Unlocking method

Abstract

According to the unlocking method, unlocking of a battery pack on a vehicle is achieved through battery replacing equipment, a locking mechanism is arranged on the vehicle and comprises a lock connecting rod and a lock base, the lock base comprises a lock groove and a spring bolt rotationally arranged at an opening of the lock groove, the spring bolt is connected with the lock connecting rod, and the battery replacing equipment is provided with an unlocking piece. The unlocking part comprises an unlocking rod and an elastic mechanism, the unlocking rod acts on the lock connecting rod and drives the spring bolt to rotate, and the unlocking method comprises the steps that S1, the relative position of the battery replacement equipment and the vehicle in the vertical direction is adjusted, so that the elastic mechanism of the unlocking part is in a compressed state; and S2, the battery replacing equipment moves a lock shaft of the battery pack on the vehicle by a first preset distance in the direction away from an opening of the lock groove, so that a lock connecting rod drives a lock tongue to open the opening of the lock groove under the action of an elastic mechanism. Compared with the prior art, the unlocking method has the advantages that the service life of the locking mechanism and the lock shaft is longer, and the performance of the locking mechanism is kept good after the locking mechanism is used for a long time.

Description

[0001] This application is a division of a Chinese invention patent with an application date of September 30, 2021, application number 2021111659563, and name “Unlocking Method”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of vehicle battery replacement, and in particular to an unlocking method. Background Art

[0003] Nowadays, electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular among consumers. In the era of popularization of electric vehicles, battery replacement is one of the feasible ways to solve the problem of electric vehicle endurance. It has the advantages of convenience and speed and has been widely used. When replacing batteries, in addition to the battery capacity and safety factors of the battery pack itself, the most important thing is the success rate of battery replacement and the service life of the battery replacement components in the entire system.

[0004] Since the battery pack is locked to the vehicle by a locking mechanism, for safety reasons, the fixing method is usually very reliable and difficult to remove by ordinary unlocking methods.

[0005] The unlocking device on the battery exchange equipment in the prior art generally includes an unlocking piece for pushing open the locking mechanism on the electric vehicle. The locking mechanism includes a lock base, a lock slot, a lock tongue and a lock link. The lock tongue is connected to the lock link. When the lock link is pushed up, the lock link will drive the lock tongue to rotate, thereby opening the opening of the lock slot and unlocking the locking mechanism. When the unlocking piece unlocks the locking mechanism, the unlocking piece and the lock link of the locking mechanism are in hard contact and a large force is applied thereto. Before the battery pack is removed, the lock shaft of the battery pack is located in the lock slot of the locking mechanism. When the unlocking piece unlocks the locking mechanism, the lock tongue will push against the lock shaft and cannot open the slot. If the unlocking piece applies a greater force to the lock link, the lock tongue and the lock shaft will easily wear each other, resulting in poor performance of the locking mechanism and a short service life of the lock tongue and the lock shaft. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the technical problem that the service life of the locking mechanism and the lock shaft in the prior art is short and the performance of the locking mechanism deteriorates after long-term use, and to provide an unlocking method.

[0007] The present invention solves the above technical problems through the following technical solutions:

[0008] An unlocking method, the unlocking method realizes unlocking of a battery pack on a vehicle through a battery replacement device, the vehicle is provided with a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism comprises a lock link and a lock base, the lock base comprises a lock slot and a lock tongue rotatably arranged at the lock slot opening, the lock tongue is connected to the lock link, the battery replacement device has an unlocking member, the unlocking member comprises an unlocking rod and an elastic mechanism, the unlocking rod acts on the lock link and drives the lock tongue to rotate, and the method comprises the following steps:

[0009] S1. Adjust the relative position of the battery-swapping device and the vehicle in the vertical direction so that the elastic mechanism of the unlocking member is in a compressed state;

[0010] S2. The battery exchange equipment moves the lock shaft of the battery pack on the vehicle in a direction away from the lock slot opening by a first preset distance, so that the lock link drives the lock tongue to open the lock slot opening under the action of the elastic mechanism.

[0011] In the present invention, by adopting the above method, the elastic mechanism in the unlocking piece is in a state of compressed energy storage, and the lock tongue and the lock shaft of the battery pack are in a state of mutual abutment. At this time, the elastic mechanism cannot lift the lock link upward, and then drive the battery pack to move in a direction away from the lock slot opening through the battery replacement equipment, so that the lock shaft of the battery pack avoids the lock tongue. At this time, the lock shaft no longer prevents the lock tongue from opening the lock slot opening, and the unlocking rod lifts the lock link under the action of the elastic mechanism in the energy storage state, and the lock link drives the lock tongue to rotate, and finally unlocking is achieved. The present invention uses the energy stored by the elastic mechanism in the unlocking piece to provide an upward supporting force acting on the lock link during the unlocking process, but will not cause the lock tongue and the lock shaft to be damaged due to excessive mutual squeezing, and since the rotation of the lock tongue is achieved after the lock shaft moves, compared with the prior art in which the unlocking rod directly lifts the lock link, thereby directly driving the lock tongue to rotate to achieve the unlocking function, the present invention requires smaller unlocking force, and can effectively avoid wear of the lock tongue and the lock shaft due to squeezing, and the performance of the locking mechanism remains good after long-term use.

[0012] Preferably, the unlocking method further includes:

[0013] S3. After the battery exchange equipment moves the lock axis of the battery pack on the vehicle toward the direction close to the lock slot opening by a second preset distance, the battery pack is detached from the vehicle, wherein the second preset distance is greater than the first preset distance.

[0014] In the present invention, by adopting the above method, the battery pack is moved toward the direction close to the lock slot opening by a second preset distance, so that the lock shaft of the battery pack can be moved to the lock slot opening, making it easier for the lock shaft to leave the lock slot and allow the battery pack to be detached from the vehicle.

[0015] Preferably, before step S1, the method further includes the following steps:

[0016] S0. Adjust the relative position of the battery swapping equipment and the vehicle along the length direction of the vehicle so that the unlocking rod of the unlocking member is aligned with the unlocking block on the lock link.

[0017] In the present invention, by adopting the above method, the battery exchange device and the vehicle are aligned in the length direction of the vehicle before unlocking, thereby avoiding unlocking failure due to the mismatch between the positions of the unlocking rod and the unlocking block.

[0018] Preferably, the battery exchange device includes a vehicle positioning unit, the vehicle positioning unit includes a positioning fork, and step S0 further includes:

[0019] The position of the vehicle positioning part along the length direction of the vehicle is adjusted so that the positioning fork is aligned with the matching part on the vehicle.

[0020] In the present invention, by adopting the above method, the positioning fork is first aligned with the matching part on the vehicle before unlocking, so that accurate positioning between the battery exchange device and the vehicle is achieved.

[0021] Preferably, the battery replacement device includes a vehicle positioning unit, the vehicle positioning unit includes a positioning fork and an unlocking member, and step S0 further includes:

[0022] The position of the unlocking member along the length direction of the vehicle is adjusted so that the unlocking rod of the unlocking member is aligned with the unlocking groove on the unlocking block.

[0023] In the present invention, by adopting the above method, before unlocking, the position of the unlocking piece is adjusted so that the unlocking piece is aligned with the unlocking block of the lock link, thereby reducing the probability of unlocking failure due to the mismatch between the positions of the unlocking rod and the unlocking block.

[0024] Preferably, step S1 includes:

[0025] Adjust the vehicle positioning part of the battery exchange device and / or the position of the vehicle in the vertical direction so that the elastic mechanism of the unlocking member is in a compressed state.

[0026] In the present invention, by adopting the above method, a method is provided for adjusting the relative distance between the battery exchange device and the vehicle in the vertical direction. The method can be to increase the height of the vehicle positioning part, lower the height of the vehicle, or use the above two in combination.

[0027] Preferably, a detection element is provided on the positioning fork, and the positioning fork is used in conjunction with a matching part on the vehicle, and step S1 further includes:

[0028] The detection element detects whether the matching part and the positioning fork are in place. If so, the battery replacement device performs an unlocking operation.

[0029] In the present invention, by adopting the above method, the detection element at the positioning fork can first determine whether the matching part and the positioning fork are in place, that is, whether the vehicle is lowered into place, and then perform subsequent unlocking work, which can further reduce the probability of unlocking failure.

[0030] Preferably, the step of the detection element in step S1 detecting whether the matching piece and the positioning fork are in place is specifically as follows:

[0031] The detection element obtains a relative distance L1 between itself and the matching component, and determines whether the relative distance L1 is within a preset distance range.

[0032] In the present invention, by adopting the above method, since the frame size, height and position of different vehicle models may vary, a preset distance range is set for the distance between the detection element and the matching part. When the distance between the detection element and the matching part is within the preset distance range, it is considered that the positioning fork and the matching part are in a mating state, thereby further improving the success rate of subsequent unlocking operations.

[0033] Preferably, the step of the detection element in step S1 detecting whether the matching piece and the positioning fork are in place is specifically as follows:

[0034] The state of the detection element is obtained, and it is determined whether the detection element is in a triggered state.

[0035] In the present invention, by adopting the above method, another specific detection method for whether the positioning fork and the matching member are properly matched is provided. When the detection element is triggered, it is considered that the matching member and the positioning fork are properly matched.

[0036] Preferably, in step S2:

[0037] When the lock tongue opens the lock slot, the lock shaft avoids the lock tongue.

[0038] In the present invention, by adopting the above method, it is ensured that when unlocking under the action of the elastic mechanism of the unlocking piece, the lock tongue will not hinder the rotation of the lock tongue, thereby reducing the wear of both during the unlocking process, and at the same time reducing the amount of support force required by the elastic mechanism of the unlocking piece when unlocking.

[0039] Preferably, the unlocking method further includes:

[0040] S4. Adjust the relative position of the battery swap device and the vehicle in the vertical direction again, and then the battery swap device takes the battery pack away from the vehicle.

[0041] In the present invention, by adopting the above method, the battery pack will leave the vehicle along the direction of the lock slot opening. By first adjusting the vertical distance between the battery swapping equipment and the vehicle, and then using the battery swapping equipment to transport the battery pack, it is possible to avoid the battery swapping equipment colliding with the lower part of the vehicle during the transportation of the battery pack.

[0042] On the basis of being in accordance with the common sense in the art, the above-mentioned preferred conditions can be arbitrarily combined to obtain the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0043] The positive and progressive effects of the present invention are:

[0044] The unlocking method is that when the unlocking member is pressurized to store energy and the unlocking member does not lift the lock link, the lock tongue presses the lock shaft of the battery pack, and then drives the battery pack to move in a direction away from the lock slot opening through the battery replacement equipment, so that the lock shaft of the battery pack avoids the lock tongue. At this time, the lock shaft will not prevent the lock tongue from opening the lock slot opening, and the supporting force of the unlocking rod lifts the lock link, and the lock link drives the lock tongue to rotate, finally realizing unlocking. The present invention utilizes the elastic mechanism in the unlocking member to store energy to provide an upward supporting force acting on the lock link during the unlocking process without causing the interaction force between the lock tongue and the lock shaft to be too large to cause damage. Moreover, since the rotation of the lock tongue is realized after the lock shaft moves, compared with the prior art in which the unlocking rod directly lifts the lock link, thereby directly driving the lock tongue to rotate to realize the unlocking function, the present invention requires smaller unlocking force and can effectively avoid wear of the lock tongue and the lock shaft due to extrusion, thereby extending the service life of the locking mechanism and the lock shaft, and avoiding the performance deterioration of the locking mechanism after long-term use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Figure 1 The present invention is a flowchart of an unlocking method.

[0046] Figure 2 The figure is a flow chart of another unlocking method of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 3 This is a side view of an unlocking mechanism applicable to the unlocking method in Example 1 of the present invention and a primary lock in a mating state.

[0048] Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional diagram of an unlocking mechanism applicable to the unlocking method in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional diagram of an unlocking member applicable to the unlocking method in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0050] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of an unlocking member applicable to the unlocking method in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 7It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the matching structure of the positioning fork and the unlocking block applicable to the unlocking method in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 8 It is a side view schematic diagram of the unlocking process of the positioning fork and the unlocking block applicable to the unlocking method in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0053] Description of reference numerals:

[0054] Locking mechanism 100

[0055] Lock link 110

[0056] Lock base 120

[0057] Primary lock slot 121a

[0058] Secondary lock slot 121b

[0059] Primary lock tongue 122a

[0060] Secondary lock tongue 122b

[0061] Lock shaft 123

[0062] Unlock block 130

[0063] Unlocking groove 131

[0064] Unlocking piece 200

[0065] Unlocking lever 201

[0066] Spring 202

[0067] Sleeve 203

[0068] Slide 210

[0069] Positioning fork 300

[0070] Detection element 301

[0071] Accommodation area 310

[0072] Secondary lock 320 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] The present invention is further described below by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the examples.

[0074] [Example 1]

[0075] like Figure 1 As shown, Example 1 provides an unlocking method, which is applied to a battery replacement device for replacing a battery pack for an electric vehicle.

[0076] like Figure 3-8As shown, a locking mechanism 100 is provided on the vehicle, and the locking mechanism 100 includes a lock link 110 and a lock base 120. The lock base 120 includes a lock slot and a lock tongue rotatably arranged at the opening of the lock slot, and the lock tongue is connected to the lock link 110. In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 100 is a primary lock. Specifically, Figure 3-6 As shown, the primary lock includes a lock link 110 and a lock base 120, the lock base 120 includes a primary lock slot 121a and a primary lock tongue 122a rotatably arranged at the opening of the primary lock slot 121a, and the primary lock tongue 122a is connected to the lock link 110. The battery replacement equipment is used to replace the battery pack on the vehicle. The battery replacement equipment can remove the low-power battery pack from the electric vehicle or install the fully charged battery pack on the electric vehicle. The battery replacement equipment includes a vehicle positioning part, and the unlocking member 200 and the positioning fork 300 are both arranged on the vehicle positioning part. The unlocking member 200 can be adjusted relative to the vehicle positioning part in the length direction of the vehicle. The unlocking member 200 includes an unlocking rod 201 and an elastic mechanism. The unlocking rod 201 acts on the lock link 110 and drives the lock tongue to rotate.

[0077] In this embodiment, if Figure 3-5 As shown, the elastic mechanism of the unlocking member 200 is a spring 202. The spring 202 and the unlocking rod 201 are arranged inside the sleeve 203, and can reciprocate along the length extension direction of the sleeve 203. The unlocking member 200 cooperates with the slide rail 210 through the mounting seat to achieve position adjustment relative to the vehicle positioning part in the length direction of the vehicle, and the elastic mechanism is arranged between the mounting seat and the unlocking rod.

[0078] The unlocking method realizes unlocking the battery pack on the vehicle through the battery replacement device, and includes:

[0079] S1. Adjust the relative position of the battery-swapping device and the vehicle in the vertical direction so that the elastic mechanism of the unlocking member 200 is in a compressed state;

[0080] The above step S1 specifically includes the following steps:

[0081] S11: Adjust the position of the vehicle positioning part of the battery exchange equipment and the vehicle in the vertical direction, that is, raise the height of the vehicle positioning part and lower the height of the vehicle, so that the vehicle positioning part and the vehicle are close to each other in the height direction.

[0082] like Figure 3 As shown, until the vehicle positioning part and the vehicle move to a suitable position in the vertical direction, the upper end of the unlocking rod 201 presses against the unlocking block 130 of the lock link 110, and the unlocking block 130 applies a force toward the vehicle positioning part to the unlocking rod 201, thereby pressing the elastic mechanism down to a compressed state.

[0083] In other specific implementations, the height of the vehicle positioning part may be increased or the height of the vehicle may be decreased, both of which may achieve the purpose of adjusting the position of the vehicle positioning part and the vehicle along the vertical direction, which will not be described in detail here.

[0084] In step S1, the unlocking member 200 is pre-pressed to store energy, so that the elastic force is released after the lock shaft 123 avoids the lock tongue, so that the lock link 110 moves to drive the lock tongue to open the lock slot. At the same time, the unlocking member 200 will not provide too much force to the lock link 110, causing the lock link 110 and the lock shaft 123 to be hard squeezed and damaged. In this step, the battery exchange device is in contact with the battery pack on the vehicle.

[0085] S2. The battery exchange equipment moves the lock shaft of the battery pack on the vehicle in a direction away from the lock slot opening by a first preset distance, so that the lock link drives the lock tongue to open the lock slot opening under the action of the elastic mechanism.

[0086] Specifically, the battery swap device carries the battery pack and drives the battery pack to move. At this time, the battery swap device moves the lock shaft 123 of the battery pack on the vehicle in a direction away from the lock slot opening by a first preset distance, that is, the lock shaft 123 is separated from the lock tongue. At this time, the lock shaft 123 no longer blocks the lock tongue from being unlocked, and the unlocking member 200 will lift the lock tongue through the supporting force provided by the compressed elastic mechanism to open the lock slot opening, completing the unlocking process. Under the pushing force of the bottom elastic mechanism, the unlocking member 200 drives the lock link 110 to move upward, and drives the lock tongue to rotate to open the lock slot, allowing the lock shaft 123 to leave the lock slot opening.

[0087] Through the above unlocking method, the wear of the lock tongue and the lock shaft 123 during the unlocking process can be reduced as much as possible, and at the same time, the supporting force required to be provided by the elastic mechanism of the unlocking member 200 during unlocking can be reduced.

[0088] [Example 2]

[0089] like Figure 2 As shown, Embodiment 2 discloses another unlocking method. The unlocking method of this embodiment is applied to a battery swapping device. In addition to having the structure of the battery swapping device shown in Embodiment 1, the battery swapping device of Embodiment 2 is Figure 7-8 As shown, the positioning fork 300 also includes a accommodating area 310 inside, and a detection element 301 is provided in the accommodating area 310. The positioning fork 300 is used in conjunction with a matching part on the vehicle. In this embodiment, the matching part is a secondary lock 320, which is used to determine whether the positioning fork 300 and the secondary lock 320 on the vehicle are in place in the height direction.

[0090] In other specific embodiments, the matching part may also be a positioning block, which is a square body and is arranged on the side of the battery pack. When the battery pack is installed on the vehicle, the positioning block is located between the side of the battery pack and the vehicle body bracket.

[0091] like Figure 3-8 As shown, in this embodiment, a specific structure is given for the secondary lock 320 on the vehicle. The secondary lock 320 has a secondary lock groove 121b and a secondary lock tongue 122b. The positioning fork 300 acts on the active end of the secondary lock tongue 122b, that is, the extended end of the secondary lock tongue 122b ( Figure 7 The upper end of the secondary locking tongue 122b is opened to open the channel for the lock shaft 123 of the battery pack to enter and exit the secondary locking groove 121b.

[0092] The unlocking method realizes unlocking the battery pack on the vehicle through the battery replacement device, and includes:

[0093] S0. Adjust the relative position of the battery swapping device and the vehicle along the length direction of the vehicle so that the unlocking rod of the unlocking member is aligned with the unlocking block on the lock link;

[0094] Specifically, the specific steps for adjusting the relative position of the battery exchange equipment and the vehicle along the length direction of the vehicle are: adjust the position of the unlocking piece along the length direction of the vehicle so that the unlocking rod of the unlocking piece is aligned with the unlocking groove on the unlocking block, and control the mounting seat at the bottom of the unlocking piece 200 to move along the slide rail so that the unlocking piece 200 is aligned with the unlocking groove 131 on the unlocking block 130.

[0095] In other embodiments, the step of adjusting the relative position of the unlocking member along the length direction of the vehicle further includes: adjusting the position of the vehicle positioning part along the length direction of the vehicle so that the positioning fork is aligned with the secondary lock on the vehicle, that is, completing the relative position of the battery replacement device and the vehicle along the length direction of the vehicle;

[0096] Step S0 is a step for precise positioning before officially starting unlocking. The unlocking member 200 is first aligned with the unlocking block 130 of the lock link 110, and the positioning fork 300 on the vehicle positioning part corresponds to the secondary lock 320 on the vehicle before unlocking. This can effectively reduce the probability of unlocking failure due to the mismatch between the position of the unlocking rod 201 and the unlocking block 130, and the mismatch between the position of the positioning fork 300 and the secondary lock 320 during unlocking.

[0097] S1. Adjust the relative position of the battery-swapping device and the vehicle in the vertical direction so that the elastic mechanism of the unlocking member is in a compressed state;

[0098] The above step S1 specifically includes the following steps:

[0099] S11: adjusting the positions of the vehicle positioning part of the battery swapping device and the vehicle in the vertical direction, that is, raising the height of the vehicle positioning part and lowering the height of the vehicle so that the vehicle positioning part and the vehicle are close to each other in the height direction;

[0100] In other specific implementations, the height of the vehicle positioning part may be increased or the height of the vehicle may be decreased, both of which may achieve the purpose of adjusting the position of the vehicle positioning part and the vehicle along the vertical direction, which will not be described in detail here.

[0101] S12: Real-time detection of whether the secondary lock and the positioning fork are in place through the detection element. If so, stop adjusting the height position of the vehicle positioning part and the vehicle. At this time, the elastic mechanism of the unlocking member is in a compressed state.

[0102] like Figure 3 As shown, until the vehicle positioning part and the vehicle move to a suitable position in the vertical direction, the upper end of the unlocking rod 201 presses against the unlocking block 130 of the lock link 110, and the unlocking block 130 applies a force toward the vehicle positioning part to the unlocking rod 201, thereby pressing the elastic mechanism down to a compressed state. Figure 8 As shown, the free end of the secondary lock tongue 122 b of the secondary lock 320 will be lifted by the positioning fork 300 .

[0103] During the unlocking process, the spring 202 of the unlocking member 200 needs to be in a compressed state so that the unlocking member 200 can exert an upward force on the lock link 110, so that the lock link 110 drives the lock tongue to rotate to open the lock slot opening. Therefore, the relative height position (i.e., height difference) of the vehicle and the battery swapping device needs to be adjusted. In step S12, the detection element 301 is used to detect whether the secondary lock 320 and the positioning fork 300 are in place, that is, the battery swapping device and the vehicle are in place in the vertical direction. At this time, the unlocking member 200 and the unlocking groove 131 on the unlocking block 130, and the positioning fork 300 and the secondary lock 320 are all in place. After reaching such a state, unlocking can further reduce the probability of unlocking failure.

[0104] In other specific embodiments, it is also possible to simply adjust the height of the vehicle positioning part on the vehicle or the battery exchange device to achieve the cooperation between the secondary lock 320 on the vehicle and the positioning fork 300. At this time, the unlocking rod 201 presses against the unlocking block 130 of the lock link 110, the secondary lock 320 extends into the positioning fork 300 and the positioning fork 300 pushes up the outer end of the secondary lock tongue 122b, which will not be repeated here.

[0105] S2. The battery replacement device moves the lock shaft of the battery pack on the vehicle in a direction away from the lock slot opening by a first preset distance, so that the lock link drives the lock tongue to open the lock slot opening under the action of the elastic mechanism;

[0106] When the lock tongue opens the lock slot, the lock shaft avoids the lock tongue and does not hinder the rotation of the lock tongue. When the lock shaft 123 moves the first preset distance, the lock shaft 123 in the primary lock and the secondary lock 320 are away from the corresponding primary lock tongue 122a and the secondary lock tongue 122b, that is, when the lock tongue opens the lock slot, the lock shaft 123 avoids the lock tongue. Specifically, after the primary lock tongue 122a loses the obstruction of the lock shaft 123, the unlocking rod 201 pushes the lock link 110 to move upward, driving the primary lock tongue 122a to rotate and open the opening of the primary lock slot 121a, realizing the unlocking function of the primary lock, that is, at this time, the lock shaft 123 can be moved out of the primary lock slot 121a. After the secondary lock tongue 122b loses the obstruction of the lock shaft 123, the positioning fork 300 pushes the secondary lock tongue 122b to rotate, and the secondary lock tongue 122b rotates to open the opening of the secondary lock slot 121b. At this time, the lock shaft 123 can be moved out of the secondary lock slot 121b, realizing the unlocking function of the secondary lock 320.

[0107] In this embodiment, the unlocking member 200 is first used to store energy of the elastic mechanism, and then the lock shaft 123 is moved to a position away from the lock tongue so that the lock shaft 123 will not hinder the rotation of the lock tongue, thereby reducing the wear of both during the unlocking process, and at the same time, the amount of support force required to be provided by the elastic mechanism of the unlocking member 200 during unlocking can be reduced.

[0108] S3. After the battery exchange equipment moves the lock axis of the battery pack on the vehicle toward the direction close to the lock slot opening by a second preset distance, the battery pack is detached from the vehicle, wherein the second preset distance is greater than the first preset distance.

[0109] Specifically, in step S3 of the present embodiment, since the lock tongue has been opened and the overall structure has been unlocked, the battery swap device moves the lock shaft 123 of the battery pack toward the opening direction of the lock slot by a second preset distance, that is, after moving the second preset distance, the lock shaft 123 is located above the lock slot opening. At this time, the lock slot no longer supports the lock shaft 123, and the battery swap device supports the battery pack to move downward, so that the battery pack is detached from the vehicle. The second preset distance is greater than the first preset distance, that is, compared to the initial position against the side of the lock tongue or located in a certain position in the lock slot, the lock shaft 123 moves in the opposite direction by the second preset distance after moving the first preset distance, and the second preset distance is greater than the first preset distance, so that the lock shaft 123 passes the original locking position in the opposite direction and then continues to move a distance in this direction to reach the lock slot opening.

[0110] S4. Adjust the relative position of the battery swap device and the vehicle in the vertical direction again, and then the battery swap device takes the battery pack away from the vehicle.

[0111] In this embodiment, after unlocking, the battery pack will leave the vehicle along the direction of the lock slot opening. By first adjusting the vertical distance between the battery swap device and the vehicle to avoid it, and then using the battery swap device to transport the battery pack, it is possible to avoid the battery swap device from colliding with the lower part of the vehicle during the transportation of the battery pack.

[0112] In this embodiment, the elastic mechanism in the unlocking member 200 is used to store energy to provide an upward supporting force acting on the lock link 110 during the unlocking process. Specifically, the unlocking rod 201 of the unlocking member 200 is squeezed toward the direction of the battery replacement device. At this time, the elastic mechanism in the unlocking member 200 is in a compressed state, and the elastic mechanism provides an upward supporting force for the lock link 110, which is used to lift the lock link 110 to achieve unlocking.

[0113] In the prior art, the unlocking rod 201 directly lifts the lock link 110, thereby directly driving the lock tongue to overcome the obstruction of the lock shaft 123 and then rotate to realize the unlocking function. During this process, the lock tongue and the lock shaft 123 always keep in contact. In this embodiment, since the rotation of the lock tongue is realized after the lock shaft 123 moves in a direction away from the lock slot opening, compared with the prior art, the lock tongue is first separated from the lock shaft 123 during the unlocking process and will not be obstructed by the lock shaft 123. Therefore, the unlocking method in this embodiment requires less unlocking force, and can effectively avoid the wear of the lock tongue and the lock shaft 123 due to extrusion, thereby improving the service life of the lock shaft 123 and the locking mechanism, and ensuring the performance of the locking mechanism after long-term use.

[0114] [Example 3]

[0115] This embodiment provides an unlocking method, and its steps are substantially the same as those of the unlocking method in Embodiment 2. The difference is that in this embodiment, Figure 7 As shown, the detection element 301 is arranged at the bottom of the accommodating area 310 of the positioning fork 300, and is used to detect the distance between the detection element 301 and the matching piece. The steps of the detection element 301 detecting whether the matching piece and the positioning fork 300 are in place in step S12 are specifically as follows:

[0116] The detection element 301 obtains the relative distance L1 between itself and the matching element, and determines whether the relative distance L1 is within a preset distance range.

[0117] Since the frame size, height and position of different vehicle models may vary, a preset distance range is set for the distance between the detection element 301 and the matching piece. When the distance between the detection element 301 and the matching piece is within the preset distance range, it is considered that the positioning fork 300 and the matching piece are in a state of being matched.

[0118] Specifically, in the present embodiment, since the detection element 301 is arranged toward the matching part, the detection element 301 is used to detect the distance between itself and the matching part. When the matching part gradually descends into the accommodating area 310 in the positioning fork 300, the distance between the detection surface of the matching part facing the detection element 301 and the detection element 301 also gradually decreases. When the detection surface reaches a certain position, that is, when the distance between the detection element 301 and the matching part enters the preset range, it can be considered that the positioning fork 300 and the matching part are in a state of being matched. Through this detection method, it is easy to judge whether the battery exchange equipment and the vehicle are matched in the vertical direction, and the next unlocking step can be performed.

[0119] Specifically, the detection element 301 in this embodiment is a Hall sensor, and the matching piece may be made of a magnetic material or the matching piece may be provided with a magnetic structure that can be detected by the detection element 301 .

[0120] [Example 4]

[0121] This embodiment provides an unlocking method, and its steps are substantially the same as those of the unlocking method in Embodiment 2. The difference is that in this embodiment, the detection element 301 is disposed on the side wall of the accommodating area 301 of the positioning fork 300, and the steps of the detection element 301 in step S12 detecting whether the matching piece and the positioning fork are in place are specifically as follows:

[0122] The state of the detection element is obtained, and it is determined whether the detection element is in a triggered state.

[0123] In this embodiment, the determination of whether the matching piece and the positioning fork are in place is based on whether the detection element 301 is detected to be triggered. The matching piece descends into the accommodation area 310 in the positioning fork 300 until the detection element is triggered. Since the detection element 301 is installed on the side of the matching piece, once it is triggered, it means that the matching piece has descended to the position where it is in place, and it can be considered that the positioning fork 300 and the matching piece are in a state of being in place. At this time, the detection element 301 does not need to quantitatively detect a certain distance.

[0124] In this embodiment, the detection element is an infrared sensor. In other embodiments, the detection element may also be a photoelectric sensor, a visual sensor, a laser sensor, etc., which will not be described in detail here.

[0125] Although the specific embodiments of the present invention are described above, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that this is only for illustration and the protection scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but these changes and modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An unlocking method, wherein the unlocking method realizes unlocking of a battery pack on a vehicle through a battery replacement device, wherein a locking mechanism is provided on the vehicle, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a lock link and a lock base, wherein the lock base comprises a lock slot and a lock tongue rotatably arranged at an opening of the lock slot, wherein the lock tongue is connected to the lock link, wherein the battery replacement device has an unlocking member, wherein the unlocking member comprises an unlocking rod, wherein the unlocking rod acts on the lock link and drives the lock tongue to rotate ... member comprises an unlocking rod, wherein the unlocking rod It includes the following steps: S1. Adjust the relative positions of the battery swapping device and the vehicle in the vertical direction to a corresponding state; S2. The battery replacement equipment moves the lock shaft of the battery pack on the vehicle in a direction away from the lock slot opening by a first preset distance, so that the lock link drives the lock tongue to rotate to open the lock slot opening.

2. The unlocking method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: S3. After the battery exchange equipment moves the lock axis of the battery pack on the vehicle toward the direction close to the lock slot opening by a second preset distance, the battery pack is detached from the vehicle, wherein the second preset distance is greater than the first preset distance.

3. The unlocking method according to claim 1, wherein the lock link comprises an unlocking block, characterized in that: Before step S1, the method further includes the following steps: S0. Adjust the relative position of the battery swapping equipment and the vehicle along the length direction of the vehicle so that the unlocking rod of the unlocking member is aligned with the unlocking block on the lock link.

4. The unlocking method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The battery replacement device includes a vehicle positioning unit, and the vehicle positioning unit includes a positioning fork. Step S0 also includes: The position of the vehicle positioning part along the length direction of the vehicle is adjusted so that the positioning fork is aligned with the matching part on the vehicle.

5. The unlocking method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The battery replacement device includes a vehicle positioning unit, the vehicle positioning unit includes a positioning fork and an unlocking member, and step S0 further includes: The position of the unlocking member along the length direction of the vehicle is adjusted so that the unlocking rod of the unlocking member is aligned with the unlocking groove on the unlocking block.

6. The unlocking method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning fork is provided with a detection element, and the positioning fork is used in conjunction with a matching part on the vehicle. Step S1 further includes: The detection element detects whether the matching part and the positioning fork are in place. If so, the battery replacement device performs an unlocking operation.

7. The unlocking method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The specific steps of the detection element in step S1 detecting whether the matching piece and the positioning fork are in place are: The detection element obtains a relative distance L1 between itself and the matching component, and determines whether the relative distance L1 is within a preset distance range.

8. The unlocking method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The specific steps of the detection element in step S1 detecting whether the matching piece and the positioning fork are in place are: The state of the detection element is obtained, and it is determined whether the detection element is in a triggered state.

9. The unlocking method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S2: When the lock tongue opens the lock slot, the lock shaft avoids the lock tongue.

10. The unlocking method according to claim 2, characterized in that: Also includes: S4. Adjust the relative position of the battery swap device and the vehicle in the vertical direction again, and then the battery swap device takes the battery pack away from the vehicle.

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