Battery Cell Transfer Rail With Multi-Gripper Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

The transfer of battery cells or jelly-rolls in battery manufacturing processes is often slow when done individually, leading to inefficiencies in the production line.

Innovation Solution

A transfer device comprising a transfer rail, a carrier, and a gripper assembly with gripper modules that can move in multiple directions to securely hold and transfer battery cells or jelly-rolls, featuring alignment units and gripper frames for precise positioning and alignment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If battery cells are transferred one by one manually, then the transfer process is simple to control, but the manufacturing speed is slow

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing speedVSAvoidtransfer device structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple gripper modules are combined into a single integrated transfer device, allowing simultaneous transfer of multiple battery cells. The gripper assembly includes multiple gripper modules that can grip and transfer battery cells in parallel, significantly improving manufacturing speed while maintaining controlled operation through centralized control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The transfer device utilizes vertical stacking of gripper modules in the width direction, creating a multi-layer transfer system. This dimensional arrangement allows multiple battery cells to be transferred simultaneously at different heights, increasing productivity without requiring proportional increases in horizontal space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If multiple gripper modules are used for simultaneous transfer, then the manufacturing efficiency increases, but the alignment precision becomes more difficult to maintain

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransfer speedVSAvoidalignment accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The alignment unit is designed as a universal mechanism that serves multiple gripper modules simultaneously. The alignment body can move in both longitudinal and width directions to provide comprehensive alignment for all battery cells, ensuring consistent positioning accuracy across all transfer positions while maintaining high transfer speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The alignment unit acts as an intermediary between the gripper modules and the transfer rail, mediating the positioning of multiple battery cells. By introducing this intermediate alignment mechanism, the system can maintain precise alignment even when multiple cells are being transferred simultaneously, resolving the conflict between speed and precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of time

If battery cells are transferred in parallel using multiple gripper modules, then the overall transfer time is reduced, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransfer timeVSAvoidgripper assembly structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The alignment unit is nested within the gripper assembly structure, with the alignment body integrated into the gripper frame. This nested arrangement allows the alignment mechanism to be housed within the existing structural framework, reducing overall device complexity while still enabling parallel transfer of multiple battery cells and minimizing transfer time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP4459725B1Transfer device
Publication Date: 2026.04.08 SK ON CO LTD
  • EP4459725B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4459725B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4459725B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A transfer device (10) is disclosed. The transfer device (10) comprises a transfer rail (100) extending in a longitudinal direction, a carrier (200) movably coupled to the transfer rail (100) in the longitudinal direction of the transfer rail (100), and a gripper assembly (1000) including a gripper module (300) connected to the carrier (200). The gripper module (300) includes a gripper frame (310) extending in a width direction of the transfer rail (100) and connected to the carrier (200), a cell mount (320) coupled to an upper face of the gripper frame (310), and an alignment unit including an alignment body coupled to the gripper frame (310) and an alignment arm movably coupled to the alignment body in at least one of a longitudinal direction or a width direction of the gripper frame (310).