Battery transfer device and battery replacement equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a battery transfer device and battery replacement equipment, and the battery transfer device comprises a compartment body and a telescopic mechanism which is arranged in the compartment body and can telescopically move outwards, and further comprises a sliding mechanism which is arranged between the telescopic mechanism and the compartment body, so that the telescopic mechanism moves relative to the compartment body in the direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction. The battery replacing equipment adopts the battery transfer device, a battery replacing mechanism is arranged at the top of the telescopic mechanism, and the telescopic mechanism drives the battery replacing mechanism to stretch into the bottom of a battery replacing vehicle so as to replace the battery of the battery pack. According to the scheme, the battery replacing mechanism is arranged on the top face of the telescopic mechanism, so that integration of battery pack transferring and battery pack disassembling and assembling functions is achieved, the battery replacing efficiency is greatly improved, the sliding mechanism is arranged to drive the telescopic mechanism to conduct calibration movement, and the battery replacing device can adapt to different positions of battery pack mounting areas on heavy trucks with different truck lengths; errors caused by parking position deviation can be eliminated conveniently, and therefore the battery replacing precision and the battery replacing efficiency can be improved easily.

Description

[0001] This application claims the priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202410380046.4 with a filing date of March 29, 2024. This application incorporates the entire text of the above-mentioned patent application by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application belongs to the technical field of electric vehicle battery swapping, and particularly relates to a battery transfer device and a battery swapping device. Background Art

[0003] With the development and popularization of new energy vehicles, the battery pack quick swapping technology has also developed rapidly. For large vehicles, such as heavy trucks or light trucks, the vehicle body and the load weight are very large, resulting in a high demand for the battery pack capacity of large vehicles. Only a sufficiently large-capacity electric energy can support the use of large vehicles.

[0004] In the traditional battery swapping mode, large vehicles in the new energy series fix a large battery container on the vehicle's girder through a top lifting method. The battery container is set adjacent to the cab, which brings great potential safety hazards to the driver and the vehicle itself during the driving process and the top lifting battery swapping process. Moreover, if a battery fails, it will directly cause personal injury to the driver. In addition, the top lifting method has high requirements for the site of the battery swapping station. The battery swapping station needs to have a sufficiently large area to execute the transfer of the lifting equipment for the battery and the storage of the battery, resulting in a high construction cost.

[0005] Therefore, for large vehicles, there is an urgent need for a safer, more reliable, and easier-to-popularize battery swapping mode. For example, adopting the chassis-type battery swapping mode of passenger cars. In the chassis-type battery swapping mode, it is necessary to control the entire battery swapping device to move to the battery swapping position under the battery swapping vehicle, and then perform the lifting operation and the operation of disassembling or installing the battery pack to complete the entire battery swapping process. During this battery swapping process, due to the limited space at the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle, especially for heavy truck battery swapping vehicles, it is difficult to drive and park on a platform higher than the ground, making the space at the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle more restricted. If a battery swapping device is used for battery swapping, during the battery swapping process, the battery swapping device needs to carry the depleted battery pack or the fully charged battery pack to move back and forth and enter and exit the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle. To meet the power demand of heavy truck battery swapping vehicles, the battery packs are very large, which greatly limits the available space of the battery swapping device and the in-station battery storage device. In addition, the interaction of the battery pack between the existing battery swapping device and the battery storage device usually requires an additional palletizer to achieve, which further compresses the available installation space in the station and also prolongs the battery swapping process, making it difficult to effectively improve the battery swapping efficiency.

[0006] In addition, due to the large body size and body weight of heavy trucks, the range of adjustability of the body posture in a limited space is extremely small and difficult to adjust. Moreover, the operating position of the existing battery swapping equipment for battery swapping actions is usually fixed. This leads to the problem that during the actual battery swapping process, the battery swapping equipment often fails to accurately dock with the battery swapping vehicle to perform the battery swapping operation due to the offset of the parking position of the battery swapping vehicle.

[0007] It can be seen that there are many drawbacks in the existing technology, which need to be further improved. Summary of the Utility Model

[0008] The present application provides a battery transfer device and a battery swapping equipment to solve at least one of the above technical problems.

[0009] The technical solution adopted by the present application is as follows:

[0010] In a first aspect, the present application provides a battery transfer device, including a box body and a telescopic mechanism disposed in the box body and capable of telescoping outwards. The battery transfer device further includes a sliding mechanism disposed between the telescopic mechanism and the box body, so that the telescopic mechanism moves relative to the box body in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction.

[0011] In the above solution, the box body is used to support and fix the telescopic mechanism. The telescopic mechanism is used to extend out of the box body to take the depleted battery removed from the electric vehicle and place it in the battery compartment for charging, and to take the fully charged battery in the battery compartment for installation on the electric vehicle. By setting the sliding mechanism to drive the telescopic mechanism to perform calibration movement, it can adapt to the different positions of the battery pack installation areas on heavy trucks with different vehicle lengths, which is beneficial to improving the versatility of the battery swapping equipment in the present application. Moreover, since the sliding mechanism is disposed between the fixed part and the box body, the installation space inside the box body can be fully utilized. At the same time, it is also convenient to eliminate the position error between the telescopic mechanism and the battery pack installation area of the heavy truck caused by the offset of the parking position and to facilitate the taking and placing of batteries at different positions in the battery compartment, thus being beneficial to improving the battery swapping accuracy and efficiency.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, the sliding mechanism includes a fixed part disposed in the box body in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction and a movable part movably disposed on the fixed part. The telescopic mechanism includes a fixed part connected to the fixed part or the movable part and a telescopic part movably connected to the fixed part.

[0013] In the above solution, through the cooperation of the fixed part and the moving part, the telescopic mechanism realizes the function of moving relative to the box body in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction. The telescopic mechanism is provided with a fixed part, and the fixed part moves along a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction between the box body through a sliding mechanism, thereby driving the entire telescopic mechanism to move relative to the box body in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction. The fixed part is provided with a telescopic part, and the telescopic part can extend out of the box body to pick up and place the battery. The telescopic movement function of the telescopic mechanism is realized by the movable connection between the telescopic part and the fixed part. At the same time, in the above solution, the sliding mechanism is arranged between the box body and the telescopic mechanism, which can make full use of the installation space of the box body, and in this setting method, the telescopic mechanism is always located directly below the telescopic mechanism, which is beneficial to maintaining balance when the telescopic mechanism carries the battery pack.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, the battery transfer device further includes a guiding mechanism arranged between the box body and the telescopic mechanism. The guiding mechanism includes a pair of guide rails and sliders, and one of the guide rails and the sliders is fixed to the box body, and the other is fixed to the telescopic mechanism.

[0015] In the above solution, through the arrangement of the guiding mechanism, the stability of the telescopic mechanism for calibrating the moving path can be ensured, which is beneficial to improving the accuracy of the calibration movement, so that the telescopic mechanism can accurately align with the heavy truck battery installation area and complete the battery swapping work accurately and efficiently.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, the fixed part is a rack with a preset length, the moving part is a gear, the gear is arranged on the telescopic mechanism, the rack is arranged on the box body, and the sliding mechanism further includes a driving motor arranged on the telescopic mechanism for driving the gear to rotate.

[0017] In the above solution, the rack is fixed on the box body, the gear is fixed on the telescopic mechanism, the gear and the rack are meshed, and a driving motor is arranged on the telescopic mechanism to drive the gear to rotate. When the gear rotates, a mutual force is generated with the rack. Since the rack is fixed, the gear drives the telescopic mechanism to move relative to the box body in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction. Moreover, the meshing of the above-mentioned gear and rack has the advantage of high transmission accuracy, and at the same time, the driving motor also has the characteristics of fast response speed and convenient control, which is beneficial to realizing precise control of the movement of the sliding mechanism to ensure that the telescopic mechanism can be accurately aligned with the battery pack installation area of the battery swapping vehicle; the cooperation between the above-mentioned gear and rack is simple and compact, especially the height dimension in the vertical direction is small, which is beneficial to reducing the height of the equipment to better meet the battery swapping needs of heavy trucks.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, the driving motor is connected to the adjacent fixing part through a fixed mounting plate. The fixed mounting plate is provided with mounting holes, and the rotating shaft of the driving motor passes through the mounting holes to be connected to the gear; the bottom of the box body includes a cross beam arranged along a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism. The rack is fixedly connected to the cross beam, and the extending direction of the rack is perpendicular to the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism. The driving motor drives the gear to rotate so that it moves relative to the rack, thereby driving the telescopic mechanism to move synchronously.

[0019] In the above solution, the box body adopts a frame structure, which can ensure its structural strength and load-bearing capacity while being beneficial to reducing the self-weight of the box body. And adopting a frame structure is convenient for increasing the available installation height inside the box body in the vertical direction, which is beneficial to reducing the overall height of the equipment to better meet the heavy truck battery swapping requirements. At the same time, it is also convenient for the fixed installation of the telescopic mechanism and / or the sliding mechanism, reducing the use of additional fasteners to further reduce the weight; the extending direction of the rack is perpendicular to the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism. When the gear rotates, it can only move in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction, thereby driving the telescopic mechanism to also move in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction; adopting the above setting method can also make full use of the installation space under the box body and on the cross beam, reducing the occupation of the vertical installation space to facilitate the interaction of the telescopic mechanism with other devices and equipment such as battery swapping vehicles for battery packs; and by fixing the rack on the inner side wall of the cross beam, it is also beneficial to shorten the transmission distance between the gear and the driving motor, thereby being beneficial to reducing the fatigue failure rate of the motor output shaft / transmission shaft and extending its service life, and at the same time, a more silent effect can also be obtained.

[0020] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, both ends of the fixing part are slidably connected to the cross beam through the guiding mechanism. Both ends of the fixing part are located above the cross beam, and the lower part of the fixing part includes a downwardly protruding limiting base, and both ends of the limiting base are clamped between the two cross beams.

[0021] In the above solution, the sliding connection between the fixing part and the cross beam is realized through the setting of the guiding mechanism to facilitate the movement of the telescopic mechanism in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction, and the movement trajectory of the telescopic mechanism can also be restricted through the cooperation of the guiding mechanism and the cross beam; through the setting of the limiting base and its cooperation with the cross beam, it can be ensured that the telescopic mechanism can only move in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction, thereby further stabilizing the movement trajectory of the telescopic mechanism and preventing angle deviation, which affects the accuracy of battery taking and placing.

[0022] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, the fixed mounting plate is arranged between two adjacent limiting bases, and both ends of the fixed mounting plate are respectively connected to the limiting bases.

[0023] In the above solution, arranging the fixed mounting plate between the limiting bases can make full use of the installation space of the telescopic mechanism and the lower part of the box body, and adopting this setting method for the fixed mounting plate can also strengthen the fixed part structure and improve the structural strength of the fixed part.

[0024] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, positioning grooves facing the fixed part are provided on both of the cross beams, at least part of the guide rail is located in the positioning grooves, the slider is fixedly connected to the fixed part, and the slider is slidably matched with the guide rail.

[0025] In the above solution, by arranging positioning grooves on the cross beams for fixing the guiding mechanism, the relative movement track between the telescopic mechanism and the box body is limited. Placing part or all of the guide rail in the guiding mechanism in the positioning grooves can effectively reduce the overall thickness of the box body and the telescopic mechanism while improving the strength of the box body. The telescopic mechanism can move in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction through the sliding cooperation between the slider fixed on the fixed part and the guide rail.

[0026] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, the positioning groove is a C-shaped groove provided on the cross beam and opening towards the fixed part, the guide rail is arranged on the bottom wall of the C-shaped groove, the slider is fixed on the fixed part and is slidably matched with the guide rail, and the slider is accommodated inside the C-shaped groove.

[0027] By arranging the C-shaped groove, while ensuring the structural strength and load-bearing capacity of the cross beam, the available installation space of the cross beam is increased and weight reduction is also achieved; accommodating the guiding assembly in the C-shaped groove directly avoids occupying more vertical installation space during the installation of the guiding assembly, which is beneficial to reducing the height of the equipment to better meet the requirements of heavy truck battery swapping; and the C-shaped groove can also provide protection for the guiding assembly, which is beneficial to the long-term stable operation of the guiding assembly.

[0028] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, along the vertical direction, the lowest points of the limiting base, the fixed mounting plate and the driving motor are not lower than the lowest point of the cross beam; the limiting base further includes matching parts arranged at both ends of the limiting base, the matching parts extend to the upper part of the C-shaped groove, and the sliders are arranged at the lower parts of the matching parts.

[0029] In the above solution, adopting the above structure is beneficial to reducing the overall height of the equipment, so as to better meet the needs of heavy truck battery swapping. At the same time, the guiding assembly is accommodated in the C-shaped groove through the above structure; meanwhile, the matching parts extending to the upper part of the C-shaped groove also facilitate the cross beam to directly bear the limiting base when the guiding assembly fails, avoiding the telescopic mechanism and the battery pack it carries from directly falling and being damaged.

[0030] In a second aspect, the present application further provides a battery swapping device, which includes the battery transfer device described above.

[0031] In the above solution, by adopting the aforementioned battery transfer device, the battery swapping device in this solution can flexibly adapt to the parking position error of the battery swapping vehicle and facilitate the taking and placing of batteries at different positions in the battery compartment, thereby being beneficial to improving the battery swapping accuracy and efficiency of the entire battery swapping device and enhancing the versatility of the battery swapping device in this solution.

[0032] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, the battery swapping device further includes a battery swapping mechanism disposed on the top surface of the telescopic mechanism, and the telescopic mechanism drives the battery swapping mechanism to extend under the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle to swap the battery pack.

[0033] In the above solution, by arranging the battery swapping mechanism on the top surface of the telescopic mechanism, the integration of the battery pack transfer function and the battery pack disassembly and assembly function is achieved, avoiding the need to separately set up a battery pack disassembly and assembly device or manually disassemble and assemble the battery pack, greatly improving the battery swapping efficiency, reducing the labor intensity and safety risks.

[0034] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, the battery swapping mechanism includes a floating battery tray and unlocking pins provided on the battery tray;

[0035] The battery tray extends under the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle through the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism, and the unlocking pins unlock or lock the battery pack with the lifting of the battery tray and the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism.

[0036] In the above solution, since the battery tray is of a floating design, the floating characteristic of the battery tray allows it to adapt to the shapes and states of the chassis of different battery swapping vehicles, maintain close contact with the bottom of the vehicle, thereby achieving stable support of the battery pack. The unlocking pins are in contact with the unlocking points of the battery pack with the lifting of the battery tray and the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism, thereby unlocking or locking the battery pack, improving the accuracy and efficiency of the disassembly and assembly of the battery pack.

[0037] Due to the adoption of the above technical solutions, the beneficial effects obtained by the present application are as follows:

[0038] 1. By adopting the above solution, chassis-based battery swapping of heavy trucks can be realized. Compared with the existing top-hanging battery swapping method, the requirements of the battery swapping station for the site and equipment are greatly reduced, and the land cost and equipment cost are greatly reduced. At the same time, it can also directly avoid the large safety hazards brought to the driver and the vehicle itself by setting the battery container adjacent to the cab.

[0039] 2. In the above solution, by setting the sliding mechanism to drive the telescopic mechanism to perform calibration movement, it can adapt to the different positions of the battery pack installation area on heavy trucks with different vehicle lengths, which is beneficial to improving the versatility of the battery swapping device in this application. And the sliding mechanism is arranged between the fixed part and the box body, which can make full use of the installation space inside the box body. At the same time, it is also convenient to eliminate the position error between the telescopic mechanism and the battery pack installation area of the heavy truck caused by the offset of the parking position, and it is convenient to pick up and place the batteries at different positions in the battery compartment, thus being beneficial to improving the battery swapping accuracy and efficiency.

[0040] 3. In the above solution, the battery swapping device in this application integrates the functions of battery transfer and battery swapping operation, eliminating the need for a palletizer and a separate battery swapping mechanism in the station. Compared with the existing battery swapping stations for passenger car chassis type battery swapping, it also saves the equipment costs of the palletizer and the separate battery swapping mechanism. At the same time, through the lifting and rotation of the box body, the battery transfer device in this application can accurately and efficiently complete the interaction of the battery pack with the battery racks at any position on its periphery and the battery compartments at any height on the battery racks, greatly improving the transfer efficiency of the battery pack and thus the battery swapping efficiency. Adopting the above solution is also beneficial to the flexible layout of the battery racks in the battery swapping station, which can make full use of the installation space in the station, improve the space utilization rate, and reduce the requirements for the site space. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and form a part of the present application. The schematic embodiments and descriptions thereof of the present application are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation to the present application. In the drawings:

[0042] Figure 1 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of the battery transfer device in an example;

[0043] Figure 2 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of the battery swapping mechanism and the bottom of the box body in an example;

[0044] Figure 3 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of the battery swapping mechanism, the sliding mechanism and the box body in an example;

[0045] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the support frame and the box body in an example;

[0046] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the battery transfer device in another example;

[0047] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery swapping mechanism in another example;

[0048] Figure 7 It is an enlarged partial structural diagram of the battery swapping mechanism in another example;

[0049] Figure 8 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of the battery swapping sliding mechanism in an example;

[0050] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the battery racks in an example;

[0051] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the battery racks in another example.

[0052] List of components and reference numerals:

[0053] 1 Battery transfer device, 11 Column, 12 Compartment, 121 Telescopic mechanism, 1211 Fixed part, 12111 Fixed mounting plate, 12112 Limit base, 1212 Telescopic part, 122 Cross beam, 1221 Positioning groove, 13 Moving assembly, 131 Slewing bearing, 141 Fixing piece, 142 Moving piece, 143 Driving motor, 151 Guide rail, 152 Slide block, 161 Battery tray, 1611 Unlocking pin, 162 Bracket, 1621 Bracket cross beam, 16211 Hanging lug plate, 1622 Bracket longitudinal beam, 171 Sliding driving motor, 1721 Driving gear, 1722 Driven gear, 1723 Rack;

[0054] 2 Battery rack. Detailed implementation manners

[0055] In order to more clearly illustrate the overall concept of the present application, the following will be described in detail by way of examples in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the specification.

[0056] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. However, the present application may be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below. It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments of the present application and the features in each embodiment may be combined with each other.

[0057] In addition, in the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0058] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified or limited, terms such as "installed", "connected", "coupled", "fixed", etc. shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be the internal communication of two components or the interaction relationship between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0059] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified or limited, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature can be that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are indirectly in contact through an intermediate medium. In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0060] Referring to Figures 1-10 As shown, this application provides a battery transfer device 1 and a battery swapping device that employs the battery transfer device 1. The battery transfer device 1 includes a box body 12 and a telescopic mechanism 121 disposed inside the box body 12 and capable of telescoping outwards. The battery transfer device 1 further includes a sliding mechanism disposed between the telescopic mechanism 121 and the box body 12, so that the telescopic mechanism 121 moves relative to the box body 12 in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction. On the basis of adopting the above battery device, a battery swapping mechanism is provided on the top surface of the telescopic mechanism 121, and the telescopic mechanism 121 drives the battery swapping mechanism to extend into the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle to perform the battery swapping operation. In the above solution, the functions of battery transfer and battery swapping operation of the battery swapping device eliminate the need for setting a palletizer and a separate battery swapping mechanism in the station, and also save the equipment costs of the palletizer and the separate battery swapping mechanism compared with the existing battery swapping station for passenger car chassis type battery swapping. At the same time, in the above solution, the sliding mechanism disposed between the fixed part 1211 and the box body 12 can make full use of the installation space inside the box body 12. By setting the sliding mechanism to drive the telescopic mechanism 121 to perform calibration movement, it can adapt to the different positions of the battery pack installation area on heavy trucks with different vehicle lengths, facilitate eliminating the position error between the telescopic mechanism 121 and the heavy truck battery pack installation area caused by the offset of the parking position, and facilitate taking and placing batteries at different positions in the battery compartment, thereby being beneficial to improving the battery swapping accuracy and efficiency and being beneficial to improving the versatility of the battery swapping device in this application.

[0061] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, the battery transfer device 1 in the present application further includes a support frame. The support frame includes a plurality of columns 11 arranged on the peripheral side of the box body 12, and further includes a moving component 13 arranged on the columns 11 and capable of lifting and moving relative to the columns 11 in the vertical direction. The box body 12 is rotatably connected to the lower part of the moving component 13 through a slewing bearing 131, so that the box body 12 can rotate relative to the moving component 13 to adjust the orientations of the telescopic mechanism 121 and the battery swapping mechanism. Through the lifting and rotation of the box body 12, the battery transfer device 1 in the present application can accurately and efficiently complete the interaction of battery packs with the battery racks 2 at any position on its peripheral side and the battery compartments at any height on the battery racks 2, greatly improving the transfer efficiency of the battery packs and thus the battery swapping efficiency. Adopting the above solution is also beneficial to the flexible arrangement of the battery racks 2 in the battery swapping station, can make full use of the installation space in the station, further improve the space utilization rate, and reduce the requirements for the site space. For example, in one example, referring to Figure 9 As shown, three rows of battery racks 2 are arranged in a triangular shape on the peripheral side of the battery transfer device 1. Adopting this arrangement makes the box body 12 in the battery transfer device 1 of the present application can fix the single rotation angle, that is, it can achieve an accurate turn with a single rotation of 90°, which is more convenient for controlling the rotation of the box body 12; and adopting this arrangement, the layout of the battery racks 3 is simple, without additional workload such as space measurement and installation angle calculation. In another example, referring to Figure 10 As shown, multiple rows of battery racks 3 are arranged in a polygonal shape around the peripheral side of the aforementioned battery transfer device 1. Adopting this arrangement, the layout of the battery racks 3 is more flexible and more conducive to expanding the storage capacity of the battery storage device. At the same time, adopting the above layout can also make full use of the installation space inside the battery swapping station and improve the space utilization rate; in addition, adopting the above layout can also make the box body 12 in the battery transfer device 1 of the present application can fix the single rotation angle, but it requires precise space measurement and installation angle calculation, and the installation difficulty is relatively higher, and the installation process is relatively more time-consuming and laborious. It should also be noted that the layout of the battery racks 3 on the peripheral side of the battery transfer device 1 in the present application is not limited to the above examples. The above examples are only some preferred examples of the present application, and other more different battery rack layout methods can also be adopted. The present application does not make specific limitations on this either.

[0062] Furthermore, referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the sliding mechanism includes a fixing member 141 arranged in the box body 12 along a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction and a moving member 142 movably arranged on the fixing member 141. The telescopic mechanism 121 includes a fixing part 1211 connected to the fixing member 141 or the moving member 142 and a telescopic part 1212 movably connected to the fixing part 1211.

[0063] In the above solution, through the cooperation of the fixing member 141 and the moving member 142, the telescopic mechanism 121 realizes the function of moving relative to the box body 12 in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction. The telescopic mechanism 121 is provided with a fixing portion 1211. The fixing portion 1211 moves in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction between the box body 12 through a sliding mechanism, thereby driving the entire telescopic mechanism 121 to move relative to the box body 12 in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction. The fixing portion 1211 is provided with a telescopic portion 1212. The telescopic portion 1212 can extend out of the box body 12 to pick up and place the battery. The telescopic movement function of the telescopic mechanism 121 is realized by the movable connection between the telescopic portion 1212 and the fixing portion 1211. At the same time, in the above solution, the sliding mechanism is arranged between the box body 12 and the telescopic mechanism 121, which can make full use of the installation space of the box body 12, and in this setting method, the telescopic mechanism 121 is always located directly below the telescopic mechanism 121, which is beneficial to maintaining balance when the telescopic mechanism 121 carries the battery pack.

[0064] Preferably, referring to Figure 4 As shown, the battery transfer device 1 further includes a guiding mechanism arranged between the box body 12 and the telescopic mechanism 121. The guiding mechanism includes a pair of guide rails 151 and sliders 152. One of the guide rails 151 and the sliders 152 is fixed to the box body 12, and the other is fixed to the telescopic mechanism 121. In the above solution, through the setting of the guiding mechanism, the stability of the calibration movement path of the telescopic mechanism 121 can be ensured, which is beneficial to improving the accuracy of the calibration movement, so that the telescopic mechanism 121 can accurately align with the heavy truck battery installation area and complete the battery swapping work accurately and efficiently.

[0065] In one example, referring to Figure 3 As shown, the fixing member 141 is a rack with a preset length, the moving member 142 is a gear, the gear is arranged on the telescopic mechanism 121, the rack is arranged on the box body 12, and the sliding mechanism further includes a driving motor 143 arranged on the telescopic mechanism 121 for driving the gear to rotate. Continuing to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the driving motor 143 is connected to the adjacent fixing portion 1211 through a fixed mounting plate 12111. The fixed mounting plate 12111 is provided with mounting holes. The rotating shaft of the driving motor 143 passes through the mounting holes and is connected to the gear. The bottom of the box body 12 includes a cross beam 122 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism 121. The rack is fixedly connected to the cross beam 122, and the extending direction of the rack is perpendicular to the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism 121. By driving the gear to rotate by the driving motor 143, the gear moves relative to the rack, thereby driving the telescopic mechanism 121 to move synchronously.

[0066] In the above solution, the rack is fixed on the box body 12, the gear is fixed on the telescopic mechanism 121, the gear and the rack are meshed, and a driving motor 143 is arranged on the telescopic mechanism 121 to drive the gear to rotate. When the gear rotates, a mutual force is generated with the rack. Since the rack is fixed, the gear drives the telescopic mechanism 121 to move relative to the box body 12 in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction. Moreover, the meshing of the above-mentioned gear and rack has the advantage of high transmission accuracy. At the same time, the driving motor 143 also has the characteristics of fast response speed and convenient control, which is conducive to realizing the precise control of the sliding mechanism action to ensure that the telescopic mechanism 121 can be accurately aligned with the battery pack installation area of the battery swapping vehicle. The cooperation between the above-mentioned gear and rack is simple and compact, especially the height dimension in the vertical direction is small, which is conducive to reducing the height of the equipment to better meet the battery swapping needs of heavy trucks. At the same time, in the above solution, the box body 12 adopts a frame structure, which is conducive to reducing the self-weight of the box body 12 while ensuring its structural strength and load-bearing capacity. And adopting a frame structure is convenient for increasing the available installation height inside the box body 12 in the vertical direction, which is conducive to reducing the overall height of the equipment to better meet the battery swapping requirements of heavy trucks, and is also convenient for the fixed installation of the telescopic mechanism 121 and / or the sliding mechanism, reducing the use of additional fasteners to further reduce the weight. In addition, adopting the above setting method can also make full use of the installation space under the box body 12 and on the cross beam 122, reducing the occupation of the vertical installation space to facilitate the interaction of the battery pack between the telescopic mechanism 121 and other devices and equipment such as battery swapping vehicles. And by fixing the rack on the inner side wall of the cross beam 122, it is also conducive to shortening the transmission distance between the gear and the driving motor 143, thereby being conducive to reducing the fatigue failure rate of the motor output shaft / drive shaft and prolonging its service life. At the same time, a more silent effect can also be obtained.

[0067] Further, referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 as shown, both ends of the fixing part 1211 are slidably connected to the cross beam 122 through a guiding mechanism. Both ends of the fixing part 1211 are located above the cross beam 122. The lower part of the fixing part 1211 includes a downwardly protruding limiting base 12112, and both ends of the limiting base 12112 are clamped between the two cross beams 122. In one example, continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 as shown, a fixed mounting plate 12111 is arranged between two adjacent limiting bases 12112, and both ends of the fixed mounting plate 12111 are respectively connected to the limiting bases 12112.

[0068] In the above solution, the sliding connection between the fixed part 1211 and the cross beam 122 is realized through the setting of the guiding mechanism, so as to facilitate the movement of the telescopic mechanism 121 in the direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction. And the movement track of the telescopic mechanism 121 can also be restricted through the cooperation between the guiding mechanism and the cross beam 122. Through the setting of the limit base 12112 and its cooperation with the cross beam 122, it can be ensured that the telescopic mechanism 121 can only move in the direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction, thereby further stabilizing the movement track of the telescopic mechanism 121 and preventing angular deviation, which affects the accuracy of battery picking and placing. And setting the fixed mounting plate 12111 between the limit bases 12112 can make full use of the installation space of the telescopic mechanism 121 and the lower part of the box body 12. Using this setting method, the fixed mounting plate 12111 can also strengthen the structure of the fixed part 1211 and improve the structural strength of the fixed part 1211.

[0069] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, referring to Figure 1 shown in the figure, positioning grooves 1221 facing the fixed part 1211 are provided on both cross beams 122. The guide rail 151 is at least partially located in the positioning groove 1221. The slider 152 is fixedly connected to the fixed part 1211, and the slider 152 is slidably matched with the guide rail 151. By providing the positioning groove 1221 on the cross beam 122, the guiding mechanism is fixed to define the relative movement track between the telescopic mechanism 121 and the box body 12. Placing part or all of the guide rail 151 in the guiding mechanism in the positioning groove 1221 can effectively reduce the overall thickness of the box body 12 and the telescopic mechanism 121 while enhancing the strength of the box body 12. Through the sliding cooperation between the slider 152 fixed on the fixed part 1211 and the guide rail 151, the telescopic mechanism 121 can move in the direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction. Preferably, continue to refer to Figure 1 shown in the figure, the positioning groove 1221 is a C-shaped groove provided on the cross beam 122 and opening towards the fixed part 1211. The guide rail 151 is arranged on the bottom wall of the C-shaped groove. The slider 152 is fixed on the fixed part 1211 and is slidably matched with the guide rail 151, and the slider 152 is accommodated inside the C-shaped groove. By setting the C-shaped groove, while ensuring the structural strength and bearing capacity of the cross beam 122, the available installation space of the cross beam 122 is increased and weight reduction is also achieved. Accommodating the guiding component in the C-shaped groove directly avoids occupying more vertical installation space during the installation of the guiding component, which is beneficial to reducing the height of the equipment to better meet the requirements of heavy truck battery replacement. And the C-shaped groove can also provide protection for the guiding component, which is beneficial to the long-term stable operation of the guiding component.

[0070] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, during the actual assembly and use process, along the vertical direction, the lowest point heights of the limit base 12112, the fixed mounting plate 12111, and the driving motor 143 are not lower than the lowest point height of the cross beam 122; the limit base 12112 further includes mating portions provided at both ends of the limit base 12112, the mating portions extend to the upper part of the C-shaped groove, and sliders 152 are provided at the lower parts of the mating portions. Adopting the above structure is beneficial to reducing the overall height of the equipment, so as to better meet the needs of heavy truck battery swapping. At the same time, the guiding assembly is accommodated in the C-shaped groove through the above structure; meanwhile, the mating portions extending to the upper part of the C-shaped groove also facilitate the cross beam 122 to directly bear the limit base 12112 when the guiding assembly fails, avoiding the telescopic mechanism 121 and the battery pack it carries from directly falling and being damaged.

[0071] Further, referring to Figure 1 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 as shown, the battery swapping mechanism includes a floating battery tray 161 and an unlocking pin 1611 provided on the battery tray 161; the battery tray 161 extends into the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle through the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism 121, and the unlocking pin 1611 realizes the unlocking or locking of the battery pack with the lifting and lowering of the battery tray 161 and the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism 121. Since the battery tray 161 is of a floating design, the floating characteristic of the battery tray 161 allows it to adapt to the shapes and states of different battery swapping vehicle chassis, maintain close contact with the vehicle bottom, so as to realize the stable support of the battery pack. The unlocking pin 1611 realizes the abutment with the unlocking point of the battery pack with the lifting and lowering of the battery tray 161 and the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism 121, thereby unlocking or locking the battery pack, improving the disassembly and assembly accuracy and efficiency of the battery pack.

[0072] As a preferred embodiment of the present application, the battery swapping device in the present application further includes a battery swapping sliding mechanism provided between the battery swapping mechanism and the telescopic mechanism 121, so that the battery swapping mechanism moves on the telescopic mechanism 121 in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction. In one example, referring to Figure 6 and Figure 8As shown, the power-swapping mechanism is arranged on the telescopic mechanism 121 through a bracket 162. Along the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism 121, the bracket 162 includes two bracket cross beams 1621 arranged side by side. The bracket cross beam 1621 is perpendicular to the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism 121. The two bracket cross beams 1621 are connected by two bracket longitudinal beams 1622. The power-swapping mechanism is arranged in a space surrounded by the two bracket cross beams 1621 and the two bracket longitudinal beams 1622. Both ends of the bracket cross beam 1621 are connected with hanging ear plates. The bracket cross beam 1621 sinks relative to the hanging ear plates, and the hanging ear plates are hung and fixed on the top of the telescopic mechanism 121. The battery-exchanging mechanism is mounted on two bracket beams 1621, and the battery-exchanging sliding mechanism includes a sliding drive motor 171 and a rack and pinion mechanism. The gears of the rack and pinion mechanism are connected to the output shaft of the sliding drive motor 171, and the rack 1723 of the rack and pinion mechanism is installed on the bracket beam 1621. The gears of the rack and pinion mechanism include a driving gear 1721 and a driven gear 1722. The driving gear 1721 is connected to the output shaft of the sliding drive motor 171, and the driven gear 1722 is respectively meshed with the driving gear 1721 and the rack 1723, thereby driving the battery-exchanging mechanism to move through the sliding drive motor 171. Preferably, two racks 1723 and two driven gears 1722 are provided, respectively. The two racks 1723 are respectively provided on the inner side walls of the two bracket cross beams 1621. The two driven gears 1722 are connected to the sliding drive motor 171 through a synchronous shaft. The synchronous shaft is connected to the battery exchange mechanism. The sliding drive motor 171 is connected to the upper part of the rack 1723 located on the inner side. The arrangement of the above-mentioned battery exchange sliding mechanism enables the battery exchange mechanism to continue to make calibration movements relative to the telescopic mechanism 121 on the basis of the calibration movement of the telescopic mechanism 121 relative to the car body 12, so as to better adapt to the different positions of the battery pack installation area on heavy trucks of different vehicle lengths and the position error between the battery exchange mechanism and the battery pack installation area of ​​the heavy truck caused by the parking position offset, which is conducive to further improving the accuracy and efficiency of battery exchange.

[0073] Anything not described in this application can be achieved by adopting or drawing on existing technologies.

[0074] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments.

[0075] The above is only an embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included in the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A battery transfer device, comprising: A box body and a telescopic mechanism disposed inside the box body and capable of telescoping outwards and moving. It is characterized in that the battery transfer device further includes a sliding mechanism disposed between the telescopic mechanism and the box body, so that the telescopic mechanism moves relative to the box body in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction.

2. The battery transfer device according to claim 1, wherein The sliding mechanism includes a fixed member disposed inside the box body in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction and a movable member movably disposed on the fixed member. The telescopic mechanism includes a fixed portion connected to the fixed member or the movable member and a telescopic portion movably connected to the fixed portion.

3. The battery transfer device according to claim 2, wherein, The battery transfer device further includes a guiding mechanism disposed between the box body and the telescopic mechanism. The guiding mechanism includes a pair of guide rails and sliders. One of the guide rails and the sliders is fixed to the box body, and the other is fixed to the telescopic mechanism.

4. A battery transfer device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fixed member is a rack with a preset length, the movable member is a gear, the gear is disposed on the telescopic mechanism, the rack is disposed on the box body, and the sliding mechanism further includes a driving motor disposed on the telescopic mechanism for driving the gear to rotate.

5. A battery transfer device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The driving motor is connected to the adjacent fixed portion through a fixed mounting plate. The fixed mounting plate is provided with mounting holes. The rotating shaft of the driving motor passes through the mounting holes and is connected to the gear. The bottom of the box body includes a cross beam disposed in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism. The rack is fixedly connected to the cross beam. The extending direction of the rack is perpendicular to the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism. By driving the gear to rotate by the driving motor, it moves relative to the rack, thereby driving the telescopic mechanism to move synchronously.

6. A battery transfer device according to claim 5, characterized in that, Both ends of the fixed portion are slidably connected to the cross beam through the guiding mechanism. Both ends of the fixed portion are located above the cross beam. The lower part of the fixed portion includes a downwardly protruding limiting base, and both ends of the limiting base are clamped between the two cross beams.

7. A battery transfer device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The fixed mounting plate is disposed between two adjacent limiting bases, and both ends of the fixed mounting plate are respectively connected to the limiting bases.

8. A battery transfer device according to claim 6, characterized in that, Both of the two cross beams are provided with positioning grooves facing the fixed portion. At least part of the guide rail is located in the positioning groove. The slider is fixedly connected to the fixed portion, and the slider is slidably engaged with the guide rail.

9. The battery transfer device according to claim 8, characterized in that The positioning groove is a C-shaped groove disposed on the cross beam and opening towards the fixed portion. The guide rail is disposed on the bottom wall of the C-shaped groove. The slider is fixed to the fixed portion and is slidably engaged with the guide rail, and the slider is accommodated inside the C-shaped groove.

10. The battery transfer device according to claim 9, wherein, In the vertical direction, the lowest points of the limiting base, the fixed mounting plate, and the driving motor are not lower than the lowest point of the cross beam. The limiting base further includes matching portions disposed at both ends of the limiting base. The matching portions extend to the upper part of the C-shaped groove, and the lower part of the matching portion is provided with the slider.

11. An electricity replacement device, characterized in that, Including the battery transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The battery swapping device according to claim 11, wherein, The battery swapping device further includes a battery swapping mechanism disposed on the top surface of the telescopic mechanism, and the telescopic mechanism drives the battery swapping mechanism to extend into the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle to swap the battery pack.

13. A battery swapping device according to claim 12, wherein The battery swapping mechanism includes a floating battery tray and unlocking pins provided on the battery tray; The battery tray extends into the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle through the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism, and the unlocking pins unlock or lock the battery pack with the lifting of the battery tray and the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism.

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