Coating replacement device, gripping mechanism and gripping device

Abstract

A coating replacement device is configured to replace a first coating in a pallet retention mechanism. The coating replacement device includes a storage mechanism and a coating gripping mechanism. The storage mechanism is configured to store either an empty pallet or a pallet bearing a second coating, where the size of the second coating differs from that of the first coating. The coating gripping mechanism is configured to grasp the first coating from the pallet retention mechanism and place it in an empty pallet. The coating gripping mechanism is also configured to grasp the second coating and place it back into the pallet retention mechanism. The gripping mechanism includes a mounting assembly, gripping elements, and a sensing assembly.A plurality of gripping elements are spaced in a first direction and arranged on the mounting assembly, and are configured to simultaneously grasp a plurality of coatings.

Description

Title of the invention: Coating replacement device, gripping mechanism and gripping device technical field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of battery production, in particular a coating replacement device, a gripping mechanism and a gripping device.

[0002] TECHNICAL CONTEXT

[0003] In the existing art, liners of different sizes are generally replaced manually inside the pallets. However, manually replacing liners increases labor costs and the battery cell production cycle.

[0004] In the battery cell production process, the coatings in the pallets are configured to limit the positions of the battery cells. However, when processing battery cells of different sizes, it is necessary to replace the coatings in the pallets. During the coating replacement process, abnormal coating conditions may occur, which will affect the quality of battery cell production. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0005] To resolve the above disadvantages in the existing art, the present application discloses a coating replacement device, a gripping mechanism and a gripping device, which can replace the manual coating replacement method and reduce the risk of coating defects, thereby reducing labor costs, shortening the battery cell production cycle and also improving the quality of battery cell production.

[0006] In order to resolve the above technical problems, according to a first aspect, the present application provides a coating replacement device, the coating replacement device is configured to replace a first coating in a retaining pallet mechanism, and the coating replacement device comprises: - a storage mechanism, the storage mechanism being configured to store an empty pallet or a pallet bearing a second coating, and the size of the second coating being different from that of the first coating; and - a coating gripping mechanism, the coating gripping mechanism being configured to grasp the first coating from the mechanism of the retaining pallet and place the first coating in the empty pallet, and the coating gripping mechanism being also configured to grasp the second coating and replace the second coating in the retaining pallet mechanism.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the empty pallet and the pallet bearing the second coating are transported alternately to the storage mechanism.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the coating gripping mechanism comprises a first drive element, a second drive element and a coating gripping claw, the first drive element is configured to drive the coating gripping claw to pass between the retaining pallet mechanism and the storage mechanism, and the second drive element is configured to drive the coating gripping claw to move up or down.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the coating gripping claw is connected to the second drive element, the first drive element is connected to the coating gripping claw via the second drive element, the first drive element is configured to drive the coating gripping claw to pass between the retaining pallet mechanism and the storage mechanism in a first direction.

[0010] According to one embodiment, an abnormal state includes the absence of the first coating in the retaining pallet mechanism, the inability of the coating gripping claw to grasp the first or second coating, and / or an excessive height of the second coating placed in the retaining pallet mechanism.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the detection assembly comprises a linking base, a detection element movably arranged on the linking base in a vertical direction, a light-shielding element connected to one end of the detection element, and an opposing beam detection assembly corresponding to the light-shielding element, a first end of the detection element away from the light-shielding element is configured to come into contact with the first coating or the second coating.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the opposed beam detection assembly comprises a first group of detection optical fibers and a second group of detection optical fibers, and in the vertical direction, the position of the first group of detection optical fibers is lower than that of the second group of detection optical fibers, and the light shielding element is configured to shelter the first group of detection optical fibers or the second group of detection optical fibers from the light.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the detection assembly further includes an elastic element, and the elastic element is disposed on the detection element near the first end.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the retaining pallet mechanism comprises a support element, and a first retaining plate and a second retaining plate disposed on the support element, the first retaining plate and the second retaining plate are spaced in a second direction, and the second retaining plate is movable in the second direction relative to the first retaining plate, and a plurality of first coatings are arranged sequentially in the second direction between the first retaining plate and the second retaining plate;

[0015] The coating replacement device further includes a release mechanism, the release mechanism is configured to cause the second retaining plate to move away from the first retaining plate in the second direction.

[0016] According to one embodiment, a first engagement element is disposed on a lateral surface of the second retaining plate opposite the first retaining plate;

[0017] The release mechanism includes a first release drive element, a second release drive element and a second engagement element which is engaged with the first engagement element, the first release drive element is configured to drive the second engagement element to move towards the first engagement element, so that the second engagement element is engaged with the first engagement element, and the second release element is configured to drive the second engagement element to move the first engagement element in the second direction away from the first retaining plate.

[0018] According to one embodiment, an interlocking part is formed on the first engagement element, and a groove is disposed on the second interlocking element, and the groove engages with the interlocking part via an interlocking link.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the first engagement element comprises a head and a neck connected to each other, the end of the neck away from the head is connected to the surface of the second retaining plate opposite the first retaining plate, the interlocking part is formed on the neck, the width of the neck is less than the width of the groove, and the width of the head is greater than the width of the groove.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the coating replacement device further comprises a release mechanism, and the release mechanism is configured to cause the second retaining plate to move away from the first retaining plate in the second direction.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the retaining mechanism includes a pressing drive element and a pressing element connected to the pressing drive element, the pressing drive element causes the pressing element to press against the second retaining plate and pushes the second retaining plate to move in the second direction towards the first retaining plate.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the retaining pallet mechanism further comprises a mounting element and a retaining element disposed on the support element, the mounting element is disposed on the side of the second retaining plate opposite the first retaining plate and has a predefined space relative to the second retaining plate, and the retaining element is connected to the mounting element by a threaded connection;

[0023] The retaining mechanism further includes a drive assembly, the drive assembly is configured to drive the retaining element to move towards the second retaining plate relative to the mounting element until the retaining element rests against the second retaining plate.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the drive assembly includes a rotating drive element and a rotating gripping claw connected to the rotating drive element, the rotating gripping claw corresponds to the retaining element, and the rotating drive element is configured to drive the rotating gripping claw to drive the end of the retaining element to press against the second retaining plate.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the coating replacement device further comprises a compartment and a transport element disposed inside the compartment, the transport element is configured to transport the retaining pallet mechanism to enter the compartment at a predefined position.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the coating replacement device further includes a limiting element disposed inside the compartment, the limiting element is configured to block the retaining pallet mechanism from entering the compartment, in order to prevent the retaining pallet mechanism from coming out of the predefined position.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the coating replacement device further includes a lifting and positioning element disposed inside the compartment, and the lifting and positioning element is configured to lift and position the retaining pallet mechanism to the predefined position.

[0028] According to a second aspect, the present application discloses a gripping mechanism. The gripping mechanism comprises: - a mounting kit; - a plurality of gripping elements, the plurality of gripping elements being spaced in a first direction and arranged on the mounting assembly, and the plurality of gripping elements being configured to simultaneously grasp a plurality of coatings; and - a detection assembly, the detection assembly comprising a plurality of detection elements arranged on the mounting assembly, the number of detection elements being equal to the number of gripping elements, and the plurality of detection elements being configured to detect respectively whether the plurality of coatings is in an abnormal state.

[0029] According to one embodiment, abnormal states include the absence of at least one of the plurality of coatings, the inability of at least one of the gripping elements to grip correctly and / or the excessive height of at least one of the plurality of coatings.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the detection assembly further comprises a light-shielding element disposed on the detection element and an opposing beam detection assembly corresponding to the light-shielding element, the detection element is movably disposed on the mounting assembly in the vertical direction, and the first end of the detection element away from the light-shielding element is configured to come into contact with the coating.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the opposed beam detection assembly comprises a first group of optical fibers and a second group of optical fibers spaced in the vertical direction, the position of the first group of optical fibers in the vertical direction is lower than that of the second group of optical fibers, and the light shielding element is configured to shelter the first group of optical fibers or the second group of optical fibers from light.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the light in the first group of optical fibers and the second group of optical fibers is transmitted in the first direction.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the second group of optical fibers is two in number, and the two groups of the second group of optical fibers are spaced in the second direction, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the light shielding element is a disc-shaped light shielding element, the disc-shaped light shielding element comprises a first sheltering zone near the center and a second sheltering zone near the edge, the first sheltering zone is configured to shelter the second group of optical light fibers, and the second sheltering zone is configured to shelter the first group of optical light fibers.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the detection assembly further includes an elastic element, and the elastic element is disposed on the detection element near the first end of the detection element.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the gripping element comprises a claw drive element, a first clamping claw and a second clamping claw, the claw drive element is configured to drive the first clamping claw and the second clamping claw to move closer together to grip the coating or to move away from each other to release the coating.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the detection element is arranged between the first clamping claw and the second clamping claw.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the gripping mechanism further comprises a second drive element disposed on the support frame, and the second drive element is configured to drive the gripping element up or down.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the gripping mechanism further comprises a first drive element and a second drive element, the first drive element is configured to drive the gripping element and the sensing assembly to move synchronously, and the second drive element is configured to drive the gripping element to go up or down.

[0040] According to a third aspect, the present application discloses a gripping device. The gripping device comprises: - a support frame; and - the gripping mechanism according to the second aspect, in which the assembly of the gripping mechanism is movably arranged on the support frame.

[0041] According to a fourth aspect, the present application discloses a coating replacement device. The coating replacement device comprises: - a storage mechanism, the storage mechanism having a placement position, and the placement position being configured to alternately place an empty pallet and a pallet bearing a second coating; and - the gripping device according to the third aspect, the gripping device being configured to grasp a first coating in the retaining pallet mechanism in the empty pallet in the placement position, and the gripping device also being configured to grasp the second coating in the pallet carrying the second coating in the placement position and replaces the second coating in the retaining pallet mechanism, and the size of the second coating is different from that of the first coating.

[0042] Compared with existing art, the present application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0043] In the present application, because the coating gripping mechanism can grasp the first coating from the retaining pallet mechanism and place it in an empty pallet, the coating gripping mechanism can also grasp the second coating and place it back into the retaining pallet mechanism, and the sizes of the first and second coatings are different. Therefore, when it is necessary to replace the first coating in the retaining pallet mechanism, the coating gripping mechanism first removes the first coating from the retaining pallet mechanism and places it in an empty pallet on the storage mechanism to store the first coating being replaced.Once all the first coatings in the retaining pallet mechanism have been placed in the empty pallets, the coating gripping mechanism removes the second coating and places it in the retaining pallet mechanism. When all the second coatings in the pallets carrying the second coatings have been replaced in the retaining pallet mechanism, the replacement of the different-sized coatings in the retaining pallet mechanism is complete. It can be seen that in the present application, by providing the storage mechanism and the coating gripping mechanism, the first coating in the retaining pallet mechanism can be automatically replaced by the second coating, thus replacing the manual replacement of the coating by operators, reducing labor costs and shortening the battery cell production cycle.

[0044] In the present application, because a plurality of gripping elements are spaced in the first direction and arranged on the mounting assembly, and because the number of sensing elements in the sensing assembly is equal to the number of gripping elements and their installation positions correspond to one another, a plurality of sensing elements can simultaneously detect the coatings gripped by the plurality of gripping elements. In other words, a plurality of sensing elements can detect whether there are abnormal states in a plurality of coatings when the plurality of gripping elements respectively grip a plurality of coatings. A plurality of sensing elements can also detect the gripping states of the plurality of gripping elements when they grasp the coatings to detect whether there are abnormal states in the plurality of coatings.Obviously, a plurality of detection elements can also detect if there are abnormal states in the plurality. of coatings when the plurality of gripping elements place a plurality of coatings. As can be seen, by providing a plurality of detection elements whose number is equal to the number of gripping elements and in corresponding positions, it is possible to detect if the plurality of coatings are in an abnormal state in a timely manner, so that the abnormal coatings can be adjusted in a timely manner to guarantee the production quality of battery cells.

[0045] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0046] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be more clearly described upon reading the description of the embodiments, with reference to the accompanying figures illustrating the embodiments. Obviously, the figures in the following description represent only a portion of the embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can derive further figures without creative effort based on these accompanying figures.

[0047] [Fig. 1] is a top view of a compartment of the coating replacement device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] [Fig.2] is a side view of the coating gripping mechanism according to a method of carrying out this request;

[0049] [Fig.3] is a front view of the coating gripping mechanism according to a method of carrying out this request;

[0050] [Fig.4] is a top view of the coating gripping mechanism according to a method of carrying out this request;

[0051] [Fig.5] is a front view of the detection assembly according to one embodiment of this application;

[0052] [Fig.6] is a side view of the detection assembly according to one embodiment of this application;

[0053] [Fig.7] is a top view of the detection assembly according to one embodiment of this application;

[0054] [Fig.8] is a front view of the retaining pallet mechanism according to a mode of fulfillment of this request;

[0055] [Fig.9] is a top view of the retaining pallet mechanism according to a mode of fulfillment of this request;

[0056] [Fig. 10] is a front view of the release mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] [Fig. 11] is a side view of the release mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] [Fig. 12] is a top view of the release mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] [Fig. 13] is a front view of the retaining mechanism according to an embodiment of this application;

[0060] [Fig. 14] is a top view of the retaining mechanism according to one embodiment of this application;

[0061] [Fig. 15] is a front view of the compartment according to an embodiment of the present request;

[0062] [Fig. 16] is a schematic diagram of the pallet input limiting component limiting the retaining pallet mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] [Fig. 17] is a schematic diagram of the lifting and positioning element lifting the retaining pallet mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] [Fig. 18] is a front view of the gripping mechanism according to a mode of fulfillment of this request;

[0065] [Fig. 19] is a top view of the gripping mechanism according to a mode of fulfillment of this request;

[0066] [Fig.20] is a front view of the detection assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0067] [Fig.21] is a side view of the detection assembly according to one embodiment of this application;

[0068] [Fig.22a] is a top view of the detection assembly according to a mode of fulfillment of this request;

[0069] [Fig.22b] is a top view of the light-shielding element according to a mode of fulfillment of this request;

[0070] [Fig.23] is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of position A in [Fig. 18]

[0071] [Fig.24] is a side view of the gripping mechanism according to a mode of fulfillment of this request;

[0072] [Fig.25] is a top view of the coating replacement device according to a method of carrying out this request;

[0073] Description of the reference signs:

[0074] 100-Coating replacement device; 110-Retaining pallet mechanism; 111-Support element; 112-First retaining plate; 113-Second retaining plate; 114-Mounting element; 115-Retaining element; 116-First engagement element; 1161-Neck; 1162-Head; 120-Storage mechanism; 130-Coating gripping mechanism; 131-First drive element; 132-Second drive element; 133-Coating gripping claw; 140-Sensing assembly; 141-Connecting base; 142-Sensing element; 143-Element light shield; 144-opposing beam detection assembly; 1441-first group of detection optical fibers; 1442-second group of detection optical fibers; 145-elastic element; 150-release mechanism; 151-first release drive element; 152-second release drive element; 153-second engagement element; 1531-groove; 160-retaining mechanism; 161- Pressing drive element; 162- Pressing element; 163- Rotary drive element; 164- Rotary gripping claw; 170- Compartment; 181- Transport element; 182- Limiting element; 183- Lifting and positioning element; 1A- First coating; 1-Gripping mechanism; 2-Support frame; 3-Mounting assembly; 4-Gripping element; 41-First clamping claw; 42-Second clamping claw; 40-Claw drive element; 5-Detection assembly; 51-Detection element; 52-Light shielding element; 520-First shelter zone; 521-Second first shelter zone; 53-Opposing beam detection assembly; 531-First optical fiber group; 532-Second optical fiber group; 54-Elastic element; 6-First drive element; 7-Second drive element; 200-Coating replacement equipment; 210-Retaining pallet mechanism; 220-Storage mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0075] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail and completely below with reference to the figures appended to the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only a part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work must be included within the scope of protection of this application.

[0076] In this application, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “front,” “rear,” “top,” “bottom,” “inside,” “outside,” “middle,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “transverse,” and “longitudinal,” indicating orientation or position relationships, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying figures. These terms are primarily intended to better describe this application and its embodiments, rather than to limit the devices, elements, or components in question to achieving a specific orientation, or to being constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0077] In addition to being used to indicate a relationship of orientation or position, some of the above terms can also be used to indicate other meanings. For example, the term "superior" can also be used to to indicate a certain attachment or bonding relationship in some cases. Those skilled in the art will understand that the specific meanings of these terms in this application may be interpreted according to specific circumstances.

[0078] Furthermore, the terms “fix,” “provide,” “connect,” and “attach” should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to a fixed connection (linkage), a removable connection, or an integral structure; they may refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they may refer to a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate support, or an internal connection between two devices, elements, or components. Those skilled in the art will understand that the specific meanings of the above terms in this application may be interpreted according to the specific circumstances.

[0079] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and others are primarily used to distinguish different devices, elements, or components (the specific types and structures may be identical or different), and are not used to indicate or imply relative importance or quantity of the devices, elements, or components indicated. Unless otherwise specified, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0080] The technical solution of the present application will be described in more detail below through the specific embodiments and the attached figures.

[0081] With reference to [Fig. 1], the embodiment of the present application provides a coating replacement device 100, the coating replacement device is configured to replace a first coating IA in a retaining pallet mechanism 110. The coating replacement device 100 comprises a storage mechanism 120 and a coating gripping mechanism 130. In which, the storage mechanism 120 is configured to store an empty pallet or a pallet bearing a second coating, and the size of the second coating is different from that of the first coating IA.The coating gripping mechanism 130 is configured to grasp the first coating IA from the retaining pallet mechanism 110 and place the first coating 1A into the empty pallet, and the coating gripping mechanism 130 is also configured to grasp the second coating and replace the second coating in the retaining pallet mechanism 110.

[0082] Wherein, because the aforementioned retaining pallet mechanism 110 is equipped with the first coating IA, it is possible to place the battery cells in the first coating 1A to limit the battery cells. However, when the battery cell sizes are different, it is necessary to replace the first coating 1A in the retaining pallet mechanism 110 to meet the limiting requirements for the different sized battery cells. There is no There may be only one installation position for the first IA coating in the retaining pallet mechanism 110, or there may be multiple installation positions for the first IA coating. However, considering the actual processing efficiency of the battery cells, by providing multiple installation positions for the first 1A coating in the retaining pallet mechanism 110, the installation of several first IA coatings can simultaneously limit several battery cells to ensure battery cell processing efficiency.

[0083] According to this embodiment, because the coating gripping mechanism 130 can grasp the first coating IA from the retaining pallet mechanism 110 and place it in an empty pallet, the coating gripping mechanism 130 can also grasp the second coating and place it back into the retaining pallet mechanism 110, and the sizes of the first coating 1A and the second coating are different. Therefore, when it is necessary to replace the first coating 1A in the retaining pallet mechanism 110, the coating gripping mechanism 130 first removes the first coating 1A from the retaining pallet mechanism 110 and places it in an empty pallet on the storage mechanism 120 to store the replaced first coating IA.Once all the first IA coatings in the retaining pallet mechanism 110 have been placed in the empty pallets, the coating gripping mechanism 130 removes the second coating and places it in the retaining pallet mechanism 110. When all the second coatings in the pallets carrying the second coatings have been replaced in the retaining pallet mechanism 110, the replacement of the different-sized coatings in the retaining pallet mechanism 110 is complete. It can be seen that, according to this embodiment, by providing the storage mechanism 120 and the coating gripping mechanism 130, the first coating 1A in the retaining pallet mechanism 110 can be automatically replaced by the second coating, thus replacing the manual replacement of the coating by operators, reducing labor costs and shortening the battery cell production cycle.

[0084] It should be noted that the first coating 1A and the second coating mentioned above do not imply that the solution in this embodiment can only perform the replacement of coatings having these two sizes. The first coating 1A and the second coating are simply named to distinguish two coatings of different sizes, and those skilled in the art should not interpret them as limitations on the sequence or the quantity of coating replacements.

[0085] Furthermore, optionally, empty pallets and pallets bearing the second coating can be placed simultaneously in the storage mechanism 120 or placed alternately in the storage mechanism 120. This will be explained in taking primarily the example that empty pallets and pallets bearing the second coating are placed alternately in the storage mechanism 120 as an illustration.

[0086] According to some embodiments, the empty pallet and the pallet bearing the second coating are transported alternately to the storage mechanism 120.

[0087] Because empty pallets and pallets with the second coating are moved alternately to the storage mechanism 120, when replacing coatings of different sizes in the pallet retaining mechanism 110, the empty pallets move to the storage mechanism 120. Then, the coating gripping mechanism 130 grasps all the first IA coatings in the pallet retaining mechanism 110 and places them in the empty pallets. When the empty pallets are fully loaded with the replaced first IA coatings, the empty pallets with the first IA coatings are moved out of the storage mechanism 120. Then, the pallets with the second coatings move to the storage mechanism 120.Next, the coating gripping mechanism 130 replaces all the second coatings in the retaining pallet mechanism 110, so that the retaining pallet mechanism 110 completes the process of replacing the first coating IA with the second coating, and simultaneously simplifies the movement path of the coating gripping mechanism 130.

[0088] According to some embodiments, with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the coating gripping mechanism 130 comprises a first drive element 131, a second drive element 132 and a coating gripping claw 133, the first drive element 131 is configured to drive the coating gripping claw 133 to pass between the retaining pallet mechanism 110 and the storage mechanism 120, and the second drive element 132 is configured to drive the coating gripping claw 133 to move up or down.

[0089] In this regard, the first drive element 131 and the second drive element 132 both include, but are not limited to, linear motors, telescopic cylinders and others.

[0090] According to this embodiment, when it is necessary to replace the first coating 1A in the retaining pallet mechanism 110 with the second coating, first, the first drive element 131 causes the coating gripping claw 133 to move over the retaining pallet mechanism 110. Then, the second drive element 132 causes the coating gripping claw 133 to descend until it grips the first coating 1A. After that, the second drive element 132 causes the coating gripping claw 133 to ascend. Then, by making so that the first drive element 131 causes the coating gripping claw 133 to move to the first positioning position 120a, the process of removing the first coating 1A from the retaining pallet mechanism 110 and replacing it in the first positioning position 120a is completed.

[0091] Next, the first drive element 131 causes the coating gripping claw 133 to move above the second positioning position 120b. Then, the second drive element 132 causes the coating gripping claw 133 to descend to grasp the second coating. Next, the second drive element 132 causes the coating gripping claw 133 to ascend. Finally, the first drive element 131 causes the coating gripping claw 133 to move towards the retaining pallet mechanism 110, and the second drive element 132 causes the coating gripping claw 133 to move the second coating into the retaining pallet mechanism 110. Now, the replacement of the first coating 1A and the second coating in the retaining pallet mechanism 110 is complete.

[0092] It can be seen that the control process for carrying out the replacement of the first coating 1A and the second coating in the retaining pallet mechanism 110 using the coating gripping mechanism 130 in this embodiment is simple and easy to execute.

[0093] Furthermore, the coating gripping claw 133 comprises a first claw and a second claw that are movably connected. The coating gripping mechanism 130 also includes two claw drive elements. The two claw drive elements are connected to the first claw and the second claw, respectively. The two claw drive elements can act together to direct the first claw and the second claw to move closer together so that the coating gripping claw 133 can grasp the first coating 1A or the second coating, or the two claw drive elements can act together to direct the first claw and the second claw to move away from each other so that the coating gripping claw 133 can release the first coating 1A or the second coating.

[0094] Obviously, the coating gripping mechanism 130 is not limited to the above structure. According to some other possible embodiments, the coating gripping mechanism 130 can also be a robotic arm.

[0095] According to certain embodiments, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the coating gripping claw 133 is connected to the second drive element 132, the first drive element 131 is connected to the coating gripping claw 133 via the second drive element 132, and the first drive element 131 is configured to drive the coating gripping claw 133 to pass between the retaining pallet mechanism 110 and the storage mechanism 120 in the first direction.

[0096] In which, the first direction mentioned above refers to the direction indicated by arrow X in [Fig.1].

[0097] By using the first drive element 131 to drive the coating gripping claw 133 to pass in the first direction between the retaining pallet mechanism 110 and the storage mechanism 120, a travel path of the coating gripping claw 133 driven by the first drive element 131 can be simplified, which makes it possible to reduce the difficulty of controlling the coating gripping mechanism 130 when replacing the first coating 1A and the second coating.

[0098] Furthermore, by connecting the first drive element 131 to the coating gripping claw 133 via the second drive element 132, the linking structure of the coating gripping claw 133 can be simplified, and at the same time, the structural compactness of the coating replacement device 100 can be improved.

[0099] According to some embodiments, with reference to [Fig.3], the coating gripping mechanism 130 also includes a detection assembly 140, the detection assembly 140 is configured to detect whether the first IA coating or the second coating is in an abnormal state.

[0100] In which, the detection component 140 mentioned above may be position sensors, pressure sensors, laser detectors and others.

[0101] Furthermore, the aforementioned detection component 140 is configured to detect whether the first coating 1A or the second coating is in an abnormal state. It will be understood that when the coating gripping mechanism 130 grasps the first coating IA, the detection component 140 will first detect the first coating 1A in the retaining pallet mechanism 110. If the detection component 140 detects that no first coating IA is present at the corresponding gripping position of the coating gripping mechanism 130, this indicates that the first coating IA at that gripping position is abnormal. Or, when grasping the second coating at the second positioning position 120b, similarly, the detection component 140 can detect the possible presence of the second coating.If, after the coating gripping mechanism 130 grasps the second coating and places it in the retaining pallet mechanism 110, the detection component 140 will again detect the second coating in place. If the height of the second coating is greater than a predefined height, this means that the second coating is too high and must be adjusted to ensure the quality of the battery cell preparation.

[0102] With regard to a timely reminder of anomalies of the first coating 1A and of the second coating in abnormal states, an alarm and / or an electrically connected warning light to the detection element 140 may be provided, reminders may be given by an audible alarm or a flashing indicator light.

[0103] Therefore, by providing the detection component 140, anomalies in the first IA coating and the second coating can be detected in time, thus ensuring the quality of battery cell production.

[0104] According to some embodiments, the abnormal state includes the absence of the first coating 1A in the retaining pallet mechanism 110, the inability of the coating gripping claw 133 to grasp the first coating IA or the second coating, and / or an excessive height of the second coating placed in the retaining pallet mechanism 110.

[0105] Thus, the detection component 140 can detect whether there is an anomaly in the state of the first coating 1A or the second coating when the coating gripping claw 133 grasps the first coating 1A or the second coating. The detection component 140 can also detect whether there is an anomaly in the state of the first coating 1A or the second coating grasped by the coating gripping claw 133. Furthermore, the detection component 140 can also detect whether the first coating 1A or the second coating placed is too high, which reflects the comprehensiveness of the detection component 140 in detecting the first coating 1A and the second coating in different states.

[0106] According to some possible embodiments, with reference to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the detection assembly 140 comprises a link base 141, a detection element 142 movablely arranged on the link base 141 in the vertical direction, a light shielding element 143 connected to the end of the detection element 142, and an opposing beam detection assembly 144 corresponding to the light shielding element 143. A first end of the detection element 142, which is away from the light shielding element 143, is configured to come into contact with the first coating 1A or the second coating, in order to judge whether the first coating IA or the second coating is missing or abnormally too high depending on whether the light shielding element 143 houses the opposing beam detection assembly 144 or not.

[0107] Because the sensing element 142 is movable on the connecting base 141, the light-shielding element 143 is connected to the end of the sensing element 142, and the end of the sensing element 142 furthest from the light-shielding element 143 is configured to come into contact with the first coating 1A or the second coating. Therefore, when the first coating IA or The second coating is missing, the detection element 142 cannot be pushed upwards, and the light-shielding element 143 will, of course, not be raised. When the first IA coating or the second coating is too high, the detection element 142 is pushed excessively upwards, and then the light-shielding element 143 is raised relatively high. It can be seen that, by using the light-shielding element 143 to block the light emitted by the opposing beam detection assembly 144 at different positions, it is possible to determine whether the first IA coating and the second coating are in the abnormal states described above.

[0108] According to some embodiments, with reference to [Fig. 6], the opposing beam detection assembly 144 comprises a first group of detection optical fibers 1441 and a second group of detection optical fibers 1442. In the vertical direction, the position of the first group of detection optical fibers 1441 is lower than that of the second group of detection optical fibers 1442. The light-shielding element 143 is configured to shield either the first group of detection optical fibers 1441 or the second group of detection optical fibers 1442 from light. That is, the light-shielding element 143 can shield the first group of detection optical fibers 1441 when the first coating 1A or the second coating is missing, or when the coating gripping claw 133 fails to grasp the first coating IA or the second coating.The light-shielding element 143 can also house the second group of detection optical fibers 1442 when the first IA coating or the second coating is above the predefined position.

[0109] Therefore, by providing the first group of detection optical fibers 1441 and the second group of detection optical fibers 1442, it is possible to simultaneously detect anomalies such as missing, empty, or excessively high gripping of the first coating 1A and the second coating. Compared to solutions of the technologies concerned, in which several groups of detection assemblies 140 are provided to separately detect missing and excessive situations of the first coating 1A and the second coating, this embodiment makes it possible to reduce the number of detection assemblies 140, simplify the structure of the detection assemblies 140, and improve the diversity of the detection functions of the detection assemblies 140.

[0110] According to some embodiments, with reference to [Fig.5] and 6, the detection assembly 140 further comprises an elastic element 145, and the elastic element 145 is disposed on the detection element 142 near the first end.

[0111] Because the end of the sensing element 142 furthest from a light-shielding cap is in contact with the first IA coating or the second coating, by placing the elastic element 145 on the sensing element 142 near the first end, a rigid contact is formed between the sensing element 142 and the first coating AI and the second coating can be transformed into a flexible contact, thus achieving the objective of protecting the first AI coating and the second coating.

[0112] In addition, the elastic element 145 can be a spring, a leaf spring, a rubber part and others.

[0113] According to certain embodiments, with reference to [Fig. 8] and 9, several first cladding IAs are provided, and these first cladding IAs are arranged sequentially in the second direction. The retaining pallet mechanism 110 comprises a support element 111 and a first retaining plate 112 and a second retaining plate 113, which are arranged on the support element 111. The first retaining plate 112 and the second retaining plate 113 are spaced in the second direction, and the second retaining plate 113 is movable in the second direction relative to the first retaining plate 112. A plurality of first claddings 1As are assembled between the first retaining plate 112 and the second retaining plate 113.

[0114] In which, the second direction may be parallel to the first direction, or perpendicular to the first direction, or an angle between the second and first directions is formed. In this embodiment, the second direction refers to the direction indicated by arrow Y in [Fig. 8].

[0115] Furthermore, the first several AI coatings refer to the first AI coatings, two or more in number.

[0116] Because the second retaining plate 113 can move relative to the first retaining plate 112 in the second direction, it is possible to adjust the position of the second retaining plate 113. On the one hand, this is convenient for assembling several first IA coatings. On the other hand, the assembly of coatings of different sizes can be adapted between the first retaining plate 112 and the second retaining plate 113.

[0117] According to some embodiments, with reference to FIGS. 1,9, 10, 11 and 12, the coating replacement device further includes a release mechanism 150, and the release mechanism 150 is configured to cause the second retaining plate 113 to move away from the first retaining plate 112 in the second direction.

[0118] Therefore, by providing the release mechanism 150, when replacing the first liner IA in the retaining pallet mechanism 110 with the second liner, firstly, the release mechanism 150 can cause the second retaining plate 113 to move in the second direction away from the first retaining plate 112, in order to increase the distance between the first several liners IA, which is convenient for the liner gripping mechanism 130 to grasp the first liner IA and also practical for installing the second coating in the retaining pallet mechanism 110.

[0119] According to certain embodiments, with reference to FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12, a first engagement element 116 is disposed on a lateral surface of the second retaining plate 113 opposite the first retaining plate 112. The release mechanism 112 includes a first release drive element 151, a second release drive element 152 and a second engagement element 153 which is engaged with the first engagement element 116, the first release drive element 151 is configured to drive the second engagement element 153 to move towards the first engagement element 116 so that the second engagement element 153 is engaged with the first engagement element 116, the second release drive element 152 is configured to drive the second engagement element 153 to move the first engagement element 116 in the second direction away from the first retaining plate 112.

[0120] Therefore, when the first liner IA in the retaining pallet mechanism 110 is to be replaced by the second liner, first, the first release drive element 151 causes the second engagement element 153 to move towards the first engagement element 116 until it is engaged with the second engagement element 153. Then, the second release drive element 152 causes the second engagement element 153 to cause the first engagement element 116 to move in the second direction away from the first retaining plate 112, thus causing the second retaining plate 113 to move in the direction away from the first retaining plate 112, which provides space to remove the first liner 1A and to install the second liner.

[0121] It can be seen that with the aid of the release drive elements according to this embodiment, the retaining pallet mechanism 110 and the release mechanism 150 can be controlled independently of each other, and the release mechanism 150 can be controlled to cause the second retaining plate 113 to move.

[0122] In addition, the first release drive element 151 and the second release drive element 152 can be motors, cylinders and other drive devices.

[0123] Obviously, according to some other embodiments, the release mechanism 150 may also include a telescopic cylinder. The telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder is connected to the second retaining plate 113. By extending the telescopic end of the telescopic cylinder, the second retaining plate 113 can be made to move in the direction away from the first retaining plate 112.

[0124] According to some embodiments, an interlocking part is formed on the first engagement element 116, and a groove 1531 is disposed on the second engagement element 153, and the groove 1531 engages with the interlocking part via an interlocking link.

[0125] Thus, because the structure of the groove 1531 is simple and easy to process, by using the interlocking part between the groove 1531 and the engagement part so that the second engagement element 153 engages with the first engagement element 116, the interlocking structure between the second engagement element 153 and the first engagement element 116 can be simplified

[0126] According to some embodiments, with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the first engagement element 116 comprises a head 1162 and a neck 1161 connected to each other, the end of the neck 1161 away from the head 1162 is connected to the surface of the second retaining plate 113 opposite the first retaining plate 112, the interlocking part is formed on the neck 1161, the width of the neck 1161 is less than the width of the groove 1531, and the width of the head 1162 is greater than the width of the groove 1531.

[0127] In which, the direction of the width of the groove 1531 mentioned above refers to the direction from one groove wall to the other of the two opposite groove walls of the groove 1531, i.e. the direction indicated by arrow xl in [Fig. 10]. The directions of the width of the neck 1161 and of the head 1162 are identical and both refer to the direction perpendicular to the direction from the neck 1161 to the head 1162, i.e. the direction indicated by arrow x2 in [Fig. 9].

[0128] Because the width of the neck 1161 is less than that of the groove 1531 and the width of the head 1162 is greater than that of the groove 1531, when the groove 1531 corresponds to the neck 1161 and the first engagement element 116 is caused to move in the direction away from the first retaining plate 112, the head 1162 can prevent the groove 1531 from disengaging from the neck 1161, thus ensuring the stability of the engagement when the second engagement element 153 causes the first engagement element 116 to move.

[0129] According to some possible embodiments, with reference to FIGS. 1, 13 and 14, the coating replacement device 100 further includes a retaining mechanism 160, and the retaining mechanism 160 is configured to cause the second retaining plate 113 to move towards the first retaining plate 112 in the second direction.

[0130] Therefore, by providing the retaining mechanism 160, once the replacement of the first IA coating and the second coating in the retaining pallet mechanism 110 is completed, the second retaining plate 113 can be driven to move towards the first retaining plate 112 until several second coatings are pressed firmly, thus completing the second coating retention, which facilitates the processing of battery cells of sizes suitable for the second coating.

[0131] According to some embodiments, with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, the retaining mechanism 14 comprises a pressing drive element 161 and a pressing element 162 connected to the pressing drive element 161, the pressing drive element 161 causes the pressing element 162 to press against the second retaining plate 113 and to push the second retaining plate 113 to move in the second direction towards the first retaining plate 112.

[0132] Therefore, by providing the pressing drive element 161 and the pressing element 162 connected to the pressing drive element 161, when the replacement of the first coating 1A and the second coating is completed, the pressing drive element 161 can cause the pressing element 162 to push the second retaining plate 113 to move towards the first retaining plate 112 to press firmly on the second coating located between the first retaining plate 112 and the second retaining plate 113, which is convenient for processing battery cells of sizes suitable for the second coating.

[0133] In which, the pressing drive element 161 can be drive elements such as a linear motor or a telescopic cylinder.

[0134] Once the replacement of the first coating 1A and the second coating is complete, the pressing drive element 161 causes the pressing element 162 to push the second retaining plate 113 to press firmly onto the second coating. At this point, if the power applied by the pressing drive element 161 to the pressing element 162 is removed, the second retaining plate 113 will still move away from the first retaining plate 112, so that a gap is formed between two adjacent second coatings.In order to ensure the stability of the second coating once the driving force of the pressing drive element 161 has been removed, according to some possible embodiments, with reference to FIGS 9, 13 and 14, the retaining pallet mechanism 110 further comprises a mounting element 114 and a retaining element 115 disposed on the support element 111, the mounting element 114 is disposed on the side of the second retaining plate 113 opposite the first retaining plate 112 and forms a predefined space with the second retaining plate 113, and the retaining element 115 is connected to the mounting element 114 by. a threaded connection. The retaining mechanism 160 further includes a drive assembly, the drive assembly is configured to drive the retaining element 115 to move towards the second retaining plate 113 relative to the mounting element 114 until the retaining element 115 rests against the second retaining plate 113.

[0135] In this regard, the retaining element 115 can move relative to the mounting element 114, and it should be understood that the retaining element 115 can rotate helically, move linearly and so forth relative to the mounting element 114.

[0136] Because the mounting element 114 is disposed on the side of the second retaining plate 113 away from the first retaining plate 112 and forms a predefined space with the second retaining plate 113, the retaining element 115 is movable on the mounting element 114, and the drive assembly causes the retaining element 115 to move relative to the mounting element 114 towards the second retaining plate 113 until it rests against the second retaining plate 113. Therefore, once the retaining element 115 rests against the second retaining plate 113, even if the action force applied by the drive assembly is removed, the retaining element 115 still rests against the second retaining plate 113, thus ensuring the stability of the second retaining plate 113 to retain the second coating.

[0137] According to some possible embodiments, the retaining element 115 is connected by thread to the mounting element 114. The drive assembly includes a rotary drive element 163 and a rotary gripping claw 164 connected to the rotary drive element 163, the rotary gripping claw 164 corresponds to the retaining element 115, and the rotary drive element 163 is configured to drive the rotary gripping claw 164 to drive the end of the retaining element 115 to bear against the second retaining plate 113.

[0138] Because the retaining element 115 is connected to the mounting element 114 by a threaded connection, the rotating gripping claw 164 can cooperate with the retaining element 115, and the rotating drive element 163 can cause the rotating gripping claw 164 to rotate, so that the end of the retaining element 115 moves towards the second retaining plate 113 until it rests against the second retaining plate 113. Therefore, once the end of the retaining element 115 rests against the second retaining plate 113, even if the rotational power applied by the rotating drive element 163 is removed, the retaining element 115 still rests against the second retaining plate 113, thus ensuring the stability of the second retaining plate 113 to retain the second coating.

[0139] However, when it requires that the second retaining plate 113 move in the direction away from the first retaining plate 112, it is necessary first to drive the retaining element 115 to rotate to form a space between the end of the retaining element 115 and the second retaining plate 113, so as to reserve space for the movement of the second retaining plate 113.

[0140] For example, the pressing element 162 consists of two pressing rods arranged at an interval, and the rotating gripping claw is located between the two pressing rods.

[0141] In addition, the rotary drive element 163 mentioned above can be a synchronous motor, an asynchronous motor and others.

[0142] The retaining element 115 mentioned above can be designed according to the magnitude of the retaining force in order to ensure that the pressure resistance of the first retaining plate 112 and the second retaining plate 113 on the first coating IA or the second coating is appropriate and facilitates disassembly.

[0143] The retaining element 115 mentioned above may be a lead screw, a screw and others.

[0144] According to some embodiments, with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, the coating replacement device further comprises a compartment 170 and a transport element 181 disposed inside the compartment 170, and the transport element 181 is configured to transport the retaining pallet mechanism 110 into the compartment 170 at a predefined position.

[0145] In which, the transport element 181 includes, but is not limited to, conveyor belts, conveyor rollers and others.

[0146] Therefore, by providing the transport element 181, the direction of movement of the retaining pallet mechanism 110 can be guided to prevent the retaining pallet mechanism 110 from deviating from its trajectory. Simultaneously, it can also improve the convenience for the retaining pallet mechanism 110 to enter the compartment 170.

[0147] According to some embodiments, with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, the coating replacement device further includes a limiting element 182 disposed inside the compartment 170, the limiting element 182 is configured to block the retaining pallet mechanism 110 from entering the compartment 170, in order to prevent the retaining pallet mechanism 110 from leaving the predefined position.

[0148] Therefore, once the retaining pallet mechanism 110 has entered the compartment 170, first, the retaining pallet mechanism 110 is placed on the transport element 181 and is transported by the transport element 181 to the predefined position. In order to prevent the retaining pallet mechanism 110 from to continue moving forward, a limiting element 182 will be provided at the predefined position to prevent the retaining pallet mechanism 110 from continuing to move forward in its direction of travel, so that the retaining pallet mechanism 110 can be installed precisely at the predefined position inside the compartment 170, thus ensuring the effect of replacing the first IA coating and the second coating.

[0149] According to some embodiments, with reference to [Fig. 17], the coating replacement device further includes a lifting and positioning element 183 disposed inside the compartment 170, and the lifting and positioning element 183 is configured to lift and position the retaining pallet mechanism 110 to the predefined position.

[0150] Therefore, in the process in which the retaining pallet mechanism 110 enters the compartment 170, the lifting and positioning element 183 descends to facilitate the retaining pallet mechanism 110's entry into the compartment 170. When the retaining pallet mechanism 110 reaches the predefined position, the lifting and positioning element 183 is configured to lift the retaining pallet mechanism 110 so that the retaining pallet mechanism 110 is at the predefined height, which is convenient for gripping by the coating gripping mechanism 130.

[0151] In addition, the lifting and positioning element 183 may optionally include a lifting cylinder. In compartment 170, trajectory switches are also provided for positioning detection and positioning pins. Thus, the trajectory switches can detect whether the retaining pallet mechanism 110 is in place, and the positioning pins are configured to limit the lifting height of the retaining pallet mechanism 110.

[0152] With reference to FIGS. 18 and 19, the embodiment of the present application also provides a gripping mechanism 1, and the gripping mechanism 1 comprises a mounting assembly 3 and a plurality of gripping elements 4 and a sensing assembly 5. The gripping element 4 is plural, and the multiple gripping elements 4 are spaced in a first direction and arranged on the mounting assembly 3. The multiple gripping elements 4 are configured to simultaneously grasp several coatings. The sensing assembly 5 comprises a plurality of sensing elements 51 arranged on the mounting assembly 3. The number of sensing elements 51 is equal to the number of gripping elements 4, and the plurality of sensing elements 51 are configured to detect, respectively, whether the plurality of coatings is in an abnormal state.

[0153] Here, the term "a plurality of" mentioned above refers to a quantity of three or more.

[0154] The mounting assembly 3 mentioned above comprises a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate arranged on the first mounting plate. The gripping elements 4 are arranged on the first mounting plate, and the sensing elements 51 are arranged on the second mounting plate, or the mounting assembly 3 comprises a mounting frame and a mounting plate arranged on the mounting frame.

[0155] Moreover, the first direction mentioned above refers to the direction indicated by arrow xl in [Fig. 19].

[0156] Because a plurality of gripping elements 4 are spaced in the first direction and arranged on the mounting assembly 3, and because the number of sensing elements 51 in the sensing assembly 5 is equal to the number of gripping elements 4, the multiple sensing elements 51 can simultaneously detect the coatings grasped by the multiple gripping elements 4. In other words, the multiple sensing elements 51 can detect whether there are abnormal states in the multiple coatings when the multiple gripping elements 4 respectively grasp the multiple coatings. The multiple sensing elements 51 can also detect the gripping states of the multiple gripping elements 4 when they grasp the coatings to detect whether there are abnormal states in the multiple coatings.Obviously, the multiple detection elements 51 can also detect whether there are abnormal states in the multiple coatings when the multiple gripping elements 4 position the multiple coatings. As can be seen, by providing a plurality of detection elements 51 whose number is equal to the number of gripping elements 4 and in corresponding positions, it is possible to detect whether the plurality of coatings are in an abnormal state in a timely manner, so that the abnormal coatings can be adjusted in a timely manner to guarantee the production quality of battery cells.

[0157] According to some embodiments, abnormal states include the absence of at least one of the plurality of coatings, the inability of at least one of the plurality of gripping elements 4 to grip correctly and / or the excessive height of at least one of the plurality of coatings.

[0158] Consequently, when the gripping elements 4 grasp a plurality of coatings, a plurality of sensing elements 51 in the sensing assembly 5 can simultaneously detect whether the coatings to be grasped are placed at too high a level. When the gripping elements 4 have grasped the coatings, a plurality of sensing elements 51 can simultaneously detect whether there is a situation where a plurality of gripping elements 4 fail to grasp correctly. When the gripping elements 4 place a plurality of grasped coatings, a A plurality of detection elements 51 can simultaneously detect whether a plurality of gripped coatings are placed at too high a level. It can be seen that, using the detection set 5, it is possible to detect whether there are abnormal states in the coatings before they are gripped, during the gripping process, and after they are placed, thus improving the comprehensiveness of the detection by the detection set 5.

[0159] In addition, the coatings mentioned above may refer to the coatings which must be replaced, i.e. the first coating, or may also refer to the coatings to be replaced, i.e. the second coating.

[0160] According to some embodiments, with reference to [Fig.20], the detection assembly 5 further comprises a light shielding element 52 disposed on the end of the detection element 51, and an opposing beam detection assembly 53 corresponding to the light shielding element 52. The first end of the detection element 51 away from the light shielding element 52 is configured to come into contact with the coating and the detection element 51 is movablely disposed on the mounting assembly 3 in the vertical direction.

[0161] Here, the vertical direction refers to the direction indicated by arrow Y in [Fig.20],

[0162] Furthermore, the light-shielding element 52 corresponds to the opposing beam detection assembly 53 mentioned above, which means that the light-shielding element 52 can block optical signals emitted by the opposing beam detection assembly 53.

[0163] Because the sensing element 51 can move in the vertical direction, the first end of the sensing element 51 is provided with a light-shielding element 52, and the second end comes into contact with the coating. Consequently, when the gripping element 4 fails to grip correctly or the coating is missing, the sensing element 51 will not be able to make contact with the coating, and the light-shielding element 52 will then be in a lower position. When the coating is placed at too high a level, the sensing element 51 protrudes further from the mounting assembly 3, i.e., the light-shielding element 52 is in a higher position. Thus, the situations in which the gripping element 4 fails to grip correctly, the coating is missing, and the coating is placed at too high a level can be determined based on the light-shielding position of the light-shielding element 52.This structure is simple and easy to operate.

[0164] Obviously, the detection assembly 5 mentioned above is not limited to the structure described above. The detection assembly 5 may also include a laser sensor, a height sensor, a limit switch, and others.

[0165] According to one embodiment, with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21, the opposing beam detection assembly 53 comprises a first group of optical fibers 531 and a second group of optical fibers 532 spaced in the vertical direction. The position of the first group of optical fibers 531 in the vertical direction is lower than that of the second group of optical fibers 532, and the light-shielding element 52 is configured to shield either the first group of optical fibers 531 or the second group of optical fibers 532 from light. That is, the light-shielding element 52 can shield the first group of optical fibers 531 from light when the gripping element 4 fails to grasp correctly or when the coating is missing, and the light-shielding element 52 can also shield the second group of optical fibers 532 from light when the coating is positioned too high.

[0166] Because the first group of optical fibers 531 is lower than the second group of optical fibers 532 in the vertical direction, when the light-shielding element 52 is in a relatively low position, it can block the light emitted by the first group of optical fibers 531, indicating that the sensing element 51 is not in contact with the coating, i.e., there is a situation where the gripping element 4 is unable to grasp it correctly or the coating is missing. When the light-shielding element 52 is in a relatively high position, it can block the light emitted by the second group of optical fibers 532, indicating that the sensing element 51 is lifted by the coating, i.e., there is a situation where the element is positioned too high.

[0167] It can be seen that by matching the light-shielding element 52 to the first group of optical fibers 531 or to the second group of optical fibers 532, it will be possible to determine whether the gripping element 4 is failing to grip correctly, whether the coating is missing, and whether the coating is positioned too high. Compared to the existing art, in which several sensors are provided to determine whether the gripping element 4 is failing to grip correctly and whether the coating is positioned too high, costs are reduced.

[0168] In addition, the first optical fiber group 531 and the second optical fiber group 532 both comprise at least one optical fiber.

[0169] According to some embodiments, the gripping mechanism 1 also includes a controller and a warning device electrically connected to the controller. The controller is electrically connected to the first group of optical fibers 531 and the second group of optical fibers 532 respectively, and the warning device can sound an alarm when the light-shielding element 52 blocks the first group of optical fibers 531 or the second group of optical fibers 532.

[0170] Here, the controller mentioned above includes, but is not limited to, a single-chip microcomputer controller, a PLC controller, a CPU controller, and others.

[0171] Therefore, when the light-blocking element 52 blocks the first group of optical fibers 531, the first group of optical fibers 531 can transmit a signal to the controller, and the controller can command the warning device to sound an alarm based on the signal transmitted by the first group of optical fibers 531. Similarly, when the light-blocking element 52 blocks the second group of optical fibers 532, the second group of optical fibers 532 can transmit a signal to the controller, and the controller can command the warning device to sound an alarm based on the signal transmitted by the second group of optical fibers 532. Thus, it is possible to quickly remind personnel to monitor abnormal coating conditions in different states.

[0172] In addition, the warning device mentioned above may be a warning light, a buzzer, and others.

[0173] According to some embodiments, the light in the first group of optical fibers 531 and the second group of optical fibers 532 is transmitted in the first direction.

[0174] Because a plurality of gripping elements 4 are spaced in the first direction and the several detection elements 51 are arranged corresponding to a plurality of gripping elements 4 in the first direction, in order to improve the detection effect of the existence of abnormal states in the coatings gripped by a plurality of gripping elements 4 by a plurality of detection elements 51 simultaneously, the light in the first group of optical fibers 531 and in the second group of optical fibers 532 is designed to be transmitted in the first direction.

[0175] Because the light-shielding element 52 can shield the second group of optical fibers 532 from light when the coating is placed too high, in order to improve the accuracy of detecting an excessively high placement of the coating, it is necessary to detect two opposite sides of the coating. In other words, when one side of the coating in the first direction is raised while the other side is at normal height, if only one side of the coating is detected in this case, it is easy to treat the coating with the other raised side as if it were normally placed, which will affect the subsequent installation and processing of the battery cells. On this basis, according to some embodiments, the second group of optical fibers 532 comprises two groups, and the two groups of the second group of optical fibers 532 are spaced in the second direction.The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and both the first and second directions are perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0176] Here, the first direction refers to the direction indicated by arrow xl in [Fig.22a], and the second direction refers to the direction indicated by arrow yl in [Fig. 22a]. The first and second directions mentioned above do not strictly conform to what is shown in [Fig. 22a]. In order to improve the accuracy of coating detection, preferably, the second direction corresponds to the direction of the coating length.

[0177] Therefore, according to this embodiment, because two groups of the second groups of optical fibers 532 are spaced in the second direction, the two groups of the second groups of optical fibers 532 can respectively detect the two sides of the coating in the second direction, thus improving the detection accuracy of an over-high placement of the coating.

[0178] According to some embodiments, with reference to [Fig.22b], the light-shielding element 52 is a disc-shaped light-shielding element, the disc-shaped light-shielding element comprises a first sheltering zone near the center and a second sheltering zone near the edge, the first sheltering zone is configured to shelter the second group of optical fibers 532 from the light, and the second sheltering zone is configured to shelter the first group of optical fibers 531 from the light.

[0179] Because the disc-shaped light-shielding element comprises a first shielding zone 520 near the center and a second shielding zone 521 near the edge, and because the first shielding zone 520 can shield the second group of optical fibers 532 from light while the second shielding zone 521 can shield the first group of optical fibers 531 from light, by providing a light-shielding element 52, it is possible to provide light shielding for the first group of optical fibers 531 and the second group of optical fibers 532, respectively. Compared to providing two independent light-shielding elements 52, the number of components in the detection assembly 5 is reduced, while simplifying the assembly process of the detection assembly 5.

[0180] According to some embodiments, with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21, the detection assembly 5 further comprises an elastic element 54, and the elastic element 54 is disposed on the detection element 51 near the first end of the detection element 51.

[0181] Because the first end of the sensing element 51, located away from the light-shielding element 52, comes into contact with the coating to determine whether the coating is positioned too high, whether the coating is missing, or whether the gripping element 4 is failing to grip correctly, when the elastic element 54 is arranged on the light-shielding element 52 near the first end of the sensing element 51, this allows the sensing element 51 to come into contact with the coating by means of the elastic element 54, thus transforming a rigid contact between the sensing element 51 and the coating into a flexible contact, playing a role in protecting the coating and preventing damage to the structure. of the coating caused by the relatively large abutment force applied by the detection element 51 on the coating.

[0182] In addition, the elastic element 54 mentioned above includes, but is not limited to, elastic elements such as rubber pads, spring plates and springs.

[0183] According to some embodiments, with reference to [Fig. 23], the gripping element 4 comprises a claw drive element 40, a first clamping claw 41, and a second clamping claw 42. The claw drive element 40 is configured to cause the first clamping claw 41 and the second clamping claw 42 to move closer together to grip the coating or to move away from each other to release the coating. The sensing element 51 is disposed between the first clamping claw 41 and the second clamping claw 42.

[0184] Here, the claw drive element mentioned above can be an opening-closing cylinder, or can also be a telescopic cylinder, a linear motor, and others.

[0185] For example, two claw drive elements 40 are provided, and these two claw drive elements 40 are connected to the first clamping claw 41 and the second clamping claw 42, respectively. When it is necessary to grip the coating, the two claw drive elements 40 cause the first clamping claw 41 and the second clamping claw 42, respectively, to move closer together to grip the coating. When it is necessary to release the coating, the two claw drive elements 40 cause the first clamping claw 41 and the second clamping claw 42, respectively, to move away from each other so that the coating is released from the gripping element 4. That is to say, the two claw drive elements 40 work together to control the opening or closing of the first clamping claw 41 and the second clamping claw 42.

[0186] Furthermore, the gripping element 4 further comprises a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate. A plurality of first clamping claws 41 are arranged on the first mounting plate, and a plurality of second clamping claws 42 are arranged on the second mounting plate. One of the two claw drive elements 40 is connected to the first mounting plate and the other is connected to the second mounting plate. Thus, the two claw drive elements 40 allow the opening or closing of a plurality of first clamping claws 41 and a plurality of second clamping claws 42, respectively.

[0187] Because the sensing element 51 is disposed between the first clamping claw 41 and the second clamping claw 42, when the first clamping claw As the first clamping claw 41 and the second clamping claw 42 move closer together to grip the coating, the sensing element 51 can detect if there is a situation where the first clamping claw 41 and the second clamping claw 42 fail to grip correctly. When the first clamping claw 41 and the second clamping claw 42 move apart to release the coating, the coating will be placed in the positioning position, and the sensing element 51 can then detect if the placed coating is positioned too high. Thus, when the sensing element 51 is positioned between the first clamping claw 41 and the second clamping claw 42, it is possible to detect the coating's condition in a timely manner when the first clamping claw 41 and the second clamping claw 42 are in different positions, thereby improving the accuracy and speed of the detection.

[0188] According to some embodiments, with reference to [Fig.24], the gripping mechanism further comprises a first drive element 6 and a second drive element 7, the first drive element 6 is configured to drive the gripping element 4 and the sensing assembly 5 to move synchronously, and the second drive element 7 is configured to drive the gripping element 4 to go up or down.

[0189] In which, the first drive element 6 and the second drive element 7 can both be telescopic cylinders, linear motors and others.

[0190] By providing the first drive element 6, when the gripping element 4 is driven to grasp or place the coating, the detection assembly 5 can detect in a timely manner the existence of abnormal conditions in the coatings during the grasping and placement process. With the help of the second drive element 7, when the gripping element 4 grasps the coating, the second drive element 7 can cause the gripping element 4 to descend and grasp the coating, and then cause the gripping element 4 to ascend. Similarly, this also applies to the coating placement process.

[0191] There are several linkage relationships between the second drive element 7 and the first drive element 6. For example, the second drive element 7 and the first drive element 6 are independent of each other and are respectively linked to the gripping element 4, or the second drive element 7 is linked to the first drive element 6 and the second drive element 7 is linked to the gripping element 4. The following will be explained primarily using the example of the second drive element 7 being linked to the first drive element 6 as an illustration.

[0192] According to some embodiments, the gripping element 4 is arranged on the second drive element 7 and the second drive element 7 is arranged on the first drive element 6.

[0193] Therefore, when the first drive element 6 causes the second drive element 7 to move, the second drive element 7 and the gripping element 4 can move synchronously, thus improving the compactness of the installation structure of the first drive element 6 and the second drive element 7.

[0194] The embodiment of the present application also provides a gripping device, the gripping device comprises a support frame 2 and a gripping mechanism 1. In which, the mounting assembly 3 in the gripping mechanism 1 is movably arranged on the support frame 2.

[0195] In particular, because the sensing assembly 5 and the gripping element 4 in the gripping mechanism 1 are both disposed on the mounting assembly 3, the first drive element 6 is connected to the mounting assembly 3. Thus, when the first drive element 6 drives the mounting assembly 3 to move, it can simultaneously drive the sensing assembly 5 and the gripping element 4 to move synchronously, thereby improving the integrity of the movement of the sensing assembly 5 and the gripping element 4.

[0196] Furthermore, the sensing element 51 in the sensing assembly 5 is movable on the mounting assembly 3 in the vertical direction. Feasible arrangements include: a through hole extending in the vertical direction is opened on the mounting assembly 3, and the sensing element 51 is movably inserted into the through hole; or an installation part is disposed on the mounting assembly 3, a through hole extending in the vertical direction is provided on the installation part, and the sensing element 51 is movably inserted into the through hole.

[0197] Furthermore, the gripping mechanism 1 according to the embodiment of this application may have the same structure as any of the gripping mechanisms 1 in the above embodiments and may provide identical or similar beneficial effects. For specific details, please refer to the descriptions in the above embodiments, and these details will not be repeated here in the embodiment of this application.

[0198] With reference to [Fig. 25], the embodiment of the present application also provides a coating replacement device. The coating replacement device comprises a storage mechanism 220 and the gripping device mentioned above. The storage mechanism 220 has a placement position, and the placement position is configured to alternately place an empty pallet and a pallet with a second coating. The gripping device is configured to grasp the first coating in the retaining pallet mechanism 210 towards the placement position, and the gripping device is also configured to grasp the second coating in the pallet with the second coating in the placement position and replace it in the retaining pallet mechanism 210.

[0199] In this embodiment, when it is necessary to replace the first liner in the retaining pallet mechanism 210, the gripping device first removes the first liner from the retaining pallet mechanism 210 and places it in the empty pallet in the positioning position. Then, the gripping device removes the second liner from the pallet carrying the second liner in the positioning position and places it in the retaining pallet mechanism 210, thus completing the replacement of the liners of different sizes in the retaining pallet mechanism 210.It can be seen that according to this embodiment, by providing the storage mechanism 220 and the coating gripping mechanism, the first coating in the retaining pallet mechanism 210 can be automatically replaced by the second coating, thus replacing the manual replacement of the coating by operators, thereby reducing labor costs and shortening the battery cell production cycle.

[0200] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are used only to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit it; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that it is possible to propose modifications to the technical solutions described in the preceding embodiments, or equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features; and such modifications or replacements do not take the spirit of the corresponding technical solutions out of the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

Demands

1. A coating replacement device, characterized in that the coating replacement device is configured to replace a first coating (IA) in a retaining pallet mechanism (110), and comprises: - a storage mechanism (120), the storage mechanism (120) being configured to store an empty pallet or a pallet bearing a second coating, and the size of the second coating being different from that of the first coating (IA); and - a coating gripping mechanism (130), the coating gripping mechanism (130) being configured to grasp the first coating (IA) from the retaining pallet mechanism (110) and place the first coating (IA) in the empty pallet, and the coating gripping mechanism (130) also being configured to grasp the second coating and replace the second coating in the retaining pallet mechanism (110).

2. A coating replacement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the empty pallet and the pallet bearing the second coating are transported alternately to the storage mechanism (120).

3. A coating replacement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the coating gripping mechanism (130) comprises a first drive element (131), a second drive element (132) and a coating gripping claw (133), the first drive element (131) is configured to drive the coating gripping claw (133) to pass between the retaining pallet mechanism (110) and the storage mechanism (120), and the second drive element (132) is configured to drive the coating gripping claw (133) to move up or down.

4. A coating replacement device according to claim 3, characterized in that the coating gripping claw (133) is connected to the second drive element (132), the first drive element (131) is connected to the coating gripping claw (133) via the second drive element (132), and the first drive element (131) is configured to drive the coating gripping claw (133) to pass between the mechanism of the retaining pallet (110) and the storage mechanism (120) in the first direction.

5. Coating replacement device according to claim 3, characterized in that the coating gripping mechanism 130 further comprises a detection assembly (140) configured to detect whether the first coating (IA) or the second coating is in an abnormal state.

6. A coating replacement device according to claim 5, characterized in that the abnormal condition includes the absence of the first coating (IA) in the retaining pallet mechanism (110), the inability of the coating gripping claw (133) to grasp the first coating (IA) or the second coating, and / or an excessive height of the second coating placed in the retaining pallet mechanism (110).

7. A coating replacement device according to claim 5, characterized in that the detection assembly (140) comprises a connecting base (141), a detection element (142) movablely disposed on the connecting base (141) in a vertical direction, a light-shielding element (143) connected to one end of the detection element (142), and an opposing beam detection assembly (144) corresponding to the light-shielding element (143), a first end of the detection element (142) away from the light-shielding element (143) is configured to come into contact with the first coating (IA) or the second coating.

8. A coating replacement device according to claim 7, characterized in that the opposing beam detection assembly (144) comprises a first group of detection optical fibers (1441) and a second group of detection optical fibers (1442), and in the vertical direction, the position of the first group of detection optical fibers (1441) is lower than that of the second group of detection optical fibers (1442), and the light-shielding element (143) is configured to shelter the first group of detection optical fibers (1441) or the second group of detection optical fibers (1442) from the light.

9. A coating replacement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining paddle mechanism (110) comprises a support element (111), and a first retaining plate (112) and a second retaining plate (113) arranged on

10.

11. the support element (111), the first retaining plate (112) and the second retaining plate (113) are spaced in a second direction, and the second retaining plate (113) is movable in the second direction relative to the first retaining plate (112), and a plurality of first coatings (IA) are arranged sequentially in the second direction between the first retaining plate (112) and the second retaining plate (113); the coating replacement device further includes a release mechanism (150), and the release mechanism (150) is configured to cause the second retaining plate (113) to move in the second direction away from the first retaining plate (112); the coating replacement device further includes a retaining mechanism (160), and the retaining mechanism (160) is configured to cause the second retaining plate (113) to move towards the first retaining plate (112) in the second direction. Coating replacement device according to claim 9, characterized in that a first engagement element (116) is disposed on a lateral surface of the second retaining plate (113) opposite the first retaining plate (112); The release mechanism (150) includes a first release drive element (151), a second release drive element (152) and a second engagement element (153) which is engaged with the first engagement element (116), the first release drive element (151) is configured to drive the second engagement element (153) to move towards the first engagement element (116) so that the second engagement element (153) is engaged with the first engagement element (116), the second release drive element (152) is configured to drive the second engagement element (153) to move the first engagement element (116) away from the first retaining plate (112) in the second direction. A coating replacement device according to claim 10, characterized in that the first engagement element (116) comprises a head (1162) and a neck (1161) connected to each other, the end of the neck (1161) away from the head (1162) being connected to the surface of the second retaining plate (113) opposite the first retaining plate (112), the interlocking part is formed on the neck (1161), the width of the neck (1161) is less than the width of the groove (1531), and the width of the head (1162) is greater than the width of the groove (1531).

12. A coating replacement device according to claim 9, characterized in that the retaining mechanism (160) comprises a pressing drive element (161) and a pressing element (162) connected to the pressing drive element (161), the pressing drive element (161) causes the pressing element (162) to press against the second retaining plate (113) and push the second retaining plate (113) to move in the second direction towards the first retaining plate (112).

13. A coating replacement device according to claim 9, characterized in that the retaining pallet mechanism (110) further comprises a mounting element (114) and a retaining element (115) disposed on the support element (111), the mounting element (114) is disposed on the side of the second retaining plate (113) opposite the first retaining plate (112) and has a predefined space relative to the second retaining plate (113), and the retaining element (115) is connected to the mounting element (114) by a threaded connection; the retaining mechanism (160) further includes a drive assembly, the drive assembly is configured to drive the retaining element (115) to move towards the second retaining plate (113) relative to the mounting element (114) until the retaining element (115) rests against the second retaining plate (113).

14. A coating replacement device according to claim 13, characterized in that the drive assembly comprises a rotating drive element (163) and a rotating gripping claw (164) connected to the rotating drive element (163), the rotating gripping claw (164) corresponds to the retaining element (115), and the rotating drive element (163) is configured to drive the rotating gripping claw (164) to drive the end of the retaining element (115) to bear against the second retaining plate (113).

15. Coating replacement device according to claim 1, characterized in that the coating replacement device further comprises a compartment (170) and a transport element (181) disposed inside the compartment (170), the transport element (181) is configured to transport the retaining pallet mechanism (110) to enter the compartment (170) at a predefined position; the coating replacement device further includes a limiting element (182) disposed inside the compartment (170), the limiting element (182) is configured to block the retaining pallet mechanism (110) from entering the compartment (170), in order to prevent the retaining pallet mechanism (110) from moving out of the predefined position; the coating replacement device further includes a lifting and positioning element (183) disposed inside the compartment (170), and the lifting and positioning element (183) is configured to lift and position the retaining pallet mechanism (110) to the predefined position.

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