Transport device for transporting segments of energy cells, method for controlling a transport device, and transport assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a transport device (1) for transporting segments (11) of energy cells, said transport device comprising: - a drum assembly having at least two drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) that are arranged adjacent to one another and can be driven so as to rotate about their longitudinal axes (S1, S2), wherein - during their transport movement, the segments (11) are transferred from a lateral surface (12, 13) of one drum (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) to a lateral surface (12, 13) of the adjacent drum (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) while overcoming a gap (D1, D2), wherein - the drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) are positioned with their lateral surfaces (12, 13) at an angle (E1, E2) to one another in the region of the gap (D1, D2), wherein - an adjusting device (M) is provided which can adjust the angle (E1, E2) between the lateral surfaces (12, 13) of the adjacent drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7).

Description

[0001] Transport device for transporting segments of energy cells and method for controlling a transport device and a transport arrangement

[0002] The present invention relates to a transport device for transporting segments of energy cells having the features of the preamble of claim 1 and to a method for controlling a transport device for transporting segments of energy cells having the features of the preamble of claim 10 and to a transport arrangement having the features of the preamble of claim 12.

[0003] Energy cells or energy storage devices within the meaning of the invention are used, for example, in motor vehicles, other land vehicles, ships, aircraft or also in stationary systems such as photovoltaic systems in the form of battery cells or fuel cells, in which very large amounts of energy have to be stored over longer periods of time. For this purpose, such energy cells have a structure made up of a large number of segments stacked together to form a stack. These segments are each alternating anode sheets and cathode sheets, which are separated from one another by separator sheets that are also manufactured as segments. The segments are pre-cut in the manufacturing process and then stacked in the predetermined order and joined together by lamination. The anode sheets and cathode sheets are first cut from a continuous web and then individually placed at intervals onto a continuous web of separator material.This subsequently formed "double-layered" continuous web of separator material with the applied anode or cathode sheets is then cut into segments again in a second step using a cutting device. In this case, the segments are formed in a double layer by a separator sheet with an anode or cathode sheet arranged on top. If this is technically feasible or necessary from a manufacturing perspective, the continuous webs of separator material with the applied anode or cathode sheets can also be placed on top of one another before cutting, thus forming a continuous web with a first continuous layer of separator material with the applied anode or cathode sheets and a second continuous layer of separator material with the applied anode or cathode sheets.This "four-layer" continuous web is then cut into segments using a cutting device. In this case, the segments are formed in four layers, comprising a first separator sheet, an anode sheet, a second separator sheet, and a cathode sheet lying thereon. Alternatively, the segments can also be formed from a first separator sheet, a cathode sheet, a second separator sheet, and a lying thereon anode sheet. The advantage of this solution is that a cut can be eliminated. Segments within the meaning of this invention are therefore single-layer segments of a separator material, anode material, or cathode material, double-layer, triple-layer, or even quadruple-layer segments of the structure described above.

[0004] Devices for producing battery cells are known, for example, from WO 2016 / 041713 A1 and DE 10 2017 216 213 A1.

[0005] The production of battery cells, for example for electromobility, currently takes place on production lines with an output of 100 to 240 monocells per minute. These operate in some areas or continuously with timed, discontinuous movements, such as back-and-forth movements, and are therefore limited in terms of production output. The majority of existing machines operate using single-sheet stacking methods (e.g., "pick and place"), with the disadvantage of slower processing. Laminating cell formations is not possible here.

[0006] Another well-known approach is a machine with continuously running material webs and timed tools, such as cutting knives or tools for changing the pitch.

[0007] In principle, machines with synchronized movements are limited in terms of performance. Mass-bearing parts, such as fixtures and tools, must be constantly accelerated and decelerated. These processes determine the timing, and a lot of energy is consumed. The mass of the moving parts cannot be reduced arbitrarily. Faster-moving parts often have to endure greater loads and therefore become even more complex and heavier.

[0008] To reduce the production costs of battery manufacturing, among other things, the production output of the machines must be increased. One prerequisite for high production output is a high production rate of the energy cell stacks, which are formed from several stacked segments of the type described above.

[0009] In a preliminary manufacturing step, the segments are stacked on top of one another to form what are known as monocells, consisting of a first separator sheet, an anode sheet arranged thereon, a second separator sheet arranged thereon, and a cathode sheet arranged thereon. Alternatively, the separator sheets can initially be laid out as two continuous webs, with the pre-cut segments in the form of the anode sheets being placed on one of the continuous webs, and pre-cut segments in the form of the cathode sheets being placed on the other continuous web, and then bonded together in a lamination process. The prefabricated composite sheets are then bonded together in a further lamination process to form a four-layer composite sheet.It is also possible, in principle, to place the first cut electrode, in the form of the cathode or anode, between the separator sheets in the form of the continuous webs, and to place the second cut electrode, in the form of the anode or cathode, on or under one of the separator sheets. The four-layer web is then laminated in a single lamination process, so that the monocell becomes a solid formation while the continuous webs are still in existence, i.e., before cutting. The monocells are then separated from the composite web by cutting through the gaps between the consecutive anode sheets and / or cathode sheets.Alternatively, the continuous sheets of separator material with the anode sheets and cathode sheets arranged thereon can also be cut, whereby the monocells are then produced by a downstream composite process of a first cut separator sheet with an anode with a second cut separator sheet with a cathode.

[0010] The segments are then stacked on top of each other to form a stack of multiple segments. If the segments are monocells or separator sheets with anode or cathode sheets arranged on them, a cathode or anode is located on a free side of the stack, which is then covered by a so-called end cell. The end cell comprises a first separator sheet, an anode or cathode sheet arranged on top of it, and a second separator sheet arranged on top of it, but without a cathode or anode sheet. Thus, the end cell can also be considered a monocell without a cathode or anode sheet.The finished stack of the plurality of mono cells and the final cell is then characterized in that it has a separator sheet on its top and bottom sides, and thus the anode sheets and cathode sheets are each covered by separator sheets on the top and bottom sides and are not in contact with each other.

[0011] In order to achieve very high production rates of the energy cells and / or energy storage devices, it is desirable to transport the manufactured segments at the highest possible production rate and to stack them with the highest possible positional accuracy.

[0012] For this purpose, it is known from WO 2020 / 203114 A1 to transport the cut segments in a drum conveyor with several drums driven to rotate. The drums here have a plurality of individual holding segments, whose surfaces form the outer surface of the drum and are mounted in such a way that they can perform slight movements in the circumferential direction relative to one another in order to change the distances between the segments in the circumferential direction. The segments are held and transported on the outer surfaces of the drums and transferred from the outer surface of one drum to the outer surface of the subsequent drum during transfer.

[0013] Against this background, the object of the invention is to provide a transport device for transporting segments of energy cells and a method for controlling such a transport device, which enable the segments to be transported at a high piece rate while at the same time ensuring high positioning accuracy of the segments.

[0014] To achieve this object, a transport device having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 10 and a transport arrangement having the features of claim 12 are proposed. Further preferred developments can be found in the subclaims, the figures and the associated description.

[0015] According to the basic idea of ​​the invention, a transport device with the features of the preamble of claim 1 is proposed, in which an adjusting device is provided by means of which at least one angle between the lateral surfaces of the adjacent drums can be adjusted.

[0016] Basically, the accuracy of the positions of the drum surfaces relative to each other is finite due to manufacturing, so that a slight angle between the surfaces is unavoidable. Due to this angle, the gap widths between the surfaces in the area of ​​the edges of the segments to be transported vary. Depending on the manufacturing tolerances of the drums and the dimensions of the segments, the gap widths at the edges of the segments can differ from one another in the range of a few hundredths to a few tenths of a millimeter. These different gap widths mean that the segments have to travel a different distance at the edges when being transferred from one surface to another, so that their alignment is slightly shifted or twisted. Furthermore, the different gap widths in the area of ​​the edges also lead to different transport conditions, for exampleDifferent forces act on the segments during transfer, which can also slightly change the position and / or alignment of the segments.

[0017] This actually adverse influence of the angle between the lateral surfaces on the position and / or alignment of the segments is positively utilized by the inventive solution to change the alignment and / or position of the segments by actively influencing the alignment and / or position of the segments by adjusting the angle using the adjusting device. The adjusting device is preferably designed and configured to adjust the angle between the lateral surfaces within a range of + / - 1 degree, preferably + / - 0.5 degrees. The segments are preferably held to the lateral surfaces of the drums by means of suction air.

[0018] The position and / or orientation of the segments can be influenced and / or changed particularly effectively by the adjusting device adjusting the angle(s) by changing the gap width between the shell surfaces in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the adjacently arranged drums. To this end, the adjusting device can adjust the shell surface about a pivot axis running parallel to the feed direction of the fed segments. Furthermore, the adjusting device can adjust the angle(s) of at least one of the shell surfaces, preferably in a plane that is aligned parallel to the plane in which the segments are fed. In this case, the pivot axis of the adjustable shell surface is aligned orthogonal to the feed movement of the segments.Due to the proposed pivoting movement, the segments are gripped differently by the outer surface of the drum at their edges in the direction of their transport movement and thus their alignment and / or position is corrected.

[0019] The adjacent drums are preferably arranged between a cutting device that cuts the segments from a fed continuous web and a stacking device that stacks the segments. This allows the alignment and / or position of the segments to be actively changed after cutting and before stacking, so that the segments can be stacked into a stack with precisely aligned segments.

[0020] The adjustment device can adjust the angle between the lateral surfaces, preferably by adjusting an angle between the longitudinal axes of the adjacent drums, which allows for a very simple design of the adjustment movement and the adjustment mechanism. The drum is thus pivoted as an assembly with its lateral surface.

[0021] It is further proposed that a third adjacent drum be provided, which is arranged such that, when the angle between the lateral surfaces is adjusted, the adjusting device adjusts a second angle between one of the adjacent drums and the third adjacent drum. Thus, in addition to adjusting the angle between the two adjacent drums, the adjusting device can also adjust a second angle between one of the adjacent drums and a third drum. Thus, the position and orientation of the segments are changed twice by means of the adjusting device.

[0022] It is further proposed that the lateral surfaces of the adjacent drums be cylindrical. Due to the cylindrical design of the lateral surfaces with a circular cross-section that is constant along its length, the orientation and position of the lateral surface, and thus the gap, remain constant during the rotational movement of the drum, within the unavoidable manufacturing tolerances. Furthermore, the lateral surface is aligned in a constant orientation to the longitudinal axis and the rotational axis of the drum.

[0023] It is further proposed that a sensor device be provided that is arranged upstream or downstream of the adjustable angle with respect to the transport movement of the segments, and that the adjustment device be controllable depending on the signal from the sensor device. The sensor device can determine the orientation and / or position of the segments as an individual value or average value measurement, and the resulting signal can be used to control and / or regulate the adjustment device and thus to correct the individual values ​​or average values ​​of the orientation and / or position of the segments. This allows the control or regulation of the orientation and / or position of the segments to be carried out fully automatically or semi-automatically.If the sensor device is arranged downstream of the adjustable angle, the position and / or orientation of the segments can be determined, and then the orientation and / or position of the subsequent segments can be corrected accordingly by adjusting the angle. This allows systematic deviations in the position and / or orientation of the segments to be corrected. Furthermore, the correction can be made as close as possible to the source of the error. Furthermore, the correction of the orientation and / or position can be performed very easily by closed-loop control, since the adjustment of the angle has a direct influence on the signal determined by the sensor device.If the sensor device is located upstream of the adjustable angle, this allows for a subsequent correction of the alignment and / or position of the segments if the sensor device detects a corresponding deviation of the actual alignment and / or position from the target alignment and / or position. The correction can be made segment-specifically through a corresponding evaluation of the machine data and / or transport speed. The position and / or alignment can thus be individually changed and corrected for virtually every segment if deviations from the target alignment and / or position are detected.

[0024] It is further proposed that the drums be cantilevered on one side. This allows the drum as a whole to be pivoted very easily as an assembly, with the pivot point of the drum and / or the pivoting mechanism for the drum being located on the side of the drum's bearing.

[0025] Furthermore, to achieve the object, a method having the features of the preamble of claim 8 is proposed, in which the basic idea of ​​the invention is that an adjusting device is provided by means of which the angle between the lateral surfaces of the adjacent drums is adjusted.

[0026] It is further proposed that a sensor device is provided which is arranged upstream or downstream of the adjustment of the angle with respect to the transport movement of the segments, and that the adjustment device is controlled in dependence on the signal of the sensor device.

[0027] For the resulting advantages, please refer to the description above.

[0028] Furthermore, a transport arrangement for transporting a segment of an energy cell is proposed, having the following features: a plurality of rotating bodies, each having a lateral surface, in particular in the form of drums, which are designed and configured for a rotary movement about their longitudinal axes and are arranged adjacent to one another to form a gap, and having a segment of an energy cell which has a thickness, a length and a width and can be conveyed through the gap, wherein one or more longitudinal axes are provided so as to be adjustable relative to the position of another longitudinal axis, in particular adjustable in their angle to the other longitudinal axis, and / or one or more lateral surfaces are designed so as to be radially adjustable and / or have a partial lateral surface which is radially variable and / or adjustable in the radial direction.

[0029] The proposed transport arrangement can also improve the positional accuracy of the segments transferred therein, using the same principle as the proposed transport device. For this purpose, one or more adjustment devices can be provided for adjusting one or more longitudinal axes relative to the position of another longitudinal axis.

[0030] It is further proposed that the height of the gap along the extension of the gap is greater than the thickness or equal to the thickness of the segment and in particular increases, decreases or remains constant in the direction of the extension of the gap, in particular increases, decreases or remains constant in one partial region or several partial regions of the extension of the gap.

[0031] It is further proposed that a rotary drive motor is assigned to one or each rotary body, preferably for directly driving the rotary body.

[0032] It is further proposed that one, several or each rotational body is mounted on one side, preferably in a substantially vertically oriented support frame part, in particular in the form of a support wall, and preferably has a free, in particular freely projecting, end.

[0033] It is further proposed that one, several or each rotational body has supporting sections for the segments, which are distributed in the circumferential direction and arranged at a distance from one another and are preferably convex towards the radially outward direction.

[0034] It is further proposed that the support sections for the segments are arranged and designed to hold the segments when a holding force is switched on, in particular for transport on a rotating body, and to release them when the holding force is switched off, in particular for transfer from one rotating body to an adjacent rotating body.

[0035] It is further proposed that the addition of the holding force and / or the deactivation of the holding force is provided in a manner that is executable depending on the rotational angle position of one, several or each rotating body in the circumferential direction.

[0036] It is further proposed that openings of vacuum lines leading into the support sections for the segments are provided and that the vacuum lines are preferably accommodated in the one, the several or each rotary body and / or are formed by the one, the several or each rotary body.

[0037] It is further proposed that, in the case of two rotating bodies arranged adjacent to one another, a first sensor device is assigned to the lateral surface of the rotating body arranged upstream and / or a second sensor device is assigned to the lateral surface of the rotating body arranged downstream and the adjustment of the one or more longitudinal axes relative to the position of another longitudinal axis is provided in a controllable manner as a function of the signal from the first sensor device and / or as a function of the signal from the second sensor device.

[0038] The invention will be explained below using preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Fig. 1 shows a transport device and transport arrangement according to the invention with a drum run, and

[0039] Fig. 2 two adjacent drums with a gap provided between them, and

[0040] Fig. 3 three drums with a sensor device and an adjustment device, and

[0041] Fig. 4 three drums with an adjustable angle, and

[0042] Fig. 5 three drums with two adjustable angles, and

[0043] Fig. 6 the second and the third drum in a direction of view of the gap provided therebetween, and

[0044] Fig. 7 the transport device and transport arrangement with a first and a second sensor device.

[0045] Figure 1 shows a transport device 1 according to the invention and a transport arrangement 100 according to the invention. The transport device 1 and transport arrangement 100 comprise a fed endless belt 10, a cutting device 3, a row of rotating bodies in the form of a drum train comprising several rotating bodies in the form of drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and two stacking devices 8 and 9. The cutting device 3 is designed in the form of a cutting drum with a plurality of radially projecting cutting blades, which is driven to rotate. The first drum 2 of the drum train is designed as a counter drum with a plurality of counter blades, onto which the endless web 10 is fed. During the rotation of the cutting drum, the cutting blades of the cutting drum slide along the counter blades of the counter drum and cut segments 11 from the endless web 10 at a length corresponding to the spacing of the counter blades.A plurality of vacuum lines (not shown) are provided in the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7. Their openings are arranged to hold the segments 11 to the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and are connected to a central vacuum supply. The transfer and acceptance of the segments from one drum 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 to the subsequent drum.

[0046] 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 is carried out by switching off the vacuum in the transferring drum 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 at a predetermined transfer point of the circumference in the vacuum lines and switching on the vacuum in the vacuum lines of the receiving drum 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 at a predetermined transfer point of the circumference. The transfer point of the circumference of the transferring drum

[0047] 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and the takeover point of the receiving drum

[0048] 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 are ideally located directly opposite one another, forming a gap D1, D2 which will be explained in more detail below. The product flow from the adjacent segments 11 is then transferred from the first drum 2 to the second drum 4 and to the third drum 5 according to the principle described above, and from there it is stacked on top of one another in the first stacking device 8 and then carried away in stacks. As soon as the stack built up by the first stacking device 8 has reached a predetermined height and / or number of segments 11, a switch (not shown) is activated and the product flow of the segments 11 is then fed via the fourth drum 6 to the fifth drum 7 and from there to the second stacking device 9, which in turn stacks the segments 11 in the same way and then carries them away.Once the predetermined stack height has been reached in the second stacking device 9, the switch is activated again and the subsequent segments 11 are then stacked in the first stacking device 8 until the process is repeated. The switch can be activated using the data available in the machine control system or by an additional sensor device directed at the segments. The switch can be implemented in the form of a mechanical separating device or by appropriately controlling the vacuum in the vacuum lines in the third and fourth drums 5 and 6. The fourth drum 6 also has the additional function of rotating the segments 11 once in their orientation and can therefore also be referred to as a reversing drum.By rotating the segments 11 in their orientations, the segments 11 lie against the third drum 5 and the fifth drum 7 in the same orientation and are thus stacked with an identical orientation of their surfaces in the two stacking devices 8 and 9.

[0049] Alternatively, the product flow of segments 11 fed to the third drum 5 can already be divided on the third drum 5 by transferring every second segment 11 to the fourth drum 6 and only stacking the segments 11 remaining on the third drum 5 in the first stacking device 8. The segments 11 taken over from the fourth drum 6 are then fed to the fifth drum 7 and stacked in the second stacking device 9 parallel to the segments 11 stacked in the first stacking device 8 and removed. As a result, the stacking rate of the segments 11 in the two stacking devices 8 and 9 can be reduced by a factor of two.

[0050] Individual separator sheets, electrode sheets, or monocells with separator sheets can be considered as segments 11, wherein one or each separator sheet has a thickness SD of 8 to 25 pm, preferably of 10 to 15 pm, and / or an electrode sheet has a thickness of 140 pm to 210 pm. With such thin separator sheets and electrode sheets, very high specific energies and energy densities can be achieved while simultaneously maintaining a very compact structure. Furthermore, the transport device 1 can be used to transport and stack anodes and / or cathodes and / or segments 11 or monocells with one anode, one cathode, and two separator sheets with an electrode area of ​​2 x 4 cm for the production of microcells, in particular micropouch cells.The transport device 1 can also be used to stack anodes and / or cathodes and / or segments 11 or monocells with one anode, one cathode, and two separator sheets with an electrode area of ​​15 x 40 cm for the production of larger-area cells. Exemplary dimensions of the anodes and / or cathodes are in the range from 100 x 50 mm to 200 x 100 mm, in particular from 120 x 60 mm to 180 x 90 mm. Furthermore, the transport device 1 or transport arrangement 100 according to the invention can also be used to stack segments 11, regardless of their shape, for the production of electrodes with electrode areas of 800 mm. 2 up to 80000 mm 2 , especially in the range of 1200 mm 2 up to 60000 mm 2 or 1800 mm 2 up to 36000 mm 2The width SB of the segments 11 relative to the transport direction is, for example, 40 to 400 mm, preferably 100 to 200 mm, particularly preferably 120 to 180 mm. Furthermore, the length SL of the segments 11 in the transport direction is, for example, 20 to 150 mm, preferably 50 to 100 mm, particularly preferably 60 to 90 mm.

[0051] The drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 are each designed as cylindrical rotating bodies with a circular outer diameter in cross-section. Furthermore, the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 are preferably cantilevered on one side. The invention has been described with rotating bodies in the form of drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7. However, the rotating bodies can also have any other cross-sectional shape, provided they are suitable for transporting and, in particular, transferring the segments 11 in a rotational movement.

[0052] In Figure 2, the second drum 4 and the third drum 5 are shown in isolation. The second drum 4 is aligned with its longitudinal axis S1 parallel to the longitudinal axis S2 of the third drum 5. The second drum 4 has a jacket surface 13 formed by a cylindrical outer surface, which, due to the cylindrical design of the second drum 4, is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis S1 of the second drum 4. The third drum 5 has a jacket surface 12 formed in the same way, which is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis S2 of the third drum 5.Due to unavoidable deviations due to the only finite accuracy of the two drums 4 and 5 in their shape, bearings and arrangement to one another, the longitudinal axes S1 and S2 are aligned at a very small angle C to one another that is difficult to avoid, which is also reflected in the fact that the distances A and B of the longitudinal axes S1 and S2 on the front of the drums 4 and 5 and the rear of the drums 4 and 5 differ from one another by a difference of a few hundredths or tenths of a millimeter. This difference, in addition to the equally finite shape accuracy of the lateral surfaces 12 and 13 themselves, means that the gap D1 between the lateral surfaces 12 and 13 in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the longitudinal axes S1 and S2 is also not constant and an angle E1 exists between the lateral surfaces 12 and 13.This very small angle E1, which is difficult to avoid, means that the segments 11 can easily slip in their position and alignment during the transfer from the outer surface 13 of the second drum 4 to the outer surface 12 of the third drum 5 due to the principle described above.

[0053] Figure 3 shows a section of the transport device 1 and transport arrangement 100 from Figure 1 with the first drum 2, the second drum 4 and the third drum 5. A first sensor device SE is also provided on the transport device 1, which is directed at the segments 11 resting on the first drum 2 and detects their position and / or orientation. In addition, an adjusting device M is provided which, when activated, adjusts the angle E1 shown in Figure 2 by pivoting the third drum 5 in an angular range of + / - 1.0 degrees, preferably in an angular range of + / - 0.5 degrees. Furthermore, a control device ST is provided, which records the data determined by the first sensor device SE and processes it further into corresponding control signals for activating the adjusting device M.

[0054] In the embodiment of Figure 3, the first sensor device SE is arranged upstream of the adjusting device M with respect to the transport movement of the segments 11 in the drum run, so that deviations in the alignment and / or positions of the segments 11 can be subsequently corrected. Ideally, this even makes it possible to carry out a segment-specific correction of the alignment and / or position of the segments 11, taking the transport speed into account. However, it is also conceivable to average the alignment and / or positions of the segments 11 from several consecutive segments 11 and then carry out a correspondingly averaged correction of the alignment and / or position of the segments 11 by appropriately controlling the adjusting device M.

[0055] In an alternative embodiment of the invention (not shown), the adjusting device M can also be arranged upstream of the first sensor device SE. The first sensor device SE and the adjusting device M of Fig. 3 would then be swapped in their positions. In this case, a deviation of the alignment and / or position of the segments 11 from the target alignment and / or target position can be corrected after detection by a corresponding correction in the feed movement upstream of the first sensor device SE. The advantage of this solution is that it allows a very simple control loop to be constructed by additionally using the signal from the sensor device SE as a control signal, based on which the change in the alignment and / or position of the subsequent segments 11 resulting from activation of the adjusting device M can also be checked.

[0056] Depending on the arrangement of the fourth drum 6, the activation of the adjustment device M can be used to adjust the angle E1 between the third drum 5 and the second drum 4, as can be seen in Figure 4, or additionally to adjust a second angle E2 between the third drum 5 and the fourth drum 6, as can be seen in Figure 5. As a result, the gaps D1 and D2 and / or the angles E1 and E2 can be adjusted with only a single adjustment device M.In order to adjust the gaps D1 and D2 and the angles E1 and E2, it is necessary that the second drum 4 and fourth drum 6, which are each adjacent to the third drum 5, are arranged in relation to the third drum 5 provided with the adjusting device M in such a way that the connecting lines of the longitudinal axes S1 and S2 and / or S3 and S2 are not aligned perpendicular to the direction of the adjusting movement of the adjustable third drum 5, as is the case in the embodiment of Figure 5. The gap D2 or angle E2 between the fourth drum 6 and the third drum 5 is formed between the outer surface 14 of the fourth drum 6 and the outer surface 12 of the third drum 5.

[0057] In the embodiment of Figure 4, the second drum 4 and the third drum 5 are arranged relative to one another such that the connecting line of the longitudinal axes S1 and S2 is directed in the direction of the adjustment movement of the drum 5. This makes it possible to bring about a maximum change in the gap width of the gap D1 and the angle E1 between the second drum 4 and the third drum 5 in relation to the adjustment movement of the adjustment device M. The fourth drum 6 is arranged such that the connecting line of the longitudinal axis S3 of the fourth drum 6 and the longitudinal axis S2 of the third drum 5 is aligned perpendicular to the adjustment direction of the adjustment device M, so that activation of the adjustment device M has no influence on the gap D2 between the fourth drum 6 and the third drum 5.

[0058] The drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 are preferably cantilevered on one side and can be pivoted by means of one or more adjustment devices M, for example about a pivot point arranged on the side of the bearing. For this purpose, an adjustment range of angles of + / - 1.0 degrees, preferably + / - 0.5 degrees, is sufficient. The adjustment device M can preferably be arranged on the side of the bearing so that it pivots the drum 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 with the section protruding from the bearing, while the pivoting movement in the area of ​​the bearing is significantly smaller and preferably within the accepted bearing play. Furthermore, the segments 11 are transported on the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 by means of a plurality of vacuum lines which are connected to a central vacuum supply via the end faces of the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7.The vacuum in the vacuum lines of the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 is switched off and on again at specific points on the circumference, so that the segments 11 are delivered from one drum 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 to the next adjacent drum 2, 4, 5, 6, 7. For this purpose, a fixed control ring can be provided which defines through its contour which sections of the circumference the vacuum lines are subjected to vacuum. The cantilevered mounting of the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 with the provided vacuum control requires a one-sided reference surface, which then also defines the alignment of the longitudinal axes S1, S2 of the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7.If the inaccuracies of the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 themselves can be disregarded in their design, it is sufficient if the adjustment devices M alone adjust the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 in their alignment with their longitudinal axes S1, S2 by pivoting the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 as assemblies in order to compensate for the positional deviations of the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 caused by the reference surfaces. Alternatively, the adjustment device M can also directly adjust the outer surfaces 12, 13 of the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 by providing corresponding actuators in the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7.

[0059] The adjusting device M is shown here only in association with the third drum 5 in the figures. However, the adjusting device M can equally well be provided on one of the other drums 2, 4, 6, or 7. In extreme cases, it is also conceivable to provide a corresponding adjusting device M on each of the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7. Furthermore, instead of the sensor device SE shown on the second drum 4, corresponding first sensor devices SE can also be provided on the other drums 2, 5, 6, 7.

[0060] In Figure 6, the second drum 4 and the third drum 5 are shown with the gap D1 provided between them in perspective view of the gap D1 for a better understanding of the angle E1. Due to the angle E1, the distances d1 and d2 of the lateral surfaces 12 and 13 on the left and right sides of the gap D1 are different, i.e. in the area of ​​the edges of the segments 11 to be transferred. These different distances d1 and d2 due to the angle E1 can lead to the segments 11 being slightly displaced in the area of ​​the edges according to the principle described above. The segments 11 are thus slightly rotated. To compensate for this influence, it is now provided that one or both drums 4 and 5 are designed so that their longitudinal axes S1 and S2 are adjustable relative to one another and / or that the lateral surfaces 12, 13 are designed so that they are radially adjustable as a whole or with a partial lateral surface, so that the distances d1 and d2 can be changed.For this purpose, an adjustment device M can be provided which adjusts the partial lateral surfaces or the lateral surfaces 12, 13 as a whole radially and / or pivots one or more of the drums 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 in a pivoting movement to adjust their longitudinal axes S1, S2.

[0061] Fig. 7 shows a further embodiment of the transport device 1 and transport arrangement 100, in which, in addition to the first sensor device SE directed towards the first drum 2, a second sensor device SE2 directed towards the third drum 5 is provided. The second sensor device SE2 is arranged downstream of the first sensor device SE with respect to the transport movement of the segments 11. Furthermore, an adjusting device M is provided on the third drum 5, which, when activated, adjusts the angle E1 and / or the radial distances d1 and d2 between the lateral surfaces 12, 13 in the gap D1 to the second drum 4 according to the principle described above. The second sensor device SE2 is thus directed towards the segments 11 downstream of or downstream of the adjustment of their orientation, so that the signal from the second sensor device SE2, for example,can be used as a control signal to determine whether the alignment of the segments 11 corresponds to a predetermined alignment, taking into account a predefined tolerance range. If the positional accuracy of the segments 11 is to be further increased, one or more adjustment devices can of course be provided for readjusting the alignment of the segments 11 on one of the subsequent drums 6 or 7, which are controlled as a function of the signal from the second sensor device SE2. Furthermore, additional sensor devices can also be provided if required.

[0062] List of reference symbols

[0063] 1 transport device

[0064] 2 First drum

[0065] 3 Cutting device

[0066] 4 Second drum

[0067] 5 Third drum

[0068] 6 Fourth drum

[0069] 7 Fifth Drum

[0070] 8 First stacking device

[0071] 9 Second stacking device

[0072] 10 endless track

[0073] 11 segments

[0074] 12 Shell surface

[0075] 13 Shell surface

[0076] 14 Shell surface

[0077] A first distance

[0078] B second distance

[0079] D1 , D2 gap d1 , d2 distances

[0080] C, E1 , E2 angle

[0081] SE first sensor device

[0082] SE2 second sensor device

[0083] ST control device

[0084] M adjustment device

[0085] S1 longitudinal axis

[0086] S2 longitudinal axis

[0087] 100 Transport arrangement

Claims

Claims:

1. Transport device (1) for transporting segments (11) of energy cells with -a drum run with at least two adjacent drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) that can be driven to a rotational movement about their longitudinal axes (S1, S2), wherein -the segments (11) are transferred during their transport movement from a lateral surface (12,13) ​​of a drum (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) overcoming a gap (D1 ,D2) to a lateral surface (12,13) ​​of the adjacent drum (2, 4, 5, 6, 7), wherein -the drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) with their lateral surfaces (12, 13) in the area of ​​the gap (D1, D2) are arranged at least one angle (E1, E2) to each other, characterized in that -an adjustment device (M) is provided by means of which at least one angle (E1 ,E2) of the cylindrical surfaces (12,13) ​​of the adjacent drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) can be adjusted.

2. Transport device (1) according to claim 1 , characterized in that -the adjusting device (M) adjusts the angle(s) (E1 ,E2) by changing the gap width (D1 ,D2) between the cylindrical surfaces (12, 13) in the direction of the longitudinal axes (S1 ,S2) of the adjacent drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7).

3. Transport device (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that -the adjusting device (M) adjusts the angle(s) (E1, E2) of at least one of the lateral surfaces (12, 13) in a plane- a transport device (1) which is aligned parallel to the plane in which the segments (11) are fed. A transport device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that -the adjacent drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) are arranged between a cutting device (3) that cuts the segments (11) from a fed continuous web (10) and a stacking device (8, 9) that stacks the segments (11). Transport device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that -The adjusting device (M) adjusts the angle (E1, E2) between the cylindrical surfaces (12, 13) by adjusting an angle (C) between the longitudinal axes (S1, S2) of the adjacent drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7). Transport device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that -a third adjacent drum (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) is provided, which is arranged such that the adjusting device (M), when the angle (E1, E2) between the cylindrical surfaces (12, 13) is adjusted, adjusts a second angle (E2) between one of the adjacent drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) and the third adjacent drum (2, 4, 5, 6, 7). Transport device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that -the lateral surfaces (12, 13) of the adjacent drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) are cylindrical. Transport device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that -a first sensor device (SE) is provided in relation to the transport movement of the segments (11) upstream or downstream to the adjustable angle (E1, E2), and -the adjustment device (M) is controllable depending on the signal from the sensor device (SE). Transport device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that -the drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) are cantilevered. Method for controlling a transport device (1) for transporting segments of energy cells with -a drum run with at least two adjacent drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) that can be driven to a rotational movement about their longitudinal axes (S1, S2), wherein -the segments (11) are transferred during their transport movement from a lateral surface (12,13) ​​of a drum (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) overcoming a gap (D1 ,D2) to a lateral surface (12,13) ​​of the adjacent drum (2, 4, 5, 6, 7), wherein -the drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) with their lateral surfaces (11, 12) in the area of ​​the gap (D1, D2) are arranged at an angle (E) to each other, characterized in that -an adjusting device (M) is provided by means of which the angle (E1 ,E2) between the lateral surfaces (12, 13) of the be- adjacent drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) are adjusted. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that a first sensor device (SE) arranged upstream or downstream with respect to the transport movement of the segments (11) is provided, and -the adjustment device (M) is controlled depending on the signal from the first sensor device (SE). Transport arrangement (100) for transporting a segment (11) of an energy cell with -several rotating bodies, in particular in the form of drums (2, 4, 5, 6, 7), each having a lateral surface (12, 13), which are designed and arranged for rotation about their longitudinal axes (S1, S2) and are arranged adjacent to each other forming a gap (D1, D2), and -with a segment (11) of an energy cell having a thickness (SD), a length (SL) and a width (SB) and being conveyable through the gap (D1 , D2), characterized in that -one or more longitudinal axes (S1, S2) are adjustable relative to the position of another longitudinal axis (S1, S2), in particular adjustable in their angle to the other longitudinal axis (S1, S2), and / or -one or more cylindrical surfaces (12, 13) are designed to be radially adjustable and / or have a radially variable and / or radially adjustable partial cylindrical surface. Transport arrangement (100) according to claim 12, characterized in that -for adjusting one or more longitudinal axes (S1, S2) relative to the position of one or more adjustment devices (M) is provided. Transport arrangement (100) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that -the height of the gap (D1, D2) along the extent of the gap (D1, D2) is greater than or equal to the thickness (SD) of the segment (11) and, in particular, increases, decreases, or remains constant in the direction of the extent of the gap (D1, D2), especially in a partial region or several partial regions of the extent of the gap (D1, D2). Transport arrangement (100) according to one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that -a rotary drive motor, preferably for direct drive of the rotating body, is assigned to one or each rotating body. Transport arrangement (100) according to one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that -one, several, or each rotating body is supported on one side, preferably in a substantially vertically oriented support frame component, particularly in the form of a support wall, and preferably has a free, particularly cantilevered, end. Transport arrangement (100) according to one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that -one, several or each rotating body has support sections for the segments (11) arranged in the circumferential direction and spaced apart from each other, preferably convexly shaped towards the radial outside. Transport arrangement (100) according to claim 17, characterized in that -the support sections for the segments (11) are configured and designed to hold the segments (11) by applying a holding force, in particular for transport on a rotating body, and to release them by deactivating the holding force, in particular for transferring them from one rotating body to an adjacent rotating body. Transport arrangement (100) according to claim 18, characterized in that -the activation and / or deactivation of the holding force depending on the angular position of one, several, or each rotating body in the circumferential direction is provided. Transport arrangement (100) according to one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that -openings for vacuum lines are provided in the support sections for the segments (11), and the vacuum lines are preferably received in one, several, or each rotating body and / or formed by one, several, or each rotating body. Transport arrangement (100) according to one of claims 12 to 20, characterized in that -in the case of two adjacent rotating bodies, a first sensor device (SE) is assigned to the lateral surface (12, 13) of the upstream rotating body and / or a second sensor device (SE2) is assigned to the lateral surface of the downstream rotating body and the adjustment of one or more longitudinal axes (S1, S2) relative to the position of the- is provided to be controllable on another longitudinal axis (S1, S2) depending on the signal of the first sensor device (SE) and / or depending on the signal of the second sensor device (SE2).

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