Battery fixing device and fixing method for new energy battery swapping vehicle

Abstract

The present invention provides a battery fixing device and fixing method for a new energy battery swap vehicle. Without changing the original vehicle body structure, the present invention maximizes the uniformity of the vehicle body between the battery swap model and the non-battery swap model by directly installing studs on the vehicle body. The battery fixing device provided by the present invention includes: a fastening mechanism, a floating alignment mechanism, and an anti-loosening locking mechanism. The battery fixing device is fixed to the power battery pack housing, and does not require changes to the vehicle body structure or the addition of a battery adapter bracket. It has minimal sacrifice in ground clearance and is conducive to the standardized development of battery swapping for electric vehicles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of new energy vehicles, and in particular to a battery fixing device and a fixing method for a new energy battery replacement vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Compared to traditional fuel-powered vehicles, electric vehicles offer advantages such as environmental friendliness and a high degree of intelligence. They are crucial for energy conservation, emission reduction, and intelligent urban transportation, and are therefore becoming a strategic development direction for the future automotive industry. However, the high cost of electric vehicle batteries, their short range, and their long charging times—even in fast-charging mode, they still require approximately 30 minutes—are significant constraints on their development.

[0003] To address the difficulty of charging electric vehicles, battery swapping technology has emerged. Electric vehicles can use automated battery swapping equipment at battery swapping stations to swap depleted batteries with fully charged batteries on the battery rack, thereby ensuring the vehicle's range. The entire swap process generally takes less than five minutes, offering a new alternative to the long charging times required for electric vehicles. Currently, mainstream battery swapping methods include chassis swapping, module swapping, and side swapping. Chassis swapping is favored by more automakers due to its shorter swapping time, fully automated operation, and improved safety and performance.

[0004] Chassis battery replacement methods can be divided into threaded connection, snap-on connection and installation of battery adapter bracket, but there are still urgent problems to be solved, such as the need to change the chassis structure, reduce the vehicle's ground clearance and high maintenance costs. For example, the patent (CN217672242U) issued by Aulton New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. involves a quick-change bracket and an electric vehicle. The quick-change bracket includes a longitudinal beam, a cross beam and an adapter. While ensuring structural strength, the adapter is used to achieve fast and accurate connection between the cross beam and the longitudinal beam. See Figure 1 By installing the adapter bracket described in this patent under the vehicle body, electric vehicles that don't originally have a battery swapping function can quickly replace batteries, thereby achieving the purpose of rapid charging. However, this bracket increases the weight and width of the vehicle body and reduces the vehicle's ground clearance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a battery fixing device and fixing method for a new energy battery replacement vehicle. The battery fixing device is fixed to the power battery pack shell, does not require changing the vehicle body structure or adding a battery adapter bracket, and has minimal sacrifice in ground clearance while being conducive to the standardized development of electric vehicle battery replacement.

[0006] In order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a battery fixing device for a new energy battery swapping vehicle, the battery fixing device comprising:

[0007] A fastening mechanism, the fastening mechanism comprising a first connecting member, a first end of the first connecting member being provided on a door sill of the vehicle body;

[0008] A floating alignment mechanism comprising a second connecting member, a guide plate, and a transmission bracket. The second end of the first connecting member is detachably connected to the second connecting member through a battery pack fixing hole in the battery pack housing. The transmission bracket is provided with a plurality of transmission rods, some of which are connected to the second connecting member, and others are connected to the guide plate. The second connecting member is capable of displacement adjustment in the Y direction, and the guide plate is capable of displacement adjustment in the X direction.

[0009] An anti-loosening locking mechanism, comprising an elastic support member and a locking sleeve, wherein the elastic support member is installed between the guide plate and the second connecting member to support the second connecting member, and the locking sleeve is provided below the guide plate to lock the guide plate;

[0010] The X and Y directions are perpendicular to each other, and the X direction is the driving direction.

[0011] In one embodiment, the upper surface of the locking sleeve and the lower surface of the guide plate are provided with mutually matching teeth and grooves, and the upper surface of the locking sleeve and the lower surface of the guide plate are locked by the mutually matching teeth and grooves.

[0012] In one embodiment, the battery fixing device further includes a device shell, which is arranged on the outside of the battery fixing device. A device fixing hole is provided at the lower portion of the device shell for connecting with the battery pack shell.

[0013] In one embodiment, the fastening mechanism further includes a fixing member, which is arranged on the inner side of the vehicle body sill. The fixing member is provided with a through hole, the aperture of which matches the aperture of the chassis positioning hole in the vehicle body sill. The first end of the first connecting member is connected to the fixing member through the chassis positioning hole to be fixed on the vehicle body sill.

[0014] In one embodiment, the fixing member is a fixing nut.

[0015] In one embodiment, the second connecting member is a floating nut.

[0016] In one embodiment, the first end and the second end of the first connecting member are both provided with threads, the threads of the first end of the first connecting member match the internal threads of the fixing nut, and the threads of the second end of the first connecting member match the internal threads of the floating nut and can be detachably connected.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first connecting member is a stud bolt.

[0018] In one embodiment, the elastic support member is a return spring.

[0019] The present invention also proposes a battery fixing method for a new energy battery swapping vehicle, which is applied to the battery fixing device of the new energy battery swapping vehicle as described above, comprising the following steps:

[0020] The fully charged battery pack in the battery swap station rises so that the battery pack fixing hole on the battery pack shell is basically aligned with the first connecting member fixed on the vehicle door sill;

[0021] The locking and unlocking gun rises and the second connecting member is fully aligned with the first connecting member by adjusting the floating alignment mechanism;

[0022] When the second connecting member is aligned with the first connecting member, the transmission bracket and the guide plate fall onto the locking sleeve and are locked due to the action of gravity and the elastic member;

[0023] The movable sleeve on the locking and unlocking gun is rotated to connect and fix the second connecting member to the first connecting member.

[0024] The battery fixing device and fixing method of the new energy battery swapping vehicle of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0025] 1. The floating alignment mechanism of the present invention can realize rapid and precise alignment between the unlocking gun and the battery pack shell without manual operation. At the same time, the structure is simpler and more compact, the volume is smaller, and the mold opening and manufacturing costs of complex parts are saved.

[0026] 2. The thread is prevented from loosening by designing the tooth groove in the plane perpendicular to the thread axis, which effectively reduces the axial size of the device.

[0027] 3. The present invention directly utilizes the original battery pack fixing hole of the battery pack shell and connects the battery fixing device through threads, which basically does not require any changes to the original battery pack.

[0028] 4. Compared with setting the battery swap device on the car chassis, setting the battery swap device in the battery pack shell does not require changing the car chassis structure, maximizing the unification of the battery swap vehicle and non-battery swap vehicle bodies, while avoiding lowering the vehicle's ground clearance due to the use of a battery adapter bracket, affecting the vehicle's passing performance.

[0029] 5. Installing studs directly on the car body has higher reliability and longer service life. If the thread is damaged in the later stage, disassembly and repair will be more convenient and the repair cost will be lower.

[0030] 6. The battery fixing device in this aspect can be designed as a standard part and shared by multiple models, which will reduce costs and facilitate the standardization of battery replacement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a quick-change bracket in Chinese patent CN217672242U;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of a battery fixing device in a vehicle body of a new energy battery swapping vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of a battery fixing device for a new energy battery swapping vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 An exploded view of a floating alignment mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 sectional views of a floating alignment mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; wherein (a) is a schematic structural diagram of the floating alignment mechanism, (b) is a sectional view taken along section line AA in (a), and (c) is a sectional view taken along section line BB in (a);

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of an anti-loosening locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 It is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of a power battery pack;

[0038] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a battery fixing device for a new energy battery swapping vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 9 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the chassis of a vehicle model;

[0040] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a battery fixing method for a new energy battery swap vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Reference numerals

[0042] A1, longitudinal beam; A11, longitudinal beam body; A17, first longitudinal sub-segment; A18, second longitudinal sub-segment; A19, third longitudinal sub-segment; A153, third connecting hole; A2, cross beam; A21, cross beam body; A4, locking mechanism; A7, electrical connector; A9, limiting component;

[0043] 100. Vehicle door sill; 101. Chassis positioning hole; 200. Battery pack housing; 201. Battery pack fixing hole; 300. Battery fixing device; 31. Fastening mechanism; 32. Floating alignment mechanism; 33. Anti-loosening locking mechanism; 1. Stud; 2. Fixing nut; 3. Floating nut; 4. Device housing; 5. Reset spring; 6. Transmission bracket; 7. Guide plate; 8. Locking sleeve; 9. Device fixing hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0045] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the battery fixing device 300 of a new energy battery replacement vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a fastening mechanism 31, a floating alignment mechanism 32 and an anti-loosening locking mechanism 33. The fastening mechanism 31 includes a first connecting member, and the first connecting member is provided on the vehicle body door sill 100. The floating alignment mechanism 32 has reserved adjustment amounts in both the X and Y directions, so that displacement adjustment can be performed in the X and Y directions, which can realize automatic alignment during battery replacement, greatly improving the efficiency and success rate of battery replacement. The floating alignment mechanism 32 includes a second connecting member, a guide plate 7 and a transmission bracket 6, see Figure 4-5 . The second end of the first connecting member is detachably connected to the second connecting member through the battery pack fixing hole 201 on the battery pack shell 200. A plurality of transmission rods are provided on the transmission bracket 6, some of which are connected to the second connecting member, and the other transmission rods are connected to the guide plate 7, which can play the role of transmitting torque. The second connecting member can be adjusted in displacement in the Y direction, and the guide plate 7 can be adjusted in displacement in the X direction. The anti-loosening locking mechanism 33 and the floating alignment mechanism 32 share a guide plate 7. The anti-loosening locking mechanism 33 also includes an elastic support member and a locking sleeve 8, see Figure 6 The elastic support member is installed between the guide plate 7 and the second connecting member to support the second connecting member. The locking sleeve 8 is provided below the guide plate 7 to lock the floating alignment mechanism 32. The X and Y directions are perpendicular to each other, and the X direction is the driving direction.

[0046] Furthermore, the upper surface of the locking sleeve 8 and the lower surface of the guide plate 7 are each provided with mutually matching teeth and grooves, and the upper surface of the locking sleeve 8 and the lower surface of the guide plate 7 are locked by the mutually matching teeth and grooves, see Figure 6 In this embodiment, the tooth groove is preferably designed in a plane perpendicular to the thread axis.

[0047] Furthermore, the fastening mechanism further includes a fixing member. The fixing member is provided on the inner side of the vehicle body rocker 100. The fixing member is provided with a through hole, the aperture of which matches the aperture of the chassis positioning hole 101 in the vehicle body rocker 100. The first end of the first connecting member is connected to the fixing member through the chassis positioning hole 101 to be fixed to the vehicle body rocker 100. In this embodiment, the fixing member is preferably a fixing nut 2, see Figure 3 and Figure 8 .

[0048] In this embodiment, preferably, the second connecting member is a floating nut 3 .

[0049] Furthermore, the first end and the second end of the first connector are both provided with threads. The threads of the first end of the first connector match the internal threads of the fixing nut 2, and the threads of the second end of the first connector match the internal threads of the floating nut 3 and can be detachably connected.

[0050] In this embodiment, the first connecting member is preferably a stud bolt 1. Figure 9 As shown, the first end of the stud 1 passes through the chassis positioning hole 101 and is then threadedly connected to the fixing nut 2 to be fixed to the vehicle body door sill. The second end of the stud 1 passes through the battery pack fixing hole 201 and is threadedly connected to the floating nut 3.

[0051] The floating nut 3 floats on the transmission bracket 6 and has a reserve adjustment in the Y direction, allowing for alignment in the Y direction during battery replacement. The guide plate 7 provides guidance and positioning for the transmission bracket 6 and has a reserve adjustment in the X direction, allowing for appropriate movement in that direction.

[0052] Therefore, as the floating nut 3 rises, the transmission rods simultaneously move appropriately in the X and Y directions to achieve automatic alignment during battery installation and threaded connection with the stud 1. This floating alignment mechanism not only offers adjustability in both the X and Y directions, but also boasts a simple structure and high reliability, significantly reducing mold development, processing, and maintenance costs for complex parts.

[0053] In this embodiment, the elastic support member is a reset spring 5. The reset spring 5 is installed between the guide plate 7 and the floating nut 3. Figure 6 When the floating nut 3 rises and aligns with the stud 1, the return spring 5 primarily supports the floating nut 3, preventing it from sliding down and falling off. The lower surface of the guide plate 7 and the upper surface of the locking sleeve 8 are provided with tooth grooves. Once the floating nut 3 is threadedly connected to the stud 1, the transmission bracket 6 and guide plate 7 fall onto the locking sleeve 8 due to gravity and the return spring 5. They are locked in place by the tooth grooves on the surface, preventing the battery from loosening or falling off due to external forces or vibrations after installation, greatly improving the reliability of battery fixation.

[0054] Furthermore, the battery fixing device 300 further includes a device housing 4. The device housing 4 is provided on the outside of the battery fixing device 300 to protect the battery fixing device from failure due to impact and ensure the normal operation of the battery fixing device. A device fixing hole 9 is provided at the bottom of the device housing 4, which can be connected to the battery pack housing 200 by a threaded connection, see Figure 8 Therefore, there is no need to install a battery adapter bracket on the car chassis, and the sacrifice to the ground clearance of the entire vehicle is minimal.

[0055] A battery fixing method for a new energy battery swapping vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0056] The fully charged battery pack rises so that the battery pack fixing hole on the battery pack housing is substantially aligned with the first connecting member fixed to the vehicle body door sill;

[0057] The locking and unlocking gun rises and the second connecting member is fully aligned with the first connecting member by adjusting the floating alignment mechanism;

[0058] When the second connecting member is connected to the first connecting member, the transmission bracket and the guide plate fall onto the locking sleeve and are locked due to the action of gravity and the elastic member;

[0059] The movable sleeve on the locking and unlocking gun is rotated to connect and fix the second connecting member to the first connecting member.

[0060] Figure 10 A battery replacement solution based on a certain vehicle model and utilizing a battery fixing device and fixing method according to an embodiment of the present invention is demonstrated. The specific operation method and principle are as follows:

[0061] The first end of the stud 1 is fixedly connected to the vehicle door sill 100, see Figure 9 . The locking and unlocking gun and the movable sleeve in the battery swap station rise, and the guide plate 7 is rotated. The torque is transmitted through the transmission bracket 6 to loosen the floating nut 3, so that the depleted battery pack is removed from the vehicle chassis. The fully charged battery pack rises and the battery pack fixing hole 201 on the battery pack shell 200 is basically aligned with the stud 1. The locking and unlocking gun rises and the floating nut 3 is adjusted to be completely aligned with the stud 1 in the X and Y directions through the floating alignment mechanism 32. Finally, the movable sleeve on the locking and unlocking gun is rotated to thread the floating nut 3 with the second end of the stud 1 on the vehicle body door sill 100 to complete the entire battery swap process. This battery swap method can achieve precise alignment of the battery pack with the stud installed on the vehicle body door sill without manual operation, which reduces labor costs and greatly improves the efficiency and success rate of battery swapping.

[0062] The battery fixing device and fixing method of the new energy battery swapping vehicle of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0063] 1. The floating alignment mechanism of the present invention can realize rapid and precise alignment between the unlocking gun and the battery pack shell without manual operation. At the same time, the structure is simpler and more compact, the volume is smaller, and the mold opening and manufacturing costs of complex parts are saved.

[0064] 2. The thread is prevented from loosening by designing the tooth groove in the plane perpendicular to the thread axis, which effectively reduces the axial size of the device.

[0065] 3. The present invention directly utilizes the original battery pack fixing hole of the battery pack shell and connects the battery fixing device through threads, which basically does not require any changes to the original battery pack.

[0066] 4. Compared with setting the battery swap device on the car chassis, setting the battery swap device in the battery pack shell does not require changing the car chassis structure, maximizing the unification of the battery swap vehicle and non-battery swap vehicle bodies, while avoiding lowering the vehicle's ground clearance due to the use of a battery adapter bracket, affecting the vehicle's passing performance.

[0067] 5. Installing studs directly on the car body has higher reliability and longer service life. If the thread is damaged in the later stage, disassembly and repair will be more convenient and the repair cost will be lower.

[0068] 6. The battery fixing device in this aspect can be designed as a standard part and shared by multiple models, which will reduce costs and facilitate the standardization of battery replacement.

[0069] It should be understood that the terms "upper" and "lower" in the present invention that indicate orientation or positional relationship are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not mean that they must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. The terms "first" and "second" are used to distinguish different objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or a primary and secondary relationship, nor are they used to limit the quantity. In addition, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the words "installed", "connected", "connected", "provided with" and similar words used in the description of this application should be understood in a broad sense. For example, the connection can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a communication between the two components. Those skilled in the art can understand their specific meanings in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0070] The above embodiments are merely further explanations of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention in any other manner. The present invention may also have various other embodiments. Those skilled in the art may make various corresponding changes and modifications based on the present invention without departing from the spirit and substance of the present invention, and such corresponding changes and modifications shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery fixing device for a new energy battery swap vehicle, characterized in that: The battery fixing device comprises: A fastening mechanism, the fastening mechanism comprising a first connecting member, a first end of the first connecting member being provided on a door sill of the vehicle body; A floating alignment mechanism comprising a second connecting member, a guide plate, and a transmission bracket. The second end of the first connecting member is detachably connected to the second connecting member through a battery pack fixing hole in the battery pack housing. The transmission bracket is provided with a plurality of transmission rods, some of which are connected to the second connecting member, and others are connected to the guide plate. The second connecting member is capable of displacement adjustment in the Y direction, and the guide plate is capable of displacement adjustment in the X direction. An anti-loosening locking mechanism, comprising an elastic support member and a locking sleeve, wherein the elastic support member is installed between the guide plate and the second connecting member to support the second connecting member, and the locking sleeve is provided below the guide plate to lock the guide plate; The X and Y directions are perpendicular to each other, and the X direction is the driving direction.

2. The battery fixing device for a new energy battery replacement vehicle according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The upper surface of the locking sleeve and the lower surface of the guide plate are provided with mutually matching teeth and grooves, and the upper surface of the locking sleeve and the lower surface of the guide plate are locked by the mutually matching teeth and grooves.

3. The battery fixing device for a new energy battery replacement vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery fixing device further includes a device housing, which is arranged on the outside of the battery fixing device. A device fixing hole is provided at the lower portion of the device housing for connecting with the battery pack housing.

4. The battery fixing device for a new energy battery swap vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fastening mechanism also includes a fixing member, which is arranged on the inner side of the vehicle body door sill. The fixing member is provided with a through hole, the aperture of which matches the aperture of the chassis positioning hole in the vehicle body door sill. The first end of the first connecting member is connected to the fixing member through the chassis positioning hole to be fixed on the vehicle body door sill.

5. The battery fixing device for a new energy battery swap vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that: The fixing piece is a fixing nut.

6. The battery fixing device for a new energy battery swap vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second connecting member is a floating nut.

7. The battery fixing device for a new energy battery swap vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first end and the second end of the first connecting member are both provided with threads, the threads of the first end of the first connecting member match the internal threads of the fixing nut, and the threads of the second end of the first connecting member match the internal threads of the floating nut and can be detachably connected.

8. The battery fixing device for a new energy battery swap vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first connecting member is a stud bolt.

9. The battery fixing device for a new energy battery swap vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic support member is a return spring.

10. A battery fixing method for a new energy battery swap vehicle, applied to the battery fixing device for a new energy battery swap vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The steps include: The fully charged battery pack in the battery swap station rises so that the battery pack fixing hole on the battery pack shell is basically aligned with the first connecting member fixed on the vehicle door sill; The locking and unlocking gun rises and the second connecting member is fully aligned with the first connecting member by adjusting the floating alignment mechanism; When the second connecting member is aligned with the first connecting member, the transmission bracket and the guide plate fall onto the locking sleeve and are locked due to the action of gravity and the elastic support member; The movable sleeve on the locking and unlocking gun is rotated to connect and fix the second connecting member to the first connecting member.

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