A battery replacement method and system

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of vehicle battery replacement technology, and specifically, to a battery replacement method and system. The method includes, based on the vehicle arriving at the battery replacement area, a grabbing unit grabbing a low-battery battery box and obtaining status data of the battery replacement system. Based on the grabbing unit grabbing the low-battery battery box, the grabbing unit drives the low-battery battery box to move toward the cabin unit. Based on the low-battery battery box moving into the first cabin of the cabin unit, the grabbing unit drives the low-battery battery box to rotate a set angle around the vertical axis of the low-battery battery box. Based on the low-battery battery box rotating a set angle around the vertical axis of the low-battery battery box and obtaining the position of an idle charging seat, the low-battery battery box is moved to the idle charging seat. Based on the low-battery battery box moving into the idle charging seat, the grabbing unit moves the charged battery box to a detachable and electrically connected connection with the body of the vehicle. This solves the problem of large size of battery replacement stations.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Vehicle battery swapping refers to the process of quickly replenishing energy for electric vehicles by replacing their power battery packs. As the name suggests, the new energy vehicle battery swapping technology is to remove the power battery pack that is about to run out of power from the electric vehicle and replace it with a fully charged new battery pack. This process is usually completed in a professional battery swap station, using automated or semi-automated equipment to achieve fast and accurate battery replacement. The battery swap process usually takes only a few minutes, which is much less than the time required for charging, providing electric vehicle users with a more convenient way to replenish energy. Battery swapping stations can centrally manage and maintain batteries, including regular testing and balanced charging, which helps to extend the overall service life of the battery. In the battery swapping mode, consumers can choose not to buy batteries, but use them on a lease or pay-per-use basis, thereby reducing the initial cost of purchasing a vehicle. The battery swapping model helps to achieve centralized recycling and reuse of batteries, reduce the pollution of waste batteries to the environment, and promote the recycling of resources.

[0003] However, the direction of battery storage in a battery swap station is usually consistent with the direction of vehicle batteries, that is, the length of the battery is perpendicular to the length of the battery swap station. This requires building an area above the battery swap station or along the side of the width of the battery swap station to move the removed vehicle batteries to the inside of the charging station, which makes the entire battery swap station larger. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the problem of large size of battery swap stations, the present invention provides a battery swap method and system.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a battery replacement method, comprising:

[0006] Step S11, based on the vehicle arriving at the battery swap area, the grabbing unit grabs the low-power battery box and obtains the status data of the battery swap system; wherein, when the vehicle arrives at the battery swap area, the minimum angle between the length direction of the low-power battery box of the vehicle and the length direction of the charged battery box is within a first set range, and the status data includes the position of the vacant charging seat in the second compartment of the compartment unit;

[0007] Step S12, based on the grabbing unit grabbing the low-power battery box, the grabbing unit drives the low-power battery box to move toward the cabin unit;

[0008] Step S13, based on the low-power battery box being moved into the first compartment of the compartment unit, the grabbing unit drives the low-power battery box to rotate around the vertical axis of the low-power battery box by a set angle; wherein the first compartment and the second compartment are detachably connected along the length direction of the first compartment;

[0009] Step S14, based on the low-battery box rotating the set angle around the vertical axis of the low-battery box and obtaining the position of the idle charging seat, the low-battery box is moved into the idle charging seat; wherein, when the low-battery box is moved, the bottom end of the low-battery box is lower than or flush with the top end of the charged battery box;

[0010] Step S15, based on the low-power battery box being moved to the vacant charging seat, the grabbing unit moves the charged battery box to be detachably and electrically connected to the body of the vehicle.

[0011] In some embodiments, the state data in step S11 also includes the direction in which the low-power battery box discharges heat dissipation gas;

[0012] The battery replacement method further includes step S131, and step S131 includes:

[0013] Step S1311, based on the low-battery box moving into the first cabin and the battery exchange system being in the first state or the second state, the grabbing unit drives the low-battery box to rotate in a first direction around the vertical axis of the low-battery box by the set angle; wherein, the first state includes the low-battery box on the vehicle discharging cooling gas toward a first side in the length direction of the first cabin and the idle charging seat being in the second cabin close to the side of the vehicle, and the second state includes the low-battery box on the vehicle discharging cooling gas toward a second side in the length direction of the first cabin and the idle charging seat being in the second cabin away from the side of the vehicle;

[0014] Step S1312: Based on the low-battery box rotating about the vertical axis of the low-battery box toward the first direction by the set angle, the low-battery box is moved to the idle charging seat.

[0015] In some embodiments, the state data in step S11 also includes the direction in which the low-power battery box discharges heat dissipation gas;

[0016] The battery replacement method further includes step S132, and step S132 includes:

[0017] Step S1321, based on the low-battery box moving into the first cabin and the battery exchange system being in the third state or the fourth state, the grabbing unit drives the low-battery box to rotate the set angle in the second direction around the vertical axis of the low-battery box; wherein the third state includes the low-battery box on the vehicle discharging heat dissipation gas toward the first side in the length direction of the first cabin and the idle charging seat is in the second cabin away from the side of the vehicle, and the fourth state includes the low-battery box on the vehicle discharging heat dissipation gas toward the second side in the length direction of the first cabin and the idle charging seat is in the second cabin close to the side of the vehicle;

[0018] Step S1322: based on the low-battery box rotating about the vertical axis of the low-battery box toward the second direction by the set angle, the low-battery box is moved to the idle charging seat.

[0019] In some embodiments, the battery replacement method further includes step S133, and step S133 includes:

[0020] Step S1331, based on the grasping unit, the low-power battery box is moved into the first cabin, and the visual unit obtains the first visual data; wherein, the battery swap station component includes the visual unit; the visual unit includes a first visual part, a second visual part, a third visual part, and a fourth visual part; the first visual part, the second visual part, the third visual part, and the fourth visual part are respectively detachably connected to the first cabin, the first visual part and the second visual part are respectively arranged on both sides of the first cabin in the vertical direction, the third visual part is arranged on a side of the first cabin close to the vehicle, and the fourth visual part is arranged on a side of the first cabin away from the vehicle;

[0021] Step S1332, based on the visual unit acquiring the first visual data, the grasping unit drives the low-power battery box to rotate the set angle;

[0022] Step S1333, based on the grabbing unit driving the low-power battery box to rotate the set angle, the third visual unit and the fourth visual unit acquire second visual data;

[0023] Step S1334, acquiring the state of the low-power battery box based on the first visual data and the second visual data;

[0024] Step S1335: based on the low-battery box being in a qualified state, move the low-battery box to the idle charging seat.

[0025] In some embodiments, the step S11 includes:

[0026] Step S111, based on the vehicle arriving at the battery swapping area, the first sealed door close to the side of the vehicle is opened and the position of the idle charging seat is obtained;

[0027] Step S112: based on the first sealed door close to the side of the vehicle being opened, the grabbing unit grabs the low-power battery box.

[0028] In some embodiments, the step S1331 includes:

[0029] Step S13311, based on the grabbing unit, the low-power battery box is moved to the first cabin where the idle charging seat is located, and the first sealing door close to the vehicle side is closed;

[0030] Step S13312: based on the closing of the first sealing door, the visual unit acquires the first visual data.

[0031] In some embodiments, the step S1335 includes:

[0032] Step S13351, based on the low-power battery box being in a qualified state, opening a second sealed door close to a side of the idle charging seat;

[0033] Step S13352, based on opening the second sealed door on the side of the idle charging seat, move the low-power battery box into the idle charging seat.

[0034] In some embodiments, step S15 includes:

[0035] Step S151, based on the low-power battery box moving to the idle charging seat, the grabbing unit grabs the charged battery box;

[0036] Step S152, based on the grabbing unit grabbing the charged battery box, moving the charged battery box into the first cabin;

[0037] Step S153, based on the charged battery box being moved into the first compartment, the second sealed door close to the low-power battery box is closed;

[0038] Step S154, based on the second sealed door close to the low-power battery box being closed, the first sealed door close to the vehicle is opened;

[0039] Step S155, based on the first sealed door close to the vehicle being opened, the grabbing unit moves the charged battery box to be detachably and electrically connected to the vehicle body.

[0040] In some embodiments, the state data in step S11 also includes the temperature in the first cabin;

[0041] The battery replacement method further includes:

[0042] Step S113, based on the temperature inside the first cabin being greater than the temperature threshold, the air inlet and the air exhaust are operated; wherein the cabin unit comprises the air inlet and the air exhaust, and the air inlet and the air exhaust are respectively detachably connected to the second cabin.

[0043] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a battery replacement system, comprising:

[0044] A vehicle, the vehicle comprising a vehicle body and a low-power battery box; the vehicle body and the low-power battery box are detachably connected and electrically connected;

[0045] A battery swap station component, the battery swap station component includes a cabin unit, a plurality of charging seats, a grabbing unit, and a plurality of charged battery boxes; the cabin unit includes a first cabin and a second cabin; the first cabin and the second cabin are detachably connected along the length direction of the second cabin; the charging seat is detachably connected to the second cabin; part of the charging seats are arranged on the side of the second cabin close to the vehicle, and the other part of the charging seats are arranged on the side of the second cabin away from the vehicle; the grabbing unit is detachably connected to the first cabin and the second cabin respectively; the charged battery box is detachably connected and electrically connected to the charging seat; the number of the charged battery boxes is the number of the charging seats minus one; the minimum angle between the length direction of the charged battery box and the length direction of the second cabin is within a second set range; the shortest distance between the charged battery box on the side of the second cabin close to the vehicle and the charged battery box on the side of the second cabin away from the vehicle is within a third set range;

[0046] The battery exchange system includes a battery exchange state; the battery exchange state includes a minimum angle between the length direction of the low-power battery box and the length direction of the charged battery box being within a first set range.

[0047] In order to solve the problem of large size of the battery swap station, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0048] The grabbing unit can drive the low-power battery box to rotate around the vertical axis of the low-power battery box in the first compartment to a set angle, and then move the low-power battery box to an empty charging seat in the second compartment, and charge the low-power battery box. When the grabbing unit drives the movement of the low-power battery box, the bottom of the low-power battery box is lower than or flush with the top of the battery box after charging, thereby reducing the overall height of the battery swap station assembly. The length direction of the charging seat can be parallel to the length direction of the cabin unit, thereby reducing the overall width of the battery swap station assembly. This reduces the volume of the battery swap station assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a flow chart of a battery replacement method according to an embodiment;

[0050] Figure 2 A top view of a battery swapping system according to an embodiment is shown;

[0051] Figure 3 A top view of a power exchange system according to another embodiment is shown;

[0052] Figure 4 A front view of a power exchange system according to another embodiment is shown;

[0053] Figure 5 A side view of a power swapping system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0054] Figure markings: battery swap station component 01; cabin unit 11; first cabin 111; second cabin 112; air inlet 113; exhaust 114; charging seat 12; grabbing unit 13; large vehicle rail 131; large vehicle body 132; telescopic rail 133; small vehicle body 134; grabbing part 135; battery box 14 after charging; visual unit 15; first visual part 151; second visual part 152; third visual part 153; fourth visual part 154; first sealing door 16; second sealing door 17; vehicle 02; vehicle body 21; low-power battery box 22. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] The present disclosure will now be discussed with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and thus implement the present disclosure, rather than implying any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure.

[0056] As used herein, the term "including" and its variants are to be interpreted as open-ended terms meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" is to be interpreted as "based at least in part on". The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" are to be interpreted as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" is to be interpreted as "at least one other embodiment". The orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "vertical", "horizontal", "lateral", "longitudinal" and the like is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are mainly for better describing the present application and its embodiments, and are not used to limit the indicated devices, elements or components to have a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. In addition, in addition to being used to indicate an orientation or position relationship, some of the above terms may also be used to indicate other meanings, such as the term "upper" may also be used to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship in some cases. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of these terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "install", "set", "provided with", "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection, or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be an internal connection between two devices, elements or components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are mainly used to distinguish different devices, elements or components (the specific types and structures may be the same or different), and are not used to indicate or imply the relative importance and quantity of the indicated devices, elements or components. Unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0057] In this embodiment, the direction in which the battery is stored in the current battery swap station is usually consistent with the direction of the vehicle battery, that is, the length direction of the battery is perpendicular to the length direction of the battery swap station. In this way, it is necessary to build an area above the battery swap station or along the side of the width direction of the battery swap station to move the removed vehicle battery to the inside of the battery swap station, which leads to a large volume of the entire battery swap station and is not conducive to the overall transportation and construction of the battery swap station. When transporting and building the battery swap station, the battery swap station needs to be broken up, transported to the destination, and then assembled and debugged. So in order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a battery swap method. The battery swap system may include a vehicle 02 and a battery swap station component 01. The vehicle 02 may include a vehicle body 21 and a low-power battery box 22. The vehicle body 21 is detachably connected and electrically connected to the low-power battery box 22. The battery swap station component 01 may include a cabin unit 11, a plurality of charging seats 12, a grab unit 13, and a plurality of charged battery boxes 14. The cabin unit 11 may include a first cabin 111 and a second cabin 112. The first cabin 111 and the second cabin 112 are detachably connected along the length direction of the second cabin 112. The charging seat 12 is detachably connected to the second cabin 112. The grabbing unit 13 is detachably connected to the first cabin 111 and the second cabin 112, respectively. The battery box 14 is detachably connected and electrically connected to the charging seat 12 after charging. The number of battery boxes 14 after charging is the number of charging seats 12 minus one. The grabbing unit 13 can grab the low-power battery box 22 of the vehicle 02, move it into the first cabin 111 and rotate it. After rotation, the low-power battery box 22 can be detachably connected and electrically connected to an idle charging seat 12 in the second cabin 112 to realize charging of the low-power battery box 22.

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, a battery replacement method may include steps S11 to S15, and steps S11 to S15 may be described in detail below.

[0059] Step S11, based on the vehicle 02 arriving at the battery swapping area of ​​the battery swapping system, at this time the length direction of the vehicle 02 is parallel to the length direction of the cabin unit 11, so that the parking position of the vehicle 02 and the position of the battery swapping system are relatively compact and the battery swapping system occupies a smaller area. The two sides along the width direction of the cabin unit 11 can have the same battery swapping area, so as to facilitate the battery swapping station component 01 to swap the low-power battery box 22 of the vehicle 02. When the vehicle 02 arrives at the battery swapping area of ​​the battery swapping system, the grabbing unit 13 can grab the low-power battery box 22 and obtain the status data of the battery swapping system. Among them, when the vehicle 02 arrives at the battery swapping area, the minimum angle between the length direction of the low-power battery box 22 of the vehicle 02 and the length direction of the battery box 14 after charging is within the first set range, and the angle of the first set range can be 88°~92°. Since the length direction of the vehicle 02 is parallel to the length direction of the cabin unit 11, the angle between the length direction of the low-power battery box 22 on the vehicle 02 and the length direction of the charged battery box 14 in the second cabin 112 is close to vertical, which is beneficial to the space layout on the vehicle 02. In order to facilitate the overall transportation of the battery replacement system, the length direction of the charging seat 12 in the second cabin 112 can be parallel to the length direction of the cabin unit 11, thereby reducing the overall width of the cabin unit 11. And the charging seat 12 in the second cabin 112 can be arranged in two rows along the width direction of the cabin unit 11, so that the second cabin 112 can store more charged battery boxes 14 while making the width of the cabin unit 11 narrower. The status data may include the position of the vacant charging seat 12 in the second compartment 112 of the compartment unit 11, thereby ensuring that the low-power battery box 22 grabbed by the grabbing unit 13 can be accurately placed in the position of the vacant charging seat 12 in the second compartment 112, allowing the charging seat 12 to charge the low-power battery box 22 and prepare in advance for the next vehicle 02 that needs to be replaced with a battery.

[0060] In step S12 , the grabbing unit 13 of the battery exchange system grabs the low-battery box 22 of the vehicle 02 . The grabbing unit 13 can drive the low-battery box 22 to move toward the cabin unit 11 , so that the low-battery box 22 enters the first cabin 111 .

[0061] Step S13, based on the low-power battery box 22 grabbed by the grabbing unit 13, it moves to the first compartment 111 of the compartment unit 11. At this time, the length direction of the low-power battery box 22 is close to the length direction of the idle charging seat 12, so the grabbing unit 13 can drive the low-power battery box 22 to rotate around the vertical axis of the low-power battery box 22 to a set angle. The set angle can be the minimum angle between the length direction of the low-power battery box 22 and the length direction of the battery box 14 after charging. In this way, the length direction of the low-power battery box 22 can be parallel to the length direction of the charging seat 12, which is conducive to the detachable and electrical connection of the low-power battery box 22 and the idle charging seat 12 in the second compartment 112. Among them, the first compartment 111 can be detachably connected to the second compartment 112 along the length direction of the first compartment 111.

[0062] Step S14, based on the low-battery battery box 22 rotating around the vertical axis of the low-battery battery box 22 in the first compartment 111 to set an angle and obtaining the position of the idle charging seat 12 in the second compartment 112, the low-battery battery box 22 can then be moved to the idle charging seat 12 in the second compartment 112. Within the limited width of the second compartment 112, two rows of charged battery boxes 14 can be set along the width direction of the second compartment 112, with a certain gap between the two rows of battery boxes, which can be used as a channel for moving the low-battery battery boxes 22, thereby facilitating the battery replacement operation of the battery replacement system for the vehicle 02. Among them, when the grabbing unit 13 drives the movement of the low-battery battery box 22, the bottom end of the low-battery battery box 22 is lower than or flush with the top end of the charged battery box 14, thereby reducing the overall height of the battery replacement station assembly 01.

[0063] Step S15, based on the low-power battery box 22 on the vehicle 02 being moved to the vacant charging seat 12 in the second compartment 112, the grabbing unit 13 of the battery exchange system moves the charged battery box 14 in the second compartment 112 to be detachably and electrically connected to the body 21 of the vehicle 02, thereby completing the battery exchange operation of the vehicle 02.

[0064] In this embodiment, the state data in step S11 may also include the direction in which the low-battery box 22 discharges the cooling gas. Since the low-battery box 22 needs to dissipate heat, the low-battery box 22 has a cooling system inside, and the cooling system needs to discharge cooling gas. Therefore, in order to reduce the interference of airflow on the cooling gas of the low-battery box 22 when the vehicle 02 is traveling, the direction in which the cooling gas is discharged from the low-battery box 22 can be opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle 02, which is more conducive to the heat dissipation of the low-battery box 22.

[0065] like Figure 2As shown, the cabin unit 11 may further include an air inlet 113 and two air exhausts 114. The air inlet 113 may be detachably connected to the second cabin 112, and the air inlet 113 may be located on a side of the second cabin 112 away from the first cabin 111. The air exhaust 114 may be detachably connected to the second cabin 112, one air exhaust 114 may be located on a side of the second cabin 112 close to the vehicle 02, and the other air exhaust 114 may be located on a side of the second cabin 112 away from the vehicle 02. The internal space of the second cabin 112 may be connected to the external space through the air inlet 113 and the air exhaust 114, respectively, so that the air in the second cabin 112 can be more circulated, which is helpful for heat dissipation of the second cabin 112.

[0066] The battery replacement method may further include step S131, and step S131 may include step S1311 and step S1312. Step S1311 and step S1312 may be described in detail below.

[0067] Step S1311, since the direction in which the vehicle 02 enters the battery exchange area may be different, the direction in which the low-battery box 22 grabbed by the grabbing unit 13 discharges the cooling gas into the first compartment 111 will be different. When the low-battery box 22 on the vehicle 02 moves into the first compartment 111, the battery exchange system is in the first state or the second state, and then the grabbing unit 13 can drive the low-battery box 22 to rotate around the vertical axis of the low-battery box 22 in a first direction by a set angle, and the first direction may be counterclockwise. Among them, the first state may include the low-battery box 22 on the vehicle 02 discharging cooling gas toward the first side in the length direction of the first compartment 111 and the idle charging seat 12 is in the second compartment 112 close to the side of the vehicle 02, and the first side may be as follows Figure 2 As shown in the left side. In this way, when the low-battery box 22 rotates in the first direction around the vertical axis of the low-battery box 22 by a set angle, the low-battery box 22 can discharge heat-dissipating gas toward the exhaust portion 114, so that the discharged heat-dissipating gas of the low-battery box 22 can be directly discharged to the outside of the second compartment 112 through the exhaust portion 114, which is beneficial to the heat dissipation of the second compartment 112 and the low-battery box 22. The second state may include that the low-battery box 22 on the vehicle 02 discharges heat-dissipating gas toward the second side of the length direction of the first compartment 111 and the idle charging seat 12 is in the second compartment 112 away from the vehicle 02. The second side may be as shown in FIG. Figure 2 In this way, when the low-power battery box 22 rotates around the vertical axis of the low-power battery box 22 to a set angle in the first direction, the low-power battery box 22 can discharge heat-dissipating gas toward the exhaust portion 114, so that the heat-dissipating gas discharged from the low-power battery box 22 can be directly discharged to the outside of the second compartment 112 through the exhaust portion 114, which is beneficial to the heat dissipation of the second compartment 112 and the low-power battery box 22.

[0068] Step S1312, based on the low-battery box 22 in the first compartment 111 rotating in the first direction around the vertical axis of the low-battery box 22 to a set angle, the grabbing unit 13 can move the low-battery box 22 to the second compartment 112, and detachably and electrically connect it to the idle charging seat 12 to realize charging of the low-battery box 22.

[0069] In this embodiment, the state data in step S11 may also include the direction in which the low-battery box 22 discharges the cooling gas. Since the low-battery box 22 needs to dissipate heat, the low-battery box 22 has a cooling system inside, and the cooling system needs to discharge cooling gas. Therefore, in order to reduce the interference of airflow on the cooling gas of the low-battery box 22 when the vehicle 02 is traveling, the direction in which the cooling gas is discharged from the low-battery box 22 can be opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle 02, which is more conducive to the heat dissipation of the low-battery box 22.

[0070] like Figure 2 As shown, the cabin unit 11 may further include an air inlet 113 and two air exhausts 114. The air inlet 113 may be detachably connected to the second cabin 112, and the air inlet 113 may be located on a side of the second cabin 112 away from the first cabin 111. The air exhaust 114 may be detachably connected to the second cabin 112, one air exhaust 114 may be located on a side of the second cabin 112 close to the vehicle 02, and the other air exhaust 114 may be located on a side of the second cabin 112 away from the vehicle 02. The internal space of the second cabin 112 may be connected to the external space through the air inlet 113 and the air exhaust 114, respectively, so that the air in the second cabin 112 can be more circulated, which is helpful for heat dissipation of the second cabin 112.

[0071] The battery replacement method may further include step S132, and step S132 may include step S1321 and step S1322. Step S1321 and step S1322 may be described in detail below.

[0072] Step S1321, since the direction in which the vehicle 02 enters the battery exchange area may be different, the direction in which the low-battery box 22 grabbed by the grabbing unit 13 discharges the cooling gas into the first compartment 111 will be different. When the low-battery box 22 on the vehicle 02 moves into the first compartment 111, the battery exchange system is in the third state or the fourth state, and then the grabbing unit 13 drives the low-battery box 22 to rotate around the vertical axis of the low-battery box 22 in a second direction by a set angle, and the second direction may be clockwise. Among them, the third state includes the low-battery box 22 on the vehicle 02 discharging cooling gas toward the first side in the length direction of the first compartment 111 and the idle charging seat 12 in the second compartment 112 away from the vehicle 02. The first side may be as follows: Figure 2As shown in the left side. In this way, when the low-battery box 22 rotates in the second direction around the vertical axis of the low-battery box 22 by a set angle, the low-battery box 22 can discharge heat-dissipating gas toward the exhaust portion 114, so that the discharged heat-dissipating gas of the low-battery box 22 can be directly discharged to the outside of the second compartment 112 through the exhaust portion 114, which is beneficial to the heat dissipation of the second compartment 112 and the low-battery box 22. The fourth state includes the low-battery box 22 on the vehicle 02 discharging heat-dissipating gas toward the second side of the length direction of the first compartment 111 and the idle charging seat 12 in the second compartment 112 close to the vehicle 02 side, and the second side can be as shown in FIG. Figure 2 In this way, when the low-power battery box 22 rotates around the vertical axis of the low-power battery box 22 to a set angle in the second direction, the low-power battery box 22 can discharge heat-dissipating gas toward the exhaust portion 114, so that the heat-dissipating gas discharged from the low-power battery box 22 can be directly discharged to the outside of the second compartment 112 through the exhaust portion 114, which is beneficial to the heat dissipation of the second compartment 112 and the low-power battery box 22.

[0073] Step S1322, based on the low-battery box 22 in the first compartment 111 rotating in the second direction around the vertical axis of the low-battery box 22 to a set angle, the grabbing unit 13 can move the low-battery box 22 into the second compartment 112, and detachably and electrically connect it to the idle charging seat 12 to realize charging of the low-battery box 22.

[0074] In this embodiment, the battery replacement method may further include step S133, and step S133 may include steps S1331 to S1335. Steps S1331 to S1335 may be described in detail below.

[0075] In step S1331 , the battery swap station assembly 01 may include a visual unit 15 . Based on the grabbing unit 13 moving the low-power battery box 22 into the first compartment 111 , the visual unit 15 acquires first visual data, which may be used to determine the damage status of the low-power battery box 22 .

[0076] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the visual unit 15 may include a first visual portion 151, a second visual portion 152, a third visual portion 153, and a fourth visual portion 154. The first visual portion 151, the second visual portion 152, the third visual portion 153, and the fourth visual portion 154 may be detachably connected to the first cabin 111, respectively. The first visual portion 151 and the second visual portion 152 may be respectively arranged on both sides of the first cabin 111 along the vertical direction, the third visual portion 153 may be arranged on a side of the first cabin 111 close to the vehicle 02, and the fourth visual portion 154 may be arranged on a side of the first cabin 111 far from the vehicle 02, so that the status of the low-power battery box 22 at four different angles in the first cabin 111 can be obtained.

[0077] Step S1332 , based on the first visual data acquired by the visual unit 15 , the grasping unit 13 drives the low-battery box 22 to rotate by a set angle, so as to acquire the side state of the low-battery box 22 that is not acquired by the first visual data.

[0078] Step S1333, based on the grasping unit 13 driving the low-battery box 22 to rotate to a set angle, the third visual unit 153 and the fourth visual unit 154 obtain the second visual data, and the grasping unit 13 drives the low-battery box 22 to rotate to a set angle. In this way, only the first visual unit 151, the second visual unit 152, the third visual unit 153, and the fourth visual unit 154 are set, and the status of each surface of the low-battery box 22 can be obtained, thereby saving the cost of the visual unit 15.

[0079] Step S1334, based on the first visual data and the second visual data, the state of the low-battery box 22 is obtained. The state of the low-battery box 22 can be used to determine whether the low-battery box 22 is qualified, which can be used as a basis for whether the low-battery box 22 can enter the second compartment 112.

[0080] Step S1335 , based on the low-battery box 22 being in a qualified state, that is, the appearance of the low-battery box 22 is relatively good, the low-battery box 22 can be moved into the second compartment 112 and detachably and electrically connected to the idle charging seat 12 .

[0081] In some embodiments, if the low-power battery box 22 is in an unqualified state, the cabin unit 11 can issue an early warning and the staff can handle it accordingly.

[0082] In other embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, the cabin unit 11 may include two second cabins 112. The two second cabins 112 may be arranged on both sides of the first cabin 111 along the length direction of the second cabin 112. The two second cabins 112 are detachably connected to the first cabin 111, respectively. The battery swap station assembly 01 may also include two first sealed doors 16 and two second sealed doors 17. The two first sealed doors 16 and the two second sealed doors 17 may be detachably connected to the first cabin 111, respectively. The two first sealed doors 16 are respectively arranged on both sides of the first cabin 111 along the width direction of the second cabin 112. The two second sealed doors 17 are respectively arranged on both sides of the first cabin 111 along the length direction of the second cabin 112. When no vehicle 02 needs to be swapped, the two first sealed doors 16 and the two second sealed doors 17 are in a closed state, thereby preventing external dust from entering the interior of the cabin unit 11.

[0083] In this embodiment, step S11 may include step S111 and step S112. Step S111 and step S112 will be described in detail below.

[0084] Step S111, based on the vehicle 02 arriving at the battery swapping area, the first sealed door 16 near the side of the vehicle 02 is opened and the position of the idle charging seat 12 in the second cabin 112 is obtained. This ensures that when a vehicle 02 enters the battery swapping area, the first sealed door 16 can be opened to facilitate the low-power battery box 22 to enter the cabin unit 11. And when no vehicle 02 needs to swap batteries, the first sealed door 16 is in a closed state to prevent external dust from entering the cabin unit 11.

[0085] In step S112 , based on the opening of the first sealed door 16 on the side close to the vehicle 02 , the grabbing unit 13 can grab the low-power battery box 22 on the vehicle 02 to facilitate moving the low-power battery box 22 into the cabin unit 11 to charge the low-power battery box 22 .

[0086] In this embodiment, step S1331 may include step S13311 and step S13312, and step S13311 and step S13312 may be described in detail below.

[0087] Step S13311, based on the grabbing unit 13, the low-power battery box 22 is moved to the first cabin 111 where the idle charging seat 12 is located, and the first sealing door 16 close to the side of the vehicle 02 is closed, so as to prevent a large amount of external dust from entering the first cabin 111.

[0088] Step S13312, based on the closing of the first sealed door 16, the visual unit 15 obtains the first visual data. Then the gripping unit 13 drives the low-power battery box 22 to rotate to a set angle, and the visual unit 15 obtains the second visual data. Since the first sealed door 16 is closed, it can prevent external light sources such as sunlight from interfering with the visual unit 15, thereby avoiding inaccurate results of the first visual data and the second visual data obtained by the visual unit 15, and can prevent external dust from entering the first compartment 111.

[0089] In this embodiment, step S1335 may include step S13351 and step S13352, and step S13351 and step S13352 may be described in detail below.

[0090] Step S13351, based on the first visual data and the second visual data acquired by the visual unit 15, it is concluded that the low-power battery box 22 is in a qualified state, and the second sealed door 17 on the side close to the idle charging seat 12 can be opened.

[0091] Step S13352, based on opening the second sealed door 17 on the side close to the idle charging seat 12, the grabbing unit 13 drives the low-battery box 22 to move into the second cabin 112, and detachably and electrically connects the low-battery box 22 on the vehicle 02 with the idle charging seat 12 in the second cabin 112 to realize charging of the low-battery box 22.

[0092] In this embodiment, step S15 may include steps S151 to S155, and steps S151 to S155 may be described in detail below.

[0093] In step S151 , the low-power battery box 22 is moved to an empty charging seat 12 in the second compartment 112 , and the low-power battery box 22 is charged. Then, the grabbing unit 13 can grab the charged battery box 14 .

[0094] Step S152 , based on the grabbing unit 13 grabbing the charged battery box 14 in the second compartment 112 , the charged battery box 14 is moved into the first compartment 111 .

[0095] Step S153, based on the charging battery box 14 in the second compartment 112 moving into the first compartment 111, the second sealing door 17 close to the low-power battery box 22 is closed. The gripping unit 13 drives the charging battery box 14 to rotate around the vertical axis of the charging battery box 14 to a set angle, so that the length direction of the charging battery box 14 is close to the length direction of the vehicle 02, so that the charging battery box 14 can match the position of the vehicle 02 where the charging battery box 14 is installed.

[0096] In step S154, the second sealed door 17 close to the low-power battery box 22 is closed and the first sealed door 16 close to the vehicle 02 is opened, thereby preventing external dust from entering the second compartment 112 and avoiding sudden temperature changes in the second compartment 112.

[0097] Step S155, based on the opening of the first sealed door 16 near the vehicle 02, the gripping unit 13 moves the charged battery box 14 to the vehicle body 21 for detachable and electrical connection, so that the battery replacement system completes the battery replacement action for the vehicle 02. Then the first sealed door 16 is closed until the next vehicle 02 needs to replace the battery, and the first sealed door 16 is opened again.

[0098] In this embodiment, the state data in step S11 may also include the temperature in the first compartment 111 , so as to avoid damage to the low-power battery box 22 due to excessive temperature.

[0099] The battery replacement method may also include:

[0100] Step S113: based on the temperature in the first compartment 111 being greater than the temperature threshold, the air inlet 113 and the air outlet 114 are operated. Figure 2 As shown, the cabin unit 11 may include an air inlet 113 and two air exhausts 114, and the air inlet 113 and the air exhaust 114 are detachably connected to the second cabin 112. The air inlet 113 is arranged on the side of the second cabin 112 away from the first cabin 111, and can introduce external air into the space surrounded by the second cabin 112. One air exhaust 114 is arranged on the side of the second cabin 112 close to the vehicle 02, and the other air exhaust 114 is arranged on the side of the second cabin 112 away from the vehicle 02. The air exhaust 114 can lead the air in the second cabin 112 to the external space. The rechargeable battery box 14 on the side of the second cabin 112 close to the vehicle 02 discharges heat dissipation gas in the direction close to the vehicle 02. The rechargeable battery box 14 on the side of the second cabin 112 away from the vehicle 02 discharges heat dissipation gas in the direction away from the vehicle 02. An air intake device is installed at the air intake portion 113, and two air exhaust devices are installed at the two air exhaust portions 114, so that when the low-power battery box 22 is charging and the temperature is too high, the air intake portion 113 and the two air exhaust portions 114 can actively allow the gas in the cabin unit 11 to flow for heat dissipation.

[0101] In this embodiment, the battery swap system may include a vehicle 02 and a battery swap station component 01. The battery swap system may be used in any of the above embodiments.

[0102] like Figure 3 As shown, the vehicle 02 may include a vehicle body 21 and a low-power battery box 22. The vehicle body 21 may be detachably connected to the low-power battery box 22 and electrically connected.

[0103] The battery swap station assembly 01 may include a cabin unit 11, a plurality of charging seats 12, a grabbing unit 13, and a plurality of battery boxes 14 after charging. The cabin unit 11 may include a first cabin 111 and a second cabin 112. The first cabin 111 and the second cabin 112 may be detachably connected along the length direction of the second cabin 112. The low-power battery box 22 grabbed by the grabbing unit 13 may be rotated in the first cabin 111, and then the low-power battery box 22 may be moved to the second cabin 112, and the charging seat 12 may charge the low-power battery box 22. The charging seat 12 may be detachably connected to the second cabin 112. Some of the charging seats 12 may be arranged on one side of the second cabin 112 close to the vehicle 02, and another part of the charging seat 12 may be arranged on the side of the second cabin 112 away from the vehicle 02. The grabbing unit 13 may be detachably connected to the first cabin 111 and the second cabin 112, respectively. The battery box 14 after charging may be detachably connected and electrically connected to the charging seat 12. The number of the rechargeable battery boxes 14 is the number of the charging seats 12 minus one, so that an idle charging seat 12 is reserved, which can facilitate the battery replacement action of the battery replacement station component 01. The charging seats 12 can be arranged in two rows along the width direction of the second compartment 112, so that the second compartment 112 is narrower and more rechargeable battery boxes 14 can be stored. The minimum angle between the length direction of the rechargeable battery box 14 and the length direction of the second compartment 112 is within the second setting range, and the second setting range can be 178°~182°. Due to the narrow width of the compartment unit 11, the length direction of the rechargeable battery box 14 is close to the length direction of the second compartment 112, so that more rechargeable battery boxes 14 can be stored. The shortest distance between the rechargeable battery box 14 on the side close to the vehicle 02 in the second compartment 112 and the rechargeable battery box 14 on the side away from the vehicle 02 in the second compartment 112 is within the third setting range, and the third setting range is 1.2~1.5 times the width of the battery box. This ensures that there is a large gap between the charged battery box 14 on the side of the second compartment 112 close to the vehicle 02 and the charged battery box 14 on the side of the second compartment 112 away from the vehicle 02, thereby preventing the grabbing unit 13 from colliding with the charged battery box 14 in the second compartment 112 when grabbing the charged battery box 14, thereby preventing the charged battery box 14 from being damaged.

[0104] The battery swap system may include a battery swap state. The battery swap state includes a minimum angle between the length direction of the low-power battery box 22 and the length direction of the charged battery box 14 within a first set range. Thus, it is possible to determine whether the battery swap system has completed the battery swap action for the vehicle 02 based on the battery swap state.

[0105] In some other embodiments, Figure 5As shown, the grabbing unit 13 may include a trolley track, a trolley body 132, a telescopic rail 133, a trolley body 134, and a grabbing portion 135. The trolley body 134 is detachably connected to the grabbing portion 135. The trolley body 134 is slidably connected to the telescopic rail 133, and the length of the telescopic rail 133 can be changed according to a predetermined program. The telescopic rail 133 is detachably connected to the trolley body 132, and the trolley body 132 is slidably connected to the trolley track. The trolley body 134 can drive the grabbing portion 135 to move along the telescopic rail 133, and can drive the grabbing portion 135 to rotate. The trolley rail 131 is detachably connected to the bottom surface of the cabin unit 11. Thus, when the grabbing portion 135 grabs the low-power battery box 22 and the grabbing portion 135 is located on the side of the telescopic rail 133 away from the cabin unit 11, the grabbing unit 13 can be more stable.

[0106] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-mentioned embodiments are specific examples for implementing the present disclosure, and in actual applications, various changes may be made thereto in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery replacement method, characterized in that: The battery replacement method comprises: Step S11, based on the vehicle arriving at the battery swap area, the grabbing unit grabs the low-power battery box and obtains the status data of the battery swap system; wherein, when the vehicle arrives at the battery swap area, the minimum angle between the length direction of the low-power battery box of the vehicle and the length direction of the charged battery box is within a first set range, and the status data includes the position of the vacant charging seat in the second compartment of the compartment unit; The state data in step S11 also includes the direction in which the low-power battery box discharges heat dissipation gas; Step S12, based on the grabbing unit grabbing the low-power battery box, the grabbing unit drives the low-power battery box to move toward the cabin unit; Step S13, based on the low-power battery box being moved into the first compartment of the compartment unit, the grabbing unit drives the low-power battery box to rotate around the vertical axis of the low-power battery box by a set angle; wherein the first compartment and the second compartment are detachably connected along the length direction of the first compartment; The battery replacement method further includes step S131, and step S131 includes: Step S1311, based on the low-battery box moving into the first cabin and the battery exchange system being in the first state or the second state, the grabbing unit drives the low-battery box to rotate in a first direction around the vertical axis of the low-battery box by the set angle; wherein, the first state includes the low-battery box on the vehicle discharging cooling gas toward a first side in the length direction of the first cabin and the idle charging seat being in the second cabin close to the side of the vehicle, and the second state includes the low-battery box on the vehicle discharging cooling gas toward a second side in the length direction of the first cabin and the idle charging seat being in the second cabin away from the side of the vehicle; Step S1312, based on the low-battery battery box rotating about the vertical axis of the low-battery battery box in the first direction by the set angle, the low-battery battery box is moved to the idle charging seat; Step S14, based on the low-battery box rotating the set angle around the vertical axis of the low-battery box and obtaining the position of the idle charging seat, the low-battery box is moved into the idle charging seat; wherein, when the low-battery box is moved, the bottom end of the low-battery box is lower than or flush with the top end of the charged battery box; Step S15, based on the low-power battery box being moved to the vacant charging seat, the grabbing unit moves the charged battery box to be detachably and electrically connected to the body of the vehicle.

2. A battery replacement method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The state data in step S11 also includes the direction in which the low-power battery box discharges heat dissipation gas; The battery replacement method further includes step S132, and step S132 includes: Step S1321, based on the low-battery box moving into the first cabin and the battery exchange system being in the third state or the fourth state, the grabbing unit drives the low-battery box to rotate the set angle in the second direction around the vertical axis of the low-battery box; wherein the third state includes the low-battery box on the vehicle discharging heat dissipation gas toward the first side in the length direction of the first cabin and the idle charging seat is in the second cabin away from the side of the vehicle, and the fourth state includes the low-battery box on the vehicle discharging heat dissipation gas toward the second side in the length direction of the first cabin and the idle charging seat is in the second cabin close to the side of the vehicle; Step S1322: based on the low-battery box rotating about the vertical axis of the low-battery box toward the second direction by the set angle, the low-battery box is moved to the idle charging seat.

3. A battery replacement method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery replacement method further includes step S133, and step S133 includes: Step S1331, based on the grasping unit, the low-power battery box is moved into the first cabin, and the visual unit obtains the first visual data; wherein, the battery swap station component includes the visual unit; the visual unit includes a first visual part, a second visual part, a third visual part, and a fourth visual part; the first visual part, the second visual part, the third visual part, and the fourth visual part are respectively detachably connected to the first cabin, the first visual part and the second visual part are respectively arranged on both sides of the first cabin in the vertical direction, the third visual part is arranged on a side of the first cabin close to the vehicle, and the fourth visual part is arranged on a side of the first cabin away from the vehicle; Step S1332, based on the visual unit acquiring the first visual data, the grasping unit drives the low-power battery box to rotate the set angle; Step S1333, based on the grabbing unit driving the low-power battery box to rotate the set angle, the third visual unit and the fourth visual unit acquire second visual data; Step S1334, acquiring the state of the low-power battery box based on the first visual data and the second visual data; Step S1335: based on the low-battery box being in a qualified state, move the low-battery box to the idle charging seat.

4. A battery replacement method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The step S11 comprises: Step S111, based on the vehicle arriving at the battery swapping area, the first sealed door close to the side of the vehicle is opened and the position of the idle charging seat is obtained; Step S112: based on the first sealed door close to the side of the vehicle being opened, the grabbing unit grabs the low-power battery box.

5. A battery replacement method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The step S1331 includes: Step S13311, based on the grabbing unit, the low-power battery box is moved to the first cabin where the idle charging seat is located, and the first sealing door close to the vehicle side is closed; Step S13312: based on the closing of the first sealing door, the visual unit acquires the first visual data.

6. A battery replacement method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The step S1335 includes: Step S13351, based on the low-power battery box being in a qualified state, opening a second sealed door close to a side of the idle charging seat; Step S13352, based on opening the second sealed door on the side of the idle charging seat, move the low-power battery box into the idle charging seat.

7. A battery replacement method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The step S15 comprises: Step S151, based on the low-power battery box moving to the idle charging seat, the grabbing unit grabs the charged battery box; Step S152, based on the grabbing unit grabbing the charged battery box, moving the charged battery box into the first cabin; Step S153, based on the charged battery box being moved into the first compartment, the second sealed door close to the low-power battery box is closed; Step S154, based on the second sealed door close to the low-power battery box being closed, the first sealed door close to the vehicle is opened; Step S155, based on the first sealed door close to the vehicle being opened, the grabbing unit moves the charged battery box to be detachably and electrically connected to the vehicle body.

8. A battery replacement method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The state data in step S11 also includes the temperature in the first cabin; The battery replacement method further includes: Step S113, based on the temperature inside the first cabin being greater than the temperature threshold, the air inlet and the air exhaust are operated; wherein the cabin unit comprises the air inlet and the air exhaust, and the air inlet and the air exhaust are respectively detachably connected to the second cabin.

9. A battery replacement system, characterized in that: The battery replacement system is applied to a battery replacement method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, and the battery replacement system includes: A vehicle, the vehicle comprising a vehicle body and a low-power battery box; the vehicle body and the low-power battery box are detachably connected and electrically connected; A battery swap station component, the battery swap station component includes a cabin unit, a plurality of charging seats, a grabbing unit, and a plurality of charged battery boxes; the cabin unit includes a first cabin and a second cabin; the first cabin and the second cabin are detachably connected along the length direction of the second cabin; the charging seat is detachably connected to the second cabin; part of the charging seats are arranged on the side of the second cabin close to the vehicle, and the other part of the charging seats are arranged on the side of the second cabin away from the vehicle; the grabbing unit is detachably connected to the first cabin and the second cabin respectively; the charged battery box is detachably connected and electrically connected to the charging seat; the number of the charged battery boxes is the number of the charging seats minus one; the minimum angle between the length direction of the charged battery box and the length direction of the second cabin is within a second set range; the shortest distance between the charged battery box on the side of the second cabin close to the vehicle and the charged battery box on the side of the second cabin away from the vehicle is within a third set range; The battery exchange system includes a battery exchange state; the battery exchange state includes a minimum angle between the length direction of the low-power battery box and the length direction of the charged battery box being within a first set range.

Images