CN118044060A - Liftable chamber and operation method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a liftable chamber and an operating method thereof, and more particularly, to a liftable chamber including a chamber body, a chamber frame, a cylinder, and a control unit as its elements, and an operating method thereof, wherein when the chamber body composed of a lower body and an upper body is used to allow electrolyte impregnation, if the operation of the upper body driven by the cylinder is in an abnormal state, the upper body is controlled to prevent the upper body from being further moved, thereby ensuring safety of workers, and when the upper body is lowered, the weight of the upper body is adjusted by adjusting the pressure of air compressed in the cylinder, thereby preventing damage to the chamber and improving working environment.

Description

Liftable chamber and operation method thereof

Technical Field

The present application claims priority from korean patent application No.2022-0092592 filed at 26 of 7 of 2022 and korean patent application No. 2023-0074204, filed at 5 of 6 of 2023, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The present invention relates to a liftable chamber and an operating method thereof, and more particularly, to a liftable chamber for impregnating a secondary battery with an electrolyte solution, the liftable chamber being configured such that: when the chamber is abnormally operated, control is performed such that the chamber is not moved any more by its rapid detection, thereby enabling safety of an operator and preventing damage to equipment.

Background

Due to air pollution and energy consumption caused by the use of fossil fuels, alternative energy sources have been developed in recent years, and the demand for secondary batteries capable of storing the generated electric energy has increased. Secondary batteries capable of being charged and discharged are widely used in various fields such as mobile devices, electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and industrial robots.

As the use of mobile devices increases, the complexity of mobile devices increases, and electric vehicles develop, the required capacity of secondary batteries used as energy sources for various types of electronic devices inevitably used in modern society has increased. In order to meet the demands of users, a plurality of battery cells are placed in a small-sized device, and a battery module including a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other or a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules is used in a vehicle.

Meanwhile, based on the shape of a battery case, lithium secondary batteries are classified as can-shaped secondary batteries having an electrode assembly mounted in a metal can or pouch-shaped secondary batteries having an electrode assembly mounted in a pouch made of an aluminum laminate sheet.

A secondary battery is manufactured through a process in which a liquid electrolyte, i.e., an electrolyte solution, is injected in a state in which an electrode assembly composed of a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode is received in a battery case, and the battery case is sealed.

The injected electrolyte solution permeates between the positive electrode plate, the negative electrode plate, and the separator constituting the electrode assembly by capillary force, but impregnation with the electrolyte solution is not easy due to the nature of the porous electrode having a microstructure and the physical and chemical properties of the components constituting the electrode and the battery.

If the impregnation with the electrolyte solution is insufficient, the charge and discharge efficiency of lithium ions is lowered, and thus the performance of the secondary battery is deteriorated.

In connection with this, korean patent application laid-open No. 2016-013686 discloses a method of impregnating a secondary battery with an electrolyte solution, in which the impregnation performance with the electrolyte solution is improved by performing pressurization and depressurization after the electrolyte solution is supplied to the battery cells.

Further, korean patent application laid-open No.2011-0032848 discloses a vacuum-pressurizing chamber composed of an upper body and a disk-shaped lower body corresponding to the upper body, the upper body including a cylindrical body portion, a hemispherical portion extending above the body portion, and a sealing portion extending below the body portion.

When the pressurizing or depressurizing process is performed to increase the degree of impregnation with the electrolyte solution, as in the prior art document, a chamber made of metal is required that can be opened and closed and has sufficient durability to withstand the pressurizing or depressurizing.

However, since the weight of the chamber is large, a separate lifting device is required for operation, and at this time, the operator may be trapped in the device due to malfunction or negligence of the device, which may cause a serious accident such as death.

(Prior art literature)

(Patent document 1) Korean patent application publication No. 2016-013686 (published 11/14/2016)

(Patent document 2) Korean patent application publication No.2011-0032848 (published 3 months and 30 days 2011)

Disclosure of Invention

[ Problem ]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liftable chamber configured such that a chamber body constituted by a lower body and an upper body is used for impregnation with an electrolyte solution, and when the operation of the upper body driven by a cylinder is abnormal, control is performed such that the upper body is not moved any more, whereby the safety of an operator can be ensured, and an operating method thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a liftable chamber and an operating method thereof, which are configured such that when an upper body moves downward, the weight of the upper body is adjusted by adjusting the pressure of air compressed in a cylinder, whereby damage to the chamber can be prevented and the working environment can be further improved.

[ Technical solution ]

In order to achieve the above object, a liftable chamber according to the present invention comprises: a chamber body (100) consisting of a lower body (110) and an upper body (120) positioned above the lower body (10); a chamber frame (200) including a pair of vertical frames (210) positioned to face each other with the chamber body (100) interposed therebetween, a horizontal frame (220) configured to connect upper portions of the pair of vertical frames (210) to each other, and a support plate (230) positioned below the horizontal frame (230) configured to move upward and downward in a state where the upper body (120) is fastened to the support plate; a cylinder (300) including a cylinder tube (310) positioned in the vicinity of each of the pair of vertical frames (210), the cylinder tube being formed in a cylindrical shape, the cylinder including a head cover (320) configured to seal a head-side end portion of the cylinder tube (310), the head cover being provided with a head-side port (321) configured to allow air to be introduced therethrough when the support plate (230) moves upward and to allow air to be discharged therethrough when the support plate moves downward, the cylinder including a rod cover (330), the rod cover (330) being configured to seal a rod end of the cylinder tube (310), the rod cover being provided with a rod-side port (331) configured to be kept open, the cylinder including a piston (340) configured to divide a cylinder chamber (340) of the cylinder tube (310), the cylinder including a piston rod (350) one side of which is connected to the piston (340) and the other end of which is connected to the support plate (230); and a controller (400) including a supply pressure control member (420), a first pressure sensor (430) positioned in front of the supply pressure control member (420), a pair of supply flow sensors (450) positioned in front of the first pressure sensor (430), a pair of discharge flow sensors (460), a second pressure sensor (470) positioned in front of the discharge flow sensors (460), and a discharge pressure control member (480) positioned in front of the second pressure sensor (470), the supply pressure control member (420) configured to supply air to the cylinder tube (310) to move the support plate (230) upward, the pair of discharge flow sensors configured to discharge air from the cylinder tube (310) when the support plate (230) moves downward, wherein the discharge pressure control member (480) controls such that air in the cylinder tube (310) is discharged while being maintained at a predetermined pressure.

Furthermore, in the liftable chamber according to the present invention, the discharge pressure control member (480) may be a regulator having: an inlet port configured to allow air to be supplied therethrough; a connection port configured to communicate with a second pressure sensor (470); and an exhaust port configured to allow air to be exhausted therethrough.

Furthermore, in the liftable chamber according to the invention, the discharge pressure control member (480) may be a relief valve.

Furthermore, the liftable chamber according to the invention may further comprise a pilot valve (440) configured to: when a value measured by at least one of the first pressure sensor (430), the supply flow sensor (450), the discharge flow sensor (460), and the second pressure sensor (470) deviates from a predetermined range, the pilot valve blocks the supply and discharge of air, thereby stopping the movement of the piston rod (350).

Furthermore, in the liftable chamber according to the invention, a main valve (410) may be connected to the rear of the supply pressure control member (420), said main valve (410) having an air inlet port (411), said air inlet port (411) being configured to allow air to be supplied through said air inlet port.

Further, in the liftable chamber according to the present invention, the discharge flow rate sensor (460) may be positioned between the first pressure sensor (430) and the supply flow rate sensor (450), and the supply flow rate sensor (450) may sense a flow rate of air when supplying air, and the discharge flow rate sensor (460) may sense a flow rate of air when discharging air, each of the supply flow rate sensor (450) and the discharge flow rate sensor (460) being a one-way flow rate sensor.

Furthermore, in the liftable chamber according to the present invention, the discharge flow sensor (460) may be positioned between the second pressure sensor (470) and the supply flow sensor (450).

Further, in the liftable chamber according to the present invention, a pilot valve (440) configured to switch a moving direction of air may be provided between the first pressure sensor (430), the discharge flow rate sensor (460), and the second pressure sensor (470).

Furthermore, in the liftable chamber according to the invention, the pilot valve (440) may be an intermediate stop solenoid valve configured to: the intermediate stop solenoid valve blocks the supply or discharge of air when a value measured by at least one of the first pressure sensor (430), the supply flow sensor (450), the discharge flow sensor (460) and the second pressure sensor (470) deviates from a predetermined range, thereby stopping the movement of the piston rod (350).

Furthermore, in the liftable chamber according to the present invention, when the value measured by the at least one sensor deviates from the predetermined range for a certain period of time, the supply or discharge of air may be blocked so that the movement of the piston rod (350) may be stopped.

Furthermore, the liftable chamber according to the present invention may further comprise a warning portion configured to: the warning section notifies an abnormal state when a value measured by at least one of the first pressure sensor (430), the supply flow rate sensor (450), the discharge flow rate sensor (460), and the second pressure sensor (470) deviates from a predetermined range.

Further, in the liftable chamber according to the present invention, the shape of the upper body (120) may be hemispherical or semi-elliptical, and the lower body (110) may be hermetically sealed when the lower body (110) and the upper body (120) are brought into close contact with each other.

Furthermore, in the liftable chamber according to the present invention, the pressurizing device may be configured to: for the secondary battery having the electrolyte solution injected therein, the pressurizing device impregnates the secondary battery with the injected electrolyte solution.

Furthermore, a method of operating a liftable chamber according to the present invention comprises: a first step of supplying air to the cylinder to move the upper body upward; a second step of loading the object on the lower body; a third step of exhausting the air compressed in the cylinder to bring the upper body into close contact with the top of the lower body; and a fourth step of pressurizing and depressurizing a space portion formed by the close contact between the lower body and the upper body, wherein in the third step, control is performed such that the compressed air is discharged while being maintained at a predetermined pressure.

Further, in the method according to the present invention, when at least one of the supply flow rate of air or the supply pressure of air in the first step and the discharge flow rate of air or the discharge pressure of air in the third step deviates from a predetermined range, the supply or discharge of air may be blocked, so that the operation of the cylinder may be stopped.

[ Advantageous effects ]

As apparent from the above description, the liftable chamber and the operating method thereof according to the present invention are advantageous in that an intermediate stop solenoid valve is provided to block the supply or discharge of air, so that further movement of the upper body can be prevented when the pressure or flow rate of air supplied to or discharged from the cylinder deviates from a predetermined range, whereby accidents, such as death or serious injury, due to the operator being trapped in the apparatus can be prevented.

Further, the liftable chamber and the operating method thereof according to the present invention are advantageous in that a discharge pressure control member is provided to discharge air compressed in the cylinder while being maintained at a predetermined pressure, so that the downward moving speed of the upper body can be controlled, which ultimately helps to secure the safety of the operator and further prevent damage to the chamber.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a liftable chamber according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of a liftable chamber according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a liftable chamber according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a portion a in fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a portion a of fig. 3 as viewed from another direction.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a cylinder provided in a liftable chamber according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a controller provided in a liftable chamber according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a front view of a controller provided in a liftable chamber according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 9 is an air circuit diagram for the operation of the cylinder according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a front view of a controller provided in a liftable chamber according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is an air circuit diagram of the operation of the cylinder according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an operation method of the liftable chamber according to each of the first and second embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a front view of the controller according to the first embodiment, showing the flow direction of air when air is supplied to the cylinder in a normal state.

Fig. 14 is a front view of the controller according to the first embodiment, showing the flow direction of air when the air is discharged from the cylinder in a normal state.

Fig. 15 is a front view of the controller according to the first embodiment, showing the flow direction of air supplied to the cylinder in an abnormal state.

Fig. 16 is a front view of the controller according to the first embodiment, showing the flow direction of air discharged from the cylinder in an abnormal state.

Fig. 17 is a front view of the controller according to the second embodiment, showing the flow direction of air when air is supplied to the cylinder in a normal state.

Fig. 18 is a front view of the controller according to the second embodiment, showing the flow direction of air when the air is discharged from the cylinder in a normal state.

Fig. 19 is a front view of the controller according to the second embodiment, showing the flow direction of air discharged from the cylinder in an abnormal state.

Detailed Description

Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that the preferred embodiments of the present invention can be easily implemented by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. However, in describing in detail the operating principles of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted when known functions and constructions incorporated herein may obscure the subject matter of the present invention.

Moreover, throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to components that perform similar functions or operations. In the entire specification, in the case where one component is to be connected to another component, not only the one component may be directly connected to the other component, but also the one component may be indirectly connected to the other component through the other component. Furthermore, the inclusion of an element is not meant to exclude other elements, but rather means that the elements may be further included unless otherwise stated.

Hereinafter, a liftable chamber and an operation method thereof according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a liftable chamber according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, fig. 2 is a front view of the liftable chamber according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 3 is a side view of the liftable chamber according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Further, fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the portion a in fig. 3, and fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the portion a of fig. 3 when viewed from the other direction.

As shown in fig. 1 to 5, the liftable chamber according to the present invention includes a chamber body 100 configured to receive an object (not shown), a chamber frame 200 formed to surround the chamber body 100, an air cylinder 300 configured to move a portion of the chamber body 100 upward and downward, and a controller 400 configured to operate the air cylinder 300.

Here, the object may be a secondary battery, more specifically, a cylindrical secondary battery having an electrolyte solution injected therein (but is not necessarily limited thereto), and for convenience of description, it is assumed that the secondary battery is received in the chamber body.

First, the chamber body 100 includes a lower body 110 and an upper body 120, wherein the lower body 110 may be configured in an approximately circular flat structure. The upper body 120 is positioned above the lower body 110 and is liftable, and the overall shape of the upper body may be a hollow hemispherical shape or a hollow semi-elliptical shape.

Here, the fastening portion 121 is provided at an upper portion of an outer side of the upper body 120 so as to be fixed to the support plate 230 or separated from the support plate 230. Specifically, the fastening portion 121 has a receiving recess 121' formed in a shape corresponding to the fastening member 231 of the support plate 230, the fastening member 231 being formed in a flange shape such that the fastening member 231 can be slidably inserted into the receiving recess (see fig. 4).

The secondary battery to be impregnated with the electrolyte solution is received on the upper surface of the lower body 110, and since decompression and compression are alternately required to be rapidly and uniformly impregnated, it is preferable that the upper body 120 and the lower body 110 have a structure in which the upper body and the lower body are airtight when the upper body and the lower body are in close contact with each other so that the upper body and the lower body can be isolated from the outside, and in which the upper body and the lower body are fastened to each other so as not to be separated from each other even when a predetermined pressure is applied to the inside thereof. Of course, it is apparent that at least one of the lower body 110 and the upper body 120 is provided with a port configured to be opened or closed for decompression or pressurization.

The chamber frame 200 may include a vertical frame 210, a horizontal frame 220, a support plate 230, and a guide frame 240.

A pair of vertical frames 210 are positioned to face each other in a state in which the chamber body 100 is placed therebetween, wherein two vertical frames 210 are placed at each side surface so as to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and thus, four vertical frames 210 may be provided; however, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The horizontal frame 220 may be fixed to upper portions of the four vertical frames 210, and may be configured in a nearly quadrangular flat structure.

The support plate 230 is positioned between the horizontal frame 220 and the upper body 120, and the support plate 230 is moved up and down by the operation of the air cylinder 300 while the upper body 120 is fixed and supported. Specifically, the support plate is constructed in a flat structure similar to the horizontal frame 220 in which the piston rods 350 are connected to the vicinity of each of the edges of the opposite sides facing each other, and the upper body 120 is connected to the vicinity of the bottom surface of the center of the support plate by the fastening members 231 extending downward.

Accordingly, when the piston rod 350 moves downward or upward, the support plate 230 moves upward or downward with the upper body 120 in a suspended state.

The guide frame 240 configured to guide the support plate 230 for stable upward and downward movement may be disposed to extend through the support plate 230 in a vertical direction. Specifically, the lower end of the guide frame 240 is positioned to face downward such that the lower end is in close contact with the ground, and the other end of the guide frame is positioned to be in close contact with the bottom surface of the horizontal frame 220. The guide frame is approximately rod-shaped. Four guide frames extending through the respective corners of the horizontal frame 220 may be provided, but the number of guide frames may be increased or decreased as needed.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a cylinder provided in a liftable chamber according to the first embodiment. When the air cylinders are described with reference to fig. 1 and 6, the air cylinder 300 is positioned near the vertical frame 210, more specifically, between the pair of guide frames 240, and preferably, one air cylinder is installed at each edge of the support plate 230 so as to face each other, thereby stably lifting and lowering the support plate 230.

The cylinder 300 may include a cylindrical cylinder barrel 310, a cap 320, a rod cap 330, a piston 340, and a piston rod 350.

The head cover 320 is positioned to seal the head-side end of the cylinder barrel 310, and is provided with a head-side port 321, the head-side port 321 being configured to allow air to be introduced therethrough when the support plate 230 moves upward, and to allow air to be discharged therethrough when the support plate 230 moves downward, and a second air tube connected to the supply flow sensor being fastened to the head-side port 321.

The rod cover 330 seals the rod shaft end of the cylinder barrel 310 and is provided with a rod side port 331 that remains open. The piston 340 divides the cylinder chamber in close contact with the inner surface of the cylinder tube 310, and the piston rod 350 is disposed such that one side of the piston rod 350 is connected to the piston 340 and the other end of the piston rod is connected to the support plate 230. The cylinder 300 is known, and thus a more detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the controller will be described. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a controller provided in a liftable chamber according to the first embodiment, fig. 8 is a front view of the controller provided in the liftable chamber according to the first embodiment, and fig. 9 is an air circuit diagram for operation of the cylinder according to the first embodiment.

The controller 400 controls the supply and discharge of air to determine the operation of the cylinder 300.

The controller 400 may include a main valve 410, a supply pressure control member 420, a first pressure sensor 430, a pilot valve 440, a supply flow sensor 450, a discharge flow sensor 460, a second pressure sensor 470, and a discharge pressure control member 480.

First, the main valve 410 is configured to control the supply of air from an air compressor (not shown), such as a compressor, and the main valve 410 is provided at one side thereof with an air inlet port 411, the air inlet port 411 being for connection with a first air pipe L1 connected with the air compressor.

Based on the flow direction of the supplied air, the supply pressure control member 420 is positioned in front of the main valve 410, and may be a regulator for regulating the pressure of the supplied air such that a predetermined pressure is transmitted to the cylinder 300 when the cylinder 300 moves upward.

The first pressure sensor 430 is positioned in front of the supply pressure control member 420 and measures the pressure of air passing through the supply pressure control member 420. Here, the first pressure sensor 430 is preferably provided with a first display portion 431 configured to allow visual inspection of the pressure measured in real time, and also preferably has a function of generating a warning signal such as an alarm or warning lamp when the pressure deviates from a predetermined pressure range or when the pressure is in an abnormal state for a certain period of time.

The pilot valve 440, which is composed of the first pilot valve 441 and the second pilot valve 442, is positioned between the first pressure sensor 430, the discharge flow sensor 460 and the second pressure sensor 470, i.e., on the route of the supplied air and the discharged air, to switch the moving direction of the air.

In particular, the pilot valve 440 is preferably an intermediate stop solenoid valve having 3 ports and 3 passages, which is configured to prevent a contraction accident or the like. That is, when the value measured by at least one of the first pressure sensor 430, the supply flow sensor 450, the discharge flow sensor 460, and the second pressure sensor 470 deviates from a predetermined range, the pilot valve blocks the supply or discharge of air, thereby stopping the movement of the piston rod 350.

The supply flow sensor 450 is a one-way flow sensor configured to measure the flow rate of air that has passed through the first pressure sensor 430, and the supply flow sensor 450 measures the flow rate of air that has passed through the first pressure sensor 430, the pilot valve 440, and the discharge flow sensor 460 in that order.

Preferably, the number of supply flow sensors 450 is equal to the number of head-side ports of the cylinder. In the present invention, two cylinders are provided, and one head-side port is provided at each cylinder, so that the supply flow sensor is constituted by the first supply flow sensor 451 and the second supply flow sensor 452 so as to supply air to each head-side port.

Further, the first and second supply flow sensors 451, 452 are provided with first and second air inlets 451', 452', respectively, so as to be connected to the head-side port, and the first and second air inlets are connected to each other via a second air pipe L2.

Here, the second air tube L2 is also used as a path through which compressed air is discharged when the cylinder moves downward, which will be described later.

In the same manner as the first pressure sensor 430, each of the first and second supply flow sensors 451 and 452 is preferably provided with a display window so that the flow rate of supplied air can be checked in real time, and also preferably has a function of generating a warning signal such as an alarm or warning lamp when the flow rate deviates from a predetermined flow rate range or when the flow rate is in an abnormal state for a certain period of time.

Next, the discharge flow sensor 460 is a one-way flow sensor configured to measure the flow of air discharged from the cylinder, and is positioned between the supply flow sensor 450 and the pilot valve 440.

That is, when the upper body of the chamber body moves downward, the compressed air under the cylinder tube must be discharged, and the discharged air moves to the discharge flow rate sensor 460 via the supply flow rate sensor 450.

In the same manner as the supply flow sensor 450, the discharge flow sensor 460 preferably includes a first discharge flow sensor 461 and a second discharge flow sensor 462 in order to measure the flow rate of air discharged from each head-side port.

Meanwhile, although not shown in the drawings, the position of the supply flow sensor 450 and the position of the discharge flow sensor 460 may be interchanged, and the supply flow sensor 450 and the discharge flow sensor 460 may be connected to the pilot valve 440 in a parallel manner. Further, the bi-directional flow sensor may perform the functions of the supply flow sensor 450 and the discharge flow sensor 460 simultaneously, and thus the supply flow sensor and the discharge flow sensor may be replaced by a single flow sensor.

The second pressure sensor 470 is configured to measure the pressure of air moving through the discharge flow rate sensor 460, and to measure the pressure of air in front of the discharge flow rate sensor 460, more specifically, the pressure of air that has passed through the discharge flow rate sensor 460 and the pilot valve 440 in sequence.

In the same manner as the first pressure sensor 430, the second pressure sensor 470 is preferably provided with a second display part 471 so that the pressure of the discharged air can be checked in real time, and also preferably has a function of generating a warning signal such as an alarm or warning light when the pressure deviates from a predetermined pressure range or when the pressure is in an abnormal state for a certain period of time.

The discharge pressure control member 480 is positioned at the rear of the second pressure sensor 470, and may be a relief valve that performs control such that air in the cylinder tube is discharged while being maintained at a predetermined pressure. In other words, the discharge pressure control member controls the air pressure in the cylinder tube to restrict the abrupt downward movement of the chamber body, thereby preventing accidents that may occur when the upper body of the chamber body moves downward.

Although not shown in the drawings, the controller 400 may also be provided with a housing configured to receive the main valve 410, the supply pressure control member 420, the first pressure sensor 430, the pilot valve 440, the supply flow sensor 450, the discharge flow sensor 460, the second pressure sensor 470, and the discharge pressure control member 480 and a monitor configured to display various information such as pressure and flow in real time after receiving the information so that an operator can remotely check and control the operating condition of the apparatus.

Fig. 10 is a front view of a controller provided in a liftable chamber according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 11 is an air circuit diagram for the operation of a cylinder according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The chamber according to the second embodiment is identical in construction to the chamber according to the first embodiment described with reference to fig. 1 to 9 except for the construction related to the discharge pressure control member 480, and thus a repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

The discharge pressure control member 480 according to the second embodiment may be a fine regulator having: an inlet port through which air having passed through the first air tube L1 and the third air tube L3 connected to the air compressor is supplied; a connection port in communication with the second pressure sensor 470; and an exhaust port through which air is exhausted.

If air leakage occurs due to occurrence of a crack at the rear of the discharge pressure control member 480, i.e., at the connection between the second air tube, the second pressure sensor 470 and the discharge pressure control member 480, the pressure at the discharge pressure control member 480 may be maintained below a predetermined pressure, thereby causing the upper body to rapidly move downward.

However, in the fine regulator constituting the discharge pressure control member 480 according to the second embodiment, air having a predetermined pressure is constantly supplied through the third air pipe L3 and the inlet port, so that a constant pressure can be maintained at the rear of the discharge pressure control member 480 including the second air pipe.

Of course, under normal conditions, that is, when the pressure of the exhaust air moved to the exhaust pressure control member 480 via the second pressure sensor 470 is equal to or greater than the pressure set by the exhaust pressure control member 480, no air can move through the connection port.

Although fig. 10 and 11 show that the air is supplied to the discharge pressure control member 480 via the third air tube L3 after being branched from the first air tube L1, the air compressor and the third air tube L3 may be directly connected to each other.

Meanwhile, the fine regulator having the above-described function and configuration is known as the LRP series of FESTO and the IR series of SMC, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an operation method of the liftable chamber according to each of the first and second embodiments of the present invention, fig. 13 is a front view of the controller according to the first embodiment showing a flow direction of air when air is supplied to the cylinder in a normal state, and fig. 14 is a front view of the controller according to the first embodiment showing a flow direction of air when air is discharged from the cylinder in a normal state.

A method of operating the liftable chamber will be described with reference to fig. 12 to 14 in conjunction with fig. 1.

The method for operating the liftable chamber comprises the following steps: a first step of supplying air to the cylinder to move the upper body upward; a second step of loading an object on the lower body; a third step of discharging air compressed in the cylinder to bring the upper body into close contact with the top of the lower body; and a fourth step of pressurizing and depressurizing a space portion formed by the close contact between the lower body and the upper body.

In the first step, that is, in a step of moving the upper body 120 upward in a state in which the upper body 120 is seated on the lower body 110, air is supplied to the cylinder 300, whereby the piston and the piston rod move upward, resulting in upward movement of the upper body 120.

At this time, as shown in fig. 13, the supplied air is supplied to the cylinder 300 after passing through the main valve 410, the supply pressure control member 420, the first pressure sensor 430, the pilot valve 440, the discharge flow sensor 460, and the supply flow sensor 450 in order, and the supply pressure of the air is controlled by the supply pressure control member 420.

Here, even though the supplied air passes through the discharge flow sensor 460, only a path along which the supplied air moves is provided, and the flow rate of the supplied air is not measured, because the discharge flow sensor is a one-way flow sensor that can measure the flow rate of the air only when the air is discharged.

In addition, the pilot valve 440 communicates with the second pressure sensor 470, but air is directed to the discharge flow sensor 460 through port switching.

In the second step, the lower body 110 and the upper body 120 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and the object, i.e., the cylindrical secondary battery having the electrolyte solution injected therein, is loaded.

In the third step, that is, in the step of bringing the lower body 110 and the upper body 120 into close contact with each other to prevent contact with the outside, air compressed in the air cylinder 300 is discharged to move the upper body 120 downward.

As shown in fig. 14, the air compressed in the cylinder is discharged to the outside after passing through the supply flow sensor 450, the discharge flow sensor 460, the pilot valve 440, the second pressure sensor 470, and the discharge pressure control member 480 in this order, and the pressure of the air in the cylinder 300 is regulated by the discharge pressure control member 480.

Even though the discharged air passes through the supply flow sensor 450, only a path along which the discharged air moves is provided, and the flow rate of the discharged air is not measured, because the supply flow sensor is a one-way flow sensor that can measure the flow rate of air only when the air is supplied.

In addition, the pilot valve 440 is also in communication with the first pressure sensor 430, but air is directed to the second pressure sensor 470 by port switching.

Meanwhile, in order to completely move the upper body downward and come into close contact with the lower body, it is preferable to control the cylinder such that the pressure in the cylinder is maintained at a level lower than the load of the upper body by a certain range.

The final fourth step is a step of performing pressurization and depressurization so that the secondary battery is sufficiently impregnated with the injected electrolyte solution.

Fig. 15 is a front view of the controller according to the first embodiment, showing the flow direction of air supplied to the cylinder in an abnormal state. When an abnormal state is detected in the first step, that is, during the supply of air to the cylinder to move the upper body upward, the flow of air is blocked by the pilot valve 440, which is an intermediate stop type solenoid valve.

For example, when the weight of the upper body increases, such as due to an object being placed on the upper body or being held by an operator, the supply pressure or supply flow may deviate from a predetermined supply pressure range or a predetermined supply flow range. When such a signal is transmitted to the pilot valve 440, port switching is performed such that air flow is blocked by the pilot valve 440, so that no air is supplied to the cylinder 300 and no air is discharged from the cylinder 300, i.e., movement of air is completely stopped, and thus the upper body is not moved upward any more.

Of course, there may be a case where the supply pressure or the supply flow rate is temporarily abnormal due to foreign matter getting stuck on the piston rod or the guide frame, and thus it may also be designed to transmit a signal to the pilot valve 440 only when the abnormal supply pressure or the abnormal supply flow rate continues for a certain period of time.

The above-described operating principles may help prevent accidents, especially death or serious injury that may occur when an operator is trapped between the upper body and the horizontal frame.

Fig. 16 is a front view of the controller according to the first embodiment, showing the flow direction of air discharged from the cylinder in an abnormal state. When an abnormal state is detected in the third step, that is, during the process of discharging the air compressed in the cylinder to move the upper body downward, the flow of the air is blocked by the pilot valve 440, which is an intermediate stop solenoid valve.

For example, when there is an object or operator on the lower body, the discharge pressure or discharge flow may deviate from a predetermined discharge pressure range or a predetermined discharge flow range. When such a signal is transmitted to the pilot valve 440, port switching is performed such that air flow is blocked by the pilot valve 440, so that no air is supplied to the cylinder 300 and no air is discharged from the cylinder 300, i.e., movement of air is completely stopped, and thus the upper body is not moved downward any more.

Of course, there may be a case where the discharge pressure or the discharge flow rate is temporarily abnormal due to foreign matter getting stuck on the piston rod or the guide frame, and thus it may also be designed to transmit a signal to the pilot valve 440 only when the abnormal discharge pressure or the abnormal discharge flow rate continues for a certain period of time.

The above-described operating principles may help prevent accidents, particularly death or serious injury that may occur when an operator is trapped between the lower body and the upper body.

Fig. 17 is a front view of the controller according to the second embodiment, showing the flow direction of air when air is supplied to the cylinder in a normal state. The air is supplied to the cylinder 300 after passing through the first air pipe L1, the main valve 410, the supply pressure control member 420, the first pressure sensor 430, the pilot valve 440, the discharge flow sensor 460, and the supply flow sensor 450 in order, and the supply pressure of the air is controlled by the supply pressure control member 420.

Even though the supplied air passes through the discharge flow sensor 460, only a path along which the supplied air moves is provided, and the flow rate of the supplied air is not measured, because the discharge flow sensor is a one-way flow sensor that can measure the flow rate of the air only when the air is discharged.

In addition, the pilot valve 440 communicates with the second pressure sensor 470, but air is directed to the discharge flow sensor 460 through port switching.

Fig. 18 is a front view of the controller according to the second embodiment, showing the flow direction of air when the air is discharged from the cylinder in a normal state.

The air compressed in the cylinder is discharged to the outside after passing through the supply flow sensor 450, the discharge flow sensor 460, the pilot valve 440, the second pressure sensor 470, and the discharge pressure control member 480 in order, and the pressure of the air in the cylinder 300 is regulated by the discharge pressure control member 480.

At this time, since the pressure of the air discharged from the second pressure sensor 470 is sufficiently high, the air from the first air tube L1 is guided toward the discharge pressure control member 480, but is not introduced into the discharge pressure control member 480.

Even though the discharged air passes through the supply flow sensor 450, only a path along which the discharged air moves is provided, and the flow rate of the discharged air is not measured, because the supply flow sensor is a one-way flow sensor that can measure the flow rate of air only when the air is supplied.

In addition, the pilot valve 440 is also in communication with the first pressure sensor 430, but air is directed to the second pressure sensor 470 by port switching.

Fig. 19 is a front view of the controller according to the second embodiment, showing the flow direction of air discharged from the cylinder in an abnormal state.

In a normal state, air compressed in the cylinder is discharged to the outside after passing through the supply flow sensor 450, the discharge flow sensor 460, the pilot valve 440, the second pressure sensor 470, and the discharge pressure control member 480 in order.

However, in an abnormal condition in which air leakage occurs at the rear of the discharge pressure control member 480, the pressure of the air guided to the discharge pressure control member 480 after passing through the second pressure sensor 470 remains below a predetermined pressure. In this case, the air from the first air tube L1 moves toward the discharge pressure control member 480 for air supplement, whereby the downward moving speed of the upper body can be adjusted.

Of course, when the air leakage occurring at the rear of the discharge pressure control member 480 is severe, the air introduced from the first air tube L1 may move toward the second pressure valve 470, the discharge flow rate sensor 460, and the supply flow rate sensor 450.

Meanwhile, in the abnormal state of the first embodiment described with reference to fig. 16, that is, when there is an object or an operator on the lower body in the process of discharging the air compressed in the cylinder to move the upper body downward, the air flow is blocked by the pilot valve 440 as the intermediate stop solenoid valve, even in the second embodiment.

Of course, in the event of mechanical or control abnormalities of the pilot valve 440, the operation is performed as shown in fig. 19.

Those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains will appreciate that various applications and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention based on the foregoing description.

(Description of reference symbols)

100: Chamber body

110: Lower body

120: Upper body

121: Fastening portion 121': receiving recess

200: Chamber frame

210: Vertical frame

220: Horizontal frame

230: Support plate 231: fastening member

240: Guide frame

300: Cylinder

310: Cylinder tube

320: Cover 321: cylinder head side port

330: Lever cover 331: rod side port

340: Piston

350: Piston rod

400: Controller for controlling a power supply

410: Main valve 411: air inlet port

420: Supply pressure control member

430: First pressure sensor 431: a first display part

440: Pilot valve

441: First pilot valve 442: second pilot valve

450: Supply flow sensor

451: First supply flow sensor 451': a first air inlet

452: Second supply flow sensor 452': a second air inlet

460: Discharge flow sensor

461: First discharge flow sensor 462: second discharge flow sensor

470: Second pressure valve 471: a second display part

480: Discharge pressure control member

L1: first air pipe

L2: second air pipe

L3: third air pipe

V: direction control valve

Claims (15)

1. A liftable chamber comprising:

The chamber body consists of a lower body and an upper body positioned above the lower body;

A chamber frame, the chamber frame comprising: a pair of vertical frames positioned to face each other in a state where the chamber body is placed between the pair of vertical frames; a horizontal frame configured to connect upper portions of the pair of vertical frames to each other; and a support plate positioned below the horizontal frame, the support plate being configured to move upward and downward in a state where the upper body is fastened to the support plate;

A cylinder, the cylinder comprising: a cylinder tube positioned in the vicinity of each of the pair of vertical frames, the cylinder tube being formed in a cylindrical shape; a head cover configured to seal a head-side end portion of the cylinder tube, the head cover being provided with a head-side port configured to allow air to be introduced therethrough when the support plate moves upward and to allow air to be discharged therethrough when the support plate moves downward; a rod cover configured to seal a rod shaft end of the cylinder barrel, the rod cover being provided with a rod side port configured to remain open; a piston configured to divide a cylinder chamber of the cylinder barrel; and a piston rod having one side connected to the piston and the other end connected to the support plate; and

A controller, the controller comprising: a supply pressure control member configured to supply air to the cylinder tube such that the support plate moves upward; a first pressure sensor positioned in front of the supply pressure control member; a pair of supply flow sensors positioned in front of the first pressure sensor; a pair of discharge flow rate sensors configured to discharge air from the cylinder tube when the support plate moves downward; a second pressure sensor positioned in front of the discharge flow sensor; and a discharge pressure control member positioned in front of the second pressure sensor, wherein

The discharge pressure control means performs control such that air in the cylinder tube is discharged while being maintained at a predetermined pressure.

2. The liftable chamber of claim 1, wherein said discharge pressure control member is a regulator having: an inlet port configured to allow air to be supplied therethrough; a connection port configured to communicate with the second pressure sensor; and an exhaust port configured to allow air to be exhausted therethrough.

3. The liftable chamber of claim 1, wherein said discharge pressure control member is a pressure relief valve.

4. The liftable chamber of claim 1, further comprising a pilot valve configured to: when a value measured by at least one of the first pressure sensor, the supply flow rate sensor, the discharge flow rate sensor, and the second pressure sensor deviates from a predetermined range, the pilot valve blocks the supply or discharge of air, thereby stopping the movement of the piston rod.

5. The liftable chamber of claim 1, wherein a main valve is connected to a rear portion of the supply pressure control member, the main valve having an air inlet port configured to allow air to be supplied therethrough.

6. The liftable chamber of claim 1, wherein,

The discharge flow sensor is positioned between the first pressure sensor and the supply flow sensor, and

The supply flow sensor senses a flow rate of air when supplying air and the discharge flow sensor senses a flow rate of air when discharging air, each of the supply flow sensor and the discharge flow sensor being a unidirectional flow sensor.

7. The liftable chamber of claim 6, wherein said discharge flow sensor is positioned between said second pressure sensor and said supply flow sensor.

8. The liftable chamber of claim 7 wherein a pilot valve configured to switch the direction of movement of air is provided between the first pressure sensor, the discharge flow rate sensor, and the second pressure sensor.

9. The liftable chamber of claim 8, wherein the pilot valve is an intermediate stop solenoid valve configured to: the intermediate stop solenoid valve blocks the supply or discharge of air when a value measured by at least one of the first pressure sensor, the supply flow rate sensor, the discharge flow rate sensor, and the second pressure sensor deviates from a predetermined range, thereby stopping the movement of the piston rod.

10. The liftable chamber of claim 9, wherein when said value measured by said at least one sensor deviates from said predetermined range for a certain period of time, the supply or discharge of air is blocked, whereby the movement of said piston rod is stopped.

11. The liftable chamber of claim 1, further comprising a warning portion configured to: the warning portion notifies an abnormal state when a value measured by at least one of the first pressure sensor, the supply flow rate sensor, the discharge flow rate sensor, and the second pressure sensor deviates from a predetermined range.

12. The liftable chamber of claim 1, wherein

The upper body is hemispherical or semi-elliptical in shape, and

The lower body and the upper body are hermetically sealed while being brought into close contact with each other.

13. The liftable chamber of claim 12, wherein the pressurizing device is configured to: for the secondary battery having the electrolyte solution injected therein, the pressurizing device impregnates the secondary battery with the injected electrolyte solution.

14. A method of operating a liftable chamber, the method comprising:

a first step of: supplying air to the cylinder to move the upper body upward;

And a second step of: loading an object on the lower body;

And a third step of: discharging air compressed in the cylinder to bring the upper body into close contact with the top of the lower body; and

Fourth step: pressurizing and depressurizing a space portion formed by the close contact between the lower body and the upper body, wherein

In the third step, control is performed such that the compressed air is discharged while being maintained at a predetermined pressure.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein when at least one of a supply flow rate of air or a supply pressure of air in the first step and a discharge flow rate of air or a discharge pressure of air in the third step deviates from a predetermined range, the supply or discharge of air is blocked, so that the operation of the cylinder is stopped.