Unmanned self-propelled vehicle battery exchange station and unmanned self-propelled vehicle system

Abstract

The invention relates to an unmanned self-propelled vehicle battery exchange station and an unmanned self-propelled vehicle system. The battery exchange station for the unmanned self-propelled vehicle comprises a battery exchange device and a battery charging device. The battery exchange device comprises a power supply module and is used for exchanging battery modules to be charged of the unmanned self-propelled vehicle, and the battery charging device is connected to the battery exchange device and is used for charging the plurality of battery modules. When the battery exchange device exchanges the to-be-charged battery module of the unmanned self-propelled vehicle, the power supply module of the battery exchange device provides a power supply so as to directly supply power to the unmanned self-propelled vehicle. In addition, the invention also discloses an unmanned self-propelled vehicle system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous mobile vehicle system, and particularly to an autonomous mobile vehicle battery swapping station. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing progress of technology, the functions of semiconductor components are becoming more and more powerful, and the production, testing, and shipping equipment for semiconductor products are also becoming increasingly complex.

[0003] In existing high-tech industries, such as the semiconductor industry, and all walks of life, a large amount of investment has been made in automated engineering to reduce manpower requirements and improve transportation quality. With the increasing degree of production line automation, as well as the significant progress of artificial intelligence technology and Internet of Things technology, highly repetitive, precise, and fast operation processes are acceleratingly needed in various fields to meet the corresponding market demands.

[0004] Therefore, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that can improve the efficiency of warehousing and transportation operations have begun to be accelerated into different industries to meet the enterprise's demand for higher operating efficiency.

[0005] AMR autonomous mobile vehicles sense the surrounding environment through various sensing units, transmit data for analysis and judgment, and then provide the transportation of equipment and raw materials according to the requirements of the production line, so as to improve production efficiency, significantly reduce manpower requirements, and improve product quality.

[0006] However, since AMR autonomous mobile vehicles generally use battery power supply, and the battery has a capacity limit, it is necessary to charge or replace the battery in order to continue to provide power for the AMR autonomous mobile vehicle.

[0007] Therefore, when the AMR autonomous mobile vehicle uses a charging pile for charging, it will increase the idle time of the AMR autonomous mobile vehicle, thus increasing production costs. When using the method of replacing the battery to supplement the power, it is necessary to reset the AMR autonomous mobile vehicle, which will also cause an increase in idle time, resulting in an increase in production costs. In addition, if an uninterruptible power supply system is adopted, it is necessary to increase the volume and weight of the AMR autonomous mobile vehicle, which will also increase the production and maintenance costs of the AMR autonomous mobile vehicle.

[0008] Therefore, how to conveniently and quickly provide the power required by the AMR autonomous mobile vehicle will help improve the production efficiency of the production line and thus reduce production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous mobile vehicle battery swapping station and an autonomous mobile vehicle system having the autonomous mobile vehicle battery swapping station to solve the problems mentioned in the prior art.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a battery swapping station for an unmanned self-driving vehicle is provided. This battery swapping station for an unmanned self-driving vehicle includes a battery swapping device and a battery charging device. The battery swapping device includes a power supply module, and the battery swapping device is used to swap the battery module to be charged of the unmanned self-driving vehicle, and the battery charging device is connected to the battery swapping device to charge a plurality of battery modules. Among them, when the battery swapping device swaps the battery module to be charged of the unmanned self-driving vehicle, the power supply module of the battery swapping device provides power to directly supply power to the unmanned self-driving vehicle.

[0011] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device further includes a battery swapping device positioning module for positioning the unmanned self-driving vehicle.

[0012] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device positioning module includes a laser positioning plate for the unmanned self-driving vehicle to be aligned parallel to the battery swapping device positioning module.

[0013] In some embodiments, the laser positioning plate includes a laser positioning groove for the unmanned self-driving vehicle to be further aligned left and right with the battery swapping device positioning module.

[0014] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device positioning module further includes a buffer pad to buffer the impact force when the unmanned self-driving vehicle approaches the battery swapping device.

[0015] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device positioning module further includes a metal sensor to sense the distance and position between the unmanned self-driving vehicle and the battery swapping device positioning module.

[0016] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device positioning module further includes a first light sensor to monitor the position of the unmanned self-driving vehicle when the power supply module of the battery swapping device directly supplies power to the unmanned self-driving vehicle.

[0017] In some embodiments, the power supply module includes a bottom plate, a moving module, a base, a power plug, and a buffer module. The moving module is fixed to the bottom plate to horizontally move the bottom plate, the power plug is installed on the base, and the buffer module is disposed between the bottom plate and the base.

[0018] In some embodiments, the bottom plate includes a plurality of accommodating spaces, and the buffer module includes a plurality of supporting members and a plurality of elastic members. The supporting members are respectively inserted through the corresponding accommodating spaces and the corresponding elastic members and are connected to the base.

[0019] In some embodiments, the supporting member includes a tapered portion and a fixing portion. The tapered portion is coupled to the opening of the bottom plate, and the fixing portion is connected to the base.

[0020] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device further includes an unlocking module, and the unlocking module includes a slide rail, an actuator, a sliding member, and a double-acting cylinder. The sliding member is connected to the actuator to move on the slide rail, and the double-acting cylinder is installed on the sliding member to unlock the rechargeable battery module of the driverless self-driving vehicle.

[0021] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device further includes a roller module for moving the battery module and the rechargeable battery module of the driverless self-driving vehicle.

[0022] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device further includes a towing module for further moving the battery module and the rechargeable battery module of the driverless self-driving vehicle.

[0023] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device further includes a lifting module, and the lifting module includes a track and a lifting platform. The lifting platform is installed on the track to vertically move the battery module and the rechargeable battery module.

[0024] In some embodiments, the battery charging device includes a plurality of charging modules vertically disposed in the battery charging device. Each charging module includes a charging plug, a fixing base, a pusher, and a clamping link. The pusher is fixed to the fixing base, and the clamping link is connected to the pusher. When the pusher pushes the clamping link to clamp the corresponding battery module, the charging plug is electrically connected to the battery module.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present invention, a driverless self-driving vehicle system is disclosed, which includes a driverless self-driving vehicle and a driverless self-driving vehicle battery swapping station. Among them, the driverless self-driving vehicle includes a power socket, and the driverless self-driving vehicle battery swapping station includes a battery swapping device and a battery charging device. The battery swapping device includes a power supply module, and the battery swapping device is used to swap the rechargeable battery module of the driverless self-driving vehicle. The battery charging device is connected to the battery swapping device for charging a plurality of battery modules. In addition, when the battery swapping device swaps the rechargeable battery module of the driverless self-driving vehicle, the power supply module of the battery swapping device is electrically connected to the power socket of the driverless self-driving vehicle.

[0026] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device further includes a battery swapping device positioning module, and the driverless self-driving vehicle further includes a driverless self-driving vehicle positioning module to position the driverless self-driving vehicle.

[0027] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device positioning module includes a laser positioning plate, and the driverless self-driving vehicle positioning module includes a laser range finder sensor to detect the distance between the driverless self-driving vehicle and the laser positioning plate, so as to align the driverless self-driving vehicle parallel to the laser positioning plate of the battery swapping device positioning module.

[0028] In some embodiments, the laser positioning plate includes a laser positioning groove for the driverless self-driving vehicle to further align left and right with the positioning module of the battery swapping device.

[0029] In some embodiments, the positioning module of the battery swapping device further includes a buffer pad, and the positioning module of the driverless self-driving vehicle further includes a alignment bump to align with the buffer pad and use the buffer pad to buffer the impact force when the driverless self-driving vehicle approaches the battery swapping device.

[0030] In some embodiments, the positioning module of the battery swapping device further includes a metal sensor, and the positioning module of the driverless self-driving vehicle further includes a metal sheet to sense the distance and position between the driverless self-driving vehicle and the positioning module of the battery swapping device.

[0031] In some embodiments, the positioning module of the battery swapping device further includes a first light sensor, and the positioning module of the driverless self-driving vehicle further includes a second light sensor to monitor the position of the driverless self-driving vehicle when the power supply module of the battery swapping device directly supplies power to the driverless self-driving vehicle.

[0032] In some embodiments, the power supply module includes a bottom plate, a moving module, a base, and a buffer module. The moving module is fixed to the bottom plate for horizontally moving the bottom plate. The power plug is installed on the base, and the buffer module is disposed between the bottom plate and the base. When the battery swapping device performs the swapping of the rechargeable battery module of the driverless self-driving vehicle, the power plug is inserted into the power socket of the driverless self-driving vehicle to electrically connect to the power socket.

[0033] In some embodiments, the bottom plate includes a plurality of accommodating spaces, and the buffer module includes a plurality of supporting members and a plurality of elastic members. The supporting members are respectively inserted through the corresponding accommodating spaces and the corresponding elastic members and are connected to the base.

[0034] In some embodiments, the supporting members respectively include a tapered portion and a fixing portion. The tapered portion is coupled to the opening of the bottom plate, and the fixing portion is connected to the base.

[0035] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device further includes an unlocking module, and the unlocking module includes a slide rail, an actuator, a sliding member, and a double-acting cylinder. The sliding member is connected to the actuator to move on the slide rail, and the double-acting cylinder includes a double-acting telescopic rod, and the double-acting cylinder is installed on the sliding member. In addition, the rechargeable battery module of the driverless self-driving vehicle includes a buckle module, and the double-acting telescopic rod is inserted into the buckle module to unlock the rechargeable battery module of the driverless self-driving vehicle.

[0036] In some embodiments, the buckle module includes a fixed bump, a control link, and an elastic member. The control link is connected to the fixed bump for moving the fixed bump, and the elastic member is connected to the fixed bump to make the fixed bump protrude from the battery module to be charged. When the bidirectional telescopic rod is inserted into the buckle module and pushes the control link, the fixed bump retracts inward to unlock the battery module to be charged of the driverless self-driving vehicle.

[0037] Therefore, the battery swapping station of the driverless self-driving vehicle can quickly and conveniently swap the battery module of the driverless self-driving vehicle. When swapping the battery module, the driverless self-driving vehicle is continuously powered by the power supply of the battery swapping station of the driverless self-driving vehicle. Therefore, the driverless self-driving vehicle system and the battery swapping station of the driverless self-driving vehicle can not only quickly provide the swapping of the battery module of the driverless self-driving vehicle, but also safely and stably charge the battery module. It can also preferentially provide a suitable battery for the driverless self-driving vehicle according to the battery power, and there is no need to wait for the initial setting of the driverless self-driving vehicle, which greatly improves the working efficiency and quality of the production line and effectively reduces the production cost.

[0038] The above is only used to elaborate on the problems to be solved by the present invention, the technical means for solving the problems, and the effects produced thereby. The specific details of the present invention will be introduced in detail in the following embodiments and related drawings. Description of the Drawings

[0039] To make the above and other objects, features, advantages and embodiments of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the description of the accompanying drawings is as follows:

[0040] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a driverless self-driving vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the internal components of the battery swapping station of the driverless self-driving vehicle system of

[0042] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the driverless self-driving vehicle of the driverless self-driving vehicle system of

[0043] Figure 4 is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the positioning module of the battery swapping device of the battery swapping station of the driverless self-driving vehicle system and the driverless self-driving vehicle positioning module of

[0044] Figure 5 is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the floating power plug of the driverless self-driving vehicle system of

[0045] Figure 6 is Figure 5Partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the floating power plug of the driverless self-propelled vehicle system.

[0046] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the battery module of the driverless self-propelled vehicle.

[0047] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the unlocking module of the driverless self-propelled vehicle system.

[0048] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the roller module and the towing module of the driverless self-propelled vehicle system.

[0049] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the charging module of the battery swapping station for the driverless self-propelled vehicle.

[0050]

Description of main component symbols

[0051] 100: Driverless self-propelled vehicle system 200: Battery swapping station for driverless self-propelled vehicle

[0052] 210: Battery swapping device 220: Battery charging device

[0053] 230: Battery swapping device positioning module 231: Laser positioning plate

[0054] 232: Laser positioning groove 233: First metal sensor

[0055] 234: First optical sensor 235: Buffer pad

[0056] 236: Second metal sheet 237: Third metal sensor

[0057] 240: Power supply module 241: Buffer module

[0058] 242: Moving module 244: Bottom plate

[0059] 246: Base 248: Power plug

[0060] 250: Unlocking module 252: Actuator

[0061] 254: Slide rail 256: Sliding part

[0062] 258: Double-acting cylinder 259: Telescopic rod

[0063] 260: Roller module 260: Roller module

[0064] 270: Towing module 272: Telescopic bump

[0065] 280: Lifting module 282: Lifting platform

[0066] 284: Track 290: Charging module

[0067] 292: Charging plug 294: Fixed base

[0068] 295: Thruster 296: Clamping link

[0069] 300: Unmanned self - driving vehicle 330: Unmanned self - driving vehicle positioning module

[0070] 331: Laser ranging sensor 333: First metal sheet

[0071] 334: Second light sensor 335: Alignment bump

[0072] 336: Second metal sensor 337: Third metal sheet

[0073] 340: Power socket 602: Accommodating space

[0074] 604: Support member 605: Tapered portion

[0075] 606: Fixed portion 608: Opening

[0076] 610: Tapered contact surface 612: Elastic member

[0077] 700: Battery module 710: Buckle module

[0078] 712: Fixed bump 714: Control link

[0079] 716: Elastic member 720: End face

[0080] 730: First groove 740: Battery module charging socket

[0081] 750: Second groove 760: Battery body Detailed implementation manners

[0082] Multiple embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the sake of clear description, many practical details will be described together in the following narrative. However, it should be understood that these practical details are not used to limit the present invention. That is to say, in the embodiments of the present invention, these practical details are not necessary. In addition, for the purpose of simplifying the drawings, some conventional structures and elements will be shown in a simple schematic manner in the drawings.

[0083] First, refer to Figure 1 , as shown in the figure, the unmanned self - driving vehicle system 100 includes an unmanned self - driving vehicle 300 and an unmanned self - driving vehicle battery swapping station 200, and the unmanned self - driving vehicle battery swapping station 200 includes a battery swapping device 210 and a battery charging device 220.

[0084] At the same time, refer toFigures 1 to 3 , the driverless vehicle 300 includes a power socket 340, and the battery swapping device 210 includes a power supply module 240. The battery charging device 220 is connected to the battery swapping device 210 to charge a plurality of battery modules 700. When the energy of the battery module 700 in the driverless vehicle 300 is consumed to a predetermined ratio, for example, the state of charge is less than 5%, 10% or 30%, or at a predetermined cycle or when the remaining working time is less than a predetermined time, for example, less than 0.5 hour, 1 hour or 2 hours, the driverless vehicle 300 will automatically move to the driverless vehicle battery swapping station 200 to swap the battery module 700. The battery module 700 to be charged in the driverless vehicle 300 is moved to the battery charging device 220 by the battery swapping device 210, and the battery module 700 in the battery charging device 220 is swapped into the driverless vehicle 300 to provide electrical energy for the continuous operation of the driverless vehicle 300.

[0085] In some embodiments, when the battery swapping device 210 swaps the battery module 700 to be charged in the driverless vehicle 300, the power supply module 240 of the battery swapping device 210 will first be electrically connected to the power socket 340 of the driverless vehicle 300 to provide temporary power for the driverless vehicle 300 during battery swapping. Therefore, the driverless vehicle 300 can not only quickly swap the battery module 700 to obtain more electrical energy, but also can swap the battery module 700 immediately without shutting down the driverless vehicle 300 or having a built-in uninterruptible power supply system, and without shutting down or pausing the operating system of the driverless vehicle 300. Therefore, when the battery swapping device 210 completes the swapping of the battery module 700 in the driverless vehicle 300, the driverless vehicle 300 can immediately perform the next predetermined task without waiting for the system to restart or waiting for a long time to charge, effectively improving the working efficiency of the driverless vehicle 300 and also effectively improving the production efficiency of the production line and reducing the production cost.

[0086] In some embodiments, also refer to Figure 4 , the battery swapping device 210 includes a battery swapping device positioning module 230, and the driverless vehicle 300 includes a driverless vehicle positioning module 330 to perform positioning of the two when the driverless vehicle 300 travels to the battery swapping device 210.

[0087] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device positioning module 230 includes a laser positioning plate 231, a first metal sensor 233, a first optical sensor 234, a buffer pad 235, a second metal sheet 236, and a third metal sensor 237. Additionally, a laser positioning groove 232 may be formed on the laser positioning plate 231. The unmanned self-driving vehicle positioning module 330 includes a laser ranging sensor 331, a first metal sheet 333, a second optical sensor 334, an alignment bump 335, a second metal sensor 336, a third metal sheet 337, and a power socket 340.

[0088] When positioning the battery swapping device positioning module 230 of the battery swapping device 210 and the unmanned self-driving vehicle positioning module 330 of the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300, first, the laser ranging sensor 331 is used to align with the laser positioning plate 231 to determine the distance between the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300 and the laser positioning plate 231. Preferably, two sets of laser ranging sensors 331 and laser positioning plates 231 are respectively disposed on the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300 and the battery swapping device 210 to detect the distance between the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300 and the laser positioning plate 231 of the battery swapping device 210, so as to determine the parallelism between the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300 and the battery swapping device 210, and then adjust the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300 to align the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300 parallel to the laser positioning plate 231 of the battery swapping device positioning module 230.

[0089] When the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300 is parallelly aligned with the laser positioning plate 231 of the battery swapping device positioning module 230, that is, parallel to the battery swapping device 210, the laser ranging sensor 331 further detects the laser positioning groove 232 on the laser positioning plate 231 to enable the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300 to align left and right with the battery swapping device positioning module 230.

[0090] At this time, the buffer pad 235 of the battery swapping device positioning module 230 is approximately aligned with the alignment bump 335 of the unmanned self-driving vehicle positioning module 330, and then the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300 advances in the direction of the battery swapping device positioning module 230, and the buffer pad 235 is used to buffer the impact force generated when the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300 approaches the battery swapping device 210.

[0091] In some embodiments, at this time, the first metal sensor 233 is aligned with the first metal sheet 333, the second metal sensor 336 is aligned with the second metal sheet 236, and the third metal sensor 237 is aligned with the third metal sheet 337. The driverless vehicle 300 uses the second metal sensor 336 to detect the position and distance of the second metal sheet 236 to confirm whether the driverless vehicle 300 and the battery swapping device 210 are correctly positioned. The battery swapping device 210 uses the first metal sensor 233 to detect the first metal sheet 333 and the third metal sensor 237 to detect the third metal sheet 337 to confirm whether the driverless vehicle 300 has reached the correct position. After confirming that the driverless vehicle 300 has reached the correct position, the power supply module 240 of the battery swapping device 210 will extend forward and insert into the power socket 340 of the driverless vehicle 300 to electrically connect the two.

[0092] In addition, when swapping the battery module 700, the first optical sensor 234 of the battery swapping device positioning module 230 and the second optical sensor 334 of the driverless vehicle positioning module 330 interact with each other to continuously monitor whether the position of the driverless vehicle 300 is correct when the power supply module 240 of the battery swapping device 210 directly supplies power to the power socket 340 of the driverless vehicle 300. Among them, the first optical sensor 234 and the second optical sensor 334 include a light transmitter and a light receiver, or both are optical transceivers, and neither of them departs from the spirit and protection scope of the present invention.

[0093] If the first optical sensor 234 and / or the second optical sensor 334 detects an unexpected displacement of the driverless vehicle 300, the power supply module 240 will be separated from the power socket 340 to reduce risks and thereby improve the safety of the production line.

[0094] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the power supply module 240 includes a bottom plate 244, a moving module 242, a base 246, a power plug 248, and a buffer module 241. The moving module 242 is fixed to the bottom plate 244 to horizontally move the bottom plate 244, in other words, horizontally move the power supply module 240, so that the power plug 248 can be inserted into the power socket 340 of the driverless vehicle 300 or removed from the power socket 340 of the driverless vehicle 300. The power plug 248 is installed on the base 246, and the buffer module 241 is disposed between the bottom plate 244 and the base 246.

[0095] Therefore, when the battery swapping device 210 swaps the battery module 700 of the driverless self-driving vehicle 300, the power plug 248 can move horizontally and be inserted into the power socket 340 of the driverless self-driving vehicle 300 to electrically connect to the power socket 340. After the battery module 700 swapping is completed, the power plug 248 is separated from the power socket 340 of the driverless self-driving vehicle 300. In some embodiments, the power supply module 240 further includes a cover plate, which is usually used to shield the power plug 248 to increase the safety of the driverless self-driving vehicle battery swapping station 200.

[0096] In addition, in some embodiments, the bottom plate 244 includes a plurality of accommodating spaces 602, and the buffer module 241 includes a plurality of supporting members 604 and a plurality of elastic members 612. The supporting members 604 are respectively disposed through the corresponding accommodating spaces 602 and the corresponding elastic members 612, and are connected to the base 246. The supporting member 604 includes a tapered portion 605 and a fixing portion 606. The fixing portion 606 is connected to the base 246. The bottom plate 244 is formed with an opening 608, and the opening 608 is formed with a tapered contact surface 610. The tapered portion 605 of the supporting member 604 is coupled to the tapered contact surface 610 of the opening 608 of the bottom plate 244. When the base 246 is pressed, the supporting member 604 will penetrate into the accommodating space 602 and displace inward along the opening 608 toward the accommodating space 602, so that the base 246 can float to a limited extent through the elastic member 612 and the opening 608 to compensate for the position error of the power socket 340 of the driverless self-driving vehicle 300, effectively improving the success rate of inserting the power plug 248 into the power socket 340 of the driverless self-driving vehicle 300.

[0097] After the power plug 248 is electrically connected to the power socket 340 of the driverless self-driving vehicle 300, the driverless self-driving vehicle 300 can be powered by the driverless self-driving vehicle battery swapping station 200, and the battery module 700 can be removed without worrying about the loss of the settings of the driverless self-driving vehicle 300, nor the need to install an uninterruptible power supply system, so as to increase the weight of the driverless self-driving vehicle 300.

[0098] Refer to Figure 7 , the battery module 700 includes a battery body 760 and a buckle module 710. The battery body 760 is provided with a first groove 730 and a second groove 750. The first groove 730 and the second groove 750 can be respectively disposed on both sides or one side of the battery body 760, and neither of them departs from the spirit and protection scope of the present invention. In addition, the buckle module 710 is disposed on the other side relative to the end face 720 of the battery module 700, the first groove 730 is adjacent to the end face 720 of the battery module 700, and the second groove 750 is disposed adjacent to the buckle module 710 of the battery module 700, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0099] In some embodiments, to enhance the stability and safety of the battery module 700 when installed in the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300, the battery module 700 can be snapped into the corresponding grooves in the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300 by using the snap module 710. The snap module 710 includes a fixed protrusion 712, a control link 714, and an elastic member 716. The control link 714 is connected to the fixed protrusion 712 for moving the fixed protrusion 712, and the elastic member 716 is connected to the fixed protrusion 712 to make the fixed protrusion 712 protrude from the battery module 700. When the battery module 700 is installed in the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300, the fixed protrusion 712 protrudes from the battery module 700 to snap into the corresponding groove in the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300, so that the battery module 700 is stably installed in the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300.

[0100] Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 8 , when it is desired to remove the battery module 700 from the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300, the battery swapping device 210 can use the unlocking module 250 to unlock the battery module 700 of the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300.

[0101] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device 210 includes an unlocking module 250, and the unlocking module 250 includes a slide rail 254, an actuator 252, a sliding member 256, and a double-acting cylinder 258. The sliding member 256 is coupled to the slide rail 254 and is connected to the actuator 252. The actuator 252 pushes the sliding member 256 to make the sliding member 256 move on the slide rail 254. The double-acting cylinder 258 is mounted on the sliding member 256 to move synchronously with the sliding member 256. The double-acting cylinder 258 includes a double-acting telescopic rod 259 that can extend to both sides to unlock the snap module 710 on the battery module 700 of the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300. When the double-acting telescopic rod 259 is inserted into the snap module 710, the double-acting telescopic rod 259 will push the control link 714 to make the fixed protrusion 712 retract inward and separate from the corresponding groove in the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300, thereby unlocking the battery module 700 of the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300. At this time, the actuator 252 can further pull back the sliding member 256 and snap onto the snap module 710 through the double-acting telescopic rod 259 to pull the battery module 700 into the battery swapping device 210, thereby moving the battery module 700 from the unmanned self-driving vehicle 300 into the battery swapping device 210.

[0102] Also refer to Figure 2 and Figure 9, as shown in the figure, the battery swapping device 210 of the driverless vehicle battery swapping station 200 of the driverless vehicle system 100 further includes a roller module 260 and a towing module 270. The roller module 260 can further move the battery module 700 through a plurality of powered rollers, so as to move the battery module 700 in the direction of the battery charging device 220, and cooperate with the sensor to move the battery module 700 to the required position in the battery swapping device 210.

[0103] The towing module 270 can further move the battery module 700 to move the battery module 700 further into the battery charging device 220 for charging, or move it out of the battery charging device 220, which does not deviate from the spirit and scope of protection of the present invention.

[0104] In some embodiments, the towing module 270 includes a telescopic bump 272, which can protrude from the surface of the towing module 270 or retract into the interior of the towing module 270. When it protrudes outward, the telescopic bump 272 can push the end face 720 of the battery module 700 to push the battery module 700 into the battery charging device 220 for charging. When the battery module 700 is to be moved from the battery charging device 220 to the battery swapping device 210, the telescopic bump 272 can protrude and latch the first groove 730 of the battery module 700 to pull the battery module 700 out of the battery charging device 220 and move it into the battery swapping device 210, and then use the roller module 260 to move it in the direction of the driverless vehicle 300. Then, the unlocking module 250 unlocks the latching module 710 of the battery module 700 and moves it into the driverless vehicle 300. Then, the unlocking module 250 retracts the double-acting telescopic rod 259 to release the control link 714, and the elastic member 716 pushes the fixed bump 712 to protrude outward and latch into the corresponding groove of the driverless vehicle 300, so that the battery module 700 is stably fixed in the driverless vehicle 300.

[0105] Refer again to Figure 2 , the battery swapping device 210 further includes a lifting module 280, and the lifting module 280 includes a track 284 and a lifting platform 282. The track 284 is vertically arranged, and the lifting platform 282 is installed on the track 284 to vertically move the battery module 700 to the required height, and then use the towing module 270 to move the battery module 700 to connect the battery module 700 to the battery charging device 220 for charging.

[0106] Further refer to Figure 2 and Figure 10, as shown in the figure, the battery charging device 220 includes a plurality of charging modules 290, which are vertically arranged in the battery charging device 220. Each charging module 290 includes a charging plug 292, a fixing seat 294, a thruster 295 and a clamping link 296. Preferably, a plurality of fixing seats 294, thrusters 295 and clamping links 296 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the charging plug 292. The thruster 295 is fixed to the fixing seat 294, and the clamping link 296 is connected to the thruster 295. When the thruster 295 pushes the clamping link 296, the clamping link 296 rotates and clamps the second groove 750 of the corresponding battery module 700, so that the charging plug 292 is stably and electrically connected to the battery module charging socket 740 of the battery module 700 for charging. When the battery module 700 is to be removed, the thruster 295 pulls back the clamping link 296, so that the clamping link 296 rotates and releases the second groove 750 of the corresponding battery module 700. Then, the telescopic bump 272 of the towing module 270 is used to buckle the first groove 730 of the battery module 700, so as to pull out the battery module 700 from the battery charging device 220 and move it into the battery swapping device 210, so that the charging plug 292 is separated from the battery module charging socket 740 of the battery module 700.

[0107] In summary, through the above-described architectures of the various embodiments, the battery module of the driverless vehicle can be quickly and conveniently swapped through the driverless vehicle system. Moreover, when swapping the battery module, the driverless vehicle is continuously powered by the power supply of the driverless vehicle battery swapping station. Therefore, the driverless vehicle system and the driverless vehicle battery swapping station can not only quickly provide the swapping of the driverless vehicle battery module, but also safely and stably charge the battery module. It can also preferentially provide a suitable battery for the driverless vehicle according to the battery power, and there is no need to wait for the initial setting of the driverless vehicle, which greatly improves the working efficiency and quality of the production line and effectively reduces the production cost.

[0108] Finally, in the above-disclosed embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in this art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all can be protected by the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to what is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An unmanned self-driving vehicle battery swapping station, characterized in that, Comprising: A battery swapping device, comprising a power supply module, wherein the battery swapping device is used to swap the battery module to be charged of the driverless vehicle; and A battery charging device, connected to the battery swapping device, for charging a plurality of battery modules. When the battery swapping device swaps the battery module to be charged of the driverless vehicle, the power supply module of the battery swapping device provides power to directly supply power to the driverless vehicle.

2. The battery swapping station for the unmanned self-driving vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The battery swapping device further comprises: A battery swapping device positioning module, for positioning the driverless vehicle.

3. The unmanned self-driving vehicle battery swapping station according to claim 2, wherein The battery swapping device positioning module comprises: A laser positioning plate for the driverless vehicle to align parallel to the battery swapping device positioning module.

4. The unmanned self-driving vehicle battery swapping station according to claim 3, wherein The laser positioning plate comprises: A laser positioning groove for the driverless vehicle to further align left and right with the battery swapping device positioning module.

5. The battery swapping station for the unmanned self-driving vehicle according to claim 4, wherein The battery swapping device positioning module further comprises: A buffer pad to buffer the impact force when the driverless vehicle approaches the battery swapping device.

6. The battery swapping station for the unmanned self-driving vehicle according to claim 5, wherein, The battery swapping device positioning module further comprises: A metal sensor to sense the distance and position between the driverless vehicle and the battery swapping device positioning module.

7. The unmanned self-driving vehicle battery swapping station according to claim 6, wherein The battery swapping device positioning module further comprises: A first light sensor to monitor the position of the driverless vehicle when the power supply module of the battery swapping device directly supplies power to the driverless vehicle.

8. The battery swapping station for the unmanned self-driving vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The power supply module comprises: A bottom plate; A moving module, fixed to the bottom plate, for horizontally moving the bottom plate; A base; A power plug, installed on the base; And A buffer module, arranged between the bottom plate and the base.

9. The battery swapping station for the unmanned self-driving vehicle according to claim 8, wherein, The bottom plate comprises a plurality of accommodating spaces, and the buffer module comprises a plurality of support members and a plurality of elastic members. The plurality of support members are respectively inserted through the corresponding plurality of accommodating spaces and the corresponding plurality of elastic members and are connected to the base.

10. The unmanned self-driving vehicle battery swapping station according to claim 9, characterized in that, The plurality of support members respectively comprise: A tapered portion, coupled to the opening of the bottom plate; and A fixing portion, connected to the base.

11. The unmanned self-driving vehicle battery swapping station according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery swapping device further comprises: An unlocking module, comprising: A slide rail; An actuator; A sliding member, connected to the actuator, for moving on the slide rail; and A double-acting cylinder, installed on the sliding member, for unlocking the battery module to be charged of the driverless vehicle.

12. The unmanned self-driving vehicle battery swapping station according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery swapping device further comprises: A roller module, for moving the plurality of battery modules and the battery module to be charged of the driverless vehicle.

13. The unmanned self-driving vehicle battery swapping station according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery swapping device further comprises: A towing module, for further moving the plurality of battery modules and the battery module to be charged of the driverless vehicle.

14. The unmanned self-driving vehicle battery swapping station according to claim 1, wherein, The battery swapping device further comprises a lifting module. The lifting module comprises: A track; and A lifting platform, installed on the track, for vertically moving the plurality of battery modules and the battery module to be charged.

15. The unmanned self-driving vehicle battery swapping station according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery charging device comprises a plurality of charging modules, vertically arranged in the battery charging device. Each of the plurality of charging modules comprises: A charging plug; A fixing seat; A pusher, fixed to the fixing seat; And A clamping link, connected to the pusher. The pusher pushes the clamping link to clamp the corresponding battery module, so that the charging plug is electrically connected to the corresponding battery module.

16. An unmanned self-driving vehicle system, characterized in that, Comprising: A driverless vehicle, comprising a power socket; and An unmanned self-driving vehicle battery swapping station, which includes: A battery swapping device, including a power supply module, where the battery swapping device is used to swap the battery module to be charged of the unmanned self-driving vehicle; and A battery charging device, connected to the battery swapping device, used to charge multiple battery modules. When the battery swapping device swaps the battery module to be charged of the unmanned self-driving vehicle, the power supply module of the battery swapping device is electrically connected to the power socket of the unmanned self-driving vehicle.

17. The unmanned self-driving vehicle system according to claim 16, wherein, The battery swapping device further includes a battery swapping device positioning module, and the unmanned self-driving vehicle further includes an unmanned self-driving vehicle positioning module to position the unmanned self-driving vehicle.

18. The unmanned self-driving vehicle system according to claim 17, wherein The battery swapping device positioning module includes a laser positioning plate, and the unmanned self-driving vehicle positioning module includes a laser ranging sensor to detect the distance between the unmanned self-driving vehicle and the laser positioning plate, so as to make the unmanned self-driving vehicle parallel and aligned with the laser positioning plate of the battery swapping device positioning module.

19. The unmanned self-driving vehicle system according to claim 18, characterized in that, The laser positioning plate includes: Laser positioning grooves for the unmanned self-driving vehicle to further align left and right with the battery swapping device positioning module.

20. The unmanned self-driving vehicle system according to claim 19, wherein The battery swapping device positioning module further includes a buffer pad, and the unmanned self-driving vehicle positioning module further includes a positioning bump to align with the buffer pad and use the buffer pad to buffer the impact force when the unmanned self-driving vehicle approaches the battery swapping device.

21. The unmanned self-driving vehicle system according to claim 20, wherein, The battery swapping device positioning module further includes a metal sensor, and the unmanned self-driving vehicle positioning module further includes a metal sheet to sense the distance and position between the unmanned self-driving vehicle and the battery swapping device positioning module.

22. The unmanned self-driving vehicle system according to claim 21, wherein The battery swapping device positioning module further includes a first light sensor, and the unmanned self-driving vehicle positioning module further includes a second light sensor to monitor the position of the unmanned self-driving vehicle when the power supply module of the battery swapping device directly supplies power to the unmanned self-driving vehicle.

23. The unmanned self-driving vehicle system according to claim 16, wherein The power supply module includes: A bottom plate; A moving module, fixed to the bottom plate, used to horizontally move the bottom plate; A base; A power plug, installed on the base; And A buffer module, arranged between the bottom plate and the base. When the battery swapping device swaps the battery module to be charged of the unmanned self-driving vehicle, the power plug is inserted into the power socket of the unmanned self-driving vehicle to be electrically connected to the power socket.

24. The unmanned self-driving vehicle system according to claim 23, characterized in that, The bottom plate includes multiple accommodating spaces, and the buffer module includes multiple support members and multiple elastic members. The multiple support members are respectively inserted through the corresponding multiple accommodating spaces and the corresponding multiple elastic members and are connected to the base.

25. The unmanned self-driving vehicle system according to claim 24, characterized in that, The multiple support members respectively include: A conical portion, coupled to the opening of the bottom plate; and A fixing portion, connected to the base.

26. The unmanned self-driving vehicle system according to claim 16, wherein, The battery swapping device further includes: An unlocking module, including: A slide rail; An actuator; A sliding member, connected to the actuator to move on the slide rail; and A double-acting cylinder, including a double-acting telescopic rod, where the double-acting cylinder is installed on the sliding member; Wherein, the battery module to be charged of the unmanned self-driving vehicle includes a buckle module, and the double-acting telescopic rod is inserted into the buckle module to unlock the battery module to be charged of the unmanned self-driving vehicle.

27. The unmanned self-driving vehicle system according to claim 26, characterized in that, The buckle module includes: A fixed bump; A control link, connected to the fixed bump, used to move the fixed bump; and The elastic member is connected to the fixed bump so that the fixed bump protrudes from the battery module to be charged. When the bidirectional telescopic rod is inserted into the buckle module and pushes the control link, the fixed bump retracts inward to unlock the battery module to be charged of the unmanned self-driving vehicle.

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