Battery replacement method and system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of battery replacement, in particular to a battery replacement method and system. The method comprises the steps of obtaining state data of the battery replacement system; if the state data is the first state and the low-power battery box on the battery replacing vehicle arrives at the battery replacing area, the first trolley unit moves the low-power battery box on the battery replacing vehicle to the idle charging seat. Wherein the first state includes that the idle charging base is located in the first area, and the target battery box is located on the charging base in the second area. The target battery boxes comprise the battery boxes with the electric quantity larger than the first set electric quantity. And on the basis of the first trolley unit, the low-power battery box on the battery replacing vehicle is moved into the idle charging base, and the second trolley unit moves the target battery box to the battery replacing vehicle. Therefore, the problem that the battery replacement efficiency of the vehicle is low is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of battery swapping, and in particular, to a battery swapping method and system. Background Art

[0002] Currently, a battery swapping system usually includes components such as a vehicle positioning device, a battery unlocking mechanism, a battery transfer rail, a battery storage bin, and a transfer unit. Among them, the vehicle positioning device realizes the confirmation of the vehicle position through lidar and visual recognition technologies. The battery unlocking mechanism performs a rapid battery separation operation. The battery storage bin is used to store batteries. The transfer unit moves on the battery transfer rail and grabs the battery by using the movement of the transfer unit, so as to realize the horizontal and vertical transportation of the battery. At the same time, the transfer unit is used to realize the warehousing management of the battery position, and the battery swapping service ability is initially realized.

[0003] However, the current battery swapping technology has obvious deficiencies. During the battery swapping operation, since only one transfer unit is equipped in the battery swapping station, when replacing the battery of a vehicle, the transfer unit needs to sequentially move the battery on the vehicle into the battery storage bin and move the charged battery in the battery storage bin onto the vehicle. These two operations cannot be carried out simultaneously and must be completed sequentially, which results in a relatively long overall battery swapping process and thus cannot fully adapt to the rapid development rhythm of new energy vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve the problem of low vehicle battery swapping efficiency, the present invention provides a battery swapping method and system.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a battery swapping method, and the battery swapping method includes: Obtaining status data of the battery swapping system; wherein, the status data includes the power of the battery box in the charging seat; Based on that the status data is in a first state and the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle reaches the battery swapping area, a first trolley unit moves the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle to an idle charging seat; wherein, the first state includes that the idle charging seat is located in a first area, and the target battery box is located on the charging seat in a second area; the target battery box includes the battery box with a power greater than a first set power; the first area includes the area projected in the direction of the charging seat of the moving area of the first trolley unit on the first rail, and the second area includes the area projected in the direction of the charging seat of the moving area of the second trolley unit on the second rail; Based on the first trolley unit moving the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle into the idle charging seat, the second trolley unit moves the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle.

[0006] In some embodiments, obtaining the status data of the battery swapping system includes: Based on the completion of obtaining the status data of the battery swapping system for the first time, stop obtaining the status data; Based on the battery swapping vehicle entering the waiting area, obtain the position of the target battery box in the charging seat in the battery swapping system again and update the previous status data.

[0007] In some embodiments, the battery swapping method further includes: Based on the target battery box moving onto the battery swapping vehicle, the second guiding unit drives the second trolley unit to move into the space surrounded by the housing assembly.

[0008] In some embodiments, the battery swapping method further includes: Based on the second guiding unit moving to a position where one end is connected to the first guide rail and the other end is connected to the second guide rail, the first trolley unit or the second trolley unit moves to grasp the target battery box.

[0009] In some embodiments, based on the status data being in the first state and the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle reaching the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit moving the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle to the idle charging seat includes: Based on the status data being in the first state and the battery swapping vehicle reaching the waiting area, the first trolley unit moves from the first guide rail to above the battery swapping area; Based on the first trolley unit moving from the first guide rail to above the battery swapping area and the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle reaching the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit moves the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle into the idle charging seat.

[0010] In some embodiments, based on the first trolley unit moving the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle into the idle charging seat, the second trolley unit moving the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle includes: Based on the first trolley unit moving the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle into the idle charging seat, the second trolley unit grasps the target battery box; Based on the second trolley unit grasping the target battery box, the second trolley unit moves the target battery box to a position where the bottom end of the target battery box is higher than the top end of the battery boxes in other charging seats; Based on the second trolley unit moving the target battery box to a position where the bottom end of the target battery box is higher than the top end of the battery boxes in other charging seats, the second trolley unit moves onto the second guiding unit; Based on the second trolley unit moving onto the second guiding unit, the second guiding unit drives the second trolley unit to move above the battery swapping area on the third guiding rail; Based on the second guiding unit driving the second trolley unit to move above the battery swapping area on the third guiding rail, the second trolley unit moves the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle.

[0011] In some embodiments, based on the status data being in the first state and the underpowered battery box on the battery swapping vehicle reaching the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit moving the underpowered battery box on the battery swapping vehicle onto the idle charging seat further includes: Based on the first trolley unit moving from the first guiding rail to above the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit moves the underpowered battery box on the battery swapping vehicle into the idle charging seat and the second trolley unit moves the target battery box to one end of the second guiding rail close to the third guiding rail.

[0012] In some embodiments, the battery swapping method further includes: Based on the second trolley unit moving the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle, the status data is acquired; wherein, the status data further includes the number of battery swapping vehicles in the waiting area; Based on the status data being in the second state, the underpowered battery box is moved into the idle charging seat; wherein, the second state includes that the number of battery swapping vehicles in the waiting area is 0, the target battery box is in the charging seat in the second area, the idle battery box is in the second area, and the underpowered battery box is in the charging seat in the first area; Based on moving the underpowered battery box into the idle charging seat, a target battery box is moved into the idle charging seat.

[0013] In some embodiments, the battery swapping method further includes: Based on the second trolley unit moving the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle, the status data is acquired; wherein, the status data further includes the number of battery swapping vehicles in the waiting area; Based on the status data being in the third state, a driving signal is sent to the battery swapping vehicles in the waiting area; wherein, the third state includes that the target battery box and the idle charging seat are respectively in the second area, the target battery box is on the side of the idle charging seat close to the first guiding rail, and the number of battery swapping vehicles in the waiting area is greater than 0; Based on the less - charged battery box on another battery - swapping vehicle in the waiting area moving to the battery - swapping area, the second trolley unit moves the less - charged battery box on another battery - swapping vehicle towards the idle charging seat; Based on the second trolley unit moving to the second guide rail, the first trolley unit and the second trolley unit move simultaneously along the direction from the first guide rail to the second guide rail; Based on the second trolley unit moving above the idle charging seat, the second trolley unit moves the battery box into the idle charging seat; Based on the first trolley unit moving above the target battery box, the first trolley unit moves the target battery box onto another battery - swapping vehicle.

[0014] In some embodiments, the battery - swapping method further includes: Based on the second trolley unit moving the target battery box onto the battery - swapping vehicle, obtaining the status data; wherein, the status data further includes the number of battery - swapping vehicles in the waiting area; Based on the status data being the fourth state, sending a driving signal to the battery - swapping vehicles in the waiting area; wherein, the fourth state includes that the target battery box and the idle charging seat are respectively located in the second area, the target battery box is located on the side of the idle charging seat away from the first guide rail, and the number of battery - swapping vehicles in the waiting area is greater than 0; Based on the less - charged battery box on another battery - swapping vehicle in the waiting area moving to the battery - swapping area, the second trolley unit moves the less - charged battery box on another battery - swapping vehicle into the idle charging seat; Based on the second trolley unit moving the less - charged battery box on another battery - swapping vehicle into the idle charging seat, the second trolley unit moves the target battery box onto the battery - swapping vehicle.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a battery - swapping system, and the battery - swapping system is applied to any one of the battery - swapping methods in the first aspect. The battery - swapping system includes: A housing assembly; A charging assembly, the charging assembly includes a plurality of charging seats; the charging seats are connected to the housing assembly; the plurality of charging seats are sequentially arranged in the space surrounded by the housing assembly along the length direction of the housing assembly; Handling assembly, the handling assembly includes a first guiding unit, a second guiding unit, a first trolley unit, a second trolley unit, and a control unit; the first guiding unit includes a first guide rail, a second guide rail, and a third guide rail; the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail are arranged in sequence along the length direction of the housing assembly; the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail are respectively connected to one side of the housing assembly away from the charging seat; the length directions of the first guide rail and the second guide rail are parallel to the length direction of the housing assembly; the length direction of the third guide rail is parallel to the width direction of the housing assembly; the second guiding unit is slidably connected to the third guide rail; the control unit is connected to the housing assembly; the control unit is electrically connected to the second guiding unit, the first trolley unit, and the second trolley unit respectively; The second guiding unit includes a first operating state and a second operating state; the first operating state includes that the second guiding unit moves along the length direction of the third guide rail to one end connected to the first guide rail and the other end connected to the second guide rail, and the first trolley unit and the second trolley unit respectively move back and forth on the first guide rail and the second guide rail through the second guiding unit; the second operating state includes that the first trolley unit or the second trolley unit moves onto the second guiding unit, and the second guiding unit drives the first trolley unit or the second trolley unit to move on the third guide rail, and the first trolley unit and the second trolley unit cannot move from the first guide rail to the second guide rail; Battery box, the battery box is electrically connected to the charging seat; A + 1 = B; where A is the ratio of the number of battery boxes in the charging seat to the number of the charging seats, and B is the number of the charging seats; Battery swapping vehicle, the battery swapping vehicle is detachably connected and electrically connected to the battery box; the handling assembly is used to move the battery box on the battery swapping vehicle.

[0016] To solve the problem of relatively low vehicle battery swapping efficiency, the present invention has the following advantages: First, obtain the status data of the battery swapping system. Based on the status data being in the first state and the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle reaching the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit moves the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle to an idle charging seat. The second trolley unit moves the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle. By moving the first trolley unit within the first area, the second trolley unit within the second area, and the second guiding unit driving the first trolley unit or the second trolley unit to move on the third guide rail, the moving ranges of the first trolley unit and the second trolley unit are defined. Combining with the judgment that the power of the battery box is greater than the first set power, the target battery box is screened out, realizing the precise positioning and efficient transportation of the target battery box to be replaced. The solution of the first trolley unit and the second trolley unit operating simultaneously on the first guiding unit and the second guiding unit can effectively shorten the process time of moving the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle and moving the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle into the battery compartment, thereby improving the battery swapping efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of a battery swapping method according to an embodiment; Figure 2 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of a battery swapping system according to an embodiment; Figure 3 FIG. shows a front view of a battery swapping system according to an embodiment; Figure 4 FIG. shows a top view of a battery swapping system according to an embodiment; Figure 5 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of a battery box according to an embodiment; Figure 6 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of a first trolley unit according to an embodiment; Figure 7 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of a second trolley unit according to an embodiment.

[0018] REFERENCE SIGNS: housing assembly 10; charging housing 11; handling housing 12; charging assembly 20; charging seat 21; handling assembly 30; first guiding unit 31; first guide rail 311; second guide rail 312; third guide rail 313; second guiding unit 32; fourth guide rail 321; first driving part 322; locking part 323; first trolley unit 33; first trolley body 331; second driving part 332; third driving part 333; first lifting tool 334; second trolley unit 34; second trolley body 341; fourth driving part 342; fifth driving part 343; second lifting tool 344; battery swapping vehicle 40; vehicle body 41; discharging seat 42; battery box 50. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described only to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to better understand and thus implement the present disclosure, rather than to imply any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure.

[0020] As used herein, the term "comprising" and its variants are to be construed as open-ended terms meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" is to be construed as "at least partially based on". The terms "one embodiment" and "an embodiment" are to be construed as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" is to be construed as "at least one other embodiment". The orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "vertical", "horizontal", "lateral", "longitudinal", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings. These terms are mainly used to better describe the present application and its embodiments, and are not used to limit that the indicated devices, elements or components must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Also, some of the above terms may be used to represent other meanings in addition to indicating orientation or positional relationships. For example, the term "upper" may also be used to represent a certain attachment relationship or connection relationship in some cases. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of these terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "mounted", "arranged", "provided with", "connected", "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or there may be internal communication between two devices, elements or components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are mainly used to distinguish different devices, elements or components (the specific types and structures may be the same or different), and are not used to indicate or imply the relative importance and quantity of the indicated devices, elements or components. Unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.

[0021] In this embodiment, the current battery swapping technology has obvious deficiencies. During the battery swapping operation, since only one handling component 30 is equipped in the battery swapping station, when replacing the battery of a vehicle, the handling component 30 needs to sequentially move the battery on the vehicle into the battery storage bin, and move the charged battery in the battery storage bin onto the vehicle. These two operations cannot be carried out simultaneously and must be completed sequentially in order, which results in a relatively long overall battery swapping process and thus cannot fully adapt to the rapid development rhythm of new energy vehicles. As Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 ,Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown in Figure 7 , the battery swapping system may include a housing assembly 10, a charging assembly 20, a handling assembly 30, a battery box 50, and a battery swapping vehicle 40. The housing assembly 10 can protect the charging assembly 20, the handling assembly 30, and the battery box 50 from being damaged by the external environment. At the same time, the housing assembly 10 can serve as a base to provide support for the charging assembly 20 and the handling assembly 30. The charging assembly 20 may include a plurality of charging seats 21. The charging seats 21 can be connected to the housing assembly 10, and the plurality of charging seats 21 can be sequentially arranged along the length direction of the housing assembly 10 within the space surrounded by the housing assembly 10, which is beneficial to the overall layout of the battery swapping system and provides a stable charging environment for the battery box 50.

[0022] The handling assembly 30 may include a first guiding unit 31, a second guiding unit 32, a first trolley unit 33, a second trolley unit 34, and a control unit. The first guiding unit 31 may include a first guide rail 311, a second guide rail 312, and a third guide rail 313. The first guide rail 311, the third guide rail 313, and the second guide rail 312 are sequentially arranged along the length direction of the housing assembly 10, that is, Figure 4 in the left-to-right direction shown in Figure 4 , the first guide rail 311, the third guide rail 313, and the second guide rail 312 are respectively connected to the side of the housing assembly 10 away from the charging seats 21, that is, Figure 3 above shown in Figure 3 , so as to better provide a moving path for the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 to move the battery box 50 and realize the replacement of the battery box 50. The length directions of the first guide rail 311 and the second guide rail 312 are parallel to the length direction of the housing assembly 10, and the length direction of the third guide rail 313 is parallel to the width direction of the housing assembly 10. The second guiding unit 32 is slidably connected to the third guide rail 313, the control unit is connected to the housing assembly 10, and the control unit is electrically connected to the second guiding unit 32, the first trolley unit 33, and the second trolley unit 34 respectively. The control unit can obtain the state data of the battery swapping system and control the movement of the second guiding unit 32, the first trolley unit 33, and the second trolley unit 34.

[0023] The second guiding unit 32 may include a first operating state and a second operating state. The first operating state may include that the second guiding unit 32 moves along the length direction of the third guide rail 313 to one end connected to the first guide rail 311 and the other end connected to the second guide rail 312, and the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 respectively move back and forth on the first guide rail 311 and the second guide rail 312 through the second guiding unit 32. The second operating state may include that the first trolley unit 33 or the second trolley unit 34 moves onto the second guiding unit 32, and the second guiding unit 32 drives the first trolley unit 33 or the second trolley unit 34 to move on the third guide rail 313, and the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 cannot move from the first guide rail 311 to the second guide rail 312. Thus, the movement of the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 is realized through the first operating state and the second operating state, and the battery box 50 on the battery swapping vehicle 40 is replaced. The battery box 50 is electrically connected to the charging seat 21, A + 1 = B, where A is the ratio of the number of battery boxes 50 in the charging seat 21 to the number of charging seats 21, and B is the number of charging seats 21. Ensure that there is always an idle charging seat 21 for turnover to improve the continuous operation ability of the battery swapping system. The battery swapping vehicle 40 is detachably and electrically connected to the battery box 50, and the handling assembly 30 is used to move the battery box 50 on the battery swapping vehicle 40.

[0024] A battery swapping method may include steps S10 to S30, and the following may elaborate on steps S10 to S30 in detail.

[0025] Step S10, obtaining the status data of the battery swapping system. Among them, the status data may include the power of the battery box 50 in the charging seat 21. By monitoring the power of the battery box 50 in real time, the availability of the battery box 50 can be accurately judged, and combined with the determination of the conditions for the battery swapping vehicle 40 to reach the battery swapping area, a timely response to the battery box 50 replacement requirement can be achieved. The battery swapping area is the area projected by the third guide rail 313 in the direction close to the charging seat 21 outside the space surrounded by the frame assembly, that is, as Figure 4 shown, the projected area of the discharging seat 42 towards its bottom direction.

[0026] Step S20, based on the state data being in the first state and the undercharged battery box 50 on the battery swapping vehicle 40 reaching the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit 33 moves the undercharged battery box 50 on the battery swapping vehicle 40 onto the idle charging seat 21, thus reserving space on the discharging seat 42 of the battery swapping vehicle 40 to prepare for placing the target battery box 50 onto the discharging seat 42. Herein, the first state may include that the idle charging seat 21 is located within the first area and the target battery box 50 is located on the charging seat 21 within the second area. The target battery box 50 includes a battery box 50 with a power greater than the first set power, and the first set power may be 90% of the fully charged state of the battery box 50. The first area may include the area projected in the direction of the charging seat 21 of the moving area of the first trolley unit 33 on the first guide rail 311, and the second area may include the area projected in the direction of the charging seat 21 of the moving area of the second trolley unit 34 on the second guide rail 312.

[0027] Step S30, based on the first trolley unit 33 moving the undercharged battery box 50 on the battery swapping vehicle 40 into the idle charging seat 21, the second trolley unit 34 moves the target battery box 50 onto the battery swapping vehicle 40, so that the target battery box 50 can provide a higher cruising range for the battery swapping vehicle 40. By moving the first trolley unit 33 within the first area, the second trolley unit 34 within the second area, and the second guiding unit 32 driving the first trolley unit 33 or the second trolley unit 34 to move on the third guide rail 313 to define the moving ranges of the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34, and combining with the judgment that the power of the battery box 50 is greater than the first set power to screen out the target battery box 50, the precise positioning and efficient transfer of the target battery box 50 to be replaced are achieved. The solution of the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 operating simultaneously on the first guiding unit 31 and the second guiding unit 32 can effectively shorten the process time of moving the target battery box 50 onto the battery swapping vehicle 40 and moving the undercharged battery box 50 on the battery swapping vehicle 40 into the battery compartment, thereby improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0028] In this embodiment, step S10 may include steps S11 to S12, and the following may elaborate on steps S11 to S12: Step S11, based on the completion of the first acquisition of the state data of the battery swapping system, stop acquiring the state data. By means of the intermittent state data acquisition method, the energy consumption of the control unit can be effectively reduced while ensuring the integrity of the state data collection.

[0029] Step S12: Based on the battery swapping vehicle 40 entering the waiting area, which is the area for parking the battery swapping vehicle 40 before entering the battery swapping area, obtain the position of the target battery box 50 in the charging seat 21 in the battery swapping system again and update the previous status data. Continuously obtaining the status data in this way can keep the power status of each battery box 50 updated in real time, ensure that the power of the battery box 50 replaced by the battery swapping vehicle 40 is greater than the first set power, and thus ensure that the battery box 50 can provide a higher cruising range for the battery swapping vehicle 40 after the battery swapping vehicle 40 has completed the battery swap.

[0030] In this embodiment, the battery swapping method may further include step S40, where step S40 is executed after step S30 is completed. The following can elaborate on step S40 in detail: Step S40: Based on the target battery box 50 moving onto the battery swapping vehicle 40, the second guiding unit 32 drives the second trolley unit 34 to move into the space surrounded by the housing assembly 10. The housing assembly 10 can form an enclosed space, so that after the battery swapping operation is completed, when the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 move into the space surrounded by the housing assembly 10, they can avoid being collided by foreign objects from the outside.

[0031] In this embodiment, the battery swapping method may further include step S50, where step S50 is executed after step S40 is completed. The following can elaborate on step S50 in detail: Step S50: Based on the second guiding unit 32 moving to a position where one end is connected to the first guide rail 311 and the other end is connected to the second guide rail 312, move the first trolley unit 33 or the second trolley unit 34 to grab the target battery box 50 in advance. In this way, when a battery swapping vehicle 40 enters the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit 33 or the second trolley unit 34 can directly grab the target battery box 50, thereby reducing the time for positioning, lowering, and grabbing the target battery box 50 and improving the battery swapping efficiency. At the same time, the first trolley unit 33 or the second trolley unit 34 is located in the enclosed space of the housing assembly 10, which can protect the first trolley unit 33 or the second trolley unit 34 and prevent the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 from being exposed to the outside and being damaged by external environmental factors.

[0032] In this embodiment, step S20 may include steps S21 to S22. The following can elaborate on steps S21 to S22 in detail: Step S21, based on the state data being the first state and the battery swapping vehicle 40 arriving at the waiting area, the first trolley unit 33 is advanced from the first guide rail 311 to above the battery swapping area in advance. This avoids the situation where the battery swapping vehicle 40 has to wait for the first trolley unit 33 to move from the first guide rail 311 to above the battery swapping area after arriving at the battery swapping area, thereby reducing the waiting time of the battery swapping vehicle 40 after arriving at the battery swapping area and improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0033] Step S22, based on the first trolley unit 33 moving from the first guide rail 311 to above the battery swapping area and the low-power battery box 50 on the battery swapping vehicle 40 arriving at the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit 33 moves the low-power battery box 50 on the battery swapping vehicle 40 into the idle charging seat 21, leaving an idle space at the discharging seat 42 on the battery swapping vehicle 40 to prepare for the installation of the target battery box 50 in the subsequent steps.

[0034] In this embodiment, step S30 may include steps S31 to S34, which will be described in detail below: Step S31, based on the first trolley unit 33 moving the low-power battery box 50 on the battery swapping vehicle 40 into the idle charging seat 21, the second trolley unit 34 grabs the target battery box 50. By operating the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 simultaneously, the waiting time of the battery swapping vehicle 40 can be reduced, thereby improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0035] Step S32, based on the second trolley unit 34 grabbing the target battery box 50, the second trolley unit 34 moves the target battery box 50 to a position where the bottom end of the target battery box 50 is higher than the top end of the battery boxes 50 in other charging seats 21, avoiding collision with the battery boxes 50 in other charging seats 21 and causing damage to the battery boxes 50.

[0036] Step S32, based on the second trolley unit 34 moving the target battery box 50 to a position where the bottom end of the target battery box 50 is higher than the top end of the battery boxes 50 in other charging seats 21, the second trolley unit 34 moves onto the second guiding unit 32.

[0037] Step S33, based on the second trolley unit 34 moving onto the second guiding unit 32, the second guiding unit 32 drives the second trolley unit 34 to move on the third guide rail 313 to above the battery swapping area, so that the projection of the target battery box 50 onto the discharging seat 42 is located within the projection area of the discharging seat 42.

[0038] Step S34: Based on the second guiding unit 32, drive the second trolley unit 34 to move above the battery swapping area on the third guide rail 313. The second trolley unit 34 moves the target battery box 50 onto the battery swapping vehicle 40, thus completing the battery swapping operation for the battery swapping vehicle 40. The battery box 50 with a power greater than the first set power can also provide a higher cruising range for the battery swapping vehicle 40.

[0039] In this embodiment, step S20 may further include step S23. Among them, the steps are executed in the order of step S10, step S21, step S23, and step S30 in sequence. The following will elaborate on step S23: Step S23: Based on the first trolley unit 33, move from the first guide rail 311 to above the battery swapping area. The first trolley unit 33 moves the underpowered battery box 50 on the battery swapping vehicle 40 into the idle charging seat 21, and the second trolley unit 34 moves the target battery box 50 to one end of the second guide rail 312 close to the third guide rail 313. When the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 operate simultaneously, since the second guiding unit 32 is occupied by the first trolley unit 33, the second trolley unit 34 moves to one end of the second guide rail 312 close to the second guiding unit 32. When the first trolley unit 33 moves to be spaced from the second guiding unit 32, the second trolley unit 34 can quickly move onto the second guiding unit 32, avoiding the situation where the second trolley unit 34 still needs to move in the direction of the second guiding unit 32 from the second track on the second track and then move the target battery box 50 to the discharging seat 42. By pre-moving the target battery box 50 by the second trolley unit 34 to one end of the second guide rail 312 close to the third guide rail 313 in advance, the waiting time of the battery swapping vehicle 40 can be reduced, thereby improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0040] In this embodiment, the battery swapping method may further include step S60. Among them, step S60 is executed after step S30 is completed. Step S60 includes steps S61 to S63. The following will elaborate on steps S61 to S63: Step S61: Based on the second trolley unit 34 moving the target battery box 50 onto the battery swapping vehicle 40, obtain status data. Among them, the status data may further include the number of battery swapping vehicles 40 in the waiting area.

[0041] Step S62: Based on the state data being the second state, move the undercharged battery box 50 into the idle charging seat 21. The second state may include that the number of battery swapping vehicles 40 in the waiting area is 0, the target battery box 50 is in the charging seat 21 in the second area, the idle battery box 50 is in the second area, and the undercharged battery box 50 is in the charging seat 21 in the first area. By judging from the state data that there is no battery swapping vehicle 40 in the waiting area, the target battery box 50 is moved into the charging seat 21 in the second area, and the battery box 50 with a power less than the first set value is moved into the charging seat 21 in the first area, so as to adjust the positions of the battery boxes 50 with different power levels in the charging seat 21. Then, when a battery swapping vehicle 40 enters the battery swapping area, the battery box 50 in the second area is directly moved to be connected to the discharging seat 42 on the battery swapping vehicle 40, thereby improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0042] Step S63: Based on moving the undercharged battery box 50 into the idle charging seat 21, move a target battery box 50 into the idle charging seat 21.

[0043] In this embodiment, the battery swapping method further includes step S70, where step S70 is executed after step S30 is completed. Step S70 may include steps S71 to S76, and the following can elaborate on steps S71 to S76 in detail: Step S71: Based on the second trolley unit 34 moving the target battery box 50 onto the battery swapping vehicle 40, obtain the state data, which provides reference data for subsequent battery swapping steps, prepares for battery swapping in advance, and improves the battery swapping efficiency. The state data may also include the number of battery swapping vehicles 40 in the waiting area.

[0044] Step S72: Based on the state data being the third state, send a driving signal to the battery swapping vehicle 40 in the waiting area, so that the battery swapping vehicle 40 in the waiting area enters the battery swapping area. The third state may include that the target battery box 50 and the idle charging seat 21 are respectively in the second area, the target battery box 50 is on the side of the idle charging seat 21 close to the first guide rail 311, and the number of battery swapping vehicles 40 in the waiting area is greater than 0.

[0045] Step S73: Based on moving the undercharged battery box 50 on another battery swapping vehicle 40 in the waiting area into the battery swapping area, the second trolley unit 34 moves the undercharged battery box 50 on another battery swapping vehicle 40 towards the idle charging seat 21, reserving space for the discharging seat 42 on the battery swapping vehicle 40.

[0046] Step S74: Based on the second trolley unit 34 moving onto the second guide rail 312, the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 move simultaneously along the direction from the first guide rail 311 to the second guide rail 312. Such simultaneous operation can improve the battery swapping efficiency.

[0047] Step S75: Based on the second trolley unit 34 moving above the idle charging stand 21, the second trolley unit 34 moves the battery box 50 into the idle charging stand 21. Moving the undercharged battery box 50 into the idle charging stand 21 can charge the undercharged battery box 50, thus preparing for the replenishment of subsequent battery swapping vehicles 40.

[0048] Step S76: Based on the first trolley unit 33 moving above the target battery box 50, the first trolley unit 33 moves the target battery box 50 onto another battery swapping vehicle 40, thereby completing the battery swapping operation for the battery swapping vehicle 40 and providing sufficient driving range for the battery swapping vehicle 40.

[0049] In this embodiment, the battery swapping method further includes step S80. After step S30 is executed, step S80 is executed. Step S80 includes steps S81 to S84, which are described in detail below: Step S81: Based on the second trolley unit 34 moving the target battery box 50 onto the battery swapping vehicle 40, status data is obtained. The status data may further include the number of battery swapping vehicles 40 in the waiting area. Step S82: When the status data is in the fourth state, a driving signal is sent to the battery swapping vehicles 40 in the waiting area, causing the battery swapping vehicles 40 in the waiting area to enter the battery swapping area. The fourth state may include that the target battery box 50 and the idle charging stand 21 are respectively located in the second area, the target battery box 50 is located on the side of the idle charging stand 21 away from the first guide rail 311, and the number of battery swapping vehicles 40 in the waiting area is greater than 0.

[0050] Step S83: Based on the undercharged battery box 50 on another battery swapping vehicle 40 in the waiting area moving into the battery swapping area, the second trolley unit 34 moves the undercharged battery box 50 on another battery swapping vehicle 40 into the idle charging stand 21. Moving the undercharged battery box 50 into the idle charging stand 21 can charge the undercharged battery box 50, thus preparing for the replenishment of subsequent battery swapping vehicles 40.

[0051] Step S84: Based on the second trolley unit 34 moving the undercharged battery box 50 on another battery swapping vehicle 40 into the idle charging stand 21, the second trolley unit 34 moves the target battery box 50 onto the battery swapping vehicle 40, thereby completing the battery swapping operation for the battery swapping vehicle 40 and providing sufficient driving range for the battery swapping vehicle 40.

[0052] In this embodiment, the present invention provides a battery swapping system, which can be applied to any of the battery swapping methods in the above embodiments, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, the battery swapping system may include a housing assembly 10, a charging assembly 20, a handling assembly 30, a battery box 50, and a battery swapping vehicle 40. The housing assembly 10 can protect the charging assembly 20, the handling assembly 30, and the battery box 50 from being damaged by the external environment. At the same time, the housing assembly 10 can serve as a base to provide support for the charging assembly 20 and the handling assembly 30.

[0053] The charging assembly 20 may include a plurality of charging seats 21. The charging seats 21 can be connected to the housing assembly 10, and the plurality of charging seats 21 can be sequentially arranged along the length direction of the housing assembly 10 within the space surrounded by the housing assembly 10, which is beneficial to the overall layout of the battery swapping system and provides a stable charging environment for the battery box 50.

[0054] The handling assembly 30 may include a first guiding unit 31, a second guiding unit 32, a first trolley unit 33, a second trolley unit 34, and a control unit. The first guiding unit 31 may include a first guide rail 311, a second guide rail 312, and a third guide rail 313. The first guide rail 311, the third guide rail 313, and the second guide rail 312 are sequentially arranged along the length direction of the housing assembly 10, that is Figure 4 shown in the left-to-right direction, the first guide rail 311, the third guide rail 313, and the second guide rail 312 are respectively connected to the side of the housing assembly 10 away from the charging seat 21, that is Figure 3 shown above, so as to better provide a moving path for the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 to move the battery box 50 and realize the replacement of the battery box 50. The length directions of the first guide rail 311 and the second guide rail 312 are parallel to the length direction of the housing assembly 10, and the length direction of the third guide rail 313 is parallel to the width direction of the housing assembly 10. The second guiding unit 32 is slidably connected to the third guide rail 313, the control unit is connected to the housing assembly 10, and the control unit is electrically connected to the second guiding unit 32, the first trolley unit 33, and the second trolley unit 34 respectively. The control unit can obtain the status data of the battery swapping system and control the movement of the second guiding unit 32, the first trolley unit 33, and the second trolley unit 34.

[0055] The second guiding unit 32 may include a first operating state and a second operating state. The first operating state may include that the second guiding unit 32 moves along the length direction of the third guide rail 313 to one end connected to the first guide rail 311 and the other end connected to the second guide rail 312, and the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 respectively move back and forth on the first guide rail 311 and the second guide rail 312 through the second guiding unit 32. The second operating state may include that the first trolley unit 33 or the second trolley unit 34 moves onto the second guiding unit 32, and the second guiding unit 32 drives the first trolley unit 33 or the second trolley unit 34 to move on the third guide rail 313, and the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 cannot move from the first guide rail 311 to the second guide rail 312. Thus, through the first operating state and the second operating state, the movement of the first trolley unit 33 and the second trolley unit 34 is realized to replace the battery box 50 on the battery swapping vehicle 40. The battery box 50 is electrically connected to the charging seat 21, A + 1 = B, where A is the ratio of the number of battery boxes 50 in the charging seat 21 to the number of charging seats 21, and B is the number of charging seats 21. Ensure that there is always an idle charging seat 21 for turnover to improve the continuous operation ability of the battery swapping system. The battery swapping vehicle 40 is detachably and electrically connected to the battery box 50, and the handling assembly 30 is used to move the battery box 50 on the battery swapping vehicle 40.

[0056] In some other embodiments, the housing assembly 10 may include a charging housing 11 and a handling housing 12. The charging housing 11 is connected to the handling housing 12. The handling assembly 30 is located in the enclosed space of the handling housing 12, and the charging assembly 20 may be located in the enclosed space of the charging housing 11. The second guiding unit 32 may include a fourth guide rail 321, a first driving part 322, and a locking part 323. The fourth guide rail 321 may be slidably connected to the third guide rail 313. The locking part 323 may be connected to the fourth guide rail 321, and the first driving part 322 may drive the fourth guide rail 321 to move along the length direction of the third guide rail 313. The locking part 323 may lock the battery box 50 to prevent the battery box 50 from falling and causing damage to the battery box 50. The charging assembly 20 further includes a charger. The charger may charge the battery box 50 through the charging seat 21. The first trolley unit 33 may include a first trolley body 331, a second driving part 332, a third driving part 333, and a first lifting tool 334. The first trolley body 331 may be movably connected to the first guiding unit 31. The second driving part 332 may drive the first trolley body 331 to move along the length direction of the housing assembly 10. The first lifting tool 334 may be connected to the first trolley body 331, and the third driving part 333 may drive the first lifting tool 334 to move along the height direction of the battery box 50, that is, as Figure 3The vertical direction shown. The second trolley unit 34 may include a second trolley body 341, a fourth driving part 342, a fifth driving part 343, and a second spreader 344. The second trolley body 341 may be movably connected to the first guiding unit 31, and the fourth driving part 342 may drive the second trolley body 341 to move along the length direction of the housing assembly 10. The second spreader 344 may be connected to the second trolley body 341, and the fifth driving part 343 may drive the second spreader 344 to move along the height direction of the battery box 50, that is, the vertical direction as shown in Figure 3 shown. The battery swapping vehicle 40 may include a vehicle body 41 and a discharging seat 42. The vehicle body 41 may be connected to the discharging seat 42, and the discharging seat 42 may be electrically connected to the battery box 50. The battery box 50 may supply energy to the battery swapping vehicle 40 through the discharging seat 42, so that the vehicle body 41 can normally travel on the road surface.

[0057] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that the above embodiments are specific cases for implementing the present disclosure, and in practical applications, various changes can be made to them in form and details without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery swapping method, characterized in that, The battery swapping method includes: Obtaining the status data of the battery swapping system; wherein, the status data includes the power of the battery box in the charging station. Based on the status data being in the first state and the under-powered battery box on the battery swapping vehicle reaching the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit moves the under-powered battery box on the battery swapping vehicle to the idle charging station; wherein, the first state includes that the idle charging station is in the first area, and the target battery box is on the charging station in the second area; the target battery box includes the battery box with a power greater than the first set power; the first area includes the area projected in the direction of the charging station of the moving area of the first trolley unit on the first rail, and the second area includes the area projected in the direction of the charging station of the moving area of the second trolley unit on the second rail. Based on the first trolley unit moving the under-powered battery box on the battery swapping vehicle into the idle charging station, the second trolley unit moves the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle.

2. The battery swapping method according to claim 1, wherein Obtaining the status data of the battery swapping system includes: Based on the completion of the first acquisition of the status data of the battery swapping system, stopping the acquisition of the status data. Based on the battery swapping vehicle entering the waiting area, acquiring the position of the target battery box in the charging station in the battery swapping system again and updating the previous status data.

3. The battery swapping method according to claim 2, wherein The battery swapping method further includes: Based on the target battery box being moved onto the battery swapping vehicle, the second guiding unit drives the second trolley unit to move into the space surrounded by the housing assembly.

4. The battery swapping method according to claim 3, wherein The battery swapping method further includes: Based on the second guiding unit moving to a position where one end is connected to the first rail and the other end is connected to the second rail, the first trolley unit or the second trolley unit moves to grab the target battery box.

5. The battery swapping method according to claim 1, wherein Based on the status data being in the first state and the under-powered battery box on the battery swapping vehicle reaching the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit moving the under-powered battery box on the battery swapping vehicle to the idle charging station includes: Based on the status data being in the first state and the battery swapping vehicle reaching the waiting area, the first trolley unit moves from the first rail to above the battery swapping area. Based on the first trolley unit moving from the first rail to above the battery swapping area and the under-powered battery box on the battery swapping vehicle reaching the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit moves the under-powered battery box on the battery swapping vehicle into the idle charging station.

6. The battery swapping method according to claim 1, wherein Based on the first trolley unit moving the under-powered battery box on the battery swapping vehicle into the idle charging station, the second trolley unit moving the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle includes: Based on the first trolley unit, the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle is moved into the idle charging seat, and the second trolley unit grabs the target battery box; Based on the second trolley unit grabbing the target battery box, the second trolley unit moves the target battery box to a position where the bottom end of the target battery box is higher than the top end of the battery boxes in other charging seats; Based on the second trolley unit moving the target battery box to a position where the bottom end of the target battery box is higher than the top end of the battery boxes in other charging seats, the second trolley unit moves onto the second guiding unit; Based on the second trolley unit moving onto the second guiding unit, the second guiding unit drives the second trolley unit to move above the battery swapping area along the third guide rail; Based on the second guiding unit driving the second trolley unit to move above the battery swapping area along the third guide rail, the second trolley unit moves the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle.

7. The battery swapping method according to claim 5, characterized in that Based on the state data being in the first state and the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle reaching the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit moving the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle onto the idle charging seat further includes: Based on the first trolley unit moving from the first guide rail above the battery swapping area, the first trolley unit moves the undercharged battery box on the battery swapping vehicle into the idle charging seat and the second trolley unit moves the target battery box to one end of the second guide rail close to the third guide rail.

8. The battery swapping method according to claim 1, characterized in that The battery swapping method further includes: Based on the second trolley unit moving the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle, the state data is acquired; wherein, the state data further includes the number of battery swapping vehicles in the waiting area; Based on the state data being in the second state, the undercharged battery box is moved into the idle charging seat; wherein, the second state includes that the number of battery swapping vehicles in the waiting area is 0, the target battery box is in the charging seat in the second area, the idle battery box is in the second area, and the undercharged battery box is in the charging seat in the first area; Based on moving the undercharged battery box into the idle charging seat, a target battery box is moved into the idle charging seat.

9. The battery swapping method according to claim 1, characterized in that The battery swapping method further includes: Based on the second trolley unit moving the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle, the state data is acquired; wherein, the state data further includes the number of battery swapping vehicles in the waiting area; Based on the state data being the third state, a driving signal is sent to the battery swapping vehicle in the waiting area; wherein, the third state includes that the target battery box and the idle charging seat are respectively located in the second area, the target battery box is located on the side of the idle charging seat close to the first guide rail, and the number of battery swapping vehicles in the waiting area is greater than 0; Based on the less - charged battery box on another battery swapping vehicle in the waiting area moving to the battery swapping area, the second trolley unit moves the less - charged battery box on another battery swapping vehicle towards the idle charging seat; Based on the second trolley unit moving to the second guide rail, the first trolley unit and the second trolley unit move simultaneously in the direction from the first guide rail to the second guide rail; Based on the second trolley unit moving above the idle charging seat, the second trolley unit moves the battery box into the idle charging seat; Based on the first trolley unit moving above the target battery box, the first trolley unit moves the target battery box onto another battery swapping vehicle; 10. A battery swapping method according to claim 9, wherein, The battery swapping method further includes: Based on the second trolley unit moving the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle, the state data is obtained; wherein, the state data further includes the number of battery swapping vehicles in the waiting area; Based on the state data being the fourth state, a driving signal is sent to the battery swapping vehicle in the waiting area; wherein, the fourth state includes that the target battery box and the idle charging seat are respectively located in the second area, the target battery box is located on the side of the idle charging seat away from the first guide rail, and the number of battery swapping vehicles in the waiting area is greater than 0; Based on the less - charged battery box on another battery swapping vehicle in the waiting area moving to the battery swapping area, the second trolley unit moves the less - charged battery box on another battery swapping vehicle into the idle charging seat; Based on the second trolley unit moving the less - charged battery box on another battery swapping vehicle into the idle charging seat, the second trolley unit moves the target battery box onto the battery swapping vehicle; 11. A battery swapping system, characterized in that, The battery swapping system is applied to a battery swapping method according to any one of claims 1 - 10, and the battery swapping system includes: A housing assembly; A charging assembly, the charging assembly includes a plurality of charging seats; the charging seats are connected to the housing assembly; the plurality of charging seats are arranged in sequence along the length direction of the housing assembly within the space surrounded by the housing assembly; Handling component, the handling component includes a first guiding unit, a second guiding unit, a first trolley unit, a second trolley unit, and a control unit; the first guiding unit includes a first guide rail, a second guide rail, and a third guide rail; the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail are arranged in sequence along the length direction of the housing component; the first guide rail, the third guide rail, and the second guide rail are respectively connected to the side of the housing component away from the charging base; the length directions of the first guide rail and the second guide rail are parallel to the length direction of the housing component; the length direction of the third guide rail is parallel to the width direction of the housing component; the second guiding unit is slidably connected to the third guide rail; the control unit is connected to the housing component; the control unit is electrically connected to the second guiding unit, the first trolley unit, and the second trolley unit respectively; The second guiding unit includes a first operating state and a second operating state; the first operating state includes that the second guiding unit moves along the length direction of the third guide rail to one end connected to the first guide rail and the other end connected to the second guide rail, and the first trolley unit and the second trolley unit respectively move back and forth on the first guide rail and the second guide rail through the second guiding unit; the second operating state includes that the first trolley unit or the second trolley unit moves onto the second guiding unit, and the second guiding unit drives the first trolley unit or the second trolley unit to move on the third guide rail, and the first trolley unit and the second trolley unit cannot move from the first guide rail to the second guide rail; Battery box, the battery box is electrically connected to the charging base; A + 1 = B; where A is the ratio of the number of battery boxes in the charging base to the number of the charging bases, and B is the number of the charging bases; Battery swapping vehicle, the battery swapping vehicle is detachably connected and electrically connected to the battery box; the handling component is used to move the battery box on the battery swapping vehicle.

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