Battery swapping equipment and battery swapping stations including them

Abstract

The application discloses a battery replacing device and a battery replacing station comprising the same. The battery replacing device comprises a shuttle vehicle, a battery tray, a leveling component and a dismounting mechanism. The battery tray is arranged above the shuttle vehicle. The bottom of the leveling component is connected to the shuttle vehicle. The top of the leveling component is used for cooperating with the chassis of the vehicle. The dismounting mechanism is connected to the battery tray and is used for unlocking or locking the fixing component of the battery pack. The number of the leveling components is multiple. The top end of the leveling component has an abutting surface, which is located on the same plane. In the application, the top of the leveling component cooperates with the chassis of the vehicle, so that the dismounting mechanism on the battery tray is leveled and aligned, thereby achieving the leveling of the battery replacing device. The top of the multiple leveling components cooperates with the chassis of the vehicle, and the abutting surfaces of the multiple leveling components are located on the same horizontal plane, so that the leveling between the shuttle vehicle and the vehicle is more stable, and the leveling effect is better.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese invention patent filed on December 2, 2021, with application number 202111461278.5 and title "Power Swapping Equipment and Power Swapping Station Including the Same". Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to a battery swapping device and a battery swapping station including the same. Background Technology

[0003] There are two main charging methods for existing electric vehicles: direct charging and battery swapping. Direct charging requires charging stations, but it takes a long time and is less efficient. Battery swapping, on the other hand, requires battery swapping stations and allows for rapid battery replacement, significantly reducing the time required for direct charging.

[0004] Battery swapping equipment is a crucial component of a battery swapping station, responsible for the main tasks of swapping batteries for vehicles. This includes removing battery packs from the swapping vehicle and installing them on the vehicle. In under-vehicle battery swapping scenarios, the equipment needs to enter under the vehicle to remove the battery pack, then remove the removed battery pack, and finally carry the new battery pack back under the vehicle to install it.

[0005] For replaceable battery packs, they can be installed onto a vehicle bracket using fasteners, with locking devices on the bracket securing the battery pack. The bracket typically has a disassembly / removal mechanism to facilitate this process. This mechanism can tighten or loosen the fasteners, allowing for the installation or removal of the battery pack. During installation or removal, the vehicle and battery swapping equipment need to be aligned. Traditional battery swapping equipment requires manual inspection and adjustment to achieve this alignment, which is inefficient and manual, making it difficult to remove or properly install the battery pack. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art in which the battery swapping equipment is prone to shaking after loading the battery pack, and is prone to movement and misalignment, which makes it difficult to remove or install the battery pack, resulting in low storage and retrieval efficiency and low safety. The present invention provides a battery swapping equipment and a battery swapping station including the present invention.

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

[0008] A battery swapping device includes a shuttle, a battery tray, a leveling component, and a disassembly / assembly mechanism. The battery tray is disposed above the shuttle, the bottom of the leveling component is connected to the shuttle, the top of the leveling component is used to cooperate with the chassis of the vehicle, and the disassembly / assembly mechanism is connected to the battery tray and is used to unlock or lock the fixing component of the battery pack.

[0009] The number of leveling components is multiple; the top of each leveling component has an abutment surface, and the multiple abutment surfaces are located on the same plane.

[0010] In this solution, the aforementioned structural form is adopted. The battery tray on the shuttle vehicle engages with the vehicle's chassis via the top of the leveling component. Before unlocking or locking, the disassembly and assembly mechanism on the battery tray achieves leveling alignment, thereby ensuring the battery swapping equipment reaches the leveled position. This design offers strong adaptability, high battery swapping stability, and fast and efficient operation. The use of multiple leveling components engaging with the vehicle's chassis, with multiple contact surfaces on the same horizontal plane, ensures more stable leveling between the shuttle vehicle and the vehicle, resulting in better leveling performance.

[0011] Preferably, the shuttle includes a lifting mechanism, the battery tray is mounted on the lifting mechanism, and the lifting mechanism drives the battery tray to rise or fall along the battery pack assembly / disassembly direction.

[0012] In this solution, the aforementioned structural form is adopted. A lifting mechanism raises the battery tray to its working position, allowing the disassembly and assembly mechanism to engage with the battery pack's fixing components, thereby unlocking or locking the battery pack. Simultaneously, the lifting mechanism moves the battery tray downwards, causing the disassembly and assembly mechanism to move away from the vehicle, facilitating the shuttle vehicle's exit from beneath it. Furthermore, the lifting mechanism serves as the reference for the tray mounting mechanism's floating motion. During the lifting and lowering process, the tray mounting mechanism enables the tray to float, thus achieving the battery tray's self-adaptability.

[0013] Preferably, the lifting mechanism includes a first drive unit and a transmission unit, the first drive unit being disposed on the shuttle, and the transmission unit being connected to the first drive unit and the battery tray respectively.

[0014] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted, and the first drive unit and the transmission unit are used to realize the lifting and lowering of the battery tray. While ensuring the stability of its lifting and lowering, the structure is simplified as much as possible to ensure that the battery swapping operation of the battery swapping equipment is not affected.

[0015] Preferably, the first driving unit is a motor, and the transmission unit is a cam;

[0016] The motor drives the cam to rotate, and when the cam's protrusion lifts the battery tray, the battery tray is at the working height.

[0017] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted. The structure is simple and stable, the installation and setup are very convenient, and the cost is low.

[0018] Preferably, the battery tray is connected to the shuttle car via a tray mounting mechanism along the battery pack disassembly / assembly direction, and the battery tray can move elastically relative to the shuttle car in a direction parallel to and / or perpendicular to the battery disassembly / assembly direction.

[0019] In this solution, the aforementioned structural form enables the battery tray to float and connect to the shuttle vehicle. This allows the battery tray to fine-tune its position in the battery pack assembly / disassembly direction within a certain floating space, improving the adaptability of the tray mounting mechanism, battery tray, and assembly / disassembly mechanism. This facilitates alignment of the assembly / disassembly mechanism with the battery pack's fixed components, resulting in high battery swapping stability, fast operation, and high efficiency. Simultaneously, the floating position in the battery pack assembly / disassembly direction prevents the battery tray from rising excessively, which could cause protruding components on the battery tray to rigidly collide with the vehicle, reducing component damage and extending the lifespan of the battery swapping equipment.

[0020] Preferably, the pallet mounting mechanism includes:

[0021] Mounting part, the mounting part being connected to the battery tray;

[0022] A fixing part, the fixing part being connected to the shuttle; and

[0023] A tray elastic component is disposed between the mounting portion and the fixing portion. The tray elastic component undergoes elastic deformation along a direction parallel to and / or perpendicular to the battery disassembly and assembly direction, so that the mounting portion can move elastically relative to the fixing portion along a direction parallel to and / or perpendicular to the battery disassembly and assembly direction.

[0024] In this solution, the aforementioned structural form is adopted, with the tray elastic component positioned between the mounting section and the fixing section. The elastic deformation of the tray elastic component allows the mounting section to move elastically relative to the fixing section along a direction parallel and / or perpendicular to the battery installation / removal direction. This enables the mounting section to finely adjust the position of the battery tray within a certain floating space in the battery pack installation / removal direction. The overall structure of the tray mounting mechanism is simple and very convenient to use.

[0025] Preferably, the fixing part includes a housing and a fixing base. The fixing base is disposed below the mounting part along the battery pack disassembly and assembly direction. The housing is circumferentially disposed outside the mounting part. The housing is disposed above the fixing base and connected to the fixing base.

[0026] The tray elastic component includes a first elastic component and / or a second elastic component. The first elastic component is disposed between the mounting portion and the fixed base, and the first elastic component can undergo elastic deformation along a direction parallel to the battery disassembly and assembly direction. The second elastic component is disposed between the mounting portion and the housing, and the second elastic component can undergo elastic deformation along a direction perpendicular to the battery disassembly and assembly direction.

[0027] In this solution, by adopting the above-mentioned structural form, the mounting part can transfer the floating direction perpendicular to the battery pack disassembly and assembly direction to the housing. Thus, by simply connecting the mounting part to the battery tray, floating can be achieved simultaneously in both directions parallel and perpendicular to the battery pack disassembly and assembly direction, reducing the number of components connected to the mounting part and simplifying the overall structure. At the same time, it can prevent the mounting part from tilting during the floating process and maintain the stability of the battery tray during the floating process.

[0028] Preferably, there are multiple tray mounting mechanisms, which are evenly distributed at the bottom of the battery tray.

[0029] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted, and multiple tray mounting mechanisms ensure that the battery tray floats more stably, avoiding the battery tray from tilting during the floating process and affecting the installation alignment process, thereby achieving high battery swapping stability, fast working speed and high efficiency.

[0030] Preferably, the end of the disassembly mechanism facing the fixing component is elastically movable relative to the battery tray in a direction parallel to the battery disassembly direction and / or swings in a direction inclined to the battery disassembly direction.

[0031] In this solution, the aforementioned structural form allows the end of the disassembly / removal mechanism to move elastically parallel to the battery disassembly / removal direction and / or swing inclined to the battery disassembly / removal direction relative to the battery tray. Even if there is an error in the relative positioning of the disassembly / removal mechanism and the fixed component, it can be finely adjusted within a certain floating space and connected to the fixed component, thereby unlocking or locking the fixed component, reducing the positioning accuracy requirements and improving alignment efficiency. Simultaneously, the movement of the disassembly / removal mechanism in the battery pack disassembly / removal direction prevents excessive upward movement of the mechanism, which could lead to a rigid collision between the mechanism and the vehicle, extending the service life of the battery swapping equipment.

[0032] Preferably, the disassembly and assembly mechanism includes a mounting base, a connecting part, and a disassembly and assembly part. The lower end of the mounting base is mounted on the battery tray. The disassembly and assembly part is used to unlock or lock the fixing components of the battery pack. The disassembly and assembly part is connected to the mounting base through the connecting part.

[0033] Wherein, the lower end of the disassembly / assembly part is movably connected to the upper end of the connecting part, and the upper end of the disassembly / assembly part can swing from the axis of the connecting part toward the outer side of the axis of the connecting part, so that the disassembly / assembly part swings relative to the battery tray in an inclination toward the battery disassembly / assembly direction; and / or

[0034] A third elastic component is provided between the connecting part and the mounting base. The third elastic component undergoes elastic deformation along a direction parallel to the battery disassembly and assembly direction, so that the disassembly and assembly part can move elastically relative to the battery tray along a direction parallel to the battery disassembly and assembly direction.

[0035] In this design, the aforementioned structural form is adopted, with a movable connection between the disassembly / assembly part and the connecting part. This allows the disassembly / assembly part to swing relative to the axis of the connecting part, thereby increasing its range of motion, reducing the requirement for positioning accuracy, and improving the efficiency of aligning and fixing components. The third elastic component enables resetting, ensuring high stability. The mounting base further enhances structural stability, and the overall structure is simple and compact.

[0036] Preferably, the disassembly / assembly part is connected to the connecting part via a pivot shaft.

[0037] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted, and the pivot shaft is used to realize the swing between the disassembly part and the connection part. The structure is simple and reliable.

[0038] Preferably, the disassembly and assembly mechanism further includes a reset component, which is sleeved on the outer peripheral surface of the disassembly and assembly part and the connecting part, and the reset component is used to make the axis of the disassembly and assembly part coincide with the axis of the connecting part.

[0039] In this solution, the above-mentioned structure is adopted. The reset component is sleeved on the outer peripheral surface of the disassembly and assembly part and drives the disassembly and assembly part to reset, so that the axis of the disassembly and assembly part can coincide with the axis of the fixed component, thereby realizing the unlocking or locking of the fixed component. This can reduce the positioning accuracy requirements and improve the efficiency of aligning the fixed component.

[0040] Preferably, the disassembly and assembly mechanism further includes a second drive unit, which is connected to the connecting part in a transmission manner, and the second drive unit applies torque to the disassembly and assembly part through the connecting part.

[0041] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted. The second drive unit is used to provide rotational driving force. The torque is applied to the disassembly and assembly unit through the transmission of the connecting part, so that the torsion of the fixed part can realize unlocking or locking. It is very convenient to use, easy to control, and has high precision and high stability.

[0042] Preferably, the disassembly and assembly mechanism is a torque gun, the disassembly and assembly part is a sleeve device, and the second driving part is a motor assembly; the motor assembly drives the sleeve device to rotate through the connecting part.

[0043] In this solution, the fixed components are unlocked or locked by controlling the rotation of the sleeve device of the torque gun. The torque gun is driven by a motor, has a simple and stable structure, and can achieve precise control of torque and number of rotations.

[0044] Preferably, there are multiple disassembly and assembly mechanisms, which are arranged in an array on the battery tray, and the positions of the multiple disassembly and assembly mechanisms correspond one-to-one with the multiple fixed components on the battery pack.

[0045] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted. By setting up disassembly and assembly mechanisms on the battery tray that correspond to multiple fixed components on the battery pack, all disassembly and assembly mechanisms can simultaneously unlock or lock all fixed components, thereby realizing the disassembly or installation of the battery pack and the vehicle, which greatly improves the efficiency and stability of unlocking or locking.

[0046] Preferably, the plurality of leveling components are located around the perimeter of the shuttle.

[0047] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted, and multiple leveling components are set around the perimeter of the shuttle car, which ensures that the leveling between the shuttle car and the vehicle is more stable and the leveling effect is better.

[0048] Preferably, the number of leveling components is four, and the four leveling components are located at the four corners of the shuttle.

[0049] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted. By placing the four leveling components at the four corners of the shuttle, the structure is simple and highly stable. At the same time, the space formed between the four leveling components will be used to set up structures such as battery trays and disassembly and assembly mechanisms, while avoiding the position used to accommodate the battery pack, effectively avoiding interference.

[0050] Preferably, the battery tray is further provided with a positioning component, which cooperates with a positioning hole provided on the chassis of the vehicle, and the height of the positioning component extending out of the top surface of the battery tray is greater than the height of the disassembly and assembly mechanism extending out of the top surface of the battery tray.

[0051] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted, and the positioning components and positioning holes that cooperate with each other are used to achieve precise positioning between the vehicle and the battery tray. This makes it easier for the disassembly and assembly mechanism to align with the battery fixing components, greatly improving the success rate of unlocking. In addition, the battery swapping stability is high, and the working speed and efficiency are fast.

[0052] Preferably, the top of the positioning component has a guide surface with a diameter that gradually increases from top to bottom.

[0053] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted. The guide surface has a guiding function. The guide surface at the top of the positioning component makes it easier for the positioning component to be inserted into the positioning hole. Even with a small error in the horizontal direction, the battery tray can be aligned so as to achieve precise alignment between the disassembly and assembly part and the fixing part of the battery pack.

[0054] Preferably, there are multiple positioning components, and the multiple positioning components are respectively located on both sides of the center of the battery tray.

[0055] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted. By setting multiple positioning components on both sides of the center of the battery tray, it is ensured that the battery tray does not move horizontally within its plane, thereby further improving the positioning accuracy and unlocking stability.

[0056] Preferably, the battery tray is provided with a support member for supporting the battery pack, and the height of the support member extending beyond the upper surface of the battery tray is lower than the height of the disassembly and assembly mechanism extending beyond the upper surface of the battery tray.

[0057] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted so that the battery pack falls on the support component after unlocking or before locking, instead of falling directly on the disassembly and assembly mechanism. This effectively avoids the damage caused by the impact of the battery pack on the disassembly and assembly mechanism, and greatly improves the safety and stability of the battery swapping equipment.

[0058] Preferably, there are multiple support components, which are disposed around the outer edge and / or the middle area of ​​the battery tray.

[0059] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted, and multiple supporting components effectively support the outer edges and / or middle area of ​​the battery pack, which can effectively prevent the battery pack from flipping on the battery tray and improve the stability of the battery tray when carrying the vehicle battery pack.

[0060] A battery swapping station comprising the battery swapping equipment described above.

[0061] In this solution, the above-mentioned structural form is adopted. By cooperating with the top of the leveling component with the chassis of the vehicle, the disassembly and assembly mechanism located on the battery tray is leveled and aligned before unlocking or locking, thereby enabling the battery swapping equipment to reach the leveling position. It has strong adaptability, high battery swapping stability, and fast working speed and high efficiency.

[0062] Preferably, the battery swapping station further includes a control system electrically connected to the battery swapping equipment, the control system being used to control the operation of the disassembly and assembly mechanism.

[0063] In this solution, the above-mentioned structure is adopted. The control system is electrically connected to the battery swapping equipment and used to control the battery swapping equipment, thereby realizing the disassembly or installation of the battery pack. The disassembly and installation are very convenient, efficient, and safe.

[0064] Preferably, the disassembly and assembly mechanism is a torque gun, and the control system is used to control the rotation switch of the torque gun, the output power, and to receive the number of rotations and torque information of the torque gun.

[0065] In this solution, the above-mentioned structure is adopted. The control system controls the rotation switch of the torque gun, outputs power, and receives the number of rotations and torque information of the torque gun. This allows the system to detect whether each step of the torque gun is successful during the entire unlocking or locking process, thereby achieving precise control and high safety and stability.

[0066] Based on common knowledge in the field, the above-mentioned preferred conditions can be combined arbitrarily to obtain various preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0067] The positive and progressive effects of this invention are as follows:

[0068] The battery swapping equipment and its included station of the present invention, wherein the battery tray on the shuttle vehicle engages with the vehicle chassis via the top of a leveling component, enabling the disassembly and assembly mechanism on the battery tray to achieve leveling alignment before unlocking or locking, thereby achieving a leveled position for the battery swapping equipment. This results in strong adaptability, high battery swapping stability, and fast and efficient operation. By utilizing the engagement of the tops of multiple leveling components with the vehicle chassis, and with multiple contact surfaces located on the same horizontal plane, the leveling between the shuttle vehicle and the vehicle is more stable and achieves better leveling results. Attached Figure Description

[0069] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the battery swapping device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery swapping equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the battery swapping equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the pallet mounting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the pallet mounting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembly and assembly mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the disassembly and assembly mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0077] Shuttle 1

[0078] Lifting mechanism 11

[0079] First drive unit 111

[0080] Transmission Unit 112

[0081] Battery tray 2

[0082] Positioning component 21

[0083] Support component 22

[0084] Leveling component 3

[0085] 31

[0086] Disassembly and assembly mechanism 4

[0087] Mounting bracket 41

[0088] Connecting part 42

[0089] Disassembly and assembly section 43

[0090] Third elastic component 44

[0091] Reset component 45

[0092] Second drive unit 46

[0093] Pallet mounting mechanism 5

[0094] Fixing part 51

[0095] Casing 511

[0096] Fixed base 512

[0097] Installation Department 52

[0098] Pallet elastic component 53

[0099] First elastic component 531

[0100] Second elastic component 532 Detailed Implementation

[0101] The present invention will be described more clearly and completely below by way of embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiments.

[0102] This invention discloses a battery swapping station, which includes battery swapping equipment. When a vehicle needing a battery pack replacement enters the station, the battery swapping equipment removes the depleted battery pack from the vehicle and installs a fully charged battery pack onto the vehicle, thus completing the battery swapping operation.

[0103] like Figures 1-7As shown, the battery swapping equipment includes a shuttle car 1, a battery tray 2, a leveling component 3, and a disassembly and assembly mechanism 4. The battery tray 2 is located above the shuttle car 1. The bottom of the leveling component 3 is connected to the shuttle car 1, and the top of the leveling component 3 is used to cooperate with the chassis of the vehicle. The disassembly and assembly mechanism 4 is connected to the battery tray 2 and is used to unlock or lock the fixing component of the battery pack.

[0104] When the battery swapping equipment is in operation, the shuttle 1 is located below the vehicle chassis. The vehicle is then lifted by a lift to a position where the top of the leveling component 3 is close to the vehicle chassis. After fine-tuning, the top of the leveling component 3 is aligned with the vehicle chassis. The disassembly / installation mechanism 4 then unlocks or locks the battery pack's fixing components, allowing the battery pack to be disassembled or installed on the vehicle. The battery tray 2 on the shuttle 1, through the alignment of the top of the leveling component 3 with the vehicle chassis, ensures that the disassembly / installation mechanism 4 on the battery tray 2 is aligned before unlocking or locking, thus achieving a leveled position for the battery swapping equipment. This results in strong adaptability, high battery swapping stability, and fast and efficient operation.

[0105] The number of leveling components 3 can be multiple, and the multiple leveling components 3 are located around the four edges of the shuttle car 1. By placing multiple leveling components 3 around the four edges of the shuttle car 1 and using the top of the multiple leveling components 3 to cooperate with the chassis of the vehicle, the leveling between the shuttle car 1 and the vehicle is more stable and the leveling effect is better.

[0106] The top of the leveling component 3 has an abutment surface 31, and multiple abutment surfaces 31 are located on the same plane. The multiple leveling components 3 have the same height, and the plane formed by the top surface of the leveling component 3 is the abutment surface 31. By having multiple abutment surfaces 31 located on the same horizontal plane, the leveling is more stable and the leveling effect is better.

[0107] The plane containing the abutment surfaces 31 of the multiple leveling components 3 is parallel to the plane containing the battery tray 2. This ensures that the plane containing the vehicle chassis / battery fixing components is parallel to the battery tray, allowing the disassembly and assembly mechanism 4 on the battery tray 2 to precisely engage with the fixing components. This avoids alignment deviations or jamming during unlocking or locking, improving battery swapping accuracy and efficiency.

[0108] Specifically, there are four leveling components 3, located at the four corners of the shuttle 1. By placing the four leveling components 3 at the four corners of the shuttle 1, the structure is simple and highly stable. At the same time, the space formed between the four leveling components 3 will be used to install structures such as the battery tray 2 and the disassembly and assembly mechanism 4. Furthermore, the placement of the leveling components 3 at the corners avoids the locations on the shuttle 1 used to accommodate the battery pack, effectively preventing interference.

[0109] The shuttle vehicle 1 also includes a lifting mechanism 11. The battery tray 2 is mounted on the lifting mechanism 11, which drives the battery tray 2 to rise or fall along the battery pack installation / removal direction. After the top of the leveling component 3 mates with the vehicle chassis, the lifting mechanism 11 raises the battery tray 2 to the working position, allowing the installation / removal mechanism 4 to align and engage with the battery pack's fixing components, thereby unlocking or locking the battery pack. After unlocking or locking, the lifting mechanism 11 moves the battery tray 2 downwards, causing the installation / removal mechanism 4 to move away from the vehicle, facilitating the shuttle vehicle 1 to move away from under the vehicle.

[0110] In this embodiment, the battery swapping equipment has an initial state and a battery swapping state. In the initial state, the leveling component 3 is higher than the disassembly / removal mechanism 4. At the start of the battery swapping process, the vehicle is first leveled using the higher-positioned leveling component 3, after which the disassembly / removal mechanism 4 performs the battery swapping operation. In other embodiments of the invention, a lifting mechanism 11 or similar method can be used to allow the positional relationship between the leveling component 3 and the disassembly / removal mechanism 4 to be adjusted at any time to facilitate the battery swapping operation.

[0111] The lifting mechanism 11 includes a first drive unit 111 and a transmission unit 112. The first drive unit 111 is mounted on the shuttle 1, and the transmission unit 112 is connected to both the first drive unit 111 and the battery tray 2. The first drive unit 111 provides driving force, which is then transmitted to the battery tray 2 via the transmission unit 112, thereby enabling the battery tray 2 to rise or fall along the battery pack assembly / disassembly direction. The use of the first drive unit 111 and the transmission unit 112 to lift and lower the battery tray 2 ensures stability while simplifying the structure to avoid affecting the battery swapping operation of the swapping equipment.

[0112] In this embodiment, the first drive unit 111 is a motor, and the transmission unit 112 is a cam. The motor drives the cam to rotate, and when the protrusion of the cam lifts the battery tray 2, the battery tray 2 is at the working height. The structure is simple, installation and setup are very convenient, and the cost is low. Of course, in other optional embodiments, the first drive unit 111 can also use other drive mechanisms such as hydraulic devices to provide driving force, and the transmission unit 112 can also use other transmission components such as transmission rods to transmit force.

[0113] The battery tray 2 is connected to the shuttle 1 via the tray mounting mechanism 5 along the battery pack disassembly / assembly direction. The battery tray 2 can move elastically relative to the shuttle 1 in a direction parallel to and / or perpendicular to the battery disassembly / assembly direction. The tray mounting mechanism 5 allows the shuttle 1 and battery tray 2 to move elastically in a direction parallel to and / or perpendicular to the battery disassembly / assembly direction, enabling the battery tray 2 to float on the shuttle 1. This allows the battery tray 2 to drive the disassembly / assembly mechanism 4 to finely adjust its position in the battery pack disassembly / assembly direction within a certain floating space. This improves the adaptability of the tray mounting mechanism 5, battery tray 2, and disassembly / assembly mechanism 4, facilitating the alignment of the disassembly / assembly mechanism 4 with the fixed components of the battery pack, resulting in high battery swapping stability, high operating speed, and high efficiency. Furthermore, the floating in the battery pack disassembly / assembly direction prevents the battery tray 2 from rising excessively, which could cause a rigid collision between the protruding components on the battery tray 2 and the vehicle, reducing component damage and extending the service life of the battery swapping equipment.

[0114] The tray mounting mechanism 5 includes a fixing part 51, a mounting part 52, and a tray elastic component 53. The mounting part 52 is connected to the battery tray 2, and the fixing part 51 is connected to the shuttle 1. The tray elastic component 53 is disposed between the mounting part 52 and the fixing part 51. The tray elastic component 53 elastically deforms along a direction parallel to and / or perpendicular to the battery disassembly and assembly direction, allowing the mounting part 52 to elastically move relative to the fixing part 51 along the same and / or perpendicular direction. By disposing the tray elastic component 53 between the mounting part 52 and the fixing part 51, the elastic deformation of the tray elastic component 53 allows the mounting part 52 to elastically move relative to the fixing part 51 along the same and / or perpendicular direction, thereby enabling the mounting part 52 to drive the battery tray 2 to finely adjust its position in the battery pack disassembly and assembly direction within a certain floating space. The tray mounting mechanism 5 has a simple overall structure and is very convenient to use.

[0115] In this embodiment, the fixing part 51 includes a housing 511 and a fixing base 512. The fixing base 512 is disposed below the mounting part 52 along the battery pack disassembly and assembly direction. The housing 511 is circumferentially disposed outside the mounting part 52 and is disposed above and connected to the fixing base 512. The tray elastic component 53 includes a first elastic component 531 and / or a second elastic component 532. The first elastic component 531 is disposed between the mounting part 52 and the fixing base 512 and can undergo elastic deformation along the direction parallel to the battery disassembly and assembly direction. The second elastic component 532 is disposed between the mounting part 52 and the housing 511 and can undergo elastic deformation along the direction perpendicular to the battery disassembly and assembly direction.

[0116] A first elastic component 531 is disposed between the mounting portion 52 and the fixed base 512. The first elastic component 531 extends and retracts relative to the fixed base 512 to cause the mounting portion 52 to float parallel to the battery pack disassembly and assembly direction. A second elastic component 532 is disposed between the mounting portion 52 and the housing 511. The second elastic component 532 extends and retracts relative to the housing 511 to cause the mounting portion 52 to float perpendicular to the battery pack disassembly and assembly direction.

[0117] In this embodiment, both the first elastic component 531 and the second elastic component 532 can be springs, which have a simple and reliable structure and low cost. In other optional embodiments, the first elastic component 531 and the second elastic component 532 can also be other elastic components such as rubber parts.

[0118] The housing 511 and the mounting part 52 are nested together. On the one hand, the mounting part 52 can transfer the floating direction perpendicular to the battery pack disassembly and assembly direction to the housing 511. Thus, by simply connecting the mounting part 52 to the battery tray 2, floating can be achieved simultaneously in both directions parallel and perpendicular to the battery pack disassembly and assembly direction, reducing the number of connected parts on the mounting part 52 and simplifying the overall structure. On the other hand, the housing 511 is located outside the mounting part 52, which can prevent the mounting part 52 from tilting during the floating process and maintain the stability of the battery tray 2 during the floating process.

[0119] In this embodiment, the fixing part 51 is sleeved on the outside of the mounting part 52. There is a lot of space between the housing 511 and the mounting part 52 where the second elastic component 532 can be arranged. The second elastic component 532 can be arranged along the entire circumference, which is beneficial to increase the floating direction on the plane perpendicular to the battery pack disassembly and assembly direction, and further improve the adaptability of the tray mounting mechanism 5 and the battery tray 2.

[0120] There are multiple tray mounting mechanisms 5, which are evenly distributed on the bottom of the battery tray 2. These multiple tray mounting mechanisms 5 ensure more stable floating of the battery tray 2, preventing it from tilting during floating and affecting the installation alignment process, thus achieving high battery swapping stability, fast operation, and high efficiency. Specifically, there are at least four tray mounting mechanisms 5, which are evenly distributed on the bottom of the battery tray 2.

[0121] In one embodiment, the end of the disassembly / removal mechanism 4 facing the fixed component can elastically move relative to the battery tray 2 in a direction parallel to the battery disassembly / removal direction. The end of the disassembly / removal mechanism 4 can be displaced vertically relative to the battery tray 2. Even if there is a vertical positioning error between the disassembly / removal mechanism 4 and the fixed component, the disassembly / removal mechanism 4 can be finely adjusted within a certain floating space in the vertical direction and can connect with the fixed component, thereby unlocking or locking the fixed component, reducing the requirement for positioning accuracy and improving alignment efficiency. Simultaneously, the movement of the disassembly / removal mechanism 4 allows for floating in the battery pack disassembly / removal direction, preventing the disassembly / removal mechanism 4 from rising excessively and causing a rigid collision with the vehicle, reducing component damage and extending the service life of the battery swapping equipment.

[0122] The disassembly and assembly mechanism 4 includes a mounting base 41, a connecting part 42, and a disassembly and assembly part 43. The lower end of the mounting base 41 is mounted on the battery tray 2. The disassembly and assembly part 43 is used to unlock or lock the fixing parts of the battery pack. The disassembly and assembly part 43 is connected to the mounting base 41 through the connecting part 42. A third elastic component 44 is provided between the connecting part 42 and the mounting base 41. The third elastic component 44 undergoes elastic deformation along the direction parallel to the battery disassembly and assembly, so that the disassembly and assembly part 43 can move elastically relative to the battery tray 2 along the direction parallel to the battery disassembly and assembly. The disassembly / assembly part 43 is connected to the mounting base 41 via the connecting part 42. The axes of the connecting part 42 and the mounting base 41 coincide, and the connecting part 42 can move on the mounting base 41 parallel to the battery disassembly / assembly direction. A third elastic component 44 applies force to the connecting part 42 and the mounting base 41 respectively, driving the connecting part 42 to move away from the mounting base 41. This allows the disassembly / assembly part 43 to move elastically relative to the battery tray 2 parallel to the battery disassembly / assembly direction. After the disassembly / assembly part 43 is used, it can be reset by the third elastic component 44, resulting in high stability. Part of the structure of the connecting part 42 is housed within the mounting base 41, which facilitates the installation of the connecting part 42 and the disassembly / assembly part 43. This provides a reliable protective structure for the connecting part 42 and the disassembly / assembly part 43, increasing structural stability, and resulting in a simple and compact overall structure.

[0123] The end of the disassembly / assembly mechanism 4 facing the fixed component can swing relative to the battery tray 2 along an angle inclined to the battery disassembly / assembly direction. The lower end of the disassembly / assembly part 43 is movably connected to the upper end of the connecting part 42, and the upper end of the disassembly / assembly part 43 can swing from the axis of the connecting part 42 outwards from the axis of the connecting part 42, so that the disassembly / assembly part 43 swings relative to the battery tray 2 along an angle inclined to the battery disassembly / assembly direction. Even if there is an error in the relative positioning of the disassembly / assembly mechanism 4 and the fixed component in the horizontal direction, it can be finely adjusted within a certain floating space by the swing of the disassembly / assembly mechanism 4 and can be connected to the fixed component, thereby realizing the unlocking or locking of the fixed component, reducing the positioning accuracy requirement and improving the efficiency of aligning the fixed component.

[0124] In this embodiment, the disassembly / assembly part 43 is connected to the connecting part 42 via a pivot shaft. The pivot shaft enables the swinging motion between the disassembly / assembly part 43 and the connecting part 42, resulting in a simple and reliable structure. Of course, other movable connection methods can also be used between the disassembly / assembly part 43 and the connecting part 42, and are not limited here.

[0125] The disassembly / assembly mechanism 4 also includes a reset component 45, which is sleeved on the outer peripheral surface of the disassembly / assembly part 43 and the connecting part 42. The reset component 45 is used to make the axis of the disassembly / assembly part 43 coincide with the axis of the connecting part 42. The reset component 45 is sleeved on the outer peripheral surface of the disassembly / assembly part 43 and drives the disassembly / assembly part 43 to reset, so that the axis of the disassembly / assembly part 43 can coincide with the axis of the fixing component, thereby realizing the unlocking or locking of the fixing component, and the stability is higher.

[0126] In this embodiment, the reset component 45 is a spring, specifically a wave spring. In other embodiments, the reset component 45 can also be made of other elastic materials such as a rubber sleeve, resulting in a simple structure and reliable use.

[0127] The disassembly / assembly mechanism 4 also includes a second drive unit 46, which is connected to the connecting unit 42 via a transmission. The second drive unit 46 applies torque to the disassembly / assembly unit 43 through the connecting unit 42. The second drive unit 46 provides rotational driving force and applies torque to the disassembly / assembly unit 43 via the transmission of the connecting unit 42. Thus, the torsion of the fixed component can achieve unlocking or locking, which is very convenient to use, easy to control, and has high precision and stability.

[0128] In this embodiment, the disassembly / assembly mechanism 4 is a torque gun, the disassembly / assembly part 43 is a sleeve device, and the second drive part 46 is a motor assembly; the motor assembly drives the sleeve device to rotate through the connecting part 42. The fixed component is unlocked or locked by controlling the rotation of the sleeve device of the torque gun. The torque gun is driven by the motor assembly, has a simple and stable structure, and can achieve precise control of torque and the number of rotations.

[0129] The disassembly / assembly mechanism 4 may also include a harmonic reducer assembly. The power output end of the motor assembly is connected to the power input end of the harmonic reducer assembly, and the power output end of the harmonic reducer assembly is used to output power to drive the connecting part 42 to rotate. By utilizing the motor assembly and the harmonic reducer assembly, the length of the disassembly / assembly mechanism 4 can be effectively reduced, thus facilitating its installation in the battery swapping equipment of the battery swapping station. The output of the motor assembly is high speed and low torque; the harmonic reducer can convert the power of the motor assembly into low speed and high torque to better meet the working requirements of the sleeve device of the torque gun.

[0130] There are multiple disassembly and assembly mechanisms 4, which are arranged in an array on the battery tray 2. The positions of the multiple disassembly and assembly mechanisms 4 correspond one-to-one with the multiple fixed components on the battery pack. By setting disassembly and assembly mechanisms 4 on the battery tray 2 that correspond to the multiple fixed components on the battery pack, all disassembly and assembly mechanisms 4 can simultaneously unlock or lock all fixed components, thereby realizing the disassembly or installation of the battery pack from the vehicle, which greatly improves the efficiency and stability of unlocking or locking.

[0131] The battery tray 2 is also equipped with a positioning component 21, which cooperates with a positioning hole on the vehicle chassis. The height of the positioning component 21 extending beyond the top surface of the battery tray 2 is greater than the height of the disassembly / assembly mechanism 4 extending beyond the top surface of the battery tray 2. After leveling, the lifting mechanism 11 drives the battery tray 2 to rise along the battery pack disassembly / assembly direction. Since the height of the positioning component 21 is greater than the height of the disassembly / assembly part 43, the positioning component 21 will be inserted into the positioning hole before the disassembly / assembly part 43 contacts the fixing part to achieve positioning. By setting the relative position of the positioning component 21 and the disassembly / assembly part 43 to correspond with the relative position of the positioning hole and the fixing part, the disassembly / assembly part 43 is aligned with the fixing part of the battery pack when the positioning component 21 is inserted into the positioning hole, so as to facilitate the unlocking and locking of the fixing part by the disassembly / assembly part 43. By using the cooperating positioning component 21 and positioning hole, precise positioning between the vehicle and the battery tray 2 is achieved, reducing the positional accuracy requirements between the two during the unlocking and locking process, greatly improving the success rate of unlocking, and providing high battery swapping stability, fast working speed, and high efficiency.

[0132] The top of the positioning component 21 has a guide surface with a diameter that gradually increases from top to bottom. The top of the positioning component 21 can be conical or frustum-shaped, and the resulting guide surface has a guiding function. The guide surface at the top of the positioning component 21 makes it easier to insert the positioning component 21 into the positioning hole. Even with slight errors in the horizontal direction, the battery tray 2 can be aligned to achieve precise alignment between the disassembly / assembly part 43 and the fixing part of the battery pack.

[0133] There are multiple positioning components 21, which are located on both sides of the center of the battery tray 2. By setting multiple positioning components 21 on both sides of the center of the battery tray 2, it is ensured that the battery tray 2 does not move horizontally within its plane, thereby further improving the stability of unlocking. In this embodiment, there are two positioning components 21, which are located on both sides of the center of the battery tray 2.

[0134] The battery tray 2 is equipped with a support component 22 for supporting the battery pack. The height of the support component 22 extending beyond the upper surface of the battery tray 2 is lower than the height of the disassembly and assembly mechanism 4 extending beyond the upper surface of the battery tray 2. By providing the support component 22 on the battery tray 2 to support the battery pack, the battery pack falls onto the support component 22 after unlocking or before locking, instead of falling directly onto the disassembly and assembly mechanism 4. This effectively avoids damage caused by the impact of the battery pack on the disassembly and assembly mechanism 4, and greatly improves the safety and stability of the battery swapping equipment.

[0135] In this embodiment, multiple support members 22 are disposed around the outer edges and / or the middle area of ​​the battery tray 2. These multiple support members 22 effectively support the outer edges and / or the middle area of ​​the battery pack, preventing the battery pack from tipping over on the battery tray 2 and improving the stability of the battery tray 2 when carrying the vehicle battery pack. The support members 22 are preferably made of nylon, which ensures support strength while preventing collision damage to the battery pack.

[0136] The battery swapping station also includes a control system, which communicates with the battery swapping equipment via wired or wireless means. The control system is used to control the operation of the disassembly and assembly mechanism 4. Electrically connected to the battery swapping equipment, the control system controls the movement of the shuttle 1 to move under the electric vehicle, raises or lowers the lifting mechanism 11, and unlocks or locks the disassembly and assembly mechanism 4. This enables the disassembly and assembly of the battery pack, which is very convenient, efficient, and safe.

[0137] The disassembly / assembly mechanism 4 is a torque gun. The control system is used to control the rotation switch of the torque gun, the output power, and to receive the number of rotations and torque information of the torque gun. By controlling the rotation switch of the torque gun, the output power, and receiving the number of rotations and torque information of the torque gun, the control system can detect whether each step of the torque gun is successful during the entire unlocking or locking process, thereby achieving precise control and high safety and stability.

[0138] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery replacement device, characterized by, The shuttle vehicle, the battery tray, the leveling component and the dismounting mechanism, the battery tray is arranged above the shuttle vehicle, the bottom of the leveling component is connected to the shuttle vehicle, the top of the leveling component is used for cooperating with the chassis of the vehicle, and the dismounting mechanism is connected to the battery tray and is used for unlocking or locking the fixing component of the battery pack; The number of the leveling components is multiple; the top end of the leveling component has an abutting surface, multiple abutting surfaces are located on the same plane, and the plane where the abutting surfaces of multiple leveling components are located is parallel to the plane where the battery tray is located; The shuttle vehicle comprises a lifting mechanism, the battery tray is arranged on the lifting mechanism, and the lifting mechanism drives the battery tray to ascend or descend along the battery pack dismounting direction.

2. The battery replacement device according to claim 1, wherein The lifting mechanism comprises a first driving part and a transmission part, the first driving part is arranged on the shuttle vehicle, and the transmission part is connected to the first driving part and the battery tray respectively; The first driving part is a motor, and the transmission part is a cam; The motor drives the cam to rotate, when the protruding part of the cam lifts the battery tray, the battery tray is located at the working height. 3.The battery replacing device according to claim 1, wherein The battery tray is connected to the shuttle vehicle through a tray mounting mechanism along the battery pack dismounting direction, and the battery tray can be elastically moved relative to the shuttle vehicle along the parallel and / or vertical direction of the battery dismounting direction; The tray mounting mechanism comprises: a mounting part connected to the battery tray; a fixing part connected to the shuttle vehicle; and a tray elastic assembly arranged between the mounting part and the fixing part, which is elastically deformed along the parallel and / or vertical direction of the battery dismounting direction, so that the mounting part is elastically moved relative to the fixing part along the parallel and / or vertical direction of the battery dismounting direction; The fixing part comprises a housing and a fixing base, the fixing base is arranged below the mounting part along the battery pack dismounting direction, the housing is arranged outside the mounting part, and the housing is arranged above the fixing base and connected to the fixing base; The tray elastic assembly comprises a first elastic assembly and / or a second elastic assembly, the first elastic assembly is arranged between the mounting part and the fixing base, and the first elastic assembly can be elastically deformed along the parallel direction of the battery dismounting direction; the second elastic assembly is arranged between the mounting part and the housing, and the second elastic assembly can be elastically deformed along the vertical direction of the battery dismounting direction; And / or, the number of the tray mounting mechanisms is multiple, and multiple tray mounting mechanisms are uniformly distributed on the bottom of the battery tray.

4. The battery replacement device according to claim 1, wherein One end of the dismounting mechanism towards the fixing component can be elastically moved along the parallel direction of the battery dismounting direction and / or swing along the inclined direction of the battery dismounting direction relative to the battery tray; The dismounting mechanism comprises a mounting seat, a connecting part and a dismounting part, the lower end of the mounting seat is mounted on the battery tray, the dismounting part is used for unlocking or locking the fixing component of the battery pack, and the dismounting part is connected to the mounting seat through the connecting part; The lower end of the dismounting part is movably connected with the upper end of the connecting part, the upper end of the dismounting part can swing from the axis of the connecting part to the outside of the axis of the connecting part, so that the dismounting part swings relative to the battery tray along the direction oblique to the battery dismounting direction; and / or The third elastic assembly is arranged between the connecting part and the mounting seat, and elastically deforms along the direction parallel to the battery dismounting direction, so that the dismounting part elastically moves relative to the battery tray along the direction parallel to the battery dismounting direction.

5. The battery replacement device according to claim 4, wherein The dismounting part is connected with the connecting part through a pivot shaft; And / or, the dismounting mechanism further comprises a reset part, the reset part is sleeved on the outer circumferential surface of the dismounting part and the connecting part, and the reset part is used for making the axis of the dismounting part coincide with the axis of the connecting part; And / or, the dismounting mechanism further comprises a second driving part, the second driving part is in transmission connection with the connecting part, and the second driving part applies torque to the dismounting part through the connecting part; The dismounting mechanism is a torque gun, the dismounting part is a sleeve device, and the second driving part is a motor assembly; the motor assembly drives the sleeve device to rotate through the connecting part. 6.The battery replacing device according to claim 1, wherein The number of the dismounting mechanisms is multiple, the multiple dismounting mechanisms are arranged in an array on the battery tray, and the positions of the multiple dismounting mechanisms correspond to multiple fixing parts on the battery pack one by one respectively; And / or, the multiple leveling parts are respectively located at the four peripheral edges of the shuttle vehicle; The number of the leveling parts is four, and the four leveling parts are respectively located at the four corners of the shuttle vehicle. 7.The battery replacing device according to claim 1, wherein The battery tray is further provided with a positioning part, the positioning part is matched with a positioning hole arranged on the chassis of the vehicle, the height of the positioning part extending out of the top surface of the battery tray is greater than the height of the dismounting mechanism extending out of the top surface of the battery tray; The top end of the positioning part has a guide surface with a diameter gradually increasing from top to bottom; And / or, the number of the positioning parts is multiple, and the multiple positioning parts are respectively located on both sides of the center of the battery tray. 8.The battery replacing device according to claim 1, wherein The battery tray is provided with a supporting part for supporting the battery pack, and the height of the supporting part extending out of the upper surface of the battery tray is lower than the height of the dismounting mechanism extending out of the upper surface of the battery tray. The number of the supporting parts is multiple, and the multiple supporting parts are arranged at the peripheral edges and / or the middle region of the battery tray.

9. A battery swap station, characterized by, The battery replacement equipment comprises the battery replacement station. 10.The battery swapping station of claim 9, wherein, The battery replacement station further comprises a control system electrically connected with the battery replacement equipment, and the control system is used for controlling the working of the dismounting mechanism; The dismounting mechanism is a torque gun, and the control system is used for controlling the rotation switch, output power of the torque gun and receiving the rotation number and torque information of the torque gun.

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