Magnetic Gripper Release Structure for Variable-Height Battery Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing handling devices with mechanical grippers are inefficient and time-consuming when dealing with battery cells of varying shapes and sizes, requiring complex conversions for shape or size changes, and manual arrangement is not cost-effective.
Innovation Solution
A magnetic gripper system with a gripper base, piston portion, and holding magnets that allow for safe, efficient, and fast gripping of magnetizable workpieces, including battery cells, by displacing the piston along a longitudinal axis to adjust to different heights without physical contact and using a stripping portion to release the grip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a mechanical gripper is used to handle battery cells, then the gripping force can be adjusted, but the device requires complex conversions when battery cell shape or size changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical gripper system with a magnetic gripper system. Instead of using mechanical夹持 structures that require physical adjustment and conversion for different battery cell shapes and sizes, the invention uses magnetic fields to grip the battery cells. The magnetic gripper comprises a gripper base portion with holding magnets that can magnetically attract and hold battery cells of various shapes (cylindrical, prismatic, pouch) and sizes without requiring any mechanical conversion of the handling device.
2Ease of operation
If manual arrangement of battery cells is performed, then flexibility in handling is achieved, but the process is time-consuming and not cost-efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic gripper system enables automated handling of battery cells without requiring manual intervention. The magnetic attraction force automatically secures the battery cells to the gripper, and the piston portion automatically positions multiple battery cells at the same height level. This self-automating system eliminates the time-consuming manual arrangement process while maintaining flexibility in handling different battery cell types.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnetic gripper performs preliminary actions by automatically positioning multiple battery cells at the same height level before transfer to the battery cell housing. The piston portion pre-adjusts the vertical positions of all gripped battery cells simultaneously, ensuring they are properly aligned for insertion. This preliminary positioning action eliminates the need for subsequent manual adjustment during the assembly process.
3Device complexity
If a magnetic gripper with fixed magnetic portion position is used, then the structure is simple, but workpieces with different heights cannot be gripped safely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustability to the magnetic gripper through the piston portion. The piston can be displaced along the longitudinal axis between an upper release position and a lower contact position, enabling the magnetic portion to adjust its vertical position dynamically. This dynamic adjustment allows the magnetic gripper to safely grip battery cells of different heights while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, as the adjustment mechanism is integrated into the existing gripper design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy, efficient, and safe handling of battery cells with varying heights, allowing simultaneous gripping of multiple cells with minimal device adjustment, reducing manual effort and conversion costs.
Implementation Method 1
The holding magnets each have a magnetic north pole and a magnetic south pole... creates a self-contained, axially directed magnetic field, which also allows workpieces that are at a distance from the magnetic portion to be gripped
Implementation Method 2
The piston rod and/or the magnetic portion can be displaced by means of the piston along the longitudinal axis between an upper release position and a lower contact position
Data Source
AI summary
A magnetic gripper for a handling device for gripping a magnetizable and/or magnetic workpiece includes a gripper base portion with an interior space, a piston portion with a piston rod extending along a longitudinal axis with a piston at the piston rod and in the interior space, a magnetic portion with a holding magnet. The magnetic portion is displaceable with the piston portion along the longitudinal axis between upper release and lower contact positions. A stripping portion with a stripper is at the piston rod and/or at the gripper base portion for releasing a gripping connection between the magnetic portion and the workpiece when the magnetic portion is displaced. The gripper base and/or piston portions are designed so the magnetic portion, in the contact position, protrudes along the longitudinal axis relative to the stripping portion. The magnetic portion has a magnet holder for receiving the holding magnet.