Battery cell stacking system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery cell stacking system, and more specifically comprises: a rotating shaft that rotates by a rotational force provided by a driving motor; a conveyor that rotates by the rotational force provided by the rotating shaft while a plurality of battery cells are mounted at regular intervals and transports the battery cells forward; a stacking pallet provided at the front of the conveyor; and a stacking unit that adsorbs a plurality of battery cells continuously supplied by the conveyor one by one and pushes them onto the stacking pallet to stack the plurality of battery cells in a horizontal direction, thereby having the effect of continuously stacking a plurality of battery cells in a narrow space.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery cell stacking system, and more particularly to a battery cell stacking system capable of reducing the time required for a battery cell stacking operation by continuously transporting and stacking a plurality of battery cells. Background Technology

[0002] Secondary batteries are widely used not only in small devices such as portable electronic devices but also in medium to large devices such as automobiles and power storage systems.

[0003] In particular, as carbon energy becomes depleted and interest in the environment grows, hybrid and electric vehicles are gaining popularity worldwide.

[0004] One of the most critical components of such hybrid or electric vehicles is the battery pack, which provides driving power to the vehicle motor. The battery pack of a hybrid or electric vehicle contains multiple battery cells, and these cells are connected in series and parallel to enhance output and capacity.

[0005] Accordingly, automated processes for manufacturing battery modules by stacking battery cells have been proposed; however, the automated processes proposed so far employ a method in which a transfer unit lifts multiple supplied battery cells one by one upwards, moves them to a target point, and then lowers them one by one downwards to stack the multiple battery cells.

[0006] However, this method not only required a considerably large workspace but also had the problem of taking a long time for the stacking of battery cells because continuous transfer of the cells was impossible. Prior art literature

[0007] Published Patent 10-2023-0057882 The problem to be solved

[0008] The present invention has been devised to solve the problems of the aforementioned prior art, and aims to provide a battery cell stacking system that can save process time for stacking battery cells by continuously transporting and stacking a plurality of battery cells supplied via a conveyor. means of solving the problem

[0009] A battery cell stacking system according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem comprises: a rotating shaft that rotates by a rotational force provided by a driving motor; a conveyor that rotates by a rotational force provided by the rotating shaft to transport the battery cells forward while having a plurality of battery cells mounted at regular intervals; a stacking pallet provided at the front side of the conveyor; and a stacking unit that adsorbs a plurality of battery cells continuously supplied by the conveyor one by one and pushes them onto the stacking pallet to stack the plurality of battery cells in a horizontal direction.

[0010] Here, the conveyor is a pitch conveyor that moves one pitch at a time whenever the rotation axis rotates 45 degrees, and the stacking unit is provided one at a time at 45-degree intervals.

[0011] And, the stacking unit rises from below to adsorb the bottom surface of the battery cell when the battery cell reaches the upper part of the rotation axis, and pushes the battery cell toward the stacking pallet when the battery cell reaches the front part of the rotation axis.

[0012] Meanwhile, the present invention further comprises a balance lock device that presses the upper surface of the battery cell when the stacking unit rises from below and adsorbs the lower surface of the battery cell.

[0013] Here, the balance lock device comprises: a post having a spring installed at the top; a push arm installed to be movable up and down on the post and receiving an upward pushing force from the spring; a roll support fixed to the side of the push arm and having a cam roller rotatably installed at the bottom; a guide cam that penetrates the rotation axis and rotates together with the rotation axis, and has convex and concave portions alternately formed on its outer surface that contact the cam roller; and a pressure roller installed on the push arm that presses the upper surface of the battery cell when the cam roller contacts the convex portion of the guide cam.

[0014] And, the stacking pallet comprises: a servo motor; a ball screw connected to the motor shaft of the servo motor and rotating; LM guides installed on both sides of the ball screw; and a locator whose two ends are respectively connected to the LM guides and which moves back and forth along the ball screw when the servo motor operates, and which supports the battery cells pushed by the stacking unit so that a plurality of battery cells are stacked in a horizontal direction.

[0015] Here, the locator moves backward by one pitch equal to the thickness of the battery cell each time a battery cell is stacked.

[0016] Meanwhile, the stacking unit comprises: a lifting platform installed on a support installed on the rotating shaft so as to be able to move back and forth in the vertical direction; a vacuum block installed on the upper surface of the lifting platform and equipped with a vacuum pad that adsorbs the battery cell; an adsorption cylinder that advances the lifting platform and the vacuum block to press the vacuum pad against the bottom surface of the battery cell; a forward / backward cylinder provided on the rear side of the lifting platform to press the battery cell adsorbed by the vacuum pad toward the stacking pallet; and a return spring installed between the vacuum block and the lifting platform to restore the lifting platform, which has risen along the support, to its original position.

[0017] Here, the vacuum block has an air passage formed therein that is used to remove air pressure from the vacuum pad or to supply air pressure to the vacuum pad, thereby causing the vacuum pad to adsorb a battery cell or to separate the adsorbed battery cell.

[0018] In addition, a load cell is installed between the aforementioned elevator platform and the vacuum block to measure the pressure applied by the vacuum block. Effects of the invention

[0019] The battery cell stacking system of the present invention configured as described above has the advantage of being able to continuously stack multiple battery cells in a narrow space by continuously supplying multiple battery cells through a rotating conveyor and stacking these multiple battery cells horizontally on a stacking pallet using a stacking unit.

[0020] More specifically, when the vacuum pad adsorbs the bottom surface of a battery cell loaded in a mounting hole of a conveyor and rotates it 90 degrees so that the battery cell is positioned toward the locator of a stacking pallet, the battery cell is pressed toward the locator to stack it, and by repeatedly performing this process, a number of battery cells can be continuously stacked on the locator, thereby saving process time. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0021] FIGS. 1 to 3 are drawings showing a battery cell stacking system according to the present invention. FIGS. 4 and FIGS. 5 are drawings showing a balance lock device of a battery cell stacking system according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a figure showing a stacking unit of a battery cell stacking system according to the present invention. FIGS. 7 and FIGS. 8 are drawings showing the stacking of battery cells using a battery cell stacking system according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the battery cell stacking system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0023] FIGS. 1 to 3 are drawings showing a battery cell stacking system according to the present invention, FIGS. 4 and 5 are drawings showing a balance lock device of the battery cell stacking system according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a stacking unit of the battery cell stacking system according to the present invention.

[0024] Also, FIGS. 7 and 8 are drawings showing battery cells being stacked using a battery cell stacking system according to the present invention.

[0025] The battery cell stacking system according to the present invention comprises a rotating shaft (10), a conveyor (20) that rotates by the rotational force provided by the rotating shaft (10) and transports a battery cell (C) forward, a stacking pallet (30) provided at the front of the conveyor (20), a stacking unit (40) that adsorbs the battery cell (C) transported by the conveyor (20) and pushes it to stack a plurality of battery cells (C) on the stacking pallet (30), and a balance lock device (50) that prevents the battery cell (C) from detaching from the conveyor (20) when the stacking unit (40) adsorbs the battery cell (C).

[0026] The above-mentioned rotation axis (10) is rotatably installed at both ends on a pair of supports (11) that are provided upright on the bottom surface, and a square section (10a) with a larger diameter and a larger angle than other parts is provided in the middle part of the support (11).

[0027] One of the ends of this rotating shaft (10) is dynamically connected to a driving motor (M) and rotates by the rotational force provided by the driving motor (M).

[0028] The above conveyor (20) rotates with a plurality of battery cells (C) mounted at regular intervals and transports the battery cells (C) toward the stacking pallet (30).

[0029] These conveyors (20) have both ends connected to sprockets (21) installed on a rotating shaft (10), and rotate by receiving rotational force from the rotating shaft (10) through the sprockets (21).

[0030] In the present invention, the conveyor (20) is configured as a pitch conveyor that moves one pitch at a time whenever the rotation axis (10) rotates 45 degrees, and after the loaded battery cell (C) is stacked on the stacking pallet (30) by rotating in an endless track manner, it moves toward the rear so that a new battery cell (C) is loaded again on the rear side, thereby allowing the battery cell (C) to be continuously supplied toward the stacking pallet (30).

[0031] The stacking pallet (30) is a place where a plurality of battery cells (C) transported by a conveyor (20) are stacked, and is configured to include a servo motor (31), a ball screw (32) connected to the motor shaft of the servo motor (31) and rotating, an LM guide (33) installed on both sides of the ball screw (32), and a locator (34) that moves back and forth along the ball screw (32) when the servo motor (31) is operated.

[0032] The above servo motor (31) provides rotational force to the ball screw (32).

[0033] The ball screw (32) rotates when the motor shaft of the servo motor (31) rotates.

[0034] The above LM guide (33) is installed on each side of the ball screw (32), and the ends of the locator (34) are connected.

[0035] The above locator (34) has its central portion penetrated by a ball screw (32) and moves back and forth along the ball screw (32), and supports the battery cell (C) pushed by the stacking unit (40) so that a plurality of battery cells (C) are stacked in a horizontal direction.

[0036] That is, the locator (34) is located near the stacking unit (40) in a state where the battery cell (C) is not stacked at all, and when the battery cell (C) is separated from the conveyor (20) by the stacking unit (40), the separated battery cell (C) is provided in an upright state and is stacked in that state.

[0037] Subsequently, when multiple battery cells (C) are supplied continuously, these battery cells (C) are also stacked in the same manner so that multiple battery cells (C) are stacked horizontally. At this time, the locator (34) moves backward by one pitch equal to the thickness of the battery cell (C) each time a battery cell (C) is stacked.

[0038] When multiple battery cells (C) are stacked on the locator (34) in this manner, the stacking pallet (30) moves sideways along the LM guide so that subsequent operations can be performed.

[0039] The stacking unit (40) adsorbs a plurality of battery cells (C) supplied continuously by the conveyor (20) one by one and pushes them onto a stacking pallet (30) to stack a plurality of battery cells (C) horizontally.

[0040] More specifically, the stacking unit (40) rises from below to adsorb the bottom surface of the battery cell (C) when the battery cell (C) reaches the top of the rotation axis (10), and pushes the battery cell (C) toward the stacking pallet (30) so that it is stacked on the locator (34) when the battery cell (C) reaches the front of the rotation axis (10).

[0041] A number of such stacking units (40) are provided around the rotation axis (10). In the present invention, since the conveyor (20) is configured to move one pitch each time the rotation axis (10) rotates 45 degrees, the stacking units (40) are also provided one at 45-degree intervals, so a total of 8 stacking units (40) are provided.

[0042] To explain in more detail, the stacking unit (40) comprises a lifting platform (41), a vacuum block (42) installed on the upper surface of the lifting platform (41), a suction cylinder (43) that advances the lifting platform (41) and the vacuum block (42), a forward / backward cylinder (44) connected to the suction cylinder (43) through a plate (47), a return spring (45) installed between the vacuum block (42) and the lifting platform (41), and a load cell (46) installed between the lifting platform (41) and the vacuum block (42).

[0043] The above lifting platform (41) is installed on a support (12) installed on a rotating shaft (10) so as to be able to move back and forth in the vertical direction.

[0044] The above support members (12) are provided one each on both sides of the rotation axis (10) at 45-degree intervals, so in the present invention, a total of 16 (8 pairs) are provided on the rotation axis (10). The lower portion of these support members (12) is fixed to the outer surface of the rotation axis (10).

[0045] The vacuum block (42) is provided with a plurality of vacuum pads (42a) on its upper surface that adsorb a battery cell (C). An air passage (42b) is formed in the vacuum block (42) for removing air pressure from the vacuum pads (42a) or for supplying air pressure to the vacuum pads (42a). Therefore, when air pressure is sucked out and removed from the vacuum pads (42a) through the air passage (42b), the vacuum pads (42a) adsorb the bottom surface of the battery cell (C) with great force, and when air pressure is supplied to the vacuum pads (42a), the battery cell (C) that was strongly adsorbed to the vacuum pads (42a) is separated.

[0046] The above suction cylinder (43) presses the vacuum pad (42a) against the bottom surface of the battery cell (C). To elaborate, when the rod of the suction cylinder (43) moves forward from the body, the lifting platform (41) and the vacuum block (42) rise, and the vacuum pad (42a) provided on the upper surface of the vacuum block (42) presses against the bottom surface of the battery cell (C). In this state, when the air pressure is removed through the air passage (42b), the vacuum pad (42a) is strongly pressed against the bottom surface of the battery cell (C).

[0047] The forward / backward cylinder (44) is provided on the rear side of the lifting platform (41) and presses the battery cell (C) adsorbed on the vacuum pad (42a) toward the stacking pallet (30). To elaborate, when the rod of the forward / backward cylinder (44) advances, the end of the rod comes into contact with the rectangular part (10a) of the rotation axis (10) and is pushed, causing the entire body of the forward / backward cylinder (44) to rise upward. At this time, the forward / backward cylinder (44) is connected to the adsorption cylinder (43) through the plate (47), and since the rod of the adsorption cylinder (43) is connected to the lifting platform (41), when the rod of the forward / backward cylinder (44) advances out of the body, the adsorption cylinder (43) advances, and consequently, the lifting platform (41) and the vacuum block (42) advance. When the vacuum block (42) advances, the battery cell (C) adsorbed to the vacuum pad (42a) is pressurized to the locator (34) of the stacked pallet (30). In this state, when air pressure is applied to the air passage (42b) of the vacuum block (42), the battery cell (C) is separated from the vacuum pad (42a).

[0048] The above return spring (45) is installed between the vacuum block (42) and the lifting platform (41) to restore the lifting platform (41), which has moved up and forward along the support (12), to its original position. That is, when the rod of the suction cylinder (43) moves forward and the vacuum pad (42a) is suctioned onto the battery cell (C), and then the rod of the suction cylinder (43) is moved backward, the lifting platform (41) moves backward due to the elastic force of the return spring (45).

[0049] The load cell (46) measures the pressure applied to the vacuum block (42) between the lifting platform (41) and the vacuum block (42). When the rod of the suction cylinder (43) advances and the vacuum block (42) advances, the vacuum pad (42a) comes into close contact with the battery cell (C), and the opposite pressure acts on the vacuum block (42). The load cell (46) measures the pressure applied to the vacuum block (42) in this way. If the rod of the suction cylinder (43) advances too much, the pressure applied to the vacuum block (42) becomes too high, and there is a risk of damage due to excessive pressure on the battery cell (C) and the vacuum pad (42a). Therefore, when the pressure value measured by the load cell (46) reaches a certain value, the rod of the suction cylinder (43) is prevented from advancing further.

[0050] The balance lock device (50) rises from the bottom of the stacking unit (40) and presses the upper surface of the battery cell (C) when adsorbing the bottom surface of the battery cell (C) so that the battery cell (C) does not detach from the conveyor (20).

[0051] A plurality of mounting holes (22) are formed at regular intervals on the conveyor (20), and a battery cell (C) is seated and transported in the mounting holes (22). When the vacuum pad (42a) of the stacking unit (40) presses against the bottom surface of the battery cell (C) through the mounting holes (22), the balance lock device (50) presses against the top surface of the battery cell (C), thereby preventing the battery cell (C) from coming out of the mounting holes (22).

[0052] This balance lock device (50) comprises a post (51), a push arm (52) installed to be movable up and down on the post (51), a roll support (53) fixed to the side of the push arm (52), a guide cam (54) that passes through the rotation axis (10) and rotates together with the rotation axis (10), and a pressure roller (55) installed on the push arm (52).

[0053] The above posts (51) are installed one on each side of the conveyor (20), and a spring (51a) is installed on the top.

[0054] The above push arm (52) has its two end portions bent downward at the central portion crossing the conveyor (20), and the bent two end portions move up and down along the LM guide installed on the post (51).

[0055] This push arm (52) is provided with an upward pushing force from a spring (51a). That is, a fixing piece (52a) is provided at both ends of the central part of the push arm (52), and the spring (51a) has both ends connected to the upper surface of the post (51) and the lower surface of the fixing piece (52a), respectively, and by pushing the fixing piece (52a) upward, it ultimately pushes the push arm (52) upward.

[0056] The above roll support (53) has a cam roller (53a) rotatably installed at the bottom.

[0057] The guide cam (54) has convex portions (54a) and concave portions (54b) alternately formed on its outer surface, and the cam roller (53a) contacts the convex portions (54a) and concave portions (54b).

[0058] To explain in more detail, when the rotation axis (10) rotates, the guide cam (54) also rotates together, and the cam roller (53a) of the roll support (53) fixed to the lower part of the push arm (52) rotates while the convex part (54a) and the concave part (54b) of the guide cam (54) come into contact.

[0059] At this time, when the cam roller (53a) comes into contact with the convex portion (54a), the cam roller (53a) is pushed downward, pulling the roll support (53) downward, and the push arm (52) connected to the roll support (53) is also pulled downward. When the push arm (52) is pulled downward in this way, the spring (51a) is compressed.

[0060] In this process, since the spring (51a) is in a compressed state, the spring (51a) continues to try to extend to its original length, thereby applying a force that pushes the push arm (52) upward. At this time, as the guide cam (54) continues to rotate and the cam roller (53a) comes into contact with the concave portion (54b), the push arm (52) and the roll support (53) rise upward due to the extension force of the spring (51a).

[0061] The above pressure rollers (55) are installed in a spaced-apart pair at the center of the push arm (52), and press the upper surface of the battery cell (C) when the cam roller (53a) contacts the convex portion (54a) of the guide cam (54). That is, as described above, when the cam roller (53a) contacts the convex portion (54a) of the guide cam (54), the push arm (52) is pulled downward, so the pressure rollers (55) also move downward and press the upper surface of the battery cell (C).

[0062] The process of stacking battery cells using the battery cell stacking system according to the present invention configured as described above is briefly explained as follows.

[0063] When the conveyor (20) loaded with the battery cell (C) rotates due to the rotation of the rotating shaft (10) and the battery cell (C) reaches the upper part of the rotating shaft (10), the rod of the suction cylinder (43) advances (rises) and advances the lifting platform (41) and the vacuum block (42), thereby bringing the vacuum pad (42a) into close contact with the bottom surface of the battery cell (C).

[0064] Afterward, when air is expelled through the air passage (42b) of the vacuum block (42), the vacuum pad (42a) and the bottom surface of the battery cell (C) are strongly adsorbed, and after adsorption, the rod of the adsorption cylinder (43) is retracted. When the rod of the adsorption cylinder (43) is retracted, the lifting platform (41) and the vacuum block (42), which had advanced (rised) by the elastic force of the return spring (45), are retracted (descended).

[0065] Then, the conveyor (20) rotates 45 degrees, stops briefly, and rotates 45 degrees again. In this way, when the conveyor (20) rotates 90 degrees, the battery cell (C) adsorbed on the vacuum pad (42a) is positioned at the front of the rotation axis (10), that is, on the stacking pallet (30).

[0066] In this state, when the rod of the forward / backward cylinder (44) is advanced, the battery cell (C) reaches the locator (34) of the stacked pallet (30), and when air is supplied immediately through the air passage (42b) of the vacuum block (42), the battery cell (C) is separated from the vacuum pad (42a).

[0067] This process is repeated so that a number of battery cells (C) are stacked horizontally on the locator (34).

[0068] Meanwhile, when battery cells (C) are stacked one by one on the locator (34), the locator (34) moves backward by the thickness of one battery cell (C). Explanation of the symbols

[0069] 10: Rotation axis 10a: Rectangular part 11: Support 12: Support 20: Conveyor 21: Sprocket 22: Mounting hole 30: Stackable pallet 31: Servo motor 32: Ball screw 33: LM Guide 34: Locator 40: Stacking unit 41: Lift platform 42: Vacuum Brock 42a: Vacuum Pad 42b: Air passage 43: Suction cylinder 44: Forward / Reverse Cylinder 45: Return Spring 46: Load cell 47: Plate 50: Balance lock 51: Post 51a: Spring 52: Push arm 52a: Fixing piece 53: Roll support 53a: Cam roller 54: Guide cam 54a: Convex part 54b: Concave part 55: Pressure roller C: Battery cell

Claims

Claim 1 A rotating shaft (10) that rotates by the rotational force provided by a driving motor (M); a conveyor (20) that rotates by the rotational force provided by the rotating shaft (10) while mounting a plurality of battery cells (C) at regular intervals and transports the battery cells (C) forward; and a stacked pallet (30) provided on the front side of the conveyor (20); A battery cell stacking system comprising: a stacking unit (40) that adsorbs a plurality of battery cells (C) continuously supplied by the conveyor (20) one by one and pushes them onto the stacking pallet (30) to stack the plurality of battery cells (C) in a horizontal direction, wherein the conveyor (20) is a pitch conveyor that moves one pitch each time the rotation axis (10) rotates 45 degrees, and the stacking unit (40) is provided one by one at 45-degree intervals, and comprises a balance lock device (50) that rises from below to adsorb the bottom surface of the battery cell (C) when the battery cell (C) reaches the upper side of the rotation axis (10), pushes the battery cell (C) toward the stacking pallet (30) when the battery cell (C) reaches the front side of the rotation axis (10), and presses the upper surface of the battery cell (C) when the stacking unit (40) rises from below to adsorb the bottom surface of the battery cell (C). Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A battery cell stacking system according to claim 1, wherein the balance lock device (50) comprises: a post (51) having a spring (51a) installed at the top; a push arm (52) installed to be movable up and down on the post (51) and receiving an upward pushing force from the spring (51a); a roll support (53) fixed to the side of the push arm (52) and having a cam roller (53a) rotatably installed at the bottom; a guide cam (54) that passes through the rotation axis (10) and rotates together with the rotation axis (10), and has a convex portion (54a) and a concave portion (54b) alternately formed on its outer surface that contact the cam roller (53a); and a pressure roller (55) installed on the push arm (52) and pressurizing the upper surface of the battery cell (C) when the cam roller (53a) contacts the convex portion (54a) of the guide cam (54). Claim 6 A battery cell stacking system according to claim 1, wherein the stacking pallet (30) comprises: a servo motor (31); a ball screw (32) connected to the motor shaft of the servo motor (31) and rotating; LM guides (33) installed on both sides of the ball screw (32); and a locator (34) having both ends connected to the LM guides (33) respectively, which moves back and forth along the ball screw (32) when the servo motor (31) is operated, and supports the battery cell (C) pushed by the stacking unit (40) so that a plurality of battery cells (C) are stacked in a horizontal direction. Claim 7 A battery cell stacking system according to claim 6, wherein the locator (34) moves backward by one pitch equal to the thickness of the battery cell (C) each time a battery cell (C) is stacked. Claim 8 In claim 1, the stacking unit (40) comprises: a lifting platform (41) installed on a support (12) installed on the rotation axis (10) so as to be able to move back and forth in the vertical direction; a vacuum block (42) installed on the upper surface of the lifting platform (41) and equipped with a vacuum pad (42a) for adsorbing the battery cell (C); an adsorption cylinder (43) that advances the lifting platform (41) and the vacuum block (42) to press the vacuum pad (42a) against the bottom surface of the battery cell (C); a forward / backward cylinder (44) provided on the rear side of the lifting platform (41) to press the battery cell (C) adsorbed on the vacuum pad (42a) toward the stacking pallet (30); and a device installed between the vacuum block (42) and the lifting platform (41) to restore the lifting platform (41), which has risen along the support (12), back to its original position. A battery cell stacking system characterized by being configured to include a return spring (45). Claim 9 A battery cell stacking system according to claim 8, wherein the vacuum block (42) has an air passage (42b) formed therein for removing air pressure from the vacuum pad (42a) or supplying air pressure to the vacuum pad (42a), thereby causing the vacuum pad (42a) to adsorb a battery cell (C) or to separate the adsorbed battery cell (C). Claim 10 A battery cell stacking system according to claim 8, characterized in that a load cell (46) for measuring pressure applied by the vacuum block (42) is installed between the lifting platform (41) and the vacuum block (42).

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