The present application relates to the technical field of batteries, and in particular, to a material transportation vehicle, a material carrying device, a material drying system and a control method, an electronic apparatus, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product.
Achieving energy conservation and emission reduction is the key to the sustainable development of the automotive industry. Electric vehicles have become an important part of the sustainable development of the automotive industry due to their advantages in energy conservation and environmental protection. For the electric vehicles, the battery technology is an important factor to their development.
With the continuous development of the new energy industry, the market has higher and higher requirements for the energy density of batteries. Especially today, when new energy vehicles are becoming more and more popular, batteries not only need to have excellent power performance but also need to have excellent cycle performance to maintain the endurance of the battery. Drying procedures are required during the preparation of traction batteries, which usually comprise drying of positive and negative electrode powders, drying of electrode plates and drying of battery cells. Drying generally takes a long time and involves many manual steps and time. Therefore, how to improve the operating efficiency while ensuring the production quality is of great significance for reducing the battery manufacturing cost.
The present application is intended to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, an objective of the present application is to provide a material transportation vehicle, a material carrying device, a material drying system and a control method, an electronic apparatus, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product, in order to improve the operating efficiency of the manufacturing process.
In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a material transportation vehicle, comprising: a carrying base, and a push-pull assembly arranged on the carrying base. The push-pull assembly is configured to drive a material pallet for containing a material to move between a first position and a second position. The second position is a position above the carrying base, and the first position is a position located in the same horizontal plane as the second position and separated from the second position by a preset distance in a first direction.
In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, a push-pull assembly capable of driving the movement of the material pallet is arranged on the carrying base, so that the material pallet can be automatically moved into and out of the carrying base, thereby achieving automatic handling of material transportation, improving the production efficiency, and reducing the manufacturing cost.
In some embodiments, the push-pull assembly comprises a first push-pull assembly and a second push-pull assembly. The first push-pull assembly is configured to be detachably connected to the material pallet and drive the material pallet to move between the first position and a first transition position. The second push-pull assembly is arranged spaced apart from the first push-pull assembly, and the second push-pull assembly is configured to be detachably connected to the material pallet and drive the material pallet to move between the second position and the first transition position. The first transition position is located between the first position and the second position.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, by providing the first push-pull assembly and the second push-pull assembly to move the material pallet in a two-stage driving manner, the problem of insufficient stability of a single-stage driving structure can be avoided, and the movement range of the push-pull assembly can be reduced, so that the structural arrangement is more compact and the footprint is reduced.
In some embodiments, the push-pull assembly is further configured to drive the material pallet to move between the second position and a third position. The third position and the second position are located in the same horizontal plane, and the third position and the first position are respectively located on two sides of the second position in the first direction.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the push-pull assembly drives the material pallet to move to two sides of the second position, so it is possible to get rid of the restriction of the specific orientation when a station is arranged, to improve the applicable scope and the delivery efficiency of the device, and to improve the operating efficiency of the device.
In some embodiments, the first push-pull assembly comprises a first push-pull rod, a first linear driving unit and a first rotary driving unit. The first push-pull rod comprises a first rod body and a first engagement portion fixedly connected to the first rod body. The first linear driving unit is in transmission connection with the first rod body to drive the first push-pull rod to move between the first position and the first transition position. The first rotary driving unit is in transmission connection with the first rod body, and the first rotary driving unit drives the first engagement portion to rotate, such that the first engagement portion engages with or disengages from the material pallet. The second push-pull assembly comprises a second push-pull rod, a second linear driving unit and a second rotary driving unit. The second push-pull rod comprises a second rod body and at least one second engagement portion fixedly connected to the second rod body. The second linear driving unit is in transmission connection with the second rod body to drive the second push-pull rod to move between the second position and the first transition position. The second rotary driving unit is in transmission connection with the second rod body, and the second rotary driving unit drives the at least one second engagement portion to rotate, such that the at least one second engagement portion engages with or disengages from the material pallet.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the first push-pull assembly and the second push-pull assembly are respectively provided with a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion to engage with or disengage from the material pallet to achieve detachable connection, and in combination with the cooperation of the linear driving units and the rotary driving units, the first push-pull assembly and the second push-pull assembly can respectively engage with the material pallet and then push and pull the material pallet to move, thereby achieving two-stage driving, avoiding damage to the structure due to large stress and deformation caused by excessive distance during single-stage push and pull, and improving the structural stability and the safety of the device.
In some embodiments, the push-pull assembly further comprises a third push-pull assembly arranged on the carrying base and spaced apart from the first push-pull assembly and the second push-pull assembly. The second push-pull assembly is further configured to drive the material pallet to move between the second position and a second transition position. The third push-pull assembly is further configured to drive the material pallet to move between the second transition position and the third position. The second transition position is between the second position and the third position.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the bidirectional movement of the material pallet is achieved by providing the third push-pull assembly, so that the second push-pull assembly can cooperate with the first push-pull assembly and the third push-pull assembly respectively such that the material pallet can be moved in a two-stage driving manner on two sides, thereby avoiding redundancy in structural design, improving the utilization rate of the device, and improving the operating efficiency.
In some embodiments, the third push-pull assembly comprises a third push-pull rod, a third linear driving unit and a third rotary driving unit. The third push-pull rod comprises a third rod body and a third engagement portion fixedly connected to the third rod body. The third linear driving unit is in transmission connection with the third rod body, and the third linear driving unit is configured to drive the third push-pull rod to move between the third position and the second transition position. The third rotary driving unit is in transmission connection with the third rod body, and the third rotary driving unit is configured to drive the third engagement portion to rotate, such that the third engagement portion engages with or disengages from the material pallet.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the structure of the third push-pull assembly being consistent with that of the first push-pull assembly and that of the second push-pull assembly can simplify the types of parts and facilitate subsequent maintenance, while maintaining the consistency of the movement structures on two sides, thereby avoiding the imbalance caused by a large difference in stress between the driving structures on the two sides.
In some embodiments, the first position and the third position are mirror symmetrical with respect to the second position, and the first transition position and the second transition position are mirror symmetrical with respect to the second position.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, specifically arranging the first position and the third position, and the first transition position and the second transition position to be mirror symmetrical can more easily achieve positioning when moving between different sides, simplify the control logic of the driving units, and reduce the failure rate.
In some embodiments, the material transportation vehicle further comprises: a positioning member fixedly connected to the carrying base. The positioning member is configured to abut against the material pallet or a material contained on the material pallet in response to the material pallet being in the second position.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, by providing the positioning member to limit the material pallet or the material on the material pallet, the stability during transportation can be ensured and overturning can be avoided. Moreover, the positioning function of the positioning member can also be used to determine whether the position of the material pallet is in place. If the position of the material pallet is somewhat offset from the second position, the positioning member will send out an alarm signal because it cannot reach a preset positioning position, and then the position of the material pallet can be adjusted to avoid accidents during the transportation and ensure the transportation safety.
In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a material carrying device, comprising: a material pallet configured to contain a material, a conveying track, and a material transportation vehicle in the above embodiments.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, through the cooperation of the material transportation vehicle and the conveying track, long-distance transportation can be achieved, so that the transportation vehicle in the material carrying device can achieve the transfer of the material between different positions. Combined with processing apparatuses for different procedures, the automatic loading, unloading and transportation of the material in different processing procedures can be achieved to improve the operating efficiency for production.
In some embodiments, an upper surface of the carrying base is provided with at least one first guide member extending in the first direction, and a bottom portion of the material pallet is provided with at least one second guide member corresponding to the at least one first guide member. The first direction is perpendicular to an extension direction of the conveying track.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the corresponding arrangement of the first guide member and the second guide member can provide a guidance for the material pallet during moving, to avoid deviation. Still further, the first guide member and the second guide member can also provide support in the vertical direction, so as to, when the material pallet moves, prevent all or part of the gravity from acting on the push-pull assembly, which causes the push-pull assembly to be deformed and damaged due to excessive force, thereby improving the structural reliability and stability of the device. Setting the first direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the conveying track facilitates the arrangement of the moving space of the material pallet to avoid interference with other apparatuses, and also facilitates the control over the moving strokes of the loading and unloading of the material.
In some embodiments, the bottom portion of the material pallet is provided with an engagement block, and the engagement block cooperates with the push-pull assembly to achieve a detachable connection between the material pallet and the material transportation vehicle.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the detachable connection between the material pallet and the material transportation vehicle is achieved in an engagement manner by providing the engagement block which cooperates with the push-pull assembly, so that the push-pull assembly can drive the material pallet through mutually independent multi-stage push-pull movements, to avoid excessive load caused by a too long push-pull stroke.
In some embodiments, the material carrying device further comprises a driving device configured to drive the material transportation vehicle to move along the conveying track.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the autonomous movement of the material transportation vehicle can be achieved by means of the driving device, thereby achieving the automatic transportation of the material, and improving the transfer efficiency of the material between different procedures.
In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a material drying system, comprising a material carrying device in the above embodiments, and a drying device located on a side of the conveying track in the material carrying device. The material carrying device is configured to move the material pallet into or out of a drying station in the drying device.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, by arranging the drying device on the side of the conveying track of the material carrying device, automatic feeding and automatic discharging during drying operation can be achieved; thereby avoiding manual participation and improving the operating efficiency and the safety.
In some embodiments, the drying device is configured as a plurality of vacuum drying furnaces arranged on one side or two sides of the conveying track.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the provision of the plurality of vacuum drying furnaces can make full use of the efficient conveying capability of the material carrying device. The vacuum drying furnaces are arranged on two sides of the conveying track and the material carrying device can drive the material pallet to the two sides, so that the station layout of the conveying system is facilitated, the compactness of the material drying system is improved, the footprint is reduced, and the operating efficiency of the material drying process is improved, thereby improving the production efficiency and reducing the manufacturing cost.
In some embodiments, the material drying system further comprises a loading device and an unloading device. The loading device is located at one end of the conveying track and is configured to place a material in a stacked manner on the material pallet in a loading position. The unloading device is located at the other end of the conveying track, the unloading device being configured to take the material away from the material pallet in an unloading position.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, by providing the loading device and the unloading device respectively at two ends of the conveying track, the automatic operations of loading and unloading are achieved, forming a fully automated operation process, shortening the conversion time between different procedures, and improving the production efficiency.
In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a material drying system in the above embodiments, the control method comprising:
In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the material is automatically moved from the loading position to a drying position by means of the material transportation vehicle, achieving the automatic processing of the feeding operation for drying, avoiding manual participation which causes excessive time consumption, and improving the production efficiency.
In some embodiments, the method for controlling a material drying system further comprises:
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the automatic discharging process after drying is achieved by means of the material carrying device, improving the automation degree and transfer speed of material transfer, and improving the production efficiency.
In some embodiments, the engagement connection between the push-pull assembly and the material pallet is maintained in response to the material pallet being in the second position.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the engagement connection structure between the push-pull assembly and the material pallet can provide a good limiting effect when the material pallet is transported, preventing the material pallet from turning over, and ensuring the smooth and safe transportation.
In some embodiments, the positioning member on the carrying base is driven to abut against the material pallet or the material contained on the material pallet in response to the material pallet being in the second position.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the positioning member can provide position determination and movement limit functions for the material pallet. Through position determination, it is possible to ensure that the material pallet does not shift or is adjusted in a timely manner after the shift occurs, avoiding apparatus failure caused by overturning during transportation. Moreover, during the transportation, the positioning member can provide contact abutment and limit in the extension direction of the conveying track. This, together with the limit of the push-pull assembly, can achieve limit in two directions in the horizontal plane, better ensuring the stability of transportation.
In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor. The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method for controlling a material drying system in the above embodiments.
In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, a method for controlling a material drying system in the above embodiments is implemented.
In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, comprising a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, a method for controlling a material drying system in the above embodiments is implemented.
The above description is only an overview of the technical solutions of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application to implement same according to the contents of the description, and in order to make the above and other objectives, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and understandable, detailed description of embodiments of the present application is exemplarily described below.
In the drawings, the same reference signs denote the same or similar components or elements throughout multiple drawings, unless otherwise specified. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings depict only some implementations according to the present application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present application.
material transportation vehicle 100, carrying base 101, push-pull assembly 102, material pallet 103, engagement block 1031, first engagement block group 1032, second engagement block group 1033, third engagement block group 1034, first push-pull assembly 104, first push-pull rod 1041, first linear driving unit 1042, first rotary driving unit 1043, first rod body 1044, first engagement portion 1045, second push-pull assembly 105, second push-pull rod 1051, second linear driving unit 1052, second rotary driving unit 1053, second rod body 1054, second engagement portion 1055, third push-pull assembly 106, third push-pull rod 1061, third linear driving unit 1062, third rotary driving unit 1063, third rod body 1064, third engagement portion 1065, positioning member 107, first position 110, first transition position 111, second position 120, second transition position 121, third position 130, material 140, first guide member 150, second guide member 160;
material carrying device 200, conveying track 201, driving device 202;
material drying system 300, drying device 301, first vacuum drying furnace 302, second vacuum drying furnace 303, third vacuum drying furnace 304, loading device 305, unloading device 306, loading position 310, first drying position 320, second drying position 330, unloading position 340.
Embodiments of the technical solutions of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are merely intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, so they merely serve as examples, but are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs. The terms used herein are merely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, but are not intended to limit the present application. The terms “comprising” and “having” and any variations thereof in the description and the claims of the present application as well as the brief description of the accompanying drawings described above are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.
In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms “first”, “second”, etc. are merely used for distinguishing different objects, and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, particular order or primary-secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the phrase “a plurality of” means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically defined.
The phrase “embodiment” mentioned herein means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment can be encompassed in at least one embodiment of the present application. The phrase at various locations in the description does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, or an independent or alternative embodiment exclusive of another embodiment. Those skilled in the art understand explicitly or implicitly that the embodiment described herein may be combined with another embodiment.
In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term “and/or” is merely intended to describe the associated relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist, for example, A and/or B may include: only A exists, both A and B exist, and only B exists. In addition, the character “/” herein generally indicates an “or” relationship between the associated objects.
In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term “a plurality of” means two or more (including two), similarly the term “a plurality of groups” means two or more groups (including two groups), and the term “a plurality of pieces” means two or more pieces (including two pieces).
In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientation or position relationship indicated by the technical terms “central”, “longitudinal”, “transverse”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, “outer”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, “axial”, “radial”, “circumferential”, etc. are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are merely intended to facilitate and simplify the description of the embodiments of the present application, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a described orientation, and therefore cannot be construed as limiting the embodiments of the present application.
In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and defined, the technical terms such as “mounting”, “connecting”, “connection”, and “fixing” should be understood in a broad sense, for example, they may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; may be a mechanical connection or an electric connection; and may be a direct connection or an indirect connection by means of an intermediate medium, or may be internal communication between two elements or interaction between the two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to specific situations.
At present, from the perspective of the development of the market situation, traction batteries are used more and more widely. The traction batteries are not only used in energy storage power systems such as hydroelectric power plants, thermal power plants, wind power plants and solar power plants, but also widely used in electric transportation means such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, and electric vehicles and in many fields such as military equipment and aerospace. With the continuous expansion of the application field of traction batteries, market demand for the traction batteries is also expanding.
The applicant has noticed that as the demand for batteries increases rapidly, the manufacturing capacity of batteries also expands rapidly, and the speed requirements for parts to operate in each procedure are getting higher and higher, thereby putting forward higher automation requirements for the existing production lines and apparatuses.
In order to improve the operating efficiency for production and manufacturing, the applicant has found that a set of automation devices can be designed to perform automatic transportation and loading and unloading operations on materials, to achieve automated operations in the battery manufacturing process, and reduce manual participation, thereby improving the production efficiency and reducing the manufacturing cost.
In addition, when a traction battery is in use, moisture will react with an electrolyte during the charging and discharging processes, so that the internal resistance of the battery is increased, and the capacity of the battery, its number of cycles and the electrical performance are reduced, seriously affecting the service life of the battery. Moreover, there are also safety hazards such as explosions. Therefore, moisture content is one of the important factors affecting the quality and performance of traction batteries, and an important means for controlling moisture is the use of a drying procedure. The current drying procedure is still in a semi-automated state, is complex to operate, has many manual participation steps, and takes too long time, significantly hindering the production efficiency and the manufacturing cost.
Based on the above considerations, in order to solve the problem of low operating efficiency in the battery production process, the applicant has designed a material transportation vehicle after in-depth research, in which a push-pull assembly is arranged on a carrying base to drive a material pallet containing a material to move, so as to implement automatic loading and automatic unloading, so that automatic operations can be achieved during transportation and transfer of the material, improving the production efficiency and reducing the manufacturing cost.
The material transportation vehicle disclosed in the embodiments of the present application may be, but not limited to, a rail guided vehicle (RGV), a transport robot, etc. The material transportation vehicle may be used for, but not limited to, transportation and drying operations of battery cells, battery electrode plates, and battery modules. The material transportation vehicle disclosed in the present application may be used to form a material carrying device, a material drying system, and a method for controlling a material drying system, etc. This helps to reduce the transportation time, improve the battery production efficiency, and reduce the manufacturing cost.
Referring to
According to some embodiments of the present application, the material transportation vehicle 100 comprises a carrying base 101 and a push-pull assembly 102 arranged on the carrying base. The push-pull assembly 102 is configured to drive the material pallet 103 to move between a first position 110 and a second position 120. The second position 120 is located above the carrying base 101, and the first position 110 is located in the same horizontal plane as the second position 120 and separated from the second position 120 by a preset distance in a first direction X.
Illustratively, the material pallet 103 may be configured to contain a material. The material may be a workpiece or module to be transported or processed, such as a battery cell. The material pallet 103 may contain a plurality of workpieces or modules at the same time. The plurality of workpieces or modules may be placed in a suitable manner and arranged according to the placement requirements during machining or processing. For example, the plurality of battery cells may be stacked on the material pallet 103. The second position 120 may be a position directly above the carrying base 101. The first position 110 is a position in the same horizontal plane as the second position 120 and separated by a preset distance in the first direction X. It can be understood that, as shown in
In this embodiment, a push-pull assembly 102 capable of driving the movement of the material pallet 103 is arranged on the carrying base 101, so that the material pallet 103 can automatically move into and out of the carrying base 101, thereby achieving automatic handling of material transportation without manual participation, improving the production efficiency, and reducing the manufacturing cost.
According to some embodiments of the present application, as shown in
It can be understood that, as shown in
In the embodiments of the present application, by providing the first push-pull assembly 104 and the second push-pull assembly 105 to move the material pallet 103 in a two-stage driving manner, the problem of insufficient stability of a single-stage driving structure can be avoided, and the movement range of the push-pull assembly can be reduced, so that the structural stress is more reasonable.
In some embodiments, as shown in
It can be understood that the material pallet 103 may be driven by the push-pull assembly 102 to move to two sides in the same direction or in opposite directions with respect to the first direction X, so that on either side of the carrying base 101 in the first direction X, the material pallet 103 can be moved in and out. That is, the material pallet may be moved in and out on the same side, or may be moved in on one side and out on the other side.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the push-pull assembly 102 drives the material pallet 103 to move to two sides of the second position 120, so it is possible to get rid of the restriction of the specific orientation when a station is arranged, and to improve the applicable scope and the delivery efficiency of the device. In particular, based on the two-stage push-pull mode shown in the embodiments of the present application, the stress problem caused by an excessively long single-stage push-pull stroke can be well avoided. When moving in two directions, the push-pull stroke of each stage does not need to deviate too far from the carrying base, so there is no need to change the track configuration and the structural layout, but only need to make simple adjustments to the driving unit. This will not be constrained by the structural layout, the application scenarios can be expanded, and the operating efficiency of the device can be improved.
In some embodiments, as shown in
The second push-pull assembly 105 comprises a second push-pull rod 1051, a second linear driving unit 1052 and a second rotary driving unit 1053. The second push-pull rod 1051 comprises a second rod body 1054 and at least one second engagement portion 1055 fixedly connected to the second rod body 1054. The second linear driving unit 1052 is in transmission connection with the second rod body 1054 to drive the second push-pull rod 1051 to move between the second position 120 and the first transition position 111. The second rotary driving unit 1053 is in transmission connection with the second rod body 1054, and the second rotary driving unit 1053 drives the at least one second engagement portion 1055 to rotate, such that the at least one second engagement portion 1055 engages with or disengages from the material pallet 103.
In an example, as shown in
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the first push-pull assembly 104 and the second push-pull assembly 105 are respectively provided with the first engagement portion 1045 and the second engagement portion 1055 to engage with or disengage from the material pallet 103 to achieve detachable connection, and in combination with the cooperation of the linear driving units and the rotary driving units, the first push-pull assembly 104 and the second push-pull assembly 105 can respectively engage with the material pallet 103 and then push and pull the material pallet to move, thereby achieving two-stage driving, reducing the driving stroke of each stage, avoiding damage to the structure due to large stress and deformation caused by excessive distance during single-stage push and pull, and improving the structural stability and the safety of the device.
In some embodiments, as shown in
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the bidirectional movement of the material pallet 103 is achieved by providing the third push-pull assembly 106, so that the second push-pull assembly 105 can cooperate with the first push-pull assembly 104 and the third push-pull assembly 106 respectively such that the material pallet 103 can be moved in a two-stage driving manner on two sides, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of the second push-pull assembly 105, avoiding redundancy in structural design, improving the utilization rate of the device, and improving the operating efficiency.
In some embodiments, as shown in
In an example, the third engagement portion 1065 may have the same size as the first engagement portion 1045 and the second engagement portion structure 1055. The third linear driving unit 1062 and the third rotary driving unit 1063 may also be respectively configured to be consistent with the first linear driving unit 1042 and the second linear driving unit 1052, and the first rotary drive 1043 and the second rotary driving unit 1053, to improve the consistency of parts and facilitate subsequent maintenance.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the structure of the third push-pull assembly 106 being consistent with that of the first push-pull assembly 104 and that of the second push-pull assembly 105 can simplify the types of parts and facilitate subsequent maintenance, while maintaining the consistency of the movement structures on two sides, thereby avoiding the imbalance caused by a large difference in stress between the driving structures on the two sides.
In some embodiments, the first position 110 and the third position 130 are mirror symmetrical with respect to the second position 120, and the first transition position 111 and the second transition position 121 are mirror symmetrical with respect to the second position 120.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, specifically arranging the first position 110 and the third position 130, and the first transition position 111 and the second transition position 121 to be mirror symmetrical can more easily achieve positioning when moving between different sides, simplify the control logic of the driving units, and reduce the failure rate.
In some embodiments, as shown in
In an example, the positioning member 107 may be a positioning cylinder. After the material pallet 103 is moved into the carrying base 101, a piston rod of the positioning cylinder is driven to move and abut against the material pallet for positioning. For example, the arrangement direction of the positioning member 107 may be different from the first direction X to provide limit in a different direction, for example, perpendicular to the first direction. It can be understood that materials contained on the material pallet 103 may be placed in a stacked manner, such as stacked battery cells.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, by providing the positioning member 107 to limit the material pallet 103 or the material on the material pallet 103, the stability during transportation can be ensured and overturning can be avoided. Moreover, the positioning function of the positioning member 107 can also be used to determine whether the position of the material pallet 103 is in place. If the position of the material pallet 103 is somewhat offset from the second position 120, the positioning member 107 will send out an alarm signal because it cannot reach a preset positioning position, to remind an operator to adjust the position of the material pallet to avoid accidents during the transportation and ensure the transportation safety.
In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a material carrying device. As shown in
In an example, the material transportation vehicle 100 may be an RGV, and the conveying track 201 may be an RGV track. The material carrying device 200 may cooperate with any processing apparatus to achieve automatic operation of one or more processing procedures of the material. Specifically, the material carrying device 200 transports the material pallet 103 containing the material from a loading place to the processing apparatus for processing. After the processing procedure is completed, the material pallet 103 containing the material is moved from the processing apparatus to a discharging place. The processing apparatus includes a vacuum drying furnace, a reaction furnace, etc.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, through the cooperation of the material transportation vehicle 100 and the conveying track 201, long-distance transportation can be achieved, so that the transportation vehicle in the material carrying device 200 can achieve the transfer of the material between different positions. Combined with processing apparatuses for different procedures, the automatic loading, unloading and transportation of the material in different processing procedures can be achieved to improve the operating efficiency for production.
In some embodiments, as shown in
X, and a bottom portion of the material pallet 103 is provided with at least one second guide member 160 corresponding to the at least one first guide member 150. The first direction X is perpendicular to an extension direction Y of the conveying track 201.
It can be understood that the first direction X and the extension direction Y of the conveying track 201 are located in the same horizontal plane and are perpendicular to each other. The first direction X is the arrangement direction of the first position 110, the second position 120 and the third position 130, and is also the movement direction of the material pallet 103. In an example, as shown in
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the corresponding arrangement of the first guide member 150 and the second guide member 160 can provide a guidance for the material pallet 103 during moving, to avoid deviation. Still further, the first guide member 150 and the second guide member 160 can also provide support in the vertical direction, so as to, when the material pallet 103 moves, prevent all or part of the gravity from acting on the push-pull assembly, which causes the push-pull assembly to be deformed and damaged due to excessive force, thereby improving the structural reliability and stability of the device. Setting the first direction X perpendicular to the extension direction Y of the conveying track facilitates the arrangement of the moving space of the material pallet 103 to avoid interference with other apparatuses, and also facilitates the control over the moving strokes of the loading and unloading of the material.
In some embodiments, as shown in
Illustratively, the engagement block 1031 may be a bump extending outwardly along a bottom surface of the material pallet, and there may be a plurality of engagement blocks. As shown in
It can be understood that the engagement blocks 1031 cooperate with the first engagement portion 1045, the second engagement portion 1055 and the third engagement portion 1065 in the push-pull assembly 102. The first engagement portion 1045, the second engagement portion 1055 and the third engagement portion 1065 may be provided with engagement grooves that are adapted to the size of the engagement blocks 1031, so as to achieve the detachable connection between the material pallet 103 and the material transportation vehicle 100.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the detachable connection between the material pallet 103 and the material transportation vehicle 100 is achieved in an engagement manner by providing the engagement block 1031 which cooperates with the push-pull assembly 102, so that the push-pull assembly 102 can drive the material pallet through mutually independent multi-stage push-pull movements, to avoid excessive load caused by a too long push-pull stroke.
In some embodiments, the material carrying device 200 further comprises a driving device 202. The driving device 202 is configured to drive the material transportation vehicle 100 to move along the conveying track 201. As shown in
It can be understood that the driving device 202 can be arranged either on the material transportation vehicle 100, or at one end of the conveying track 201, and is in transmission connection with the material transportation vehicle 100 via a transmission structure.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the autonomous movement of the material transportation vehicle can be achieved by means of the driving device 202, thereby achieving the automatic transportation of the material, and improving the transfer efficiency of the material between different procedures.
In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a material drying system. As shown in
In an example, the material transportation vehicle 100 in the material carrying device 200 delivers the material pallet 103 to an inlet of the drying device 301, and under the driving of the push-pull assembly 102, the material pallet 103 is moved from the second position 120 on the carrying base 101 to the drying station in the drying device 301. After the drying is completed, the material pallet 103 is moved out of the drying station by the push-pull assembly 102 again to the second position 120 on the carrying base 101, and is then transferred away.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, by arranging the drying device on the side of the conveying track of the material carrying device, automatic feeding and automatic discharging during drying operation can be achieved; thereby avoiding manual participation and improving the operating efficiency and the safety.
In some embodiments, as shown in
It can be understood that, as shown in
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the provision of the plurality of vacuum drying furnaces can make full use of the efficient conveying capability of the material carrying device 200. The vacuum drying furnaces are arranged on two sides of the conveying track 201 and the material carrying device 200 can drive the material pallet 103 to the two sides, so that the station layout of the conveying system is facilitated, the compactness of the material drying system 300 is improved, the footprint is reduced, and the operating efficiency of the material drying process is improved, thereby improving the production efficiency and reducing the manufacturing cost.
In some embodiments, the material drying system 300 further comprises a loading device 305 and an unloading device 306. The loading device is located at one end of the conveying track 201 and is configured to place a material in a stacked manner on the material pallet 103 in a loading position 310. The unloading device 306 is located at the other end of the conveying track 201, and is configured to take the material away from the material pallet 103 in an unloading position 340.
In an example, the loading device 305 and the unloading device 306 may be manipulators. The manipulator grabs a material, such as a battery cell, and places the material on the material pallet 103 in the loading position or removes the material from the material pallet 103 in the unloading position. The loading position 310 refers to a position where the material pallet 103 is prepared to be transferred to the material transportation vehicle 100, and the unloading position 340 refers to a position where the material pallet 103 is placed after being moved out of the material transportation vehicle 100.
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, by providing the loading device 305 and the unloading device 306 respectively at two ends of the conveying track 201, the automatic operations of loading and unloading are achieved, forming a fully automated operation process, shortening the conversion time between different procedures, and improving the production efficiency.
In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a material drying system. As shown in
In an example, the method for controlling a material drying system comprises delivering the material pallet from the loading position to the drying station in the drying device to perform a drying operation. As shown in
It can be understood that the relative positioning of the material transportation vehicle with respect to the loading position and the drying station can be achieved by providing a positioning structure or by sensor positioning, so as to ensure that the material pallet is moved to a predetermined position in a predetermined direction.
In the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the material is automatically moved from the loading position to the drying position by means of the material transportation vehicle, achieving the automatic processing of the feeding operation for drying, avoiding manual participation which causes excessive time consumption, and improving the production efficiency.
In some embodiments, as shown in
In an example, the method for controlling a material drying system further comprises a discharging process of moving the material pallet out from a drying position in the drying device and delivering the material pallet to the unloading position. As shown in
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the automatic discharging process after drying is achieved by means of the material carrying device, improving the automation degree and transfer speed of material transfer, and improving the production efficiency.
In some embodiments, the engagement connection between the push-pull assembly 102 and the material pallet 103 is maintained in response to the material pallet 103 being in the second position 120.
In an example, as shown in
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the engagement connection structure between the push-pull assembly and the material pallet can provide a good limiting effect when the material pallet is transported, preventing the material pallet from turning over, and ensuring the smooth and safe transportation.
In some embodiments, the positioning member on the carrying base is driven to abut against the material pallet or the material contained on the material pallet in response to the material pallet being in the second position.
In an example, as shown in
In the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the positioning member can provide position determination and movement limit functions for the material pallet. Through position determination, it is possible to ensure that the material pallet does not shift or is adjusted in a timely manner after the shift occurs, avoiding apparatus failure caused by overturning during transportation. Moreover, during the transportation, the positioning member can provide contact abutment and limit in the extension direction of the conveying track. This, together with the limit of the push-pull assembly, can achieve limit in two directions in the horizontal plane, better ensuring the stability of transportation.
In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor. The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method for controlling a material drying system in the above embodiments.
In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, a method for controlling a material drying system in the above embodiments is implemented.
In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, comprising a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, a method for controlling a material drying system in the above embodiments is implemented.
In an example, the material drying system 300 shown in
The material carrying device comprises a conveying track 201, a material transportation vehicle 100 arranged on the conveying track 201, a driving device 202, and a material pallet 103 configured to contain a material. The conveying track 201 is arranged in a straight line, and the driving device 202 is arranged on the material transportation vehicle 100 to drive the material transportation vehicle 100 to move on the conveying track 201.
The drying device 301 comprises a first vacuum drying furnace 302 and a second vacuum drying furnace 303 located on one side of the conveying track 201, and a third vacuum drying furnace 304 located on the other side of the conveying track 201.
The loading device 305 is located at a first end of the conveying track 201, and the unloading device 306 is located at a second end of the conveying track 201.
The feeding process of the material drying system 300 is as follows.
The loading device 305 grabs a battery cell delivered by a feeding belt and places the battery cell in a stacked manner on the material pallet 103.
The driving device 202 drives the material transportation vehicle 100 to move to the first end of the conveying track 201 until the first position corresponding to the carrying base 101 of the material transportation vehicle 100 coincides with the loading position 310.
The first linear driving unit 1042 drives the first push-pull rod 1041 to move to the first position until the first engagement portion 1045 moves to the position where the first engagement block group 1032 is located. The first rotary driving unit 1043 drives the first push-pull rod 1041 to rotate, so as to engage the engagement groove on the first engagement portion 1045 with the first engagement block group 1032. The first linear driving unit 1042 drives the first push-pull rod 1041 to drive the material pallet 103 to move to the first transition position 111, and the first rotary driving unit 1043 drives the first push-pull rod 1041 to rotate to disengage the first engagement portion 1045 from the first engagement block group, thereby completing the first push-pull stage.
The second linear driving unit 1052 drives the second push-pull rod 1051 to move until the second engagement portion 1055 moves to the position where the second engagement block group 1033 is located, and the second rotary driving unit 1053 drives the second push-pull rod 1051 to rotate, so as to engage the second engagement portion 1055 with the second engagement block group 1033. The second linear driving unit 1052 drives the second push-pull rod 1051 to drive the material pallet 103 to move from the first transition position 111 to the second position 120, completing the second push-pull stage.
The positioning member 107 is driven to abut against the side of the material pallet 103, so as to provide limit and support for the material pallet 103 in the extension direction Y of the conveying track.
The driving device 202 drives the material transportation vehicle 100 to move along the conveying track 201 to the front of the first vacuum drying furnace 302, and the material transportation vehicle 100 moves along the conveying track 201 to maintain the engagement connection between the second engagement portion 1055 and the second engagement block group 1033. When the third position 130 coincides with the first drying position 320 in the first vacuum drying furnace 302, the material transportation vehicle 100 stops moving, and the positioning member 107 is separated from the material pallet 103 to cancel the limit.
The second linear driving unit 1052 drives the second push-pull rod 1051 to drive the material pallet 103 to move from the second position 120 to the second transition position 121, and the second rotary driving unit 1053 drives the second push-pull rod 1051 to rotate to disengage the second engagement portion 1055 from the second engagement block group 1033.
The third linear driving unit 1062 drives the third push-pull rod 1061 to move to the position where the third engagement portion 1065 corresponds to the third engagement block group 1034, the third rotary driving unit 1063 drives the third push-pull rod 1061 to rotate to engage the third engagement portion 1065 with the third engagement block group 1034, the third linear driving unit 1062 drives the third push-pull rod 1061 to drive the material pallet 103 to move from the second transition position 121 to the first drying position 320 in the first vacuum drying furnace 302, the third rotary driving unit 1063 drives the third push-pull rod 1061 to rotate to disengage the third engagement portion 1065 from the third engagement block group 1034, the third linear driving unit 1062 drives the third push-pull rod 1061 to return to the second position, and a furnace door of the first vacuum drying furnace 302 is closed, completing the feeding process of the material drying operation.
The discharging process of the material drying system 300 is as follows.
The driving device 202 moves the material transportation vehicle 100 to the front of the third vacuum drying furnace 304 until the first position 110 coincides with the second drying position 330 in the third vacuum drying furnace 304.
The push-pull assembly 102 drives the material pallet 103 to move from the second drying position 330 in the third vacuum drying furnace 304 to the second position 120, completing the movement of the material out of the third vacuum drying furnace 304. This process is substantially the same as the movement from the loading position 310 to the second position 120 in the feeding process. The positioning member 107 abuts against a side surface of the material pallet 103.
The engagement state of the second engagement portion 1055 and the second engagement block group 1033 is maintained, and the driving device 202 moves the material transportation vehicle 100 to the front of the unloading position 340 until the first position 110 coincides with the unloading position 340. The material transportation vehicle 100 stops moving, and the positioning member 107 releases the abutment against the material pallet 103.
The push-pull assembly 102 drives the material pallet 103 to move from the second position 120 to the unloading position 340. This process is substantially the same as the movement from the second position 120 to the first drying position 320 in the feeding process.
The unloading device 306 grabs the battery cell from the material pallet 103 in the unloading position 340 and transfers it to an unloading belt for removal, completing the entire discharging process.
Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely used for illustrating rather than limiting the technical solutions of the present application. Although the present application has been illustrated in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some or all of the technical features thereof may be equivalently substituted; and such modifications or substitutions do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solution depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and should fall within the scope of the claims and the description of the present application. In particular, the technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any manner, provided that there is no structural conflict. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein but includes all the technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.
This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2022/120297, filed on Sep. 21, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/CN2022/120297 | Sep 2022 | WO |
Child | 18656615 | US |