Transmission mechanism of battery transfer equipment, battery transfer equipment and battery swapping station

Abstract

The application provides a transmission mechanism of a battery transfer device, which is arranged close to a battery rack. The battery transfer device comprises a supporting part, a battery taking and placing mechanism and a transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism comprises: a plurality of gear and rack transmission units, which are arranged corresponding to the end angle positions of the battery taking and placing mechanism and are respectively arranged between the supporting part and the battery taking and placing mechanism. The gear is connected with the battery taking and placing mechanism, and the rack is arranged on the supporting part along the vertical direction. The gear and the rack are engaged with each other. Two driving units are respectively arranged on the two sides of the battery taking and placing mechanism to drive the gear and rack transmission units at the two ends of the same side of the battery taking and placing mechanism to synchronously drive the battery taking and placing mechanism to move up and down. The application can control the synchronous movement of the four ends of the battery taking and placing mechanism by using only two driving units, effectively reduces the number of driving units, reduces the overall volume of the transmission mechanism, and improves the synchronism of the lifting movement of the battery transfer device.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese invention patent filed on December 2, 2021, with application number 202111461277.0 and titled "Transmission mechanism of battery transfer equipment, battery transfer equipment and battery swapping station". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to a transmission mechanism for a battery transfer device, a battery transfer device, and a battery swapping station. Background Technology

[0003] With the increasing constraints of battery charging time for electric vehicles, fast-swapping electric vehicles have become more widely accepted by users. Users simply need to replace depleted batteries with fully charged ones at battery swapping or energy storage stations, saving significant charging time. These stations are equipped with battery swapping equipment for removal and installation, battery transport devices for moving batteries, and charging devices for charging batteries.

[0004] Existing battery transfer devices typically achieve lifting and movement between battery compartments through guiding mechanisms, transmission mechanisms, and drive mechanisms. Chinese patent application CN110901601A discloses an AGV charging station that employs a multi-axis linkage principle and a multi-axis system design. Specifically, it swaps and charges batteries along the X, Y, and Z axes, as well as in the battery pulling and pushing directions, removing batteries from the AGV and placing them into the support frame. Chinese patent application CN106043247A discloses a modular and expandable battery swapping or energy storage station and battery rack. The battery storage modules within the rack are stacked in a modular fashion, allowing the battery transfer device to move through them. After transporting the battery to an empty battery storage module within the rack, a lifting device raises the battery transfer platform, causing the battery placed on it to move vertically upwards. A battery locking mechanism secures the battery to the storage layer, and then the electrical layer charges the battery. Chinese patent application CN208181025U discloses a battery compartment and a new energy vehicle battery swapping station. Its lift can dock and transfer batteries between the RGV trolley and the battery rack. When swapping batteries for new energy vehicles, the battery transfer device of the lift can transfer batteries between the new energy vehicle and the battery rack along the Y direction, and can transfer batteries to the battery rack or dock batteries from the battery rack along the X direction. The lifting platform itself can lift and lower the battery along the Z direction to make the battery horizontally aligned with the battery rack or the new energy vehicle.

[0005] However, the existing transfer device lifts and lowers through the meshing of gears and racks in the transmission mechanism. In order to drive the gears to rotate, each gear is equipped with a drive mechanism (such as a motor). However, the overall size of this transmission mechanism is large, and the gears operate independently, which can easily cause the lifting and lowering of the transfer device to be asynchronous, thus affecting the normal operation of the battery swapping station. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of the transmission mechanism of the existing transfer device being large in overall size and the gears running independently, which easily causes the lifting and lowering of the transfer device to be asynchronous. The present invention provides a transmission mechanism for battery transfer equipment, battery transfer equipment and battery swapping station.

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

[0008] A transmission mechanism for a battery transfer device is disclosed. The battery transfer device is positioned near a battery rack having multiple battery storage compartments. The battery transfer device includes a support portion adjacent to the battery racks, a battery loading / unloading mechanism for loading and unloading batteries relative to any battery compartment of the battery racks, and a transmission mechanism for driving the battery loading / unloading mechanism to move up and down. The transmission mechanism comprises: multiple sets of gear and rack transmission units, positioned corresponding to the end corners of the battery loading / unloading mechanism and respectively located between the support portion and the battery loading / unloading mechanism; the gears are connected to the battery loading / unloading mechanism; the racks are vertically positioned on the support portion; and the gears and racks mesh with each other. Two drive units are respectively located on both sides of the battery loading / unloading mechanism to drive the gear and rack transmission units located at both ends of the same side of the battery loading / unloading mechanism to synchronously drive the battery loading / unloading mechanism to move up and down.

[0009] With the above structure, the transmission mechanism adopts a gear and rack transmission unit, effectively combining the smooth transmission and high transmission efficiency of gears and racks with the working scenario of this battery transfer device. The gear and rack transmission unit can maintain a smooth and safe battery loading and unloading process, improving the efficiency of battery loading and unloading. At the same time, this invention only uses two drive units to synchronously control the motion of the four ends of the battery loading and unloading mechanism, which not only effectively reduces the number of drive units used, but also reduces the overall size of the transmission mechanism and improves the synchronization of the lifting and lowering motion of the battery transfer device.

[0010] Preferably, the drive unit includes: a synchronous shaft connecting the gears of the gear and rack transmission unit located at both ends; and a drive motor for driving the synchronous shaft to rotate, wherein each gear is mounted on the synchronous shaft and rotates coaxially with the synchronous shaft.

[0011] With the above structure, the synchronous shaft enables one drive motor on one side of the battery pick-and-place mechanism to simultaneously control two sets of gear and rack transmission units, allowing the gears on one side of the battery pick-and-place mechanism to move up and down synchronously and uniformly along the support. At the same time, this structure can simplify the overall structure of the transmission mechanism, thereby achieving the beneficial technical effects of reducing floor space and manufacturing costs.

[0012] Preferably, the drive unit further includes a driving wheel and a driven wheel respectively sleeved on the output shaft of the drive motor and the synchronous shaft, and a synchronous belt for transmission between the driving wheel and the driven wheel.

[0013] By adopting the above structure, the belt drive between the drive motor and the synchronous shaft can effectively reduce the precision requirements for the manufacturing and installation of the drive mechanism, which is conducive to reducing manufacturing costs and facilitating disassembly and maintenance by operators.

[0014] Preferably, the transmission mechanism further includes an anti-gear assembly, which includes multiple back wheel groups. Each of the multiple back wheel groups is respectively set and fixed at a preset position of the gear and rack transmission unit to position the gear in each gear and rack transmission unit relative to the rack.

[0015] With the above structure, the anti-gear disengagement component of the transmission mechanism limits the relative position of the gear to the rack by setting back wheel groups at the positions of each gear and rack transmission unit, thereby improving the transmission effect and operational stability of the gear and rack transmission unit.

[0016] Preferably, each of the back wheel assemblies includes a back wheel that is attached to the back of the corresponding rack at a preset angle and a back wheel that faces the side of the rack toward the battery pick-and-place mechanism.

[0017] By employing the above structure, two back wheels located on the back of the rack limit the vertical and horizontal movement of the gear relative to the rack's tooth surface. This ensures the gear meshes securely with the tooth surface and does not disengage in either direction, maintaining stable engagement and resulting in more stable transmission. Furthermore, the battery loading / unloading mechanism, with the gear and the two back wheels clamping the rack from three directions, reduces stress on the gear, making it less prone to damage. Compared to limiting movement from other directions, changing the limiting from the side opposite the gear to the rack by limiting movement from the back and sides reduces the size of the battery transfer equipment, saving space and lowering the cost of the battery swapping station.

[0018] Meanwhile, a back wheel assembly is installed on both the upper and lower sides of the contact point between the gear and rack. When the gear rolls up or down on the rack, the forces on the upper and lower sides of the gear-rack meshing point are balanced, which helps to ensure that the stress distribution during gear-rack meshing is always consistent and improves the service life of the gear and rack. Furthermore, having back wheels supporting the support on both the upper and lower vertical sides of the battery loading and unloading mechanism makes the operation of the mechanism more stable during lifting and lowering, ensuring that the contact surface with the battery remains horizontal at all times.

[0019] Preferably, the transmission mechanism further includes a mounting base, which is fixed to both sides of the battery loading and unloading mechanism, and the synchronous shaft and the anti-gear assembly are both mounted on the mounting base.

[0020] By adopting the above structure, a mounting base is provided on the battery loading and unloading mechanism for fixing the synchronous shaft and the anti-gear assembly, so as to better fix the transmission mechanism such as the synchronous shaft and the anti-gear assembly together, and avoid the relative positional displacement of the gear connected to the synchronous shaft relative to the back wheel assembly of the anti-gear assembly during long-term use, which would affect the meshing of the gear relative to the rack.

[0021] Preferably, the transmission mechanism further includes a bearing, the inner ring of which is sleeved on the synchronous shaft, and the outer ring of which is fixed to the mounting base.

[0022] By adopting the above structure and setting bearings, reducing the rotation of the synchronous shaft will not affect the lifting and lowering movement of the battery loading and unloading mechanism along the support.

[0023] Preferably, the bearing is a spherical plain bearing or a ball bearing.

[0024] By adopting the above structure and setting the bearings to be spherical or round bearings, the problem of different shafts arising when the gears of multiple gear and rack transmission units rotate can be overcome, thereby achieving the beneficial effect of overcoming coaxiality error and ensuring stable operation of the synchronous shaft.

[0025] Preferably, the side of the support portion facing the battery rack is fixed to the battery rack as an integral structure via a connecting unit.

[0026] By adopting the above structure, the support and the battery rack are fixed into a single structure. The battery rack can help the support to bear part of the load, which further reduces the structural strength requirements of the support itself. This simplifies the structure and material thickness of the support, achieving the goals of cost reduction and weight reduction.

[0027] Preferably, the connecting unit has a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate arranged at an angle to each other, the first mounting plate being used to connect to the battery rack, and the second mounting plate being connected to the side of the support portion.

[0028] With the above structure, the mounting plates of the connecting unit that are used to connect with the battery rack and the support are oriented differently, so that construction personnel can keep the battery rack connected and fixed to the support of the battery transfer equipment by installing it in different directions.

[0029] Preferably, the battery transfer device further includes a fall protection mechanism, which has a first state and a second state. In the first state, the fall protection mechanism engages with the synchronous shaft to limit the battery pick-and-place unit. In the second state, the fall protection mechanism is separated from the synchronous shaft, and the synchronous shaft rotates normally.

[0030] With the above structure, when the transmission mechanism is operating normally, it is kept disconnected from the synchronous shaft of the transmission mechanism to avoid affecting the transmission mechanism's ability to drive the battery loading and unloading mechanism to lift and lower. In special circumstances, the anti-fall mechanism restricts the rotation of the synchronous shaft by engaging with it, thereby restricting the position of the battery loading and unloading mechanism to achieve the purpose of preventing falls.

[0031] A battery transfer device is characterized in that the battery transfer device is disposed near a battery rack having multiple battery storage racks, the battery transfer device includes a support portion disposed adjacent to the battery racks, a battery picking and placing mechanism for picking and placing batteries relative to any battery compartment of the battery racks, a transmission mechanism for driving the battery picking and placing mechanism to move up and down, and a drive mechanism for providing power; one of the transmission mechanisms is disposed on each side of the battery picking and placing mechanism.

[0032] This battery transfer equipment simplifies its overall structure by setting a specific transmission mechanism, thereby reducing the overall footprint and manufacturing costs. Furthermore, by setting a specific transmission mechanism, it ensures that the battery pick-and-place mechanism moves synchronously and uniformly along the support, thus guaranteeing the normal operation of the battery swapping station.

[0033] Preferably, the support part of the battery transfer device is a frame structure, the frame structure includes a column arranged in a vertical direction, and the rack is arranged in a vertical direction on the side of the column.

[0034] By adopting the above structure, the support part can effectively reduce the construction cost while ensuring its own structural stability.

[0035] A battery swapping station for swapping batteries in electric vehicles is characterized in that the battery swapping station employs the battery transfer equipment described above.

[0036] This battery swapping station simplifies its overall structure by setting up a specific transmission mechanism, thereby reducing the overall footprint and manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the specific structure of the transmission mechanism ensures that the battery loading and unloading mechanism moves synchronously and uniformly along the support, guaranteeing the normal operation of the battery swapping station.

[0037] The positive and progressive effects of this invention are as follows:

[0038] The transmission mechanism of the battery transfer device adopts a gear and rack transmission unit, effectively combining the smooth transmission and high transmission efficiency of gears and racks with the working scenario of this battery transfer device. The gear and rack transmission unit can maintain a smooth and safe battery loading and unloading process, improving the efficiency of battery loading and unloading. At the same time, this invention only uses two drive units to synchronously control the motion of the four ends of the battery loading and unloading mechanism, which not only effectively reduces the number of drive units used, but also reduces the overall size of the transmission mechanism and improves the synchronization of the lifting and lowering motion of the battery transfer device. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery swapping station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a battery transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a battery transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission mechanism of a battery transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the anti-tooth-loosening component according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the relative positions of the back wheel and the rack according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mounting base according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the anti-fall mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention (I).

[0047] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram (II) of the anti-fall mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Battery swapping station 100

[0049] First battery swapping module 101, driving lane 102, second battery swapping module 103, battery transfer equipment 10

[0050] Battery rack 20

[0051] Support section 1

[0052] Column 11

[0053] Member 12

[0054] Battery loading and unloading mechanism 2

[0055] Transmission mechanism 3

[0056] Gear and rack transmission unit 31

[0057] Gear 311

[0058] Rack 312

[0059] Drive unit 32

[0060] Synchronous shaft 321

[0061] Drive motor 322

[0062] Drive wheel 323

[0063] Driven wheel 324

[0064] Synchronous belt 325

[0065] Bearing housing 326

[0066] Anti-tooth removal component 4

[0067] Back wheel assembly 41

[0068] Back wheel 411

[0069] Mounting base 5

[0070] Back wheel mounting surface 51

[0071] Bearing mounting surface 52

[0072] Connection Unit 6

[0073] First mounting plate 61

[0074] Second mounting plate 62

[0075] Fall protection mechanism 7

[0076] Fixture 71

[0077] Limit rod 72

[0078] Elastic component 73

[0079] Contact wheel 74

[0080] 75-tooth clasp

[0081] 76 anti-fall wheels

[0082] Counterweight mechanism 8

[0083] Guide wheel 81 Detailed Implementation

[0084] The present invention will be described more clearly and completely below with reference to a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings.

[0085] This invention provides a battery swapping station 100 for swapping batteries in electric vehicles. The structure of the battery swapping station 100 is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the battery swapping station 100 includes, from left to right, a first battery swapping module 101, a driving lane 102, and a second battery swapping module 103. When an electric vehicle to be swapped enters and stops at a specific position in the driving lane 102, the battery swapping trolley (not shown) removes the battery from the bottom of the vehicle and moves it to the left or right into the first battery swapping module 101 or the second battery swapping module 103. Taking the transportation of the battery to the second battery swapping module 103 as an example: after the battery swapping trolley moves the battery to the second battery swapping module 103, the battery transfer device 10 inside the second battery swapping module 103 removes the battery from the battery swapping trolley and places it in a battery compartment in the battery rack 20. The battery is then connected to the battery via an electrical socket in the battery compartment for charging. Then, the battery transfer device 10 takes out another fully charged battery from another battery compartment in the battery rack 20, transports the battery to the battery swapping trolley, and the battery swapping trolley transports the battery to the bottom of the vehicle by moving horizontally and installs it on the vehicle to achieve the purpose of battery swapping.

[0086] The structure of the battery transfer device 10 in this embodiment is as follows: Figure 2 The battery transfer device 10 includes a support part 1 disposed adjacent to the battery rack 20 or directly connected to the battery rack 20, a battery pick-and-place mechanism 2, and a transmission mechanism 3. The battery pick-and-place mechanism is used to pick up and place batteries relative to any battery compartment in the battery rack 20, while the transmission mechanism 3 is used to drive the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 to move up and down relative to the support part 1, so as to achieve the purpose of moving the battery in the vertical direction.

[0087] In this embodiment, the support part 1 is a frame structure formed by tubular steel components such as columns 11 and beams. The top and bottom ends of the support part 1 are fixedly connected to the top and bottom surfaces of the battery swapping station 100 via connectors. This connection with the battery swapping station 100 helps to share some of the impact and load from the battery handling mechanism 2 during battery handling or lifting movements, ensuring the operational reliability of the battery transfer equipment 10. This structural form of the support part 1 effectively reduces its manufacturing cost while ensuring its structural stability. The battery handling mechanism 2 can move vertically along the support part 1 under the drive of the transmission mechanism 3 to handle and replace batteries on different layers of the battery rack 20.

[0088] Specifically, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the transmission mechanism 3 of the battery transfer device 10 includes four sets of gear and rack transmission units 31 and two drive units 32. These four sets of gear 311 and rack 312 units are respectively arranged at the end corner positions of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2, specifically arranged on the surface of the four columns 11 located at the end corner positions and distributed between the columns 11 and the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2. Among them, the gear 311 of the gear and rack transmission unit 31 is connected to the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2, while the rack 312 is arranged vertically on the side surface of the column 11, and the gear 311 and rack 312 are kept in a meshing state.

[0089] Two drive units 32 are respectively located on the left and right sides of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2. Each drive unit 32 is used to drive the gear and rack transmission units 31 located at both ends on the same side of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2, so as to realize the purpose of synchronously driving the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 to move up and down relative to the support part 1. That is, when the drive unit 32 is running, the drive unit 32 will drive the gear 311 to roll on the rack 312, and the gears 311 installed at the four ends of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 will drive the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 to move up and down on the support part 1.

[0090] The transmission mechanism 3 uses a gear and rack transmission unit 31 to drive the battery picking and placing mechanism 2 to perform lifting and lowering movements. This effectively combines the smooth transmission and high transmission efficiency of the gears 311 and rack 312 with the working scenario of the battery transfer device 10. The gear and rack transmission unit 31 ensures that the battery picking and placing process of the battery picking and placing mechanism 2 remains stable and safe, improving the efficiency of battery picking and placing. Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 3 of the battery transfer device 10 only uses two drive units 32 to synchronously control the movement of all four ends of the battery picking and placing mechanism 2. This not only effectively reduces the number of drive units 32 used but also reduces the overall size of the transmission mechanism 3, improving the synchronicity of the lifting and lowering movements of the battery transfer device 10.

[0091] Among them, such as Figures 2 to 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the drive unit 32 specifically includes a synchronous shaft 321 and a drive motor 322. The two ends of the synchronous shaft 321 are respectively connected to gears 311 arranged at both ends of the battery taking and placing mechanism 2, while the drive motor 322 is used to output power to drive the synchronous shaft 321 to rotate. Each gear 311 is mounted on the synchronous shaft 321 and rotates coaxially with the synchronous shaft 321 to ensure the synchronicity of lifting.

[0092] The battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 is placed in the support part 1. Gear and rack transmission units 31 are respectively installed between the four ends of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 and the support part 1. Synchronous shafts 321 and drive motors 322 are respectively installed on both sides of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2. The synchronous shafts 321 are fixedly connected to the gears 311 in the two sets of gear and rack transmission units 31 on the same side of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2, so that the two gears 311 rotate coaxially with the synchronous shafts 321. The drive motors 322 are fixedly connected to the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2. The drive motors 322 drive the synchronous shafts 321 to rotate, so that the two gears 311 on one side of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 roll on the corresponding racks 312, thereby causing the synchronous shafts 321 to drive one side of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 to move up and down. That is, in this invention, by controlling the two drive motors 322 installed on the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 respectively, it can be ensured that the four ends of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 move up and down in the same horizontal plane.

[0093] With the above-described structural configuration, the synchronous shaft 321 enables the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 to simultaneously control two sets of gear and rack transmission units 31 using only one drive motor 322 on one side. This allows the gears 311 on one side of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 to move synchronously and uniformly up and down along the support part 1. At the same time, this structure simplifies the overall structure of the transmission mechanism 3, thereby achieving the beneficial technical effects of reducing floor space and manufacturing costs.

[0094] like Figures 2 to 4As shown, in this embodiment, a drive wheel 323 is mounted on the output shaft of the drive motor 322, and a driven wheel 324 is fixedly mounted on the synchronous shaft 321. A synchronous belt 325 is mounted on the drive wheel 323 and the driven wheel 324, and the transmission from the drive wheel 323 to the driven wheel 324 is achieved through the synchronous belt 325. The rotation of the drive motor 322 drives the drive wheel 323 to rotate, and the rotation of the drive wheel 323 drives the driven wheel 324 to rotate through the synchronous belt 325. Since the driven wheel 324 is fixedly connected to the synchronous shaft 321, the rotation of the synchronous shaft 321 drives the gears 311 fixedly mounted at both ends to roll on the rack 312, thereby realizing the lifting and lowering movement of the battery loading and unloading mechanism 2. The belt drive between the drive motor 322 and the synchronous shaft 321 effectively reduces the precision requirements for the manufacturing and installation of the drive mechanism, which helps to reduce manufacturing costs and facilitates disassembly and maintenance by operators. Specifically, in this embodiment, the synchronous belt 325 uses a chain for transmission to match the large load and operating load of the battery transfer device 10. At the same time, compared to other synchronous belts 325 (such as belt drives), chains have relatively higher reliability and durability, which helps ensure the long-term reliability of the battery transfer device 10.

[0095] In addition, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the transmission mechanism 3 also includes an anti-gear assembly 4. In this embodiment, each anti-gear assembly 4 has four back wheel groups 41, which are respectively set and fixed at the preset positions of the gear and rack transmission unit 31 and the battery taking and placing mechanism 2, so as to position the gear 311 in each gear and rack transmission unit 31 relative to the rack 312.

[0096] In the gear and rack transmission unit 31, the rack 312 is fixedly connected to the column 11 of the support part 1, and the gear 311 is coaxially fixedly connected to the end of the synchronous shaft 321. The drive motor 322 drives the synchronous shaft 321 to rotate so that the gear 311 rolls on the rack 312. In order to ensure that the gear 311 and the rack 312 always have a good meshing effect during the rolling process of the gear 311 on the rack 312, an anti-gear disengagement component 4 is also installed at the end of the synchronous shaft 321. The anti-gear disengagement component 4 is provided with two back wheel groups 41, each back wheel group 41 abutting against different walls on the rack 312, so that the gear 311 is constrained in different directions relative to the rack 312. The anti-gear disengagement component 4 of the transmission mechanism 3 limits the position of the gear 311 relative to the rack 312 by setting back wheel groups 41 at the corresponding positions of each gear and rack transmission unit 31, thereby improving the transmission effect and operation stability of the gear and rack transmission unit 31.

[0097] Specifically, such as Figure 6As shown, each back wheel assembly 41 includes two back wheels 411 arranged at a 90° angle to each other. One back wheel 411 is attached to the back of the corresponding rack 312, and the other back wheel 411 is located on the side of the rack 312 facing the battery loading and unloading mechanism 2. This structural arrangement allows the back wheel assembly 41 to position the gear 311 on the rack 312 in different directions. In this embodiment, the two back wheels 411 are arranged at a 90° angle because the angle between the back and side of the rack 312 is 90°. Therefore, in other embodiments, if the angle between the back and side of the rack 312 is not 90°, the angle between the two back wheels 411 will also change accordingly.

[0098] The anti-gear disengagement assembly 4 has a back wheel group 41. Two back wheels 411 are respectively located on the back and side of the rack 312. These two back wheels 411 limit the vertical and horizontal movement of the gear 311 relative to the tooth surface of the rack 312, ensuring that the gear 311 meshes with the tooth surface and does not disengage in either direction. This allows the gear 311 to maintain stable meshing with the rack 312, resulting in more stable transmission. For example, Figure 6 As shown, the battery loading and unloading mechanism 2 is clamped to the rack 312 from three directions by the gear 311 and the two back wheels 411 of the back wheel assembly 41. This reduces the stress on the gear 311 and makes it less prone to damage. Compared to the back wheels 411 of the back wheel assembly 41 limiting the movement from other directions, changing the limiting from the other side of the gear 311 relative to the rack 312 to limiting the movement from the back and sides respectively, also reduces the volume of the battery transfer device 10, reduces the footprint, and lowers the cost of the battery swapping station 100.

[0099] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rack 312, two back wheels 411 that limit the vertical and horizontal directions of the tooth surface of gear 311 relative to rack 312 form a back wheel group 41. In this embodiment, a back wheel group 41 is installed on the upper and lower sides of the contact position between gear 311 and rack 312. That is, a gear and rack transmission unit 31 is equipped with four back wheels 411 so that when gear 311 rolls up and down on rack 312, there are back wheel groups 41 on the upper and lower sides of the meshing position of gear 311 and rack 312 to limit gear 311. This design ensures that when gear 311 rolls up or down on rack 312, the forces on the upper and lower sides of the meshing position of gear 311 and rack 312 are balanced, which helps to ensure that the stress distribution of gear 311 and rack 312 is always consistent when meshing, and helps to improve the service life of gear 311 and rack 312. Meanwhile, this design, relative to the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2, ensures that both the upper and lower sides of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 are supported by back wheels 411 on the support part 1 in the vertical direction. This helps the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 to operate more smoothly during the lifting and lowering process, and ensures that its contact surface with the battery always remains horizontal.

[0100] like Figure 7 As shown, the transmission mechanism 3 also includes a mounting base 5, which is fixed to both sides of the battery loading and unloading mechanism 2. The structure of the mounting base 5 is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the surface has several mounting holes for mounting the synchronous shaft 321 and the anti-gear assembly 4. By providing a mounting base 5 on the battery loading / unloading mechanism 2 for fixing the synchronous shaft 321 and the anti-gear assembly 4, the synchronous shaft 321 and the anti-gear assembly 4 of the transmission mechanism 3 are better secured together. This prevents the gear 311 connected to the synchronous shaft 321 from shifting relative to the back wheel assembly 41 of the anti-gear assembly 4 during long-term use, thus avoiding affecting the meshing of the gear 311 with the rack 312. Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, a set of gear and rack transmission units 31 is provided with two back wheel assemblies 41. The two back wheel assemblies 41 are arranged along the height direction on the upper and lower sides of the gear 311 to limit the position of the gear 311 relative to the rack 312 from different directions. Both back wheel assemblies 41 are fixed on the same mounting base 5. The mounting base 5 provides two sets of back wheel mounting surfaces 51 at different heights for mounting the two back wheels 411 of each back wheel assembly 41.

[0101] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, in this embodiment, to ensure reliable rotation of the synchronous shaft 321 and avoid wear caused by long-term rotation, the transmission mechanism 3 also includes a bearing. The inner ring of the bearing is sleeved on the synchronous shaft 321, and the outer ring of the bearing is fixed to the mounting base 5 via a bearing seat 326. The surface of the mounting base 5 provides a bearing mounting surface 52 for the bearing seat 326 to install. The position of the bearing mounting surface 52 on the mounting base 5 is as follows: Figure 7 As shown.

[0102] In this embodiment, two bearings are respectively installed at both ends of the synchronous shaft 321. The synchronous shaft 321 is connected to the inner ring of the bearing, and the outer ring of the bearing is fixed to the mounting base 5, so that the synchronous shaft 321 can rotate on one side of the mounting base 5. When the gear 311 rolls on the rack 312, the synchronous shaft 321 drives the battery loading and unloading mechanism 2 connected to the mounting base 5 to move up and down. By setting the bearings, reducing the rotation of the synchronous shaft 321 will not affect the up and down movement of the battery loading and unloading mechanism 2 along the support part 1.

[0103] The bearing is preferably a spherical plain bearing or a ball bearing. By setting the bearing to a spherical plain bearing or a ball bearing, the situation where the gears 311 of the multiple gear and rack transmission units 31 are not aligned with each other during rotation is overcome, thereby achieving the beneficial effect of overcoming coaxiality error and ensuring the stable operation of the synchronous shaft 321.

[0104] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the support column 11 of the support part 1 is fixed to the battery rack 20 as an integral structure through the connecting unit 6 on the side facing the battery rack 20.

[0105] One end of the connecting unit 6 is fixedly connected to the column 11 on the support part 1, and the other end of the connecting unit 6 extends toward the battery rack 20 and is fixedly connected to the battery rack 20. Through the above structural arrangement, the support part 1 and the battery rack 20 are fixed into an integral structure. The battery rack 20 can help the support part 1 to share part of the load, which further reduces the structural strength requirements of the support part 1 itself. This simplifies the structure and material thickness of the support part 1, and achieves the goals of cost reduction and weight reduction.

[0106] Among them, such as Figure 4 As shown, the connecting unit 6 has a first mounting plate 61 and a second mounting plate 62 arranged at an angle to each other. The first mounting plate 61 is used to connect with the battery rack 20, and the second mounting plate 62 is connected with the side of the support part 1.

[0107] The connecting unit 6 includes a first mounting plate 61 and a second mounting plate 62. One side of the second mounting plate 62 is connected to the side column 11 of the support part 1. The first mounting plate 61 is mounted on the side of the second mounting plate 62 facing the battery compartment. The side of the first mounting plate 61 facing away from the second mounting plate 62 is fixedly connected to the battery rack 20. Through the above structural arrangement, the mounting plates of the connecting unit 6 used to connect with the battery rack 20 and the support part 1 have different orientations, so as to facilitate the construction personnel to keep the battery rack 20 connected and fixed relative to the support part 1 of the battery transfer equipment 10 by installing in different directions. Of course, in other embodiments, in order to achieve the purpose of connecting the battery rack 20 with the column 11 of the support part 1, the connecting unit 6 can also adopt any connection structure existing in the prior art to achieve the purpose of making the support part 1 and the battery rack 20 integrally connected.

[0108] In addition, the battery transfer device 10 also includes a fall protection mechanism 7, such as... Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the fall arrestor 7 is installed below the drive unit 32. The fall arrestor 7 has a first state and a second state. When the fall arrestor 7 is in the first state, it engages with the synchronous shaft 321 of the drive unit 32 to limit the battery loading / unloading unit (see...). Figure 9 In the second state, the anti-fall mechanism 7 is moved away from the synchronous shaft 321, allowing the synchronous shaft 321 to rotate normally and avoiding obstruction to its rotation. By setting the anti-fall mechanism 7 corresponding to the synchronous shaft 321, when the synchronous belt 325 on the driven wheel 324 of the synchronous shaft 321 breaks, the anti-fall mechanism 7 switches to the first state to lock the synchronous shaft 321, preventing the free rotation of the synchronous shaft 321 from causing the battery loading and unloading mechanism 2 to fall and damage the equipment, thus improving the safety factor of the battery transfer equipment 10.

[0109] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the fall protection mechanism 7 in this embodiment includes a fixed base 71, a limiting rod 72, an elastic element 73, a fall protection wheel 76, and a contact wheel 74. The fixed base 71 is fixedly connected to the battery loading / unloading mechanism 2 via its fixed end 71a. The limiting rod 72 is installed at the connecting end 71b at the other end of the fixed base 71. The limiting rod 72 can rotate around the connecting end of the fixed base 71 as shown in the diagram. Figure 9 The rotational movement is indicated by the arrow. A contact wheel 74 is mounted on the side of the limiting rod 72 away from the connecting end. The contact wheel 74 rolls on the synchronous belt 325, which is a chain. A retaining tooth 75 is provided on the side of the limiting rod 72 facing the driven synchronous shaft 321. An elastic element 73 is mounted on the side of the limiting rod 72 away from the retaining tooth 75. The elastic element 73 applies a pushing force to the limiting rod 72, causing it to move closer to the synchronous belt 325. (The last sentence appears to be incomplete and possibly refers to a different context.) Figure 8In the second state shown, although the elastic element 73 acts on the limiting rod 72, causing it to rotate towards the synchronous belt 325, the position of the limiting rod 72 is limited by the contact wheel 74. The locking teeth 75 on the limiting rod 72 cannot lock the corresponding anti-fall wheel 76 on the synchronous shaft 321, allowing the synchronous shaft 321 to maintain free rotation. However, when the synchronous belt 325 fails due to breakage, as... Figure 9 As shown, at this time, the positions of the contact wheel 74 and the limiting rod 72 cannot be restricted by the synchronous belt 325. Under the action of the elastic element 73, the contact wheel 74 rotates towards the driving wheel 323 and the driven wheel 324, switching to the first state. When the locking teeth 75 on the limiting rod 72 engage with the anti-fall wheel 76, the limiting rod 72 can stop the synchronous shaft 321 from rotating, achieving the purpose of anti-fall. Among them, the elastic element 73... Figure 8 The shapes and structures shown are for illustrative purposes only, to demonstrate their installation positions and connection relationships with the relative limit rod 72, and do not represent the actual product structure.

[0110] The anti-fall mechanism 7 has a first state and a second state. In the second state, the contact wheel 74 abuts against the outer surface of the synchronous belt 325. At this time, the elastic element 73 is in a compressed state, and the locking teeth 75 on the limiting rod 72 disengage from the anti-fall wheel 76. The coaxial shaft can drive the gears 311 on both sides to roll on the rack 312, so that the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2 can move freely up and down. When the synchronous belt 325 breaks, the anti-fall mechanism 7 enters the first state. Since the broken synchronous belt 325 cannot limit the anti-fall wheel 76, under the elastic action of the elastic element 73, the limiting rod 72 rotates around the connecting end toward the anti-fall wheel 76, and the locking teeth 75 on the elastic element 73 mesh with the anti-fall wheel 76, thereby preventing the synchronous shaft 321 from rotating. After the rotational movement of the synchronous shaft 321 is locked, the gears 311 at both ends stop moving, thereby stopping the up and down movement of the battery pick-and-place mechanism 2. By setting up the fall protection mechanism 7, when the transmission mechanism 3 is operating normally, it is kept disconnected from the synchronous shaft 321 of the transmission mechanism 3 to avoid affecting the transmission mechanism 3's drive of the battery pick-up and drop mechanism 2 to lift and lower. In special circumstances, the fall protection mechanism 7 restricts the rotation of the synchronous shaft 321 by engaging with it, thereby restricting the position of the battery pick-up and drop mechanism 2 to achieve the purpose of fall protection.

[0111] By setting the specific structure of the transmission mechanism 3, the battery transfer device 10 achieves a simplified overall structure, thereby reducing the overall footprint and manufacturing cost of the battery transfer device 10. Furthermore, by setting the specific structure of the transmission mechanism 3, it is possible to ensure that the battery pick-up and drop mechanism 2 moves synchronously and uniformly along the support part 1, so as to ensure the normal operation of the battery swapping station 100.

[0112] Among them, such as Figure 2As shown, counterweight mechanisms 8 are also provided on both sides of the support part 1. The counterweight mechanisms 8 are threaded onto the vertically installed rods 12 on the support part 1, realizing the vertical lifting and positioning relative to the support part 1. A traction rope (not shown in the figure) is connected to the upper surface of the counterweight mechanism 8. After the traction rope extends upward, it changes direction through the guide wheel 81 set on the top crossbeam of the support part 1, and then extends downward to connect with the battery picking and placing mechanism 2. Therefore, one end of the traction rope is connected to the counterweight mechanism 8, and the other end is connected to the battery picking and placing mechanism 2. When the battery picking and placing mechanism 2 rises, the traction rope drives the counterweight mechanism 8 to move downward synchronously. The counterweight mechanism 8 continuously applies an upward traction force to the battery picking and placing mechanism 2 through the traction rope to reduce the load applied by the battery picking and placing mechanism 2 to other components. The design of the counterweight mechanism 8 can improve the working efficiency of the battery picking and placing mechanism 2 when it moves upward and increase the battery picking and placing speed of the battery transfer device 10.

[0113] 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 transmission mechanism for a battery transfer device, the battery transfer device being disposed near a plurality of battery racks for storing batteries, the battery transfer device comprising a support portion disposed adjacent to the battery racks, a battery loading / unloading mechanism for loading / unloading batteries relative to any battery compartment of the battery racks, and the transmission mechanism for driving the battery loading / unloading mechanism to move vertically and vertically, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism comprises: a plurality of gear-rack transmission units respectively arranged between the support part and the battery taking and placing mechanism, gears of the gear-rack transmission units being connected with the battery taking and placing mechanism, the support part being a frame structure, the frame structure comprising a vertical column arranged along a vertical direction, racks of the gear-rack transmission units being arranged on a side surface of the vertical column along the vertical direction, the gears and the racks being engaged with each other; two driving units respectively arranged on two sides of the battery taking and placing mechanism to drive the gear-rack transmission units on the same side of the battery taking and placing mechanism to synchronously drive the battery taking and placing mechanism to move up and down, each of the driving units comprising a synchronous shaft connected with gears of the gear-rack transmission units on two ends and a driving motor for driving the synchronous shaft to rotate, each of the gears being arranged on the synchronous shaft and rotating coaxially with the synchronous shaft.

2. The transmission mechanism of claim 1, wherein The driving unit further comprises a driving wheel and a driven wheel respectively sleeved on the output shaft of the driving motor and the synchronous shaft and a synchronous belt arranged between the driving wheel and the driven wheel.

3. The transmission mechanism of claim 1, wherein, The transmission mechanism further comprises a tooth-escape prevention assembly, the tooth-escape prevention assembly comprising a plurality of back wheel groups, each of the back wheel groups corresponding to one of the gear-rack transmission units and being fixed on a preset position of the battery taking and placing mechanism to position the gears of each of the gear-rack transmission units relative to the racks.

4. The transmission mechanism of claim 3, wherein Each of the back wheel groups comprises a back wheel arranged on a back surface of the corresponding rack at a preset angle and a back wheel arranged on a side surface of the rack facing the battery taking and placing mechanism.

5. The transmission mechanism of claim 3, wherein The transmission mechanism further comprises a mounting seat, the mounting seat being fixed on two sides of the battery taking and placing mechanism, the synchronous shaft and the tooth-escape prevention assembly being mounted on the mounting seat.

6. The transmission mechanism of claim 5, wherein The transmission mechanism further comprises a bearing, an inner ring of the bearing being sleeved on the synchronous shaft and an outer ring of the bearing being fixed on the mounting seat.

7. The transmission mechanism of claim 6, wherein The bearing is a joint bearing or a spherical bearing.

8. The transmission of claim 1, wherein, A side surface of the support part facing the battery rack is fixed as an integral structure with the battery rack through a connecting unit, the connecting unit having a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate arranged at an angle relative to each other, the first mounting plate being used for connecting with the battery rack, and the second mounting plate being connected with the side surface of the support part.

9. The transmission of claim 1, wherein, The battery transfer equipment further comprises a falling prevention mechanism, the falling prevention mechanism having a first state and a second state, in the first state, the falling prevention mechanism is engaged with the synchronous shaft to limit the battery taking and placing mechanism, in the second state, the falling prevention mechanism is away from the synchronous shaft, and the synchronous shaft rotates normally.

10. A battery transfer apparatus, characterized by, The battery transfer equipment is arranged close to a plurality of battery racks for storing batteries, the battery transfer equipment comprising a support part arranged adjacent to the battery racks, a battery taking and placing mechanism for taking and placing batteries relative to any battery storage position of the battery racks, a transmission mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1-9 for driving the battery taking and placing mechanism to move up and down, and a driving mechanism for providing power, one of the transmission mechanisms being arranged on each side of the battery taking and placing mechanism.

11. A battery swap station for swapping a battery of an electric vehicle, characterized in that, The battery swap station comprises the battery transfer device as claimed in claim 10. The battery swap station comprises the battery transfer device as claimed in claim 10.

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