Temporary storage method and temporary storage mechanism

Abstract

The present application relates to a temporary storage method and a temporary storage mechanism. In the temporary storage method, electrode sheets are temporarily stored in the form of spaced stacking, thereby reducing abrasion between the electrode sheets during stacking, providing a possibility for high-efficiency and low-damage storage and retrieval of the electrode sheets, reducing the dust generated by stacking of the electrode sheets, and facilitating simplification of a dust removal system of a sheet stacking device. The temporary storage mechanism is designed on the basis of the temporary storage method, and has the same effect as the temporary storage method.

Description

Caching method and caching mechanism Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of battery manufacturing technology, and in particular to a caching method and a caching mechanism. Background Art

[0002] During the production of lithium batteries, a stacking machine is used to stack the positive and negative electrodes at intervals to form a battery cell. In related technologies, the stacking machine includes a cache mechanism, which is used to store multiple electrodes. The electrodes are stacked closely together in the cache mechanism along the thickness direction, and the number ranges from dozens to hundreds of electrodes. When the electrodes are placed in / out of the cache mechanism, the electrodes are easily damaged due to the mutual friction between the electrodes. In order to avoid damaging the electrodes when they are placed in / out one by one, it is necessary to reduce the speed of placement / removal. However, reducing the speed of placement / removal affects the working efficiency of the entire machine. The existing cache mechanism has the problem that when the electrode is placed in / out, the electrode is easily damaged when the speed is fast, and when the speed is slow, it affects the overall efficiency of the equipment.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a caching method and a caching mechanism to address the problem of pole piece caching.

[0005] A caching method is provided between a film-making process and a core-making process, and the caching method comprises:

[0006] A plurality of electrode sheets are arranged on the loading side of the core making process in a form of spaced-apart stacking, and at least one of the plurality of spaced-apart stacked electrode sheets can be delivered.

[0007] In one embodiment, a plurality of support structures arranged at intervals are provided, and the plurality of pole pieces are respectively provided on the support surfaces of the plurality of support structures to provide surface support for the pole pieces.

[0008] In one embodiment, after the pole piece is arranged on the corresponding support structure, the pole piece and the corresponding support structure are pressed together by a fixing structure.

[0009] In one embodiment, a plurality of the support structures circulate between the sheet-making process and the core-making process, so that at least one of the support structures can be located on the unloading side of the sheet-making process to receive the electrode sheets transported from the sheet-making process, and at least one of the support structures can be located on the loading side to deliver the electrode sheets carried by the support structures.

[0010] In one embodiment, the support structure can be located below the blanking side, and the time for transferring a single pole piece from the production process to the caching method is less than 0.3 seconds.

[0011] In one embodiment, a single pole piece is delivered by pulling, and the time for delivering a single pole piece is less than 0.7 seconds.

[0012] The present application also provides a buffer mechanism for being arranged between the film-making mechanism and the core-making mechanism, and the buffer mechanism includes:

[0013] frame;

[0014] There are multiple support structures, which are arranged at intervals. The support structures are used to support the pole pieces sent out by the production mechanism at the unloading side.

[0015] In one embodiment, it also includes a circulating transport component connected to the frame, multiple support structures are slidably matched with the circulating transport component, and multiple support structures are arranged at intervals on the circulating transport component, and the support structure can move along the circulating transport component to the unloading side or the loading side of the core making mechanism. When it is on the unloading side, the support structure can receive the electrode transported by the film making mechanism. When it is on the loading side, the electrode carried by the support structure can be sent to the core making mechanism.

[0016] In one embodiment, the circulating transport assembly includes a sliding rail and a slider that are slidably matched, one of the sliding rail and the slider is arranged on the frame, and the other is arranged on the supporting structure, and the sliding rail is at least partially arranged between the film making mechanism and the core making mechanism.

[0017] In one embodiment, the support structure includes a spacer and a carrier, the carrier is arranged on a carrying surface of the spacer, and the spacer carries the pole piece through the carrier.

[0018] The above-mentioned caching method is set up between the film-making process and the core-making process, and multiple pole pieces are stacked at intervals and set on the loading side of the core-making process. When the core-making process needs to load, at least one pole piece among the multiple pole pieces stacked at intervals can be fed out. The caching method provided by the present application is that multiple pole pieces are stacked at intervals, that is, there will be no close contact between two adjacent pole pieces, so there will be no mutual friction between the two adjacent pole pieces, reducing damage to the pole pieces. Moreover, when loading, there is no need to waste time separating the two pole pieces that are bonded, which increases the speed of feeding the pole pieces and also improves the working efficiency of the whole machine.

[0019] The above-mentioned cache mechanism is arranged between the feeding mechanism and the discharging mechanism, and multiple supporting structures are installed on the frame. A pole piece can be provided on each supporting structure. The multiple supporting structures are arranged at intervals, so that the multiple pole pieces are arranged at intervals, which prevents adjacent pole pieces from being closely fitted together, reduces the friction between the pole pieces, and reduces the probability of pole piece damage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cache mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the circulating flow of the cache mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] In the figure: 100, frame; 200, slide rail; 300, spacer; 400, carrier; 500, unloading belt; 600, loading belt; 700, piece pushing mechanism; 800, robot; 900, pole piece. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth many specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0024] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated by these terms is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0025] In addition, if the terms "first" or "second" appear, these terms are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of this application, if the term "plurality" appears, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0026] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connected," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, these terms may refer to fixed connections, removable connections, or integration; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediary; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, if a first feature is described as being "above" or "below" a second feature, or similar descriptions, this may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, when a first feature is described as being "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is described as being "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0028] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element. If any, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only embodiment.

[0029] In the field of battery manufacturing, it includes the film making process S1, the electrode distribution process S2 and the core making process S3. The following is a detailed description of each process:

[0030] Film production process S1:

[0031] In this process, the electrode 900 required for the battery cell is manufactured. The electrode 900 can be a positive electrode, a negative electrode or a composite electrode. The electrode 900 includes a core made of a strip of metal foil, an active material layer is provided on the surface of the substrate, and a pole ear extending radially outward is provided on the peripheral side of the substrate. This process may include a pole piece cutting step, that is, cutting the pole piece roll coated with active material and cut out with the pole ear into a size that meets the requirements for producing the battery cell; or, this process may also include a die-cutting step and a cutting step, that is, including the step of cutting out the pole ear by die-cutting / laser cutting the pole piece roll coated with active material, and the step of cutting the pole piece roll into a single piece by die-cutting / laser cutting. It should be noted that in some other embodiments, the order of the pole ear cutting step and the pole piece 900 cutting step can be reversed, that is, cutting the pole piece 900 first and then cutting out the pole ear shape.

[0032] It should be noted that this process is not limited to the above-mentioned cutting and trimming steps, but may further include the active material coating step, the tab cleaning step, the tab reinforcement rib making step, etc. Other new steps may be added according to the needs of the film making process S1, as long as the cutting of the pole piece 900 can be completed to form the single pole piece 900 required for the stacking.

[0033] In addition, this process is not particularly limited as long as it can produce the electrode sheet 900 required for the battery cell. For example, an electrode sheet 900 that has been produced separately may also be provided.

[0034] Allocation process S2:

[0035] The plurality of pole pieces 900 produced in the production step S1 are cached and the pole pieces 900 are allocated to the core production step S3 .

[0036] Core making process S3:

[0037] In this process, the electrode sheets 900 are stacked to form a battery cell. This core-making process may include a lamination step, where the positive and negative electrode sheets, or composite electrode sheets 900, are stacked layer by layer and separated by separators. Prior to the lamination step, this process may also include, but is not limited to, electrode sheet 900 defect detection and correction steps. Following the lamination step, this process may also include, but is not limited to, cell tail film winding, cell shaping, and cell hot pressing.

[0038] It should be noted that there is no particular limitation in the core making step S3 as long as the electrode pieces 900 can be stacked.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, the present application provides a caching method, which is applied to the distribution process S2 between the film production process S1 and the core production process S3. The main purpose is to reduce the damage of the electrode 900 in the cache state in the distribution process S2, that is, to avoid friction damage between the electrode pieces 900 when the electrode pieces 900 are stacked layer by layer without gaps; at the same time, it is also used to reduce / remove the limitation of the access speed of the electrode pieces 900 caused by friction damage between the electrode pieces 900, so as to achieve high-speed access to the electrode pieces 900 and improve the distribution efficiency of the electrode pieces 900 from the film production process S1 to the electrode distribution process S3.

[0040] In this embodiment, the caching method includes: arranging a plurality of electrode pieces 900 in a stacked manner at intervals on the loading side of the core making process S3, and at least one electrode piece 900 among the plurality of stacked electrode pieces 900 can be fed out.

[0041] The above-mentioned caching method is applied to the allocation process S2, and multiple pole pieces 900 are stacked at intervals and arranged on the loading side of the core making process S3. When the core making process S3 needs to be loaded, at least one pole piece 900 among the multiple pole pieces 900 stacked at intervals can be delivered. In the caching method provided by the present application, multiple pole pieces 900 are stacked at intervals, that is, there will be no close contact between two adjacent pole pieces 900, so there will be no mutual friction between the two adjacent pole pieces 900, reducing the probability of damage to the pole pieces 900. Moreover, when loading, there is no need to waste time separating the two pole pieces 900 that are bonded, which increases the speed of feeding the pole pieces and also improves the working efficiency of the entire machine. Compared with the existing caching method, the existing electrode caching method uses a vacuum adsorption belt for caching, which is mainly achieved by setting up a long conveyor belt on which a certain amount of electrodes can be conveyed at the same time. By controlling the conveying speed of the belt, the purpose of caching is achieved. However, this method has a considerable impact on the stacking efficiency, and the number of stackings that can be cached is extremely limited. Once the sheet-making process S1 fails and stops, the subsequent core-making process S3 is likely to need to stop. Another method is to use a clip to cache the electrode 900, that is, after the electrode machine is cut in the sheet-making process S1, a certain number of electrodes 900 are first received and stored by the clip, and then the clip loaded with the electrode 900 is transported to the core-making process S3 by the AGV / OHT handling system / manually. The clip + transport form is used to cache and feed the electrode 900. The advantage is that the coupling between the sheet-making process S1 and the core-making process S3 can be released, so that the operation of the two processes does not affect each other, reducing the probability of downtime of the stacking equipment. However, the disadvantages are also obvious. For example, the pole pieces 900 are stacked in layers in the magazine, and friction between the pole pieces is inevitable, causing damage to the pole pieces 900. In addition, in the process of storing and removing the pole pieces 900 from the magazine, in order to minimize the friction damage to the pole pieces 900, it is necessary to control the speed of storing and removing the pole pieces 900 from the magazine, which in turn affects the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) of the lamination equipment. Based on this, in the allocation step S2, the pole pieces 900 are arranged in a spaced stacking form. In this way, there is no need to consider the friction damage between the pole pieces 900 during the storage and removal process of the pole pieces 900, which is conducive to improving the storage and removal speed of the pole pieces 900, thereby improving the OEE of the lamination equipment. At the same time, the spaced stacking of the pole pieces 900 can also effectively reduce / avoid the possible friction damage between the pole pieces 900.

[0042] In the allocation process S2, the caching method of the present application is adopted, and the pole pieces 900 are arranged in the form of interval stacking on the loading side of the core making process S3. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, a plurality of support structures arranged at intervals are provided, and a plurality of pole pieces 900 are respectively provided on the support surfaces of a plurality of support structures to provide surface support for the pole pieces 900. Since the pole pieces 900 are flexible to a certain extent, when stacked vertically at intervals, the middle part of the pole pieces 900 may be deformed and bent due to gravity, causing scratches and damage to the edges of the pole pieces 900 and the storage structure. To this end, the present application sets a support structure and sets the pole pieces 900 on the support surface of the corresponding support structure, thereby using the support structure to form good surface support for the pole pieces 900, ensuring that the pole pieces 900 can be stacked vertically at intervals.

[0043] Preferably, each support structure is provided with a pole piece 900. That is, each support structure only supports one pole piece 900, and the multiple support structures are arranged at intervals, so that the pole pieces 900 supported by the support structures are arranged at intervals.

[0044] Furthermore, the contact between the support structure and the electrode 900 may damage the electrode 900. Therefore, a protective area may be optionally provided within the support structure to store the electrode 900 and reduce the risk of electrode damage. For example, a silicone gasket or Teflon gasket may be placed within the protective area to reduce frictional damage to the electrode 900 caused by the surface support.

[0045] The caching method provided by the present application is based on the stacking of the electrode 900 at intervals, and multiple support structures circulate between the film-making process S1 and the core-making process S3, so that at least one support structure can be located on the unloading side of the film-making process S1 to receive the electrode 900 transported from the film-making process S1, and at least one support structure can be located on the loading side to deliver the electrode 900 carried by the support structure. The support structure storing the electrode 900 can circulate, so that the empty support structure can be moved to the unloading side of the film-making process S1 to quickly receive the electrode 900 transported from the film-making process S1, and the support structure carrying the electrode 900 can be moved to the loading side of the core-making process S3 to quickly deliver the electrode 900, so as to provide efficient stacking for the core-making process S3. The circulation of multiple support structures drives the circulation of the electrode 900, thereby improving the distribution efficiency of the electrode 900, reducing the caching pressure of the electrode 900, improving the transportation efficiency of the electrode 900, and improving the stacking efficiency. The cache method provided in this application is applied in the electrode allocation process S2. The interval stacking of the electrode 900 and the circulation of the electrode 900 can enable the electrode 900 to be stored and retrieved at high speed, while also ensuring that the requirements for the cache space of the electrode 900 are reduced, thereby achieving high-speed and low-loss electrode allocation in a small space. It is also beneficial to implement the allocation process S2, the production process S1, and the core production process S3 on the same lamination equipment, reducing the floor space occupied by the lamination equipment.

[0046] It can be understood that in the caching method of the present application, multiple support structures can provide multiple storage locations for storing multiple pole pieces 900, thereby achieving the purpose of caching pole pieces 900. Moreover, the multiple support structures circulate, and the support structures can receive pole pieces 900 on the unloading side and can also synchronously deliver pole pieces 900 on the loading side. The multiple support structures circulate, thereby cyclically receiving pole pieces 900 and cyclically delivering pole pieces 900.

[0047] It can be understood that the caching method can set a waiting position. After the support structure located on the loading side sends out the pole piece 900 carried thereon, it will move to the waiting position to wait until the support structure on the unloading side receives the pole piece 900 and moves. Then, the support structure at the waiting position moves to the unloading side to receive the next pole piece 900.

[0048] In addition, when the electrode 900 circulates in the vertical direction, the electrode 900 needs to remain basically stationary relative to the support structure to avoid damage caused by relative friction between the electrode 900 and the support structure during circulation. To this end, in the allocation process S2, as a priority, the cache method of the present application sets the electrode 900 on the corresponding support structure, and then presses the electrode 900 and the corresponding support structure through a fixed structure. For example, the fixed structure can be selectively set as a pressing structure set above the support structure. When the electrode 900 is placed on the corresponding support structure, the pressing structure applies appropriate pressure to the electrode 900 so that the electrode 900 is relatively pressed on the support structure without damaging the active material on the surface of the electrode 900; or alternatively, an adsorption structure can be selectively set on the support structure to temporarily adsorb and fix the electrode 900 on the support structure through adsorption to ensure that the electrode 900 maintains a relatively stable position relationship when the support structure circulates. It should be noted that there is no particular limitation as long as the pole piece 900 can remain substantially stationary relative to the supporting structure when the pole piece 900 circulates in the vertical direction.

[0049] In addition, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, by adopting the method of stacking the electrode pieces 900 at intervals + circulating the electrode pieces 900, the support structure can be located below the unloading side to support the electrode pieces 900, and a single electrode piece 900 can be delivered by pulling, so that the time for a single electrode piece 900 to be transferred from the production process S1 to the cache method (distribution process S2) is less than 0.3 seconds, and the time for delivering a single electrode piece 900 is less than 0.7 seconds, that is, the electrode piece storage efficiency can be achieved within 0.3s / pcs, and the electrode piece 900 removal efficiency can be achieved within 0.7s / pcs.

[0050] In order to achieve the above-mentioned efficiency of storing and taking out the electrode pieces 900, in the caching method, the electrode pieces 900 can be stored in a vacuum adsorption blowing belt. Specifically, a feeding belt 500 is provided to transport the electrode pieces 900, and an adsorption cavity is provided in the feeding belt 500. An adsorption space / adsorption gap is provided on the feeding belt 500. The feeding side rotation position of the feeding belt 500, that is, the part of the lower belt body connected to the rotation position, is connected to the adsorption cavity. A blowing component is provided at the position of the lower belt body of the feeding belt 500 adjacent to the lower belt body connected to the adsorption cavity. When the support structure is located below the feeding belt 500, the blowing component is used to quickly blow the electrode pieces 900 away from the feeding belt 500 body so that it falls on the support structure.

[0051] The electrode 900 is made of foil, which is light and thin. By adopting vacuum adsorption, the electrode 900 can be adsorbed on the unloading belt 500 during rapid transportation; and by adding a blowing component to blow air, on the one hand, the vacuum adsorption force between the electrode 900 and the unloading belt 500 can be quickly broken, and at the same time, the electrode 900 can be quickly dropped onto the supporting structure below, thereby realizing the rapid storage of the electrode 900.

[0052] The pole piece 900 can be taken out by suction, and can be sent out by pushing, pulling, drawing, sucking and other actions. Specifically, the pole piece is first taken out from the support structure corresponding to the loading side of the core making process S3 by adsorption, so as to avoid friction damage between the pole piece 900 and the support structure during the transfer of the pole piece 900; and then the pole piece 900 is sent out of the support structure by removing at least part of the body of the picked pole piece 900. For example, the pole piece 900 is picked up from above the gap of the support structure corresponding to the loading side by an adsorption piece, and then the adsorption piece is quickly pulled out and placed on the loading belt 600. A blowing structure can also be provided on the adsorption piece to enable the pole piece 900 to quickly detach from the adsorption piece and fall onto the loading belt 600. For another example, the electrode piece 900 can be picked up by extending the adsorption component from the opposite side of the support structure corresponding to the loading side to the upper part of the gap of the support structure, so that the electrode piece 900 can be clamped by the roller mechanism arranged on the loading side, and the roller mechanism can completely remove the electrode piece 900 for the robot gripper to grab and deliver it; for another example, the electrode piece 900 can be directly grabbed and delivered by a robot arm with the above-mentioned adsorption component.

[0053] It should be noted that there is no special restriction on the method of removing the electrode 900. Other mechanisms that can complete pushing, pulling, extracting, sucking and other actions can also be used to achieve the rapid removal of the electrode 900. It is preferred to use adsorption to make the electrode 900 first leave the storage area and then send it out in the form of a moving piece to reduce damage to the electrode 900 during the removal process.

[0054] Based on the above-mentioned caching method, the present application also provides a caching mechanism, as shown in Figures 1 to 2, the caching mechanism includes a frame 100 and a support structure, and multiple support structures are provided. The multiple support structures are arranged at intervals, and the support structure is used to support the pole piece 900 delivered by the production mechanism on the unloading side.

[0055] The above-mentioned cache mechanism is arranged between the feeding mechanism and the discharging mechanism, and multiple supporting structures are installed on the frame 100. A pole piece 900 can be arranged on each supporting structure. The multiple supporting structures are arranged at intervals, so that the multiple pole pieces 900 are arranged at intervals, which prevents adjacent pole pieces 900 from being closely fitted together, reduces the friction between the pole pieces 900, and reduces the damage to the pole pieces 900.

[0056] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the support structure includes a spacer 300 and a carrier 400. The carrier 400 is disposed on the bearing surface of the spacer 300, and the spacer 300 supports the pole piece 900 through the carrier 400. By providing the spacer 300, the multiple intermediate members of the multiple support structures are arranged at intervals, thereby spacing the pole pieces 900 disposed on the support structure and preventing adjacent pole pieces 900 from being closely attached. The carrier 400 is disposed on the bearing surface of the spacer 300, directly contacting and supporting the pole piece 900.

[0057] In one embodiment, the spacer 300 is made of a rigid material, and the support member 400 is made of a non-rigid material. Using a rigid material for the spacer 300 improves the support it provides to the electrode 900. The support member 400, mounted on the spacer 300 and made of a non-rigid material, directly contacts the electrode 900, preventing scratches on the electrode surface. For example, the spacer 300 is a spacer plate, and the support member 400 is a silicone gasket or Teflon gasket.

[0058] More specifically, the bearing member 400 is made of a non-rigid material with a low friction coefficient.

[0059] Preferably, in order to realize the circulation of the support assembly, as shown in Figures 1 to 2, the cache mechanism also includes a circulating transport assembly connected to the frame 100, multiple support structures are slidably matched with the circulating transport assembly, and multiple support structures are spaced apart on the circulating transport assembly. The support structure can move along the circulating transport assembly to the unloading side or the loading side of the core making mechanism. When it is on the unloading side, the support structure can receive the pole piece 900 transported by the film making mechanism. When it is on the loading side, the pole piece 900 carried by the support structure can be sent to the core making mechanism. By providing the circulating transport assembly, the circulation of the support structure between the film making mechanism and the core making mechanism can be realized. The support structure circulates, which also drives the electrode 900 on the support structure to circulate. When the support structure moves to the unloading side of the sheet-making process S1, the support structure can receive the electrode 900 transported from the sheet-making process S1, and when the support structure moves to the loading side of the core-making process S3, the electrode 900 on the support structure can be sent to the sheet-making process S1, thereby facilitating the core-making process S3 to carry out core-making. By setting up multiple support structures, the present application not only provides multiple storage locations for storing multiple electrode pieces 900, but also multiple support structures circulate, which can continuously receive and send out electrode pieces 900.

[0060] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the circulating transport assembly includes a slide rail 200 and a slider that slidably cooperate. One of the slide rail 200 and the slider is disposed on the frame 100, and the other is disposed on the support structure. The slide rail 200 is at least partially disposed between the film-making mechanism and the core-making mechanism. By disposing the slide rail 200 and the slider, the slider can slide along the slide rail 200, thereby driving the support structure to circulate between the film-making mechanism and the core-making mechanism.

[0061] In other embodiments, the circulating transport assembly may also employ other methods to achieve the circulation of the support structure, for example, the circulating transport assembly may employ a sliding rail and pulley, or a sliding chute and pulley, or a sliding chute and slider. It is understood that the specific sliding method is not limited herein and may be selected based on actual operational needs.

[0062] More specifically, the slider is installed on the spacer 300 of the support structure, and the slide rail 200 is installed on the frame 100. The slider drives the support structure to move, so that the support structure can move to the unloading side of the film making mechanism, the loading side of the core making mechanism or the waiting position.

[0063] More specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the slide rail 200 is in the shape of a U-shaped triangle, and a plurality of sliders are provided, each of which slides in cooperation with the slide rail 200. The multiple sliders are connected to the multiple support structures in a one-to-one correspondence. The multiple sliders slide cyclically on the slide rail 200, thereby driving the multiple support structures to circulate, achieving the purpose of caching and transporting the pole pieces 900.

[0064] More specifically, the circulating transport component further includes a driving source, an output end of which is connected to the slider, and the driving source provides power to drive the slider to move along the slide rail 200 .

[0065] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the film-making mechanism includes a feed conveyor 500, which is used to transport the pole pieces 900 produced by the film-making mechanism, and a frame 100 of the buffer mechanism is disposed below the feed conveyor 500. The buffer mechanism is disposed below the feed conveyor 500, that is, the support structure can be located below the feed conveyor 500, thereby facilitating the reception of the pole pieces 900 transported by the feed conveyor 500.

[0066] In one specific embodiment, the unloading belt 500 can transport the electrode 900 by vacuum suction, and can deliver it to the support structure located below the unloading side by quickly breaking the vacuum and blowing air under positive pressure, so that the electrode 900 falls onto the support structure at high speed. The specific suction and blowing methods have been described in the above-mentioned caching method and will not be repeated here.

[0067] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the core making mechanism further includes a feeding belt 600 , which is used to transport the pole pieces 900 delivered by the support structure.

[0068] In one embodiment, the feeding belt 600 absorbs the electrode 900 to drive the electrode 900 to move forward at high speed. For example, the electrode 900 is absorbed by the feeding belt 600 by vacuum absorption.

[0069] The electrode 900 can be removed by suction, using a combination of pushing, pulling, pumping, and suctioning. For example, the electrode 900 can be fed onto the feeding belt 600 using the pusher mechanism 700 shown in FIG2 . Alternatively, the electrode 900 can be pulled from the support structure to the core-making process by suction, or suction can be performed first, and then the sucked electrode 900 can be pulled to the core-making process by a robot arm 800 or the like.

[0070] In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sheet pushing mechanism 700 passes through the frame 100 and pushes the pole piece 900 located on the feeding side, so that the pole piece 900 moves from the support structure to the feeding belt 600. The sheet pushing mechanism 700 not only pushes the pole piece 900 to move, but also another feature of the pushing mechanism is that it can achieve high-speed movement, ensuring the discharge speed of the pole piece 900.

[0071] More specifically, the pushing end of the pusher mechanism 700 is provided with a flexible member that can contact the structure. The flexible member is made of a flexible material to ensure that the pole piece 900 is not damaged when it is pushed out.

[0072] It should be noted that there is no special restriction on the method of removing the electrode 900. Other mechanisms that can complete pushing, pulling, extracting, sucking and other actions can also be used to achieve the rapid removal of the electrode 900. It is preferred to use adsorption to make the electrode 900 first leave the storage area and then send it out in the form of a moving piece to reduce damage to the electrode 900 during the removal process.

[0073] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the core making mechanism further includes a robot 800 , which is used to transport the pole piece 900 on the feeding belt 600 to the next process.

[0074] In a specific embodiment, the robot 800 has an adsorption function, and after taking away the corresponding electrode 900, the corresponding position of the feeding belt 600 stops vacuum adsorption, so that the robot 800 adsorbs the electrode 900 and moves it.

[0075] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0076] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A caching method, characterized in that, a caching method is provided between the sheet manufacturing process and the core manufacturing process, and the caching method includes: placing a plurality of pole pieces (900) in a stacked form with intervals on the loading side of the core manufacturing process, and at least one of the plurality of stacked pole pieces (900) can be sent out.

2. The caching method according to claim 1, characterized in that, a plurality of support structures arranged at intervals are provided, and the plurality of pole pieces (900) are respectively arranged on the support surfaces of the plurality of support structures to provide surface support for the pole pieces (900).

3. The caching method according to claim 2, characterized in that, after the pole piece (900) is arranged on the corresponding support structure, the pole piece (900) and the corresponding support structure are pressed by a fixing structure.

4. The caching method according to claim 2, characterized in that, the plurality of support structures circulate between the sheet manufacturing process and the core manufacturing process, so that at least one of the support structures can be located on the unloading side of the sheet manufacturing process to receive the pole pieces (900) transported by the sheet manufacturing process, and at least one of the support structures can be located on the loading side to send out the pole pieces (900) carried on the support structure.

5. The caching method according to claim 4, characterized in that, the support structure can be located below the unloading side, and the time for a single pole piece (900) to be introduced from the sheet manufacturing process into the caching method is less than 0.3 seconds.

6. The caching method according to claim 4, characterized in that, a single pole piece (900) is sent out in a pulling form, and the time for sending out a single pole piece (900) is less than 0.7 seconds.

7. A caching mechanism, characterized in that, it is used to be arranged between a sheet manufacturing mechanism and a core manufacturing mechanism, and the caching mechanism includes: a frame (100); support structures, a plurality of which are provided, and the plurality of support structures are arranged at intervals, and the support structures are used to carry the pole pieces sent out by the sheet manufacturing mechanism on the unloading side.

8. The caching mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, it further includes a circulating transportation component connected to the frame (100), and the plurality of support structures are all slidably matched with the circulating transportation component, and the plurality of support structures are arranged at intervals on the circulating transportation component, and the support structures can move along the circulating transportation component to the unloading side or the loading side of the core manufacturing mechanism. When located at the unloading side, the support structure can receive the pole pieces (900) transported by the sheet manufacturing mechanism. When located at the loading side, the pole pieces (900) carried on the support structure can be sent to the core manufacturing mechanism.

9. The caching mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, the circulating transportation component includes a sliding rail (200) and a slider that are slidably matched, and one of the sliding rail (200) and the slider is arranged on the frame (100), and the other is arranged on the support structure, and at least part of the sliding rail (200) is arranged between the sheet manufacturing mechanism and the core manufacturing mechanism.

10. The buffer mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, the support structure includes a spacer (300) and a carrier (400), the carrier (400) is disposed on the bearing surface of the spacer (300), and the spacer (300) bears the pole piece (900) through the carrier (400).

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