EP-4737360-A1 - MATERIAL CONVEYING APPARATUS, BATTERY ASSEMBLY SYSTEM, PRODUCTION LINE, AND ASSEMBLY METHOD

EP4737360A1EP 4737360 A1EP4737360 A1EP 4737360A1EP-4737360-A1

Abstract

A material conveying apparatus, a battery assembly system, a production line, and an assembly method. The material conveying apparatus comprises a frame (10), a conveying mechanism (20), a limiting mechanism (30), and a carrying mechanism (40). The conveying mechanism (20) comprises two conveying paths arranged on the frame (10), one of the two conveying paths is an input path (21) used for conveying a box body (60) loaded with materials, and the other one of the two conveying paths is an output path (22) used for conveying the unloaded box body (60). The limiting mechanism (30) is disposed on the frame (10) or the conveying mechanism (20) and is used to define on the input path (21) a waiting position (21a) and a material pick-up position (21b) arranged in the input direction, and define on the output path (22) a transfer position (22a) and a removal position (22b) arranged in the output direction. The carrying mechanism (40) is used for carrying to the transfer position (22a) the box body (60) which is located at the material pick-up position (21b). The material conveying apparatus can be adapted to transportation of various battery assembly materials and has good universality.

Inventors

XIA, Yijun
LIU, HAILONG
YU, CHENQIN
GAO, Xitang

Assignees

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20240408

Claims (20)

A material conveying apparatus, comprising: a chassis; a conveying mechanism, comprising two conveying channels provided on the chassis, one of the two conveying channels being a feeding channel for conveying a box carrying a material, the other of the two conveying channels being a discharging channel for conveying the box that is unloaded; a limiting mechanism, provided on the chassis or the conveying mechanism, and used to limit on the feeding channel a waiting position and a material taking position arranged along a feeding direction, and to limit on the discharging channel a transfer position and a removal position arranged along a discharging direction; and a handling mechanism, provided on the conveying mechanism or the chassis, and used to handle the box located at the material taking position to the transfer position.
The material conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feeding channel and the discharging channel are provided side by side on the chassis, and the feeding direction is opposite to the discharging direction.
The material conveying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the waiting position and the removal position are aligned along a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of the conveying channel, the waiting position and the removal position forming a first row of regions; the material taking position and the transfer position are aligned along the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the conveying channel, the material taking position and the transfer position forming a second row of regions; the handling mechanism is provided between the first row of regions and the second row of regions.
The material conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the limiting mechanism comprises: fixed limiting assemblies, capable of limiting the box and, respectively, provided on a side of the material taking position away from the waiting position and a side of the transfer position away from the removal position; and movable limiting assemblies, capable of limiting or avoiding the box and, respectively, provided on a side of the waiting position close to the material taking position and a side of the removal position away from the transfer position.
The material conveying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the fixed limiting assembly includes a first limiting member and a cushioning member, and the cushioning member is provided on a side of the first limiting member facing the box for the purpose of contact with the box.
The material conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 5, wherein the movable limiting assembly includes a first driving member and a second limiting member, the first driving member being in driving connection to the second limiting member; the first driving member is capable of driving the second limiting member to extend to limit the box; the first driving member is capable of driving the second limiting member to retract to avoid the box.
The material conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the limiting mechanism further comprises: positioning assemblies, capable of positioning or avoiding the box and, respectively, provided on a side of the material taking position close to the waiting position and a side of the transfer position close to the removal position, for the purpose of applying to the box an acting force toward the corresponding fixed limiting assembly to position the box.
The material conveying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the positioning assembly includes a second driving member and a third limiting member, the second driving member being in driving connection to the third limiting member; the second driving member is capable of driving the third limiting member to revolve into a moving path of the box, and to retract for applying an acting force to the box; the second driving member is capable of driving the third limiting member to extend to release the application of the acting force to the box, and to revolve out of the moving path of the box for avoiding the box.
The material conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the material conveying apparatus further comprises a plurality of first detection mechanisms that are used, respectively, to detect whether the box is present in the waiting position, the material taking position, the transfer position, and the removal position.
The material conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the handling mechanism comprises: a transverse frame, provided on the conveying mechanism or the chassis; a grabbing mechanism, for grabbing the box; an adjustment mechanism, provided on the transverse frame and connected to the grabbing mechanism, for adjusting a position of the grabbing mechanism; and a second detection mechanism, provided on the grabbing mechanism or the transverse frame, and used to detect a height of a tray of the box.
The material conveying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the grabbing mechanism comprises: a base plate, connected to the adjustment mechanism; a first grabbing mechanism, for grabbing a tray of the box; and a second grabbing mechanism, for grabbing a material frame of the box, the first grabbing mechanism, the second grabbing mechanism, and the second detection mechanism being all provided on the base plate, the second grabbing mechanism being located above the first grabbing mechanism.
The material conveying apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first grabbing mechanism comprises: two connecting sliding rails, provided in a spaced manner on the base plate; a plurality of connecting brackets, having an elongated hole with an extension direction perpendicular to the connecting sliding rail, the connecting bracket being fasten connected to the connecting sliding rail via the elongated hole; and a suction cup, each of the connecting brackets being provided with the suction cup thereon for sucking the tray.
The material conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 12, wherein the second grabbing mechanism comprises: a clamping member, for clamping the material frame; and a regulating member, provided on the base plate, two ends of the regulating member being, respectively, connected to two clamping members to regulate a distance for the clamping members.
The material conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the conveying channel comprises: two guide side rails provided in spaced manner that are provided on the chassis; a plurality of conveying rollers rotatably connected to the guide side rails and at least partially located between the two guide side rails, for conveying the box; and a fourth driving member in driving connection to the conveying rollers.
An assembly system for a battery, comprising: a material conveying apparatus according to any one of the claims 1 to 14, for conveying a material for the battery for material taking; an installation mechanism, for grabbing and installing the material; and a manipulator, connected to the installation mechanism for adjusting a posture of the installation mechanism.
The assembly system according to claim 15, wherein the material is an explosion-proof valve, and the installation mechanism is a first installation mechanism, comprising: a first connecting base, for connecting to the manipulator; a first camera, provided on the first connecting base for acquiring position information for the explosion-proof valve; a first clamping jaw assembly, provided on the first connecting base for clamping the explosion-proof valve; and a tightening mechanism, provided on the first connecting base for tightening a screw to install the explosion-proof valve.
The assembly system according to claim 16, wherein there are two tightening mechanisms, the two tightening mechanisms are correspondingly provided on two sides of the first clamping jaw assembly, and a position of at least one of the tightening mechanisms relative to the other tightening mechanism is capable of being adjusted.
The assembly system according to claim 17, wherein the first installation mechanism further comprises: a first spacing-changing mechanism, provided on the first connecting base and connected to the first clamping jaw assembly, for regulating a position of the first clamping jaw assembly at the first connecting base; and a second spacing-changing mechanism, provided on the first connecting base with one of the tightening mechanisms fixedly connected to the first connecting base and with the other tightening mechanism movably connected to the first connecting base, allowing for regulation of the position under driving of the second spacing-changing mechanism.
The assembly system according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the first clamping jaw assembly comprises: a first lifting assembly, provided on the first connecting base; a clamping driving member, provided on the first lifting assembly and capable of being lifted up and down under driving of the first lifting assembly; and two clamping jaws, provided on the clamping driving member and capable of moving to each other under the driving of the clamping driving member to clamp the explosion-proof valve, one end of the clamping jaw away from the clamping driving member being provided with an arc groove.
The assembly system according to any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the material is a cable tie, and the installation mechanism is a second installation mechanism, comprising: a second connecting base, for connecting to the manipulator; a second camera, provided on the second connecting base for acquiring position information for the cable tie; and a second clamping jaw assembly, provided on the second connecting base for clamping the cable tie.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present disclosure is filed based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202311262903.2, entitled "MATERIAL CONVEYING APPARATUS AND ASSEMBLY SYSTEM, PRODUCTION LINE AND ASSEMBLY METHOD FOR BATTERY" and filed on September 27, 2023 , which is hereby incorporated herein as reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to the technical field of battery assembly, and in particular, to a material conveying apparatus and an assembly system, production line and assembly method for a battery. BACKGROUND New-energy batteries are increasingly widely applied in life and industries. For example, new-energy vehicles equipped with batteries have been widely used. Additionally, the batteries are further increasingly applied in the field of energy storage etc. Battery assembly requires installation of a plurality of components, such as an explosion-proof valve, a cable tie, etc. In the related art, each component is conveyed to a pre-assembly position by a corresponding conveying structure and then assembled. Since the conveying structures for the components are different and cannot be universal, the conveying structures involved in battery assembly are diversified and complex. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of this, the embodiments of the present disclosure are desired to provide a material conveying apparatus and an assembly system, production line and assembly method for a battery that can adapt to transportation of various types of battery assembly materials. To achieve the above-mentioned object, a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a material conveying apparatus, including a chassis, a conveying mechanism, a limiting mechanism, and a handling mechanism; the conveying mechanism includes two conveying channels provided on the chassis, one of the two conveying channels is a feeding channel for conveying a box carrying the material, and the other of the two conveying channels is a discharging channel for conveying the box that is unloaded;the limiting mechanism is provided on the chassis or the conveying mechanism, and is used to limit on the feeding channel a waiting position and a material taking position arranged along a feeding direction, and to limit on the discharging channel a transfer position and a removal position arranged along a discharging direction;the handling mechanism is provided on the conveying mechanism or the chassis, and is used to handle the box located at the material taking position to the transfer position. For the material conveying apparatus of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the box carrying a material flows in from the feeding channel, is, before entering the material taking position, limited at the waiting position by the limiting mechanism that is in the waiting position to control a material inflow speed, flows into the material taking position after limiting is released, and is limited at the material taking position by the limiting mechanism that is in the material taking position to facilitate removal of the material. After the material within the box in the material taking position is entirely removed, limiting is released, and the box unloaded is handled to the transfer position on the discharging channel by the handling mechanism, and is limited by the limiting mechanism that is in the transfer position. After limiting is released, the box flows into the removal position, is limited by the limiting mechanism that is in the removal position, thereby controlling the material outflow speed, and flows out of the discharging channel after limiting is released. Various materials for battery assembly may be loaded into the box and conveyed by the material conveying apparatus, so the material conveying apparatus is highly versatile. In some implementations, the feeding channel and the discharging channel are provided side by side on the chassis, and the feeding direction is opposite to the discharging direction. In this way, a position where the box enters the feeding channel and a position where the box flows out of the discharging channel are on the same side of the chassis, reducing a distance between the position where the box enters the feeding channel and the position where the box flows out of the discharging channel, thereby facilitating transportation of the box. In some implementations, the waiting position and the removal position are aligned along a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of the conveying channel, the waiting position and the removal position forming a first row of regions; the material taking position and the transfer position are aligned along the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the conveying channel, the material taking position and the transfer position forming a second row of regions;the handling mechanism is provided between the first row of regions and the second row of regions. By aligning the