Conveying equipment and battery assembly systems

Abstract

This invention provides a conveying device and a battery assembly system, the conveying device comprising two conveying belts, at least one clamp set, and an adjustment assembly, the two conveying belts being installed side by side with a gap between them, each clamp set comprising two clamps, the two clamps being installed on the corresponding one of the two conveying belts, the two clamps cooperating with each other to grip the object to be conveyed, and the adjustment assembly being installed to adjust the gap between the two clamps in response to a control signal. In this way, the adaptability of the conveying device to different types of batteries can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims the priority of a Chinese patent application with the application number 2023116414364 and the invention title "Transport Equipment and Battery Assembly System", which was filed on November 30, 2023, and the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This application relates to the technical field of mechanical equipment, and particularly to transport equipment and battery assembly systems.

Background Art

[0003] Transport equipment is a device for transporting articles commonly seen in daily life and construction projects, and is also often referred to as a conveyor or transport equipment.

[0004] However, conventional transport equipment can generally only be used to transport articles of a specific specification. Therefore, when transporting articles of different specifications, it often requires multiple articles of different specifications to be transported, significantly increasing costs.

[0005] Note that the above description is only for providing information on the background art related to this application, and does not necessarily constitute prior art.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the above problems, this application provides a transport equipment and a battery assembly system that can improve the adaptability of the transport equipment to different model numbers of batteries.

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a transport equipment including two transport belts, at least two clamps, and an adjustment assembly. The two transport belts are installed side by side and spaced apart from each other. The two clamps are respectively installed on the two transport belts. The two clamps cooperate with each other to hold the conveyed object, and the adjustment assembly can adjust the distance between the two clamps.

[0008] In this way, the adjustment assembly allows the clamps to grip objects of different types and further enables the adaptability of the conveying equipment to objects of different types by adjusting the relative position of the two clamps.

[0009] In some embodiments, two clamps are positioned to hold an object to be conveyed along the spacing direction of two conveyor belts, and the adjustment assembly includes a spacing adjustment assembly that can adjust the spacing distance between the two conveyor belts along the spacing direction, and further adjust the spacing distance between the two clamps along the spacing direction.

[0010] In this way, the spacing adjustment assembly can be used to adjust the distance between the two conveyor belts, thereby allowing the clamp to adapt to conveyed objects of different widths.

[0011] In some embodiments, the spacing adjustment assembly includes a first base, two first support frames, and a frame drive mechanism, wherein the two first support frames are mounted on the first base, and the two first support frames are used to support one of two corresponding conveyor belts, and the frame drive mechanism can be driven to move at least one of the two first support frames relative to the first base along the spacing direction.

[0012] In this way, the frame drive mechanism can drive the first support frame and further drive at least one of the two conveyor belts to move along the spacing direction, thereby adjusting the distance between the two conveyor belts.

[0013] In some embodiments, the frame drive mechanism is configured to synchronously drive two first support frames so as to move them in opposite directions along the spacing direction.

[0014] In this way, the frame drive mechanism can simultaneously drive the two first support frames to move away from each other or closer to each other along the spacing direction, and can also quickly adjust the spacing between the two conveyor belts.

[0015] In some embodiments, a first base is provided with a slide rail extending along the spacing direction, and a first support frame, driven by a frame drive mechanism, is slidably supported on the slide rail.

[0016] In this way, the resistance when the first support frame, which is driven by the frame drive mechanism, moves can be reduced.

[0017] In some embodiments, the conveying equipment includes an auxiliary support assembly, the auxiliary support assembly includes a second base and two second support frames, the two second support frames mounted on the second base and used to support one of two corresponding conveying belts, and the second support frames are positioned to move relative to the second base by the drive of a first support frame driven by a frame drive mechanism.

[0018] In this way, by installing the auxiliary support assembly, the two conveyor belts can maintain a nearly parallel relationship as they move closer to or further apart from each other.

[0019] In some embodiments, the number of auxiliary support assemblies is at least two, and the at least two auxiliary support assemblies are installed spaced apart along the conveying direction of the two conveyor belts, with a spacing adjustment assembly located between the two auxiliary support assemblies.

[0020] In this way, the pressure on each auxiliary support assembly and spacing adjustment assembly can be reduced, and the spacing adjustment assembly can be more easily driven to move the two conveyor belts closer together or further apart.

[0021] In some embodiments, two clamps are positioned to grip an object to be transported along the transport direction of two conveyor belts, and the adjustment assembly includes a drive assembly which drives the two conveyor belts asynchronously to transport the two clamps along the transport direction and can further adjust the distance between the two clamps along the transport direction.

[0022] In this way, the drive assembly can control the asynchronous movement of the two conveyor belts and further adjust the distance between the two clamps along the conveying direction.

[0023] In some embodiments, the drive assembly includes two transmission mechanisms, each driving two conveyor belts to move along the conveying direction, and the asynchronous method includes transmitting a control signal to one of the two transmission mechanisms to move the conveyor belt corresponding to one of the two transmission mechanisms along the conveying direction and keeping the conveyor belt corresponding to the other of the two transmission mechanisms stationary, or the control signal includes a first control signal and a second control signal, and the asynchronous method includes transmitting the first control signal to one of the two transmission mechanisms and the first control signal to the other of the two transmission mechanisms to move the two conveyor belts in opposite directions along the conveying direction and / or at different speeds.

[0024] In this way, the two transmission mechanisms drive the two conveyor belts to move asynchronously, and the distance between the two clamps along the conveying direction can be adjusted.

[0025] In some embodiments, the drive assembly includes a transmission mechanism and a connection switching mechanism. One of the two conveyor belts is connected to the transmission mechanism via the connection switching mechanism. The asynchronous method includes the connection switching mechanism disconnecting the connection between one of the two conveyor belts and the transmission mechanism in response to a control signal, thereby holding one of the two conveyor belts in a stationary state and moving one of the two conveyor belts along the conveying direction under the drive of the transmission mechanism. Or, the asynchronous method includes the connection switching mechanism switching to move the two conveyor belts in opposite directions along the conveying direction and / or at different speeds in response to a control signal.

[0026] In this way, by controlling the operating state of the connection switching mechanism, the two conveyor belts can be moved in opposite directions and / or at different speeds. Also, the two conveyor belts are both driven by the same drive assembly, which further helps the two conveyor belts to move synchronously when conveying the conveyed object.

[0027] In some embodiments, the drive assembly is further installed to synchronously drive the two conveyor belts so that the clamping distance between two clamps along the conveying direction can be kept constant and the two clamps can be conveyed along the conveying direction.

[0028] In this way, the drive assembly can move synchronously to transport the conveyed object.

[0029] In some embodiments, the conveying device further includes a control system, and the control system is installed to generate a control signal based on the target distance between two clamps corresponding to the conveyed object and the actual distance between the two clamps.

[0030] In this way, the conveying device can be used to convey conveyed objects of different specifications.

[0031] In some embodiments, the transport equipment further includes a human-machine interface, which is configured to allow a user to input or specify identification information of the transported object, and the control system retrieves a target distance from a pre-configured database based on the identification information of the transported object.

[0032] In this way, the user can easily input identification information (e.g., the model number of the item to be transported) via a human-machine interface, and the control system can determine the target interval distance to match the transported item based on this identification information.

[0033] In another embodiment, one embodiment of the present application provides a battery assembly system including transport equipment and assembly equipment, wherein the transport equipment is used to transport awaiting assembly structures to each station of the assembly equipment, and the transport segment of the transport equipment that transports the assembled structures to any one of the stations includes the transport equipment.

[0034] In some embodiments, the battery includes a casing, a bottom cover, and an electrode assembly, the casing having an open end, electrode posts being installed in the wall opposite the open end of the casing, the electrode posts having through holes, the casing and bottom cover being connected to form a housing cavity communicating with the through holes, the active material coated portion of the electrode assembly being installed inside the casing, the tab portion of the electrode assembly being connected to the side of the electrode post housing cavity that passes through the through holes, and the assembly equipment station includes at least a tab welding device, a casing insertion device, a tab penetration device, an electrode post welding device, and The equipment includes a bottom cover welding device, of which a tab welding device is used to weld multiple tab sheets of the electrode assembly to form tabs; a casing insertion device is used to insert the electrode assembly from the open end to install the casing; a tab penetration device is used to grip the tabs and penetrate the through holes when the electrode assembly is inserted into the casing; a pole column welding device is used to weld the tabs penetrating the through holes to the side of the pole column away from the housing cavity; and a bottom cover welding device is used to weld the bottom cover to the open end of the casing.

[0035] In some embodiments, there are multiple electrode assemblies, and the assembly equipment station further includes a pairing device located in front of the tab welding equipment, which is used to stack and install the multiple electrode assemblies. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0036] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered limiting to the present application. In addition, the same reference numerals are used for identical components in all drawings. In the drawings, [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a conveying device according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a clamp set according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 3]This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of adjusting the distance L1 between two clamps along the spacing direction of two conveyor belts, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of adjusting the distance L2 between two clamps along the conveying direction of a conveyor belt, according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a spacing adjustment assembly according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of a human-machine interface according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a battery according to one or more embodiments. The reference numerals in the drawings for specific embodiments are as follows: 10 Conveying equipment, 100 Conveying belt, 120 Clamp set, 121 Clamp, 140 Adjustment assembly, 141 Spacing adjustment assembly, 1410 First base, 1412 First support frame, 1414 Frame drive mechanism, 1416 Slide rail, 145 Drive assembly, 147 Transmission mechanism, 150 Auxiliary support assembly, 1500 Second base, 1502 Second support frame, 160 Control system, 180 Human-machine interface, L1 Spacing distance between two clamps along the spacing direction, L2 Spacing distance between two clamps along the conveying direction. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0037] The following describes in detail embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are provided solely for the purpose of clarifying the present invention and should be used only as examples; they should not be used to limit the scope of the claims of this invention.

[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present application. The terms used herein are for illustrative purposes only and not to limit the present application. The terms “including” and “having” and any variations thereof in the description, claims, and brief description of the drawings herein are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., are merely for distinguishing different subjects and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the quantity, specific order, and priority of the technical features being referred to. In the description of the embodiments of this application, “multiple” means two or more unless otherwise clearly and specifically limited.

[0040] As used herein, “Examples” means that certain features, structures, or properties described in conjunction with the Examples may be included in at least one Example of the Application. Each occurrence of the word in the Specification does not necessarily refer to the same Example, nor do they represent mutually exclusive, independent, or substitutable Examples. Those skilled in the art will understand, both explicitly and implicitly, that the Examples described herein may be combined with other Examples.

[0041] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" simply describes a related relationship that describes related objects, and indicates that there can be three types of relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent three cases: A existing only, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing only. In addition, the symbol " / " in this specification generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0042] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "multiple" refers to two or more (including two), similarly, "multiple sets" refers to two or more sets (including two sets), and "multiple sheets" refers to two or more sheets (including two).

[0043] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by technical terms such as "center," "vertical direction," "horizontal direction," "length," "width," "thickness," "top," "bottom," "front," "back," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inside," "outside," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial direction," "radial direction," and "circumferential direction" are orientations or positional relationships shown based on the drawings and are merely for the purpose of describing and simplifying the description of the embodiments of this application. They do not indicate or imply that the shown devices or elements necessarily have a specific orientation, are composed of a specific orientation, or must be operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the embodiments of this application.

[0044] In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specifically defined and limited, technical terms such as “attachment,” “connection,” “bonding,” and “fixing” should be understood in a broad sense, for example, they may be fixed connections, removable connections, or integrated connections, mechanical connections, electrical connections, direct connections, indirect connections via an intermediate medium, or internal communication between two elements or an interaction relationship between two elements. Those skilled in the art may understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application depending on the specific circumstances.

[0045] With advancements in battery technology, batteries are being applied to an increasing number of fields and are gradually replacing conventional fossil fuel sources in the automotive power sector. Batteries can store chemical energy and controllably convert chemical energy into electrical energy. Recyclable batteries can be recharged after discharge to reactivate the active material and continue to be used.

[0046] Currently, the types of electronic devices that require batteries are increasing. For example, electronic devices may include earphones, mobile phones, computers, wristbands, smartwatches, smart eyes, automobiles, and electric vehicles. These electronic devices often require different battery specifications, and even within the same type of electronic device (e.g., an automobile), the required battery specifications may differ. Therefore, manufacturers need to produce batteries with various specifications to meet different needs, and the use of handling equipment is unavoidable in the process of manufacturing batteries with different specifications. Purchasing or manufacturing separate handling equipment to match each battery with different specifications significantly increases manufacturing costs.

[0047] To enable the conveying equipment to be used to transport batteries of different specifications and to reduce manufacturing costs, it is necessary to design a conveying equipment with interchangeable part numbers. Selectively, the conveying equipment may include two conveying belts, at least one clamp set, and an adjustment assembly. The two conveying belts are installed side by side with a gap between them. Each clamp set includes two clamps. The two clamps are installed on the corresponding one of the two conveying belts, respectively. The two clamps cooperate with each other to grip the object to be conveyed. The adjustment assembly is installed to adjust the distance between the two clamps in response to a control signal.

[0048] Based on the above considerations, the present invention provides a conveying device and a battery assembly system. In this way, the adjustment assembly can adjust the relative position of two clamps in accordance with a control signal so that the clamps can grip conveyed objects of different types and further enable the adaptability of the conveying device to conveyed objects of different types.

[0049] The batteries disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be used in electrical devices that use the batteries as a power source or in various energy storage systems that use the batteries as energy storage elements. Electrical devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, laptop computers, electric toys, power tools, electric scooters, electric automobiles, ships, and aerospace vehicles. Among these, electric toys may include stationary or mobile electric toys, such as game consoles, electric car toys, electric boat toys, and electric airplane toys, and aerospace vehicles may include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, and spacecraft. The battery assembly system disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be used to assemble the above batteries. The transport equipment disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be used to transport batteries or semi-finished batteries in the battery assembly system.

[0050] The following describes an exemplary structure of the conveying equipment according to the embodiment of the present application. It should be noted that the conveying equipment according to the embodiment of the present application described below can be used to convey finished or semi-finished batteries, and can also be used in other fields to convey other types of objects such as mobile phones, tablets, smart speakers, and displays.

[0051] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, according to one or more embodiments of the present application, the conveying device 10 optionally includes two conveying belts 100, at least one clamp set 120, and an adjustment assembly 140. The two conveying belts 100 are installed side by side with a gap between them. Each clamp set 120 includes two clamps 121, which are installed on the corresponding one of the two conveying belts 100. The two clamps 121 cooperate with each other to grip the object to be conveyed. The adjustment assembly 140 can adjust the distance between the two clamps 121.

[0052] The clamp set 120 may include at least two clamps 121, the distance between the two clamps 121 being adjustable to accommodate objects of different specifications. The distance between the clamps may include a distance L1 along the spacing direction of the two conveyor belts 100, and a distance L2 along the conveying direction of the conveyor belts 100. When the distance L1 between the two clamps 121 along the spacing direction of the two conveyor belts 100, and the distance L2 along the conveying direction of the conveyor belts 100, match two of the length, width, and height of the object to be conveyed, the object can be stably clamped. The object can then be conveyed by controlling the two conveyor belts 100 to move synchronously.

[0053] The clamp 121 may include a first position restricting side 121a and a second position restricting side 121b, the first position restricting side 121a may be parallel to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 100. The second position restricting side 121b may be parallel to the spacing direction of the two conveyor belts 100. The distance L1 between the two clamps along the spacing direction of the two conveyor belts 100 can refer to the distance between the first position restricting sides 121a of the two clamps 121. The distance L2 between the two clamps along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 100 can refer to the distance between the second position restricting sides 121b of the two clamps.

[0054] Selectively, the clamp set 120 may further include two auxiliary clamps 122. The two auxiliary clamps 122 may be installed on two conveyor belts 100, respectively. Also, auxiliary clamps 122 and clamps 121 installed on the same conveyor belt 100 may be spaced apart. The auxiliary clamps 122 may have a support base 122a for supporting the conveyed object.

[0055] Referring to Figure 3, the principle by which the adjustment assembly 140 adjusts the distance L1 between the two clamps 121 along the spacing direction of the two conveyor belts 100 may be to drive the two conveyor belts 100 to move closer together or further apart, and further to drive the clamps 121 installed on the conveyor belts 100 to move closer together or further apart, or it may be to directly drive the two clamps 121 to move closer together or further apart relative to the conveyor belts 100 along the spacing direction of the conveyor belts 100.

[0056] Referring to Figure 4, the principle by which the adjustment assembly 140 adjusts the distance L2 between the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 100 may be to drive the two conveyor belts 100 to rotate asynchronously and to move the clamps 121 installed on the conveyor belts 100 relative to each other, or it may be to directly drive the two clamps 121 to move relative to each other along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 100.

[0057] As shown in the figure, the distance L2 between the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 100 is greater than 0 and less than the distance from the first position regulating side 121a to the adjacent clamp set 120. Considering the stability of the conveyed object, the conveyed object may be placed on the clamps 121 and auxiliary clamps 122, that is, preferably the distance between them may be greater than the distance L4 between the clamp 121 and the auxiliary clamp 122 in the clamp set 120 and less than the distance L3 between two adjacent clamp sets 120.

[0058] In this way, the adjustment assembly 140 can adjust the relative position of the two clamps 121 so that the clamps 121 can grip objects of different types, and further enable the adaptability of the conveying equipment 10 to objects of different types.

[0059] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, two clamps 121 are optionally positioned to grip the objects to be conveyed along the spacing direction of two conveyor belts 100.

[0060] The adjustment assembly 140 may include a spacing adjustment assembly 141. The spacing adjustment assembly 141 can adjust the spacing distance between two conveyor belts 100 along the spacing direction, and can also adjust the spacing distance L1 between two clamps 121 along the spacing direction.

[0061] In this way, the spacing adjustment assembly 141 can be used to adjust the spacing distance between the two conveyor belts 100, thereby allowing the clamps 121 to adapt to conveyed objects of different widths. Furthermore, by adjusting the spacing distance between the two conveyor belts 100 and simultaneously adjusting the spacing distance L1 along the spacing direction of the clamps 121 of the multiple clamp sets 120 installed on the conveyor belts 100, the spacing adjustment assembly 141 can quickly complete the adjustment of the spacing distance of the multiple clamp sets 120.

[0062] Referring to Figure 5, according to one or more embodiments of the present application, the spacing adjustment assembly 141 optionally includes a first base 1410, two first support frames 1412, and a frame drive mechanism 1414. The two first support frames 1412 are mounted on the first base 1410. The two first support frames 1412 are used to support one of two corresponding conveyor belts 100. The frame drive mechanism 1414 can be driven to move at least one of the two first support frames 1412 along the spacing direction relative to the first base 1410.

[0063] The frame drive mechanism 1414 may include a drive motor and a screw-nut mechanism. The drive motor may have an output shaft to output rotational motion. The screw-nut mechanism may include a screw and a nut, the direction in which the screw extends may be parallel to the spacing direction of the two conveyor belts 100, the nut is provided on the screw and the screw is connected to the output shaft. When the output shaft rotates, it can drive the rotation of the screw and drive the nut to move linearly along the direction of the screw. One support frame 1412 may be connected to the nut so as to move along the spacing direction of the two conveyor belts by the action of the nut.

[0064] In this way, the frame drive mechanism 1414 can drive the first support frame 1412 and further drive at least one of the two conveyor belts 100 to move along the spacing direction, thereby adjusting the spacing between the two conveyor belts 100. The spacing adjustment assembly 141 can be driven by the frame drive mechanism 1414 to move at least one of the first support frames 1412 along the spacing direction, and further move the two conveyor belts 100 closer to each other or further apart from each other.

[0065] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the frame drive mechanism 1414 is optionally configured to drive two first support frames 1412 synchronously to move them in opposite directions along the spacing direction.

[0066] In this way, the frame drive mechanism 1414 can simultaneously drive the two first support frames 1412 to move away from each other or closer to each other along the spacing direction, and can also quickly adjust the spacing between the two conveyor belts 100.

[0067] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, a first base 1410 is optionally provided with a slide rail 1416 extending along the spacing direction, and a first support frame 1412, driven by a frame drive mechanism 1414, is slidably supported on the slide rail 1416.

[0068] The frame drive mechanism 1414 can drive the first support frame 1412 to slide along the slide rail 1416 and also drive the movement of the conveyor belt 100. In this way, the resistance when the first support frame 1412 is driven by the frame drive mechanism 1414 is reduced.

[0069] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the conveying equipment 10 optionally includes an auxiliary support assembly 150. The auxiliary support assembly 150 includes a second base 1500 and two second support frames 1502. The two second support frames 1502 are mounted on the second base 1500. The two second support frames 1502 are used to support one of two corresponding conveying belts 100. The second support frames 1502 are mounted so as to be movable relative to the second base 1500 by the drive of a first support frame 1412, which is driven by a frame drive mechanism 1414.

[0070] A slide rail extending along the spacing direction may be installed on the second base 1500. When the frame drive mechanism 1414 drives the two conveyor belts 100 to move relative to each other by the first support frame 1412, an additional conveyor belt 100 is installed on the second support frame 1502, so that the second support frame 1502 can move synchronously with respect to the second base 1500 by the driving of the conveyor belts 100.

[0071] In this way, by installing the auxiliary support assembly 150, the two conveyor belts 100 can maintain a nearly parallel relationship as they move closer to or further apart from each other.

[0072] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the number of auxiliary support assemblies 150 is at least two, the at least two auxiliary support assemblies 150 are spaced apart along the conveying direction of the two conveyor belts 100, and the spacing adjustment assembly 141 is located between the two auxiliary support assemblies 150.

[0073] In this way, the pressure on each auxiliary support assembly 150 and the spacing adjustment assembly 141 can be reduced, and the spacing adjustment assembly 141 can be more easily driven to move the two conveyor belts 100 closer together or further apart from each other.

[0074] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, two clamps 121 are optionally positioned to grip objects to be conveyed along the conveying direction of two conveyor belts 100.

[0075] The adjustment assembly 140 includes a drive assembly 145. The drive assembly 145 can asynchronously drive two conveyor belts 100 to transport two clamps 121 along the conveying direction and can further adjust the distance L2 between the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction.

[0076] In this context, the asynchronous driving of the two conveyor belts 100 by the drive assembly 145 can refer to the driving of the two conveyor belts 100 to move asynchronously. For example, the drive assembly 145 can drive the two conveyor belts 100 to move in opposite directions, or the drive assembly 145 can drive the two conveyor belts 100 to move at different speeds.

[0077] In this way, the drive assembly 145 can control the asynchronous movement of the two conveyor belts 100 and further adjust the distance L2 between the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction. Furthermore, by controlling the asynchronous movement of the two conveyor belts 100, it is also possible to adjust multiple clamp sets 120 of the conveyor belts 100 simultaneously.

[0078] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the drive assembly 145 optionally includes two transmission mechanisms 147, each driving two conveyor belts 100 to move along the conveying direction.

[0079] Selectively, the asynchronous method includes transmitting a control signal to one of the two transmission mechanisms 147 to move the conveyor belt 100 corresponding to one of the two transmission mechanisms 147 along the conveying direction, while keeping the conveyor belt 100 corresponding to the other of the two transmission mechanisms 147 stationary.

[0080] The control signal may be a control signal transmitted by a processor or a higher-level device, and more specifically, it may be a control signal output by a processor or a higher-level device based on identification information that matches said identification information. The identification information may be input by a user via the human-machine interface 180 and can be used to characterize the dimensions (e.g., length, width, or height) or model number information of the transported object, which may be identified by an image processing component.

[0081] Selectively, the control signal may include a first control signal and a second control signal. The asynchronous method includes moving two conveyor belts 100 in opposite directions along the conveying direction and / or at different speeds by transmitting the first control signal to one of the two transmission mechanisms 147 and the first control signal to the other of the two transmission mechanisms 147.

[0082] In this way, the two transmission mechanisms 147 drive the two conveyor belts 100 to move asynchronously and can also adjust the distance L2 between the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction.

[0083] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the drive assembly 145 optionally includes a transmission mechanism 147 and a connection switching mechanism. One of the two conveyor belts 100 is connected to the transmission mechanism 147 via the connection switching mechanism.

[0084] Selectively, the asynchronous method includes a connection switching mechanism disconnecting the connection between one of the two conveyor belts 100 and the transmission mechanism 147 in response to a control signal, thereby keeping one of the two conveyor belts 100 stationary and moving the other of the two conveyor belts 100 along the conveying direction under the drive of the transmission mechanism 147.

[0085] The connection switching mechanism may specifically be a clutch. If the connection switching mechanism has not received a control signal, the transmission mechanism 147 can directly control the movement of one of the two conveyor belts 100, and simultaneously control the other to move synchronously via the connection switching mechanism. If the connection switching mechanism receives a control signal, it disconnects the power connection between the other of the two conveyor belts 100 and the transmission mechanism 147, thereby moving the conveyor belt 100 directly driven by the transmission mechanism 147 and keeping the conveyor belt 100 indirectly driven by the connection switching mechanism stationary.

[0086] Selectively, the asynchronous method includes a connection switching mechanism responding to a control signal to switch the two conveyor belts 100 to move in opposite directions relative to each other along the conveying direction and / or at different speeds.

[0087] The connection switching mechanism may specifically be a transmission. When the connection switching mechanism has not received a control signal, the transmission mechanism 147 can directly control one of the two conveyor belts 100 to move, and the connection switching mechanism can control the other to move synchronously. After the connection switching mechanism receives a control signal, the connection switching mechanism operates in a variable speed mode, causing the conveyor belt 100 driven directly by the transmission mechanism 147 and the conveyor belt 100 driven indirectly by the transmission mechanism 147 via the connection switching mechanism to move in opposite directions and / or at different speeds.

[0088] In this way, by controlling the operating state of the connection switching mechanism, the two conveyor belts 100 can be moved in opposite directions and / or at different speeds. Furthermore, both conveyor belts 100 are driven by the same drive assembly 145, which helps in the synchronous movement of the two conveyor belts 100 when conveying objects.

[0089] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the drive assembly 145 is optionally further configured to drive two conveyor belts 100 synchronously so that the distance L2 between the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction is kept constant, thereby conveying the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction.

[0090] In this way, the drive assembly 145 can move synchronously to transport the objects to be transported. When it is necessary to change the model number (change in the type or specifications of the objects to be transported), the transport equipment 10 generally does not have the previous or upcoming objects to be transported. At this time, the drive assembly 145 controls the transport belt 100 to move asynchronously, thereby enabling the model number change. After the model number change is complete, the transport belt can move synchronously.

[0091] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the conveying device 10 optionally further includes a control system 160. The control system 160 is configured to generate control signals based on a target distance between two clamps 121 corresponding to the object to be conveyed, and the actual distance between the two clamps 121.

[0092] The actual distance between the two clamps 121 can refer to the distance between the two clamps 121 before the part number change. The actual distance may include the actual distance along the spacing direction of the two conveyor belts 100 and the actual distance along the conveying direction of the conveyor belts 100. The target distance between the two clamps 121 can refer to the desired distance between the two clamps 121 after the part number change is complete. The target distance may include the target distance along the spacing direction of the two conveyor belts 100 and the target distance along the conveying direction of the conveyor belts 100.

[0093] The principle for generating a control signal based on the target distance between two clamps 121 and the actual distance between two clamps 121 may involve obtaining the actual distance and target distance of the two clamps 121 along the spacing direction of the two conveyor belts 100, calculating a first difference between the actual distance and target distance of the two clamps 121 along the spacing direction of the two conveyor belts 100, obtaining the actual distance and target distance of the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction of the conveyor belts 100, calculating a second difference between the actual distance and target distance of the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction of the conveyor belts 100, and generating a control signal based on the first and second differences.

[0094] The adjustment assembly 140 can control the spacing adjustment assembly 141 to drive the two conveyor belts 100 to move relative to each other by a first distance along the spacing direction after responding to a control signal. The first distance correlates with a first difference. The first distance may be equal to the first difference, or it may be slightly greater than the first difference.

[0095] The adjustment assembly 140 can control the drive assembly 145 to drive the two conveyor belts 100 to move relative to each other asynchronously by a second distance along the conveying direction after responding to a control signal. The second distance may correlate with a second difference. The second distance may be equal to the second difference, or it may be slightly greater than the second difference.

[0096] In this way, the conveying device 10 can be used to convey objects of different specifications.

[0097] Referring to Figure 6, according to one or more embodiments of the present application, the transport device 10 optionally further includes a human-machine interface 180, which is configured to allow a user to input or specify identification information of an object to be transported, and the control system 160 retrieves a target interval distance from a preset database based on the identification information of the object to be transported.

[0098] The identification signal may be the model number of the item being transported. The target interval distance in a pre-configured database may correlate with the specifications and dimensions of the item being transported for that model number. The specifications and dimensions may include at least one of length, width, and height.

[0099] A human-machine interface can refer to an interface of an input / output device that enables a person to establish contact and exchange information with the device, and the input / output device may include at least one of the following: a keyboard, a display, a mouse, or a touch panel.

[0100] In this way, the user can easily input identification information (for example, the model number of the item to be transported) via the human-machine interface 180, and the control system 160 can determine the target interval distance to match with the transported item based on the identification information.

[0101] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the battery assembly system may include transport equipment and assembly equipment, the transport equipment being used to transport awaiting assembly structures to each station of the assembly equipment, and the transport segment of the transport equipment that transports the assembled structures to any one of the stations includes the transport equipment.

[0102] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 7, the battery 300 includes a casing 301, a bottom cover 302, and an electrode assembly 303, wherein the casing 303 has an open end 303a, and an electrode post 304 is installed in the wall of the casing 301 opposite the open end 303a, the electrode post 304 has a through hole 3040, the casing 301 and the bottom cover 302 are connected to form a housing cavity communicating with the through hole 3040, the active material coated portion of the electrode assembly 303 is installed inside the casing 301, and the tab portion 3030 of the electrode assembly 303 is connected to the side of the electrode post 3040 that is away from the housing cavity.

[0103] According to one or more embodiments of the present application, the assembly equipment station includes at least a tab welding device, a casing insertion device, a tab penetration device, a pole column welding device, and a bottom cover welding device, the tab welding device being used to weld multiple tab sheets of an electrode assembly to form tabs; the casing insertion device being used to insert the electrode assembly from the open end to set up the casing; the tab penetration device being used to grip the tabs and penetrate the through holes when the electrode assembly is inserted into the casing; the pole column welding device being used to weld the tabs penetrating the through holes to the side of the pole column away from the housing cavity; and the bottom cover welding device being used to weld the bottom cover to the open end of the casing.

[0104] In some embodiments, there are multiple electrode assemblies, and the assembly equipment station further includes a pairing device located in front of the tab welding equipment, which is used to stack and install the multiple electrode assemblies.

[0105] It should be explained that in this embodiment, the transport equipment includes a transport line, and the transport line may be a transport structure formed by motor-driven transport rollers fitted together with a transport belt, a transport structure formed by motor-driven transport links hinged together, or an AGV transport trolley, and it is sufficient that it can realize transport in at least one direction and support the assembly waiting structure in a way that ensures its stability.

[0106] The tab welding apparatus aims to form the tab portion after pre-welding the tab sheet, and is optionally an ultrasonic welding device, provided that it can ensure that the tab is welded in a clamped and stable state. The casing insertion device is a push mechanism or clamping mechanism, and should be able to stably move the electrode assembly to the open end of the casing and insert it into the housing cavity through the open end. Similarly, the tab penetration device can employ a clamping structure or a guide structure, and should be able to guide the tab portion to smoothly penetrate the through hole without interfering with the casing. The pole column welding apparatus aims to weld the tab portion to the pole column, and is optionally a laser welding device. The bottom cover welding apparatus aims to perform peripheral welding between the bottom cover and the open end of the casing, and is also a laser welding device.

[0107] Furthermore, the assembly equipment is not limited to including a tab welding device, a casing insertion device, a tab penetration device, an electrode column welding device, and a bottom cover welding device. Exemplarily, if there are multiple electrode assemblies, for example two, the assembly equipment further includes a bearing device, which is used to stack and position multiple electrode assemblies so that the tab sheets of the two electrode assemblies are substantially opposite each other, in order to facilitate the transport structure to transport the paired electrode assemblies to the tab welding device for welding the tab sheets, in order to facilitate the formation of the tab portions. Further exemplarily, to ensure the reliability of the battery assembly process, dust removal, NG inspection stations, etc., may be added between any two adjacent stations, and this embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0108] One or more embodiments of the present application provide a battery assembly system. The battery assembly system may include a conveying device 10. The conveying device 10 may include two conveying belts 100, at least one clamp set 120, an adjustment assembly 140, a control system 160, and a human-machine interface 180. The two conveying belts 100 are installed side by side with a gap between them. Each clamp set 120 includes two clamps 121, the two clamps 121 being installed on the corresponding one of the two conveying belts 100. The two clamps 121 cooperate with each other to grip the object to be conveyed. The adjustment assembly 140 is installed to adjust the distance between the two clamps 121 in response to a control signal. The two clamps 121 are installed to grip the object to be conveyed along the spacing direction and the conveying direction of the two conveying belts 100. The adjustment assembly 140 includes a spacing adjustment assembly 141 that adjusts the spacing distance L1 between two clamps 121 along the spacing direction, and a drive assembly 145 that adjusts the spacing distance along the transport direction. The control system 160 is configured to generate control signals based on the target spacing distance between the two clamps 121 corresponding to the transported object, and the actual spacing distance between the two clamps 121. The human-machine interface 180 is configured to allow the user to input or specify identification information of the transported object, and the control system 160 retrieves the target spacing distance from a preset database based on the identification information of the transported object.

[0109] The spacing adjustment assembly 141 adjusts the spacing distance between two conveyor belts 100 along the spacing direction in response to a control signal, and further adjusts the spacing distance L1 between two clamps 121 along the spacing direction. The spacing adjustment assembly 141 includes a first base 1410, two first support frames 1412, and a frame drive mechanism 1414, the two first support frames 1412 being mounted on the first base 1410 and used to support one of the two conveyor belts 100 respectively, and the frame drive mechanism 1414 being configured to drive at least one of the two first support frames 1412 to move relative to the first base 1410 along the spacing direction in response to a control signal. The frame drive mechanism 1414 is configured to drive the two first support frames 1412 synchronously to move in opposite directions relative to each other along the spacing direction. A slide rail 1416 extending along the spacing direction is installed on the first base 1410, and a first support frame 1412, driven by a frame drive mechanism 1414, is slidably supported on the slide rail 1416. The conveying equipment 10 includes an auxiliary support assembly 150, which includes a second base 1500 and two second support frames 1502, the two second support frames 1502 being mounted on the second base 1500 and used to support one of two corresponding conveying belts 100, and the second support frames 1502 being mounted so as to be movable relative to the second base 1500 by the drive of the first support frame 1412, which is driven by the frame drive mechanism 1414. There are at least two auxiliary support assemblies 150, which are spaced apart along the conveying direction of the two conveyor belts 100, and the spacing adjustment assembly 141 is located between the two auxiliary support assemblies 150.

[0110] The drive assembly 145 is used to drive the two conveyor belts 100 asynchronously in response to a control signal to transport the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction, and to adjust the distance L2 between the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction. The drive assembly 145 includes two transmission mechanisms 147, each driving two conveyor belts 100 to move along the conveying direction, and the asynchronous method includes transmitting a control signal to one of the two transmission mechanisms 147 to move the conveyor belt 100 corresponding to one of the two transmission mechanisms 147 along the conveying direction and keeping the conveyor belt 100 corresponding to the other of the two transmission mechanisms 147 stationary, or the control signal includes a first control signal and a second control signal, and the asynchronous method includes transmitting the first control signal to one of the two transmission mechanisms 147 and the first control signal to the other of the two transmission mechanisms 147 to move the two conveyor belts 100 in opposite directions along the conveying direction and / or at different speeds. The drive assembly 145 includes a transmission mechanism 147 and a connection switching mechanism, wherein one of the two conveyor belts 100 is connected to the transmission mechanism 147 via the connection switching mechanism, and the asynchronous method includes the connection switching mechanism disconnecting the connection between one of the two conveyor belts 100 and the transmission mechanism 147 in response to a control signal, thereby keeping one of the two conveyor belts 100 stationary and moving the other of the two conveyor belts 100 along the conveying direction under the drive of the transmission mechanism 147, or the asynchronous method includes the connection switching mechanism switching in response to a control signal to move the two conveyor belts 100 in opposite directions and / or at different speeds along the conveying direction. The drive assembly 145 is further configured to drive the two conveyor belts 100 synchronously to convey the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction such that the distance L2 between the two clamps 121 along the conveying direction is kept constant.

[0111] In this case, when the transport equipment 10 needs to transport a battery of a new specification (which may be another transported item), the user can input or specify the battery model number (which may be other identification information) via the human-machine interface 180. The control system 160 then searches a pre-configured database for the target spacing distance according to the battery model number and generates a control signal in conjunction with the current actual spacing distance between the two clamps 121. This allows the adjustment assembly 140 to adjust the spacing distance between the two clamps 121 from the previous actual spacing distance to the expected target spacing distance.

[0112] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are used solely to illustrate the technical concepts of the present application and are not limiting. While the present application has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments described above, those skilled in the art will understand that they can still modify the technical concepts described in the embodiments described above, or replace some or all of their technical features equally, and that such modifications or substitutions should not cause the essence of the corresponding technical concepts to deviate from the scope of the technical concepts of the embodiments of the present application, and should all be included within the scope of the claims and specification of the present application. In particular, any technical feature mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way, as long as it is not structurally contradictory. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical concepts included within the claims.

Claims

1. Two conveyor belts are installed side by side with a gap between them, At least two clamps, each of which is installed on one of the two conveyor belts, and which cooperate with each other to grip the object to be conveyed, An adjustment assembly that can adjust the distance between the two clamps, Features including, Conveying equipment.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the two clamps are installed to grip the conveyed object along the spacing direction of the two conveyor belts, and the adjustment assembly includes a spacing adjustment assembly that can adjust the spacing distance between the two conveyor belts along the spacing direction, and further adjust the spacing distance between the two clamps along the spacing direction.

3. The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the spacing adjustment assembly includes a first base, two first support frames, and a frame drive mechanism, the two first support frames being mounted on the first base, the two first support frames each being used to support the two conveying belts, and the frame drive mechanism being able to drive at least one of the two first support frames to move relative to the first base along the spacing direction.

4. The conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that the frame drive mechanism is installed to drive the two first support frames synchronously so as to move them in opposite directions along the spacing direction.

5. The conveying device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that a slide rail extending along the spacing direction is installed on the first base, and the first support frame, driven by the frame drive mechanism, is slidably supported on the slide rail.

6. The conveying device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the conveying device includes an auxiliary support assembly, the auxiliary support assembly includes a second base and two second support frames, the two second support frames are mounted on the second base, the two second support frames are used to support a corresponding one of the two conveying belts, and the second support frames are configured to move relative to the second base by the drive of the first support frame, which is driven by the frame drive mechanism.

7. The conveying device according to claim 6, characterized in that the number of auxiliary support assemblies is at least two, the at least two auxiliary support assemblies are installed at intervals along the conveying direction of the two conveying belts, and the spacing adjustment assembly is located between the two auxiliary support assemblies.

8. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the two clamps are installed to grip the object to be conveyed along the conveying direction of the two conveyor belts, the adjustment assembly includes a drive assembly, the drive assembly drives the two conveyor belts asynchronously to convey the two clamps along the conveying direction, and can further adjust the distance between the two clamps along the conveying direction.

9. The drive assembly includes two transmission mechanisms, each of which drives the two conveyor belts to move along the conveying direction. The asynchronous method includes transmitting a control signal to one of the two transmission mechanisms to move the conveyor belt corresponding to one of the two transmission mechanisms along the conveying direction, and keeping the conveyor belt corresponding to the other of the two transmission mechanisms stationary, or The control signals include a first control signal and a second control signal, and the asynchronous method is characterized by transmitting the first control signal to one of the two transmission mechanisms and transmitting the first control signal to the other of the two transmission mechanisms, thereby moving the two conveyor belts in opposite directions along the conveying direction and / or at different speeds. The conveying device according to claim 8.

10. The drive assembly includes a transmission mechanism and a connection switching mechanism, and one of the two conveyor belts is connected to the transmission mechanism via the connection switching mechanism. The asynchronous method includes the connection switching mechanism disconnecting the connection between one of the two conveyor belts and the transmission mechanism in response to the control signal, thereby keeping one of the two conveyor belts stationary and moving the other of the two conveyor belts along the conveying direction under the drive of the transmission mechanism, or The asynchronous method is characterized in that the connection switching mechanism responds to the control signal to switch the two conveyor belts to move in opposite directions along the conveying direction and / or at different speeds. The conveying device according to claim 9.

11. The conveying device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the drive assembly is further installed to drive the two conveyor belts synchronously so that the distance between the two clamps along the conveying direction is kept constant, thereby conveying the two clamps along the conveying direction.

12. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a control system, wherein the control system is configured to generate a control signal based on a target distance between the two clamps corresponding to the object to be conveyed and the actual distance between the two clamps.

13. The transport device according to claim 12, further comprising a human-machine interface, the human-machine interface being configured to allow a user to input or specify identification information of the transported object, and the control system searching for the target distance from a preset database based on the identification information of the transported object.

14. A battery assembly system comprising transport equipment and assembly equipment, wherein the transport equipment is used to transport awaiting assembly structures to each station of the assembly equipment, and the transport segment of the transport equipment that transports the assembled structures to any one station comprises the transport equipment described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The battery comprises a casing, a bottom cover, and an electrode assembly, wherein the casing has an open end, an electrode post is installed in the wall of the casing opposite the open end, the electrode post has a through hole, the casing and the bottom cover are connected to form a housing cavity communicating with the through hole, the active material coated portion of the electrode assembly is installed inside the casing, the tab portion of the electrode assembly is connected to the side of the electrode post that is separated from the housing cavity by passing through the through hole, and the assembly equipment station comprises at least a tab welding device, a casing insertion device, a tab penetration device, an electrode post welding device, and a bottom cover welding device. The invention is characterized in that, among these, the tab welding device is used to weld multiple tab sheets of the electrode assembly to form tab portions, the casing insertion device is used to insert the electrode assembly from the open end to install the casing, the tab penetration device is used to grip the tab portions and penetrate the through holes when the electrode assembly is inserted into the casing, the pole column welding device is used to weld the tab portions that penetrate the through holes to the side of the pole column that is away from the housing cavity, and the bottom cover welding device is used to weld the bottom cover to the open end of the casing. The battery assembly system according to claim 14.

16. The battery assembly system according to claim 15, characterized in that the electrode assemblies are plurality, the assembly equipment station further includes a pairing device located in front of the tab welding device, the pairing device is used to stack and install the plurality of electrode assemblies.

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