Conveying device and cooling furnace

Abstract

A conveying device (110) and a cooling furnace (100). The conveying device (110) comprises first holders (113), and second holders (114) which are arranged opposite the first holders (113) and spaced apart in a first direction (Y), the first holders (113) and the second holders (114) jointly defining limiting spaces (111) for positioning battery cells. The conveying device (110) further comprises adjustment assemblies (120), wherein the first holders (113) and the second holders (114) are both slidably connected to the adjustment assemblies (120), and the first holders (113) and the second holders (114) can both slide in the first direction (Y) relative to the adjustment assemblies (120), such that the sizes of the limiting spaces (111) jointly defined by the first holders (113) and the second holders (114) can be increased or decreased in the first direction (Y), thus enabling the limiting spaces (111) to adapt to the sizes of the battery cells in the first direction (Y).

Description

Conveying device and cooling furnace Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of battery manufacturing equipment, and in particular to a conveying device and a cooling furnace. Background Art

[0002] Currently, due to economic development and environmental protection requirements, the battery industry has been widely developed. Batteries in the prior art generally require electrolyte to be injected into the battery shell, and before injecting the electrolyte, the battery shell needs to be heated and dried. After the battery shell is dried, it needs to be cooled to a certain temperature before liquid injection can be carried out, and the common cooling method is natural cooling, but this cooling method will make the product production cycle long and the production efficiency low. Cooling the battery before liquid injection by air cooling can effectively increase the cooling speed of the battery, so as to shorten the product production cycle and improve production efficiency, which requires a conveying device that can transport batteries in large quantities. In the related art, since the size specifications of the single cells corresponding to different products are different, in order to ensure the transportation stability of the single cells, single cells of different sizes and specifications usually need to be designed with conveying equipment of different sizes and specifications to effectively transport the single cells. The applicability of the conveying equipment in the related art is not high, which leads to an increase in the manufacturing cost of the conveying equipment, which is not conducive to reducing the production cost of single cells.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a conveying device and a cooling furnace, aiming to solve the technical problem of how to improve the applicability of the conveying device.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a conveying device for cooling a furnace, characterized in that the conveying device comprises:

[0006] First bracket;

[0007] a second bracket, arranged opposite to the first bracket along a first direction, the first bracket and the second bracket jointly defining a limiting space for positioning a single battery;

[0008] The first bracket and the second bracket are both slidably connected to the adjustment component, and the first bracket and the second bracket are both able to slide relative to the adjustment component along the first direction to increase or decrease the size of the limiting space along the first direction.

[0009] In some embodiments, the delivery device further comprises:

[0010] The drive unit includes a drive chain in a ring shape arranged around an axis parallel to a second direction, the second direction is arranged transversely and perpendicular to the first direction, the drive chain is configured to rotate around the axis, and along the circumference of the axis, the drive chain connects multiple first brackets and multiple second brackets, and the drive chain drives each of the first brackets and each of the second brackets to reciprocate along the circumference.

[0011] In some embodiments, the drive unit is provided with a first positioning position and a second positioning position spaced apart and adjacent to the first positioning position; when the adjustment component is installed at the first positioning position, the limiting space has a first size; when the adjustment component is installed at the second positioning position, the limiting space has a second size; the first size is larger than the second size.

[0012] In some embodiments, the adjustment component is connected to the drive chain on one side along the third direction, and the adjustment component is connected to the first bracket and the second bracket on the side away from the drive chain along the third direction. The third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and the drive chain drives the adjustment component to reciprocate along the circumferential direction.

[0013] In some embodiments, the adjustment assembly includes a plurality of first adjustment members and a plurality of second adjustment members, the first bracket is detachably connected to the first adjustment member, the second bracket is detachably connected to the second adjustment member, the first bracket is configured to move relative to the first adjustment member along the first direction, and the second bracket is configured to move relative to the second adjustment member along the first direction, so that the sizes of the first bracket and the second bracket along the first direction are adjustable.

[0014] In some embodiments, the delivery device further comprises:

[0015] A support member is arranged between the first bracket and the second bracket, and the support member is spaced apart from the first bracket and the second bracket, and the support member is used to support the single battery, wherein the side wall of the first bracket close to the second bracket, the support member and the side wall of the second bracket close to the first bracket jointly define the limiting space.

[0016] In some embodiments, the delivery device further comprises:

[0017] Limit blocks, multiple limit blocks are arranged at intervals on the first bracket and the second bracket along the second direction, the second direction is arranged horizontally and perpendicular to the first direction, and the limit blocks are detachably connected to the first bracket and the second bracket, each limit block set on the first bracket is aligned with each limit block set on the second bracket along the first direction, the adjacent limit blocks set on the first bracket, the adjacent limit blocks set on the second bracket, the first bracket and the second bracket jointly define the limit space.

[0018] In some embodiments, the limiting block is provided with protrusions on two opposite sides along the first direction.

[0019] In some embodiments, two opposite sides of the first bracket disposed along the first direction and two opposite sides of the second bracket disposed along the first direction can both be used to position the single battery.

[0020] A second aspect of the present invention further provides a cooling furnace, characterized in that it comprises:

[0021] The delivery device according to any one of the above embodiments; and

[0022] A cooling fan is used to provide cooling airflow to the single battery placed on the conveying device.

[0023] In some embodiments, the cooling fan is adapted to deliver cooling airflow toward the single battery along the second direction; or

[0024] The cooling fan is adapted to deliver cooling airflow toward the single battery along a third direction

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] In the technical solution of the present invention, a conveying device includes a first bracket and a second bracket, the second bracket being spaced apart and arranged relative to the first bracket along a first direction, and the first bracket and the second bracket jointly defining a confined space for positioning a single battery cell. The conveying device also includes an adjustment assembly, to which the first bracket and the second bracket are both slidably connected, and the first bracket and the second bracket are both slidable relative to the adjustment assembly along the first direction, thereby enabling the confined space jointly defined by the first bracket and the second bracket to increase or decrease in size along the first direction, thereby enabling the confined space to adapt to the size of the single battery cell along the first direction. Compared to conveying equipment in related arts, the conveying device provided by the present invention has a confined space defined by the first bracket and the second bracket that can be used to position the single battery cell, and the distance between the first bracket and the second bracket along the first direction can be adjusted by the adjustment assembly, thereby enabling the conveying device to be suitable for conveying single batteries of different sizes, thereby improving the applicability of cooling furnaces equipped with the conveying device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0028] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a cooling furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] FIG2 is an enlarged schematic diagram of a conveying device at a portion A in FIG1 according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] FIG3 is an enlarged schematic diagram of a conveying device at a portion B in FIG2 according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a first bracket and a second bracket in another embodiment of the present invention; wherein the first bracket includes a first support platform, the second bracket includes a second support platform, and the vent is provided between the first bracket and the second bracket.

[0032] Explanation of Reference Numerals: 100 - Cooling Furnace; 110 - Conveying Device; 111 - Limiting Space; 112 - Ventilation Port; 113 - First Bracket; 1131 - First Support Platform; 114 - Second Bracket; 1141 - Second Support Platform; 115 - Support Member; 116 - Limiting Block; 1161 - Protrusion; 120 - Adjustment Assembly; 121 - First Adjustment Member; 122 - Second Adjustment Member; 130 - Driving Unit; 131 - First Positioning Position; 132 - Second Positioning Position; Y - First Direction; X - Second Direction; Z - Third Direction. The objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will be further illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in conjunction with embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] In order to improve the performance of single cells, during the manufacturing process of single cells, especially in the preparatory work of injecting electrolyte into the single cell shell, the single cell shell needs to be heated and dried first, and then cooled. Conventional cooling methods mainly include natural cooling and air cooling. Under natural cooling, the cooling time of the single cell shell is long, which will lead to a long product production cycle and low production efficiency. If air cooling is used, a conveying device capable of transporting single cells in large quantities is required. In the related art, during the manufacturing process of single cells, conveying devices with different sizes are usually used for conveying single cells of different sizes. That is, each conveying device in the related art can only be used to convey single cells of a specific size. When the size of the single cell changes, the conveying device needs to be redesigned according to the size of the single cell so that the conveying device can stably convey the single cell.

[0035] In view of this, referring to Figures 1 to 4 , the present invention proposes a conveying device 110. This conveying device 110 can be used in a cooling furnace 100 or in other devices or equipment that require transporting single cells during the single cell manufacturing process. Referring to Figure 3 , the conveying device 110 includes a first bracket 113 and a second bracket 114 . The first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 are spaced apart along a first direction Y and are arranged relative to each other along the first direction Y, such that a confined space 111 is defined between the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 . This confined space 111 can be used to position the single cells. It should be noted that in specific embodiments, the conveying device 110 includes multiple first brackets 113 and multiple second brackets 114 , each of which is spaced apart from each of the second brackets 114 along the first direction Y. In some embodiments, the confined space 111 can be used to position a single single cell. In other embodiments, the confined space 111 can be used to position multiple single cells. The conveying device 110 also includes an adjustment assembly 120, to which the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 are both slidably connected. The first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 are both slidable relative to the adjustment assembly 120 in a first direction Y, thereby increasing or decreasing the size of the confined space 111 defined by the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 in the first direction Y. The adjustment assembly 120 can be a slide rail structure or a linear bearing structure capable of adjusting the distance between the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114.

[0036] In some embodiments, the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 can both be slidably connected to the same adjustment assembly 120. In other embodiments, the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 can be slidably connected to different adjustment assemblies 120. Specifically, the dimensions of the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 along the first direction Y can be adjusted according to the dimensions of the individual cells, so that the dimensions of the confined space 111 along the first direction Y are adapted to the individual cells, thereby achieving stable transport of the individual cells. It should be noted that the conveying device 110 provided by the present invention is suitable for simultaneously conveying individual cells of different sizes. In the specific embodiments, for ease of description, the following definitions are used as examples of first and second batteries, where the dimensions of the first battery are different from those of the second battery. The dimensions of the first and second batteries along the first direction Y can be adjusted by the adjustment assembly 120 according to the dimensions of the first battery, and the dimensions of the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 along the first direction Y can be adjusted by the adjustment assembly 120 according to the dimensions of the second battery. That is, the conveying device 110 can simultaneously convey the first battery and the second battery of different sizes. Of course, the conveying device 110 can simultaneously convey multiple single batteries of different sizes, and is not limited to simultaneously conveying the first battery and the second battery.

[0037] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, in some embodiments, the conveying device 110 further includes a drive unit 130, and the drive unit 130 includes a drive chain. For ease of expression, the second direction X is defined below, and the second direction X is arranged horizontally and perpendicular to the first direction Y, and an axis parallel to the second direction X is defined. The drive chain is in a ring shape arranged around the axis, and the drive chain is configured to be able to rotate around the axis. Along the circumference of the axis, the drive chain connects a plurality of first brackets 113 and a plurality of second brackets 114, and the drive chain can drive each first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 to reciprocate along the circumference of the axis. In some embodiments, the drive unit 130 may also include a belt structure, which can have a similar function as the drive chain during the transportation of single cells. In other embodiments, the drive unit 130 may further include multiple drive wheel structures, with multiple first brackets 113 and multiple second brackets 114 alternately and spaced apart on the drive wheel structures. The drive unit 130, along with the first and second brackets 113, 114, can ultimately form a crawler-like structure. The drive wheel structure can drive the first and second brackets 113, 114 to move about the drive wheels, thereby causing the cells positioned between the first and second brackets 113, 114 to move accordingly, thereby enabling the conveyor 110 to transport the cells. For ease of description, the following description uses a drive chain as an example. In a specific embodiment, the cells are positioned between the first and second brackets 113, 114. When the drive chain rotates about its axis, the first and second brackets 113, 114 connected to the drive chain can move with the movement of the drive chain, thereby causing the cells positioned between the first and second brackets 113, 114 to move along with the first and second brackets 113, 114 in the first direction Y, thereby transporting the cells.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 3 , in some embodiments, the adjustment assembly 120 is detachably connected to the drive unit 130. The drive unit 130 may have a plurality of first positioning positions 131 and a plurality of second positioning positions 132 spaced apart and adjacent to the first positioning positions 131. When the adjustment assembly 120 is detachably connected to the first positioning position 131, the confined space 111 has a first dimension, which may be the dimension of the confined space 111 along the first direction Y or the dimension of the confined space 111 along the second direction X. When the adjustment assembly 120 is detachably connected to the second positioning position 132, the confined space 111 has a second dimension, which may be the dimension of the confined space 111 along the first direction Y or the dimension of the confined space 111 along the second direction X, etc. The first dimension is greater than the second dimension, meaning that when the adjustment assembly 120 is installed in the first positioning position 131, the confined space 111 can accommodate larger single-cell batteries.

[0039] In some embodiments, the second positioning positions 132 are spaced apart from the first positioning positions 131 along the first direction Y. That is, when the adjustment assembly 120 is detachably connected to the first positioning position 131, the second positioning positions 132 are configured as pre-installation positions when the distance between the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 along the first direction Y needs to be significantly changed.

[0040] In some embodiments, multiple second positioning positions 132 may be disposed adjacent to and spaced apart from a single first positioning position 131. That is, the adjustment assembly 120 may be connected to a single first positioning position 131, and multiple second positioning positions 132 arranged along the first direction Y may be disposed adjacent to the first positioning position 131 along the first direction Y. In other embodiments, the multiple second positioning positions 132 may also be disposed adjacent to and spaced apart from a combined positioning position consisting of multiple first positioning positions 131. That is, the adjustment assembly 120 may be connected to multiple first positioning positions 131. Multiple second positioning positions 132 arranged along the first direction Y may be disposed adjacent to the combined positioning position consisting of multiple first positioning positions 131 along the first direction Y. The arrangement of the first positioning positions 131 and the second positioning positions 132 enables the conveying device 110 to increase the adjustment force of the size of the confined space 111 along the first direction Y, thereby making the conveying device 110 more adaptable.

[0041] In some embodiments, the adjustment assembly 120 is detachably connected to the drive chain on one side along the third direction Z, and the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 are slidably connected to the side of the adjustment assembly 120 facing away from the drive chain along the third direction Z. In one embodiment, the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 are further slidably connected to the side of the adjustment assembly 120 along the second direction X, adjacent to the confined space 111. The third direction Z is perpendicular to the first direction Y and the second direction X. When the drive chain moves circumferentially along the axis, the adjustment assembly 120, as well as the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 connected thereto, can move with the drive chain, thereby enabling the battery cells positioned between the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 to move along the first direction Y, thereby enabling the battery cells to be transported. In some embodiments, to improve the cooling effect of the battery cells, the drive chain can reciprocate circumferentially along the axis to increase the contact time between the battery cells and the cooling airflow. In other embodiments, the adjustment component 120 is detachably connected to the side of the drive chain along the second direction X on one side along the second direction X, and the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 are detachably connected to the side of the adjustment component 120 along the third direction Z on one side along the third direction Z.

[0042] 3 , in some embodiments, the adjustment assembly 120 includes a plurality of first adjustment members 121 and a plurality of second adjustment members 122. The first bracket 113 is detachably connected to the first adjustment member 121, and the second bracket 114 is detachably connected to the second adjustment member 122. In one embodiment, the first bracket 113 can be slidably connected to the first adjustment member 121, and the second bracket 114 can be slidably connected to the second adjustment member 122. The first adjustment member 121 and the second adjustment member 122 are spaced apart along a first direction Y. The first bracket 113 can switch its connection position with the first adjustment member 121 along the first direction Y, and the second bracket 114 can switch its connection position with the second adjustment member 122 along the first direction Y. This allows the dimensions of the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 along the first direction Y to increase or decrease, thereby allowing the dimensions of the confined space 111 along the first direction Y to be adjusted according to the size specifications of the single battery, so that the conveying device 110 can smoothly convey the single battery. In other embodiments, the adjustment assembly 120 may further include a third adjustment member. For ease of description, the third adjustment member is defined to distinguish it from the first adjustment member 121 and the second adjustment member 122. The third adjustment member can be configured as a continuous slide rail structure arranged along the circumference of the drive chain. The third adjustment member can also be a linear bearing or other structure. The first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 are arranged on the third adjustment member at intervals along the first direction Y, and the size of the limiting space 111 along the first direction Y can be increased or decreased by adjusting the connection position of the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 on the third adjustment member according to the size specifications of the single battery.

[0043] In one embodiment, the structure of the first adjusting member 121 may be the same as the structure of the second adjusting member 122. In another embodiment, the structure of the first adjusting member 121 may be different from the structure of the second adjusting member 122. In one embodiment, the dimension of the first adjusting member 121 along the first direction Y may be equal to the dimension of the second adjusting member 122 along the first direction Y. In another embodiment, the dimension of the first adjusting member 121 along the first direction Y may not be equal to the dimension of the second adjusting member 122 along the first direction Y.

[0044] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, in some embodiments, the conveying device 110 further includes a vent 112, which is disposed between the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 and communicates with the confined space 111. Specifically, a side of the first bracket 113 along the first direction Y proximate to the second bracket 114 and a side of the second bracket 114 along the first direction Y proximate to the first bracket 113 collectively define the vent 112. The vent 112 allows cooling air to flow into the confined space 111, thereby allowing the battery cells positioned in the confined space 111 to be directly exposed to the cooling airflow and thereby cooled. In one embodiment, each vent 112 may correspond to a single battery cell. In another embodiment, each vent 112 may correspond to multiple battery cells. In yet another embodiment, each battery cell may correspond to multiple vents 112. The contour of the vent 112 may be circular, rectangular, or in the shape of a circular arc runway, among other shapes.

[0045] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3 , the conveying device 110 further includes a support member 115 disposed between the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114. The support member 115 can be detachably connected to a drive chain, enabling the support member 115 to move with the drive unit 130. Along the first direction Y, the gaps between the first bracket 113 and the support member 115, and the gaps between the support member 115 and the second bracket 114, can both be configured as vents 112. Single cells can be placed between the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114, supported by the support member 115. Specifically, a confined space 111 is defined by the side of the first bracket 113 proximate to the second bracket 114, the side of the support member 115 proximate to the single cells, and the side of the second bracket 114 proximate to the first bracket 113. Cooling air can flow into the confined space 111 from between the first bracket 113 and the support member 115, and from between the support member 115 and the second bracket 114, thereby cooling the single cells.

[0046] In other embodiments, to effectively support the single cells within the confined space 111, as shown in FIG4 , a first support platform 1131 is provided on the side of the first bracket 113 proximate to the second bracket 114, and a second support platform 1141 is provided on the side of the second bracket 114 proximate to the first bracket 113. The first support platform 1131 and the second support platform 1141 jointly define a vent 112. The ends of the single cells along the first direction Y are respectively proximate to or in contact with the side of the first bracket 113 proximate to the second bracket 114 and the side of the second bracket 114 proximate to the first bracket 113. The sides of the single cells proximate to the vent 112 are supported by the first support platform 1131 and the second support platform 1141. As shown in FIG3 , the arrangement of the first bracket 113, the single cells, and the second bracket 114 in the first direction Y can be a cyclic arrangement of first bracket 113, single cells, second bracket 114, first bracket 113, single cells, second bracket 114, etc.

[0047] In some embodiments, to improve the volume utilization of the conveying device 110, first support platforms 1131 are provided on both sides of the first bracket 113 that are oppositely disposed along the first direction Y, and second support platforms 1141 are provided on both sides of the second bracket 114 that are oppositely disposed along the first direction Y. That is, both sides of the first bracket 113 that are oppositely disposed along the first direction Y can be used to position single cells, and both sides of the second bracket 114 that are oppositely disposed along the first direction Y can be used to position single cells. Specifically, the first bracket 113, single cells, and second bracket 114 that are arranged along the first direction Y can be arranged in a cyclic manner: first bracket 113, single cells, second bracket 114, single cells, first bracket 113, single cells, etc. That is, both sides of the second bracket 114 that are oppositely disposed along the first direction Y can collectively define a confined space 111 with one side of the adjacent first bracket 113 that is disposed along the first direction Y.

[0048] In some embodiments, to prevent the single cells from moving laterally within the confined space 111 during transport, the transport device 110 further includes a plurality of spaced-apart spacers 116, as shown in FIG3 . The first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 are each provided with a plurality of spaced-apart spacers 116, with the position of the spacers 116 on the second bracket 114 corresponding to the position of the spacers 116 on the first bracket 113 along the first direction Y. Adjacent spacers 116 on the first bracket 113, the first bracket 113, the second bracket 114, and the adjacent spacers 116 on the second bracket 114 collectively define the confined space 111. The ends of the single cells along the first direction Y can be accommodated between adjacent spacers 116 on the first bracket 113 and between adjacent spacers 116 on the second bracket 114, respectively. It should be noted that, in one embodiment, the space between adjacent spacers 116 on the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 can accommodate only one single cell. In another embodiment, the space between adjacent limiting blocks 116 on the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 can accommodate multiple single batteries.

[0049] To adapt single cells to different products, it is necessary to design single cells of different sizes based on the product. To maximize the adaptability of the conveying device 110 to conveying single cells of varying sizes, in some embodiments, the stoppers 116 are detachably connected to the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114. The lateral distance between adjacent stoppers 116 on the first bracket 113 and the second bracket 114 can be adjusted based on the size of the single cells, so that the stoppers 116 and the confining spaces 111 can effectively position the single cells. This prevents the single cells from swaying within the confining spaces 111 when the conveying device 110 drives the single cells in the first direction Y due to the mismatch between the lateral dimensions of the confining spaces 111 and the lateral dimensions of the single cells. This could cause the single cells to scrape or collide with other components or other single cells. In some embodiments, the conveying device 110 with detachable stoppers 116 can simultaneously convey single cells of varying sizes.

[0050] Referring to Figure 3, in some embodiments, the stop block 116 is further provided with raised portions 1161 on opposite sides thereof along the first direction Y. During the transport of the individual cells, the raised portions 1161 can separate adjacent individual cells and limit their position. The provision of the raised portions 1161 prevents the surfaces of the individual cells from scraping against the stop block 116 when the individual cells sway within the limiting space 111 during transport. In other words, if the individual cells sway, the raised portions 1161 can contact the individual cells and limit their position before the stop block 116 does. In one embodiment, the raised portions 1161 are made of a flexible, soft material such as rubber, foam, silicone, or other materials. In other embodiments, the side of the stop block 116 proximal to the individual cells is provided with a buffer layer. This elastic buffer layer can more effectively position the individual cells and absorb any displacement caused by swaying during transport. In other embodiments, the raised portions 1161 can also be provided on one side of the stop block 116 along the first direction Y.

[0051] Referring to FIG1 , a second aspect of the present invention further provides a cooling furnace 100, which includes a conveying device 110 as described in any of the above embodiments. The cooling furnace 100 also includes a cooling fan capable of providing cooling airflow to the battery cells moving along with the conveying device 110, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the battery cells.

[0052] In some embodiments, the cooling fan can be arranged on one side of the conveying device 110 along the transverse arrangement, thereby providing a cooling airflow flowing along the transverse direction to the single battery. In another embodiment, the cooling fan can also be arranged on the side of the conveying device 110 along the third direction Z and away from the single battery, that is, the cooling fan can be arranged at the bottom of the single battery, so that the cooling fan can provide a cooling airflow flowing along the third direction Z to the single battery. The cooling airflow can flow into the confined space 111 through the vent 112, thereby quickly cooling the single battery placed in the confined space 111. The cooling furnace 100 provided by the present invention can cool a variety of single batteries with different sizes and specifications at the same time, and has high applicability while ensuring high cooling efficiency.

[0053] In some embodiments, the conveyor device 110 may only be partially contained within the cooling furnace 100. When the conveyor device 110 is in operation, the individual cells are transported from the previous processing step to the cooling furnace 100 along with the conveyor device 110. A cooling fan provided in the cooling furnace 100 can provide cooling airflow within the cooling furnace 100, thereby allowing the individual cells entering the cooling furnace 100 to cool down as they move with the conveyor device 110. After cooling, the individual cells continue to move with the conveyor device 110 and are transported out of the cooling furnace 100 to enter the next processing step. In other embodiments, the conveyor device 110 may be fully contained within the cooling furnace 100. The individual cells are transported to the conveyor device 110 contained within the cooling furnace 100 by other conveying equipment and driven by the conveyor device 110 to enable the individual cells to move relative to the cooling furnace 100. After the individual cells have been cooled, they are transported out of the cooling furnace 100 by the conveyor device 110 and transported to the next processing step by other conveying equipment.

[0054] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0055] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features limited to "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, if "and / or", "and / or" or "and / or" appear in the full text, its meaning includes three parallel schemes. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes scheme A, or scheme B, or a scheme in which A and B are satisfied at the same time. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0056] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present description and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A conveying device for a cooling furnace, characterized in that, The conveying device comprises: First bracket; a second bracket, arranged opposite to the first bracket along a first direction with a spacing therebetween, wherein the first bracket and the second bracket together define a limiting space for positioning a single battery; and The first bracket and the second bracket are both slidably connected to the adjustment component, and the first bracket and the second bracket can slide relative to the adjustment component along the first direction to increase or decrease the size of the limiting space along the first direction.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The drive unit includes a drive chain, which is in a ring shape and arranged around the circumference of an axis. The axis is parallel to a second direction, and the second direction is arranged transversely and perpendicular to the first direction. The drive chain is configured to rotate around the axis. Along the circumferential direction of the axis, the drive chain connects a plurality of the first brackets and a plurality of the second brackets, and the drive chain drives each of the first brackets and each of the second brackets to reciprocate along the circumferential direction.

3. The conveying device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The driving unit is provided with a first positioning position and a second positioning position spaced apart and adjacent to the first positioning position; when the adjusting component is installed at the first positioning position, the limiting space has a first size; when the adjusting component is installed at the second positioning position, the limiting space has a second size; and the first size is larger than the second size.

4. The conveying device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The adjusting component is connected to the driving chain on one side along the third direction, and is connected to the first bracket and the second bracket on the side along the third direction away from the driving chain. The third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and the driving chain drives the adjusting component to reciprocate along the circumferential direction.

5. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adjustment assembly includes a plurality of first adjustment members and a plurality of second adjustment members, each of the first adjustment members and each of the second adjustment members are spaced apart and alternately arranged along the first direction, the first bracket is detachably connected to the first adjustment member, the second bracket is detachably connected to the second adjustment member, the first bracket is configured to move relative to the first adjustment member along the first direction, and the second bracket is configured to move relative to the second adjustment member along the first direction, so that the sizes of the first bracket and the second bracket along the first direction are adjustable.

6. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A support member is arranged between the first bracket and the second bracket, and is used to support the single battery. The side wall of the first bracket close to the second bracket, the support member and the side wall of the second bracket close to the first bracket jointly define the limiting space.

7. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The limiting blocks, a plurality of the limiting blocks are arranged at intervals along the second direction on the first bracket and the second bracket. The second direction is arranged transversely and perpendicular to the first direction, and the limiting blocks are detachably connected to the first bracket and the second bracket. The limiting blocks arranged on the first bracket are aligned with the limiting blocks arranged on the second bracket along the first direction. The adjacent limiting blocks arranged on the first bracket, the adjacent limiting blocks arranged on the second bracket, the first bracket and the second bracket together define the limiting space.

8. The conveying device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The opposite sides of the limiting block along the first direction are provided with protruding portions.

9. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opposite sides of the first bracket along the first direction and the opposite sides of the second bracket along the first direction can both be used to position the single cell.

10. A cooling furnace, characterized in that, Comprising: The conveying device according to any one of claims 1-9 above; And A cooling fan for providing a cooling air flow to the single cell placed on the conveying device.

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