Extension cartridge with charging chamber and battery swap station

Abstract

The application discloses an extension warehouse with a charging room and a battery swap station, and belongs to the battery swap system of an electric vehicle. The extension warehouse with the charging room is used for being installed on the top of the battery swap station from top to bottom, and comprises a function room, at least two charging rooms, a battery bearing mechanism, a lifting and transferring mechanism and a charging mechanism. The two charging rooms are located on the two sides of the function room. The battery bearing mechanism is arranged in the charging room and has a first side for the battery to enter and exit and a second side adjacent to or opposite to the first side. The lifting and transferring mechanism is arranged in the charging room and is located on the first side of the battery bearing mechanism. The charging mechanism is arranged in the charging room and is located on the second side of the battery bearing mechanism. In the application, the extension warehouse is arranged from top to bottom, and the extension warehouse is used for extending the space for storing the battery and the space for charging the battery. The extension warehouse is additionally arranged on the basis of the prior art, so that the capacity of the existing battery swap station can be expanded without increasing the floor area of the battery swap station.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese invention patent filed on December 27, 2021, with application number 202111619523.0 and titled "Extended Compartment and Battery Swapping Station with Charging Room". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to electric vehicle battery swapping systems, and more particularly to an extended compartment with a charging chamber and a battery swapping station. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, battery swapping stations are widely used for electric vehicle battery swapping. The number of batteries that can be stored in a swapping station and the number of charging locations affect the station's operation. When the number of batteries that can be stored is small and the number of charging locations is limited, the swapping station is prone to being overloaded and unable to continue providing battery swapping services for a certain period of time, thus posing a challenge to the station's continuous operation. Existing swapping stations place many devices other than those used in the battery swapping process in the charging room, squeezing the space for storing and charging batteries. This leads to the need to expand the charging room due to operational needs. However, when expanding the charging room, the station's footprint is often increased by adding battery storage space laterally, resulting in excessively high costs for renovation and expansion. In some cases, the site is not designed with space for expansion, making it impossible to renovate and expand the swapping station.

[0004] Chinese invention patent application CN111717062A discloses a battery swapping system with a first storage area (battery storage area) directly above the vehicle battery swapping parking area and / or a second storage area (battery storage area) to the side of the vehicle battery swapping parking area. Although battery storage areas are provided both above and to the side of the vehicle battery swapping parking area, this structure is formed during the construction of the battery swapping station and cannot be separated from other parts of the station. Even if it could be used as an independent part to expand the capacity of the battery swapping station, it would only be suitable for battery swapping stations with battery swapping stackers installed to the side of the vehicle battery swapping parking area. Furthermore, when added to an existing battery swapping station, it would require significant modifications, resulting in high modification costs.

[0005] Chinese invention patent application CN106043247A discloses a charging rack and a battery swapping station. The charging rack is composed of multiple independent battery storage modules arranged in a modular fashion, allowing for flexible scaling of the battery storage modules. Because the battery transfer device is designed to move within the battery storage modules, space is reserved within the battery storage modules for its horizontal and vertical movement, and corresponding devices for this movement are installed within the modules, resulting in a complex charging rack structure and a large footprint. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the prior art and provide an expansion compartment and battery swapping station with a charging room.

[0007] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solution:

[0008] An expansion compartment with a charging chamber, for top-down installation above a battery swapping station, comprising:

[0009] At least one charging chamber;

[0010] A battery carrying mechanism is located in the charging chamber and has a first side for the battery to enter and exit and a second side adjacent to or opposite to the first side.

[0011] The movement area for the lifting and transfer mechanism is located in the charging chamber and on the first side of the battery carrying mechanism;

[0012] The charging mechanism is located in the charging chamber and on the second side of the battery carrying mechanism.

[0013] In this solution, an expansion compartment is set up from top to bottom, which expands the space for storing batteries and charging batteries. The expansion compartment is installed on top of the battery swapping system based on existing technology, so as to expand the capacity of the existing battery swapping station without increasing the footprint of the station.

[0014] In this scheme, the areas where the battery carrier mechanism is located, the movement area for the lifting and transfer mechanism to operate, and the location of the charging mechanism are set up separately, so that the battery carrier mechanism, the lifting and transfer mechanism and the charging mechanism are arranged relatively independently, achieving at least the following effects: (1) The lifting and transfer mechanism and the charging mechanism do not occupy the internal space of the battery carrier mechanism, and the storage and retrieval of multiple batteries on the battery carrier mechanism share one lifting and transfer mechanism, so that more batteries can be stored in the same space; (2) The location of the charging mechanism is set up in a centralized manner and avoids the lifting and transfer mechanism, so that the line connecting the charging mechanism to the power grid can be routed in a centralized manner, and the heat dissipation pipe of the charging mechanism can be arranged in a better way to avoid the internal space of the lifting and transfer mechanism and the battery carrier mechanism; (3) By arranging the lifting and transfer mechanism, the battery carrier mechanism and the charging mechanism separately, the modular installation of the three is realized. The three can be pre-assembled and then assembled on-site at the battery swapping station, reducing the construction period on-site; (4) By arranging the lifting and transfer mechanism, the battery carrier mechanism and the charging mechanism separately, it is convenient for maintenance personnel to quickly find the problem points and replace parts, improving the efficiency of the battery swapping station maintenance process.

[0015] In this solution, the expansion compartment, as a complete expansion unit, only requires ensuring battery exchange between the existing battery swapping system and the expansion compartment's movement area when added to an existing battery swapping system. This requires minimal modification to the existing battery swapping system and is applicable to various types of battery swapping systems. Preferably, the expansion compartment further includes a functional compartment and two charging compartments, located on either side of the functional compartment.

[0016] This solution provides corresponding expansion compartments for dual-sided battery swapping stations. The functional compartment corresponds to the battery swapping room of the lower station, and the charging rooms on both sides correspond to the charging rooms of the lower station. Dual-sided battery swapping involves removing and storing depleted batteries from one side of the swapping room, and removing fully charged batteries from the other side and installing them onto the vehicle. For dual-sided battery swapping stations, the expansion compartments in this solution can be directly added to existing battery swapping systems. The charging room and charging room are vertically aligned, with batteries centrally stored on both sides of the swapping room. The charging room and charging room can share a lifting and transport mechanism, which not only facilitates battery management but also reduces the cost of modifying the battery swapping system. The swapping room and functional compartment are vertically aligned, with space reserved in the functional compartment for installing temperature control mechanisms or other auxiliary equipment. Of course, the expansion compartments in this solution can also be applied to battery swapping systems other than dual-sided swapping; the space inside the functional compartment can still be used to install temperature control mechanisms to regulate the temperature of the two charging rooms on both sides. Preferably, the extended compartment with a charging chamber further includes a temperature control mechanism located in the functional compartment for temperature control of the functional compartment and / or the charging compartment.

[0017] In this design, the temperature control mechanism is located in the functional compartment, which does not occupy the charging compartment space, thus allowing for expansion of the battery-carrying structure to accommodate more batteries. Furthermore, the expansion compartment in this design serves as both a charging compartment and a functional compartment, with the charging compartment located on both sides of the functional compartment. The temperature control mechanism is installed inside the functional compartment. The expansion compartment has both expansion and temperature control functions. When integrated into an existing battery swapping system as a whole, it requires minimal modification to the existing system because it does not rely on the existing temperature control system. It is also compatible with the existing temperature control system, making modification costs easy to control. For newly constructed battery swapping stations using this design, the temperature control mechanism can be installed in the functional compartment to control the temperature of the entire station. The components involved in the temperature control mechanism are relatively concentrated, facilitating installation and maintenance.

[0018] Preferably, the temperature control mechanism includes an indoor air conditioner unit and an outdoor air conditioner unit, with the indoor air conditioner unit located inside the top surface of the functional room and the outdoor air conditioner unit located outside the top surface of the functional room.

[0019] In this solution, by placing the outdoor unit of the air conditioner outside the functional room, the space of the functional room is not occupied, and the insulation effect is achieved. This avoids direct heat exchange between the indoor and outdoor units of the air conditioner, optimizes the temperature environment during battery charging and discharging, and thus improves the battery's lifespan.

[0020] Preferably, the temperature control mechanism further includes an air duct assembly, which includes an air outlet duct communicating with the air outlet end of the indoor unit of the air conditioner and an air inlet duct communicating with the air inlet end of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. The air outlet duct is located at the top of the charging chamber, and the air inlet duct is located on the side of the charging chamber adjacent to the functional room. The air inlet of the air inlet duct is located at the bottom of the charging chamber and has an air inlet connection portion communicating with the lower air inlet duct in the battery swapping station below.

[0021] In this solution, by setting up an air inlet connection section, it can be quickly connected to the lower air inlet duct in the battery swapping station below. This allows the expansion compartment to be quickly connected to the lower battery swapping station when the battery swapping station is expanded. At the same time, it can realize the temperature regulation of the entire battery swapping station, so the cost of modifying the temperature control system in the existing battery swapping system is small.

[0022] Preferably, the charging chamber has two rows of battery support mechanisms arranged side by side, and the air outlet of the air duct is located at the top between the two rows of battery support mechanisms.

[0023] In this design, the two battery-carrying mechanisms inside the charging chamber share a lifting and transport mechanism, which makes the charging chamber structure compact while ensuring battery swapping efficiency.

[0024] In this design, the air outlet of the exhaust duct and the air inlet of the intake duct are far apart to avoid air short-circuiting and improve the uniformity of temperature control.

[0025] In this design, the two battery-carrying mechanisms inside the charging chamber share a lifting and transport mechanism, which makes the charging chamber structure compact while ensuring battery swapping efficiency.

[0026] Preferably, the charging chamber is provided with an exhaust duct for heat dissipation of the charging mechanism. The charging mechanism has a plurality of vertically arranged charging units. The air outlet of the charging unit is connected to the exhaust duct. The bottom of the exhaust duct is connected to the lower exhaust duct in the battery swapping station below. The top of the exhaust duct has an exhaust fan and an exhaust port connected to the outside of the expansion compartment.

[0027] In this solution, the charging mechanism is effectively cooled by setting up an exhaust duct, and the exhaust effect is ensured without interfering with other components.

[0028] In this scheme, each charger unit is located on the second side of the battery carrying mechanism, avoiding the area where the lifting and transporting mechanism is located. As a result, the arrangement of the exhaust pipe can avoid the battery carrying mechanism and the lifting and transporting device and will not interfere with the transfer of the battery.

[0029] In this solution, the exhaust duct is connected to the lower exhaust duct of the battery swapping system below. This expands the exhaust structure for cooling the charging units within the expansion compartment, creating a unified exhaust system that is compatible with the existing battery swapping system. When expanding an existing battery swapping system by adding the expansion compartment of this solution, simply connecting the bottom of the expansion compartment's exhaust duct to the existing lower exhaust duct of the battery swapping system achieves the modification of the exhaust system corresponding to the charging unit, resulting in low modification costs. For newly built battery swapping stations using this expansion compartment solution, the exhaust duct and lower exhaust duct can be aligned vertically, reducing the construction cost of the exhaust system. Furthermore, the arrangement of the exhaust duct and lower exhaust duct is neat and does not interfere with the internal structure of the battery carrying mechanism or the lifting and transport mechanism.

[0030] When multiple expansion compartments need to be added to the battery swapping system layer by layer, each expansion compartment is set up vertically, and the exhaust pipes between adjacent expansion compartments can be aligned vertically, making installation convenient.

[0031] Preferably, the exhaust pipe and the charging mechanism are arranged side by side on the second side of the battery carrying mechanism, and the second side is the side adjacent to the first side.

[0032] In this design, the exhaust duct is located close to the charging mechanism, reducing the distance between the charging mechanism and the exhaust duct. The connecting pipes between the two are shorter, resulting in less heat being diffused into the expansion compartment through these pipes. As a result, this design is compact, space-saving, and improves heat dissipation efficiency.

[0033] In this design, the exhaust pipe and the charging mechanism are arranged side by side, making full use of the space on the second side of the battery support mechanism. In addition, the exhaust pipe completely avoids the movement area corresponding to the lifting and transfer mechanism, thereby reducing the risk of interference between the exhaust pipe and the lifting and transfer mechanism.

[0034] Preferably, the charging chamber includes two rows of charging mechanisms arranged opposite each other, with the air inlets of the charging units of each charging mechanism arranged opposite each other and forming an air intake channel between them.

[0035] In this design, an air intake channel is formed between the air inlets of the opposite charging units, which facilitates the airflow through the charging units and its exhaust from the exhaust pipe, effectively removing heat and improving the uniformity of heat dissipation.

[0036] Preferably, the bottom of the air intake channel has an air intake channel connection portion that communicates with the lower air intake channel in the battery swapping station below.

[0037] In this solution, by setting up an exhaust duct connection section, it can be quickly connected to the lower exhaust duct in the battery swapping station below. This allows the expansion compartment to be quickly connected to the lower battery swapping station when the station is expanded. At the same time, the air intake channel is connected to the lower air intake channel of the battery swapping station to form an integrated heat dissipation system, realizing heat dissipation and temperature regulation of the charging mechanism area of ​​the entire station, so that the charging mechanism can operate in the most suitable temperature environment.

[0038] In this solution, the expansion compartment combines capacity expansion, charging, temperature control based on the temperature regulating mechanism, and heat dissipation for the charging mechanism. After being installed as a whole on the existing battery swapping system, it requires minimal modification to the existing system. Furthermore, the temperature control based on the temperature regulating mechanism and the heat dissipation for the charging mechanism have reserved interfaces for communication with the existing battery swapping system, making it easy for the battery swapping system and the expansion compartment to share a single system for temperature control and heat dissipation.

[0039] Preferably, the extended compartment with the charging chamber further includes a movable space for accommodating a counterweight that cooperates with the lifting and transferring mechanism. The counterweight moves to a third side of the battery carrying mechanism, the third side being the opposite side of the second side, which is adjacent to the first side.

[0040] In this design, the counterweight is positioned on the third side, without interfering with other components.

[0041] In this solution, the counterweight, lifting and transfer mechanism, charging mechanism and battery carrying mechanism are arranged separately, which reduces physical interference between them and makes each part modular, which can improve assembly efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.

[0042] Preferably, the charging chamber and the functional chamber have a connecting channel that connects the two, and the connecting channel is located on the second and / or third side near the battery carrying mechanism.

[0043] In this solution, a connecting passage is set up between the two to facilitate access between the functional room and the charging room, thus providing convenience for installation and maintenance.

[0044] Preferably, the extended compartment with a charging chamber includes a housing that is divided into the functional compartment and the charging chamber.

[0045] In this solution, the functional compartment and the charging compartment are integrated into a single enclosure, resulting in a compact structure. This integration allows for pre-assembly as a single unit, which can then be mounted on top of the battery swapping system. Alternatively, the various components of the expansion compartment can be modularized, installed on the battery swapping system, and then integrated together using the enclosure.

[0046] A battery swapping station includes an expansion compartment with a charging room as described in any of the preceding claims, the battery swapping station further including at least one full-function compartment, the expansion compartment being mounted above the full-function compartment.

[0047] In this solution, the full-function compartment can realize all the functions required for vehicle battery swapping, which is equivalent to the existing battery swapping system. An expansion compartment is set above the full-function compartment, which provides space for expansion modules without increasing the floor space of the battery swapping station, effectively expanding the capacity of the battery swapping station.

[0048] Preferably, the full-function compartment has a battery swapping room below the functional room corresponding to the expansion compartment and a charging room below the charging room corresponding to the expansion compartment. The bottom space of the expansion compartment is partially connected to the top space of the full-function compartment, so that the lifting and transfer mechanism can move up and down between the full-function compartment and the expansion compartment, and / or allow the battery carrying mechanism in the charging room to dock with the battery carrying mechanism in the charging room.

[0049] In this design, the expansion compartment and the full-function compartment are connected, facilitating the expansion of the battery-carrying mechanism and / or providing ample operating space for the lifting and transfer mechanism. When the expansion compartment is installed onto the full-function compartment, the two are at least partially connected to ensure that the lifting and transfer mechanism can move up and down between the full-function compartment and the expansion compartment, and / or connect the upper and lower battery-carrying mechanisms. The assembly is simple and facilitates the modification and expansion of existing full-function compartments.

[0050] Preferably, a partition is provided between the functional room and the power swapping room.

[0051] In this scheme, the partition surface facilitates the installation of other equipment in the functional room and / or the power swapping room to expand the function of the power swapping station. The partition surface makes the equipment in the functional room and the power swapping room relatively independent, thereby avoiding mutual interference.

[0052] Preferably, the partition surface is provided with a staircase for accessing the functional room.

[0053] In this plan, staircases are provided to facilitate movement between the functional rooms and the power exchange room.

[0054] Based on common knowledge in the field, the above-mentioned preferred conditions can be combined arbitrarily to obtain various preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0055] The positive and progressive effects of this invention are as follows:

[0056] In this invention, by setting up an expansion compartment and utilizing the expansion compartment to expand the space for storing batteries and charging batteries, the capacity of the battery swapping station is expanded without increasing the floor space.

[0057] In this invention, the areas where the battery carrier mechanism is located, the movement area for the lifting and transfer mechanism to operate, and the location of the charging mechanism are set up separately, so that the battery carrier mechanism, the lifting and transfer mechanism and the charging mechanism are arranged relatively independently, achieving at least the following effects: (1) The lifting and transfer mechanism and the charging mechanism do not occupy the internal space of the battery carrier mechanism, and the storage and retrieval of multiple batteries on the battery carrier mechanism share one lifting and transfer mechanism, increasing the number of batteries that can be stored in the same space; (2) The charging mechanism is set up in a centralized location and avoids the lifting and transfer mechanism, so that the line connecting the charging mechanism to the power grid can be routed in a centralized manner, and the heat dissipation pipe of the charging mechanism can be arranged in a better way to avoid the space inside the lifting and transfer mechanism and the battery carrier mechanism; (3) By arranging the lifting and transfer mechanism, the battery carrier mechanism and the charging mechanism separately, the modular installation of the three is realized, and the three can be pre-assembled and then assembled on-site at the battery swapping station, reducing the construction period on-site; (4) By arranging the lifting and transfer mechanism, the battery carrier mechanism and the charging mechanism separately, it is convenient for maintenance personnel to quickly find the problem points and replace parts, improving the efficiency of the battery swapping station maintenance process.

[0058] In this invention, the expansion compartment, as a complete expansion unit, only needs to ensure that batteries can be exchanged between the existing battery swapping system and the movement area of ​​the expansion compartment when it is installed on the existing battery swapping system. The modification to the existing battery swapping system is relatively small, and it can be applied to various types of battery swapping systems. Attached Figure Description

[0059] Figure 1 This is a top view of the expansion compartment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a battery swapping station according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a battery swapping station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0063] Functional Room 1

[0064] Charging Room 2

[0065] Battery support mechanism 3

[0066] First side 301

[0067] Second side 302

[0068] Third side 303

[0069] Lifting and transferring mechanism 4

[0070] Charging mechanism 5

[0071] Temperature control mechanism 6

[0072] Air conditioner indoor unit 601

[0073] Air conditioner outdoor unit 602

[0074] Air duct component 603

[0075] Air duct 604

[0076] Air intake duct 605

[0077] Air inlet connecting part 606

[0078] Counterweight 7

[0079] Connection Channel 8

[0080] Full-function warehouse 9

[0081] Battery swapping room 10

[0082] Charging Room 11

[0083] Separator 12

[0084] Staircase 13

[0085] Exhaust duct 14 Detailed Implementation

[0086] The present invention will be further illustrated by way of embodiments below, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiments described below.

[0087] Please see Figure 1 and 2 This invention provides an expansion compartment with a charging chamber, for installation from top to bottom above a battery swapping station. The expansion compartment includes at least one charging chamber 2, a battery carrying mechanism 3, a moving area of ​​a lifting and transferring mechanism 4, and a charging mechanism 5.

[0088] Charging compartment 2 is used to store batteries and / or charge batteries.

[0089] The battery support mechanism 3 is used to support the battery. The battery support mechanism 3 is located in the charging chamber 2 and has a first side 301 for the battery to enter and exit and a second side 302 adjacent to or opposite to the first side 301. The first side 301 can be the side of the battery support mechanism 3 facing or away from the functional chamber 1.

[0090] The lifting and transfer mechanism 4 is used to transfer batteries. The movement area of ​​the lifting and transfer mechanism 4 is the space in the extended compartment for the lifting and transfer mechanism 4 to move. The movement area of ​​the lifting and transfer mechanism 4 is located in the charging chamber 2 and is located on the first side 301 of the battery carrying mechanism 3, so as to facilitate the lifting and transfer mechanism 4 to transport batteries to the battery carrying mechanism 3 or to remove batteries from the battery carrying mechanism 3.

[0091] The charging mechanism 5 is used to charge the battery. The charging mechanism 5 is located in the charging chamber 2 and on the second side 302 of the battery carrying mechanism 3. The charging mechanism 5 and the lifting and transporting mechanism 4 are distributed on different sides of the battery carrying mechanism 3 to avoid mutual interference.

[0092] In this invention, by setting up an expansion compartment and utilizing the expansion compartment to expand the space for storing batteries and charging batteries, the capacity of the battery swapping station is expanded without increasing the floor space.

[0093] In this invention, the areas where the battery carrying mechanism 3 is located, the movement area for the lifting and transporting mechanism 4 to operate, and the location of the charging mechanism 5 are distinguished, so that the arrangement of the battery carrying mechanism 3, the lifting and transporting mechanism 4, and the charging mechanism 5 is relatively independent, achieving at least the following effects: (1) The lifting and transporting mechanism 4 and the charging mechanism 5 do not occupy the internal space of the battery carrying mechanism 3, and the access of multiple batteries on the battery carrying mechanism 3 shares one lifting and transporting mechanism 4, so that more batteries can be stored in the same space; (2) The charging mechanism 5 is centrally located and avoids the lifting and transporting mechanism 4, so that charging... (3) By arranging the lifting and transfer mechanism 4, the battery carrier mechanism 3 and the charging mechanism 5 separately, the modular installation of the three can be realized. The three can be pre-assembled and then assembled on-site at the battery swapping station, reducing the construction period on-site. (4) By arranging the lifting and transfer mechanism 4, the battery carrier mechanism 3 and the charging mechanism 5 separately, maintenance personnel can quickly identify problems and replace parts, improving the efficiency of the battery swapping station maintenance process.

[0094] In this invention, the expansion compartment, as a complete expansion unit, only needs to ensure that batteries can be exchanged between the existing battery swapping system and the movement area of ​​the expansion compartment when it is installed on the existing battery swapping system. The modification to the existing battery swapping system is relatively small, and it can be applied to various types of battery swapping systems.

[0095] In this embodiment of the invention, the expansion compartment also includes a functional room 1, with two charging rooms 2 located on either side of the functional room 1. In this embodiment, a corresponding expansion compartment is provided for a battery swapping station with dual-sided battery swapping. The functional room 1 corresponds to the battery swapping room of the lower battery swapping station, and the two charging rooms 2 on either side correspond to the charging rooms of the lower battery swapping station. Dual-sided battery swapping involves removing and storing a depleted battery from one side of the battery swapping room, and removing a fully charged battery from the other side of the battery swapping room and installing it onto the vehicle.

[0096] For battery swapping stations with dual-sided battery swapping, the expansion compartment in this embodiment can be directly installed onto existing battery swapping systems. The charging chamber 2 corresponds vertically to the charging area, with batteries centrally stored on both sides of the swapping chamber. The charging area and charging chamber 2 can share a single lifting and transport mechanism 4, which not only facilitates battery management but also reduces the cost of modifying the battery swapping system. The swapping chamber corresponds vertically to the functional room 1, with space reserved in the functional room 1 for installing a temperature control mechanism 6 or other auxiliary equipment. Of course, the expansion compartment in this embodiment can also be applied to battery swapping systems other than dual-sided swapping; the space within the functional room 1 can still be used to install the temperature control mechanism 6 to regulate the temperature of the two charging chambers 2 on both sides.

[0097] In this embodiment of the invention, the expansion compartment with charging chamber 2 further includes a temperature regulating mechanism 6, which is located in functional chamber 1 for temperature regulation of functional chamber 1 and / or charging chamber 2. In this embodiment, by placing the temperature regulating mechanism 6 in functional chamber 1, the space of charging chamber 2 is not occupied, which is beneficial for expanding the capacity of battery carrying mechanism 3. Moreover, in this solution, the expansion compartment combines charging chamber 2 and functional chamber 1, with charging chamber 2 located on both sides of functional chamber 1. The temperature regulating mechanism 6 is installed in functional chamber 1, and the expansion compartment has the functions of capacity expansion and temperature control. When it is added as a whole to the existing battery swapping system, since it does not rely on the temperature control system of the existing battery swapping system, the modification to the existing battery swapping system is relatively small, and it can also be compatible with the temperature control system of the existing battery swapping system, making the modification cost easy to control. For newly built battery swapping stations using this solution, the space of functional chamber 1 can be used to install the temperature regulating mechanism 6 to control the temperature of the entire battery swapping station. The components involved in the temperature regulating mechanism 6 are relatively concentrated, which is convenient for installation and maintenance.

[0098] In this embodiment of the invention, the temperature control mechanism 6 is implemented based on air conditioning technology. The temperature control mechanism 6 includes an indoor air conditioning unit 601 and an outdoor air conditioning unit 602. The indoor air conditioning unit 601 is located inside the top surface of the functional room 1, that is, the upper part of the functional room 1 has a space for accommodating the indoor air conditioning unit 601. The outdoor air conditioning unit 602 is located outside the top surface of the functional room 1. In this embodiment, by placing the outdoor air conditioning unit 602 outside the functional room 1, it does not occupy the space of the functional room 1 and has a heat insulation effect. Moreover, it is not necessary to install heat insulation components in the expansion compartment or the battery swapping station to separate the insulated area and the non-insulated area in order to isolate the indoor air conditioning unit 601 and the outdoor air conditioning unit 602, thereby reducing construction costs.

[0099] In this embodiment of the invention, the temperature control mechanism 6 further includes an air duct assembly 603. The air duct assembly 603 includes an air outlet duct 604 connected to the air outlet end of the air conditioner indoor unit 601, and an air inlet duct 605 connected to the air inlet end of the air conditioner indoor unit 601. Both the air inlet duct 605 and the air outlet duct 604 are located inside the battery swapping station. The air outlet of the air outlet duct 604 is located at the top of the charging chamber 2 and is used to transmit the airflow output by the air conditioner indoor unit 601 into the space of the battery swapping station. The air inlet duct 605 is located on the side of the charging chamber 2 adjacent to the functional room 1 and is used to send the indoor air in the battery swapping station back to the air conditioner indoor unit 601.

[0100] In this embodiment of the invention, the air inlet of the air inlet duct 605 is located at the bottom of the charging chamber 2 and has an air inlet connecting part 606 that connects to the lower air inlet duct 605 in the battery swapping station below, thus facilitating convenient connection with the lower air inlet duct 605. This minimizes the cost of modifying the temperature control system within the existing battery swapping system. The air duct assembly 603 draws indoor air from the lower end of the battery swapping station and sends it into the air conditioning unit 601 to regulate the temperature of the entire station. The air duct assembly 603 accelerates air convection within the battery swapping station, resulting in a more uniform indoor air temperature. Of course, in other embodiments, as an alternative, the air inlet connecting part 606 can also be open to the outside, allowing air from the lower part of the expansion compartment to enter the air inlet duct 605 through the air inlet connecting part 606 and further into the air conditioning unit 601.

[0101] In this embodiment of the invention, the charging chamber 2 has two rows of battery carrying mechanisms 3 arranged side by side. One row of battery carrying mechanisms 3 is located close to the side wall of the charging chamber 2 adjacent to the functional chamber 1, and the other row is located close to the side wall of the charging chamber 2 opposite to the functional chamber 1. A lifting and transfer mechanism 4 is arranged between the two battery carrying mechanisms 3, and the two rows of battery carrying mechanisms 3 share a single lifting and transfer device. The sharing of the lifting and transfer mechanism 4 between the two rows of battery carrying mechanisms 3 in the charging chamber 2 improves the compact structure of the charging chamber while ensuring battery swapping efficiency. The air outlet of the air outlet 604 is located at the top between the two rows of battery carrying mechanisms 3, thereby keeping the air outlet of the air outlet 604 and the air inlet of the air inlet 605 far apart to avoid air short-circuiting. In this embodiment of the invention, the charging chamber 2 is provided with an exhaust pipe 14 for heat dissipation of the charging mechanism 5. The charging mechanism 5 has a plurality of vertically arranged charger units. The air outlet of the charger unit is connected to the exhaust pipe 14. The bottom of the exhaust pipe 14 is connected to the lower exhaust pipe in the battery swapping station below. The top of the exhaust pipe 14 has an exhaust fan and an exhaust port connected to the outside of the expansion compartment. The exhaust fan provides exhaust power and discharges the airflow in the exhaust pipe 14 to the outside through the exhaust port, thereby effectively dissipating heat from the charging mechanism 5 and ensuring the exhaust effect without interfering with other components.

[0102] In this embodiment, each charger unit is located on the second side 302 of the battery carrying mechanism 3, avoiding the area where the lifting and transporting mechanism 4 is located. Thus, the arrangement of the exhaust pipe 14 can better avoid the battery carrying mechanism 3 and the lifting and transporting device and will not interfere with the transport of the battery.

[0103] In this embodiment, the exhaust duct 14 is connected to the lower exhaust duct 14 in the battery swapping system below, thus expanding the exhaust structure for cooling the charging unit within the expansion compartment and forming a unified exhaust system with the exhaust structure in the battery swapping system below. When expanding or modifying an existing battery swapping system by adding the expansion compartment of this solution, it is only necessary to connect the bottom of the exhaust duct 14 of the expansion compartment to the lower exhaust duct 14 of the existing battery swapping system to achieve the modification of the exhaust system corresponding to the charging unit, resulting in low modification costs. For newly built battery swapping stations using the expansion compartment of this solution, the exhaust duct 14 and the lower exhaust duct 14 can be aligned vertically, reducing the construction cost of the exhaust system. Furthermore, the arrangement of the exhaust duct 14 and the lower exhaust duct 14 is neat and does not interfere with the interior of the battery carrying mechanism 3 or the lifting and transporting mechanism 4.

[0104] When multiple expansion compartments need to be added to the battery swapping system layer by layer, each expansion compartment is set up vertically, and the exhaust pipes 14 between adjacent expansion compartments can be aligned vertically, making the installation convenient.

[0105] In this embodiment of the invention, the exhaust pipe 14 and the charging mechanism 5 are arranged side by side on the second side 302 of the battery carrying mechanism 3, which is adjacent to the first side 301. By placing the exhaust pipe 14 close to the charging mechanism 5, the distance between the charging mechanism 5 and the exhaust pipe 14 is reduced, the connecting pipes between the two are shorter, and less heat is diffused into the expansion compartment through these pipes, thereby saving space and improving heat dissipation efficiency.

[0106] In this embodiment, the exhaust pipe 14 and the charging mechanism 5 are arranged side by side, making full use of the space of the second side 302 of the battery carrying mechanism 3. In addition, the exhaust pipe 14 completely avoids the movement area corresponding to the lifting and transfer mechanism 4, thereby reducing the risk of interference between the exhaust pipe 14 and the lifting and transfer mechanism 4.

[0107] In this embodiment of the invention, the charging chamber 2 includes two rows of charging mechanisms 5 arranged opposite each other. The air inlets of the charging units of each charging mechanism 5 are arranged opposite each other, and an air inlet channel is formed between them, thereby improving the uniformity of heat dissipation and improving the compactness of the battery swapping station structure.

[0108] In this embodiment of the invention, the bottom of the air inlet channel has an air inlet channel connecting part that communicates with the lower air inlet channel in the lower battery swapping station. It can be quickly connected to the lower exhaust duct 14 in the lower battery swapping station, so that when the battery swapping station is expanded, the expansion compartment can be quickly docked to the lower battery swapping station. At the same time, after the air inlet channel is connected to the lower air inlet channel at the bottom of the battery swapping station, an integrated heat dissipation system is formed, realizing heat dissipation and temperature regulation of the charging mechanism 5 area of ​​the whole station. This allows the charging mechanism 5 to operate in the most suitable temperature environment, makes the structure of the entire battery swapping station more compact, reduces the wind speed, facilitates heat exchange between different airflows, and improves the uniformity of heat dissipation.

[0109] In this embodiment, the expansion compartment has the functions of capacity expansion, charging, temperature control based on the temperature regulating mechanism 6, and heat dissipation for the charging mechanism 5. After being installed as a whole on the existing battery swapping system, it requires little modification to the existing battery swapping system. Furthermore, the temperature control function based on the temperature regulating mechanism 6 and the heat dissipation function for the charging mechanism 5 have reserved interfaces for communication with the existing battery swapping system, which makes it convenient for the battery swapping system and the expansion compartment to share a single system for temperature control and heat dissipation.

[0110] In this embodiment of the invention, the extended compartment with the charging chamber 2 further includes a movable space for accommodating a counterweight 7 that cooperates with the lifting and transferring mechanism 4. The counterweight 7 moves to the third side 303 of the battery carrying mechanism 3, which is located opposite to the second side 302, which is adjacent to the first side 301. The counterweight 7 is positioned on the third side 303, close to the side wall of the charging chamber 2, without interfering with other components. In this embodiment, the counterweight 7, the lifting and transferring mechanism 4, the charging mechanism 5, and the battery carrying mechanism 3 are arranged separately, reducing physical interference between them and enabling modularization of each part, thereby improving assembly efficiency and reducing maintenance costs.

[0111] In this embodiment of the invention, a connecting channel 8 connects the charging chamber 2 and the functional chamber 1, and the connecting channel 8 is located on the second side 302 and / or the third side 303 near the battery carrying mechanism 3. The connecting channel 8 can be a component for the operation of people and / or equipment, or it can be a space connecting the charging chamber 2 and the functional chamber 1. By providing the connecting channel 8 on the side, it facilitates access between the functional chamber 1 and the charging chamber 2, and provides convenience for installation and maintenance.

[0112] In this embodiment of the invention, the expansion compartment with charging chamber 2 includes a housing, which is divided into a functional chamber 1 and a charging chamber 2. The components isolating the housing can be plates, beams, or other types of components. By integrating the functional chamber 1 and charging chamber 2 into a single housing, the structure is compact, and the housing provides protection for the equipment within both chambers. Integrating the functional chamber 1 and charging chamber 2 into the housing allows for pre-assembly as a whole, followed by installation on top of the battery swapping system, or modularization of the various parts of the expansion compartment, installation on the battery swapping system, and then integration using the housing.

[0113] Please combine Figure 1-3 This invention also provides a battery swapping station, which includes an expansion compartment with a charging chamber 2 as described in any of the preceding embodiments. The battery swapping station further includes at least one full-function compartment 9, which can realize all the functions required for vehicle battery swapping, equivalent to an existing battery swapping system. The expansion compartment is installed above the full-function compartment 9. The battery swapping operation of the electric vehicle is carried out in the full-function compartment 9. By setting the expansion compartment above the full-function compartment 9, space is provided for expanding functional modules without increasing the footprint of the battery swapping station.

[0114] In this embodiment of the invention, the full-function compartment 9 has a battery swapping room 10 below the functional room 1 of the corresponding expansion compartment and a charging room 11 below the charging room 2 of the corresponding expansion compartment. The bottom space of the expansion compartment is partially connected to the top space of the full-function compartment 9, so that the lifting and transfer mechanism 4 can move up and down between the full-function compartment 9 and the expansion compartment, and / or allow the battery carrying mechanism 3 in the charging room 2 to dock with the battery carrying mechanism 3 in the charging room 11. By setting the expansion compartment and the full-function compartment 9 as a connected structure, the capacity of the battery carrying mechanism 3 is expanded, and / or sufficient operating space is provided for the lifting and transfer mechanism 4. When the expansion compartment is installed on the full-function compartment 9, the two are at least partially connected to ensure that the lifting and transfer mechanism 4 can move up and down between the full-function compartment 9 and the expansion compartment, and / or dock with the upper and lower battery carrying mechanisms 3. The assembly is simple and facilitates the modification and expansion of the existing full-function compartment 9.

[0115] In this embodiment of the invention, a partition surface 12 is provided between the functional room 1 and the power swapping room 10. The partition surface 12 separates the functional room 1 and the power swapping room 10. The partition surface 12 can partially separate the power swapping room 10 and the functional room 1, or it can completely separate the two. The partition surface 12 can be manifested as the surface of a plate-like structure, or it can be manifested as the surface of other hardware components. Setting up the partition surface 12 facilitates the installation of other equipment in the functional room 1 and / or the power swapping room 10 to expand the functionality of the power swapping station. The partition surface 12 makes the equipment in the functional room 1 and the power swapping room 10 relatively independent, avoiding mutual interference between the equipment in the two spaces, facilitating the installation of other functional modules of the power swapping station, and improving the visual effect within the power swapping room 10. Therefore, in this embodiment of the invention, the partition surface 12 is provided with a staircase 13 for entering the functional room 1. The staircase 13 provides convenience for traffic between the functional room 1 and the power swapping room 10.

[0116] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An expansion compartment with a charging chamber, for installation from top to bottom above a battery swapping station, characterized in that, include: At least one charging chamber; A battery carrying mechanism is provided in the charging chamber, having a first side for the battery to enter and exit in a horizontal direction and a second side adjacent to or opposite to the first side; The movement area for the lifting and transfer mechanism is located in the charging chamber and on the first side of the battery carrying mechanism; A charging mechanism is disposed in the charging chamber and located on the second side of the battery carrying mechanism; The extended compartment with charging chambers includes a functional chamber and two charging chambers, which are located on both sides of the functional chamber. The extended compartment with a charging chamber also includes a movable space for accommodating a counterweight that cooperates with the lifting and transport mechanism. The counterweight moves to a third side of the battery carrying mechanism, which is located opposite to the second side, which is adjacent to the first side.

2. The expansion compartment with a charging chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The extended compartment with a charging chamber also includes a temperature control mechanism located in the functional compartment for temperature control of the functional compartment and / or the charging compartment.

3. The expansion compartment with a charging chamber as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The temperature control mechanism includes an indoor air conditioner unit and an outdoor air conditioner unit. The indoor air conditioner unit is located inside the top surface of the functional room, and the outdoor air conditioner unit is located outside the top surface of the functional room.

4. The expandable compartment with a charging chamber as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The temperature control mechanism further includes an air duct assembly, which includes an air outlet duct connected to the air outlet end of the indoor unit of the air conditioner and an air inlet duct connected to the air inlet end of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. The air outlet duct is located at the top of the charging chamber, and the air inlet duct is located on the side of the charging chamber adjacent to the functional room. The air inlet of the air inlet duct is located at the bottom of the charging chamber and has an air inlet connection portion that connects to the lower air inlet duct in the battery swapping station below.

5. The expandable compartment with a charging chamber as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The charging chamber has two rows of battery support mechanisms arranged side by side, and the air outlet of the air duct is located at the top between the two rows of battery support mechanisms.

6. The expandable compartment with a charging chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The charging chamber is equipped with an exhaust duct for heat dissipation of the charging mechanism. The charging mechanism has a plurality of vertically arranged charging units. The air outlet of the charging unit is connected to the exhaust duct. The bottom of the exhaust duct is connected to the lower exhaust duct in the battery swapping station below. The top of the exhaust duct has an exhaust fan and an exhaust port connected to the outside of the expansion compartment.

7. The expandable compartment with a charging chamber as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The exhaust pipe is arranged side by side with the charging mechanism on the second side of the battery carrying mechanism, and the second side is the side adjacent to the first side.

8. The expansion compartment with a charging chamber as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The charging chamber includes two rows of charging mechanisms arranged opposite each other, with the air inlets of the charging units of each charging mechanism facing each other and forming an air intake channel between them.

9. The expansion compartment with a charging chamber as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The bottom of the air intake channel has an air intake channel connection section that connects to the lower air intake channel in the battery swapping station below.

10. The expandable compartment with a charging chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The charging chamber and the functional chamber are connected by a connecting channel, which is located on the second and / or third side near the battery support mechanism.

11. The expandable compartment with a charging chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The extended compartment with a charging chamber also includes a housing that is divided into the functional compartment and the charging compartment.

12. A battery swapping station, characterized in that, It includes an expansion compartment with a charging room as described in any one of claims 1-11, and the battery swapping station further includes at least one full-function compartment, the expansion compartment being installed above the full-function compartment.

13. The battery swapping station as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The full-function compartment has a battery swapping room below the functional room of the expansion compartment and a charging room below the charging room of the expansion compartment. The bottom space of the expansion compartment is partially connected to the top space of the full-function compartment, so that the lifting and transfer mechanism can move up and down between the full-function compartment and the expansion compartment, and / or allow the battery carrying mechanism in the charging room to dock with the battery carrying mechanism in the charging room.

14. The battery swapping station as described in claim 13, characterized in that, A partition is provided between the functional room and the power swapping room.

15. The battery swapping station as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The partition wall is equipped with stairs for accessing the functional rooms.

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