Secondary Battery Cell Supply Apparatus for Folding Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing secondary battery cell folding process requires significant tact time and is complex to maintain due to the need for precise handling and posture changes of pouch-type secondary batteries during the folding process.
Innovation Solution
A secondary battery cell supply apparatus comprising multiple devices (first, second, and third devices) that grip, move, and rotate the battery cells to efficiently transfer them from a tray to a cell folding process, reducing handling time and simplifying maintenance by distributing operations among these devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single device performs all operations (gripping, moving, rotating) for secondary battery cell transfer, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to sequential operation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cell transfer operation into three separate devices: a first device for gripping and vertical movement, a second device for transverse transfer, and a third device for rotation and positioning. This segmentation allows parallel operation and reduces bottlenecks, improving overall productivity while distributing complexity across multiple specialized components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces multi-dimensional movement capabilities by assigning different movement axes to different devices: vertical movement (first device), transverse movement (second device), and rotation (third device). This dimensional distribution enables simultaneous operations in different spatial planes, increasing throughput without requiring a single complex device to handle all movements
2Productivity
If multiple devices are used for cell transfer operations, then productivity increases through parallel operations, but device complexity and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the transfer system into three independent devices with specialized functions, the patent enables modular maintenance where each device can be serviced separately without shutting down the entire system. This segmentation reduces downtime and simplifies repair procedures compared to a monolithic system
Solution Approach 2:
Each device is designed with localized functionality optimized for its specific task (gripping, transverse movement, or rotation). This local specialization allows for targeted maintenance and repair of only the affected component, reducing overall system downtime and improving ease of repair compared to a general-purpose device
3Manufacturing precision
If precise handling and posture changes are implemented for pouch-type batteries, then manufacturing precision improves, but tact time increases due to careful manipulation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary positioning and orientation adjustments at each transfer stage before the next operation begins. The first device pre-positions cells vertically, the second device pre-transfers them to the correct lateral position, and the third device pre-rotates them to the proper orientation. This preliminary action sequence ensures precision is built into each step rather than requiring time-consuming adjustments later
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic gripping and positioning mechanisms that can rapidly adjust to cell positions and orientations during transfer. The devices are designed with movable components that can quickly adapt to variations in cell placement, maintaining precision while reducing the time required for manual adjustment and handling
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a secondary battery cell supply apparatus for a process of folding a secondary battery cell, including: a first device configured to grip a secondary battery cell for a cell folding process received in a tray and raise the secondary battery cell for a cell folding process vertically upward; a second device configured to grip the secondary battery cell for a cell folding process gripped by the first device and transfer the secondary battery cell for a cell folding process in a transverse direction when the first device releases the secondary battery cell for a cell folding process; and a third device configured to grip the secondary battery cell for a cell folding process gripped by the second device, rotate the secondary battery cell for a cell folding process, and move the secondary battery cell for a cell folding process upward and downward.