Battery replacement cabinet with self-protection function for electric vehicle

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of battery replacement cabinets, and discloses an electric vehicle battery replacement cabinet with a self-protection function, which comprises a cabinet body, a plurality of battery compartments for storing batteries are arranged on one side of the cabinet body, damping mechanisms for entering and leaving are arranged on the two sides of each battery compartment, each damping mechanism for entering and leaving comprises a pair of roller frames, hollow roller bodies are rotationally arranged on the roller frames, the roller bodies are in rolling contact with the two sides of the battery, the inner walls of the roller bodies are provided with hollow roller shafts, sliding blocks moving in the radial direction are arranged in the roller shafts, a screw rod is arranged between the pair of roller frames, the sliding blocks are sleeved on the screw rod and are in threaded connection with the screw rod. The device relies on the elastic deformation characteristics of the elastic element, realizes continuous and gradual increase and decrease of damping force, makes the terminal deceleration process of battery storage and access more stable and soft, and effectively reduces the impact load borne by the battery shell, internal battery cells and charging interfaces.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of battery cabinets, and more particularly to a battery swapping cabinet for electric vehicles with self-protection function. Background Technology

[0002] Battery swapping stations are shared smart charging devices for electric two-wheelers. Users can simply scan a code to swap a depleted battery for a fully charged one, a process that takes only a few seconds. They solve problems such as slow charging, short range, and the risk of fire from charging indoors. By offering a "rent-to-own" model, they reduce operating costs and are particularly popular with delivery riders and couriers, serving as crucial infrastructure for on-demand logistics.

[0003] Patent publication number CN117984824A discloses a battery compartment and a battery swapping cabinet, belonging to the field of battery compartment technology. The disclosed battery swapping cabinet includes a battery compartment, which comprises: a compartment shell and a support member. The compartment shell is used to accommodate batteries and has an opening for placing and removing batteries. The support member is located inside the compartment shell and is used to support the batteries. A first adjustment assembly and a second adjustment assembly are both located inside the compartment shell. The first adjustment assembly includes a first driving device and a first clamping member, and the second adjustment assembly includes a second driving device and a second clamping member. Both the first and second clamping members are movably mounted on the support member and can move closer to or further away from each other. The first driving device drives the first clamping member to move, and the second driving device drives the second clamping member to move.

[0004] The existing technology has the following drawbacks: In existing electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet technologies, the battery protection and buffering structures exhibit significant performance defects and safety shortcomings. Traditional swapping cabinets only incorporate buffering structures for the battery insertion process, and the buffering force increases abruptly and instantaneously, failing to achieve a smooth and gradual buffering effect. This results in a sudden impact at the battery insertion end, easily damaging the battery casing and internal charging interface, leading to poor protection. Furthermore, existing equipment generally lacks a battery removal buffering structure. When a user removes a battery, the battery's own weight and inertia cause its exit speed to accelerate rapidly, making deceleration and balancing impossible. Under these conditions, the battery exits without any damping protection, posing a significant safety hazard as it can easily detach at high speed and injure operators. Moreover, the overall structure lacks bidirectional protection and has a rigid buffering logic, resulting in significant deficiencies in stability and safety, failing to meet the safety requirements of actual battery swapping operations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems in the existing technology, a battery swapping cabinet for electric vehicles with self-protection function is proposed.

[0006] One aspect of this application provides a battery swapping cabinet for electric vehicles with self-protection function, the purpose of which is to provide progressive buffering at the end of both the battery exiting and entering the cabinet, thereby protecting the safety of the battery and the user.

[0007] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: an electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with self-protection function, including a cabinet body, a plurality of battery compartments for storing batteries are provided on one side of the cabinet body, an inlet and outlet damping mechanism is provided on both sides of each battery compartment, each inlet and outlet damping mechanism includes a pair of roller frames, a hollow roller body is rotatably provided on the roller frame, the roller body rolls in contact with both sides of the battery, a hollow roller shaft is provided on the inner wall of the roller body, a sliding block that moves radially is provided inside the roller shaft, a screw is provided between the pair of roller frames, and the sliding block is sleeved on the screw and threadedly engaged with the screw. When the battery moves in and out of the battery compartment, the roller moves and rotates with the battery, and the sliding block rotates along the screw. When the sliding block slides to near the two ends of the roller, the damping increases.

[0008] Furthermore, the roller frame includes an annular support, a frame body, end caps, and a screw connected in sequence between a pair of end caps.

[0009] Furthermore, a bearing is provided on the annular support portion, and the roller body is sleeved on the bearing.

[0010] Furthermore, damping plates are provided on both sides of the sliding block, and damping plate two is provided on the side near the end cover. The contact surfaces of damping plate one and damping plate two are in frictional engagement, and an elastic element is provided between the end cover and damping plate two.

[0011] Furthermore, the non-contact surface of the second damping plate is provided with at least two guide rods, the ends of which pass through the end cap and are provided with limit nuts.

[0012] Furthermore, the inner wall of the annular support is connected to a preload adjustment ring via a thread. The preload adjustment ring abuts against one end of the elastic element and is used to adjust the preload of the elastic element.

[0013] Furthermore, a support frame is connected between the pair of roller frames, and a pair of rotating shafts are provided on the support frame. The pair of rotating shafts are connected to a support, and a torsion spring is provided on the rotating shaft. The torsion spring connects the support and the support frame.

[0014] Furthermore, the inner wall of the roller is provided with a limiting groove along the axial direction, and the outer wall of the sliding block is provided with a limiting strip along the axial direction, the limiting strip sliding within the limiting groove.

[0015] Furthermore, the bottom and side walls of the battery compartment are provided with drag-reducing strips arranged along the battery entry and exit direction.

[0016] Furthermore, the surface of the roller body is provided with a rubber layer.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention differs from the traditional battery swapping cabinet's single, abrupt damping protection structure. It abandons the rigid protection mode of immediate braking upon arrival and fixed damping at contact, instead relying on the elastic deformation characteristics of elastic components to achieve a continuous, gradual increase or decrease in damping force. This makes the final deceleration process during battery storage and retrieval smoother and more gentle, effectively reducing the impact load on the battery casing, internal cells, and charging interface, resulting in more comprehensive and reliable protection. This entry / exit damping mechanism provides bidirectional protection: the damping force gradually increases during battery insertion, providing final buffering and anti-collision protection; during battery exit, the damping force decreases with the stroke, preventing excessive initial exit speed and impact. Simultaneously, utilizing the reverse thread transmission characteristics of the screw and sliding block, the mechanism automatically rotates and resets after each storage / retrieval operation, eliminating the need for additional dedicated reset components or manual reset. This results in high structural integration, high automation, and strong operational stability. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with self-protection function according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the battery compartment in the electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with self-protection function according to the present invention. Figure 3 This is a front view of the inlet / outlet damping mechanism in the electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with self-protection function according to the present invention. Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the internal structure of the inlet / outlet damping mechanism in the electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with self-protection function of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a side view of the inlet / outlet damping mechanism in the electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with self-protection function according to the present invention. Figure 6 For the present invention Figure 5 Sectional view at point BB; Figure 7 For the present invention Figure 3 Sectional view at point AA.

[0019] In the picture: 1. Cabinet; 2. Battery compartment; 3. Inlet / outlet damping mechanism; 4. Roller; 5. Roller shaft; 6. Sliding block; 7. Screw; 8. Annular support; 9. Frame; 10. End cap; 11. Bearing; 12. Damping plate one; 13. Damping plate two; 14. Elastic element; 15. Guide rod; 16. Limiting nut; 17. Preload adjusting ring; 18. Frame support; 19. Rotating shaft; 20. Support; 21. Torsion spring; 22. Limiting groove; 23. Limiting strip; 24. Drag reducing strip. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] Example, refer to Figures 1-7 As an embodiment of the present invention, a battery swapping cabinet for electric vehicles with self-protection function is provided, as disclosed in the present invention, specifically referring to... Figures 1-2 The main body of the equipment is a vertical cabinet 1, which serves as the overall load-bearing foundation and integrates all battery swapping, protection, and buffer components. Multiple independent battery compartments 2 are integrated into one side wall area of ​​the cabinet 1. All battery compartments 2 adopt a standardized array arrangement, specifically a 3x4 row layout, totaling twelve battery compartments 2, capable of simultaneously storing, arranging, and charging twelve sets of electric vehicle batteries. Each battery compartment 2 is an independent cavity structure, corresponding to a separate storage space for one set of batteries, without interference. To reduce frictional losses during battery storage and retrieval, drag-reducing strips 24 extending along the linear movement direction of the batteries in and out of the compartment are installed on the bottom inner wall and the inner walls of both sides of each battery compartment 2. The drag-reducing strip 24 adopts a raised strip structure design, which forms a raised support structure compared to the inner wall of the battery compartment 2. This ensures that the battery shell only contacts the surface of the drag-reducing strip 24 during the entire process of battery insertion and removal, without directly adhering to or rubbing against the original inner wall of the battery compartment 2. This effectively avoids the problems of battery shell wear and jamming, while reducing the sliding resistance during battery pushing and pulling, and improving the smoothness of storage and retrieval.

[0022] Symmetrically positioned on both sides of each independent battery compartment 2, an entry / exit damping mechanism 3 is installed. This serves as the core actuator for buffering and protecting the battery during storage and retrieval, enabling damping control of bidirectional battery movement. Each entry / exit damping mechanism 3 consists of a pair of symmetrically arranged roller frames. These two sets of roller frames work in tandem, with hollow roller bodies 4 mounted on the inner side of each frame. Roller bodies 4 can rotate freely around their central axis, and their outer arc surface rolls against the sidewalls of the battery, replacing sliding friction with rolling friction to significantly reduce battery movement resistance. To ensure the stability of the contact between the roller body 4 and the battery sidewalls and prevent slippage, a rubber layer is fixedly applied to the outer surface of the roller body 4. This rubber layer, based on its material properties, effectively increases the contact friction between the roller body 4 and the battery casing, ensuring stable synchronous rotation of the roller body 4 during battery movement and guaranteeing the normal start-stop operation of the damping structure.

[0023] Reference Figure 6The roller frame is an integrated support structure, consisting of three parts: an annular support 8, a frame 9, and end caps 10, which are sequentially and fixedly connected. These three parts form a complete support frame structure for the roller 4, providing a stable assembly base for the roller 4, bearings 11, and damping components. The annular support 8 is a hollow annular structure, with its internal cavity used to house the bearing 11. The bearing 11 is fixedly assembled to the inner wall of the annular support 8. The hollow roller 4 is coaxially sleeved on the outer ring of the bearing 11, enabling smooth rotation of the roller 4 and reducing mechanical resistance during rotation. A screw 7 is laterally mounted between the two opposing end caps 10 of the roller frame. The two ends of the screw 7 are fixedly connected to the two end caps 10, keeping the screw 7 stationary and preventing it from rotating or moving with the roller 4 or other components. This provides a fixed reference for the subsequent transmission movement of the sliding block 6.

[0024] Reference Figure 7 A roller shaft 5 is mounted at the center of the roller body 4. The roller shaft 5 also has a hollow structure. The outer wall of the roller shaft 5 is tightly fitted with the inner wall of the roller body 4, forming a fixed assembly structure with no relative displacement, allowing for synchronous rotation. Inside the hollow cavity of the roller shaft 5, a sliding block 6 is mounted that can be finely adjusted along the radial direction of the roller shaft 5. To limit the circumferential rotation of the sliding block 6, a long strip-shaped limiting groove 22 is formed along the axial direction on the inner wall of the roller shaft 5. Correspondingly, a limiting strip 23 is integrally formed along the axial direction on the outer wall of the sliding block 6. The limiting strip 23 and the limiting groove 22 are matched and engaged, and the sliding block 6 can slide freely along the length of the limiting groove 22. This ensures that the sliding block 6 can only move linearly along the axial direction of the roller shaft 5, completely avoiding the situation where the sliding block 6 rotates circumferentially with the roller shaft 5, and ensuring the uniqueness and stability of the motion trajectory.

[0025] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 6 The screw 7, fixed between the two roller frames, passes through the center of the sliding block 6, and the central inner hole of the sliding block 6 and the screw 7 are assembled using a threaded matching method to form a threaded transmission structure. Based on the threaded fit characteristics, when the roller body 4 and roller shaft 5 drive the sliding block 6 to rotate circumferentially, the sliding block 6 can rely on the threaded transmission effect to make linear reciprocating motion along the axial direction of the screw 7. The maximum rotational stroke and linear movement stroke of the sliding block 6 on the screw 7 are matched with the overall length of the battery, which just covers the complete insertion and exit stroke of the battery. Damping plates 12 are installed on both the left and right end faces of the sliding block 6, and damping plates 13 are installed on the side of the sliding block 6 near the roller frame end cover 10. The contact surfaces of damping plates 12 and 13 are precision friction mating surfaces, which can generate stable frictional damping force when they are in contact. An elastic element 14 is installed at the gap between the end cap 10 and the second damping plate 13. The elastic element 14 can provide pre-tightening pressure for the contact of the damping plate through its own expansion and contraction, and at the same time realize the dynamic adjustment of the damping force.

[0026] At least two symmetrically arranged guide rods 15 are fixedly installed on the non-contact end face of damper plate 12, opposite to damper plate 12. The guide rods 15 are linear columnar structures, with their ends extending through the corresponding through holes of end cap 10 to the outside of the roller frame. The guide rods 15 can slide freely within the through holes, realizing the linear guiding displacement of damper plate 13. Each guide rod 15 is equipped with a limit nut 16 at its extended end. The outer diameter of the limit nut 16 is larger than the diameter of the through hole of end cap 10, which can effectively prevent the guide rod 15 from retracting inward or dislodging outward, thus limiting the maximum displacement stroke of the guide rod 15. Through the limiting effect of the limit nut 16, the elastic element 14 between end cap 10 and damper plate 13 can always be kept in a compressed preload state, avoiding the elastic element 14 from loosening and failing, ensuring that the damping structure is always in a working state, and continuous damping adjustment can be achieved without prior reset.

[0027] Reference Figure 6 The inner wall of the annular support part 8 of the roller frame is machined with an internal thread structure, and an annular preload adjustment ring 17 is connected to it through a threaded matching assembly method. The position of the preload adjustment ring 17 can be finely adjusted along the axial direction of the annular support part 8 by rotation. One end face of the preload adjustment ring 17 is in close contact with the end of the elastic element 14. By rotating the preload adjustment ring 17, its axial position can be changed, thereby adjusting the initial compression of the elastic element 14 and realizing precise adjustment of the preload of the elastic element 14. The initial damping can be adjusted according to the weight and access speed requirements of different battery specifications, improving the adaptability and versatility of the equipment.

[0028] Reference Figure 2 A support frame 18 is fixedly connected between the bottoms of two sets of oppositely arranged roller frames. The support frame 18 is an integral support connection structure used to integrate the relative positions of the two sets of roller frames and to provide an assembly base for the deflection structure. A pair of rotating shafts 19 are symmetrically mounted at the center of the support frame 18. The ends of the two rotating shafts 19 are fixedly connected to the same support 20. The support 20 is a fixed base and is fixedly connected to the battery compartment 2 cavity to maintain a static state. A torsion spring 21 is sleeved on the outside of the rotating shaft 19. The two ends of the torsion spring 21 are respectively connected to the support 20 and the support frame 18 to form an elastic deflection and reset structure. In the initial state, the net distance between the pair of rollers 4 is slightly smaller than the overall width of the battery. When the battery is inserted into or removed from the compartment and inserted into the gap between the two sets of rollers 4, the sidewall of the battery will exert an outward pushing force on the two rollers 4, causing the support frame 18 to deflect slightly around the rotating shaft 19 after being subjected to force, driving the two rollers 4 to open outward in a synchronous manner. Under the elastic restoring force of the torsion spring 21, the deflected support 18 is always subjected to the return force, which in turn causes the pair of rollers 4 to continuously press against the two side walls of the battery, ensuring that the rollers 4 are in close contact with the battery throughout the process, preventing slippage and detachment, and ensuring that the damping buffer function is effective throughout the process.

[0029] During the dynamic operation of the battery entering and exiting the battery compartment 2, the contact friction between the battery sidewall and the rubber layer of the roller 4 drives the roller 4 to rotate actively. The roller 4 synchronously drives the internal roller shaft 5 to rotate circumferentially. As the roller shaft 5 rotates, the sliding block 6 inside the roller shaft 5 slowly slides towards the end of the roller 4 along the screw 7 axis, relying on the screw drive structure. When the battery moves to the end of the entry and exit stroke, and the sliding block 6 slides to the limit position near both ends of the roller 4, the damping plate 12 on the end face of the sliding block 6 and the corresponding damping plate 13 are in complete and tight contact, generating frictional damping, which increases the rotational resistance and movement resistance of the sliding block 6 simultaneously. As the sliding block 6 continues to approach the end of the roller 4, the damping plate 13 continuously compresses the elastic element 14, gradually increasing the compression of the elastic element 14. The contact pressure between the damping plate 12 and the damping plate 13 continues to increase, and the frictional damping force gradually increases accordingly. During the final stroke of the battery exiting the compartment, the continuously increasing damping force enables the battery to decelerate slowly and stop smoothly, effectively avoiding the safety hazard of the battery falling off and injuring the operator due to excessive speed during exit. During the battery entering the compartment, the roller 4 rotates in the opposite direction, the sliding block 6 moves in the opposite direction, and the damping plate 12 and damping plate 13 on the other side rub against each other to form a reverse damping buffer effect, thereby decelerating the battery at the end of entering the compartment and preventing the rear end of the battery from hitting the charging interface and compartment structure inside the battery compartment 2, effectively protecting the battery body and charging structure.

[0030] The core of this battery swapping cabinet's damping control is a progressive damping force output structure. The magnitude of the normal pressure on the contact surface of damping plate 12 and damping plate 13 is entirely determined by the real-time compression of the elastic element 14. During the final stroke of the battery entering and exiting the compartment, the closer the sliding block 6 is to the end of the roller 4, the greater the degree of compression deformation of the elastic element 14, resulting in higher normal pressure on the contact surface of the two sets of damping plates. Consequently, the damping force generated by friction increases linearly and smoothly. This structural design allows the battery speed to decrease smoothly during the final deceleration stroke, achieving a uniform speed buffer deceleration effect. This completely avoids the sudden braking, jerking, and jamming problems of traditional damping structures, significantly optimizing the user's experience in picking up and placing batteries.

[0031] This invention differs from the traditional battery swapping cabinet's single, abrupt damping protection structure. It abandons the rigid protection mode of immediate braking upon arrival and fixed damping at contact, instead relying on the elastic deformation characteristics of the elastic element 14 to achieve a continuous, gradual increase or decrease in damping force. This makes the final deceleration process during battery storage and retrieval smoother and more gentle, effectively reducing the impact load on the battery casing, internal cells, and charging interface, resulting in more comprehensive and reliable protection. The entry / exit damping mechanism 3 provides bidirectional protection. During battery entry, the damping force gradually increases, providing final buffering and anti-collision protection; during battery exit, the damping force decreases with the stroke, preventing excessive initial exit speed and impact. Simultaneously, relying on the reverse thread transmission characteristics of the screw 7 and sliding block 6, the mechanism can automatically rotate and reset upon entry after a single storage / retrieval operation, eliminating the need for additional dedicated reset components or manual reset. This results in high structural integration, high automation, and strong operational stability.

[0032] The overall technical principle of this invention is as follows: Multiple batteries can be stored and housed simultaneously using the array layout of the battery compartment 2. The friction resistance of battery storage and retrieval is reduced by the drag-reducing strip 24 inside the battery compartment 2. The smooth movement of batteries is achieved by using symmetrically arranged inlet and outlet damping mechanisms 3 on both sides, combined with the rolling contact structure of the roller body 4. Simultaneously, the elastic pushing action of the torsion spring 21 ensures that the roller body 4 and the battery sidewall are in close contact throughout the process, providing the basic conditions for damping transmission. During the rotation of the roller body 4 driven by the battery entering and exiting the compartment, the axial displacement of the sliding block 6 is achieved through the threaded transmission cooperation of the roller shaft 5, screw 7, and sliding block 6. The displacement of the sliding block 6 changes the compression of the elastic element 14, dynamically adjusting the frictional normal pressure of the damping plate 12 and damping plate 13, thereby achieving a gradual increase or decrease in damping force. Finally, through the bidirectional gradual damping buffering effect, smooth deceleration and protection are achieved throughout the entire process of battery entry and exit. Simultaneously, the mechanism automatically resets by relying on the reverse movement of the threaded transmission. This protects the battery and equipment structure while avoiding safety hazards caused by high-speed battery exit, realizing the autonomous protection function of the battery swapping cabinet.

[0033] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery swapping cabinet for electric vehicles with self-protection function, comprising a cabinet body (1), wherein a plurality of battery compartments (2) for storing batteries are provided on one side of the cabinet body (1), characterized in that: Each battery compartment (2) is provided with an inlet / outlet damping mechanism (3) on both sides. Each inlet / outlet damping mechanism (3) includes a pair of roller frames. A hollow roller body (4) is rotatably provided on the roller frame. The roller body (4) rolls in contact with both sides of the battery. A hollow roller shaft (5) is provided on the inner wall of the roller body (4). A sliding block (6) that moves radially is provided inside the roller shaft (5). A screw (7) is provided between the pair of roller frames. The sliding block (6) is sleeved on the screw (7) and threadedly engaged with the screw (7). When the battery enters or exits the battery compartment (2), the roller (4) moves and rotates with the battery, and the sliding block (6) rotates along the screw (7). When the sliding block (6) slides to near the two ends of the roller (4), the damping increases. The roller frame includes an annular support (8), a frame (9), an end cap (10), and a screw (7) connected in sequence between a pair of end caps (10); The annular support (8) is provided with a bearing (11), and the roller (4) is sleeved on the bearing (11); The sliding block (6) is provided with damping plate one (12) on both sides and damping plate two (13) on the side near the end cover (10). The contact surfaces of damping plate one (12) and damping plate two (13) are in frictional fit, and an elastic element (14) is provided between the end cover (10) and damping plate two (13).

2. The electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with self-protection function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The non-contact surface of the second damping plate (13) is provided with at least two guide rods (15), the ends of the guide rods (15) pass through the end cap (10), and the ends of the guide rods (15) are provided with limit nuts (16).

3. The electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with self-protection function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner wall of the annular support (8) is connected by a preload adjustment ring (17) via a thread. The preload adjustment ring (17) abuts against one end of the elastic element (14) and is used to adjust the preload of the elastic element (14).

4. The electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with self-protection function according to claim 1, characterized in that: A support (18) is connected between a pair of roller frames. A pair of rotating shafts (19) are provided on the support (18). The pair of rotating shafts (19) are connected to a support (20). A torsion spring (21) is provided on the rotating shaft (19). The torsion spring (21) connects the support (20) and the support (18).

5. The electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with self-protection function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the roller (5) is provided with a limiting groove (22) along the axial direction, and the outer wall of the sliding block (6) is provided with a limiting strip (23) along the axial direction. The limiting strip (23) slides in the limiting groove (22).

6. The electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with self-protection function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom and side walls of the battery compartment (2) are provided with drag-reducing strips (24) arranged along the battery entry and exit direction.

7. The electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with self-protection function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the roller (4) is provided with a rubber layer.

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