) is located in the spraying bracket (16).

2. The automatic electrode surface masking spraying device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The circular track conveying device (1) is placed longitudinally. The circular track conveying device (1) includes a motor drive assembly and a battery cell tray (4). The motor drive assembly consists of a drive wheel, a chain and a driven wheel. The motor drives the drive wheel to rotate, and the drive wheel drives the driven wheel to rotate through the chain, thereby driving the battery cell tray (4) to move cyclically along the circular track.

3. The automatic electrode surface masking spraying device as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The battery cell tray (4) is provided with a positioning block (18), and a locking groove (19) is provided on one side of the positioning block (18). The positioning block (18) is used to calibrate the posture of the battery cell (5) when the robot puts the battery cell (5) into the tray, so as to ensure that the position of the battery cell (5) protection area is uniform.

4. The automatic electrode surface masking spraying device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The circular track conveying device (1) is equipped with a locking mechanism at the masking spraying station. The locking mechanism includes a photoelectric switch and a cylinder drive assembly. The photoelectric switch is used to realize the initial positioning of the tray, and the cylinder drive assembly is used to realize the secondary fine positioning and locking of the tray.

5. The automatic electrode surface masking spraying device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The wire cross-connection masking mechanism (2) includes a masking box (10) and a lifting drive assembly. During the spraying operation, the lifting drive assembly drives the masking box (10) to descend and fit against the surface of the battery cell (5). After the spraying is completed, the lifting drive assembly drives the masking box (10) to rise to a safe height of not less than 50mm.

6. The automatic electrode surface masking spraying device as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The lifting drive assembly includes a support frame (6), which is fixedly mounted on the top of the spraying bracket (16). Linear guide rails (7) are symmetrically installed on both sides of the support frame (6). Each set of linear guide rails (7) is fixedly connected to a connecting plate (8) at its movable end. The bottom of the connecting plate (8) is connected to the shielding box (10) through a shielding baffle (9).

7. The automatic electrode surface masking spraying device as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The shielding box (10) is equipped with several sets of shielding blocks (11), and the shielding blocks (11) are connected in both directions by connecting wires (12). The outline of the shielding block (11) is completely matched with the electrode, explosion-proof window and QR code of the battery cell (5).

8. The automatic electrode surface masking spraying device as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The shielding block (11) is made of polytetrafluoroethylene material. The top of the shielding block (11) is designed as a ridge structure, and the connecting thread (12) is a high-strength nylon thread.

9. The automatic electrode surface masking spraying device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The UV spraying equipment (3) includes a linear guide rail (13) mounted on a spraying bracket (16), and a spray gun (15) mounted on the output end of the linear guide rail (13) via a spray gun bracket (14).

10. The automatic electrode surface masking spraying device as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The cylinder drive assembly includes a cylinder (20) and a bearing housing (21). Both the cylinder (20) and the bearing housing (21) are mounted on the guide rail bracket (17). The rotating shaft (22) is rotatably connected to the bearing housing (21). The Z-shaped lever (23) is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft (22). A roller (24) is mounted on one end of the Z-shaped lever (23). The other end of the Z-shaped lever (23) is hinged to the output end of the cylinder (20). The roller (24) is used to cooperate with the locking groove (19) on the battery cell tray (4) to achieve precise positioning.

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