A quick locking mechanism for automobile battery pack

Abstract

The present invention discloses a quick locking mechanism for a car battery pack, comprising a first lock body, a second lock body, and a locking assembly arranged in the second lock body, wherein the locking assembly comprises a plurality of rolling bodies and a rolling body retainer, wherein the rolling body retainer has a central hole cavity for the first lock body to be inserted, wherein the plurality of rolling bodies can move radially in the rolling body retainer, and have a locking position extending out of the central hole cavity and an escape position withdrawing from the central cavity, and the locking assembly further comprises a locking seat for switching the positions of the plurality of rolling bodies in the rolling body retainer. The locking assembly of the present invention separates the positioning function and the locking function, so that the locking and unlocking actions are more stable and more accurate, and a dead point of force is formed when locking, so that the locking is more stable and not easy to loosen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automobile battery pack replacement, and in particular to a quick locking mechanism for an automobile battery pack. Background Art

[0002] The locking and unlocking device of the automobile battery pack is widely used in the field of new energy vehicles. With the rise and development of the field of battery replacement for new energy vehicles, the speed and stability of locking and unlocking the battery pack during the battery replacement process are increasing. At the same time, due to the limitations of the locking structure of new energy vehicles, it is not easy to achieve fast locking and unlocking of the locking structure in the existing technology.

[0003] In the prior art, the locking devices of battery packs are mostly of the snap-on type or the threaded tightening type. After the snap-on type is locked and fixed, gaps may appear on the contact surface due to dimensional deviation or wear, causing shaking and aggravated wear; the threaded tightening type is very easy to cause damage to the threads during repeated disassembly and assembly, thereby reducing the service life.

[0004] The existing automotive battery pack locking and unlocking devices cannot meet the efficiency requirements during the battery replacement process of new energy vehicles, resulting in unsmooth locking and unlocking, thus affecting the time and efficiency of the entire battery replacement process. There is room for further optimization. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a quick locking mechanism for a vehicle battery pack, so as to make the locking and unlocking process of the vehicle battery pack quick and smooth.

[0006] To this end, the present invention provides a quick locking mechanism for an automotive battery pack, comprising a first lock body, a second lock body, and a locking assembly arranged in the second lock body, wherein the locking assembly comprises a plurality of rolling bodies and a rolling body retainer, wherein the rolling body retainer has a central hole cavity for the first lock body to be inserted, and the plurality of rolling bodies can move radially in the rolling body retainer, and have a locking position extending out of the central hole cavity and an avoidance position withdrawing from the central cavity, and the locking assembly also comprises a locking seat for switching the positions of the plurality of rolling bodies in the rolling body retainer.

[0007] Furthermore, a locking portion and an unlocking portion arranged along the axial direction are formed on the inner circumferential wall surface of the locking seat, wherein the locking portion is used to force the rolling body to extend out of the central hole cavity of the rolling body retainer, and the unlocking portion is used to avoid the rolling body retreating from the central hole cavity.

[0008] Furthermore, the rolling element retainer is in a cylindrical shape, and its ends are closed.

[0009] Furthermore, the radial slot holes of the rolling element retainer for retaining the rolling elements are shrinkage holes.

[0010] Furthermore, the first lock body has a columnar lock head and a lock groove in which the plurality of rolling bodies cooperate.

[0011] Furthermore, the locking seat sleeve is arranged outside the rolling element retainer and is screwed together by threads, so that when the locking seat is screwed from the outside, it can move axially relative to the rolling element retainer to switch the positions of the plurality of rolling elements in the rolling element retainer.

[0012] Furthermore, the above-mentioned locking assembly also includes a fixed ring, a movable ring, and a spring, wherein the movable ring can only slide axially relative to the locking seat, and has an initial position combined with the fixed ring. The movable ring is used to screw and lock the locking seat when it is in the initial position, and is used to screw and unlock the locking seat when it is away from the initial position, and the spring is used to force the movable ring to return to the initial position.

[0013] Furthermore, the movable ring and the locking seat are plug-fitted via a toothed groove, and / or the outer side of the movable ring and the fixed ring are plug-fitted via a toothed groove.

[0014] Furthermore, the first lock body is arranged on the vehicle body side, and the second lock body is arranged on the battery pack frame side.

[0015] Furthermore, the rolling element is replaced by a positioning pin.

[0016] Compared with the existing battery pack locking and unlocking device, the present invention has the following technical effects:

[0017] 1. The locking assembly of the present invention separates the positioning function and the locking function, so that the locking and unlocking actions are more stable and accurate, and the dead point of force formed during locking makes it more stable and not easy to loosen;

[0018] 2. The present invention can reduce manufacturing costs, simplify the structure, facilitate equipment repair and maintenance, and improve the utilization rate of equipment.

[0019] In addition to the above-described purposes, features and advantages, the present invention has other purposes, features and advantages. The present invention will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The drawings constituting a part of the present application are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 shows the locked state of the locking mechanism according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2shows the unlocked state of the locking mechanism according to the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 Shows a front view of the locking mechanism according to the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 Shows Figure 3 AA section view of the locking mechanism shown;

[0025] Figure 5 A locking assembly of a locking mechanism according to the present invention is shown;

[0026] Figure 6 An exploded structural view showing a locking mechanism according to the present invention; and

[0027] Figure 7 Shows Figure 6 The exploded structure view shown corresponds to the analyzed structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0029] Figure 1 The locking state of the locking mechanism is shown. Figure 2 The unlocking state of the locking mechanism is shown in FIG. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle body side parts and the battery pack frame side parts cooperate to achieve rapid locking and unlocking operations.

[0030] Figures 3 to 7 The detailed structure of the locking mechanism is shown in FIG. Figures 5 to 7 The locking mechanism mainly includes a first lock body 1, a locking assembly 2 and a second lock body 3.

[0031] The first lock body 1 is fixed to the vehicle body by threaded connection. The first lock body 1 is a cylindrical lock head, on which a lock groove is provided, and a plurality of radially arranged rolling bodies 25 can cooperate with the lock groove to achieve positioning and locking of the first lock body on the second lock body 3.

[0032] The second lock body 3 is fixed on the battery frame by welding or other means, and a locking assembly 2 is installed inside the second lock body 3 .

[0033] The locking assembly 2 is mainly composed of a fixed ring 21 , a movable ring 22 , a spring 23 , a locking seat 24 , a rolling body 25 and a rolling body retainer 26 .

[0034] The inner side of the fixed ring 21 has a toothed groove, and the inner and outer sides of the movable ring 22 have toothed grooves. The outer side of the locking seat 24 has a toothed groove. The matching relationship is as follows: a locking and unlocking operation channel 31 is formed between the fixed ring 21 and the locking seat 24. When the device is locked, the corresponding locking and unlocking fork lifts the movable ring 22 and squeezes the spring 23, so that the movable ring moves axially along the locking seat and separates from the fixed ring, and then the locking seat 24 can perform controlled rotational motion.

[0035] The rolling element 25 is located in the radial slot of the rolling element retainer 26. The inner peripheral wall of the locking seat 24 is divided into a locking portion 241 and an unlocking portion 242 along its axial direction, wherein the locking portion 241 contacts the rolling element, forcing the rolling element to radially protrude into the central cavity of the rolling element retainer 26. The unlocking portion 242 allows the rolling element 25 to retreat from the central cavity to the radial slot.

[0036] Preferably, the radial slot 261 is a shrinkage hole for preventing the rolling body from falling off.

[0037] The locking seat 24 and the rolling element holder 26 are screwed together by threads, and the locking seat 24 can move axially relative to the rolling element holder 26, and both the locking part and the unlocking part can contact the rolling element in a controlled manner. When the rolling element protrudes radially from the center hole of the rolling element holder 26, the rolling element is inserted into the locking groove of the first lock body to achieve locking. When the rolling element 25 retreats from the center hole, the first lock body is unlocked.

[0038] After the external locking fork is withdrawn, the spring rebounds back to the moving ring, so that the fixed ring, the moving ring and the locking seat are fixed to each other to prevent loosening.

[0039] Locking process: the corresponding locking and unlocking tooth shape lifts the movable ring 22, and at the same time the unlocking tooth engages with the tooth on the locking seat 24, which is relatively fixed in the circumferential direction, and at the same time squeezes the spring 23 to separate the movable ring 22 and the fixed ring 21 from each other. At this time, reverse rotation is performed to make the locking seat 24 move downward, leaving a groove space for the rolling body 25, and then the first lock body 1 squeezes the rolling body 25 and inserts it into the rolling body retainer 26 in the locking assembly, and then locks it.

[0040] The unlocking teeth drive the rotating locking seat 24, and the locking seat 24 and the rolling body retainer 26 move toward each other through threaded cooperation, squeezing the rolling body 25, so that the rolling body 25 is stuck in the locking groove of the first lock body 1, and the first lock body, the locking seat 24 and the rolling body retainer 26 squeeze the rolling body 25 in different directions. As the rotation depth increases, the first lock body 1 is stuck tighter, thereby achieving the fastening of the battery pack frame and the vehicle body; after the unlocking fork teeth are withdrawn, the spring 23 rebounds back to the moving ring 22, and the fixed ring 21, the moving ring 22 and the locking seat 24 are re-engaged and fixed to each other to prevent loosening, and the locking process of the locking device is completed.

[0041] Unlocking process: when unlocking, the unlocking fork lifts the moving ring 22, and then the locking seat 24 is rotated to unlock. At this time, the locking seat 24 and the retaining frame 26 connected by threads move in opposite directions, and the rolling body 25 is no longer squeezed. The first lock body 1 is pulled out to squeeze the rolling body 25 into the radial slot 261 of the retaining frame 26. At this time, the first lock body 1 can be separated from the locking assembly 2 and the second lock body 3, thereby realizing the separation of the battery pack and the vehicle body.

[0042] The locking seat 24 is designed in the locking mechanism to switch the positions of the plurality of rolling elements in the rolling element retainer. The operation mode of the locking seat is not limited to the threaded screwing described above (the locking seat moves relatively and the locking part and the unlocking part on the inner circumferential wall are arranged along its axial direction). The operation mode of the locking seat can also have other alternative modes, such as only rotating operation, for example, the three rolling elements rotate the locking seat at intervals of 60° to achieve the switching between locking and unlocking, and correspondingly, the locking part and the unlocking part on the inner circumferential wall of the locking seat are arranged one high and one low along its circumferential direction.

[0043] The rolling body, i.e., the steel ball, is designed in the locking mechanism to lock the cylindrical lock head, and the rolling body can be replaced by a positioning pin.

[0044] This locking mechanism achieves quick locking and unlocking requirements by locking the locking groove with a rolling body, and its structure is universal. Users can choose the solution according to their own layout and project requirements.

[0045] The present invention avoids the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art. The battery pack lock body and the vehicle lock body are fixed together through extrusion pressure in three directions. The spherical rolling body clamps the lock body. The wear and tear generated can be absorbed through the rotational extrusion force. At the same time, the equipment cost can be reduced, the difficulty of equipment repair and maintenance can be reduced, and the utilization rate of the equipment can be increased.

[0046] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A quick locking mechanism for a car battery pack, It is characterized in that The invention comprises a first lock body, a second lock body, and a locking assembly arranged in the second lock body. The locking assembly comprises a plurality of rolling bodies and a rolling body retainer, wherein the rolling body retainer has a central hole cavity for the first lock body to be inserted, and the plurality of rolling bodies can move radially in the rolling body retainer, and have a locking position extending out of the central hole cavity and an escape position exiting the central cavity, The locking assembly also includes a locking seat for switching the positions of the plurality of rolling elements in the rolling element retainer. The locking seat sleeve is arranged outside the rolling element retainer and is screwed together by a thread, so that when the locking seat is screwed by the outside, it can move axially relative to the rolling element retainer to switch the positions of the plurality of rolling elements in the rolling element retainer. The locking assembly further comprises a fixed ring, a movable ring, and a spring. An unlocking operation channel is formed between the fixed ring and the locking seat. The movable ring can only slide axially relative to the locking seat. The movable ring has an initial position combined with the fixed ring. The movable ring is used for screwing and locking the locking seat when in the initial position. The movable ring is used for screwing and unlocking the locking seat when away from the initial position. The spring is used to force the movable ring to return to the initial position. The movable ring is plugged into the locking seat via a toothed groove, and the outer side of the movable ring is plugged into the fixed ring via a toothed groove. The radial slot holes of the rolling element retainer for retaining the rolling elements are shrink holes.

2. The automotive battery pack quick locking mechanism according to claim 1, It is characterized in that A locking portion and an unlocking portion arranged along the axial direction are formed on the inner peripheral wall surface of the locking seat, wherein the locking portion is used to force the rolling body to extend out of the central hole cavity of the rolling body retainer, and the unlocking portion is used to avoid the rolling body retreating from the central hole cavity.

3. The automotive battery pack quick locking mechanism according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The rolling element retainer is in a cylindrical shape, and its ends are closed.

4. The automotive battery pack quick locking mechanism according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The first lock body has a columnar lock head and a lock groove matched with the plurality of rolling bodies.

5. The automotive battery pack quick locking mechanism according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The first lock body is arranged on the vehicle body side, and the second lock body is arranged on the battery pack frame side.

6. The automotive battery pack quick locking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, It is characterized in that The rolling elements are replaced by positioning pins.

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