Pivotable Work Surface for Battery Plate Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual separation of stuck lead-acid battery plates during manufacturing is physically demanding and poses health risks due to lead oxide dust, and existing automated solutions are either inefficient or unsafe.
Innovation Solution
A battery plate loading system with a pivotable work surface and a robot head arrangement equipped with sensors to detect plate orientation, automatically adjusting the work surface position for correct loading into a separator apparatus, reducing manual intervention and ensuring safe, efficient processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual plate separation is performed by operators, then the plates can be separated and loaded, but operators suffer from repetitive stress injuries and health hazards from lead oxide dust exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system with an automated robotic system. A robot arm with a gripper mechanism automatically picks up battery plate stacks from the pallet and places them on the conveyor belt, eliminating the need for operators to manually handle heavy plates. This substitution removes operators from the hazardous environment while maintaining the plate separation and loading function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service automation where the robotic mechanism independently performs the plate handling tasks without human intervention. The robot detects plate orientations using sensors, adjusts its gripping force, and automatically positions stacks on the conveyor, making the system self-sufficient for the loading operation while protecting operators from health hazards.
2Extent of automation
If automated enveloping machines are used, then the process is automated, but they cannot handle stuck or bonded plates effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing a plate separation station before the automated enveloping machine. This station includes a conveyor belt with vibratory mechanisms or air knives that separate stuck plates before they reach the automated enveloping equipment. By performing this separation action in advance, the system ensures that only properly separated plates are fed into the automated enveloping process, maintaining both automation and reliability.
3Manufacturing precision
If operators manually reorient stacks to correct orientation, then all stacks can be loaded in the same orientation, but this increases physical demand and safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by equipping the robot arm with sensors (such as vision systems or orientation detectors) that detect the orientation of each battery plate stack on the pallet. The system receives feedback about stack orientations and automatically adjusts its gripping and placement actions to ensure all stacks are loaded in the correct orientation, eliminating the need for manual reorientation while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies dynamics by making the robotic loading mechanism adaptable and flexible in response to varying stack orientations. The robot can dynamically adjust its approach angle, gripping position, and placement orientation based on real-time detection, allowing it to handle stacks in different orientations and automatically correct them during the automated loading process without manual intervention.
4Ease of operation
If plates are impacted on work surface to break bonds, then separation is achieved, but lead oxide dust is released into the air
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pneumatic methods to separate stuck plates without mechanical impact. The plate separation station uses air knives or pneumatic vibrators that generate controlled air flows to break the bonds between stuck plates. This pneumatic approach achieves effective separation while avoiding the impact forces that would generate lead oxide dust, thus protecting operator health while maintaining separation effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery plate loading system includes a battery plate separator apparatus having a work surface for receiving a stack of battery plates, and a loading mechanism including an arm coupled to the work surface. The arm is pivotable to move the work surface between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position. A pallet has a surface arranged to receive a plurality of stacks of battery plates, each stack being arranged in at least a first or a second orientation; and, a robot head arrangement configured to transfer stacks of battery plates from the pallet to the battery plate separator apparatus. The robot head arrangement includes a sensor configured to detect the orientation of each stack. The pivotable arm is configured to move the work surface to the substantially horizontal position or to the substantially vertical position in response to the detected orientation of a selected stack.