Battery swapping system and method

Abstract

The application provides a battery replacing system and a battery replacing method. The battery replacing system comprises a battery pack, a battery compartment and a battery replacing platform, and further comprises a locking mechanism and an unlocking mechanism. The locking mechanism comprises a locking rod, a locking seat, a locking tongue and a connecting rod. One of the locking rod and the locking seat is connected to the battery pack, and the other is connected to the battery compartment. The locking seat is provided with a locking hole, and the locking hole has a locking opening. One end of the locking tongue is rotatably connected to the locking seat, and the other end is rotatably connected to the connecting rod. The unlocking mechanism comprises an unlocking rod and an unlocking driving assembly. The unlocking rod is rotatably connected to the battery replacing platform. During the process in which the unlocking driving assembly drags the unlocking rod to swing to an unlocking position, the unlocking rod pushes the connecting rod, and the connecting rod drags the locking tongue to separate from the locking opening to remove the obstruction to the locking rod, thereby realizing the unlocking operation of the locking mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure pertains to the field of battery swapping, and in particular to a battery swapping system and a battery swapping method. Background Technology

[0002] Fast-swap electric vehicles (ESVs) can meet their power needs by swapping batteries. The battery swapping process typically involves using a battery swapping platform to unlock the old battery pack from the EV and then insert and lock the new battery pack. The EV has a locking mechanism to secure the battery pack, and correspondingly, the battery swapping platform needs an unlocking mechanism.

[0003] During the battery pack unlocking process, the unlocking mechanism acts on the latch of the battery compartment, the latch disengages from the locking slot of the lock seat, and then the locking rod connected to the battery pack disengages from the lock seat through the lock hole and locking slot, thus realizing the unlocking operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above, it is necessary to provide a battery swapping system and method that can unlock the battery pack.

[0005] To this end, this disclosure first provides a battery swapping system, including a battery pack, a battery compartment and a battery swapping platform, and also includes a locking mechanism and an unlocking mechanism;

[0006] The locking mechanism includes a locking rod, a locking seat, a locking tongue, and a connecting rod. One of the locking rod and the locking seat is connected to the battery pack, and the other is connected to the battery compartment. The locking seat has a locking hole with a locking stop. One end of the locking tongue is rotatably connected to the locking seat, and the other end is rotatably connected to the connecting rod. The connecting rod is used to drive the locking tongue to rotate relative to the locking seat.

[0007] The unlocking mechanism includes an unlocking rod and an unlocking drive assembly. The unlocking rod is rotatably connected to the battery swapping platform, and the unlocking drive assembly is used to drive the unlocking rod to swing.

[0008] During the process of the unlocking drive assembly pulling the unlocking rod to the unlock position, the unlocking rod pushes the connecting rod, and the connecting rod pulls the locking tongue away from the locking stop to release the obstruction to the locking rod.

[0009] According to the battery swapping system, the connecting rod includes a traction part facing the unlocking rod, which is used to drive the connecting rod to move under the action of the unlocking rod.

[0010] According to the battery swapping system, at least one of the sides of the traction unit facing the unlocking rod or the sides of the unlocking rod facing the traction unit is a slope.

[0011] The battery swapping system also includes a sensor, the first sensor being triggered when the unlocking lever swings to the unlock position.

[0012] According to the battery swapping system, it also includes an actuating element, which is detachably connected to the unlocking rod and is used to actuate the locking tongue of the locking mechanism under the traction of the unlocking rod.

[0013] According to the battery swapping system, the unlocking drive assembly includes a first telescopic member, the output shaft of which is hinged to the unlocking rod for pulling the unlocking rod to swing.

[0014] According to the battery swapping system, the battery swapping platform further includes a lateral movement assembly for moving the locking rod and the locking seat of the locking mechanism relative to each other.

[0015] According to the battery swapping system, the lateral movement component includes:

[0016] The transverse block corresponding to the locking mechanism;

[0017] A lateral movement drive assembly is used to drive the lateral movement block to move, and through the lateral movement block, the locking rod is driven to enter or disengage from the locking port of the locking mechanism.

[0018] According to the battery swapping system, the battery pack is provided with a connecting block, and the lateral block is provided with a fork corresponding to the lock seat of the locking mechanism. The fork is used for the connecting block to be inserted into the lateral block to pull the lock seat and the lock rod to move relative to each other.

[0019] According to the battery swapping system, the lateral movement component includes multiple lateral movement blocks, and the lateral movement drive component includes:

[0020] The second driving element is connected to at least one of the aforementioned transverse blocks;

[0021] A timing belt, connected to the transverse block, is used to move synchronously with the battery pack to carry the battery pack when the second drive member moves the battery pack through the transverse block.

[0022] According to the battery swapping system, the lateral drive assembly includes a pair of synchronous belts, the second drive member includes a second telescopic member and a push plate, the second telescopic member is connected to the push plate, and both ends of the push plate are respectively connected to the synchronous belts through the lateral block.

[0023] According to the battery swapping system, the lateral movement assembly further includes a lateral movement spring connected to the lateral movement block for resetting the lateral movement block.

[0024] In addition, this disclosure also provides a battery swapping method, including the following steps:

[0025] When the distance between the battery swapping platform and the battery pack is less than a preset value, the unlocking drive component pulls the unlocking lever to swing toward the unlocking position.

[0026] During the swinging process, the unlocking lever moves the connecting rod of the locking mechanism, and the connecting rod drives the locking tongue of the locking mechanism to rotate relative to the lock seat;

[0027] The bolt moves out of the locking hole of the lock seat, thereby releasing the obstruction to the lock rod located in the lock hole.

[0028] According to the battery swapping method, when the distance between the battery swapping platform and the battery pack is less than a preset value, the lateral block of the lateral component connecting the battery swapping platform engages with the lock seat or lock rod.

[0029] After the bolt moves out of the locking hole of the lock seat, the method further includes: the lateral movement drive component of the lateral movement assembly drives the locking rod and the lock seat to move relative to each other through the lateral movement block until the locking rod disengages from the locking hole of the lock seat.

[0030] According to the battery swapping method, when the distance between the battery swapping platform and the battery pack is less than a preset value, the lock seat is embedded in the fork of the lateral block.

[0031] According to the battery swapping method, the unlocking lever actuates the locking mechanism's connecting rod during its swinging motion, including:

[0032] During the swinging process, the end of the unlocking lever pushes the connecting rod to move upward and horizontally simultaneously.

[0033] Compared to existing technologies, the battery swapping system and method described above drive the unlocking rod to swing through the unlocking drive component. During the swinging process of the unlocking rod to the unlock position, the unlocking rod pushes the connecting rod, which in turn drives the locking tongue to rotate and disengage from the locking port to remove the obstruction to the locking rod, thereby realizing the unlocking operation of the locking mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0034] To more clearly illustrate the specific implementation methods, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the implementation methods will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the battery swapping system.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the battery swapping system in its disassembled state.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the battery pack structure.

[0038] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the battery compartment.

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the locking mechanism in the locked state.

[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the locking mechanism in the unlocked state.

[0041] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the battery swapping platform.

[0042] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the toggle assembly.

[0043] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the transverse component.

[0044] Figure 10 This is a flowchart of the battery swapping method.

[0045] Explanation of main component symbols

[0046]

[0047]

[0048] The following detailed embodiments will further illustrate this disclosure in conjunction with the above-described drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0049] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this disclosure, the disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this disclosure; the described embodiments are merely a part of the embodiments of this disclosure, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this disclosure without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0050] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this disclosure.

[0051] In various embodiments, for ease of description and not limitation of this disclosure, the term "connection" used in the patent application specification and claims is not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "below," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship also changes accordingly.

[0052] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the battery swapping system. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the battery swapping system in its disassembled state. For example... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the battery swapping system includes a battery pack 10, a battery compartment 20, and a battery swapping platform 30. The battery compartment 20 is used to house and secure the battery pack 10, and the battery swapping platform 30 is used to transfer the battery pack 10 to the battery compartment 20, that is, to install the battery pack 10 into the battery compartment 20 or to transfer the battery pack 10 from the battery compartment 20 to the battery swapping platform 30.

[0053] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of battery pack 10. (See diagram below.) Figure 3 As shown, the battery pack 10 is used to provide electrical energy to the electric vehicle. To enable detachable connection to the battery compartment 20, as an example, the battery pack 10 has one or more locking rods 11 on its side for connecting to the battery compartment 20. In some embodiments, the side of the battery pack 10 may also have one or more connecting blocks 12 for horizontally moving the battery pack 10 via the connecting blocks 12.

[0054] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the battery compartment 20. (See diagram below.) Figure 4 As shown, the battery compartment 20 is used to house and secure the battery pack 10. In some embodiments, the battery compartment 20 can be fixed to an electric vehicle or disposed in other components storing the battery pack 10. The battery compartment 20 includes a frame 21, which is generally a through-frame structure at both ends, and can house the battery pack 10 within the battery compartment 20. Furthermore, the inner wall of the battery compartment 20 is provided with one or more locking mechanisms 40 for detachably connecting the battery pack 10.

[0055] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the locking mechanism 40 in the locked state. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the locking mechanism 40 in the unlocked state. (See diagram below.) Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, as an example, the locking mechanism 40 is used to lock the battery pack 10 to the lock seat 43. The lock seat 43 can be connected to other components, such as an electric vehicle or a battery compartment 20 housing the battery pack 10, to lock the battery pack 10 to the electric vehicle or the battery compartment 20. The locking mechanism 40 includes a connecting rod 41, a locking tongue 42, and a lock seat 43. One of the locking rod 11 and the lock seat 43 is connected to the battery pack 10, and the other is connected to the battery compartment 20. In this embodiment, the locking rod 11 is connected to the battery pack 10, and the lock seat 43 is disposed on the inner wall of the battery compartment 20.

[0056] The connecting rod 41 is used to simultaneously pull multiple latches 42 to rotate relative to the lock seat 43, thereby opening or closing the locking stop 432 of the lock seat 43, preventing or allowing the locking rod 11 to disengage from the lock hole 431 of the lock seat 43. Specifically, the connecting rod 41 is arranged horizontally and hinged to one or more latches 42. In this embodiment, the connecting rod 41 has a traction part 411 extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the connecting rod 41, the traction part 411 facing the unlocking rod 62, and is used to drive the connecting rod 41 to move under the action of the unlocking rod 62. The other end of the latch 42 is rotatably connected to the lock seat 43, protruding in the width direction at the middle position, and the other end is rotatably connected to the connecting rod 41, the connecting rod 41 being used to drive the latch 42 to rotate relative to the lock seat 43. The lock seat 43 is connected to other components, such as the battery compartment 20 or an electric vehicle. The lock base 43 has a horizontally extending lock hole 431, which has a locking port 432 communicating with the outside. Thus, the locking rod 11 connected to the battery pack 10 can enter the lock hole 431 through the locking port 432, and can also exit from the lock hole 431 through the locking port 432. Furthermore, the locking mechanism 40 may include one or more locking springs 44, one end of which is connected to the lock base 43 or the battery compartment 20, and the other end is connected to the connecting rod 41. These springs are used to reset the connecting rod 41 and to apply force to the connecting rod 41 to prevent the connecting rod 41 from rotating the latch 42 under vibration or other forces.

[0057] like Figure 5 As shown, in the locked state, the locking rod 11 is located inside the lock hole 431 of the lock seat 43, and the two ends of the locking tongue 42 are hinged to the connecting rod 41 and the lock seat 43 respectively. The protruding part in the middle is located inside the locking opening 432, preventing the locking rod 11 from disengaging from the lock hole 431. At this time, since the locking opening 432 of the lock hole 431 is in a closed state, the locking rod 11 is located inside the sealed lock hole 431 and cannot disengage from the lock hole 431 even under vibration.

[0058] like Figure 6As shown, under the action of external force, the traction part 411 of the connecting rod 41 moves upward and horizontally at the same time, thereby driving the locking tongue 42 to rotate relative to the lock seat 43. Then, the middle part of the locking tongue 42 disengages from the locking port 432 and opens the lock hole 431. In this way, the locking rod 11 can disengage from the lock hole 431 through the locking port 432, thereby unlocking the locking structure.

[0059] During the unlocking process of the locking mechanism 40, the inventors discovered that if the push rod is used to support the traction part 411 of the connecting rod 41 in the vertical direction, the traction part 411 needs to move laterally (determined by the rotation direction of the bolt 42) while moving upward. Therefore, during the support process of the push rod, there will inevitably be lateral movement between the push rod and the traction part 411 in the horizontal direction. On the one hand, this will wear down the push rod and the traction part 411, and on the other hand, there is also the problem that the bolt 42 may get stuck due to excessive friction, resulting in unlocking failure.

[0060] Figure 7 This is a structural schematic diagram of the battery swapping platform 30. (For example...) Figure 7 As shown, corresponding to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The locking mechanism 40 shown is included in the battery swapping platform 30. It includes an unlocking mechanism for unlocking the locking mechanism 40 on the electric vehicle. The unlocking mechanism moves the connecting rod 41 in a swinging manner, thereby enabling the connecting rod 41 to move simultaneously in the vertical and lateral directions, which effectively improves the unlocking reliability of the locking mechanism 40.

[0061] Specifically, the battery swapping platform 30 includes a vehicle body, with a walking mechanism at the bottom of the vehicle body for moving the battery pack 10 and for mounting the battery pack 10 to or from the electric vehicle. In some embodiments, the battery swapping platform 30 also includes a guide block 31 mounted on the vehicle body for guiding the battery pack 10 to move closer to or away from the vehicle body as the vehicle body approaches the battery pack 10.

[0062] In addition, the battery swapping platform 30 also includes an unlocking mechanism mounted on the vehicle body, including a toggle assembly 60 and a lateral movement assembly 50. The toggle assembly 60 is used to unlock the locking mechanism 40, and the lateral movement assembly 50 is used to move the locking rod 11 in the lateral direction, so that the locking rod 11 can be disengaged from the lock hole 431 through the locking port 432, or the locking rod 11 can be pushed from the locking port 432 into the lock hole 431.

[0063] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of the toggle assembly 60. (See diagram below.) Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the actuating assembly 60 is used to actuate the connecting rod 41, and includes a fixed base 64, an unlocking rod 62, an unlocking drive assembly, and sensors. The fixed base 64 is used to install and fix other components, the unlocking rod 62 is used to actuate the traction part 411 of the connecting rod 41, the unlocking drive assembly is used to drive the unlocking rod 62 to swing, and there are two sensors used to detect the swing position of the unlocking rod 62.

[0064] Specifically, the unlocking lever 62 corresponds to the latch 42 of the locking mechanism 40. The bottom of the unlocking lever 62 rotates relative to the fixed base 64, while the top swings relative to the fixed base 64 to either the unlocked or locked position. To extend the service life of the unlocking lever 62, a toggle element is provided at the top of the unlocking lever 62. This toggle element is detachably connected to the unlocking lever 62 and is used to actuate the latch 42 of the locking mechanism 40 under the traction of the unlocking lever 62. When the toggle element wears out, it can be replaced promptly. Furthermore, the toggle element 421 can also be made of materials with a high coefficient of friction, such as rubber or plastic, to increase the friction between the toggle element 11 and the connecting rod 11.

[0065] To control the upward and lateral displacement of the unlocking lever 62 actuating the connecting rod 41, at least one of the sides of the traction part 411 facing the unlocking lever 62 or the side of the unlocking lever 62 facing the traction part 411 is a slope. Please refer again to this embodiment. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The side of the connecting part facing the unlocking rod 62 is set as a slope, so as to push the connecting rod 41 to move upward and to the side at the same time. By setting an appropriate slope inclination, the displacement of the connecting rod 41 moving upward and to the side at the same time can be adjusted.

[0066] The unlocking drive assembly is connected to the unlocking rod 62 and is used to drive the unlocking rod 62 to swing to the locked position or the unlocked position. In this embodiment, the unlocking drive assembly includes a first telescopic member 61, the cylinder of the first telescopic member 61 is hinged to the fixed base 64, and the output shaft is hinged to the middle of the unlocking rod 62, for pulling the locking rod 11 to swing by extending or shortening.

[0067] When the first telescopic member 61 of the unlocking drive assembly retracts and pulls the unlocking rod 62 to swing to the locked position, there is no interaction force between the unlocking rod 62 and the traction portion 411 of the connecting rod 41. Preferably, it can be in a horizontal state to save space in the battery swapping platform 30. At this time, the connecting rod 41 is held in the locked position by the locking spring 44, and the middle part of the latch 42 abuts against the locking port 432, thereby preventing the locking rod 11 from disengaging from the lock hole 431. When the first telescopic member 61 of the unlocking drive assembly extends and pulls the unlocking rod 62 to swing to the unlocked position (preferably extending in the vertical direction), the unlocking rod 62, during the swing from the horizontal state to the vertical state, moves the connecting rod 41 to pull multiple latches 42 to rotate relative to the lock seat 43, thereby causing the middle part of the latches 42 to disengage from the locking port 432 to release the obstruction to the locking rod 11. At this time, the locking rod 11 can disengage from the lock hole 431 through the locking port 432.

[0068] The first sensor and the second sensor are used to detect the position of the unlocking lever 62. In some embodiments, the first sensor and the second sensor can be proximity switches. By setting the first sensor and the second sensor in appropriate positions, the first sensor can be triggered when the unlocking lever 62 swings to the unlock position, and the second sensor can be triggered when the unlocking lever 62 swings to the lock position.

[0069] Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram of the transverse component 50. (See diagram below.) Figure 9 As shown, the lateral movement component 50 is used to pull the locking rod 11 from the locking port 432 into or out of the lock hole 431. After the locking mechanism 40 is unlocked, in order to pull the locking rod 11 out of the lock hole 431, the lateral movement component 50 also needs to pull the lock seat 43 and the locking rod 11 to move relative to each other, so that the locking rod 11 moves along the lock hole 431 and finally comes out of the lock hole 431 through the locking port 432.

[0070] Specifically, the lateral movement assembly 50 includes a lateral movement block 51 and a lateral movement drive assembly. The lateral movement block 51 is used to engage the locking rod 11 or the locking seat 43, and the lateral movement drive assembly is used to drive the lateral movement block 51 to move. The lateral movement block 50 pulls the locking rod 11 or the locking seat 43 to move relative to each other until the locking rod 11 is disengaged from the lock hole 431 through the locking stop 432.

[0071] In this embodiment, the lateral moving block 51 corresponds to the lock seat 43, and there can be multiple lateral moving blocks 51. The lateral moving block 51 is movably connected to the vehicle body via a lateral moving guide rail 511 extending in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the top of the lateral moving block 51 has a fork 513 corresponding to the connecting block 12 of the battery pack 10. The fork 513 is used for the connecting block 12 to engage with the lateral moving block 51 to pull the battery pack 10 to move in the horizontal direction, so that the lock seat 43 moves relative to the locking rod 11. In some other embodiments, the lateral moving block 51 can also pull the locking rod 11 to move relative to the lock seat 43 by directly engaging with the locking rod 11. Those skilled in the art will understand that the lateral moving block 51 can also have other connection methods and docking parts depending on its position and structure, as long as it can pull the locking rod 11 and the lock seat 43 to move relative to each other.

[0072] A lateral drive assembly is used to drive the lateral block 51 to move, thereby causing the locking rod 11 to enter or disengage from the locking port 432 of the locking mechanism 40. As an example, the lateral drive assembly includes a second driver and a timing belt 52. The second driver is connected to at least one of the lateral blocks 51 and is used to drive the lateral block 51 to move along the lateral guide rail 511. The timing belt 52 is used to carry the battery pack 10 for synchronous movement. In some embodiments, the timing belt 52 bypasses a timing wheel rotatably connected to the vehicle body to carry the battery pack 10 in a horizontal direction; in other embodiments, the timing belt 52 may bypass a guide plate to move relative to the guide plate while carrying the battery pack 10.

[0073] Please refer to the previous document. Figure 9 In this embodiment, the lateral drive assembly includes a pair of synchronous belts 52. The second drive component includes a second telescopic member 54 and a push plate 53. The second telescopic member 54 can be a cylinder, a motor, a ball screw, or other structures. The second telescopic member 54 is connected to the push plate 53. Both ends of the push plate 53 are connected to the synchronous belts 52 via the lateral block 51, and are movably connected to the vehicle body via the push plate guide rail 531. In order to reset the lateral block 51 in a timely manner, in this embodiment, the lateral assembly 50 also includes a lateral spring 512. The lateral spring 512 is connected to the lateral block 51 and is used to reset the lateral block 51.

[0074] During operation, the second telescopic component 54 drives the lateral moving blocks 51 on both sides to move via the push plate 53. The lateral moving blocks 51 pull the connecting block 12 of the battery pack 10 to move, causing the battery pack 10 to move horizontally. To reduce friction between the battery pack 10 and the vehicle body, the lateral moving blocks 51, while pulling the battery pack 10 horizontally, also drive the synchronous belt 52 to move synchronously. During the movement of the synchronous belt 20 and the battery pack 10, the speed of the synchronous belt 52 is synchronized with the speed of the lateral moving blocks 51, so that there is no speed difference between the battery pack 10 and the synchronous belt 52 and no relative movement. In this way, when the battery pack 10 moves horizontally and falls into the synchronous belt 52, the relative movement between the battery pack 10 and the synchronous belt 52 can be reduced, reducing the risk of the battery pack 10 being scratched during the lateral movement and protecting the battery pack 10. After the lateral moving blocks 51 pull the locking rod 11 and the locking seat 43 to move relative to each other, the return spring pulls the lateral moving blocks 51 back to their original position, realizing the reset action.

[0075] Figure 10 This is a flowchart of the battery swapping method, which is described below. Figure 10 Please describe the battery swapping method in detail. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the battery swapping method includes steps S101 to S104. In the initial state, the first telescopic member 61 is in a retracted state, and the unlocking lever 62 is pulled to a horizontal position (i.e., locked state). When the distance between the battery swapping platform 30 and the battery pack 10 is less than a preset value, the lateral movement block 51 of the lateral movement assembly 50 connecting the battery swapping platform 30 engages with the connecting block 12. In this embodiment, when the battery swapping platform 30 is close to the battery pack 10, the forks 513 of the lateral movement block 51 are inserted into both sides of the connecting block 12.

[0076] Step S101: When the distance between the battery swapping platform 30 and the battery pack 10 is less than a preset value, the first telescopic member 61 of the unlocking drive assembly pulls the unlocking lever 62 to swing vertically (i.e., the unlocking position). In this step, the battery swapping platform 30 can be driven by other components to move the electric vehicle or at least one of the battery swapping platform 30 vertically, so that the battery swapping platform 30 and the battery pack 10 move closer to each other until the distance is less than the preset value. When the distance between the battery swapping platform 30 and the battery pack 10 is less than the preset value, the connecting block 12 is embedded in the fork 513 of the lateral moving block 51.

[0077] Step S102: During the swinging process, the unlocking lever 62 actuates the connecting rod 41 of the locking mechanism 40, and the connecting rod 41 drives the locking tongue 42 of the locking mechanism 40 to rotate relative to the lock seat 43. In this step, during the swinging process, the actuating element 621 of the unlocking lever 62 contacts the traction part 411 of the connecting rod 41, actuating the unlocking lever 62. During the swinging process, the end of the unlocking lever 62 pushes the connecting rod 41 to move simultaneously upward and horizontally through the traction part 411.

[0078] Step S103: The locking tongue 42 moves out of the locking port 432 of the lock hole 431 of the lock seat 43, thereby releasing the obstruction to the locking rod 11 located in the lock hole 431 and unlocking the locking mechanism 40. After unlocking, since the unlocking rod 62 is in the unlocked position in a generally vertical state, it can prevent the traction part 411 from returning to the locked state unexpectedly.

[0079] Step S104: The lateral movement drive assembly of the lateral movement assembly 50 pulls the locking rod 11 and the locking seat 43 relative to each other via the lateral movement block 51 until the locking rod 11 disengages from the locking stop 432 of the lock hole 431 from the locking seat 43. Afterwards, the unlocking rod 62 swings to a horizontal position under the traction of the unlocking drive assembly, thus saving space.

[0080] The aforementioned battery swapping system and method drive the unlocking rod 62 to swing through the unlocking drive assembly. During the swinging process of the unlocking rod 62 to the unlock position, the unlocking rod 62 pushes the connecting rod 41, which in turn drives the locking tongue 42 to rotate and disengage from the locking port 432 to release the obstruction to the locking rod 11, thereby realizing the unlocking operation of the locking mechanism 40.

[0081] In the several specific embodiments provided in this disclosure, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this disclosure is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that this disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be embraced within this disclosure. Furthermore, it is clear that the word "comprising" does not exclude other units or steps, and the singular does not exclude the plural. Terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used to denote names and do not indicate any particular order.

[0082] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this disclosure and are not intended to limit it. Although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions to the technical solutions of this disclosure should not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery swapping system, comprising a battery pack, a battery compartment, and a battery swapping platform, characterized in that, It also includes locking and unlocking mechanisms; The locking mechanism includes a locking rod, a locking seat, a locking tongue, and a connecting rod. One of the locking rod and the locking seat is connected to the battery pack, and the other is connected to the battery compartment. The locking seat has a locking hole with a locking stop. One end of the locking tongue is rotatably connected to the locking seat, and the other end is rotatably connected to the connecting rod. The connecting rod is used to drive the locking tongue to rotate relative to the locking seat. The unlocking mechanism includes an unlocking rod and an unlocking drive assembly. The unlocking rod is rotatably connected to the battery swapping platform, and the unlocking drive assembly is used to drive the unlocking rod to swing. During the process of the unlocking drive assembly pulling the unlocking rod to the unlock position, the unlocking rod pushes the connecting rod, and the connecting rod pulls the locking tongue away from the locking stop to release the obstruction to the locking rod; The connecting rod includes a traction part facing the unlocking rod, which is used to drive the connecting rod to move under the action of the unlocking rod; The side of the traction unit facing the unlocking rod or the side of the unlocking rod facing the traction unit is at least one of a slope; The unlocking drive assembly includes a first telescopic member, the output shaft of which is hinged to the unlocking rod for pulling the unlocking rod to swing. The battery swapping platform also includes a lateral movement assembly for moving the lock seat of the locking rod and the locking mechanism relative to each other; The lateral movement component includes: The transverse block corresponding to the locking mechanism; A lateral movement drive assembly is used to drive the lateral movement block to move, and through the lateral movement block, the locking rod is driven to enter or disengage from the locking port of the locking mechanism. The lateral movement component includes multiple lateral movement blocks, and the lateral movement drive component includes: The second driving element is connected to at least one of the aforementioned transverse blocks; A timing belt, connected to the transverse block, is used to move synchronously with the battery pack to carry the battery pack when the second drive member moves the battery pack through the transverse block.

2. The battery swapping system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a sensor that is triggered when the unlocking lever is swung to the unlock position.

3. The battery swapping system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a toggle element, which is detachably connected to the unlocking lever and is used to actuate the linkage under the traction of the unlocking lever.

4. The battery swapping system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The battery pack is provided with a connecting block, and the transverse block is provided with a fork. The fork is used for the connecting block to be inserted into the transverse block to pull the lock seat and the lock rod to move relative to each other.

5. The battery swapping system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The lateral drive assembly includes a pair of synchronous belts, the second drive member includes a second telescopic member and a push plate, the second telescopic member is connected to the push plate, and both ends of the push plate are connected to the synchronous belts through the lateral block.

6. The battery swapping system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The lateral movement assembly also includes a lateral movement spring connected to the lateral movement block for resetting the lateral movement block.

7. A battery swapping method, characterized in that, Applied to the battery swapping system as described in claim 1, the battery swapping method includes the following steps: When the distance between the battery swapping platform and the battery pack is less than a preset value, the unlocking drive component pulls the unlocking lever to swing toward the unlocking position. During the swinging process, the unlocking lever moves the connecting rod of the locking mechanism, and the connecting rod drives the locking tongue of the locking mechanism to rotate relative to the lock seat; The bolt moves out of the locking stop of the lock hole of the lock seat, thereby releasing the obstruction to the lock rod located in the lock hole; The unlocking lever actuates the locking mechanism's linkage during its swinging motion, including: During the swinging process, the end of the unlocking lever pushes the connecting rod to move simultaneously upward and horizontally.

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