Modularly assembled and scalable container for heavy truck battery swap station

Abstract

This invention relates to a modular, expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations. It is constructed from multiple block-shaped modules, forming at least a lower, middle, and upper space. The lower space (11) houses a charging unit (23) and a control unit. The middle space (12) contains multiple battery packs (21). The upper space (13) is equipped with a track support (25). A trolley (3) moves along the track support (25) and can grab, move, or lower battery packs (21), thereby replacing the charged battery packs (21) in the middle space (12) with the battery packs (21) on the heavy-duty truck (5) that require charging. The multi-layered block-shaped module structure removes part of the lower space (11) and part of the middle space (12) to form the battery pack unloading port (15) for the heavy-duty truck. This invention provides a containerized battery swapping bay for heavy-duty trucks that is modularly assembled from block modules, allowing for easy expansion to increase the number of batteries, extending the length of the trolley guide rail, and facilitating transportation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a battery swapping device, and more particularly to a modularly assembled, expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the battery swapping stations for heavy-duty trucks on the market are mostly made from shipping containers, with a length of 17-20 meters. They are constructed by welding two layers together and can typically hold 5 or 7 batteries, with one serving as a buffer bay. Once the container is completed, the number of batteries is fixed and cannot be increased, and the overhead track cannot be extended. Due to their large size, they are prone to exceeding height and width limits, making transportation inconvenient. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention designs a modular assembly expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations. The technical problem it solves is that the existing heavy-duty truck battery swapping containers have a fixed structure, cannot be expanded, and are prone to exceeding height and width limits, making them inconvenient to transport.

[0004] To solve the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following solution: A modular, expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations is characterized by being composed of multiple block-shaped modular structures spliced ​​together to form at least a lower space, a middle space, and an upper space. The lower space is equipped with a charging unit and a control unit, the middle space contains multiple battery packs, and the upper space is equipped with a track support. A trolley moves along the track support and can grab, move, or place battery packs to replace the battery packs that have finished charging in the middle space with the battery packs that need charging on the heavy-duty truck. The multi-layered block-shaped modular structure removes part of the lower space and part of the middle space to form an opening, which serves as the battery pack unloading port for the heavy-duty truck.

[0005] Preferably, by adding or removing block modules, the lower, middle, and upper spaces can be linearly extended or shortened to accommodate the increase or decrease of battery packs. Preferably, when the battery pack unloading port is located at both ends of the modularly assembled expandable container for the heavy-duty truck battery swapping station, a support plate supports the side without block modules; the battery pack unloading port can also be located in the middle of the modularly assembled expandable container for the heavy-duty truck battery swapping station, allowing battery packs on both sides of the unloading port to be replaced with battery packs on the heavy-duty truck that require charging.

[0006] Preferably, the stepped splicing structure between adjacent upper and lower block modules includes a lower top beam square tube and an upper top beam square tube. The lower top beam square tube is located at the top of the lower block module, and the upper top beam square tube is located at the bottom of the upper block module. Multiple horizontally arranged square tubes are also sandwiched between the lower and upper top beam square tubes. A connecting plate is vertically provided on the outside of the lower and upper top beam square tubes. One bolt is used to screw one end of the connecting plate to the upper top beam square tube, and another bolt is used to screw the other end of the connecting plate to the lower top beam square tube.

[0007] Preferably, the stepped splicing structure between two adjacent block modules on the same layer is the same as the stepped splicing structure between adjacent upper and lower block modules. The stepped splicing structure between two adjacent block modules on the same layer includes a left connecting square tube and a right connecting square tube. The left connecting square tube is located on the outer wall of the left block module, and the right connecting square tube is located on the outer wall of the right block module. Multiple vertically arranged square tubes are also sandwiched between the left connecting square tube and the right connecting square tube. A connecting plate is horizontally provided on the outside of the left connecting square tube and the right connecting square tube. One bolt is used to screw one end of the connecting plate to the left connecting square tube, and another bolt is used to screw the other end of the connecting plate to the right connecting square tube.

[0008] Preferably, the middle space is provided with a battery support platform, which includes a first support platform and a second support platform. The first support platform and the second support platform are arranged in parallel, and there is a passage between the first support platform and the second support platform for vehicle movement. Multiple battery packs placed on the first support platform are respectively connected to the charging unit, and multiple battery packs placed on the second support platform are respectively connected to the charging unit. The passage leads to the heavy truck.

[0009] Preferably, the trolley has a first moving structure that can move horizontally along the track support; the trolley has a gripping vertical moving mechanism that can grip the battery pack on the first support platform, the second support platform, or the heavy truck and move it to a designated position before releasing it; the trolley also has a second moving structure that can move the gripped battery pack between the first support platform or the second support platform and the passageway, or between the first support platform and the second support platform.

[0010] Preferably, the battery pack placement position closest to the heavy truck on the first support platform is the first placement position; the battery pack placement position closest to the heavy truck on the second support platform is the second placement position; the first placement position is used to place the fully charged battery pack, and the second placement position is idle. The vehicle picks up the battery pack that needs to be charged from the heavy truck, moves it to the second placement position and puts it down, and then moves it back to the first placement position to pick up the fully charged battery pack and move it to the heavy truck, at which point the first placement position becomes idle. The above placement position setting reduces the moving distance and improves the battery swapping efficiency.

[0011] Preferably, the vehicle moves to the battery pack that has been fully charged and has stayed for the longest time to grab it, and then moves the battery pack to the first placement position. The position where the battery pack that has stayed for the longest time leaves becomes an empty position. The vehicle moves to the second placement position to grab the battery pack that needs to be charged, and then moves it to the empty position to charge it, so as to ensure that one of the first placement positions always holds a fully charged battery pack and the other always remains empty.

[0012] The modular, expandable container assembly of this heavy-duty truck battery swapping station has the following advantages: (1) The present invention is a containerized battery swapping compartment for heavy trucks that can be easily expanded to increase the number of batteries, extend the length of the driving guide rail, and facilitate transportation by modular splicing and assembly of block modules.

[0013] (2) The splicing joint of the present invention adopts a stepped assembly, which can effectively increase the reliability and stability of the connection, and at the same time increase the waterproof effect; during splicing, the steps can be used to quickly position and achieve efficient installation.

[0014] (3) The present invention uses a connecting plate inside the splicing joint and bolts to fix it. The connecting bolts are not visible on the outside of the container, making the whole thing simple and beautiful. The stepped splicing effectively achieves waterproofing through silicone.

[0015] (4) The invention sets up a first placement position and a second placement position so that the distance between unloading the battery pack from the heavy truck and loading the charged battery pack is short, thus improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0016] (5) This invention not only utilizes the first and second placement positions, but also utilizes the movement of the conveyor belt or the heavy truck itself so that the crane only needs to make a small amount of linear movement to remove the battery pack from the heavy truck, and also only needs to make a small amount of linear movement to install the charged battery pack on the heavy truck, thereby further improving the battery swapping efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 : Schematic diagram of the external structure of the modular assembly expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping station of this invention; Figure 2 : Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the modular assembly expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping station of this invention; Figure 3 : A schematic diagram of the structure at the joint of the steps in this invention; Figure 4 : A top view of the internal structure of the modular assembly expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations of this invention; Figure 5 : Schematic diagram of the vehicle grabbing the battery block in this invention; Figure 6 : A three-dimensional view of a heavy-duty truck battery swapping device in this invention; Figure 7 : First schematic diagram of heavy-duty truck battery swapping in this invention; Figure 8 : Second schematic diagram of heavy truck battery swapping in this invention.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 11—Lower space; 12—Middle space; 13—Upper space; 14—Support plate; 15—Battery packaging unloading port; 16—Step splicing structure; 161—Lower top beam square tube; 162—Upper top beam square tube; 163—Bolt; 164—Connecting plate; 165—Sealing silicone; 21—Battery pack; 22—Battery support platform; 221—First support platform; 222—Second support platform; 23—Charging unit; 24—Control unit; 25—Rail support; 26—Intermediate passage; 3—Tractor; 41—First infrared sensor; 42—Second infrared sensor; 43—Transmission belt; 5—Heavy truck; A—First placement position; B—Second placement position. Implementation

[0019] The following is combined Figures 1 to 8 The present invention will be further described as follows: like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a modular assembly expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations is assembled from multiple block-shaped modular structures to form at least a lower space 11, a middle space 12, and an upper space 13. The lower space 11 is equipped with a charging unit 23 and a control unit 24. The middle space 12 is equipped with multiple battery packs 21. The upper space 13 is equipped with a track support 25. The traveling vehicle 3 moves along the track support 25 and can grab, move, or put down the battery packs 21, thereby replacing the battery packs 21 that have been charged in the middle space 12 with the battery packs 21 that need to be charged on the heavy-duty truck 5. The multi-layer block-shaped modular structure removes part of the lower space 11 and part of the middle space 12 to form an opening, which is the battery pack unloading port 15 of the heavy-duty truck 5.

[0020] By adding or removing block modules, the lower space 11, the middle space 12, and the upper space 13 can be extended or shortened in a straight line to accommodate the increase or decrease of the battery pack 21.

[0021] When the battery pack unloading port 15 is located at both ends of the modular assembly expandable container of the heavy truck battery swapping station, the side without block modules is supported by the support plate 16; the battery pack unloading port 15 can also be opened in the middle of the modular assembly expandable container of the heavy truck battery swapping station, and the battery packs 21 on both sides of the battery pack unloading port 15 can be replaced with the battery packs 21 on the heavy truck 5 that need to be charged.

[0022] like Figure 3As shown, the stepped splicing structure 16 between adjacent upper and lower block modules includes a lower top beam square tube 161 and an upper top beam square tube 162. The lower top beam square tube 161 is located at the top of the lower block module, and the upper top beam square tube 162 is located at the bottom of the upper block module. Multiple horizontally arranged square tubes are also sandwiched between the lower top beam square tube 161 and the upper top beam square tube 162. A connecting plate 164 is vertically provided on the outside of the lower top beam square tube 161 and the upper top beam square tube 162. One bolt 163 screws one end of the connecting plate 164 to the upper top beam square tube 162 and another bolt screws the other end of the connecting plate 164 to the lower top beam square tube 161.

[0023] The stepped splicing structure between two adjacent block modules on the same floor is the same as the stepped splicing structure 16 between adjacent upper and lower block modules. It includes a left connecting square tube and a right connecting square tube. The left connecting square tube is located on the outer wall of the left block module, and the right connecting square tube is located on the outer wall of the right block module. Multiple vertically arranged square tubes are also sandwiched between the left and right connecting square tubes. A connecting plate is horizontally provided on the outside of the left and right connecting square tubes. One bolt screws one end of the connecting plate to the left connecting square tube and another bolt screws the other end of the connecting plate to the right connecting square tube.

[0024] like Figure 4 As shown, the middle space 12 is provided with a battery support platform 22, which includes a first support platform 221 and a second support platform 222. The first support platform 221 and the second support platform 222 are arranged in parallel, and there is a passageway 26 between the first support platform 221 and the second support platform 222 for the vehicle 3 to move. Multiple battery packs 21 placed on the first support platform 221 are respectively connected to the charging unit 23, and multiple battery packs 21 placed on the second support platform 222 are respectively connected to the charging unit 23. The passageway 26 leads to the heavy truck 5.

[0025] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the traveling vehicle 3 has a first moving structure that can move horizontally along the track support 25; the traveling vehicle 3 has a gripping vertical moving mechanism that can grip the battery pack 21 on the first support platform 221, the second support platform 222, or the heavy truck 5 and move it to a designated position before releasing it; the traveling vehicle 3 also has a second moving structure that can move the gripped battery pack 21 between the first support platform 221 or the second support platform 222 and the passageway 26, or between the first support platform 221 and the second support platform 222.

[0026] The first battery swapping method of this invention is as follows: the battery pack placement position closest to the heavy truck 5 on the first support platform 221 is the first placement position A; the battery pack placement position closest to the heavy truck 5 on the second support platform 222 is the second placement position B. The first placement position A holds the fully charged battery pack 21, and the second placement position B is idle. The crane 3 picks up the battery pack 21 that needs charging from the heavy truck 5, moves it to the second placement position B, and then moves it back to the first placement position A to pick up the fully charged battery pack 21 and move it onto the heavy truck 5. The first placement position A then becomes idle. This placement position arrangement reduces the moving distance and improves battery swapping efficiency.

[0027] The movement trajectory of vehicle 3 is as follows: Heavy truck 5 — passageway 26 — second placement position B — passageway 26 — first placement position A — passageway 26 — heavy truck 5.

[0028] The invention provides a first placement position and a second placement position, which shortens the distance between unloading the battery pack from the heavy truck and loading the charged battery pack, thereby improving battery swapping efficiency.

[0029] The vehicle 3 moves to the battery pack 21 that has been fully charged and has stayed for the longest time to grab it, and then moves the battery pack 21 to the first placement position A. The position where the battery pack 21 that has stayed for the longest time leaves becomes an empty position. The vehicle 3 moves to the second placement position B to grab the battery pack 21 that needs to be charged, and then moves it to the empty position to charge it, so as to ensure that the first placement position A and the second placement position B always have a fully charged battery pack 21 and always remain in an empty state.

[0030] The movement trajectory of vehicle 3 is as follows: battery pack 21 that has been fully charged and has stayed for the longest time — passageway 26 — first placement position A — second placement position B — passageway 26 — idle position of battery pack 21 that has been fully charged and has stayed for the longest time.

[0031] The second battery swapping method of this invention is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the first placement position A is equipped with a first infrared sensor 41, which can sense whether the battery pack 21 exists in the first placement position A, and there are no obstructions between the first placement position A and the heavy truck 5; the second placement position B is equipped with a second infrared sensor 42, which can sense whether the battery pack 21 exists in the second placement position B, and there are no obstructions between the second placement position B and the heavy truck 5; when the control unit receives a signal from the second infrared sensor 42 that the second placement position B is in an idle position, the control unit outputs a control signal to make the heavy truck 5 move its battery pack 21 to the horizontal extension line of the second placement position B through automatic driving or by conveyor belt 43, and then the vehicle 3 moves to the top of the battery pack 21 of the heavy truck 5, grabs the battery pack 21 of the heavy truck 5, and moves in a straight line to the second placement position B to put it down.

[0032] like Figure 8 As shown, at the same time, the control unit outputs a control signal to make the heavy truck 5 move the battery pack of the heavy truck 5 to the horizontal extension line of the first placement position A through automatic driving or by the conveyor belt 43. The vehicle 3 moves to the first placement position A, grabs the fully charged battery pack 21, and moves it in a straight line to the battery empty position of the heavy truck 5 to put it down.

[0033] The movement trajectory of vehicle 3 is as follows: Heavy truck 5 — Second placement position B — First placement position A — Heavy truck 5.

[0034] Based on the presence of the first placement position A and the second placement position B, and by cooperating with the movement of the heavy truck to minimize the vehicle's travel distance, the battery swapping efficiency is further improved. Furthermore, the above control can be automatically controlled by the control unit to ensure operational accuracy.

[0035] The present invention has been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-described manner. Any improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention, or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention to other occasions without modification, are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modularly assembled, expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations, characterized in that: The structure is composed of multiple block modules and forms at least a lower space (11), a middle space (12) and an upper space (13). The lower space (11) is equipped with a charging unit (23) and a control unit (24). The middle space (12) is equipped with multiple battery packs (21). The upper space (13) is equipped with a track support (25). The vehicle (3) moves along the track support (25) and can grab, move or put down the battery packs (21) so as to replace the battery packs (21) that have been charged in the middle space (12) with the battery packs (21) that need to be charged on the heavy truck (5). The multi-layer block module structure removes part of the lower space (11) and part of the middle space (12) to form an opening, which is the battery pack unloading port (15) of the heavy truck (5). The middle space (12) is provided with a battery support platform (22), which includes a first support platform (221) and a second support platform (222). The battery pack placement position closest to the heavy truck (5) on the first support platform (221) is the first placement position (A); the battery pack placement position closest to the heavy truck (5) on the second support platform (222) is the second placement position (B). The first placement position (A) is equipped with a first infrared sensor (41), which can sense whether a battery pack (21) exists in the first placement position (A), and there are no obstructions between the first placement position (A) and the heavy truck (5); the second placement position (B) is equipped with a second infrared sensor (42), which can sense whether a battery pack (21) exists in the second placement position (B), and there are no obstructions between the second placement position (B) and the heavy truck (5); When the control unit (24) receives a signal from the second infrared sensor (42) that the second placement position (B) is in an idle position, the control unit (24) outputs a control signal to make the heavy truck (5) move its battery pack (21) to the horizontal extension line of the second placement position (B) by automatic driving or by conveyor belt (43). Then the vehicle (3) moves to the top of the battery pack (21) of the heavy truck (5), grabs the battery pack (21) of the heavy truck (5), and moves in a straight line to the second placement position (B) to put it down. At the same time, the control unit (24) outputs a control signal to make the heavy truck (5) move the battery pack of the heavy truck (5) to the horizontal extension line of the first placement position (A) by automatic driving or by conveyor belt (43). The vehicle (3) moves to the first placement position (A) to grab the fully charged battery pack (21) and move it in a straight line to the battery empty position of the heavy truck (5) to put it down. The movement trajectory of the vehicle (3) passes through the heavy truck (5), the second placement position (B), and the first placement position (A) in sequence and returns to the heavy truck (5). Based on the existence of the first placement position (A) and the second placement position (B), and with the cooperation of the heavy truck, the movement distance of the vehicle is minimized, further improving the battery swapping efficiency. Moreover, the above control can be automatically controlled by the control unit to ensure the accuracy of the operation.

2. The modular assembly and expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations according to claim 1, characterized in that: By adding or removing block modules, the lower space (11), middle space (12) and upper space (13) can be extended or shortened in a straight line to meet the increase or decrease of the battery pack (21).

3. The modular assembly and expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the battery pack unloading port (15) is located at both ends of the modular assembly expandable container of the heavy truck battery swapping station, the side without block modules is supported by the support plate (14); or, the battery pack unloading port (15) is opened in the middle of the modular assembly expandable container of the heavy truck battery swapping station, and the battery packs (21) on both sides of the battery pack unloading port (15) can be replaced with the battery packs (21) that need to be charged on the heavy truck (5).

4. The modular assembly and expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The stepped splicing structure (16) between adjacent upper and lower block modules includes a lower top beam square tube (161) and an upper top beam square tube (162). The lower top beam square tube (161) is located at the top of the lower block module, and the upper top beam square tube (162) is located at the bottom of the upper block module. Multiple horizontally arranged square tubes are also sandwiched between the lower top beam square tube (161) and the upper top beam square tube (162). The lower top beam square tube (161) and the upper top beam square tube (162) are vertically provided with connecting plates (164) on the outside. One bolt (163) screws one end of the connecting plate (164) to the upper top beam square tube (162) and another bolt screws the other end of the connecting plate (164) to the lower top beam square tube (161).

5. The modular assembly and expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The step splicing structure between two adjacent block modules on the same floor is the same as the step splicing structure between adjacent upper and lower block modules (16). The step splicing structure between two adjacent block modules on the same floor includes a left connecting square tube and a right connecting square tube. The left connecting square tube is located on the outer wall of the left block module, and the right connecting square tube is located on the outer wall of the right block module. Multiple vertically arranged square tubes are also sandwiched between the left connecting square tube and the right connecting square tube. A connecting plate is horizontally provided on the outside of the left connecting square tube and the right connecting square tube. One bolt is used to screw one end of the connecting plate to the left connecting square tube, and another bolt is used to screw the other end of the connecting plate to the right connecting square tube.

6. The modular assembly and expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The first support platform (221) and the second support platform (222) are set in parallel, and there is a passage (26) between the first support platform (221) and the second support platform (222) for the vehicle (3) to move; multiple battery packs (21) placed on the first support platform (221) are connected to the charging unit (23) respectively, and multiple battery packs (21) placed on the second support platform (222) are connected to the charging unit (23) respectively, and the passage (26) leads to the heavy truck (5).

7. The modular assembly and expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations according to claim 6, characterized in that: The trolley (3) has a first moving structure, which can move horizontally along the track support (25); the trolley (3) has a gripping vertical moving mechanism, which can grip the battery pack (21) on the first support platform (221), the second support platform (222) or the heavy truck (5) and move it to a designated position before releasing it; The vehicle (3) also has a second moving structure that can move the grabbed battery pack (21) between the first support platform (221) or the second support platform (222) and the passageway (26), or between the first support platform (221) and the second support platform (222).

8. The modular assembly and expandable container for heavy-duty truck battery swapping stations according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle (3) moves to the battery pack (21) that has been fully charged and has stayed for the longest time to grab it, and then moves the battery pack (21) to the first placement position (A). The position after the battery pack (21) that has stayed for the longest time leaves becomes an empty position. The vehicle (3) moves to the second placement position (B) to grab the battery pack (21) that needs to be charged, and then moves it to the empty position to charge it, so as to ensure that the first placement position (A) and the second placement position (B) always have a fully charged battery pack (21) and always remain in an empty state.

Images