Intelligent temperature control type electric vehicle battery replacement cabinet

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of battery replacement cabinets, and discloses a temperature-intelligently-controlled battery replacement cabinet for electric vehicles, which comprises a cabinet body, a charging compartment arranged in the cabinet body, a compartment door arranged on the cabinet body, a battery arranged in the charging battery compartment, a charging interface arranged in the charging compartment, and a gravity-triggered compartment door damping unit arranged at the bottom of the charging compartment. The application adopts a pure mechanical gravity-triggered damping structure to replace a traditional electric control detection mode, does not need sensors and electric lines, has a simple structure, is low in failure rate, can adapt to complex working environments such as outdoor dust and humidity, and greatly reduces equipment maintenance cost. Through differential tactile feedback of door closing resistance, abnormal working conditions such as inaccurate battery placement and virtual placement can be accurately prompted, problems such as poor battery insertion, contact failure and inability to normally charge can be effectively avoided, and the battery replacement reliability is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery swapping cabinet technology, and in particular to an intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid popularization of battery swapping for electric vehicles, battery swapping cabinets are widely used. However, existing battery swapping cabinets rely on manual operation for battery placement and removal, leading to common issues of improper operation by staff. Operators may push the battery too far or fail to properly insert it, then close the cabinet door directly, causing poor contact between the battery charging connector and the charging interface inside the cabinet. This results in charging failures, abnormal charging, and other malfunctions, severely impacting the battery swapping experience.

[0003] Currently, some battery swapping cabinets use electronically controlled sensors to detect the battery's position, relying on electrical signals to determine the battery's location. However, in outdoor environments, dust, humidity, and temperature fluctuations can easily cause sensor malfunctions and circuit failures, resulting in high equipment maintenance costs. A few solutions use rigid block structures to prevent the compartment door from closing, locking the door directly when the battery is not in place. If the operator forces the door shut, it can easily crush the battery casing and damage the charging interface and blocking components.

[0004] Meanwhile, conventional battery swapping compartments lack resistance level indicators, failing to provide operators with intuitive tactile feedback; the battery pushing process lacks a guiding structure, making the battery prone to lateral displacement and further increasing the risk of connection failure. Furthermore, the lack of end-buffered restraints during battery pushing means that excessive force can easily cause hard impact damage to the charging port, and the battery can easily become stuck and difficult to remove due to compression.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a battery swapping cabinet mechanism with a purely mechanical structure and flexible resistance indication function to solve technical problems such as battery discharge detection, interface protection, and smooth battery loading and unloading. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the problems of improper battery placement, poor connection, and charging failure caused by accidental door closure in the existing technology, an intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet is proposed.

[0007] Its purpose is to solve the problems of existing battery swapping cabinets, such as improper battery placement, poor connection, charging failure due to accidental door closure, easy failure of electronic control detection, easy damage to charging interface by rigid obstruction, easy impact when pushing battery, and jamming when picking up and putting down batteries. It provides a simple structure, no electronic control required, and intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet with flexible resistance indication, thereby improving battery placement accuracy and usage safety.

[0008] The technical solution of this invention is an intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet, including a cabinet body, a charging compartment inside the cabinet body, a door on the cabinet body, a battery inside the charging compartment, a charging interface inside the charging compartment, and an intelligent temperature control unit installed in the charging compartment. The intelligent temperature control unit includes a temperature sensor, a cooling fan, a heating element, and a temperature controller. The temperature sensor collects the ambient temperature inside the charging compartment, and the temperature controller adjusts the start and stop of the cooling fan and the heating element according to the real-time temperature signal to maintain the battery inside the charging compartment in a suitable operating temperature range. It also includes a gravity-triggered door damping unit located at the bottom of the charging compartment. The gravity-triggered door damping unit includes a blocking component disposed in the charging compartment, a damping component disposed in the middle of the blocking component, the blocking component including a moving groove opened in the charging compartment, a moving plate disposed in the moving groove, two blocking posts disposed on one side of the moving plate, a sliding hole opened in the cabinet body, the blocking posts being slidably connected in the sliding hole, and an abutment plate fixedly connected to the top side of the moving plate.

[0009] Furthermore, a reset assembly is also provided in the sliding hole. The reset assembly includes a limiting groove opened in the sliding hole, a limiting plate provided on the blocking post, and a reset spring provided on one side of the limiting plate. One side of the reset spring is fixedly connected to the limiting groove, and the reset spring is sleeved on the blocking post.

[0010] Furthermore, one of the blocking posts near the hinge of the door is shorter than the adjacent blocking post, and its end has an inclined arc-shaped surface.

[0011] Furthermore, the damping assembly includes a damping block disposed in the middle of the moving plate, pressure plates symmetrically disposed on both sides of the damping block, compression springs disposed at the bottom of the pressure plates, and pressure grooves formed on the moving plate, with the compression springs disposed in the pressure grooves.

[0012] Furthermore, the top of the damping block is inclined, and one side of the bottom of the damping block is horizontal, with damping grooves evenly formed at the bottom.

[0013] Furthermore, a buffer assembly is provided at the bottom of the damping block. The buffer assembly includes a buffer strip disposed on one side of the moving groove. One side of the buffer strip is a concave arc surface, and the other side of the damping block is arc-shaped.

[0014] Furthermore, the buffer strip is made of rubber.

[0015] Furthermore, when the movable plate is pushed to abut the movable groove, the two blocking posts retract precisely into the sliding hole.

[0016] Furthermore, the bottom of the charging compartment is provided with an alignment groove, and sliding bars are arranged in a linear array within the alignment groove.

[0017] Furthermore, the sliding bar gap is also provided with a rolling wheel to reduce friction.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention uses a purely mechanical gravity-triggered damping structure to replace the traditional electronic control detection method. It eliminates the need for sensors and electrical wiring, resulting in a simple structure, low failure rate, and adaptability to complex working environments such as outdoor dust and humidity, significantly reducing equipment maintenance costs. Through differentiated tactile feedback of the closing resistance, it can accurately indicate abnormal conditions such as the battery not being properly positioned or incomplete discharge, effectively avoiding problems such as poor battery connection, contact failure, and inability to charge normally, thus improving the reliability of battery swapping.

[0019] 2. This invention features a stepped damping resistance structure. The initial resistance during pushing is moderate, preventing the battery from becoming stuck and difficult to remove. The increased resistance at the end of the sliding phase limits excessive pushing of the battery, preventing damage to the charging interface from hard impacts and compression. Combined with the curved adaptation structure of the buffer strip, it effectively cushions movement impacts and reduces operating noise. Simultaneously, the combination of long and short blocking posts with the curved surface makes the door closing process smoother and reduces structural wear.

[0020] 3. The bottom of the charging compartment features a sliding bar and rolling wheels that precisely guide the battery, preventing it from shifting left or right and ensuring accurate alignment between the battery and the charging interface. Simultaneously, it converts sliding friction into rolling friction, reducing resistance during battery handling and minimizing wear on the battery casing. The entire mechanism is highly integrated and versatile, requiring no additional space, and can be adapted to existing battery swapping cabinets, meeting the needs of high-frequency battery swapping operations.

[0021] 4. The addition of an intelligent temperature control unit can monitor the internal temperature of the charging compartment in real time, actively regulate the internal temperature environment, avoid high temperature accelerating battery aging and low temperature reducing charging efficiency, ensure battery charging safety, and reduce the risk of battery thermal runaway. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall three-dimensional structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front view structural diagram of the cabinet of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall top sectional structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall half-section structure of the gravity-triggered door damping unit of the present invention; Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle; Figure 6 For the present invention Figure 5 Enlarged structural diagram at point B; Figure 7This is an exploded structural diagram of the blocking component and the damping component of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the buffer component of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the damping block of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the back structure of the battery of the present invention.

[0023] In the picture: 1. Cabinet; 11. Charging compartment; 12. Compartment door; 13. Charging interface; 2. Blocking assembly; 21. Moving groove; 22. Moving plate; 23. Blocking post; 24. Sliding hole; 25. Abutment plate; 3. Reset assembly; 31. Limiting groove; 32. Limiting plate; 33. Reset spring; 4. Arc surface; 5. Damping assembly; 51. Damping block; 52. Pressure plate; 53. Compression spring; 54. Pressure groove; 55. Damping groove; 6. Buffer assembly; 61. Buffer strip; 62. Arc surface; 7. Alignment groove; 8. Sliding strip; 9. Rolling wheel. Detailed Implementation

[0024] 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.

[0025] Example 1, referring to Figures 1-10 This invention provides a first embodiment of an intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet, comprising a cabinet body 1, a charging compartment 11 disposed within the cabinet body 1, a door 12 rotatably connected to the cabinet body 1, a battery disposed within the charging compartment, a charging interface 13 disposed within the charging compartment 11, and an intelligent temperature control unit installed in the charging compartment 11. The intelligent temperature control unit includes a temperature sensor, a cooling fan, a heating element, and a temperature controller. The temperature sensor collects the internal ambient temperature of the charging compartment 11, and the temperature controller adjusts the start and stop of the cooling fan and heating element according to the real-time temperature signal to maintain the temperature of the battery within the charging compartment 11. Within a suitable operating temperature range, it also includes a gravity-triggered door damping unit located at the bottom of the charging compartment 11; the gravity-triggered door damping unit includes a blocking component 2 located inside the charging compartment 11, a damping component 5 located in the middle of the blocking component 2, the blocking component 2 includes a moving groove 21 opened inside the charging compartment 11, a moving plate 22 slidably connected inside the moving groove 21, two blocking posts 23 fixedly connected to one side of the moving plate 22, a sliding hole 24 opened inside the cabinet 1, the blocking posts 23 slidably connected inside the sliding hole 24, and an abutment plate 25 fixedly connected to the top side of the moving plate 22.

[0026] Specifically, existing battery swapping cabinets often experience malfunctions such as battery interface failure and inability to charge properly due to improper battery placement and incomplete closure of the compartment door 12. This device improves upon this by adding a gravity-triggered compartment door damping unit. The operator places the battery into the charging compartment 11 and pushes it inward, aligning the battery charging connector with the charging interface 13 inside the compartment. If the battery is not fully pushed in, it continues to press against the abutment plate 25, keeping the blocking component 2 extended. When the compartment door 12 closes, it pushes the blocking post 23, and the damping component 5 forms a friction pair with the moving groove 21, increasing the closing resistance of the compartment door 12. This provides a tactile indication to the operator that the battery is not properly positioned. After the battery is fully inserted, it drives the abutment plate 25, which in turn moves the moving plate 22. The two blocking posts 23 retract along the sliding hole 24, eliminating frictional damping, and the compartment door 12 can close smoothly. After removing the battery, the pressure of the battery on the damping component 5 disappears, the blocking component 2 returns to its extended position, and without frictional damping, the compartment door 12 can close easily.

[0027] This mechanism relies on the battery's own weight for mechanical linkage, eliminating the need for additional sensors and electronic control components. It adapts to complex outdoor environments, offering stable operation and low maintenance costs. The mechanism uses friction damping for flexible warnings, unlike rigid limit structures. It only increases the closing resistance of the door 12 when the battery is not fully in place, using tactile feedback to alert the operator and prevent forced closure that could damage the battery and charging connector. This effectively prevents the door 12 from closing prematurely due to incomplete battery placement or insertion, reducing malfunctions such as poor charging contact and charging failure. Once the battery is fully pushed into place, the damping effect is released, allowing the door 12 to close smoothly. After the battery is removed, the entire mechanism automatically resets, continuously performing positioning detection. The components are integrated into the bottom of the charging compartment 11, not interfering with battery placement or removal, compatible with existing battery swapping cabinet structures, facilitating mass assembly and modification, and meeting the needs of high-frequency battery swapping.

[0028] Reference Figures 2-5 The sliding hole 24 is also provided with a reset component 3. The reset component 3 includes a limiting groove 31 opened in the sliding hole 24, a limiting plate 32 fixedly connected to the blocking post 23, and a reset spring 33 fixedly connected to one side of the limiting plate 32. One side of the reset spring 33 is fixedly connected to the limiting groove 31, and the reset spring 33 is sleeved on the blocking post 23.

[0029] Specifically, the reset assembly 3 works in conjunction with the limiting groove 31, the limiting plate 32, and the reset spring 33 sleeved on the outside of the blocking post 23. The blocking post 23 provides radial guidance for the reset spring 33, preventing the spring from deforming and tilting. When the battery pushes the blocking post 23 to retract, the reset spring 33 stores energy. After the external force is removed, the spring releases its elastic force to drive the blocking assembly 2 to automatically reset, continuously realizing battery positioning detection. The mechanism operates stably in cycles, requires no electronic control components, and is suitable for complex outdoor working conditions.

[0030] Reference Figures 5-7One of the blocking posts 23, which is closer to the pivot of the door 12, is shorter than the adjacent blocking post 23, and its end has an inclined arc-shaped surface 4.

[0031] Specifically, the two blocking posts 23 are arranged in a staggered pattern of varying lengths. The blocking post 23 closer to the pivot of the door 12 is shorter, and its end is provided with an inclined arc-shaped surface 4. During the closing process of the door 12, the side of the door 12 closest to the pivot first contacts the arc-shaped guide surface of the shorter blocking post 23. Utilizing the oblique transition characteristics of the arc-shaped surface 4, the closing resistance of the door 12 gradually increases, preventing a rigid right-angle impact between the door 12 and the blocking post 23, thus achieving smooth pressure resistance and stable force distribution for the door 12.

[0032] Example 2, refer to Figures 7-9 This is the second embodiment of the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the damping component 5 includes a damping block 51 slidably connected to the middle of the moving plate 22, pressure plates 52 symmetrically fixedly connected to both sides of the damping block 51, compression springs 53 respectively fixedly connected to the bottom of the pressure plates 52, and a pressure groove 54 opened on the moving plate 22, with the compression springs 53 disposed in the pressure groove 54.

[0033] Specifically, the damping block 51 is slidably mounted in the middle of the moving plate 22, and the compression spring 53 is placed inside the pressure groove 54, providing upward support to the damping block 51 through the pressure plate 52. During the process of pushing the battery into the charging compartment 11, the bottom of the battery first contacts the damping block 51 and presses down on it. The damping block 51 drives the pressure plate 52 to move downward, and the compression spring 53 generates compressed energy in the pressure groove 54. When the battery continues to be pushed and contacts the abutment plate 25, the damping block 51 moves down to its limit position, and the bottom of the damping block 51 forms a friction pair with the bottom wall of the moving groove 21. Subsequently, when the battery pushes the abutment plate 25 and causes the moving plate 22 to slide, a large sliding friction force is generated between the bottom of the damping block 51 and the bottom wall of the moving groove 21, which significantly increases the movement resistance of the moving plate 22 and the blocking post 23, and finally converts into the closing resistance of the compartment door 12, thereby reminding the operator that the battery has not yet been pushed into place.

[0034] Reference Figure 9 The top of the damping block 51 is inclined, and one side of the bottom of the damping block 51 is horizontal. Damping grooves 55 are evenly provided on the bottom.

[0035] Specifically, the top of the damping block 51 is set as an inclined surface. When the battery is pushed inward, the bottom of the battery can smoothly press down on the damping block 51 along the inclined top surface, realizing a smooth transition of force and preventing jamming or hard impact. The bottom of the damping block 51 is set with a horizontal contact surface to ensure that the damping block 51 can fully contact the bottom wall of the moving groove 21 after it moves down, forming a stable and effective friction fit. The rest of the structure is the same as that of Embodiment 1.

[0036] Example 3, referring to Figures 7-8 This is the third embodiment of the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the second embodiment is that a buffer assembly 6 is also provided at the bottom of the damping block 51. The buffer assembly 6 includes a buffer strip 61 fixedly connected to one side of the moving groove 21. One side of the buffer strip 61 is a concave arc surface 62, and the other side of the damping block 51 is arc-shaped. The material of the buffer strip 61 is rubber.

[0037] Specifically, a rubber buffer strip 61 is fixed to the side wall of the moving groove 21. The concave arc surface 62 of the buffer strip 61 matches the arc shape of the side of the damping block 51. When the damping block 51 slides laterally with the moving plate 22, it contacts the buffer strip 61, forming auxiliary friction damping and achieving a gradual increase in resistance. This setting increases the movement resistance at the sliding end of the moving plate 22, preventing the charging interface 13 from being damaged by continuous strong pushing of the battery and causing hard impact. By constructing a stepped resistance change, the resistance is moderate in the early stage of pushing, avoiding battery jamming and difficulty in removal, balancing protection and operation feel. At the same time, the rubber buffer strip 61 absorbs impact and reduces operating noise through its own elasticity, the arc contact surface ensures smooth sliding of the damping block 51, and the wear-resistant properties of the rubber can adapt to long-term frequent reciprocating motion.

[0038] Reference Figures 1-3 The bottom of the charging compartment 11 is also provided with an alignment groove 7, and a sliding strip 8 is linearly arrayed and fixedly connected in the alignment groove 7. Rolling wheels 9 are also movably arranged in the gaps between the sliding strips 8 to reduce friction.

[0039] Specifically, the alignment groove 7 is arranged at the bottom of the charging compartment 11, and the linear array of sliding bars 8 serves as a lateral limiting and guiding function, which can constrain the left and right offset of the battery and guide the battery to be pushed smoothly along a predetermined path; rolling wheels 9 are installed between the sliding bars 8. During the process of pushing in and pulling out the battery, the bottom of the battery first contacts the rolling wheels 9, converting the sliding friction between the battery and the bottom of the compartment into rolling friction, effectively reducing the resistance of pushing and pulling the battery, making it easy for operators to move the battery, while reducing wear on the bottom of the battery casing, and ensuring that the battery can be accurately aligned with the charging interface 13 for insertion. The rest of the structure is the same as that of Embodiment 2.

[0040] Based on embodiments 1-3, the working principle of this invention is as follows: A gravity-triggered door damping unit is installed at the bottom of the charging compartment 11, relying on the battery's own weight to achieve fully mechanical linkage detection. When the operator places the battery into the charging compartment 11, the bottom of the battery is pushed inward along the sliding bar 8 guided by the rolling wheels 9. If the battery is not fully pushed in, it continuously presses down on the damping block 51, causing the damping block 51 to move downwards and compress the compression spring 53, forming a friction pair with the moving groove 21 at its bottom. The moving plate 22, squeezed by the battery, causes the blocking post 23 to extend. When the compartment door 12 closes and pushes the blocking post 23 to slide, the friction damping significantly increases the closing resistance. Simultaneously, the damping block 51 contacts the rubber buffer strip 61 laterally, forming a stepped resistance, using tactile feedback to remind the operator that the battery is not fully inserted, preventing forceful pushing that could impact the charging interface 13. When the battery is pushed to its fully seated position, the effective pressure of the battery on the damping block 51 and the abutment plate 25 is released. The compression spring 53 lifts the damping block 51 to eliminate the friction pair, and the return spring 33 can smoothly retract the blocking post 23, allowing the compartment door 12 to close normally. After the battery is removed, the return spring 33 drives the blocking assembly 2 to reset as a whole, and the damping assembly 5 returns to its initial state, ready for the next battery replacement operation. The blocking posts 23 of varying lengths, combined with the arc-shaped surface 4, ensure smooth rotation and closure of the compartment door 12. The entire mechanism requires no electrical control; the differentiated closing resistance provides intuitive feedback on the battery's seated status, effectively avoiding problems with poor battery insertion.

[0041] 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 smart temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet, comprising a cabinet (1), a charging compartment (11) disposed within the cabinet (1), a door (12) disposed on the cabinet (1), a battery disposed within the charging compartment, a charging interface (13) disposed within the charging compartment (11), and a smart temperature control unit installed in the charging compartment (11); wherein the smart temperature control unit comprises a temperature sensor, a cooling fan, a heating element, and a temperature controller, the temperature sensor collecting the ambient temperature inside the charging compartment (11), and the temperature controller adjusting the start and stop of the cooling fan and the heating element according to the real-time temperature signal to maintain the battery inside the charging compartment (11) within a suitable operating temperature range, characterized in that, It also includes a gravity-triggered door damping unit located at the bottom of the charging compartment (11); The gravity-triggered door damping unit includes a blocking component (2) disposed in the charging compartment (11) and a damping component (5) disposed in the middle of the blocking component (2). The blocking component (2) includes a moving groove (21) opened in the charging compartment (11), a moving plate (22) disposed in the moving groove (21), two blocking posts (23) disposed on one side of the moving plate (22), and a sliding hole (24) opened inside the cabinet (1). The blocking posts (23) are slidably connected in the sliding hole (24) and a stop plate (25) fixedly connected to the top side of the moving plate (22).

2. The intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sliding hole (24) is also provided with a reset assembly (3). The reset assembly (3) includes a limiting groove (31) opened in the sliding hole (24), a limiting plate (32) set on the blocking post (23), and a reset spring (33) set on one side of the limiting plate (32). One side of the reset spring (33) is fixedly connected to the limiting groove (31), and the reset spring (33) is sleeved on the blocking post (23).

3. The intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet according to claim 2, characterized in that: One of the blocking posts (23) near the pivot direction of the door (12) is shorter than the adjacent blocking post (23), and its end has an inclined arc surface (4).

4. The intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The damping assembly (5) includes a damping block (51) disposed in the middle of the moving plate (22), pressure plates (52) symmetrically disposed on both sides of the damping block (51), compression springs (53) respectively disposed at the bottom of the pressure plates (52), and pressure grooves (54) opened on the moving plate (22), with the compression springs (53) disposed in the pressure grooves (54).

5. The intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet according to claim 4, characterized in that: The top of the damping block (51) is inclined, and one side of the bottom of the damping block (51) is horizontal, with damping grooves (55) evenly provided at the bottom.

6. The intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet according to claim 5, characterized in that: The damping block (51) is also provided with a buffer assembly (6) at the bottom. The buffer assembly (6) includes a buffer strip (61) disposed on one side of the moving groove (21). One side of the buffer strip (61) is a concave arc surface (62), and the other side of the damping block (51) is arc-shaped.

7. The intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet according to claim 6, characterized in that: The buffer strip (61) is made of rubber.

8. The intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the movable plate (22) is pushed to abut the movable groove (21), the two blocking posts (23) retract into the sliding hole (24).

9. The intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the charging compartment (11) is also provided with an alignment groove (7), and sliding bars (8) are arranged in a linear array in the alignment groove (7).

10. The intelligent temperature-controlled electric vehicle battery swapping cabinet according to claim 9, characterized in that: The gap between the sliding bar (8) is also provided with a rolling wheel (9) for reducing friction.

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