Battery replacement cabinet battery management method, battery replacement cabinet, battery replacement system and combined adapter

Abstract

The application discloses a battery management method of a battery replacement cabinet, the battery replacement cabinet, a battery replacement system and a combined adapter. The method comprises the following steps: before unlocking the battery, the following steps are performed: acquiring electrical parameters of a plurality of batteries in the battery replacement cabinet, the plurality of batteries being of a unified specification; dividing the plurality of batteries into at least two groups, wherein the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of the batteries in the same group are similar; in each single power use request operation, selecting the batteries from the same group and controlling the battery replacement cabinet to be unlocked to be used by the user. The method makes the characteristics of the batteries provided to the user be similar, and avoids the damage to the power use equipment caused by the batteries with large differences in the battery replacement cabinet. The battery replacement system realizes a battery rental mode, solves the battery compatibility and universality problems, and solves the problems of safety hazards, endurance and battery life. The power use equipment only needs to be equipped with a suitable combined adapter to be applicable to the battery replacement system, and other mechanical and electrical structures do not need to be changed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery swapping cabinet technology for electrical equipment, specifically to a battery management method for battery swapping cabinets, a battery swapping cabinet, a battery swapping system, and a combination adapter. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, they have become an important means of transportation for short-distance daily travel. However, users encounter many problems during use. For example:

[0003] (1) Safety hazards.

[0004] (2) Range anxiety: Electric vehicle charging has always been the primary issue for electric vehicle travel. So, in daily use, if the vehicle runs out of power, where can you charge it, how long can you charge it, how far away are the charging stations, and if it is a shared electric vehicle, how do you find the battery and what do you do with the vehicle if it runs out of power halfway?

[0005] (3) The impact of improper charging on batteries: Batteries are divided into lead-acid batteries and lithium batteries. Battery charging is divided into slow charging and fast charging. At the same time, different types of batteries have different lifespans and different charging modes. Improper charging will affect the battery lifespan.

[0006] To address these pain points of traditional electric vehicle charging, battery swapping stations have emerged, truly enabling users to swap batteries anytime, anywhere. In terms of product form, battery swapping stations are very similar to a combination of a "shared power bank" and a "smart parcel locker." The usage is the same as with shared power banks: users scan a code, pay a deposit, and retrieve a battery. After use, they return the old battery to get a new one. In terms of product form, similar to parcel lockers, each battery is placed inside an individual locker door, and the borrowing and returning of batteries is controlled by opening and closing each door.

[0007] However, the inventors discovered that battery swapping cabinets cannot be widely adopted like "shared power banks" or "smart parcel lockers" because: "smart parcel lockers" essentially provide shared storage space, not rechargeable batteries; while a single rechargeable battery from a "shared power bank" can charge a mobile device without considering the issue of battery combination. Electric vehicles and other electric devices often have high driving voltages and power requirements, typically requiring multiple batteries to meet these demands. Battery sharing leads to gradual differentiation in the capacity, voltage, and resistance of the batteries within the swapping cabinet. This inconsistency accumulates over time, increasing the differences between individual batteries. Using a combination of batteries with significant differences can damage both the batteries and the electrical equipment.

[0008] Furthermore, because handheld mobile terminals have an internationally standardized input voltage, there is no need to consider battery compatibility and universality issues. However, the compatibility and universality of swapped batteries with existing electric vehicles on the market are limited by the different power specifications of electric vehicles and the different sizes and shapes of their battery compartments. Traditional lead-acid batteries are assembled and used without replacement until they break down. Existing battery swapping companies have also attempted to increase battery capacity by connecting two batteries in parallel, but this still cannot meet the requirements of electrical devices with different operating voltages and battery compartment sizes. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a battery management method for a battery swapping cabinet, a battery swapping cabinet, a battery swapping system, and a combination adapter to solve the above problems.

[0010] According to a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a battery management method for a battery swapping cabinet, comprising the following steps before controlling the unlocking of the battery: obtaining the electrical parameters of multiple batteries in the battery swapping cabinet, wherein the multiple batteries are of uniform specifications; dividing the multiple batteries into at least two groups, wherein the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of batteries in the same group are similar; and in each single power request operation, selecting a battery from the same group and controlling the unlocking of the battery swapping cabinet for the user to use.

[0011] The battery management method for battery swapping cabinets provided in this application divides multiple batteries into at least two groups, wherein the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of batteries in the same group are similar. In each single power request operation, a battery is selected from the same group and the battery swapping cabinet is unlocked for the user to use. Since the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of batteries in the same group are similar, the battery characteristics provided to the user are relatively similar, thus avoiding damage to the electrical equipment caused by using batteries with large differences in the battery swapping cabinet for the same electrical equipment.

[0012] Optionally, the step of dividing the plurality of batteries into at least two groups, wherein the electrical parameters and / or battery charging curves of batteries within the same group are similar, includes: using clustering to naturally classify batteries with similar electrical parameters, and aggregating the plurality of batteries into at least two groups according to the data centers selected by natural selection; and / or, using the electrical parameter-time curves during the constant current charging process of the batteries as classification objects, and using statistical algorithms to divide the curve features into groups and classify them, thereby dividing the batteries into at least two groups.

[0013] Optionally, the electrical parameters include at least one of the following: the open-circuit voltage after the battery is transferred to the battery swapping cabinet but before it is charged; the open-circuit voltage, resistance, and capacity after the battery is charged to a predetermined voltage value; and the open-circuit voltage, resistance, and capacity after the battery charging process is completed.

[0014] Optionally, the power request operation includes battery replacement; in each single power request operation, the step of selecting a battery from the same group and controlling the battery swapping cabinet to unlock for user access includes: when a user's battery replacement request is received, controlling the battery swapping cabinet to receive the battery and determining whether an electrical signal generated by a battery being placed in the battery swapping cabinet is received within a predetermined time period; when an electrical signal is received within the predetermined time period, selecting a battery from the same group and controlling the battery swapping cabinet to unlock for user access; returning to the step of controlling the battery swapping cabinet to receive the battery and determining whether an electrical signal generated by a battery being placed in the battery swapping cabinet is received and continuing execution until the power request operation ends.

[0015] Optionally, after the step of obtaining the electrical parameters of multiple batteries in the battery swapping cabinet, the method further includes: determining the most unbalanced battery, wherein the most unbalanced battery is the battery whose electrical parameters differ from those of other batteries to a predetermined condition; and removing the most unbalanced battery before performing the step of dividing the multiple batteries into at least two groups.

[0016] Optionally, upon receiving a user's battery replacement request, the system obtains power management data for the battery to be replaced or the battery that has already been replaced in this power consumption request operation.

[0017] Optionally, the power request operation includes battery application; in each single power request operation, the step of selecting a battery from the same group and controlling the battery swapping cabinet to unlock for user use includes: when a user's battery application request is received, obtaining the number of batteries the user applied for and the battery swapping permission, wherein the user's battery swapping permission includes the maximum number of batteries that the user account can apply for; determining whether the number of batteries the user applied for exceeds the battery swapping permission; when the number of batteries the user applied for does not exceed the battery swapping permission, selecting a battery from the same group and controlling the battery swapping cabinet to unlock for user use.

[0018] Optionally, the power request operation further includes battery temporary storage; correspondingly, the method further includes: when a user's battery temporary storage request is received, obtaining the number of batteries the user requests to temporarily store and the battery swapping permission, wherein the user's battery swapping permission includes the maximum number of batteries that the user account can temporarily store; determining whether the number of batteries the user requests to temporarily store exceeds the battery swapping permission; when the number of batteries the user requests to temporarily store does not exceed the battery swapping permission, controlling the battery swapping cabinet to receive batteries; and repeatedly executing this step until the power request operation ends.

[0019] Optionally, the power request operation further includes battery return; correspondingly, the method further includes: when a user's battery return request is received, determining whether the battery corresponding to the user account is in a temporary storage state; when the battery corresponding to the user account is in a temporary storage state, increasing the user account's battery swapping privileges according to the number of temporarily stored batteries, and decreasing the number of batteries in the user account that are in a temporary storage state.

[0020] Optionally, the power request operation further includes battery recycling; correspondingly, the method further includes: when a user's battery recycling request is received, controlling the battery swapping cabinet to unlock a predetermined number of retired batteries for the user to collect.

[0021] Optionally, the method further includes: determining whether the cumulative duration of the current power request operation is greater than a predetermined duration; when the cumulative duration of the current power request operation is greater than the predetermined duration, sending an error alarm message to the user and terminating the current power request operation.

[0022] Optionally, the method further includes: calculating the bill or reward to be paid based on the battery used by the user, and sending it to the user's account.

[0023] By setting up the above-mentioned power request operations such as battery replacement, battery application, battery temporary storage, and battery return, a battery rental model from the battery swapping cabinet is realized. Users pay for the amount of electricity they use, and the battery life is irrelevant to them. This controllable charging and battery rental method not only solves the problems of battery compatibility and universality, but also effectively addresses issues such as safety hazards, battery life, and battery life, and can also provide power solutions for various outdoor electrical equipment.

[0024] According to a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a battery management device for a battery swapping cabinet, comprising: an acquisition unit for acquiring electrical parameters of multiple batteries in the battery swapping cabinet, wherein the multiple batteries are of uniform specifications; a grouping unit for dividing the multiple batteries into at least two groups, wherein the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of batteries in the same group are similar; and an unlocking unit for selecting a battery from the same group and controlling the unlocking of the battery swapping cabinet for user access during each single power request operation; wherein the acquisition unit, the grouping unit, and the unlocking unit perform the aforementioned corresponding steps before controlling the unlocking of the battery.

[0025] Optionally, the grouping unit includes: a clustering grouping subunit, used to naturally classify batteries with similar electrical parameters using clustering methods, and to agglomerate the multiple batteries into at least two groups according to the data centers selected by natural selection; and / or a statistical grouping subunit, used to take the electrical parameter-time curve during the constant current charging process of the battery as the classification object, and to use statistical algorithms to divide the curve features into groups and classify them, thereby dividing the batteries into at least two groups.

[0026] Optionally, the electrical parameters include at least one of the following: the open-circuit voltage after the battery is transferred to the battery swapping cabinet but before it is charged; the open-circuit voltage, resistance, and capacity after the battery is charged to a predetermined voltage value; and the open-circuit voltage, resistance, and capacity after the battery charging process is completed.

[0027] According to a third aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a battery swapping management system, comprising: processors for a plurality of battery swapping cabinets; and a background management system communicatively connected to the processors of each battery swapping cabinet; wherein the processors of the plurality of battery swapping cabinets and / or the background management system execute the battery management method described in any one of the first aspects.

[0028] Optionally, the background management system further performs the following steps: obtaining the geographical locations of multiple battery swapping cabinets; receiving a user's battery swapping cabinet query request, and pushing the geographical locations and related information of all the nearest and / or nearby battery swapping cabinets to the user.

[0029] Optionally, the background management system also performs the following steps: real-time monitoring of the geographical location of the battery swapping cabinet where the retired battery is located; when a user's battery recycling request is received, pushing the geographical locations of all battery swapping cabinets that are closest to and / or nearby to the user and contain retired batteries.

[0030] Optionally, the background management system further performs the following steps: determining whether the unlocked retired battery is received by the battery swapping system within a predetermined time period after it is unlocked; if the unlocked retired battery is not received within the predetermined time period, the user account that collects the retired battery will be locked.

[0031] According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a battery swapping cabinet, comprising: a cabinet body; multiple battery placement positions disposed on the cabinet body for placing batteries; multiple charging ports disposed on each battery placement position for charging the corresponding battery; multiple locking and unlocking mechanisms disposed on the cabinet body; each battery placement position corresponding to at least one of the locking and unlocking mechanisms, the locking and unlocking mechanisms being switchable between a locked state and an unlocked state, and in the locked state, locking the battery in its corresponding battery placement position, and in the unlocked state, releasing the lock on the battery; and a processor executing the battery management method of the battery swapping cabinet according to any one of the first aspects, and outputting a control signal to control the locking and unlocking mechanisms to switch between the locked state and the unlocked state.

[0032] Optionally, the battery swapping cabinet further includes a detection device, which includes: a battery internal resistance detection mechanism, the output of which is connected to the input of the processor, for detecting the internal resistance of the battery; and / or a battery capacity detection mechanism, the output of which is connected to the input of the processor, for detecting the capacity of the battery; and / or a battery voltage detection mechanism, the output of which is connected to the input of the processor, for detecting the voltage of the battery.

[0033] Optionally, the cabinet surface is provided with at least one battery inlet / outlet; the cabinet body is provided with at least two charging docks, each of the charging docks serving as a battery placement position; any of the charging docks can be aligned with the battery inlet / outlet.

[0034] Optionally, the cabinet of the battery swapping cabinet further includes: at least two sprockets rotatably disposed within the cabinet; an annular chain wound around the at least two sprockets; all the charging sockets sequentially fixedly disposed on the outer wall surface of the annular chain; and a drive mechanism connected to at least one of the sprockets for driving the sprockets to rotate in conjunction with the annular chain to move, so that any charging socket on the outer wall surface of the annular chain can be aligned with the battery inlet / outlet.

[0035] Optionally, any of the charging docks includes: a first base having a placement cavity with one end forming a pick-and-place opening, the placement cavity serving as a battery placement position; a cover having one side wall rotatably disposed on the pick-and-place opening; a locking and unlocking mechanism disposed on at least one of the first base and the cover, wherein in a locked state, the cover is used to lock the cover onto the first base so that the cover covers the pick-and-place opening; and in an unlocked state, the other side wall of the cover can be opened from the pick-and-place opening.

[0036] Optionally, the annular chain moves along a second direction along the line connecting the centers of at least two of the sprockets; the cabinet also includes a movable insertion mechanism and an insertion power slide rail; the movable insertion mechanism extends and retracts along a first direction, and is slidably mounted on the insertion power slide rail, with its sliding direction perpendicular to the first direction; the first direction and the sliding direction are on the same plane, and the second direction is perpendicular to the plane; when the movable insertion mechanism slides on the insertion power slide rail under the movement of the annular chain, it can switch between any of the charging docks and any of the battery inlets / outlets; when the movable insertion mechanism extends and retracts at the charging dock, it is used to remove or insert a single battery into the charging dock; and when it extends and retracts at the battery inlet / outlet, it is used to pick up or place a single battery into the battery assembly box of the combination adapter at the battery inlet / outlet.

[0037] Optionally, the processor also records available charging slots; and when controlling the battery swapping cabinet to receive batteries, the processor controls the drive mechanism to align the available charging slots on the outer wall of the annular chain with the battery inlet / outlet; when controlling the battery swapping cabinet to unlock batteries, the processor controls the drive mechanism to align the unlocked batteries with the battery inlet / outlet.

[0038] Optionally, the cabinet may further include: a cable rotary distributor rotatably disposed inside the cabinet; the cable rotary distributor is provided with a plurality of spaced elastic wires, the leads of which are electrically connected to the charging bases one by one, and the cable rotary distributor is connected to a power source; or, the surface of the cable rotary distributor facing the charging base is provided with a plurality of brushes distributed along the moving path of the annular chain; when any of the charging bases moves with the annular chain, they are slidably electrically connected to the brushes.

[0039] According to a fifth aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a combined adapter applicable to the battery swapping cabinet according to any one of the fourth aspects, comprising a battery assembly box, which includes: a cavity with at least one side open, the cavity being used to place at least one battery, and a circuit provided on the side wall of the cavity for electrically connecting the batteries in the cavity in a predetermined manner; wherein the predetermined electrical connection includes series connection, parallel connection, mixed connection, and circuit with only a single battery; a first interface, adapted for insertion, disposed on the outer surface of the cavity, and having at least two mutually insulated conductor connectors; wherein the two ends of the circuit after the at least one battery is electrically connected in the predetermined manner are respectively connected to the at least two conductor connectors of the first interface.

[0040] After being equipped with a combination adapter, the battery swapping system can meet the requirements of electrical equipment with different operating voltages and varying battery compartment sizes. Electric equipment manufacturers only need to provide a suitable combination adapter to convert the equipment into a device compatible with the battery swapping system, without needing to modify other mechanical or electrical structures. When selling the electric equipment, only the bare unit price is calculated, without considering the supply of the power battery.

[0041] Optionally, the combination adapter further includes a parallel connector, comprising: a second connector body; at least one second interface disposed on the second connector body, adapted for insertion, having at least two mutually insulated conductor joints; and the second interface matching each of the first interfaces, wherein when they are inserted, their conductor joints are electrically connected respectively; a third interface disposed on the second connector body, adapted for insertion, having at least two mutually insulated conductor joints for connecting electrical equipment; the second connector body is further provided with a circuit such that the third interface is electrically connected to the conductor joints of each second interface respectively.

[0042] Optionally, the second interface is at least two, and when at least two battery assembly boxes are connected in parallel via a parallel connector, the at least two battery assembly boxes are connected in parallel.

[0043] According to a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a battery swapping system, comprising: a battery swapping cabinet as described in any of the fourth aspects; multiple batteries placed in the battery swapping cabinet for shared use by users, wherein the multiple batteries are of uniform specifications; and a battery swapping management system as described in any of the third aspects.

[0044] Optionally, the battery swapping system further includes the combination adapter as described in any of the fifth aspects; the battery can be switched between the combination adapter and the charging interface of the battery swapping cabinet; when the battery is electrically connected to the charging interface of the battery swapping cabinet, it is in a charging or fully charged state; when the battery is placed in the combination adapter connected to the electrical equipment, it is in a state that can supply power to the electrical equipment.

[0045] Optionally, the combination adapter is equipped with a BMS battery management system, which sends the power consumption management data of the battery inside the combination adapter to the battery swapping cabinet and / or the background management system.

[0046] Optionally, the nominal voltage of the plurality of batteries is 12V.

[0047] Optionally, the plurality of batteries have a nominal voltage of 24V and have two sets of charging and discharging channels, one set outputting the nominal voltage and rated capacity of the battery, and the other set outputting half the nominal voltage and one to two times the rated capacity of the battery.

[0048] Optionally, the rated capacity of the plurality of batteries is 5Ah to 20Ah. Attached Figure Description

[0049] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0050] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of some electrical devices to which the combination adapter and battery are applicable in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 2A A flowchart of a battery management method for a battery swapping cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0052] Figure 2B A flowchart of a battery management method for a battery swapping cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0053] Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of a battery management device for a battery swapping cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0054] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a battery swapping management system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0055] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating some of the steps performed by the back-end management system during a battery recycling operation is shown.

[0056] Figure 6-1 This is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the battery swapping cabinet provided in this invention.

[0057] Figure 6-2 for Figure 6-1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the rear side of the power exchange cabinet;

[0058] Figure 6-3 for Figure 6-1 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the front surface of the power exchange cabinet;

[0059] Figure 6-4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first embodiment of the combined adapter provided in this invention;

[0060] Figure 7 for Figure 6-4 A schematic diagram of one embodiment of a single battery in a combination adapter;

[0061] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second embodiment of the combined adapter provided in this invention;

[0062] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the third embodiment of the combined adapter provided in this invention.

[0063] Figure 10-1 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth embodiment of the combined adapter provided in this invention.

[0064] Figure 10-2 for Figure 10-1 A structural diagram showing the arrangement of multiple combination adapters in the diagram;

[0065] Figure 11 for Figure 6-1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the rear side of the power exchange cabinet;

[0066] Figure 12 for Figure 6-3 A partially enlarged structural diagram of the battery inlet / outlet, battery, locking and unlocking mechanism of the battery swapping cabinet;

[0067] Figure 13-1 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of a combination adapter in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0068] Figure 13-2 for Figure 13-1 A schematic diagram of the first modified embodiment of the combined adapter;

[0069] Figure 13-3 for Figure 13-1 Schematic diagram of the second modified embodiment of the combined adapter

[0070] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the combined adapter provided in the embodiments of the present invention under different output voltages and power conditions;

[0071] Figure 15-1 This is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the battery swapping cabinet provided in this invention.

[0072] Figure 15-2 for Figure 15-1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the right side of the power exchange cabinet;

[0073] Figure 15-3 for Figure 15-1 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the front surface of the power exchange cabinet;

[0074] Figure 15-4 for Figure 15-3 A partially enlarged structural diagram of the combined adapter in the diagram;

[0075] Figure 16 for Figure 15-1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the battery swapping cabinet at the rear.

[0076] Figure 17 for Figure 15-1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a battery swapping cabinet, including the cabinet body and the internal ring chain, sprocket, and charging base;

[0077] Figure 18-1 for Figure 15-1 A schematic diagram of the structure of another solution for the power swapping cabinet, including the cabinet body and the ring chain, sprocket, charging base, moving plug-in mechanism, and plug-in power slide rail installed inside;

[0078] Figure 18-2 for Figure 18-1 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the central ring chain, the moving insertion mechanism, and the insertion power slide rail;

[0079] Figure 18-3 for Figure 18-1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the ring chain, sprocket, moving insertion mechanism, and insertion power slide rail;

[0080] Figure label:

[0081] 1. Battery; 11. Quick-connect interface; 2. Combination adapter; 21. Battery assembly box; 211. First interface; 22. Parallel connector; 221. Second interface; 222. Third interface; 3. Battery swapping cabinet; 31. Cabinet body; 311. Human-machine interface; 312. Surveillance camera; 313. Radio frequency sensor; 314. Advertising screen; 32. Battery inlet / outlet; 33. Charging base; 331. First base body; 332. Cover; 341. Battery internal resistance detection mechanism; 342. Battery voltage detection mechanism; 343. Battery capacity detection mechanism; 3521. Ring chain; 3522. Sprocket; 3523. Moving insertion mechanism; 35231. Cylinder; 35232. Gripper; 3524. Insertion power slide rail; 3525. Cable rotary distributor; 36. Indicator; 4. Power supply;

[0082] A. Scooters and portable vehicles; B. Electric bicycles; C. Lightweight two-wheeled electric vehicles; D. Electric motorcycles; E. Low-speed electric tricycles; F. Electric cars; G. Outdoor power tools. Detailed Implementation

[0083] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0084] The "battery" or "battery swapping battery" referred to in the battery management method for battery swapping cabinets provided in this application refers to the battery used by the electrical equipment. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the electrical equipment can be a scooter (A) or other portable vehicle, an electric bicycle (B), a two-wheeled electric vehicle (C), an electric motorcycle (D), an electric tricycle (E), a low-speed electric vehicle or electric car (F), or an outdoor power tool (G), such as a lawnmower. Other electrical equipment can also be included, but not all are listed here.

[0085] The battery management method for the battery swapping cabinet provided in this embodiment can be used, for example, in a battery swapping cabinet or a backend management system that is communicatively connected to the battery swapping cabinet. Battery swapping cabinet 3, such as... Figure 6-1 As shown, the device includes a cabinet 31 with recesses or small cabinets capable of accommodating multiple batteries. Each recess or cabinet has a locking mechanism, such as a latch at the bottom of the recess. Correspondingly, the battery positions are configured with an annular notch to lock the batteries in place. Alternatively, each cabinet may have a door with a lock, allowing batteries to be placed inside. Each cabinet 31 has at least one battery inlet / outlet 32, for example... Figure 6-1 and Figure 6-3Each recessed opening or cabinet door of the battery swapping cabinet shown is the battery inlet / outlet 12, and Figure 15-1 and Figure 15-2 The battery swapping cabinet shown has only one battery inlet / outlet 32. When a battery is placed into the battery swapping cabinet through the battery inlet / outlet, the locking mechanism at the battery placement position will be triggered to lock the battery and electrically connect the charging interface of the battery swapping cabinet to the corresponding charging interface on the battery to charge the battery; the locking mechanism will only be opened to unlock the battery for the user to use when a signal is received.

[0086] It should be noted that the battery in this application refers to "the smallest battery unit when replacing the battery," unless otherwise stated. For example, five batteries ABCDE are combined in series and parallel to achieve a predetermined voltage or power to drive an electric device. Each battery may consist of dozens or even hundreds of individual battery cells connected in series and parallel. When replacing the battery of an electrical device, battery A is removed and replaced as a single unit, rather than removing and replacing each individual battery cell inside battery A, nor is battery ABCDE replaced as a single unit. In this case, battery A is the battery referred to in this application.

[0087] In some scenarios, such as Figures 7 to 1 As shown in Figure 0, to facilitate battery replacement, a combination adapter 2 is provided to assemble batteries ABCDE together. The combination adapter 2 includes a housing or frame for accommodating the batteries, and peripheral circuitry (not shown) and external interfaces (e.g., 211, 221, 222) for discharging the battery pack (i.e., connecting the batteries in a predetermined manner). The combination adapter 2 itself does not have independent charging and discharging capabilities; it is used as a single unit with the batteries in the electrical device. When replacing the batteries in the electrical device, the batteries can be manually removed one by one from the combination adapter 2 and placed into a battery swapping cabinet. Then, a charged battery can be taken from the swapping cabinet and placed into the combination adapter 2 to complete the battery replacement. Alternatively, the combination adapter 2 and batteries can be removed as a single unit and placed into the swapping cabinet, where a mechanism removes the batteries ABCDE one by one and replaces them with charged batteries. In this case, the battery referred to in this application is battery A, B, C, D, or E, not the combination adapter and batteries ABCDE forming a single unit.

[0088] Figure 2A A flowchart illustrating a battery management method for a battery swapping cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2A As shown, the method performs the following steps before controlling the unlocking of the battery:

[0089] S101: Obtain the electrical parameters of multiple batteries in the battery swapping cabinet. All batteries are of the same specification.

[0090] The electrical parameters in this application may be the open-circuit voltage of the battery after it has been transferred to the battery swapping cabinet but before it has been charged, the open-circuit voltage, resistance, and capacity after it has been charged to a predetermined value voltage, or the open-circuit voltage, resistance, and capacity after the battery charging process has ended, or include at least two or all of the above.

[0091] In this application, battery specifications refer to the battery's rated voltage, rated power, or nominal voltage and nominal power. The battery swapping system provided in this application creatively proposes the use of batteries with standardized specifications, the specific specifications of which will be described in subsequent sections.

[0092] As is well known, the batteries in battery swapping cabinets must be compatible with existing electrical equipment on the market. However, the electrical specifications of existing electrical equipment vary, and the size and shape of the battery compartments differ. Taking two-wheeled electric vehicles as an example, the power battery voltages include 24V, 36V, 48V, 60V, and 72V, while the corresponding drive motor power ranges from 240W, 350W, 500W, 800W, to 1200W, with varying protection currents. Furthermore, the shape and size of the battery compartments differ significantly between large and small electric vehicles, as well as between vehicles meeting national standards. Currently, some battery swapping companies offer a variety of batteries and swapping cabinets with different voltage specifications to meet different user needs, resulting in a complex swapping system. Others only offer one type of battery and swapping cabinet that meets the voltage specifications of delivery and courier users, a model with a narrow user base that cannot achieve economies of scale.

[0093] On the one hand, in the existing market, electrical equipment (such as electric vehicles) is ubiquitous, and the aforementioned differentiated demands limit the widespread use of battery swapping cabinets and batteries. On the other hand, in the growth market, each manufacturer's technology system is the result of long-term accumulation, with its own barriers to entry. Furthermore, different vehicle usage scenarios and purposes place different demands on vehicles; therefore, it is extremely difficult to ensure that all new electrical equipment (such as electric vehicles) produced by all manufacturers use a single specification of battery (i.e., a battery swapping battery). Based on these two aspects, given the complexity of the current electric equipment market, it is difficult for those skilled in the art to conceive of a unified battery specification, let alone a technical solution that groups batteries and selects only batteries from the same group for distribution to users.

[0094] S102: Divide multiple batteries into at least two groups, wherein the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of batteries in the same group are similar.

[0095] This step can be done by using clustering to naturally group batteries with similar electrical parameters, aggregating multiple batteries into at least two groups based on the naturally selected data centers—this is a static sorting method. Alternatively, it can involve recording the electrical parameters and time during constant current charging, using the electrical parameter-time curve as the classification object, and employing statistical algorithms to group and classify the curve features, thus dividing the batteries into at least two groups—this is a dynamic sorting method. Of course, a combination of static and dynamic sorting methods can also be used.

[0096] Alternatively, step S102 can also employ a graphical method, specifically as follows: Record at least two electrical parameters of the battery during constant current charging. Using these at least two electrical parameters as coordinate axes, mark the at least two electrical parameters that change over time in a coordinate system. Based on the distribution trajectory of the marked points, draw one or more straight lines (or curves) in the coordinate system, such that the most marked points of electrical parameters are near the straight line (or curve). Batteries with similar straight line (or curve) characteristics are grouped together. For example, using resistance and capacity as coordinate axes, mark the resistance and capacity of battery A as they change over time in a coordinate system. Then draw a straight line a such that the most marked points are near the straight line. In another identical coordinate system, mark the resistance and capacity of battery B as they change over time. Then draw a straight line b such that the most marked points are near the straight line. If the slopes of lines a and b are similar, then batteries A and B are grouped together.

[0097] It should be noted that since the batteries used in this application are of uniform specifications, the step S102 above, "dividing multiple batteries into at least two groups," does not necessarily mean grouping them according to battery specifications. For example, it does not mean grouping 24V batteries into one group and 36V batteries into another. Instead, it should mean, taking the 24V battery specification as an example, grouping batteries with an actual open-circuit voltage of 23.9V into one group and batteries with an actual open-circuit voltage of 23V into another group.

[0098] S103: In each single power request operation, select a battery from the same group and control the battery swapping cabinet to unlock so that the user can use it.

[0099] In this step, "single power request operation" includes a user initiating a single power request, with the battery swapping station unlocking the required number of batteries at once. Alternatively, the user can send multiple power requests within a predetermined time period, with the swapping station unlocking only one battery for each request. The "power request" in this section can be a battery application request, a battery replacement request, or a battery recycling request; please see below for details.

[0100] Steps S101 to S103 described above can be executed locally at the battery swapping station or in the background management system. When executed in the background management system, the system can obtain the electrical parameters of batteries located in multiple battery swapping stations across multiple geographical locations, and group these parameters together. In each individual power request operation, the battery allocated to the user by the background management system can be located in multiple battery swapping stations across multiple geographical locations, or it can be located in a single battery swapping station, depending on the user's needs.

[0101] The battery management method for battery swapping cabinets provided in this application divides multiple batteries into at least two groups, wherein the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of batteries in the same group are similar. In each single power request operation, a battery is selected from the same group and the battery swapping cabinet is unlocked for the user to use. Since the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of batteries in the same group are similar, the battery characteristics provided to the user are relatively similar, thus avoiding damage to the electrical equipment caused by using batteries with large differences in the battery swapping cabinet for the same electrical equipment.

[0102] In actual electricity request operations, the following situations may occur:

[0103] 1. Battery replacement: The user's electrical equipment is equipped with a battery, but the battery has been depleted after a long period of use. The user needs to obtain or rent a charged battery from the battery swapping station and put the existing depleted battery into the battery swapping station for everyone to share.

[0104] 2. Battery application: If the user's electrical equipment does not have a battery, the user needs to obtain or rent a battery from the battery swapping station to install on the electrical equipment.

[0105] 3. Battery storage: Users may not use their devices for a long time due to business trips or other reasons. They may worry that the batteries will deteriorate if they are not used for a long time. Therefore, they may put the batteries in the battery swapping cabinet for everyone to use. When the user uses the device again, it will be the same as situation 2 above.

[0106] 4. Battery return: If a user no longer wants to use or rent the battery they are currently using, they can put these batteries in the battery swapping cabinet for everyone to share.

[0107] 5. Battery recycling: Each battery swapping station may have recycled batteries with poor performance. Using these batteries can cause significant damage to electrical equipment, so they can be classified as retired or discarded batteries. These batteries need to be removed from the battery swapping station and will no longer be issued to users.

[0108] In response to these situations, Figure 2BAnother method for battery management in battery swapping cabinets is provided. Before implementing the following method, users need to register an account in the background management system. The system enters user information (such as the rated voltage and rated power, shape, size, and number of batteries required for the user's electrical equipment), and assigns battery swapping permissions to the user account based on the amount of deposit paid by the user, the number of batteries required for the electrical equipment, or the voltage and power parameters.

[0109] The battery swapping permission can include the number of batteries used in a single swap, the maximum number of batteries a user account can request, the maximum number of batteries a user account can temporarily store, and also the maximum number of batteries a user account can replace, or the maximum number of batteries a user account can reclaim within a predetermined time period. More simply, the battery swapping permission can be the maximum number of batteries a user can hold; each battery requested decrements the permission by 1, each battery replaced leaves the permission unchanged, and each temporarily stored battery increments the permission by 1. This permission applies when a user account can obtain batteries for at least two devices simultaneously. When a user account is restricted to obtaining batteries for only one device, the battery swapping permission for a battery request or replacement operation can be the number of batteries required by the device corresponding to that user account.

[0110] like Figure 2B As shown, another battery management method for battery swapping cabinets includes the following steps:

[0111] S201: Obtain the electrical parameters of multiple batteries in the battery swapping cabinet. All batteries are of the same specification.

[0112] Step S201 described above can be performed at regular intervals, such as acquiring the battery open-circuit voltage and resistance; it can also be performed once after each batch of batteries is received, such as after a battery replacement operation or battery temporary storage operation, to acquire the battery open-circuit voltage and resistance; it can also be performed during constant current charging of the battery, such as acquiring the charging voltage, charging current, and battery capacity that change over time; or it can be performed after the battery charging is completed, such as acquiring the battery open-circuit voltage, resistance, and capacity. Alternatively, it can be performed according to other time points or conditions, which are not limited in this application.

[0113] S202: Identify the most unbalanced battery, which is the battery whose electrical parameters differ from those of other batteries to a predetermined condition.

[0114] For example, when using a static sorting method to group battery electrical parameters, if battery A has the largest distance from the nearest data center and this distance exceeds a preset distance threshold, then battery A is the most unbalanced battery in that batch. When using a dynamic sorting method to group battery electrical parameters, if battery B has abnormal curve characteristics, then battery B is the most unbalanced battery in that batch. When using a graphical method to group battery electrical parameters, if the straight line or curve obtained by plotting the electrical parameter markers of battery C has abnormal characteristics, then battery C is the most unbalanced battery in that batch.

[0115] S203: Remove the most unbalanced batteries and mark them as retired batteries.

[0116] After obtaining the battery parameters in step S201, steps S202 and S203 process the data to remove the most unbalanced batteries, thereby reducing the inconsistency between multiple batteries in the battery swapping cabinet. Since steps S201 to S203 are executed frequently, each execution may remove at least one most unbalanced battery. Over a long period of time, the increasing trend of differences between multiple batteries in the battery swapping cabinet will converge, and the battery parameters of the batteries remaining in the battery swapping cabinet will be relatively similar. The differences between multiple batteries provided to users will be smaller, and the damage to the electrical equipment will be less when these batteries are used in combination.

[0117] S204: Divide multiple batteries into at least two groups, wherein the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of batteries within the same group are similar.

[0118] The steps S201 and S204 described above can be referred to as steps S101 and S102 respectively, and will not be repeated here.

[0119] S205: When a user's battery replacement request is received, the system controls the battery swapping cabinet to receive the battery and determines whether an electrical signal generated by a battery being placed in the cabinet has been received within a predetermined time period. If an electrical signal is received within the predetermined time period, step S206 is executed; otherwise, other operations are performed, such as reminding the user to place the battery and restarting the timer, or determining whether the current power request operation has ended.

[0120] S206: Select a battery from the same group and unlock the battery swapping cabinet for the user to use; return to the step of "controlling the battery swapping cabinet to receive the battery and determining whether an electrical signal generated by a battery being placed in the battery swapping cabinet is received" and continue execution until the power request operation ends.

[0121] Steps S205 and S206 above describe the battery management strategy for battery replacement operations: the battery swapping cabinet unlocks one battery at a time for each battery received, allowing the user to use it. In this scenario, users must provide the same number of batteries to exchange for a certain quantity, and the battery swapping cabinet unlocks batteries one by one, preventing users from mixing up the batteries.

[0122] When a user's battery swapping permissions include the maximum number of batteries that the user's account can swap, it is also necessary to determine whether the number of batteries requested for swapping (the user puts a battery into the battery swapping cabinet to exchange for a battery, which is also considered a battery swapping request) exceeds the battery swapping permissions. When the battery swapping permissions are exceeded, the power request operation ends.

[0123] As an alternative to steps S205 and S206, one could first select a battery from the same group and control the battery swapping cabinet to unlock it for the user to use, then control the battery swapping cabinet to receive the battery and determine whether an electrical signal generated by a battery being placed in the battery swapping cabinet is received; or, the user could place all the batteries to be replaced at once, and the battery swapping cabinet could unlock the batteries corresponding to the number of batteries received at once.

[0124] S207: When a user's battery request is received, obtain the number of batteries the user requested and the battery swapping permission. The user's battery swapping permission includes the maximum number of batteries that the user's account can request.

[0125] S208: Determine whether the number of batteries requested by the user exceeds the battery swapping permission. If the number of batteries requested by the user does not exceed the battery swapping permission, proceed to step S209; otherwise, perform other operations, such as reminding the user that the battery swapping permission is insufficient.

[0126] S209: Select batteries from the same group and control the battery swapping cabinet to unlock for user access.

[0127] When a user sends a battery request, they can send the number of batteries they request to the battery swapping station, which will then unlock multiple batteries at once. Alternatively, the battery swapping station can unlock a predetermined number of batteries (e.g., one) each time a user sends a battery request. In this case, the "number of batteries the user requests" sent with the battery request should be the sum of the number of batteries already requested and the number of batteries that can be requested in this request (e.g., the number of batteries already requested + 1).

[0128] Steps S207 to S209 above describe the battery management strategy under the battery application operation. That is, as long as the number of batteries requested by the user does not exceed their battery swapping privileges, batteries will be selected from the same group for the user to use. This is particularly applicable when electrical equipment is sold without batteries and the user needs to rent batteries themselves.

[0129] Optionally, steps S216 and S217, as well as step S218, can be performed after steps S208 to S209.

[0130] S210: When a user's battery storage request is received, obtain the number of batteries the user requests to store and the battery swapping permission. The user's battery swapping permission includes the maximum number of batteries that the user account can store temporarily.

[0131] S211: Determine whether the number of batteries requested by the user for temporary storage exceeds the battery swapping permission.

[0132] S212: When the number of batteries requested by the user for temporary storage does not exceed the battery swapping permission, control the battery swapping cabinet to accept the batteries. Repeat this step until the power request operation ends.

[0133] When a user sends a battery storage request, they can send the number of batteries they wish to store to the battery swapping station, which will then receive multiple batteries at a time. Alternatively, the battery swapping station may only receive a predetermined number of batteries (e.g., one) for each battery storage request sent by the user. In this case, the "number of batteries the user wishes to store" sent with the battery storage request should be the sum of the number of batteries already stored and the number of batteries that can be stored in the request (e.g., the number of batteries already stored + 1).

[0134] Steps S210 to S212 above describe the battery management strategy under the battery temporary storage operation. As long as the number of batteries temporarily stored by the user does not exceed their battery swapping privileges, the stored batteries can be accepted. These stored batteries will be charged in the battery swapping cabinet and made available for shared use. This approach is particularly suitable for situations where users do not use their devices for extended periods due to business trips or other reasons.

[0135] Optionally, the battery power management data used by the user is monitored and recorded in real time (for example, a battery management system can be set up in the combination adapter to monitor and record), and synchronized to the user account. After receiving the user's battery replacement or battery temporary storage request, the battery swapping cabinet or the back-end management system obtains the power management data of the battery to be replaced or temporarily stored corresponding to the user account in order to understand the battery usage and battery performance, and thus help determine whether the battery is a retired battery.

[0136] Optionally, steps S216 and S217, as well as step S218, can be performed after steps S210 to S212.

[0137] S213: When a user's battery return request is received, determine whether the battery corresponding to the user's account is in a temporary storage state.

[0138] S214: When the battery corresponding to a user account is in a temporary state, increase the user account's battery swapping privileges based on the number of temporary batteries, and decrease the number of batteries in the user account that are in a temporary state.

[0139] For example, if a user's current battery swapping permission is 30, and 10 batteries are in a temporary storage state, and the user sends a battery return request with 5 batteries to be returned (of course, the user can also return all 10 batteries in the temporary storage state), then the battery swapping permission will be increased to 35, and the number of batteries in the temporary storage state in the user's account will be adjusted to 5 (i.e., these 5 batteries will be deregistered). If all batteries corresponding to the user's account are already in temporary storage, then the battery swapping permission can be set to the maximum value.

[0140] The battery return operation can be performed by the user at the battery swapping station or by staff at a fixed service point through the back-end management system. That is, steps S213 and S214 can be performed by the battery swapping station or by the back-end management system.

[0141] Optionally, in step S214, before the operation of "increasing the user account's battery swapping privileges based on the number of temporarily stored batteries and decreasing the number of batteries in the user account that are in a temporary state," it can be determined whether the difference between the time when the user's battery return request is received and the time when the user temporarily stored the batteries is within a predetermined time range (e.g., within one week). If it is within the predetermined time range, the operation of "increasing the user account's battery swapping privileges based on the number of temporarily stored batteries and decreasing the number of batteries in the user account that are in a temporary state" can be executed; otherwise, the account can be locked, and penalties such as fines can be imposed. This method can encourage users to update their account information in a timely manner.

[0142] Optionally, steps S216 and S217, as well as step S218, can be performed after steps S213 and S214.

[0143] S215: When a user's battery recycling request is received, the battery swapping cabinet is unlocked to provide a predetermined number of retired batteries for the user to collect.

[0144] Retired batteries include those with poor performance that are removed during the implementation of battery management methods, and may also include batteries that have been tagged as "retired batteries" by the user when they are stored in the battery swapping cabinet (through the combination adapter, battery swapping cabinet or back-end management system).

[0145] The aforementioned "pre-defined number of retired batteries" can be specified by the user, for example, the user's battery recycling request carries the number of batteries they wish to recycle; or it can be a fixed system setting, for example, each user can only recycle 2 batteries at a battery swapping station. More preferably, the system can also adjust the setting based on the statistically collected number of retired batteries and their geographical distribution.

[0146] Step S215 provides a way for users to participate in the management of batteries in offline battery swapping cabinets during their spare time. That is, users can collect retired batteries from the battery swapping cabinets and take them to a designated location to exchange for labor remuneration.

[0147] Optionally, steps S216 and S217, as well as step S218, can be performed after step S215.

[0148] It should be noted that the requests sent by users in this application (such as the battery replacement request mentioned above) can be sent through the buttons or touch screen on the battery swapping cabinet; they can also be sent to the back-end management system through an APP installed on a mobile terminal; or they can be sent directly to the back-end management system by staff at a fixed location. This application does not limit the way users send requests.

[0149] S216: Determine whether the cumulative duration of this power request operation is greater than the predetermined duration. If the cumulative duration of this power request operation is greater than the predetermined duration, proceed to step S217; otherwise, return to continue executing this power request operation.

[0150] S217: Send an error alarm message to the user and terminate the current power request operation.

[0151] Steps S216 and S217 above stipulate that the battery replacement, battery application, battery temporary storage, battery return, and battery recycling operations should all be completed within the predetermined time.

[0152] S218: Calculate the bill or reward to be paid based on the battery used by the user and send it to the user's account.

[0153] For example, in battery application and replacement operations, after a battery is issued to a user, the fee to be charged to the user can be calculated based on parameters such as the battery voltage or power at the time of issuance; in battery replacement and temporary storage operations, after receiving a user's battery, the fee to be paid to the user can be calculated based on parameters such as the battery voltage or power at the time of receipt; in battery return operations, the fee to be charged to the user for temporary storage (i.e., overtime fee) can be calculated based on the duration of the time difference between the user initiating the return request and the temporary storage operation exceeding a predetermined time range; in battery recycling operations, after receiving retired batteries collected by the user at a designated location, the fee to be paid to the user can be calculated based on the distance between the battery swapping station and the designated location and the number of batteries recycled.

[0154] Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of a battery management device for a battery swapping cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. This device can be used to perform... Figures 2A to 2B The battery management method for a battery swapping cabinet shown or any of its optional embodiments. For example... Figure 3As shown, the device includes an acquisition unit 10, a grouping unit 20, and an unlocking unit 30.

[0155] The acquisition unit 10 acquires the electrical parameters of multiple batteries within the battery swapping cabinet, all of which are of uniform specifications. The grouping unit 20 divides the multiple batteries into at least two groups, where the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of batteries within the same group are similar. The unlocking unit 30 selects a battery from the same group and unlocks the battery swapping cabinet for user access during each individual power request operation. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 10, grouping unit 20, and unlocking unit 30 perform the aforementioned corresponding steps before unlocking the battery.

[0156] Optionally, grouping unit 20 includes clustering grouping subunits and statistical grouping subunits.

[0157] The clustering subunit is used to classify batteries with similar electrical parameters naturally using clustering methods, and to group multiple batteries into at least two groups according to the data centers selected by natural selection; and / or, the statistical subunit is used to use the electrical parameter-time curves during the constant current charging process of the battery as classification objects, and to use statistical algorithms to divide the curve features into groups and classify them, thereby dividing the batteries into at least two groups.

[0158] Optionally, the electrical parameters include at least one of the following: the open-circuit voltage after the battery is transferred to the battery swapping cabinet but before it is charged; the open-circuit voltage, resistance, and capacity after the battery is charged to a predetermined voltage value; and the open-circuit voltage, resistance, and capacity after the battery charging process is completed.

[0159] This invention also provides a battery swapping management system, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the system includes processors for multiple battery swapping cabinets and a back-end management system. The back-end management system is communicatively connected to the processors of each battery swapping cabinet. The processors of the multiple battery swapping cabinets and / or the back-end management system execute... Figure 2A or Figure 2B Any of the battery management methods shown.

[0160] When the battery swapping cabinet is activated Figure 2A or Figure 2B In any of the battery management methods shown, only the electrical parameters of the batteries in the battery swapping cabinet are obtained, and the batteries in the battery swapping cabinet are divided into at least two groups. During each single power request operation, the batteries allocated to the user by the battery swapping cabinet (i.e., selecting and controlling the unlocking of the battery swapping cabinet for the user to use) come only from the battery swapping cabinet.

[0161] It is important to note that the backend management system executes... Figure 2A or Figure 2BAny of the battery management methods shown, but when displaying the results on a battery swapping cabinet, is used only as a display device and does not fall under the case of the battery swapping cabinet implementing the battery management method described above.

[0162] The electrical parameters of batteries in multiple battery swapping cabinets in multiple geographical locations are analyzed, and the batteries in multiple battery swapping cabinets are divided into at least two groups, in which the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of batteries in the same group are similar. During each power request operation, the battery allocated to the user by the background management system (i.e., selecting and controlling the unlocking of the battery swapping cabinet for the user to use) can be located in multiple battery swapping cabinets in multiple geographical locations, or it can be located in a single battery swapping cabinet, which can be determined according to the user's needs.

[0163] The backend management system can also be used to input user information and battery swapping permissions. User information can include username, contact information (such as mobile phone number or social media account such as WeChat), linked financial accounts (such as Alipay or WeChat account, bank card, credit card, or credit score account), email address for receiving bills, number of electrical devices, rated voltage and rated power of each electrical device, etc. Battery swapping permissions can include the number of batteries used in a single swap, the maximum number of batteries a user account can apply for, the maximum number of batteries a user account can temporarily store, and can also include the maximum number of batteries a user account can replace, the maximum number of batteries a user account can recycle within a predetermined time period, etc. More simply, battery swapping permissions can be the maximum number of batteries a user can hold. Each battery applied for decrements the battery swapping permission by 1, each battery replaced does not change the permission, and each temporarily stored battery increments the permission by 1.

[0164] Optionally, after users enter their information and battery swapping permissions, they can obtain a combination adapter that matches the size and specifications of their electrical equipment. The combination adapter can be configured with a BMS (Battery Management System) to collect power management data from the battery inside the adapter. The combination adapter can also wirelessly transmit this power management data to the battery swapping cabinet or the back-end management system.

[0165] The backend management system can also obtain the geographical locations of multiple battery swapping stations. When a user queries a battery swapping station through a specific station or mobile terminal, the backend management system receives the user's query request and pushes the geographical locations and related information of the nearest and / or nearby battery swapping stations to the user. When a user queries a battery swapping station using a mobile device with navigation capabilities (such as a mobile phone), navigation services can also be provided on the mobile terminal.

[0166] Optionally, such as Figure 5 As shown, regarding battery recycling, the backend management system also performs the following operations:

[0167] Step S219: Monitor the geographical location of the battery swapping cabinet where the retired battery is located in real time.

[0168] Step S220: When a user's battery recycling request is received, push the geographical locations of all battery swapping stations that are closest to and / or near the user and contain retired batteries.

[0169] Step S221: Determine whether the unlocked retired battery has been received by the battery swapping system within a predetermined time period after it was unlocked. If the unlocked retired battery has not been received within the predetermined time period, proceed to step S222; otherwise, perform other operations.

[0170] Step S222: Lock the user account that received the retired battery.

[0171] Steps S219 and S220 monitor in real time which battery swapping cabinet contains retired batteries and push this information to users, making it easier for them to find retired batteries and improving efficiency. Steps S221 and S222 start a timer after the retired battery is unlocked. If the battery swapping system does not receive the retired battery within the predetermined time period after it is unlocked, the user account that last received the retired battery will be locked, thus penalizing the user and urging them to return the retired battery to the battery swapping system in a timely manner.

[0172] This invention provides an embodiment of a battery swapping cabinet 3, which includes a cabinet body 31, multiple battery placement positions, multiple locking and unlocking mechanisms, and a processor;

[0173] like Figure 6-1 , Figure 6-2 and Figure 6-3 As shown, the front wall of the cabinet 31 has several battery inlets / outlets 32, each corresponding to a mounting cavity, and each mounting cavity serves as a battery placement position for placing battery 1. For example, as... Figure 6-1 As shown, several battery inlets / outlets 32 are arranged in an array on the front wall of the cabinet 31, and the corresponding mounting cavities are also arranged in an array. Of course, besides... Figure 6-1 Besides the arrangement of the multiple battery inlets and outlets 32 shown in the diagram, other arrangements are also possible, such as S-shaped or V-shaped arrangements. The specific arrangement is not limited and depends on the actual needs.

[0174] like Figure 12 As shown, multiple locking and unlocking mechanisms are provided on the cabinet 31, and each mounting cavity corresponds to at least one locking and unlocking mechanism. The processor executes the battery management method of the battery swapping cabinet described above and outputs control signals to control the locking and unlocking mechanisms to switch between locked and unlocked states.

[0175] For example, the locking and unlocking mechanism is an electronic lock. Under the control of the processor's control signal, the electronic lock locks or unlocks. When the electronic lock is in the locked state, the electronic lock will lock its corresponding battery 1 in the installation cavity. The user cannot take the locked battery 1 through the battery inlet / outlet 32. The battery 1 remains in the installation cavity. At this time, the battery 1 can be in the charging state or in the fully charged state.

[0176] The processor only outputs an unlock control signal when an authorized user sends a signal to the processor requesting the removal of battery 1. The electronic lock then executes the unlock signal, switching from a locked state to an unlocked state, thus releasing the lock on battery 1. At this point, the user can remove the unlocked battery 1 from the battery inlet / outlet 32, creating an empty space in the mounting cavity. The removed new battery 1 is then replaced with the old battery 1 in the device. The replaced old battery 1 can be directly placed into the empty mounting cavity, and the electronic lock will then lock the old battery 1 according to the control signal, completing the replacement. This process is repeated step-by-step to replace the old batteries 1 in the device. In this embodiment, the replacement of battery 1 is done manually by the user, who manually places or removes the battery 1 from the mounting cavity.

[0177] Generally, when a single battery 1 is placed in the mounting cavity, it needs to be charged. Correspondingly, a power supply is set in the battery swapping cabinet 3, and the power supply is electrically connected to each mounting cavity. Each mounting cavity is equipped with a charging interface, and the single battery 1 is electrically connected to the charging interface in the mounting cavity to achieve charging of battery 1.

[0178] For example, such as Figure 11 As shown, multiple partitions are installed on the inner wall of the rear cover of the battery swapping cabinet 3. Each partition is equipped with a power supply 4, which is then electrically connected to the charging interface in the mounting cavity on the front wall of the battery swapping cabinet 3 to charge the individual battery 1 in each mounting cavity.

[0179] Battery swapping cabinet 3 also includes a detection device, such as... Figure 11 As shown, the detection device includes a battery internal resistance detection mechanism 341, a battery capacity detection mechanism 343, and a battery voltage detection mechanism 342. The output of the battery internal resistance detection mechanism 341 is connected to the input of the processor and is used to detect the internal resistance of battery 1. The output of the battery capacity detection mechanism 343 is connected to the input of the processor and is used to detect the capacity of battery 1; the output of the voltage detection mechanism is connected to the input of the processor and is used to detect the voltage of battery 1.

[0180] For example, in Figure 11 or Figure 16In the battery swapping cabinet 3, multiple mounting cavities are provided on the bottom rear side. The aforementioned battery internal resistance detection mechanism 341, battery capacity detection mechanism 343, and battery voltage detection mechanism 342 are each housed in one mounting cavity. Opening the rear cover of the battery swapping cabinet 3 facilitates the assembly of the battery internal resistance detection mechanism 341, battery capacity detection mechanism 343, and battery voltage detection mechanism 342 within the cabinet. Alternatively, the detection device may consist only of the battery internal resistance detection mechanism 341.

[0181] This embodiment also provides a second embodiment of the battery swapping cabinet 3, such as... Figure 15-1 , Figure 15-2 and Figure 15-3 As shown, the front surface of the cabinet 31 of the battery swapping cabinet 3 is provided with a battery inlet / outlet 32, and multiple charging seats 33 are provided inside the cabinet 31, each charging seat 33 serving as a battery placement position; the locking and unlocking mechanism locks a single battery 1 onto the charging seat 33 in the locked state; and unlocks the single battery 1 on the charging seat 33.

[0182] Any charging dock 33 can be aligned with the battery inlet / outlet 32, specifically, such as Figure 17 As shown, the cabinet 31 of the battery swapping cabinet 3 also includes at least two sprockets 3522, a ring chain 3521, and a drive mechanism. Multiple sprockets 3522 are rotatably mounted inside the cabinet 31.

[0183] For example, in Figure 17 In this configuration, multiple sprockets 3522 are distributed in parallel, and an annular chain 3521 is wound around each sprocket 3522 in an "S" shape to form a closed loop. All charging sockets 33 are sequentially fixed on the outer wall of the chain. A drive mechanism is connected to at least one sprocket 3522, and the drive mechanism drives the sprocket 3522 to rotate, thereby driving the annular chain 3521 to move, so that any charging socket 33 fixed on the outer wall of the annular chain 3521 can be aligned with the battery inlet / outlet 32. The drive mechanism can be a rotary motor, and the output shaft of the rotary motor is inserted and fixed into the inner hole of one of the sprockets 3522.

[0184] Multiple charging docks 33 are fixed on a chain. When it is necessary to remove the battery 1 from a charging dock 33 or place an old battery 1 on an empty charging dock 33, the drive mechanism simply drives the chain to rotate, aligning the corresponding charging dock 33 with the battery inlet / outlet 32 ​​on the cabinet 31. At this time, the user can remove the single new battery 1 from the charging dock 33 at the battery inlet / outlet 32 ​​and replace the single old battery 1 in the combination adapter 2 of the power device with the single new battery 1. Then, the replaced single old battery 1 is inserted into the empty charging dock 33 through the battery inlet / outlet 32, realizing semi-automatic replacement of single battery 1.

[0185] The processor of the battery swapping cabinet can also record the available charging slots. Furthermore, when controlling the battery swapping cabinet to receive batteries, the processor controls the drive mechanism to align the available charging slots on the outer wall of the ring chain (3521) with the battery inlet / outlet (32); when controlling the battery swapping cabinet to unlock batteries, the processor controls the drive mechanism to align the unlocked batteries with the battery inlet / outlet (32).

[0186] In this embodiment, a charging interface can be provided on the charging base 33. A single battery 1 is directly plugged into the charging interface on the charging base 33. Each charging base 33 is electrically connected to the power supply provided in the cabinet 31 to charge the battery 1 electrically connected to the charging base 33.

[0187] In embodiments where multiple charging docks 33 are secured to the chain, there are various ways to electrically connect the power source to all charging docks 33, for example, Figure 17 The diagram illustrates the first method, in which the cabinet 31 also includes a cable rotary distributor 3525 rotatably disposed inside the cabinet 31; the cable rotary distributor 3525 is provided with a number of spaced elastic wires, for example, the cable rotary distributor 3525 is a circular disk, and the number of elastic wires are evenly distributed circumferentially on the circular disk, the lead-out ends of the elastic wires are electrically connected to the charging base 33 one by one, and the cable rotary distributor 3525 is connected to the power supply.

[0188] During chain movement, the elastic wires on the cable rotary distributor 3525 can be deformed to stretch their length or reset to shorten their length to adapt to the distance the chain moves. Ideally, as the chain moves, the cable rotary distributor 3525 rotates in the forward or reverse direction to shorten the distance between the elastic wires and their respective charging bases 33. While maintaining electrical connection with the charging bases 33, adjacent elastic wires are kept as separate as possible, thereby enabling the charging of individual batteries 1 on each charging base 33.

[0189] As for flexible wires, flexible wires are cables that are spirally distributed, or cables or wires arranged in other directions.

[0190] In addition to using flexible wires to electrically connect to each charging base 33, the cable rotary distributor 3525 can also use other electrical connection methods. For example, on the side surface of the cable rotary distributor 3525 facing the charging base 33, there are several brushes distributed along the moving path of the annular chain 3521; when any charging base 33 moves with the chain, it is slidably electrically connected to the brush. Compared with the connection method using flexible wires, the brush and the charging base 33 form a sliding electrical connection, and the phenomenon of wire entanglement will not occur.

[0191] Regarding the structure of the charging base 33, the charging base 33 includes a first base body 331, on which a charging interface is provided. The charging interface can be located on the side wall of the first base body 331 or on other walls of the first base body 331. A single battery 1 can be installed and fixed on the charging base 33 simply by plugging it into the charging interface. In this case, the first base body 331 can be plate-shaped or box-shaped.

[0192] Furthermore, such as Figure 18-1 and Figure 18-2 As shown, the first base 331 has a placement cavity with one end forming a pick-and-place opening, which serves as a battery placement position; the charging base 33 also includes a cover 332, one side wall of which is rotatably disposed on the pick-and-place opening; a locking and unlocking mechanism is provided on at least one of the first base 331 and the cover 332. In the locked state, the mechanism is used to lock the cover 332 onto the first base 331 so that the cover 332 covers the pick-and-place opening, thereby locking a single battery 1 onto the charging base 33; in the unlocked state, the other side wall of the cover 332 can be opened from the pick-and-place opening, and the single battery 1 inside the charging base 33 can be removed through the pick-and-place opening on the cover 332.

[0193] In the unlocked state, in order to automatically remove the single battery 1 from the charging dock 33 and replace the single old battery 1 of the device at the battery inlet / outlet 32, such as... Figure 18-1 and Figure 18-2 As shown, the ring chain 3521 moves along the second direction where the line connecting the centers of at least two sprockets is located. The cabinet 31 is also provided with a movable insertion mechanism 3523 and an insertion power slide rail 3524. The movable insertion mechanism 3523 performs telescopic movement along the first direction. The movable insertion mechanism 3523 is slidably mounted on the insertion power slide rail 3524. The sliding direction of the movable insertion mechanism is perpendicular to the first direction, and the corresponding insertion power slide rail 3524 extends along the sliding direction.

[0194] The first direction and the sliding direction are on the same plane, and the second direction is perpendicular to the plane. For example, the second direction is the Z-axis direction, the first direction is the Y-axis direction, and the sliding direction is the X-axis direction. Thus, the ring chain drives the charging base to move in the Z-axis direction, and the moving insertion mechanism 3523 moves in the X-axis and Y-axis directions. With the cooperation of the three, the moving insertion mechanism 3523 can switch between any charging base 33 and battery inlet / outlet 32 ​​to grab the battery.

[0195] Of course, the second direction can also be the X-axis, with the first direction being the Y-axis and the sliding direction being the Z-axis; or, the second direction can be the Y-axis, with the first direction being the Z-axis and the sliding direction being the X-axis. It is sufficient that one of the first, second, and sliding directions is the X-axis, one is the Y-axis, and the other is the Z-axis. For ease of explanation, the following description will use the example of the second direction being the Z-axis, the first direction being the Y-axis, and the sliding direction being the X-axis.

[0196] When the movable insertion mechanism 3523 retracts at the charging base 33, it is used to remove or insert a single battery 1 into the charging base 33; when it retracts at the battery inlet / outlet 32, it is used to remove or insert a single battery 1 into the battery assembly box of the combination adapter 2 placed at the battery inlet / outlet 32, thereby realizing automatic replacement of the single battery 1.

[0197] Preferably, such as Figure 18-1 As shown, the movable insertion mechanism 3523 includes a cylinder 35231 and a gripper 35232. The gripper 35232 is fixed on the telescopic shaft of the cylinder 35231. The cylinder 35231 is slidably mounted on the insertion power slide rail 3524. The telescopic movement of the cylinder 35231 on the Y-axis drives the telescopic movement of the gripper 35232 on the Y-axis to grasp the battery. Alternatively, the movable insertion mechanism 3523 can be a robotic arm.

[0198] For the ring chain 3521, the ring chain 3521 can be adopted as follows: Figure 17 The structure shown has a single ring chain 3521 that winds around multiple sprockets 3522 in an "S" shape and runs in a single plane; alternatively, a different structure can be used. Figure 18-1 and Figure 18-3 The structure shown has multiple annular chains 3521, which extend along the second direction and are arranged side by side in the sliding direction. Each annular chain 3521 is arranged in a closed loop around an active sprocket 3522 and a passive sprocket 3522. The active sprockets 3522 of all annular chains 3521 are sleeved and fixed on the same active rotating shaft, and the passive sprockets 3522 of all annular chains 3521 are sleeved and fixed on the same passive rotating shaft. The active rotating shaft is connected to the aforementioned drive mechanism. When the drive mechanism drives the active rotating shaft to rotate, it can synchronously drive all chains to move vertically, causing the charging bases 33 located at the same height on the chains to move up and down synchronously, so that the moving insertion mechanism 3523 can remove or insert individual new batteries 1 from the charging bases 33 located at the same height one by one.

[0199] by Figure 18-3To illustrate the specific process of replacing a single battery 1, let's take an example: When it is necessary to remove a single battery 1 from the five charging sockets 33 located at the same height on the five annular chains 3521, the annular chains 3521 move upward or downward synchronously until the height of the loading / unloading opening of the charging socket 33 is adapted to the height of the gripper 35232; the cover 332 of the new single battery 1 to be removed is unlocked; the cylinder 35231 slides on the dispensing power slide rail 3524, so that the gripper 352 on the cylinder 35231... 32 aligns with the pick-and-place port of the charging dock 33 in the open state, and the gripper 35232 performs a telescopic movement to remove the single new battery 1 from the charging dock 33; then the cylinder 35231 slides on the plug-in power slide rail 3524 to transport the single new battery 1 to the battery inlet / outlet 32 ​​and insert it into the battery assembly box 21 placed in the combination adapter 2 in the battery inlet / outlet 32; conversely, the single old battery 1 in the battery assembly box 21 is removed and transferred to the placement cavity of the charging dock 33 in the empty space.

[0200] like Figure 18-3 As shown, the aforementioned cable rotary distributor 3525 is disposed within the cavity formed by multiple annular chains 3521 to electrically connect the power supply to the charging base 33. Similarly, the aforementioned battery internal resistance detection mechanism 341, battery voltage detection mechanism 342, and battery capacity detection mechanism 343 are disposed within the cabinet 31 below the plug-in power slide rail 3524.

[0201] for Figure 15-1 , Figure 18-1 The battery swapping cabinet 3 shown has a battery inlet / outlet 32 ​​on its cabinet body 31. As a modified implementation, the cabinet body 31 can also have multiple battery inlets / outlets 32, such as two, three, four, five, or more. Figure 18-1 The battery swapping cabinet 3 shown can have multiple battery inlets / outlets 32 at the same height, with each battery inlet / outlet 32 ​​corresponding to a charging station 33 on a chain; or Figure 15-1 The battery swapping cabinet 3 shown can be equipped with multiple battery inlets and outlets 32 at different heights, so that the charging bases 33 at different heights on the chain can be aligned during vertical movement, making it easier to pick up and put in a single battery 1 more efficiently.

[0202] As a modified implementation method Figure 18-3 In the multiple ring chains 3521 shown, each ring chain can be driven to move vertically by a separate drive mechanism. A certain distance is reserved between two adjacent chains to facilitate the installation of the drive mechanism. Each ring chain 3521 is driven by its corresponding drive mechanism to perform lifting and lowering movements, which facilitates the loading and unloading of batteries from charging sockets at different heights on different ring chains.

[0203] As a modified implementation, such as Figure 6-1The battery swapping cabinet 3 shown can... Figure 17 or Figure 18-1 The charging docks 33 shown are correspondingly installed in the... Figure 6-1 The placement cavity inside the battery swapping cabinet 3 shown is for placing the battery 1.

[0204] In addition, such as Figure 6-3 , Figure 15-1 , Figure 15-3 As shown, the front surface of the cabinet 31 of the battery swapping cabinet 3 may also be equipped with a human-machine interface 311, a monitoring camera 312, a radio frequency sensor 313, an advertising screen 314, and an indicator 36. The human-machine interface 311 can be a button or a touch screen, which facilitates the user to send operation signals or requests to the processor. The human-machine interface 311 can also be a display screen, which displays a dynamic identification code. When the user terminal device can scan the identification code, it can send operation instructions or requests to the processor. The monitoring camera 312 facilitates the monitoring of the environment in which the battery swapping cabinet 3 is located. The advertising screen 314 is used to display some information for publicity or to inform users. The indicator is used to indicate whether the battery in the corresponding position is in a locked state or an unlocked and usable state.

[0205] This invention also provides a combination adapter 2, such as... Figure 6-4 As shown, the battery swapping cabinet 3 applicable to any of the above embodiments includes a battery assembly box 21. The battery assembly box 21 includes a cavity with at least one open side, and at least one battery 1 is distributed inside the cavity. The two ends of the battery 1 are electrically connected in a predetermined manner and are respectively electrically connected to a first interface 211 provided on the outer surface of the cavity. When the combination adapter 2 is installed in the electrical equipment, it supplies power to the electrical equipment.

[0206] For the battery assembly box 21, one battery 1, two batteries 1, or three or more batteries 1 can be installed inside the battery assembly box 21. When there are multiple batteries 1, the electrical connection method of the multiple batteries 1 in the battery assembly box 21 can be series, parallel, or mixed connection, and the specific setting method is determined according to the needs of the electrical equipment.

[0207] For example, such as Figure 13-1 , Figure 13-2 or Figure 13-3 As shown, there are two batteries 1, which are arranged side by side and connected in series within the battery assembly box 21. A first interface 211 is provided on the outer wall of the battery assembly box 21, and the two ends of the two batteries 1 connected in series are electrically connected to the first interface 211. Similarly, when there are multiple batteries 1, the two ends of the multiple batteries 1 connected in series, parallel, or mixed are electrically connected to the first interface 211.

[0208] Regarding the structure of the battery assembly box 21, it can be... Figure 8The frame shown contains multiple batteries 1 arranged side-by-side and stacked within it. A circuit is provided on the frame to electrically connect the multiple batteries 1 in a predetermined manner. This predetermined electrical connection may include series connection, parallel connection, mixed connection, or a circuit containing only a single battery.

[0209] Or, it can also be for Figure 6-4 or Figure 9 The cavity shown has an opening on at least one side, which is used to house at least one battery. Circuitry is provided on the sidewall of the cavity for electrically connecting the battery within the cavity in a predetermined manner. Furthermore, a first interface 211 suitable for insertion is provided on the outer surface of the cavity, and the first interface 211 has at least two mutually insulated conductor connectors. The two ends of the circuit after the at least one battery is connected in the predetermined manner are respectively connected to the at least two conductor connectors of the first interface 211. For example, the battery may have a quick-connect interface, through which the battery is electrically connected in the predetermined manner.

[0210] like Figure 6-4 , Figure 9 and Figure 13-1 As shown, the combination adapter 2 also includes a parallel connector 22, which includes a second connector body, at least one second interface 221, and a third interface 222. Both the second interface 221 and the third interface 222 are disposed on the second connector body, suitable for insertion, and each has at least two mutually insulated conductor connectors. The difference lies in that the second interface 221 matches each of the first interfaces 211, and when they are inserted, their conductor connectors are electrically connected; while the third interface 222 is used to connect electrical equipment. The second connector body is provided with a circuit so that the third interface 222 is electrically connected to the conductor connector of each of the second interfaces 221. For example, if the three second interfaces 221 are connected to three sets of batteries respectively, then when the electrical equipment is connected to the third interface 222, all three sets of batteries can be connected simultaneously, thereby increasing the power supply.

[0211] The second body can be a plate structure, a box structure, or other shapes; its shape is not limited.

[0212] like Figure 13-1 , Figure 13-2 and Figure 13-3 As shown, a first interface 211 on the bottom of a battery assembly box 21 is vertically plugged into and electrically connected to a second interface 221 on the top of a parallel connector 22. Each second interface 221 inside the parallel connector 22 is electrically connected to a third interface 222, and the third interface 222 is electrically connected to the electrical device, thereby enabling the battery 1 inside the battery assembly box 21 to supply power to the electrical device. Alternatively, as Figure 14In a, b, and c, a battery assembly box 21 contains two batteries 1, three batteries 1, and four batteries 1 respectively. The first interface 211 on the bottom of the battery assembly box 21 is electrically connected to the second interface 221 of a parallel connector 22.

[0213] Or, such as Figure 15-4 As shown, six batteries 1 are disposed within a battery assembly box 21; or, as Figure 14 As shown in f, a single battery 1 serves as a battery assembly box 21, and the quick interface 11 of the single battery 1 is directly connected to the second interface 221 of the parallel connector 22 via a wire.

[0214] When there are at least two battery assembly boxes 21, there are at least two second interfaces 221 on the parallel connector 22. When at least two battery assembly boxes 21 are connected through the parallel connector 22, the at least two battery assembly boxes 21 are connected in parallel.

[0215] like Figure 9 As shown, there are two battery assembly boxes 21, each containing one battery 1. The two battery assembly boxes 21 are connected in parallel, and the first interface 211 on each battery assembly box 21 is electrically connected to a second interface 221 on the parallel connector 22.

[0216] When there are multiple battery assembly boxes 21, they can be connected in series, in parallel, or in a mixed manner. Ultimately, they are all connected to the electrical equipment through the parallel connector 22 to form a total power output terminal.

[0217] For example, such as Figure 10-1 As shown, two batteries 1 are installed inside the battery assembly box 21. The two batteries 1 are connected in series inside the assembly box, and a parallel connector 22 (not shown in the figure) is provided inside the battery assembly box 21, as follows. Figure 10-2 As shown, multiple battery assembly boxes 21 are stacked vertically, and the output ends of the parallel connectors 22 of the multiple battery assembly boxes 21 are finally connected in parallel to form a final total output end that is electrically connected to the electrical equipment.

[0218] Or, such as Figure 14 As shown in d and e, there are two battery assembly boxes 21 and four battery assembly boxes 21, respectively. In d, each battery assembly box 21 contains five batteries 1, which are connected in series within the battery assembly box 21. In f, each battery assembly box 21 contains six batteries 1, which are connected in series within the battery assembly box 21. The first interface 211 at the bottom of each battery assembly box 21 is vertically inserted into the second interface 221 on the top of a parallel connector 22. All the parallel connectors 22 are connected in parallel, and their total output terminal is connected to the electrical equipment, such as a socket or power strip.

[0219] The above are only some embodiments of battery assembly box containing batteries. In practice, N batteries can be set in the battery assembly box, where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 1. The N batteries are electrically connected in a predetermined manner in the battery assembly box. The specific number of batteries is not limited and depends on the actual needs.

[0220] Figure 14 If the specifications of a single battery 1 are the same under different conditions, and the voltage is 12V, then the output voltage of the combination adapter 2 in f is 12V, the output voltage of the combination adapter 2 in a is 24V, the output voltage of the combination adapter 2 in b is 36V, the output voltage of the combination adapter 2 in c is 48V, the output voltage of the combination adapter 2 in d is 60V, and the output voltage of the combination adapter 2 in e is 72V.

[0221] In addition, in a battery assembly box 21, if all batteries 1 are connected in series, then the battery assembly box 21 is a series box; if all batteries 1 are connected in parallel, then the battery assembly box 21 is a parallel box; if all batteries 1 are connected in both series and parallel, then the corresponding battery assembly box 21 is a series-parallel box.

[0222] Preferably, the shape of the battery assembly box 21 is consistent with the shape of the battery 1, which facilitates the arrangement of the battery 1 within the battery assembly box 21. For example, Figure 13-1 The battery assembly box 21 is a cuboid box, and correspondingly, the battery 1 installed inside the battery assembly box 21 is also cuboid; for example, Figure 13-2 In the middle, the battery assembly box 21 is a square box, and the battery 1 inside it is a cube; or as Figure 13-3 As shown, the battery assembly box 21 is a cylindrical box, and the battery 1 inside it is cylindrical. Additionally, as... Figure 7 As shown, each battery 1 is provided with a quick interface 11 to facilitate quick electrical connection between multiple batteries 1.

[0223] Ideally, for easy transfer of the battery assembly box 21, such as Figure 8 , Figure 13-1 , Figure 13-2 and Figure 13-3 As shown, a handle is provided on the top of the battery assembly box 21 to facilitate the removal of the entire battery assembly box 21 by means of the handle.

[0224] This invention also provides a battery swapping system, which includes... Figure 6-1 or Figure 15-1 ,or Figure 18-1 As shown, or in other variations of the above embodiments, the battery swapping cabinet 3, and multiple batteries 1 placed in the battery swapping cabinet 3 for shared use by users, and Figure 4 The battery swapping management system shown.

[0225] Battery 1 can switch its ground connection between the charging interface of the combination adapter 2 and the charging interface of the battery swapping cabinet 3. When battery 1 is electrically connected to the charging interface of the charging cabinet 3, it is in a charging or fully charged state. When battery 1 is placed in the combination adapter and the combination adapter is connected to the electrical equipment, it is in a state where it can supply power to the electrical equipment.

[0226] This application creatively proposes that the batteries used in the battery swapping system be of uniform specifications and dimensions. However, as mentioned above, the power specifications of electrical equipment on the market vary, and the batteries in the battery swapping cabinet must be compatible with existing electrical equipment. Therefore, selecting the appropriate battery specifications for the battery swapping system becomes a significant challenge and is crucial for its large-scale development. The inventors have conducted research on this issue, as detailed below:

[0227] Regarding battery voltage, the inventors' research revealed that the voltages of electrical devices currently on the market include 12V, 24V, 36V, 48V, 60V, and 72V. The national standard (GB / T 17938-1999) recognizes single battery voltages of 3V, 6V, 12V, 24V, and 36V. The inventors developed different series connection schemes for these battery types, as shown in Table 1 below. Scheme 1 uses a single battery with a voltage of 3V, Scheme 2 uses a single battery with a voltage of 6V, and the remaining schemes are deduced from the second row of the table. As can be seen from the columns in Table 1, only when the single battery voltage is 6V and 12V can the series connection of batteries cover all battery voltage specifications on the market (i.e., Schemes 2 and 3). Further research on Schemes 2 and 3 revealed that when a single battery voltage is 12V, a maximum of six batteries connected in series can cover all battery voltage specifications on the market (i.e., Scheme 3). The fewer batteries connected in series, the fewer the intermediate circuits and components in the battery pack for the same battery performance, resulting in the smallest battery pack or adapter size. Therefore, the nominal voltage of the battery in a battery swapping system is preferably 12V.

[0228] Table 1. Battery pack voltage (V) under different voltage conditions for a single cell.

[0229]

[0230]

[0231] Regarding battery voltage, the inventors' research revealed that currently available electric devices use batteries ranging from 5Ah to 20Ah. These specifications are all compatible with the battery swapping system proposed in this application. Table 2 below shows the overall battery pack capacity when using different capacities for a single battery string. The inventors established a statistical model of the battery pack capacity and range of electric devices, incorporating the battery swapping system model. Further estimations showed that an overall battery pack capacity of 50Ah is sufficient for daily needs, and the frequency of battery replacement is low. Table 2 shows that schemes three through six are all feasible. However, the larger the capacity of a single battery string, the larger the overall size of the battery pack, and the higher the replacement cost. Simulations revealed that the optimal single battery string capacity in the battery swapping system is 10Ah to 15Ah.

[0232] Table 2. Overall battery pack capacity (Ah) when using different capacities in a single-string battery pack.

[0233] Battery combination method Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4 Option 5 Option Six 1 battery pack 5 8 10 12 15 20 2 battery packs in parallel 10 16 20 24 30 40 3 battery packs in parallel 15 24 30 36 45 60 4 battery packs in parallel 20 32 40 48 60 80 5 battery packs in parallel 25 40 50 60 75 100

[0234] The following section takes a single battery with a capacity of 12A·h as an example (when a string of batteries contains only one battery, the capacity of a single string of batteries is 12A·h) to further study the voltage and output mode of a single battery.

[0235] Table 3 below shows the performance of a battery pack with a nominal voltage of 12V for the applied electrical equipment (where "series 5 parallel 2" means 5 batteries are connected in series through a battery pack box, and two such battery pack boxes are connected in parallel through a parallel connector; similar expressions follow the same logic). From the second column of the table (i.e., DC voltage / motor power of the example electrical equipment), it can be seen that a single battery with a nominal value of 12V / 12A·h can meet the voltage requirements of most electrical equipment on the market through series or parallel connections, and can also meet the drive power requirements of most electrical equipment on the market, with a relatively reasonable theoretical power consumption time for the equipment.

[0236] Table 3

[0237]

[0238]

[0239] Table 4 below shows the performance of the applied electrical equipment when a battery pack with a nominal voltage of 24V for a single cell is used. As can be seen from the blank cells in the table, a single cell with a nominal voltage of 24V / 12A·h is insufficient for the electrical equipment examples B, D, and G.

[0240] Table 4

[0241]

[0242] The inventors noted that in the experimental examples shown in Tables 1 to 4 above, each battery has two output terminals, a positive terminal and a negative terminal, which are used in a conventional series connection manner.

[0243] To address the issue of insufficient power supply for some electrical equipment examples in Table 4, the inventors improved the battery's output and usage. Specifically, for a battery with a nominal voltage of 24V, two charging and discharging channels were set up. One channel outputs at the battery's nominal voltage and rated capacity, while the other outputs at half the nominal voltage and one to two times the rated capacity. This improved battery is referred to as a multi-output battery. Since a single battery is composed of smaller battery cells connected in series and parallel, those skilled in the art can achieve the above configuration by drawing multiple terminals from appropriate locations within the internal circuitry of a single battery; this will not be elaborated upon here.

[0244] Table 5 below shows the performance of the applied electrical equipment after using the above multi-output battery combination (where "series 3 (2+0.5)" indicates 3 batteries connected in series, with 2 batteries outputting at their nominal voltage and rated capacity, and the other battery outputting at half the nominal voltage and one to two times the rated capacity, and similar expressions follow the same pattern). From the second column of the table (i.e., DC voltage / motor power of the electrical equipment example), it can be seen that a single battery with a nominal value of 24V / 12A·h can meet the voltage and drive power requirements of most electrical equipment currently on the market through series or parallel connection, and the theoretical power consumption time of the electrical equipment is relatively reasonable. Furthermore, comparing Tables 3 and 5 shows that, while meeting the power requirements of the same electrical equipment example, the experimental example shown in Table 5 uses fewer batteries.

[0245] Table 5

[0246]

[0247] Optionally, the combination adapter is equipped with a BMS battery management system, which sends the power consumption management data of the battery inside the combination adapter to the battery swapping cabinet and / or the back-end management system.

[0248] Although embodiments of the invention have been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and such modifications and variations all fall within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery replacement system, characterized by, The battery replacement cabinet (3) comprises a cabinet body (31) provided with a battery access (32); a mobile insertion mechanism (3523) and a plurality of charging seats (33) are arranged in the battery replacement cabinet (3), each charging seat (33) is electrically connected with a power supply arranged in the cabinet body (31) to charge the battery (1) connected to the charging seat (33); A plurality of batteries (1) are placed in the battery replacement cabinet (3) for users to share, and the plurality of batteries (1) are of a unified specification; a battery replacement battery management system is used to obtain electrical parameters of the plurality of batteries in the battery replacement cabinet (3), and the plurality of batteries are of a unified specification; the plurality of batteries are divided into at least two groups, wherein the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of the batteries in the same group are similar; in each single power consumption request operation, a battery is selected from the same group and the battery replacement cabinet is unlocked to be taken by the user; The mobile insertion mechanism (3523) performs telescopic movement at the charging seat (33) to take out or insert a single battery into the charging seat (33); when performing telescopic movement at the battery access (32), a single battery is taken out or inserted into a battery assembly box (21) of a combined adapter (2) suitable for being placed at the battery access (32), so that the single battery is automatically replaced; The combined adapter (2) comprises a shell or frame body for accommodating the battery (1), and a peripheral circuit and an external interface for connecting the battery in a predetermined manner; the combined adapter (2) is carried on a power consumption device together with the accommodated battery; when replacing the battery for the power consumption device, the combined adapter (2) and the battery are taken off as a whole and placed in the battery replacement cabinet, and the battery in the combined adapter (2) is taken off by the mobile insertion mechanism (3523) in the battery replacement cabinet (3) and replaced with a charged battery. The combined adapter is provided with a BMS battery management system, which sends the power consumption management data of the internal battery of the combined adapter to the battery replacement cabinet and / or a background management system.

2. The battery replacement system according to claim 1, characterized in that, 3. The battery replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the nominal voltage of the plurality of batteries (1) is 12V. The nominal voltage of the plurality of batteries (1) is 24V, and there are two groups of charging and discharging channels, one of which outputs at the nominal voltage and rated capacity of the battery (1), and the other outputs at half the nominal voltage and one to twice the rated capacity of the battery (1).

4. The battery replacement system of claim 1, wherein, The rated capacity of the plurality of batteries (1) is 5A·h-20A·h.

5. The battery replacement system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The battery replacement system according to claim 1.

6. A combination adapter characterized by, The battery assembly box (21) comprises: a cavity with at least one open side, the cavity is used to place at least one battery, and an electric circuit is arranged on the side wall of the cavity to electrically connect the battery in the cavity in a predetermined manner; wherein the predetermined manner of electrical connection includes series connection, parallel connection, mixed connection, and only a single battery in the circuit; 7. The combination adapter of claim 6, wherein, A first interface (211) is adapted to be plugged and is arranged on the outer surface of the cavity and has at least two conductor joints insulated from each other; ​ The at least one battery is connected to the at least two conductor joints of the first interface (211) in a predetermined manner.

8. The combination adapter of claim 7, wherein, Further comprising a parallel seat (22) comprising: A second seat body; At least one second interface (221) disposed on the second seat body, adapted to be plugged, having at least two mutually insulated conductor joints; and, the second interface (221) matches each of the first interface (211), and the conductor joints are electrically connected when plugged; A third interface (222) disposed on the second seat body, adapted to be plugged, having at least two mutually insulated conductor joints, for connecting electrical equipment; The second seat body is further provided with a circuit, so that the conductor joints of the third interface (222) and each second interface (221) are electrically connected.

9. The combination adapter of claim 8, wherein, The second interface (221) is at least two, and when at least two battery assembly boxes (21) are connected through the parallel seat (22), the at least two battery assembly boxes (21) are connected in parallel.

10. The combination adapter of claim 6, wherein, The battery (1) can be switched between the charging interface of the combined adapter (2) and the battery replacement cabinet (3); when the battery (1) is electrically connected with the charging interface of the battery replacement cabinet (3), it is in a charging or fully charged state, and when the battery (1) is placed in the combined adapter (2) connected to electrical equipment, it is in a state of being able to supply power to electrical equipment.

11. A battery swap cabinet, characterized in that, The battery replacement system of claim 1.

12. The battery swap cabinet according to claim 11, characterized in that, Comprising: A cabinet body (31); A plurality of battery placement positions are provided on the cabinet body (31) for placing batteries; A plurality of charging interfaces are provided on each battery placement position for charging the corresponding battery; A plurality of locking and unlocking mechanisms are provided on the cabinet body (31); Each battery placement position corresponds to at least one locking and unlocking mechanism, which can be switched between a locked state and an unlocked state, and in the locked state, the battery is locked in the corresponding battery placement position, and in the unlocked state, the battery is unlocked; A processor executes the battery replacement cabinet management method and outputs a control signal to control the locking and unlocking mechanism to switch between the locked state and the unlocked state.

13. The battery swapping cabinet according to claim 12, characterized in that, Further comprising a detection device, the detection device comprising: a battery internal resistance detection mechanism (341) having an output connected to an input of the processor for detecting the internal resistance of the battery; and / or, A battery capacity detection mechanism (343) having an output connected to an input of the processor for detecting the capacity of the battery; and / or, A battery voltage detection mechanism (342) having an output connected to an input of the processor for detecting the voltage of the battery.

14. The battery swapping cabinet according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that, The cabinet body (31) is provided with at least one battery access (32) on the surface; The cabinet body (31) is provided with at least two charging seats (33) inside, each of which serves as a battery placement position; any of the charging seats (33) can be aligned with the battery access (32).

15. The battery swapping cabinet according to claim 14, characterized in that, The cabinet body (31) of the battery replacement cabinet further comprises: At least two sprockets (3522) rotatably disposed in the cabinet body (31); A ring chain (3521) is arranged around the at least two sprockets (3522); all the charging bases (33) are sequentially fixed on the outer wall of the ring chain; A driving mechanism is connected with the at least one sprocket (3522) and used to drive the sprocket (3522) to rotate so as to drive the ring chain (3521) to move, so that any charging base (33) on the outer wall of the ring chain (3521) can be aligned with the battery access (32).

16. The battery swapping cabinet according to claim 15, characterized in that, Any charging base (33) comprises: A first seat body (331) having a placement cavity with one end as a taking and placing opening, the placement cavity serving as a battery placement position; A cover body (332) having one side wall end rotatably arranged on the taking and placing opening; The locking and unlocking mechanism is arranged on at least one of the first seat body (331) and the cover body (332), in the locking state, used to lock the cover body (332) on the first seat body (331) so that the cover body (332) covers the taking and placing opening; in the unlocking state, the other side wall end of the cover body (332) can be opened from the taking and placing opening.

17. The battery swapping cabinet according to claim 15, characterized in that, The ring chain (3521) moves along a second direction in which a line connecting the centers of the at least two sprockets is located; the cabinet (31) further comprises a moving and separating mechanism (3523) and a separating power slide rail (3524); The moving and separating mechanism (3523) moves in a first direction, is slidably arranged on the separating power slide rail (3524), and has a sliding direction perpendicular to the first direction; the first direction and the sliding direction are located in the same plane, and the second direction is perpendicular to the plane; Under the movement of the ring chain (3521), the moving and separating mechanism (3523) can be switched between any charging base and any battery access (32) when sliding on the separating power slide rail (3524); The moving and separating mechanism (3523) is used to take out or insert a single battery into the charging base (33) when moving in the first direction, and is used to take out or insert a single battery into the battery group assembling box (21) of the combined adapter (2) at the battery access (32) when moving in the second direction.

18. The battery swapping cabinet according to claim 15, characterized in that, The processor also records the empty charging base; and When controlling the battery swap cabinet to receive a battery, the processor controls the driving mechanism to act so that the empty charging base on the outer wall of the ring chain (3521) is aligned with the battery access (32); when controlling the battery swap cabinet to unlock a battery, the processor controls the driving mechanism to act so that the unlocked battery is aligned with the battery access (32).

19. The battery swapping cabinet according to any one of claims 15-18, characterized in that, The cabinet (31) further comprises a cable rotating distributor (3525) rotatably arranged in the cabinet (31); The cable rotating distributor (3525) is provided with a plurality of spaced elastic wires, the leading ends of the elastic wires are correspondingly connected with the charging base (33), and the cable rotating distributor (3525) is connected with a power supply; or, The side surface of the cable rotating distributor (3525) facing the charging base (33) is provided with a plurality of brushes distributed along the moving path of the annular chain (3521); and any charging base (33) is slidably connected with the brushes when the annular chain moves.

20. A battery swapping battery management system, comprising: The battery swap system according to claim 1.

21. The battery swapping and managing system according to claim 20, characterized in that, Comprise: A plurality of battery swap cabinets; A background management system connected with the processors of the battery swap cabinets; Wherein, the processors of the plurality of battery swap cabinets and / or the background management system execute a battery swap cabinet battery management method.

22. The battery swapping and management system according to claim 21, characterized in that, The background management system further executes the following steps: Obtain the geographical positions of the plurality of battery swap cabinets; Receive a battery swap cabinet query request of a user, and push the geographical positions of all battery swap cabinets closest and / or nearby to the user and related information thereof to the user.

23. The battery swapping and managing system according to claim 21, characterized in that, The background management system further executes the following steps: Real-time monitor the geographical positions of the battery swap cabinets where the retired batteries are located; When receiving a battery recycling request of a user, push the geographical positions of all battery swap cabinets closest and / or nearby to the user and where the retired batteries are located to the user.

24. The battery swapping and management system according to claim 21, wherein, The background management system further executes the following steps: Determine whether the unlocked retired battery is received by the battery swap system within a predetermined time period after the battery is unlocked; When the unlocked retired battery is not received within the predetermined time period, lock the user account of the retired battery.

25. The battery swapping and management system according to claim 21, wherein, The battery swap cabinet battery management method comprises the following steps before controlling the unlocking of the battery: Obtain the electrical parameters of a plurality of batteries in the battery swap cabinet, the plurality of batteries being of a uniform specification; Divide the plurality of batteries into at least two groups, wherein the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of the batteries in the same group are similar; In each single power request operation, select the batteries from the same group and control the battery swap cabinet to unlock the batteries for the user to take.

26. The battery swapping and managing system according to claim 25, characterized in that, The step of dividing the plurality of batteries into at least two groups, wherein the electrical parameters and / or charging curves of the batteries in the same group are similar, comprises: Use clustering method to naturally classify the batteries with similar electrical parameters, and aggregate the plurality of batteries into at least two groups according to the naturally screened data center; and / or, Use the electrical parameter-time curve in the constant current charging process of the battery as a classification object, and use a statistical algorithm to divide the curve characteristics into groups and classify, so as to divide the battery into at least two groups.

27. The battery swapping and management system according to claim 25, wherein, The electrical parameters include at least one of the following: open circuit voltage before the battery is converted to the battery swap cabinet and has not been charged, open circuit voltage, resistance, capacity after charging to a predetermined numerical voltage, open circuit voltage, resistance, capacity after the end of the battery charging process. 28.The battery swapping battery management system of claim 25, wherein, The power request operation includes battery replacement; and the step of selecting the batteries from the same group and controlling the battery swap cabinet to unlock the batteries for the user to take in each single power request operation, comprises: When receiving the battery replacement request of the user, the battery swap cabinet is controlled to receive the battery and determine whether an electric signal generated by the battery placed into the battery swap cabinet is received within a predetermined time period; When the electric signal is received within the predetermined time period, a battery is selected from the same group and the battery swap cabinet is controlled to be unlocked for the user to take; the step of controlling the battery swap cabinet to receive the battery and determining whether an electric signal generated by the battery placed into the battery swap cabinet is received is continued to be executed until the power use request operation is completed. 29.The battery swapping management system of any one of claims 25 to 28, wherein, After the step of obtaining the electrical parameters of the plurality of batteries in the battery swap cabinet, the method further comprises: determining the most unbalanced battery, which is the battery whose difference between the electrical parameter and the electrical parameters of other batteries reaches a predetermined condition; Before the step of dividing the plurality of batteries into at least two groups is executed, the most unbalanced battery is removed.

30. The battery swapping and management system according to claim 28, wherein, After receiving the battery replacement request of the user, the power use management data of the battery to be replaced or the battery replaced in the current power use request operation is obtained. 31.The battery swapping battery management system of claim 25, wherein, The power use request operation includes battery application; in each single power use request operation, the step of selecting the battery from the same group and controlling the battery swap cabinet to be unlocked for the user to take includes: When receiving the battery application request of the user, the number of batteries applied by the user and the battery swap authority are obtained, and the battery swap authority of the user includes the maximum number of batteries that can be applied by the user account; determining whether the number of batteries applied by the user exceeds the battery swap authority; When the number of batteries applied by the user does not exceed the battery swap authority, the battery is selected from the same group and the battery swap cabinet is controlled to be unlocked for the user to take. 32.The battery swapping battery management system of claim 25, wherein, The power use request operation further includes battery temporary storage; correspondingly, the battery swap cabinet battery management method further comprises: When receiving the battery temporary storage request of the user, the number of batteries applied by the user and the battery swap authority are obtained, and the battery swap authority of the user includes the maximum number of batteries that can be temporarily stored by the user account; determining whether the number of batteries applied by the user exceeds the battery swap authority; When the number of batteries applied by the user does not exceed the battery swap authority, the battery swap cabinet is controlled to receive the battery; the step is executed in a loop until the power use request operation is completed. 33.The battery swapping battery management system of claim 32, wherein, The power use request operation further includes battery return; correspondingly, the battery swap cabinet battery management method further comprises: When receiving the battery return request of the user, it is determined whether the battery corresponding to the user account is in a temporary storage state; when the battery corresponding to the user account is in a temporary storage state, the battery swap authority of the user account is adjusted according to the number of temporarily stored batteries, and the number of batteries in the temporary storage state in the user account is adjusted. 34.The battery swapping battery management system of claim 25, wherein, The power use request operation further includes battery recycling; correspondingly, the battery swap cabinet battery management method further comprises: When receiving the battery recycling request of the user, the battery swap cabinet is controlled to unlock a predetermined number of retired batteries for the user to collect. 35.The battery swapping management system of any one of claims 25, 31-34, wherein, Further comprising: determining whether the cumulative duration of the current power use request operation is greater than a predetermined duration; When the cumulative duration of the current power use request operation is greater than the predetermined duration, an error alarm information is sent to the user and the current power use request operation is terminated. 36.The battery swapping management system of any one of claims 25, 31-34, wherein, The battery swap cabinet battery management method further comprises: A bill or reward is calculated based on the battery taken by the user and sent to the user account.

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