Battery replacement equipment

Abstract

The present application provides a battery exchange device, which includes: a platform; a support mechanism connected to the platform and used to support the battery pack to move relative to the platform; a guide mechanism, including a first guide fork, the first guide fork is movably connected to the platform and used to pull the battery pack to move after the support mechanism carries the battery pack so as to move the mounting seat of the battery pack out of the opening of the lock slot. After the above-mentioned battery exchange device supports the battery pack through the support mechanism, the first guide fork of the guide mechanism first engages the mounting seat of the battery pack, and then pulls the battery pack to move laterally on the support mechanism through the mounting seat, so that the mounting seat can be moved out of the opening of the lock slot of the locking mechanism of the electric vehicle, thereby detaching the battery pack from the electric vehicle and transferring it to the battery exchange device. The entire battery exchange process is simple and efficient, which greatly shortens the time for replacing battery packs in electric vehicles and improves the efficiency of battery exchange.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of battery replacement equipment, and in particular to a battery replacement equipment. Background Art

[0002] In order to improve the endurance of electric vehicles, the battery pack can be installed on the electric vehicle, and the battery pack can be removed at any time and replaced with a new one. When the battery pack needs to be removed from the bottom of the electric vehicle, the unlocking mechanism of the battery swapping device needs to be used to unlock the locking mechanism on the electric vehicle and remove the battery pack from the electric vehicle. However, the existing battery swapping equipment is relatively complex in structure and large in size, and the control is relatively cumbersome. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the above, it is necessary to provide a battery replacement device that can easily replace the battery pack for an electric vehicle.

[0004] To this end, the present invention provides a battery replacement device for replacing a battery pack for an electric vehicle, comprising:

[0005] platform;

[0006] A supporting mechanism, connected to the platform and used to support the battery pack to move relative to the platform;

[0007] The guide mechanism includes a first guide fork, which is movably connected to the platform and is used to pull the battery pack to move after the support mechanism carries the battery pack so as to move the mounting seat of the battery pack out of the opening of the locking groove of the locking mechanism.

[0008] Preferably, the supporting mechanism comprises a roller group, wherein the roller group comprises one or more rollers, and the rollers are rotatably connected to the platform to support the battery pack to move relative to the platform.

[0009] Preferably, the guide mechanism further includes a guide driving member, wherein the guide driving member connects the first guide fork and the platform and is used for pulling the first guide fork to move.

[0010] Preferably, the guide mechanism further includes a second guide fork, which is connected to the platform and is used for clamping the mounting seat after the support mechanism carries the battery pack.

[0011] Preferably, an unlocking mechanism is further included, wherein the unlocking mechanism includes an unlocking rod, and the unlocking rod is connected to the platform and is used to support the locking mechanism of the battery pack to unlock the battery pack when the supporting mechanism carries the battery pack.

[0012] Preferably, the unlocking rod is rotatably connected to the platform in a vertical plane, and the unlocking mechanism further comprises an unlocking drive member, which is connected to the unlocking rod and is used to drive the unlocking rod to dock with or deviate from the locking mechanism of the battery pack.

[0013] Preferably, the unlocking mechanism further comprises a connecting seat, the connecting seat is movably connected to the platform, and the unlocking rod and the unlocking driving member are connected to the connecting seat.

[0014] Preferably, the unlocking mechanism further includes a first elastic member, wherein the first elastic member connects the connecting seat and the platform and is used for resetting the connecting seat.

[0015] Preferably, the unlocking mechanism further comprises a limit block, which is connected to the platform and is located in the moving path of the connecting seat to stop the connecting seat.

[0016] Preferably, the unlocking rod comprises a sleeve, a second elastic member and a push rod, the sleeve is rotatably connected to the connecting seat, the push rod is movably connected to the sleeve along the axial direction of the sleeve, and the second elastic member abuts between the sleeve and the push rod along the axial direction.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, after the above-mentioned battery exchange equipment supports the battery pack through the supporting mechanism, the first guide fork of the guiding mechanism first engages the mounting seat of the battery pack, and then the mounting seat is used to pull the battery pack to move laterally on the supporting mechanism, so that the mounting seat can be moved out of the opening of the lock slot of the locking mechanism of the electric vehicle, thereby detaching the battery pack from the electric vehicle and transferring it to the battery exchange equipment. The entire battery exchange process is simple and efficient, which greatly shortens the time for replacing the battery pack of the electric vehicle and improves the battery exchange efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods, the drawings required for use in the description of the implementation methods will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of the battery replacement equipment.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of the locking mechanism.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a structural diagram of the guide mechanism.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the unlocking mechanism.

[0023] Main component symbols

[0024]

[0025]

[0026] The following specific implementations will further illustrate the present disclosure in conjunction with the above-mentioned drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to more clearly understand the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to fully understand the present disclosure, and the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. The terms used in the specification herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0029] In each embodiment, for the convenience of description and not to limit the present disclosure, the term "connection" used in the patent specification and claims of the present disclosure is not limited to physical or mechanical connection, but may include electrical connection, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "below", "left", "right", etc. are only used to indicate relative position relationship. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative position relationship also changes accordingly.

[0030] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery replacement equipment. Figure 1 As shown, the battery swapping device is used to replace the battery pack for the electric vehicle, that is, to unlock the battery pack from the electric vehicle and move it to the battery swapping device, and to move the battery pack of the battery swapping device to the electric vehicle. In some embodiments, the battery pack is movably connected to the bottom of the electric vehicle through a locking mechanism 60. When the battery pack needs to be replaced, the battery swapping device moves to the bottom of the electric vehicle, and the locking mechanism 60 is operated to move the battery pack to the battery swapping device. Then, the battery swapping device moves the battery pack to a preset position, reloads a battery pack to be replaced, and then moves to the bottom of the electric vehicle again to replace the battery pack to be replaced with the electric vehicle.

[0031] Specifically, the battery exchange device includes a platform 10, a walking mechanism 20, a supporting mechanism 30, a guiding mechanism 40 and an unlocking mechanism 50. The platform 10 is used to support other mechanisms or mechanisms, and the walking mechanism 20 is connected to the platform 10, and is used to drive the platform 10 to move along a preset route. The supporting mechanism 30 is used to support the battery pack, and the guiding mechanism 40 is used to guide the battery pack to move laterally, so as to move the battery pack from the electric vehicle to the battery exchange device, or to move the battery pack to the locking mechanism 60 of the electric vehicle. The unlocking mechanism 50 is used to release the connection between the battery pack and the locking mechanism 60 of the electric vehicle or to lock the connection between the battery pack and the locking mechanism 60 to prevent the battery pack from falling off due to vibration or action of external forces.

[0032] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the locking mechanism 60. Figure 2 As shown, the battery pack can be connected to the electric vehicle through the locking mechanism 60. Specifically, as Figure 2 As shown, the locking mechanism 60 is located on the inner circumference of the fixing seat at the bottom of the electric vehicle, and the locking mechanism 60 includes a lock base 61, a lock link 62 and a lock plate 63. The lock base 61 is provided with a lock slot 611, and the lock slot 611 has an opening 612. One end of the lock plate 63 is hinged to the lock link 62, and the other end is hinged to the lock base 61. In this way, the lock link 62 can drive the lock plate 63 to rotate. A mounting seat is provided on the circumference of the battery pack. When the battery pack is installed in the fixing seat, the mounting seat of the battery pack is fixed in the lock base 61. When the lock link 62 moves relative to the lock base 61, the lock base 61 can switch between a locked state and an unlocked state. Specifically, the mounting seat is moved from the entrance of the lock slot 611 into the lock slot 611 until it reaches the locked position. After the lock plate 63 is lowered, it blocks the opening 612 of the lock slot 611, thereby locking the mounting seat in the lock slot 611, and the lock base 61 is in a locked state. When the battery pack needs to be removed from the fixing seat, the mounting seat of the battery pack needs to be removed from the lock slot 611 of the lock base 61, and the lock base 61 is in an unlocked state. Specifically, the lock link 62 moves, driving the lock plate 63 to rotate, causing the lock plate 63 to retract, so that the mounting seat of the battery pack can be removed from the lock slot 611 (such as Figure 2 The lock link 62 is provided with an unlocking point. During the disassembly of the battery pack, the unlocking rod 52 presses against the unlocking point of the lock link 62 ( Figure 2 F direction shown), so that the locking piece 63 is retracted.

[0033] The walking mechanism 20 is used to pull the platform 10 of the battery exchange device to move. In this embodiment, as an example, the walking mechanism 20 includes a walking wheel 24, a walking motor 21, a sprocket 22 and a chain 23. There can be four walking wheels 24, which are rotatably connected to the platform 10 to support the movement of the platform 10. The walking motor 21 is installed on the platform 10, and the output shaft is connected to the sprocket, so that the sprocket can be driven to rotate. The two ends of the chain 23 are fixed at both ends of the walking route of the battery exchange device, and the sprocket is engaged with the chain 23. During operation, the walking motor 21 drives the sprocket to engage the chain 23 to rotate, so that it can "crawl" along the chain 23, and the battery exchange device is pulled back and forth along the length direction of the chain 23 by the chain 23. However, those skilled in the art may also adopt other structures to realize the walking function of the battery exchange device, such as directly driving the walking wheel 24 to rotate by a motor, or driving the battery exchange device to slide by a linear motor or other structure.

[0034] The support mechanism 30 is used to support the battery pack. Specifically, when the battery pack is moved from the electric vehicle to the battery exchange device, the battery exchange device approaches the battery pack until the support mechanism 30 approaches the battery pack to support the battery pack, so that the battery pack can be unlocked by the support mechanism 30 moving laterally relative to the platform 10 (i.e., along the horizontal plane), and after being disengaged from the locking mechanism 60, it can be supported by the support mechanism 30. In the process of transferring the battery pack from the battery exchange device to the electric vehicle, the support mechanism 30 supports the battery pack to approach the electric vehicle, so that the battery pack moves laterally relative to the platform 10 on the support mechanism 30 and is connected to the electric vehicle. Specifically, in this embodiment, the support mechanism 30 is used to support the movement of the battery pack relative to the platform 10, including two groups of rollers 31, and the rollers 31 include one or more rollers 31 and a roller seat 32. The roller seat 32 is connected to the platform 10 along the direction of the lateral movement of the battery pack, and the roller 31 is rotatably connected to the roller seat 32 to support the movement of the battery pack relative to the platform 10.

[0035] Figure 3 : is a schematic diagram of the structure of the guide mechanism 40. The guide mechanism 40 includes a first guide fork 41, a second guide fork 42 and a guide drive 411. The top of the first guide fork 41 is in a "U"-shaped structure, and the bottom is movably connected to the platform 10, and is used to pull the battery pack to move after the support mechanism 30 supports the battery pack so as to move the mounting seat of the battery pack out of the opening 612 of the lock slot 611 of the locking mechanism 60 of the battery pack. The guide drive 411 connects the first guide fork 41 and the platform 10, and is used to pull the first guide fork 41 to move. The second guide fork 42 is connected to the platform 10, and is used to clamp the mounting seat after the support mechanism 30 supports the battery pack.

[0036] Figure 4Schematic diagram of the structure of the unlocking mechanism 50. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the unlocking mechanism 50 includes a connecting seat 51, an unlocking rod 52, and an unlocking driving member 53. The connecting seat 51 is generally in the shape of a long strip, and one or more sliders 511 are connected to the bottom. The platform 10 is also provided with a slide rail 512, and the slider 511 is slidably connected to the slide rail 512, so that the connecting seat 51 can be moved along the length direction of the slide rail 512 through the slider 511. In some embodiments, the unlocking mechanism 50 also includes a first elastic member 54, and the first elastic member 54 connects the connecting seat 51 and the platform 10, and is used to reset the connecting seat 51. In addition, the unlocking mechanism 50 also includes a limit block 55, and the limit block 55 is connected to the platform 10 and is located in the moving path of the connecting seat 51 to stop the connecting seat 51. In this way, through the mobile connection of the connecting seat 51, the unlocking rod 52 has a certain degree of freedom in the process of supporting the locking mechanism 60, allowing the unlocking rod 52 and the locking mechanism 60 to have an error within a certain range during the contact process.

[0037] The unlocking lever 52 is rotatably connected to the platform 10, and is used to support the locking mechanism 60 of the battery pack when the supporting mechanism 30 supports the battery pack, so that the locking mechanism 60 supports the lock link 62 to move relative to the lock base 61, and the lock link 62 pulls the lock plate 63 to rotate and move out of the opening 612 of the lock groove 611 to unlock the mounting seat. Specifically, the unlocking lever 52 includes a sleeve 521, a second elastic member 522 and a push rod 523, the sleeve 521 is rotatably connected to the connecting seat 51, and the push rod 523 is connected to the sleeve 521 movably along the axial direction of the sleeve 521. In this embodiment, the push rod 523 also includes a guide pin 5231 extending in the radial direction, and the sleeve 521 is provided with a groove body extending in the axial direction. The guide pin 5231 is embedded in the groove body to guide the push rod 523 to move along the axial direction of the sleeve 521. The second elastic member 522 abuts between the sleeve 521 and the push rod 523 along the axial direction. In this way, the push rod 523 of the unlocking lever 52 can move relative to the sleeve 521 through the second elastic member 522, which can buffer the push rod 523 from supporting the lock link 62 and prevent the supporting lock link 62 from exceeding a preset position.

[0038] In this embodiment, the unlocking drive 53 is connected to the unlocking rod 52, and is used to drive the unlocking rod 52 to dock or deviate from the locking mechanism 60 of the battery pack. In the process of moving the battery pack from the battery exchange device to the electric vehicle, the unlocking drive 53 pulls the unlocking rod 52 to switch to an upright state (that is, it can dock with the lock link 62 of the locking mechanism 60), and as the platform 10 approaches the battery pack, the lock link 62 is supported to achieve the unlocking function. After the guide assembly moves the mounting seat of the battery pack laterally into the lock groove 611, the unlocking drive 53 pulls the unlocking rod 52 to deflect and no longer supports the lock link 62, so that the lock link 62 is reset, and the locking plate 63 is pulled to rotate to the position of the stop fixing seat, completing the locking action of the fixing seat of the locked battery pack. Then, the support mechanism 30 can follow the platform 10 to reset and detach from the battery pack.

[0039] The following combination Figure 1 The working process of the above-mentioned battery replacement equipment is described in detail.

[0040] 1) Transfer the battery pack from the electric vehicle to the battery swapping equipment.

[0041] First, the battery exchange device moves to the bottom of the electric vehicle and moves vertically close to the battery pack until the roller 31 of the support mechanism 30 approaches and supports the battery pack. During the approach process, the unlocking rod 52 of the unlocking mechanism 50 supports the lock link 62, and the lock link 62 drives the lock plate 63 to rotate, so that the lock plate 63 exits the opening 612 of the lock groove 611. At the same time, the U-shaped openings of the first fork and the second fork clamp the mounting seat of the battery pack.

[0042] Next, the guide drive member 411 drives the first fork to move laterally, so that the battery pack moves laterally relative to the platform 10 on the roller 31, and at the same time the mounting seat moves to the opening 612 of the locking slot 611. Under the action of gravity, the mounting seat of the battery pack moves out of the opening 612 of the locking slot 611 and is carried on the support mechanism 30.

[0043] Then, the support mechanism 30 of the battery exchange device moves away from the electric vehicle to complete the action of moving the battery pack out to the battery exchange device.

[0044] 2) Transfer the battery pack from the battery swapping equipment to the electric vehicle.

[0045] First, the battery exchange device moves to the bottom of the electric vehicle and moves vertically closer to the electric vehicle. During the approach, the unlocking rod 52 of the unlocking mechanism 50 supports the lock link 62, and the lock link 62 drives the lock plate 63 to rotate, so that the lock plate 63 exits the opening 612 of the lock groove 611. At this time, the U-shaped openings of the first fork and the second fork are clamped to the mounting seat of the battery pack.

[0046] Next, the guide driving member 411 drives the first shifting fork to move laterally, so that the battery pack moves laterally relative to the platform 10 on the roller 31 , and the mounting seat is moved from the opening 612 to the locking groove 611 .

[0047] Then, the unlocking drive 53 of the unlocking mechanism 50 pulls the unlocking rod 52 away from the locking link 62 of the locking mechanism 60, so that the locking plate 63 rotates to the position of the opening 612 of the stop lock groove 611 to prevent the mounting seat from moving out of the opening 612, thereby completing the locking action of the mounting seat.

[0048] Next, the support mechanism 30 of the battery exchange device moves away from the electric vehicle, and the battery pack is connected to the lock base 61 through the mounting base, completing the action of moving the battery pack out to the electric vehicle.

[0049] After the above-mentioned battery exchange equipment supports the battery pack through the support mechanism 30, the first guide fork 41 of the guide mechanism 40 first engages the mounting seat of the battery pack, and then pulls the battery pack through the mounting seat to move horizontally on the support mechanism 30, so that the mounting seat can be moved out of the opening 612 of the lock slot 611 of the locking mechanism 60 of the electric vehicle, thereby detaching the battery pack from the electric vehicle and transferring it to the battery exchange equipment. The entire battery exchange process is simple and efficient, which greatly shortens the time for replacing the battery pack of the electric vehicle and improves the battery exchange efficiency.

[0050] In the several specific embodiments provided in the present disclosure, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and that the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or basic features of the present disclosure. Therefore, no matter from which point of view, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-restrictive, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims are included in the present disclosure. In addition, it is obvious that the word "comprising" does not exclude other units or steps, and the singular does not exclude the plural. The words first, second, etc. are used to indicate names, and do not indicate any particular order.

[0051] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present disclosure rather than to limit it. Although the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solution of the present disclosure can be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery replacement device for replacing a battery pack for an electric vehicle, characterized in that: include: platform; A supporting mechanism, connected to the platform and used to support the battery pack to move relative to the platform; A guide mechanism, comprising a first guide fork, the first guide fork being movably connected to the platform and used to pull the battery pack to move after the support mechanism carries the battery pack so as to move the mounting seat of the battery pack out of the opening of the locking slot of the locking mechanism; It also includes an unlocking mechanism, the unlocking mechanism includes an unlocking rod, the unlocking rod is connected to the platform, and is used to support the locking mechanism of the battery pack to unlock the battery pack when the supporting mechanism carries the battery pack; The unlocking rod is rotatably connected to the platform in a vertical plane, and the unlocking mechanism further includes an unlocking driving member, which is connected to the unlocking rod and is used to drive the unlocking rod to dock with or deviate from the locking mechanism of the battery pack; The unlocking drive is used to pull the unlocking lever to switch to a vertical state to realize the unlocking function, or to pull the unlocking lever to deflect and deviate from the locking mechanism of the battery pack; The unlocking mechanism also includes a connecting seat, which is movably connected to the platform, and the unlocking rod and the unlocking drive are connected to the connecting seat; the unlocking mechanism also includes a first elastic member, which connects the connecting seat and the platform and is used to reset the connecting seat.

2. The battery replacement device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The supporting mechanism includes a roller group, and the roller group includes one or more rollers. The rollers are rotatably connected to the platform to support the battery pack to move relative to the platform.

3. The battery replacement device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide mechanism further includes a guide driving member, which is connected to the first guide fork and the platform and is used for pulling the first guide fork to move.

4. The battery replacement device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guide mechanism further includes a second guide fork, which is connected to the platform and is used for clamping the mounting seat after the support mechanism carries the battery pack.

5. The battery replacement device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The unlocking mechanism further comprises a limit block, which is connected to the platform and is located in the moving path of the connecting seat to stop the connecting seat.

6. The battery replacement device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The unlocking rod includes a sleeve, a second elastic member and a push rod, the sleeve is rotatably connected to the connecting seat, the push rod is movably connected to the sleeve along the axial direction of the sleeve, and the second elastic member abuts between the sleeve and the push rod along the axial direction.

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