System and method for automatically replacing battery of electric automobile

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic battery replacement system and method for an electric vehicle. The automatic battery replacement system comprises a control system, a positioning sensor, a battery storage rack provided with a plurality of battery storage stations, a battery lifting mechanism arranged on a rack and a battery translation mechanism arranged on the battery lifting mechanism, wherein the battery storage rack forms a battery access mechanism; the battery dismounting and conveying mechanism comprises a supporting plate for bearing a battery, a dismounting and mounting mechanism arranged on the supporting plate and a supporting plate lifting mechanism arranged below the supporting plate; the supporting plate lifting mechanism is arranged on the supporting plate longitudinal moving mechanism, and one end of the supporting plate longitudinal moving mechanism is connected with the battery lifting mechanism. According to the automatic battery replacement system of the electric vehicle, battery replacement and battery stacking, storing and taking are integrally achieved, the battery replacement efficiency is greatly improved, and the cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electric vehicles, and in particular to an automatic battery replacement system and method for an electric vehicle. Background Art

[0002] When replacing batteries, most existing electric vehicles use manual disassembly and assembly, which is very inefficient. A Chinese patent document with a publication date of January 28, 2021 and a publication number of CN113978308A discloses a vehicle swap station, including a vehicle lifting device, which includes two lifting units for lifting the head and tail of the vehicle respectively, and the lifting unit includes a lifting seat, a lifting drive assembly and a position detection assembly. The lifting drive assembly is used to drive the lifting seat to lift, and the position detection assembly is used to detect whether the lifting seat is in the battery replacement position or the parking position. The lifting drive assembly can selectively start or stop according to the detection result of the position detection assembly. By using two independently working lifting seats to support the front and rear ends of the vehicle body respectively, the device reduces the volume and weight of the lifting platform. The position detection assembly and the lifting drive assembly are set one by one. The lifting drive assembly selectively starts or stops according to the detection result of the position detection assembly, thereby ensuring that the lifting heights of the two lifting seats are the same, which is conducive to ensuring the level of the vehicle body. The vehicle swap station replaces the battery by lifting the vehicle, which results in the structure of the lifting platform itself being bulky and heavy. At the same time, the requirements for the lifting drive and vehicle fixing mechanisms are higher, and the cost is increased. On the other hand, the vehicle swap stations of the existing technology also need to be equipped with battery stacking equipment, which further increases the cost. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem of low efficiency and high cost of battery replacement in electric vehicles in the prior art, and to provide an automatic battery replacement system for electric vehicles, which integrates battery replacement and battery stacking and retrieval, thereby improving battery replacement efficiency and reducing costs.

[0004] Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery replacement method for the above-mentioned automatic battery replacement system of the electric vehicle.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above technical problems is a battery automatic replacement system for electric vehicles, including a control system and a positioning sensor, and also including: A battery storage rack, on which a plurality of battery storage stations are provided; The battery storage and access mechanism comprises a frame arranged on one side of the battery storage rack and a battery lifting mechanism arranged on the frame; the battery lifting mechanism is provided with a battery translation mechanism; The battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism includes a pallet carrying batteries, a disassembly and assembly mechanism arranged on the pallet, and a pallet lifting mechanism arranged below the pallet; the pallet lifting mechanism is arranged on the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism, and one end of the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism is connected to the battery lifting mechanism.

[0006] Preferably, the rack is arranged on one side of the battery storage rack, a crossbeam is arranged on the top of the rack, a rack guide rail is arranged on the crossbeam, and the battery lifting mechanism is movably arranged on the rack guide rail.

[0007] Preferably, the battery lifting mechanism comprises a rectangular lifting frame, a lifting seat is provided on the outer shell of the lifting frame, the battery translation mechanism is arranged on the lifting seat, the battery translation mechanism is provided with a battery translation arm perpendicular to the plane of the lifting frame, and the battery translation arm is provided with a battery clamping mechanism.

[0008] Preferably, the battery lifting mechanism is driven by a lifting motor, and lifting guide rails and lifting racks are provided on both side frames of the lifting frame. The lifting motor is fixed on the lifting seat, and the lifting motor is meshed with the lifting rack through a gear.

[0009] Preferably, the battery translation mechanism is driven by a translation motor, and the battery translation arm includes upper arms parallel to each other and lower arms connected to one end of the upper arms, the upper arms pass through the lifting seat and are slidably arranged on the translation guide rail, the lower arm is located below the lifting seat, and the battery clamping mechanism is arranged on the lower arm, including relatively arranged clamping cylinders; the upper arm is provided with a translation rack, the translation motor is fixed on the lifting seat, and the translation motor is meshed with the translation rack through a gear.

[0010] A U-shaped plate is fixed on the top of the lifting frame, and slide grooves adapted to the rack guide rails are arranged on both sides of the U-shaped plate. A rack rack is arranged on the top of the rack, and a rack motor is arranged on the U-shaped plate. The rack motor is meshed with the rack rack through a gear.

[0011] Preferably, the disassembly and assembly mechanism includes a pneumatic wrench corresponding to the battery fixing screw, the pneumatic wrench is provided with a rotating sleeve adapted to the battery fixing screw, and the opening of the rotating sleeve is located on the upper surface of the support plate; the upper surface of the support plate is also equipped with the positioning sensor for detecting the battery position and the positioning pin for fixing the battery position.

[0012] Preferably, the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism is arranged on the pallet transverse movement mechanism, the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism includes a pair of longitudinal movement cylinders, the pallet transverse movement mechanism includes a pair of transverse movement guide rails and a transverse movement cylinder that pushes the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism to slide on the guide rails, and the longitudinal movement cylinder and the transverse movement cylinder are both servo cylinders.

[0013] Preferably, a mounting plate is provided on the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism, and the pallet lifting mechanism is arranged on the mounting plate. The pallet lifting mechanism comprises a pair of lifting cylinders supporting the pallet, and the lifting cylinders are servo cylinders.

[0014] A battery replacement method of an automatic battery replacement system for an electric vehicle comprises the following steps: a. Drive the electric vehicle whose battery needs to be replaced to the top of the battery tray of the battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism; b. The control system determines the battery position through the positioning sensor and moves the pallet position through the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism to align it with the battery; c. The tray lifting mechanism lifts the tray to make it close to the battery, and the disassembly and assembly mechanism works to unscrew the screws that fix the battery; d. The pallet lifting mechanism lowers the pallet, and the battery drops along with the pallet; e. The pallet longitudinal movement mechanism moves the pallet to transport the battery to the bottom of the battery lifting mechanism; f. The lifting seat on the battery lifting mechanism drives the battery translation arm on the battery translation mechanism to drop, the battery clamping mechanism on the battery translation arm clamps the battery, and the battery translation arm rises to a position corresponding to an empty storage station; g. The battery translation arm translates the battery to the storage station, the battery clamping mechanism releases the battery, and the battery translation arm exits the storage station; h. The battery lifting mechanism moves the battery translation arm to the fully charged battery storage station and enters the storage station, the battery clamping mechanism clamps the battery, the battery translation arm exits the storage station, and the battery lifting mechanism moves back to the top of the end of the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism; i. The battery translation arm on the battery lifting mechanism descends and places the battery on the pallet of the battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism; j. The pallet longitudinal movement mechanism moves the pallet to transport the battery to the bottom of the electric vehicle; k. The pallet lifting mechanism raises the pallet to bring the battery closer to the electric vehicle, and the disassembly and assembly mechanism works to tighten the screws that fix the battery; l. The pallet lifting mechanism lowers the pallet, the electric car exits, and the battery replacement is completed.

[0015] Preferably, when the electric vehicle deviates laterally from the pallet, the pallet transverse movement mechanism is actuated to translate the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism as a whole so that the pallet is aligned with the battery.

[0016] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that it effectively solves the problem of low efficiency and high cost of battery replacement in electric vehicles in the prior art. The automatic battery replacement system of the electric vehicle of the present invention integrates battery replacement and battery stacking and retrieval, greatly improving the battery replacement efficiency and reducing costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the automatic battery replacement system of the electric vehicle of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a side view of the automatic battery replacement system of the electric vehicle of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a partial three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a side view of a local structure of the present invention.

[0022] In the figure: 1. Battery storage rack, 2. Battery, 3. Storage station, 4. Rack, 5. Battery lifting mechanism, 6. Battery translation mechanism, 7. Battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism, 8. Pallet, 9. Disassembly and assembly mechanism, 10. Pallet lifting mechanism, 11. Pallet longitudinal movement mechanism, 12. Beam, 13. Rack guide rail, 14. Lifting frame, 15. Lifting seat, 16. Battery clamping mechanism, 17. Lifting motor, 18. Lifting guide rail, 19. Lifting rack, 20. Translation motor, 21. Upper arm, 22. Lower arm, 23. Translation rack, 24. U-shaped plate, 25. Slide, 26. Rack rack, 27. Rack motor, 28. Pneumatic wrench, 29. Rotating sleeve, 30. Rotating sleeve 29, 31. Locating pin, 32. Buffer pad, 33. Longitudinal cylinder, 34. Transverse guide rail, 35. Transverse cylinder, 36. Mounting plate, 37. Lifting cylinder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The principle and specific implementation of the technical solution of the present invention are further described below through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the structures or control methods not described in detail in the present invention are all prior art.

[0024] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, an automatic battery replacement system for an electric vehicle includes a control system for automatically controlling the entire system and a positioning sensor 30 for positioning the battery 2, and also includes: A battery storage rack 1, on which a plurality of storage stations 3 for batteries 2 are arranged; The battery storage and access mechanism comprises a frame 4 arranged on one side of the battery storage rack 1 and a battery lifting mechanism 5 arranged on the frame 4; a battery translation mechanism 6 is arranged on the battery lifting mechanism 5; The battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism 7 includes a pallet 8 carrying the battery 2, a disassembly and assembly mechanism 9 arranged on the pallet 8, and a pallet lifting mechanism 10 arranged below the pallet 8 (see Figure 2 ); The pallet lifting mechanism 10 is arranged on the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism 11, and one end of the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism 11 is connected to the battery lifting mechanism 5.

[0025] The control system is responsible for the coordination and management of the entire battery replacement process. Through the preset program and logic, the control system can accurately control the actions of each mechanism to ensure efficient and safe battery replacement. The positioning sensor 30 is used to accurately locate the position of the battery 2 to ensure that the battery 2 can be accurately transferred to the pallet 8 or installed from the pallet to the electric vehicle. The positioning sensor 30 of the present invention is arranged in the middle of the pallet 8 (see Figure 4 ), using a visual sensor, and taking pictures to compare to determine the position of the battery 2, which belongs to the existing technology in the field of sensors. The positioning sensor 30 can also be other optical sensors or laser sensors, etc., which are not limited here. The battery storage rack 1 is similar to an ordinary shelf, and there are multiple rows and columns of storage stations 3 for batteries 2 arranged on it for storing fully charged spare batteries and temporarily storing low-power batteries to be charged. Usually, the two types of batteries are separated on both sides of the storage rack, and each storage station 3 is optimized to ensure the safe and stable storage of the batteries.

[0026] The battery storage and retrieval mechanism includes a frame 4 fixed to one side of the battery storage rack 1. The frame 4 is usually arranged at the front of the battery storage rack 1 so as to perform storage and retrieval operations on the storage station 3 on each battery storage rack 1. The battery lifting mechanism is installed on the frame and is responsible for lifting or lowering the battery 2 to a certain height for storage and retrieval operations or docking with the battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism 7, receiving the battery 2 from the battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism 7 or delivering the fully charged battery on the battery storage rack 1 to the battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism 7; the battery translation mechanism 6 is installed on the battery lifting mechanism 5, which can move the battery back and forth in the horizontal direction to move the battery 2 into or out of the storage station 3.

[0027] The pallet 8 on the battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism 7 is used to position and carry the battery 2. At the same time, the battery disassembly and assembly mechanism 9 is also arranged on the pallet 8. The disassembly and assembly mechanism 9 is responsible for removing the low-charged battery from the electric vehicle or installing the fully charged battery on the electric vehicle.

[0028] The pallet lifting mechanism 10 is arranged below the pallet 8, and is responsible for lifting and lowering the pallet 8 so that it can adapt to the battery position of the electric vehicle when the battery is disassembled. When the battery is disassembled, the pallet is lowered and can be used as a carrying mechanism for battery transportation. The transportation of the battery 2 is completed by the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism 11. One end of the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism 11 is connected to the battery lifting mechanism 5, and the other end is located below the electric vehicle, so as to transport the battery on the pallet 8 to the battery lifting mechanism 5 or transport the battery from the battery lifting mechanism 5 to the bottom of the electric vehicle. The pallet longitudinal movement mechanism 11 is responsible for moving the pallet in the longitudinal direction to transport the battery.

[0029] The present invention greatly shortens the battery replacement time through automated operation, the positioning sensor and control system ensure the accuracy of battery installation, and the battery storage and disassembly process is completed by the system equipment, which reduces manual intervention and improves safety. The automatic battery replacement system of the electric vehicle of the present invention realizes efficient, accurate and safe battery replacement by integrating the control system, positioning sensor, battery storage rack, battery storage and access mechanism and battery disassembly and transportation mechanism. It is suitable for occasions such as electric vehicle charging stations where frequent battery replacement is required, and can significantly improve the battery replacement efficiency and reduce user waiting time.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the rack 4 is arranged on one side of the battery storage rack 1, a crossbeam 12 is arranged on the top of the rack 4, rack rails 13 are arranged on both sides of the crossbeam 12, and the battery access mechanism is movably arranged on the rack rails 13. In this embodiment, the rack is arranged on one side of the battery storage rack 1, the rack 4 can be fixed on one side of the battery storage rack, and the rack 4 can also be a structure integrated with the battery storage rack. Usually, both sides of the battery storage rack are open structures, so that one side is used to connect with the battery replacement system of the electric vehicle, and the other side can be connected with the battery charging system, that is, the low-power batteries on the battery storage rack are transported to the charging equipment, and then sent back to the battery storage rack after being fully charged, so that it can become an integrated assembly line for battery charging and replacement.

[0031] The main function of the crossbeam 12 on the top of the rack 4 is to set up a lateral (i.e., width direction of the battery storage rack) walking mechanism to facilitate the lateral translation of the battery access mechanism so that it can access each column of battery storage stations 3 in the width direction of the rack. The rack guide rail 13 on the crossbeam is used to guide the lateral movement of the battery access mechanism. The battery access mechanism moves laterally along the rack guide rail 13 to reach each column of battery storage stations 3 on the battery storage rack 1. The crossbeam of this embodiment also includes an I-beam fixed above the crossbeam to strengthen the structure of the crossbeam.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the battery lifting mechanism 5 includes a rectangular lifting frame 14, the lifting frame 14 is provided with a lifting seat 15, the battery translation mechanism 6 is arranged on the lifting seat 15, the battery translation mechanism 6 is provided with a battery translation arm perpendicular to the plane of the lifting frame 14, and the battery translation arm is provided with a battery clamping mechanism 16 (see Figure 3). The lifting frame 14 is rectangular, and the parallel frames on both sides of the lifting frame 14 provide accurate lifting references for the lifting mechanism to avoid deviation during lifting; the space in the middle of the lifting frame 14 allows the battery 2 to pass through, which is convenient for the battery 2 to move forward and backward in and out of the storage station 3. The lifting seat 15 is sleeved on the lifting frame 14 to ensure the structural stability of the lifting seat 15 during lifting, and the lifting seat 15 can accommodate the relevant components required for lifting and translation. The lifting seat 15 of this embodiment is rectangular, and this shape can match the lifting frame, providing sufficient stability and lifting accuracy, and the lifting seat 15 can move up and down along the vertical direction of the lifting frame.

[0033] The battery translation mechanism 6 is responsible for moving the battery 2 in the horizontal direction. The battery translation mechanism 6 is arranged on the lifting seat 15 and can move up and down with the lifting seat 15. The battery translation mechanism 6 is located in the lifting frame 14 and is used to clamp the battery 2 through the lifting frame 14 to enter and exit the storage station 3 to realize the extraction and storage of the battery. The battery translation of this embodiment is realized by the translation arm; the battery translation arm is perpendicular to the plane of the lifting frame; the battery translation arm is provided with a battery clamping mechanism 16, which is responsible for clamping or releasing the battery from all sides of the battery in the horizontal direction, so that the battery 2 can accurately reach or move out of the battery storage position. The battery clamping mechanism is arranged on the battery translation arm and can move horizontally with the translation arm. The battery lifting mechanism, battery translation mechanism and battery clamping mechanism of the present invention are independent and cooperate with each other. The modular design is convenient for maintenance and upgrading. Through fine control in the vertical and horizontal directions, high-precision access to the battery can be achieved; the design of the rectangular lifting frame and the rectangular lifting seat makes full use of the vertical space, making the entire system more compact.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the battery lifting mechanism 5 is driven by a lifting motor 17. The two side frames of the lifting frame 14 are provided with lifting guide rails 18 and lifting racks 19. The lifting motor 17 is fixed on the lifting seat 15, and the lifting motor 17 is meshed with the lifting racks 19 through gears. The power of the battery lifting mechanism 5 comes from the lifting motor, and the motor is responsible for providing the necessary power to drive the vertical movement of the battery 2. The lifting motor is fixed on the lifting seat. Such a design enables the motor to move up and down with the lifting seat to ensure its effective meshing with the lifting racks 19. The lifting guide rails 18 are arranged on the two side frames of the lifting frame 14 to guide and limit the movement trajectory of the lifting seat, ensuring its smooth movement in the vertical direction. The lifting racks 19 are also arranged on the two side frames of the lifting frame 14, meshing with the gears of the lifting motor, and converting the rotational motion of the motor into the linear motion of the lifting seat through the mechanical transmission principle of the gear rack.

[0035] When the battery 2 needs to be lifted, the lifting motor 17 is started and the gear of the motor starts to rotate. The gear meshes with the lifting rack 19. Since the rack is fixed, the rotation of the gear drives the lifting seat 15 to move up and down along the lifting guide rail 18. Driven by the motor, the lifting seat 15 moves up and down smoothly along the guide rail, thereby realizing the vertical lifting of the battery 2. Through the precise matching of the motor and the rack, the precise control of the lifting height of the battery 2 can be achieved. The lifting guide rail 18 ensures the smooth movement of the lifting seat and avoids the shaking or deviation from the track that may occur during the lifting process. The gear rack has a simple structure and is easy to maintain and replace. The battery lifting mechanism uses the joint action of the lifting motor, the lifting guide rail and the lifting rack to realize the vertical movement of the battery. The power provided by the motor is converted into the linear motion of the lifting seat through the mechanical transmission of the gear rack, thereby driving the battery to perform the lifting operation. This structure not only ensures the accuracy and stability of the battery lifting, but also simplifies the maintenance of the system.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the battery translation mechanism 6 is driven by a translation motor 20, and the battery translation arm includes an upper arm 21 parallel to each other and a lower arm 22 connected to the outer end of the upper arm 21, the upper arm 21 passes through the lifting seat 15 and is slidably arranged on the translation guide rail, the lower arm 22 is located below the lifting seat 15, and the battery clamping mechanism 16 is arranged on the lower arm 22, including a clamping cylinder arranged relatively; the upper arm 21 is provided with a translation rack 23, and the translation motor 20 is fixed on the lifting seat 15, and the translation motor 20 is engaged with the translation rack 23 through a gear.

[0037] The power of the battery translation mechanism comes from the translation motor, which is responsible for providing the power required for horizontal movement. The translation motor is fixed on the lifting seat, and this design can ensure that the motor and the translation rack maintain accurate meshing. The battery translation arm consists of upper arms parallel to each other and lower arms connected to the outer ends of the upper arms. This structural design makes the translation arm form a U-shaped structure with an open inner end, so that the translation arm can extend into the battery storage station, allowing the battery to move back and forth in the horizontal direction.

[0038] The upper arm passes through the lifting seat and is slidably arranged on the translation guide rail, which ensures that the translation arm can move horizontally smoothly along the guide rail. The upper arm is provided with a translation rack, which meshes with the gear of the translation motor; the translation motor converts the rotational motion of the motor into the horizontal movement of the translation arm through the meshing action of the gear and the translation rack. The lower arm is located below the lifting seat. This design can avoid the lower arm and the battery grasped by the lower arm from colliding with the lifting seat, so that the battery clamping mechanism can operate in the open space below the lifting seat. The battery clamping mechanism is arranged at the inner end of the lower arm, including two sets of clamping cylinders arranged oppositely, which are used to clamp and release the battery through telescopic movement. The clamping end of the clamping cylinder is also provided with an anti-slip structure to ensure that the battery will not fall after being clamped. The battery translation mechanism realizes the horizontal movement of the battery through the coordinated action of the translation motor, the translation guide rail, the translation rack and the battery translation arm. The power provided by the motor is converted into the horizontal movement of the translation arm through the mechanical transmission of the gear rack, thereby driving the battery to perform translation operation. This not only ensures the accuracy and stability of battery translation, but also improves the operational flexibility of the equipment.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, a U-shaped plate 24 is fixed on the top of the lifting frame 14, and slide grooves 25 adapted to the frame guide rails 13 are provided on both sides of the U-shaped plate 24. A frame rack 26 is provided on the top of the frame, and a frame motor 27 is provided on the U-shaped plate 24. The frame motor 27 is meshed with the frame rack 26 through a gear (see Figure 3 ). The lifting frame is the main component of the entire lifting mechanism. A U-shaped plate 24 is fixed on the top of the lifting frame. The U-shaped plate 24 plays a role of connection and guidance. There are slide grooves 25 on both sides. These slide grooves 25 are adapted to the frame rails 13 to ensure that the lifting frame can slide smoothly along the rails during the lifting process. The frame rails 13 are fixed on the crossbeams of the frame and cooperate with the slide grooves 25 on the U-shaped plate 24 to guide the lateral movement of the lifting frame.

[0040] The rack rack 26 is fixed to the crossbeam 12 of the rack 4 and is a long rack with continuous teeth; the rack motor 27 is mounted on the U-shaped plate, and the output shaft is meshed with the rack rack through the gear, which is responsible for providing the driving force required for the lifting mechanism to move. When the lifting mechanism needs to be translated, the rack motor is started; the gear of the rack motor is meshed with the rack rack, and when the motor rotates, the gear rolls on the rack. Through the precise meshing of the gear rack, the precise control of the position of the lifting mechanism can be achieved, and this structure is relatively simple, which is convenient for daily maintenance and troubleshooting.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment, the disassembly and assembly mechanism 9 includes a pneumatic wrench 28 corresponding to the battery fixing screw (see Figure 5), the pneumatic wrench 28 is provided with a rotating sleeve 29 adapted to the battery fixing screw, and the opening of the rotating sleeve 29 is located on the upper surface of the support plate 8; the upper surface of the support plate 8 is also installed with the positioning sensor 30 for detecting the battery position and the positioning pin 31 for fixing the battery position; the upper surface of the support plate 8 is also provided with a buffer pad 32. In this embodiment, there are four pneumatic wrenches 28 and corresponding rotating sleeves 29, which are located at the four corners of the support plate 8, corresponding to the batteries fixed by screws at the four corners.

[0042] The disassembly and assembly mechanism is used for the automated battery replacement process, and the present invention is aimed at the disassembly and assembly of batteries fixed by screws. The pneumatic wrench is the core part of the disassembly and assembly mechanism, and is used to automatically tighten or loosen the battery fixing screws. The rotating sleeve on the pneumatic wrench is adapted to the battery fixing screws, and its opening is located on the upper surface of the pallet, ensuring that the screws can be accurately entered into the sleeve and rotated. The pallet carries the battery and provides a stable working platform required for battery disassembly and assembly. The positioning sensor detects the position of the battery to ensure that the battery is placed in the correct position to facilitate the precise alignment of the rotating sleeve with the battery fixing screws. The positioning pin is used to accurately locate and fix the position of the battery. The positioning pin has a guiding function. When the battery position is basically in place, the positioning pin can be inserted into the corresponding positioning hole on the battery to enable the battery to be quickly and accurately positioned, and the battery 2 is positioned on the battery position of the pallet. At the same time, it can also prevent the battery 2 from moving during the screw tightening process.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism 11 is arranged on the pallet transverse movement mechanism, and the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism 11 includes a pair of longitudinal movement cylinders 33, and the pallet transverse movement mechanism is provided with a transverse movement cylinder 35, and the longitudinal movement cylinder 33 and the transverse movement cylinder 35 are both servo cylinders. The pallet longitudinal movement mechanism and the pallet transverse movement mechanism together constitute a precise two-dimensional moving platform, which is used to accurately move the pallet in the longitudinal and transverse directions, and then adjust the position of the battery. The pallet longitudinal movement mechanism is composed of two parallel servo cylinders, which are responsible for moving the pallet 8 in the longitudinal direction (front and rear direction). The use of two parallel copper specification servo cylinders can ensure the stability of the pallet during translation.

[0044] The pallet transverse movement mechanism includes a pair of transverse guide rails 34, and the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism 11 is slidably arranged on the transverse guide rails 34 of the pallet transverse movement mechanism as a whole. The transverse movement cylinder 35 is used to move (push and pull) the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism 11 in the transverse direction (the width direction of the battery storage rack) so that it slides on the transverse guide rails 34 to adjust the transverse position of the pallet 8, and finally make the position of the pallet 8 correspond to the position of the battery on the electric vehicle. The longitudinal movement cylinder 33 and the transverse movement cylinder 35 are both servo cylinders, which means that they can be precisely controlled and positioned, and the movement of the cylinders is controlled by electrical signals.

[0045] When the pallet 8 needs to be moved laterally, the lateral cylinder 35 will push the pallet to move to the specified position in the horizontal direction (the width direction of the battery storage rack) according to the control signal. When the pallet 8 needs to be moved longitudinally, the longitudinal cylinder 33 will push the pallet to move to the specified position in the longitudinal direction upward according to the control signal. Due to the use of the servo cylinder, the movement in both directions can be very precise. When the pallet 8 is close to the electric vehicle, it is ensured that the position of the pallet corresponds to the position of the battery on the electric vehicle. When the pallet 8 is close to the battery storage rack, it is ensured that the position of the pallet corresponds to the position of the battery lifting mechanism 5.

[0046] The servo cylinder is an actuator that converts the rotary motion of the servo motor into linear motion. It combines the fast response characteristics of the pneumatic system and the high-precision control advantages of the servo system, and is widely used in various automation equipment. The use of servo cylinders ensures the accuracy of movement and meets the needs of high-precision operations. The two-dimensional mobile platform can easily adjust the position of the battery 2 to adapt to different operating requirements. The entire moving process can be controlled by a program without manual operation, which improves efficiency.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, a mounting plate 36 is provided on the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism 11, and the pallet lifting mechanism 10 is arranged on the mounting plate 36. The pallet lifting mechanism 10 includes a pair of lifting cylinders 37 supporting the pallet 8, and the lifting cylinders 37 are servo cylinders. The pallet longitudinal movement mechanism can not only move the pallet in the horizontal and vertical directions, but also realize the rise and fall of the pallet 8 through the pallet lifting mechanism 10. There are two lifting cylinders 37 in this embodiment, which are arranged in the front and rear directions (longitudinal direction) of the pallet 8. The use of two cylinders can fine-tune the front and rear height of the pallet to adapt to the situation that the battery on the electric vehicle may not be completely horizontal due to the tire pressure difference between the front and rear tires of the electric vehicle. When the front and rear batteries on the electric vehicle are not on the same horizontal plane, the pallet can be adapted to the battery by controlling the lifting of the front and rear two lifting cylinders.

[0048] The lifting cylinder is used to lift or lower the pallet in the vertical direction to achieve height adjustment. The lifting cylinder is also a servo cylinder, which can achieve precise height control. The use of servo cylinders ensures the accuracy of movement and meets the needs of battery disassembly and assembly operations. The combination of the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism, the pallet transverse movement mechanism and the pallet lifting mechanism uses servo cylinders to achieve high-precision movement of the pallet in three dimensions. All movements can be controlled by programs without manual operation, which improves production efficiency and safety.

[0049] A battery replacement method of an automatic battery replacement system for an electric vehicle comprises the following steps: a. Drive the electric vehicle whose battery needs to be replaced to the top of the pallet of the battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism; in this step, the electric vehicle is driven to a reference position, where the battery on the electric vehicle and the battery pallet of the battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism basically correspond, but usually are not precisely aligned.

[0050] b. The control system determines the battery position through the positioning sensor, and moves the pallet through the longitudinal movement mechanism to align it with the battery; this refers to longitudinal alignment. When there is an error in the lateral direction, the longitudinal movement mechanism of the pallet is moved through the transverse movement mechanism to align the pallet with the battery in the lateral direction. The lateral movement of the pallet belongs to a small range of position adjustment.

[0051] c. The pallet lifting mechanism raises the pallet and puts it close to the battery, and the disassembly and assembly mechanism works to unscrew the screws that fix the battery; when the pallet is raised, the battery can be quickly and accurately positioned by inserting the positioning pin into the corresponding positioning hole on the battery, and the battery can be positioned on the battery position of the pallet, while preventing the battery from moving during the screwing process; the pneumatic wrench works to rotate the four rotating sleeves located at the four corners of the pallet to unscrew the four screws used to fix the battery, and the four screws remain in the rotating sleeves.

[0052] d. The pallet lifting mechanism lowers the pallet, and the battery is lowered along with the pallet, so that the battery is moved away from the position close to the electric vehicle.

[0053] e. The pallet longitudinal movement mechanism moves the pallet to transport the battery to the bottom of the battery lifting mechanism; the battery is moved from the side close to the electric vehicle to the side close to the battery storage rack. Before that, the battery lifting mechanism stays at a position corresponding to the end of the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism.

[0054] f. The lifting seat on the battery lifting mechanism drives the battery translation arm on the battery translation mechanism to descend, the battery clamping mechanism on the battery translation arm clamps the battery, and the battery translation arm rises to a position corresponding to an empty storage station; when the empty storage station is above the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism, the battery can be directly placed in the storage station; and when the empty storage station is not above the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism, the rack motor is started, the gear of the rack motor is meshed with the rack rack, and the gear rolls on the rack to make the battery lifting mechanism move laterally on the beam until it reaches a battery storage rack position with an empty storage station in a certain column, and then it is lifted and lowered to align with the empty storage station.

[0055] g. The battery translation arm translates the battery to the above-mentioned storage position, the battery clamping mechanism releases the battery, and the battery translation arm withdraws from the storage position.

[0056] h. The battery lifting mechanism is actuated to move the battery translation arm to the storage station for fully-charged batteries and enter the storage station. The battery clamping mechanism clamps the battery, and the battery translation arm exits the storage station. The battery lifting mechanism is actuated to return to above the end of the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism. The battery lifting mechanism action here refers to the lifting and translation of the battery lifting mechanism. When the fully-charged battery is not on the battery storage rack in the column where the battery lifting mechanism is located, the battery lifting mechanism needs to be translated to the column where the fully-charged battery is located at the same time.

[0057] i. The battery translation arm on the battery lifting mechanism is lowered to place the battery on the pallet of the battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism; when the battery lifting mechanism is not above the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism, it is first translated to the top of the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism.

[0058] j. The pallet longitudinal movement mechanism moves the pallet to transport the battery to the bottom of the electric vehicle; that is, it moves from one end of the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism to the other end.

[0059] k. The pallet lifting mechanism lifts the pallet to bring the battery closer to the electric vehicle, and the disassembly and assembly mechanism works to tighten the screws that fix the battery. Since the electric vehicle has not moved at this time, this position is the position when the battery is disassembled and usually does not need to be adjusted. The setting of the positioning pin allows a small position error of the battery.

[0060] l. The pallet lifting mechanism lowers the pallet, the electric car exits, and the battery replacement is completed.

[0061] In addition to the above-mentioned embodiments, within the scope disclosed in the claims and the specification of the present invention, the technical features or technical data of the present invention can be reselected and combined to form new embodiments, which can be achieved by those skilled in the art without creative work. Therefore, these embodiments that are not described in detail in the present invention should also be regarded as specific embodiments of the present invention and within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic battery replacement system for an electric vehicle, comprising a control system and a positioning sensor, characterized in that: Also includes: A battery storage rack, on which battery storage stations are arrayed; The battery storage and access mechanism comprises a frame arranged on one side of the battery storage rack and a battery lifting mechanism arranged on the frame; the battery lifting mechanism is provided with a battery translation mechanism; The battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism includes a pallet carrying batteries, a disassembly and assembly mechanism arranged on the pallet, and a pallet lifting mechanism arranged below the pallet; the pallet lifting mechanism is arranged on the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism, and one end of the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism is connected to the battery lifting mechanism.

2. The automatic battery replacement system for electric vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rack is arranged on one side of the battery storage rack, a crossbeam is arranged on the top of the rack, a rack guide rail is arranged on the crossbeam, and the battery lifting mechanism is movably arranged on the rack guide rail.

3. The automatic battery replacement system for electric vehicles according to claim 2, characterized in that: The battery lifting mechanism includes a rectangular lifting frame, a lifting seat is provided on the outer shell of the lifting frame, the battery translation mechanism is arranged on the lifting seat, the battery translation mechanism is provided with a battery translation arm perpendicular to the plane of the lifting frame, and the battery translation arm is provided with a battery clamping mechanism; the battery lifting mechanism is driven by a lifting motor, and lifting guide rails and lifting racks are provided on the two side frames of the lifting frame, the lifting motor is fixed on the lifting seat, and the lifting motor is meshed with the lifting rack through a gear.

4. The automatic battery replacement system for electric vehicles according to claim 3, characterized in that: The battery translation mechanism is driven by a translation motor. The battery translation arm includes an upper arm and a lower arm which are parallel to each other. The upper arm passes through the lifting seat and is slidably arranged on the translation guide rail. The lower arm is located below the lifting seat. The battery clamping mechanism is arranged on the lower arm and includes a clamping cylinder which is arranged relatively. The upper arm is provided with a translation rack. The translation motor is fixed on the lifting seat. The translation motor is meshed with the translation rack through a gear.

5. The automatic battery replacement system for electric vehicles according to claim 3, characterized in that: A U-shaped plate is fixed on the top of the lifting frame, and slide grooves adapted to the rack guide rails are arranged on both sides of the U-shaped plate. A rack rack is arranged on the top of the rack, and a rack motor is arranged on the U-shaped plate. The rack motor is meshed with the rack rack through a gear.

6. The automatic battery replacement system for electric vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The disassembly and assembly mechanism includes a pneumatic wrench corresponding to the battery fixing screw, the pneumatic wrench is provided with a rotating sleeve adapted to the battery fixing screw, the opening of the rotating sleeve is located on the upper surface of the support plate; the upper surface of the support plate is also equipped with the positioning sensor for detecting the battery position and the positioning pin for fixing the battery position.

7. The automatic battery replacement system for electric vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pallet longitudinal movement mechanism is arranged on the pallet transverse movement mechanism, the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism includes a pair of longitudinal movement cylinders, the pallet transverse movement mechanism includes a pair of transverse movement guide rails and a transverse movement cylinder that pushes the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism to slide on the guide rails, and the longitudinal movement cylinder and the transverse movement cylinder are both servo cylinders.

8. The automatic battery replacement system for an electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: A mounting plate is arranged on the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism, and a pallet lifting mechanism is arranged on the mounting plate. The pallet lifting mechanism comprises a pair of lifting cylinders supporting the pallet, and the lifting cylinders are servo cylinders.

9. A battery replacement method for an automatic battery replacement system for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that The following steps are involved: a. The electric vehicle drives above the pallet of the battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism; b. The control system determines the battery position through the positioning sensor and moves the pallet position to align it with the battery; c. The support plate rises and fits tightly against the battery, the disassembly and assembly mechanism works, and the screws fixing the battery are unscrewed; d. The pallet descends, and the battery descends with the pallet; e. The pallet longitudinal movement mechanism moves the pallet to transport the battery to the bottom of the battery lifting mechanism; f. The lifting seat on the battery lifting mechanism drives the battery translation arm on the battery translation mechanism to drop, and the battery clamping mechanism on the battery translation arm clamps the battery and rises to a position corresponding to an empty storage station; g. The battery translation arm translates the battery to the above-mentioned storage position, the battery clamping mechanism releases the battery, and the battery translation arm withdraws from the storage position.

10. The battery replacement method of the automatic battery replacement system of the electric vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that The following steps are involved: h. The battery lifting mechanism moves the battery translation arm to the storage station of the fully charged battery, the battery clamping mechanism clamps the battery, the battery translation arm exits the storage station, and the battery lifting mechanism returns to the top of the end of the pallet longitudinal movement mechanism; i. The battery translation arm descends and places the battery on the pallet of the battery disassembly and assembly conveying mechanism; j. The pallet longitudinal movement mechanism moves the pallet to transport the battery to the bottom of the electric vehicle; k. The support plate rises to bring the battery closer to the electric vehicle, the disassembly and assembly mechanism works, and the screws fixing the battery are tightened; l. The pallet is lowered, the electric car is withdrawn, and the battery replacement is completed.

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