Battery replacement equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses battery replacing equipment which comprises a telescopic mechanism and a battery tray arranged on the telescopic mechanism in a floatable mode, an unlocking pin is arranged on the battery tray, and the battery tray stretches into the bottom of a battery replacing vehicle through telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism. And the unlocking pin realizes unlocking or locking of the battery pack along with the lifting of the battery tray and the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism. According to the battery replacing equipment, the battery tray and the unlocking pin, battery replacing is conducted from the side face of the battery replacing vehicle through the telescopic mechanism, the situation that the whole battery replacing equipment enters the lower portion of the battery replacing vehicle to occupy the space below the vehicle is avoided, more operation space is provided for dismounting or mounting of a battery pack, arrangement of the power mechanism is optimized, and the battery replacing efficiency is improved. The battery replacing efficiency is improved, the battery replacing operation is simpler, more convenient and faster, the whole telescopic mechanism has the functions of battery dismounting, battery mounting and battery transferring, and it can be ensured that the battery pack is rapidly and safely replaced.

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 relates to the technical field of battery swapping stations, and specifically to 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 of electric energy can support the use of large vehicles.

[0004] In the traditional battery swapping mode, large vehicles in the new energy series all fix a relatively large battery container on the vehicle's beam through overhead lifting. The battery container is set adjacent to the driver's cab, which brings great safety hazards to the driver and the vehicle itself during driving and overhead battery swapping; moreover, if the battery fails, etc., it will directly cause personal injury to the driver. In addition, the overhead lifting method has high requirements for the site of the battery swapping station, and the battery swapping station needs to have a sufficiently large area to execute the transfer of the lifting equipment for the battery and store the battery, etc., 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 below 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 below the body of the battery swapping vehicle, especially for heavy truck battery swapping vehicles, etc., it is difficult to drive and park on a platform higher than the ground, making the space below the body 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 or the fully charged battery 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 results in a great limitation of the available space of the battery swapping device. At this time, if the available space of the battery swapping device is to be increased, the battery swapping device can only move in the space sunken from the ground. Due to the multiple drives of the heavy truck battery swapping vehicle before and after battery swapping, this will inevitably lead to an unreliable ground structure in this way, which is difficult to bear the multiple loads of the battery swapping vehicle, reducing the service life of the equipment structure and also posing a safety hazard to the battery swapping vehicle.

[0006] It can be seen that there are many drawbacks in the prior art and need to be further improved and enhanced. Summary of the Utility Model

[0007] The present application provides a battery swapping device. The battery tray extends under the battery swapping vehicle through the telescopic movement of a telescopic mechanism. The unlocking pin realizes the unlocking or locking of the battery pack with the lifting of the battery tray and the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism, so as to perform battery swapping from the side of the battery swapping vehicle, avoiding the occupation of the space under the vehicle caused by the whole battery swapping device entering under the vehicle, providing more operating space for the disassembly or installation of the battery pack, and solving at least one aspect of the technical problems existing in the background art.

[0008] The technical solution adopted by the present application is as follows:

[0009] A battery swapping device, comprising a telescopic mechanism and a battery tray movably arranged on the telescopic mechanism in a floating manner. An unlocking pin is arranged on the battery tray. The battery tray extends under the battery swapping vehicle through the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism, and the unlocking pin realizes the unlocking or locking of the battery pack with the lifting of the battery tray and the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism.

[0010] In this technical solution, the battery tray is used to support the battery pack to achieve the transfer of the battery pack inside and outside the battery swapping vehicle. For example, it can achieve the interaction between the battery pack on the battery swapping vehicle and the battery storage rack in the battery swapping station. The battery tray is arranged on the telescopic mechanism. When installing a fully charged battery, the battery tray carrying the fully charged battery enters under the vehicle body from the side of the battery swapping vehicle through the horizontal extension movement of the telescopic mechanism. After locking the fully charged battery on the battery swapping vehicle, the battery tray is withdrawn from under the vehicle body of the battery swapping vehicle through the horizontal retraction movement of the telescopic mechanism, waiting for the next battery swap, and making way for the battery swapping vehicle so that the battery swapping vehicle can drive away from the battery swapping channel or platform. When disassembling the discharged battery, the battery tray with a vacancy for supporting the battery pack enters under the vehicle body from the side of the battery swapping vehicle through the horizontal extension movement of the telescopic mechanism, unlocks and supports the discharged battery locked on the battery swapping vehicle, and then the battery tray carrying the discharged battery is withdrawn from under the vehicle body of the battery swapping vehicle through the horizontal retraction movement of the telescopic mechanism. The unlocking pin matches the locking mechanism on the battery swapping vehicle for locking the battery pack. The unlocking pin is arranged on the battery tray. When the battery tray moves up and down under the drive of an external force, the unlocking pin realizes the unlocking or locking of the battery pack with the lifting of the battery tray and the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism, improving the disassembly and assembly accuracy and efficiency of the battery pack. The battery tray and the unlocking pin perform battery swapping from the side of the battery swapping vehicle. Only by driving the battery tray and the unlocking pin under the telescopic mechanism to enter under the battery swapping vehicle can it avoid the occupation of the space under the vehicle caused by the whole battery swapping equipment entering under the battery swapping vehicle. Even when the battery swapping vehicle swaps batteries on a battery swapping platform flush with the ground, more operating space can be provided under its vehicle body for the disassembly or installation of the battery pack, making the battery swapping operation simpler and faster. Moreover, it is friendly to some battery swapping vehicles with a relatively low chassis, avoiding the reduction of service life and potential safety hazards caused by digging the ground under the battery swapping platform to create a sunken space for battery swapping. In addition, actions such as the battery tray entering and exiting under the vehicle body and unlocking and locking the battery pack are all realized through the telescopic mechanism, optimizing the setting of the power mechanism. Not only does it improve the efficiency of battery swapping, but also makes the battery swapping operation simpler and faster. The whole telescopic mechanism has the functions of battery disassembly, installation, and battery transfer, and can ensure the rapid and safe replacement of the battery pack, which is crucial for improving the use convenience and maintenance efficiency of electric vehicles. In addition, the battery tray has a floating characteristic on the telescopic mechanism, which allows the battery tray to adapt to the shapes and states of the chassis of different battery swapping vehicles, maintain close contact with the vehicle bottom, and thus achieve stable support of the battery pack, further improving the stability and safety during the battery swapping process.

[0011] Preferably, the battery swapping device further includes a bracket, the battery tray is arranged higher than the bracket, and an elastic member for enabling the battery tray to float is arranged on the bracket.

[0012] In this technical solution, the telescopic mechanism drives the battery tray and the unlocking pin to perform battery swapping from the side of the battery swapping vehicle. When the telescopic mechanism extends, since the battery tray needs to carry the battery pack, and the battery pack is an object with a large weight and size, the stability requirement for the structure under the battery tray for supporting the battery tray is relatively high. Therefore, by setting up the bracket, the bracket is used to carry the battery tray, and the bracket carries the battery tray in a large area and in multiple directions, which helps to improve the support stability. Moreover, in addition to providing an installation space for the battery tray, the bracket can also provide an installation space for other structures that assist in unlocking the battery pack, optimizing the structural layout. For the telescopic mechanism, the physical area available for carrying the battery tray is small. Therefore, by setting up the bracket, the battery tray can be integrally arranged on the bracket without being connected to the telescopic mechanism, which affects the layout of the telescopic mechanism and the smoothness of its telescopic movement. The elastic member on the bracket enables the battery tray to have a floating characteristic. The elastic member can enable the battery tray to adapt to different surfaces and pressures when contacting the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle, ensuring that the battery pack can be unlocked or locked smoothly. This structural design not only improves the efficiency of battery swapping but also ensures the simplicity of the battery swapping operation and the safe replacement of the battery pack.

[0013] Preferably, the battery swapping device further includes a support plate provided on the bracket, a sinking groove is formed on the support plate, and the battery tray is disposed in the sinking groove.

[0014] In this technical solution, the battery tray is disposed in the sinking groove. By utilizing the space in the sinking groove, the overall height of the battery tray on the support plate is reduced, making it more flattened. When the battery tray extends under the battery swapping vehicle, the space occupied in terms of height is smaller, which helps to increase the battery swapping space and further improve the adaptability to battery swapping vehicles with different chassis heights. In addition, placing the battery tray in the sinking groove on the support plate can ensure the stable position of the battery tray during the battery swapping process, preventing displacement or tilt during the process of carrying the battery pack, thereby improving the safety and reliability of battery swapping.

[0015] Preferably, the telescopic mechanism includes two telescopic forks arranged at intervals and synchronously telescoping and moving. The bracket includes two cross beams arranged at intervals along the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism and respectively connected to the top surfaces of the two telescopic forks at both ends, and a plurality of longitudinal beams connected between the two cross beams and arranged at intervals. Two edges of the support plate are respectively connected between adjacent two longitudinal beams so that the sinking groove is located in the area between the two longitudinal beams. The battery tray is floatingly connected to the support plate through the elastic member.

[0016] In this technical solution, the telescopic mechanism can achieve telescoping over a long distance through telescopic forks, improving the adaptability to battery swapping positions at different distances and different vehicle models for battery swapping. The two telescopic forks can stably support the bracket. The bracket is set as a frame structure composed of a cross beam and a longitudinal beam, with a simple structure, facilitating the installation of the pallet and the battery tray. On the basis of ensuring the structural strength and load-bearing capacity, it helps to lighten the weight of the bracket, reduce the overall weight, and thus helps to relieve the burden on the telescopic mechanism. Moreover, the space between the cross beam and the longitudinal beam provides clearance for the sinking of the pallet, enabling the sinking groove to be located within the space enclosed by the cross beam and the longitudinal beam, allowing the pallet to utilize the lower space of the bracket. Compared with the pallet being entirely higher than the bracket, it also helps to reduce the height of the position where the battery tray is located, improving the adaptability to battery swapping vehicles with different chassis heights.

[0017] Preferably, along the telescopic direction, the two pallets are movably connected between the two outermost longitudinal beams at both ends. Each of the two edges of each pallet is provided with a hanging portion, and a slider is provided on the bottom surface of the hanging portion facing the longitudinal beam. A slide rail is provided on the top surface of the longitudinal beam, and the movement of the pallet is realized through the cooperation of the slider and the slide rail to drive the battery tray to move synchronously.

[0018] In this technical solution, the pallet is mounted between the two longitudinal beams through the hanging portions at both ends, enabling the bracket to form a reliable and stable supporting effect on the pallet and the battery tray floating on the pallet. The pallet can move along the telescopic direction through the cooperation of the slider and the slide rail, and drive the battery tray floating on it to move synchronously during the movement. Therefore, in an achievable manner, the movement of the pallet and the battery tray relative to the bracket can be utilized to assist the locking and unlocking process of the battery pack on the battery swapping vehicle. For example, during the unlocking process, the telescopic mechanism drives the battery tray to perform a large-range movement under the body of the battery swapping vehicle, and drives the battery tray to a position where the unlocking pin provided thereon is allowed to unlock the battery pack. At this time, the telescopic mechanism is controlled to be in a relatively static state, and then the pallet is driven to drive the battery tray to move in a small range to take out the locking shaft on the unlocked battery pack from the locking mechanism of the battery swapping vehicle. Since the fewer the moving parts, the more conducive it is to improving the accuracy of movement, and it also helps to optimize the power structure, save energy consumption, and make the unlocking process more stable and with higher accuracy.

[0019] Preferably, the depth of the sinking groove is set to match the compression amount of the elastic member and the distance between the battery tray and the pallet.

[0020] In this technical solution, by setting the depth of the sinking groove to match the compression amount of the elastic member and the distance between the battery tray and the pallet, within the weight range of the battery pack that the battery tray is allowed to support, when the gravity of the battery pack acts fully on the battery tray, although the elastic member is compressed under the gravity of the battery tray and the battery pack, a certain distance needs to be maintained between the battery tray and the pallet to ensure that the battery tray still has a certain amount of up and down floating space to cope with emergencies such as collisions and sudden stops, and effectively protect the battery pack. Therefore, the compression amount of the elastic member should at least ensure that when in the maximum compression state, the height of the elastic member is still higher than the depth of the sinking groove, to prevent the top end of the elastic member from being hidden in the sinking groove and unable to elastically support the battery tray. On this basis, the compression amount of the elastic member determines the difference between the maximum distance and the minimum distance between the battery tray and the pallet. Therefore, when the elastic member is in the maximum compression state and the height of the elastic member is still higher than the depth of the sinking groove, the battery tray and the pallet are in the minimum distance state. At this time, since the height of the elastic member is still higher than the depth of the sinking groove, under the support of the elastic member, the battery tray and the pallet are kept at an interval, and the battery tray still has a certain amount of up and down floating space to cope with emergencies.

[0021] Preferably, the top surface of the longitudinal beam is not higher than the top surface of the telescopic fork, and the bottom of the sinking groove is slightly lower than the top surface of the longitudinal beam; the battery tray is an integral tray so that the battery tray does not contact the telescopic fork after carrying the battery pack.

[0022] In this technical solution, the top surface of the longitudinal beam is not higher than the top surface of the telescopic fork, causing the longitudinal beam to sink relative to the telescopic fork. And the pallet is mounted on the longitudinal beam through the hanging portion. Therefore, the battery tray on the pallet sinks relative to the longitudinal beam, which helps to reduce the height of the battery tray on the pallet and tend to be flattened. The bottom of the sinking groove is slightly lower than the top surface of the longitudinal beam, which can not only ensure that the sinking groove sinks deep enough, but also helps to reduce the distance between the bottom surface of the pallet and the moving component located below the pallet for driving the movement of the pallet, enabling the moving component to be reliably connected to the bottom surface of the pallet to improve the stability of the driving of the pallet by the moving component. The battery tray is an integral tray with a large enough bearing surface to carry the battery pack, having good adaptability to both small-sized and large-sized battery packs. For small-sized battery packs, the integral tray can even easily carry two battery packs at the same time. For large-sized battery packs, the large enough bearing surface can improve the stability of the battery pack on the battery tray and prevent it from shaking up and down. The battery tray does not contact the telescopic fork after carrying the battery pack, which will not interfere with the telescopic movement of the telescopic fork, ensuring the stable telescopic movement of the telescopic fork and smoothly completing the battery replacement.

[0023] Preferably, the bottom of the sinking groove is not lower than the bottom of the telescopic fork, so that the sinking groove is recessed by a sufficient depth; the battery tray is a two-piece tray, and each tray piece matches the size of the sinking groove and is floatably arranged in the sinking groove through an elastic member.

[0024] In this technical solution, the bottom of the sinking groove is not lower than the bottom of the telescopic fork, which can avoid interference between the pallet and the structure connected below the telescopic fork, ensure that the telescopic fork can normally complete the telescopic action, and make the sinking groove recessed by a sufficient depth. While effectively reducing the overall height of the floating battery tray above, it also further facilitates the connection between the moving component located below the pallet and the pallet. Each tray piece matches the size of the sinking groove and is floatably arranged in the sinking groove through an elastic member. Through the limiting effect of the inner wall of the sinking groove on the tray piece, the position stability of the tray piece during the battery swapping process can be ensured, preventing displacement or tilting during the process of carrying the battery pack, thereby improving the safety and reliability of battery swapping.

[0025] Preferably, the telescopic mechanism includes three telescopic forks arranged at intervals, the bracket includes three cross beams arranged at equal intervals, and the three cross beams are respectively fixedly connected to the three telescopic forks to form four partition areas. Two longitudinal beams are arranged at intervals along the telescopic direction in each of the four partition areas, and the four pallets are respectively connected between every two longitudinal beams; along the telescopic direction, two adjacent pallets are used to arrange one battery tray, so that the battery swapping device can carry two battery packs at the same time.

[0026] In this technical solution, the telescopic mechanism supports the bracket through three telescopic forks, which helps to improve the smoothness of the telescopic movement, thereby further enhancing the stability of the battery pack support. The three crossbeams are respectively fixedly connected to the three telescopic forks to form four partition areas. The four partition areas correspond to the installation spaces of the four pallets. Two juxtaposed pallets are used to set up a battery tray. Therefore, a total of two battery trays are set on the four pallets, enabling the battery swapping device to carry two battery packs simultaneously. For example, it can carry a fully charged battery and a discharged battery at the same time. During the battery swapping process, a fully charged battery can be taken out from the battery rack in advance and placed on the inner battery tray. Then, with the state of carrying this fully charged battery, the telescopic mechanism extends under the battery swapping vehicle to disassemble the discharged battery. The discharged battery pack is removed and placed on the outer empty battery tray. After the telescopic mechanism retracts, the telescopic mechanism can be controlled to rotate through an appropriate method (such as a rotating mechanism), so that the battery tray carrying the fully charged battery is located on the outside and aligned with the battery swapping vehicle. Then the telescopic mechanism extends again to insert the battery tray carrying the fully charged battery under the battery swapping vehicle and install the fully charged battery on the battery swapping vehicle. Finally, after the telescopic mechanism retracts, it rotates through the rotating mechanism to align with the battery rack, and then the discharged battery is loaded into the battery rack for charging. Therefore, through this battery swapping method, the overall battery swapping time is effectively shortened, and the battery swapping efficiency is further improved.

[0027] Preferably, the two battery trays are two-piece trays respectively. Each tray piece can float in the sinking groove. Along the direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction, each battery tray has an extension part extending from the tray piece to the outside of the telescopic fork. The unlocking pins are arranged in the end area of the extension part for locking and unlocking the battery pack.

[0028] In this technical solution, the two battery trays on the bracket are two-piece trays respectively. Also, since the crossbeam and the telescopic fork enclose four partition areas, the four partition areas correspond to the four tray pieces one by one. Two juxtaposed tray pieces are used to carry a battery pack. The tray piece extends outward to form an extension part, and the unlocking pins for locking and unlocking the battery pack are arranged in the end area of the extension part, assisting in locking and unlocking the battery pack on the battery swapping vehicle. For example, these unlocking pins can be used to simultaneously drive multiple locking mechanisms on the battery swapping vehicle to act and synchronously achieve multi-stage locking and unlocking.

[0029] Preferably, the bracket includes a plurality of mounting plates connecting the two longitudinal beams in a direction parallel to the crossbeam at the bottom. A moving component is formed between the mounting plate and the pallet for driving the pallet to move along the telescopic direction. The moving component includes a lead screw nut mechanism fixed on the mounting plate and a guiding mechanism arranged on the back of the sinking groove. The guiding piece of the guiding mechanism is fixedly connected to the nut of the lead screw nut mechanism.

[0030] In this technical solution, based on the fact that the pallet can move along the telescopic direction through the cooperation of the slider and the slide rail, a moving component is formed between the mounting plate and the pallet. The moving component can drive the pallet to move back and forth along the telescopic direction relative to the bracket, thereby synchronously driving the battery tray to move back and forth, and assisting the unlocking and locking process of the battery pack on the battery swapping vehicle. The moving component includes a lead screw nut mechanism and a guiding mechanism. The reliability of the lead screw nut mechanism transmission can be utilized to improve the stability and accuracy of the moving component driving the pallet during movement, optimize the unlocking and locking process of the battery pack, and enable the battery pack to be smoothly unlocked and locked. The guiding member of the guiding mechanism provides a guiding effect on the movement of the nut on the lead screw, which helps to improve the smoothness of the pallet movement and reduce the jamming phenomenon.

[0031] Preferably, the unlocking pin penetrates through the battery tray and can move up and down. The battery swapping device further includes a lifting drive mechanism fixed to the bottom surface of the battery tray to enable the unlocking pin to be at different heights during the unlocking and locking process of the battery pack; and / or, the battery swapping device further includes at least one battery positioning pin provided on the battery tray, and the battery positioning pin is used to cooperate with the positioning hole on the battery pack to drive the battery pack to move synchronously when unlocking and locking the battery pack.

[0032] In this technical solution, the unlocking pin can move up and down relative to the battery tray, so that the adaptability to the locking mechanisms of battery packs with different models, sizes, and installation positions on the battery swapping vehicle can be improved by adjusting the height of the unlocking pin. For example, when the position of the battery pack locking mechanism is relatively high, the position of the unlocking pin can be raised, and when the position of the battery pack locking mechanism is relatively low, the position of the unlocking pin can be lowered. The unlocking pin can be driven to move up and down by the lifting drive mechanism. The up and down movement of the unlocking pin required for the unlocking and locking process of the battery pack on the battery swapping vehicle can be achieved not only by the overall lifting of the battery tray, but also by the lifting drive mechanism. Therefore, the up and down movement of the unlocking pin can be made as independent as possible from the lifting of the battery tray. During the unlocking and locking process, the telescopic fork and the battery tray are in a relatively fixed state. The fewer components that move up and down, the more conducive it is to improving the accuracy of the up and down movement of the unlocking pin, enhancing the unlocking and locking reliability, thereby improving the safety and efficiency of the battery swapping process, increasing the flexibility of the battery swapping device, and making the battery pack replacement process more efficient and safe. The positioning pins provided on the battery tray can ensure the correct position of the battery pack during the battery swapping process, prevent the battery pack from shifting during the transportation and unlocking and locking processes, thereby improving the accuracy and safety of the battery swapping. In addition, through the cooperation of the battery positioning pin and the battery pack, a positioning and clamping effect is generated on the battery pack, so as to facilitate the synchronous movement of the battery tray and the battery pack, and can also make the battery pack more resistant to the unlocking force and improve the stability of the battery unlocking.

[0033] Preferably, two of the unlocking pins are respectively provided at both ends of the battery tray, and the two unlocking pins are arranged at intervals along the telescopic direction. The lifting drive mechanism on the same side is used to drive the two unlocking pins on that side to move up and down synchronously; the lifting drive mechanism includes an electric push rod, a connecting rod, and a transmission rod corresponding to each of the two unlocking pins one by one. The connecting rod is connected to the electric push rod, and both ends of the transmission rod are respectively hinged to the connecting rod and the unlocking pin. The electric push rod drives the two unlocking pins to move up and down by driving the connecting rod to translate along the telescopic direction and the transmission of the transmission rod.

[0034] In this technical solution, the setting of multiple unlocking pins can match the technology of setting multiple battery pack locking mechanisms for battery swapping vehicles, and realize the synchronous operation of multiple battery pack locking mechanisms to achieve locking and unlocking. When the electric push rod drives the connecting rod to translate, the connecting rod drives all the transmission rods to rotate relative to the connecting rod, so that the transmission rod drives the unlocking pin to move up and down, making the up and down movement of the unlocking pin stable and reliable, and improving the locking and unlocking efficiency.

[0035] Preferably, the battery swapping device further includes a fixedly arranged support frame, a lifting and moving component that can move up and down along the support frame, and a box body that is rotatably connected to the lifting and moving component. The telescopic mechanism is movably arranged in the box body, and the moving direction of the telescopic mechanism is perpendicular to the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism. By rotating the box body, the orientation of the telescopic mechanism can be adjusted to facilitate the telescopic movement to perform battery disassembly and assembly operations and / or battery transfer operations.

[0036] In this technical solution, the lifting and moving assembly can move up and down on the support frame. The box body is connected to the lifting and moving assembly, and the telescopic mechanism is movably arranged in the box body. Therefore, through the up and down movement of the lifting and moving assembly relative to the support frame, the up and down movement of the telescopic mechanism is realized, and then the up and down movement of the battery tray is realized. Moreover, when it is necessary to remove the discharged battery from the battery swapping vehicle or install the fully charged battery onto the battery swapping vehicle, the battery tray is adjusted to the height position corresponding to the chassis of the battery swapping vehicle by the up and down movement of the lifting and moving assembly relative to the support frame, and then the telescopic mechanism is extended, so as to realize the battery disassembly and installation operation on the battery swapping vehicle. In this application, the telescopic mechanism is arranged in the box body, so that the telescopic mechanism extends out of the box body to perform the operation of taking and placing the battery pack. When actually taking and placing the battery pack, only the telescopic mechanism needs to drive the electric tray to extend out of the box body and enter under the chassis of the battery swapping vehicle, avoiding the overall entry of the lifting and moving assembly and the support frame under the chassis of the battery swapping vehicle and occupying the vehicle bottom space, providing more operation space for the disassembly or installation of the battery pack under the body of the battery swapping vehicle, and making the battery swapping operation more simple and fast. The telescopic mechanism can move relative to the box body in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction, and this moving direction is parallel to the body of the battery swapping vehicle. When the driver parks the battery swapping vehicle in front of or behind the battery swapping position by experience and visual estimation and there is a deviation, the position of the battery tray can be adjusted by the movement of the telescopic mechanism, forming a way for the battery swapping device to independently and more quickly find the battery pack on the battery swapping vehicle, replacing the way that the driver adjusts the vehicle body position multiple times to find the battery swapping position in the existing method. Moreover, it is easier to adjust the position of the telescopic mechanism in the direction parallel to the body of the battery swapping vehicle. For example, it can be realized through a sliding mechanism, with a simple structure, which helps to reduce the battery swapping difficulty, save the cost of the battery swapping station, and improve the battery swapping efficiency. The box body and the lifting and moving assembly can be rotatably connected, which is convenient for adjusting the angle of the box body, and thus adjusting the extending angle of the telescopic mechanism. When the position of the battery to be transported has a deflection angle, accurate positioning and extension can be achieved through rotational adjustment to effectively transport the battery. Moreover, through the rotation of the box body, the telescopic mechanism can extend towards both the battery swapping vehicle and the battery rack arranged around the battery swapping device. When extending towards the battery swapping vehicle, the discharged battery can be removed from the battery swapping vehicle or the fully charged battery can be installed. When extending towards the battery rack, the discharged battery can be sent to the battery rack for charging or the fully charged battery can be taken out from the battery rack, thus realizing the transfer and interaction of the battery pack between the battery rack and the battery swapping vehicle. The rotatability of the box body makes the arrangement of the battery rack more flexible and has stronger scalability. When the battery rack is arranged around the periphery of the battery swapping device, the battery swapping device can perform battery pack interaction with the battery rack at any position through the rotation of the box body, improving the battery transfer efficiency. Description of the Drawings

[0037] The accompanying drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application, form a part of the present application, and the schematic embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application, and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present application. In the drawings:

[0038] Figure 1 Assembly of the battery swapping device provided by the first embodiment of the present application Figure 1 ;

[0039] Figure 2 Assembly of the battery swapping device provided by the first embodiment of the present application Figure 2 ;

[0040] Figure 3 Schematic structural diagram of the bracket provided by the first embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 4 Schematic structural diagram of the pallet provided by the first embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 5 Assembly of the battery swapping device provided by the first embodiment of the present application Figure 3 , which shows the state after the battery tray of the battery swapping device is removed from the pallet;

[0043] Figure 6 Assembly of the battery swapping device provided by the first embodiment of the present application Figure 4 , which shows the state after the battery tray and the pallet of the battery swapping device are removed from the bracket;

[0044] Figure 7 Partial view of the battery swapping device provided by the first embodiment of the present application, which shows a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the lifting drive mechanism, the unlocking pin and the battery tray;

[0045] Figure 8 Schematic structural diagram of the lifting drive mechanism provided by the first embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Figure 9 Assembly of the battery swapping device provided by the first embodiment of the present application Figure 5 ;

[0047] Figure 10 Assembly of the battery swapping device provided by the first embodiment of the present application Figure 6 ;

[0048] Figure 11 Assembly of the battery swapping device provided by the first embodiment of the present application Figure 7 ;

[0049] Figure 12 Assembly of the battery swapping device provided by the second embodiment of the present application Figure 1 ;

[0050] Figure 13 Assembly of the battery swapping device provided in the second embodiment of the present application Figure 2 , which shows the state after the battery tray of the battery swapping device is removed from the pallet;

[0051] Figure 14 Assembly of the battery swapping device provided in the second embodiment of the present application Figure 3 , which shows the state after the battery tray and the pallet of the battery swapping device are removed from the bracket;

[0052] Figure 15 Schematic structural diagram of the bracket provided in the second embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 16 Schematic structural diagram of the pallet provided in the second embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Figure 17 Schematic structural diagram of the tray piece provided in the second embodiment of the present application.

[0055] List of components and reference numerals:

[0056] 1 Telescopic mechanism, 11 Telescopic fork, 2 Battery tray, 21 Tray piece, 22 Extension part, 3 Unlock pin, 4 Bracket, 41 Cross beam, 42 Longitudinal beam, 43 Slide rail, 44 Mounting plate, 5 Elastic member, 6 Pallet, 61 Sinking groove, 62 Hanging part, 63 Slide block, 7 Lead screw nut mechanism, 71 Lead screw, 72 Nut, 8 Guide member, 9 Lifting drive mechanism, 91 Electric push rod, 92 Link rod, 93 Transmission rod, 100 Battery positioning pin, 200 Support frame, 201 Battery compartment, 300 Lifting and moving assembly, 400 Compartment, 500 Rotary drive motor, 600 Sliding mechanism, 601 Sliding block, 602 Guide rail, 700 Electrical connector, 800 Mounting frame. Detailed implementation manners

[0057] As Figures 1 to 17 shown, a battery swapping device provided by the present application includes a telescopic mechanism 1 and a battery tray 2 that is floatingly arranged on the telescopic mechanism 1. An unlock pin 3 is arranged on the battery tray 2. The battery tray 2 extends into the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle through the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism 1, and the unlock pin 3 realizes the unlocking or locking of the battery pack with the lifting of the battery tray 2 and the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism 1.

[0058] In this technical solution, the battery tray 2 is used to support the battery pack, enabling the transfer of the battery pack inside and outside the battery swapping vehicle. For example, it can achieve the interaction between the battery pack on the battery swapping vehicle and the battery storage rack in the battery swapping station. The battery tray 2 is arranged on the telescopic mechanism 1. When installing a fully charged battery, the battery tray 2 carrying the fully charged battery enters under the vehicle body from the side of the battery swapping vehicle through the horizontal extension movement of the telescopic mechanism 1, locks the fully charged battery on the battery swapping vehicle, and then the battery tray 2 is withdrawn from under the vehicle body of the battery swapping vehicle through the horizontal retraction movement of the telescopic mechanism 1, waiting for the next battery swapping use and forming an avoidance for the battery swapping vehicle, so that the battery swapping vehicle can drive away from the battery swapping channel or the battery swapping platform; when disassembling the discharged battery, the battery tray 2 with a battery pack support vacancy enters under the vehicle body from the side of the battery swapping vehicle through the horizontal extension movement of the telescopic mechanism 1, unlocks and supports the discharged battery locked on the battery swapping vehicle, and then the battery tray 2 carrying the discharged battery is withdrawn from under the vehicle body of the battery swapping vehicle through the horizontal retraction movement of the telescopic mechanism 1. The unlocking pin 3 matches the locking mechanism on the battery swapping vehicle for locking the battery pack. The unlocking pin 3 is arranged on the battery tray 2. When the battery tray 2 is lifted or lowered by an external force, the unlocking pin 3 realizes the unlocking or locking of the battery pack along with the lifting and lowering of the battery tray 2 and the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism 1, improving the disassembly and assembly accuracy and efficiency of the battery pack.

[0059] The battery tray 2 and the unlocking pin 3 perform battery swapping from the side of the battery swapping vehicle through the telescopic mechanism 1. It only needs to drive the battery tray 2 and the unlocking pin 3 under the battery swapping vehicle under the drive of the telescopic mechanism 1, avoiding the occupation of the space under the vehicle caused by the whole battery swapping equipment entering under the battery swapping vehicle. Even when the battery swapping vehicle swaps batteries on a battery swapping platform flush with the ground, more operating space can be provided under its vehicle body for the disassembly or installation of the battery pack, making the battery swapping operation simpler and faster. Moreover, it is friendly to some battery swapping vehicles with a relatively low chassis, avoiding the reduction of lifespan and potential safety hazards brought by digging the ground under the battery swapping platform to create a sunken space for battery swapping. In addition, actions including the battery tray 2 entering and exiting under the vehicle body, unlocking and locking the battery pack, etc. are all realized through the telescopic mechanism 1, optimizing the setting of the power mechanism. It not only improves the efficiency of battery swapping but also makes the battery swapping operation simpler and faster. The whole telescopic mechanism 1 has functions of battery disassembly, installation, and battery transportation, which can ensure the rapid and safe replacement of the battery pack, and this is crucial for improving the usability and maintenance efficiency of electric vehicles. In a preferred embodiment, the battery swapping equipment can be used in combination with the battery swapping platform of the battery swapping station. Along the driving direction of the battery swapping vehicle on the battery swapping platform, the battery swapping equipment is arranged on one side or both sides of the battery swapping platform. The battery swapping vehicle can drive in from one end of the battery swapping platform and then park at the corresponding battery swapping position. At this battery swapping position, the battery swapping equipment can perform the battery pack replacement operation. A battery rack can also be arranged around the battery swapping equipment. The discharged battery removed from the battery swapping vehicle by the battery swapping equipment is transported to the battery rack for charging, and the fully charged battery on the battery rack can be removed and transported to be installed on the battery swapping vehicle.

[0060] In addition, the battery tray 2 has a floating characteristic on the telescopic mechanism 1, which allows the battery tray 2 to adapt to the shapes and states of the chassis of different battery swapping vehicles, maintain contact with the bottom of the vehicle, and thus achieve stable support of the battery pack, further improving the stability and safety during the battery swapping process. For example, when the chassis of the battery swapping vehicle is horizontal, the whole battery tray 2 can be in a horizontal posture to perform battery swapping. When the vehicle chassis is tilted, the whole battery tray 2 can be in an inclined posture to perform battery swapping; when removing the discharged battery, when the discharged battery changes from being carried by the vehicle to being carried by the battery tray 2, the battery tray 2 moves downward under the action of the gravity of the battery pack, and the floating of the battery tray 2 can achieve a buffering effect, effectively avoiding the collision and damage between the battery pack and the battery tray 2.

[0061] As a preferred implementation method, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5 , Figure 12 and Figure 13As shown, the battery swapping device further includes a bracket 4. The battery tray 2 is arranged higher than the bracket 4, and an elastic member 5 for making the battery tray 2 floatable is arranged on the bracket 4. Those skilled in the art can understand that the telescopic mechanism 1 drives the battery tray 2 and the unlocking pin 3 to perform battery swapping from the side of the battery swapping vehicle. When the telescopic mechanism 1 extends, since the battery tray 2 needs to carry the battery pack, and the battery pack is an object with a relatively large weight and size, the stability requirements for the structure below the battery tray 2 for supporting the battery tray 2 are relatively high. Therefore, in this technical solution, by arranging the bracket 4, the bracket 4 is used to carry the battery tray 2, and the battery tray 2 is carried by the bracket 4 in a large area and in multiple directions, which helps to improve the support stability. The battery tray 2 is arranged higher than the bracket 4, and the battery pack can be effectively carried by the battery tray 2 to prevent the battery pack from contacting the bracket 4. Moreover, in addition to providing an installation space for the battery tray 2, the bracket 4 can also provide an installation space for other structures for assisting in unlocking and locking the battery pack, optimizing the structural layout. For the telescopic mechanism 1, the physical area available for carrying the battery tray 2 is relatively small. Therefore, by arranging the bracket 4, the battery tray 2 can be integrally arranged on the bracket 4 without being connected to the telescopic mechanism 1, which affects the layout of the telescopic mechanism 1 and the smoothness of its telescopic movement. The elastic member 5 on the bracket 4 enables the battery tray 2 to have the characteristic of being floatable. The elastic member 5 can enable the battery tray 2 to adapt to different surfaces and pressures when contacting the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle, ensuring that the battery pack can be unlocked or locked smoothly. This structural design not only improves the efficiency of battery swapping but also ensures the simplicity of the battery swapping operation and the safe replacement of the battery pack. Preferably, the elastic member 5 can be a spring, and the battery tray 2 can be supported by a plurality of uniformly distributed springs to improve the stability of the up and down floating of the battery tray 2.

[0062] Further, as Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 12 and Figure 13 shown, the battery swapping device further includes a support plate 6 arranged on the bracket 4. A sinking groove 61 is formed on the support plate 6, and the battery tray 2 is arranged in the sinking groove 61. In this technical solution, the battery tray 2 is arranged in the sinking groove 61. By using the space in the sinking groove 61, the overall height of the battery tray 2 on the support plate 6 is reduced, making it more flattened. When the battery tray 2 extends under the battery swapping vehicle, the occupied height space is smaller, which helps to increase the battery swapping space and further improve the adaptability to battery swapping vehicles with different chassis heights. In addition, the battery tray 2 is placed in the sinking groove 61 on the support plate 6, which can ensure the stable position of the battery tray 2 during the battery swapping process and prevent displacement or tilt during the process of carrying the battery pack, thereby improving the safety and reliability of battery swapping.

[0063] Further, as Figure 3 , Figure 5 ,Figure 6 and Figures 13 to 15 As shown in Figures 13 to 15 , the telescopic mechanism 1 includes two telescopic forks 11 that are arranged at intervals and move synchronously in telescopic motion. The bracket 4 includes two cross beams 41 that are arranged at intervals along the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism 1 and whose two ends are respectively connected to the top surfaces of the two telescopic forks 11, and a plurality of longitudinal beams 42 that are connected between the two cross beams 41 and are arranged at intervals. The two edges of the support plate 6 are respectively connected between two adjacent longitudinal beams 42 so that the sinking groove 61 is located in the area between the two longitudinal beams 42. The battery tray 2 is floatingly connected to the support plate 6 through an elastic member 5. In this technical solution, the telescopic mechanism 1 can achieve telescopic motion over a long distance through the telescopic forks 11, improving the adaptability to battery swapping positions at different distances and different vehicle models for battery swapping. The two telescopic forks 11 can stably support the bracket 4. Those skilled in the art can understand that the battery pack itself is a structure with a large weight, and adding the weight of the bracket 4, the requirement for the load-bearing stability of the telescopic mechanism 1 is extremely high. It is necessary to satisfy the load-bearing stability of the battery pack and reduce the load on the telescopic mechanism 1 as much as possible. It is not suitable to make the bracket 4 into a solid integral structure. The bracket 4 is set as a frame structure formed by splicing the cross beams 41 and the longitudinal beams 42. The structure is simple, facilitating the installation of the support plate 6 and the battery tray 2. On the basis of ensuring the structural strength and load-bearing capacity, it helps to lighten the weight of the bracket 4, reduce the overall weight, and thus helps to reduce the load on the telescopic mechanism 1. Moreover, the space between the cross beam 41 and the longitudinal beam 42 provides an avoidance for the sinking of the support plate 6, enabling the sinking groove 61 to be located within the space enclosed by the cross beam 41 and the longitudinal beam 42, allowing the support plate 6 to utilize the space below the bracket 4. Compared with the situation where the support plate 6 is entirely higher than the bracket 4, it also helps to reduce the height of the position where the battery tray 2 is located, improving the adaptability to battery swapping vehicles with different chassis heights. Specifically, the cross beam 41 and the longitudinal beam 42 are preferably fastened by welding and / or bolt connection to ensure the structural strength of the bracket 4. The cross beam 41 is also preferably connected to the telescopic fork 11 by welding and / or bolt connection to ensure the connection strength.

[0064] Further, as shown in Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 13 , Figure 14 and Figure 16As shown, along the telescopic direction, two pallet plates 6 are movably connected between two longitudinal beams 42 located on the outer sides at both ends. Hanging portions 62 are respectively provided at two edges of each pallet plate 6. Sliders 63 are provided on the bottom surfaces of the hanging portions 62 facing the longitudinal beams 42, and slide rails 43 are provided on the top surfaces of the longitudinal beams 42. The movement of the pallet plate 6 is realized through the cooperation of the sliders 63 and the slide rails 43 to drive the battery tray 2 to move synchronously. Specifically, based on the fact that hanging portions 62 are provided on both sides of the pallet plate 6, slide rails 43 and sliders 63 are provided between the hanging portions 62 on both sides and the longitudinal beams 42 to ensure the movement stability. In this technical solution, the pallet plate 6 is mounted between the two longitudinal beams 42 through the hanging portions 62 at both ends, so that the bracket 4 forms a reliable and stable supporting effect on the pallet plate 6 and the battery tray 2 floating on the pallet plate 6. The pallet plate 6 can move along the telescopic direction through the cooperation of the sliders 63 and the slide rails 43, and drives the battery tray 2 floating on it to move synchronously during the movement. Therefore, in an achievable manner, the movement of the pallet plate 6 and the battery tray 2 relative to the bracket 4 can be utilized to assist the unlocking and locking process of the battery pack on the battery swapping vehicle. For example, during the unlocking process, the telescopic mechanism 1 drives the battery tray 2 to perform a large-range movement under the body of the battery swapping vehicle, and drives the battery tray 2 to a position where the unlocking pin 3 provided thereon is allowed to unlock the battery pack. At this time, the telescopic mechanism 1 is controlled to be in a relatively static state, and then the pallet plate 6 is driven to drive the battery tray 2 to move in a small range to take out the lock shaft on the unlocked battery pack from the locking mechanism of the battery swapping vehicle. Since the fewer moving parts there are, the more conducive it is to improving the accuracy of movement, and it also helps to optimize the power structure, save energy consumption, and make the unlocking process more stable and with higher accuracy.

[0065] Further, the depth of the sinking groove 61 is set to match the compression amount of the elastic member 5 and the distance between the battery tray 2 and the support plate 6. Specifically, within the weight range of the battery pack that the battery tray 2 is allowed to support, when the gravity of the battery pack fully acts on the battery tray 2, although the elastic member 5 is compressed under the gravity of the battery tray 2 and the battery pack, a certain distance needs to be maintained between the battery tray 2 and the support plate 6 to ensure that the battery tray 2 still has a certain amount of up and down floating space to cope with emergencies such as collisions and sudden stops and effectively protect the battery pack. Therefore, the compression amount of the elastic member 5 should at least ensure that when in the maximum compression state, the height of the elastic member 5 is still higher than the depth of the sinking groove 61 to prevent the top of the elastic member 5 from being hidden in the sinking groove 61 and unable to elastically support the battery tray 2. On this basis, the compression amount of the elastic member 5 determines the difference between the maximum distance and the minimum distance between the battery tray 2 and the support plate 6. Therefore, when the height of the elastic member 5 is still higher than the depth of the sinking groove 61 when the elastic member 5 is in the maximum compression state, the battery tray 2 and the support plate 6 are in the minimum distance state. At this time, the height of the elastic member 5 is still higher than the depth of the sinking groove 61, so under the support of the elastic member 5, the battery tray 2 and the support plate 6 are kept at an interval state, and the battery tray 2 still has a certain amount of up and down floating space to cope with emergencies.

[0066] Regarding the structure of the battery tray 2, the present application does not make any limitations, and it can adopt any one of the following embodiments:

[0067] Embodiment 1: As Figures 1 to 5As shown in the figure, the top surface of the longitudinal beam 42 is not higher than the top surface of the telescopic fork 11, and the bottom of the sinking groove 61 is slightly lower than the top surface of the longitudinal beam 42; the battery tray 2 is an integral tray, so that the battery tray 2 does not contact the telescopic fork 11 after carrying the battery pack. In this technical solution, the top surface of the longitudinal beam 42 is not higher than the top surface of the telescopic fork 11, which causes the longitudinal beam 42 to sink relative to the telescopic fork 11. And the support plate 6 is mounted on the longitudinal beam 42 through the hanging portion 62. Therefore, the battery tray 2 on the support plate 6 sinks relative to the longitudinal beam 42, which helps to reduce the height of the battery tray 2 on the support plate 6 and tend to be flattened. The bottom of the sinking groove 61 is slightly lower than the top surface of the longitudinal beam 42, which can not only ensure that the sinking groove 61 sinks deep enough, but also helps to reduce the distance between the bottom surface of the support plate 6 and the moving component located below the support plate 6 for driving the movement of the support plate 6, so that the moving component and the bottom surface of the support plate 6 can be reliably connected to improve the stability of the driving of the support plate 6 by the moving component. The battery tray 2 is an integral tray with a large enough bearing surface to carry the battery pack, and has good adaptability to both small-sized and large-sized battery packs. For small-sized battery packs, it is even easy for the integral tray to carry two battery packs at the same time. For large-sized battery packs, the large enough bearing surface can improve the stability of the battery pack on the battery tray 2 and avoid shaking up and down. The battery tray 2 does not contact the telescopic fork 11 after carrying the battery pack, and will not interfere with the telescopic movement of the telescopic fork 11, ensuring that the telescopic fork 11 can extend and retract stably and smoothly to complete the battery replacement.

[0068] In a preferred solution of the first embodiment, as Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 6As shown, the bracket 4 includes a plurality of mounting plates 44 that connect two longitudinal beams 42 in a direction parallel to the cross beam 41 from the bottom. A moving assembly is formed between the mounting plate 44 and the support plate 6 for driving the support plate 6 to move in the telescopic direction. The moving assembly includes a lead screw nut mechanism 7 fixed to the mounting plate 44 and a guiding mechanism provided on the back of the sinking groove 61. The guiding member 8 of the guiding mechanism is fixedly connected to the nut 72 of the lead screw nut mechanism 7. In this technical solution, based on the fact that the support plate 6 can move in the telescopic direction through the cooperation of the slider 63 and the slide rail 43, by forming a moving assembly between the mounting plate 44 and the support plate 6, the moving assembly can drive the support plate 6 to move back and forth relative to the bracket 4 in the telescopic direction, thereby synchronously driving the battery tray 2 to move back and forth, and assisting the unlocking and locking process of the battery pack on the battery swapping vehicle. The moving assembly includes a lead screw nut mechanism 7 and a guiding mechanism, which can utilize the reliability of the lead screw nut mechanism transmission to improve the stability and accuracy of the moving assembly driving the support plate 6 to move, optimize the unlocking and locking process of the battery pack, and enable the battery pack to be smoothly unlocked and locked. The guiding member 8 of the guiding mechanism provides a guiding effect on the movement of the nut 72 on the lead screw 71, which helps to improve the smoothness of the movement of the support plate 6 and reduce the jamming phenomenon. Specifically, the rotation of the lead screw 71 of the lead screw nut mechanism 7 can be realized by a rotary drive motor 500 fixed to the mounting plate 44.

[0069] In a preferred solution in the first embodiment, as Figure 1 and Figure 7As shown, the unlocking pin 3 passes through the battery tray 2 and can move up and down. The battery swapping device further includes a lifting drive mechanism 9 fixed to the bottom surface of the battery tray 2 to make the unlocking pin 3 at different heights during the locking and unlocking process of the battery pack. In this technical solution, the unlocking pin 3 can be lifted and lowered relative to the battery tray. By adjusting the height of the unlocking pin 3, the adaptability to the locking mechanisms of battery packs with different models, sizes, and installation positions on the battery swapping vehicle can be improved. For example, when the position of the battery pack locking mechanism is relatively high, the position of the unlocking pin can be raised; when the position of the battery pack locking mechanism is relatively low, the position of the unlocking pin can be lowered. The unlocking pin 3 can be driven to lift and lower by the lifting drive mechanism 9. The movement of the unlocking pin 3 for lifting and lowering required during the locking and unlocking process of the battery pack on the battery swapping vehicle can be achieved not only by the overall lifting of the battery tray 2 but also by the lifting drive mechanism 9. Therefore, the lifting and lowering of the unlocking pin 3 can be made as independent as possible from the lifting of the battery tray 2. During the locking and unlocking process, the telescopic fork 11 and the battery tray 2 are in a relatively fixed state. The fewer components that move up and down, the more conducive it is to improving the accuracy of the lifting and lowering of the unlocking pin 3 and enhancing the reliability of locking and unlocking, thereby improving the safety and efficiency of the battery swapping process and increasing the flexibility of the battery swapping device, making the battery pack replacement process more efficient and safe. For example, the liftable unlocking pin 3 can be adapted to the battery locking mechanism of the following battery swapping vehicle: The battery locking mechanism includes a plurality of lock bases with lock grooves, lock tongues movably disposed therein, and a lock connecting rod connecting the plurality of lock tongues. The lock tongues are used to open or close the lock grooves. When locking the battery pack, since the lock shaft on the battery pack needs to enter the lock groove, the unlocking pin 3 can be raised to push the lock connecting rod, causing the lock connecting rod to drive all the lock tongues to move upward to open the lock groove, allowing the lock shaft to enter the lock groove. Then, the unlocking pin 3 is lowered to cancel the pushing of the lock connecting rod, and the lock connecting rod drives the lock tongues to move downward to re-close the lock groove. At this time, the lock tongues block the lock shaft from disengaging from the lock groove, thus achieving the locking of the battery pack. When unlocking the battery pack, since the lock shaft on the battery pack needs to disengage from the lock groove, the unlocking pin 3 can be raised to push the lock connecting rod, causing the lock connecting rod to drive all the lock tongues to move upward to open the lock groove, allowing the lock shaft to disengage from the lock groove. After the lock shaft disengages from the lock groove, the unlocking pin 3 is lowered to cancel the pushing of the lock connecting rod, and the lock connecting rod drives the lock tongues to move downward to re-close the lock groove.

[0070] Further, as Figure 1 and Figure 8As shown, two unlocking pins 3 are respectively provided at both ends of the battery tray 2. The two unlocking pins 3 are arranged at intervals along the telescopic direction. The lifting drive mechanisms 9 on the same side are used to drive the two unlocking pins 3 on this side to move up and down synchronously. The lifting drive mechanism 9 includes an electric push rod 91, a connecting rod 92, and transmission rods 93 corresponding to the two unlocking pins 3 one by one. The connecting rod 92 is connected to the electric push rod 91. Both ends of the transmission rod 93 are hinged to the connecting rod 92 and the unlocking pin 3 respectively. The electric push rod 91 drives the two unlocking pins 3 to move up and down by driving the connecting rod 92 to translate along the telescopic direction and the transmission of the transmission rod 93. In this technical solution, the unlocking pins 3 at both ends of the battery tray 2 can respectively correspond to different levels of locking and unlocking. For example, the unlocking pin 3 at one end corresponds to the first-level locking and unlocking, and the unlocking pin 3 at the other end corresponds to the second-level locking and unlocking. The first-level locking and unlocking and the second-level locking and unlocking can be completed synchronously. The two unlocking pins 3 at the same end of the battery tray 2 are driven by one lifting drive mechanism 9 to move up and down synchronously, which simplifies the drive structure and improves the synchronism of locking and unlocking. When the electric push rod 91 drives the connecting rod 92 to translate, the connecting rod 92 drives all the transmission rods 93 to rotate relative to the connecting rod 92, so that the transmission rod 93 drives the unlocking pin 3 to move up and down, making the up and down movement of the unlocking pin 3 stable and reliable, and improving the locking and unlocking efficiency. For the convenience of installation, as Figure 7 shown, mounting frames 800 corresponding to the lifting drive mechanisms 9 can be fixed at the bottom of the battery tray 2, and the lifting drive mechanisms 9 are installed in the mounting frames 600.

[0071] In another preferred solution in the first embodiment, as Figure 1 shown, the battery swapping device further includes at least one battery positioning pin 100 provided on the battery tray 2. The battery positioning pin 100 is used to cooperate with the positioning holes on the battery pack to drive the battery pack to move synchronously when unlocking and locking the battery pack. The positioning pins provided on the battery tray 2 can ensure the correct position of the battery pack during the battery swapping process, prevent the battery pack from shifting during the transportation process and the unlocking and locking process, thereby improving the accuracy and safety of battery swapping. In addition, through the cooperation of the battery positioning pin 100 and the battery pack, a positioning and clamping effect is generated on the battery pack, so as to facilitate the battery tray 2 to drive the battery pack to move synchronously, and the battery pack can also better withstand the unlocking force, improving the stability of battery unlocking.

[0072] In another preferred solution in the first embodiment, as Figure 9 、 Figure 10 and Figure 11As shown, the battery swapping device further includes a fixedly arranged support frame 200, a lifting and moving assembly 300 that can move up and down along the support frame 200, and a box body 400 that is rotatably connected to the lifting and moving assembly 300. The telescopic mechanism 1 is movably arranged inside the box body 400, and the moving direction of the telescopic mechanism 1 is perpendicular to the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism 1. By rotating the box body 400, the orientation of the telescopic mechanism 1 can be adjusted to facilitate the telescopic movement to perform battery disassembly and installation operations and / or battery transfer operations. In this technical solution, the lifting and moving assembly 300 can move up and down on the support frame 200, the box body 400 is connected to the lifting and moving assembly 300, and the telescopic mechanism 1 is movably arranged inside the box body 400. Therefore, through the up and down movement of the lifting and moving assembly 300 relative to the support frame 200, the up and down movement of the telescopic mechanism 1 is realized, and then the up and down movement of the battery tray 2 is realized. Moreover, when it is necessary to remove the depleted battery from the battery swapping vehicle or install the fully charged battery into the battery swapping vehicle, the battery tray 2 is adjusted to the height position corresponding to the chassis of the battery swapping vehicle by the up and down movement of the lifting and moving assembly 300 relative to the support frame 200, and then the telescopic mechanism 1 is extended, so as to realize the battery disassembly and installation operation on the battery swapping vehicle. In this application, the telescopic mechanism 1 is arranged inside the box body 400, so that the telescopic mechanism 1 extends out of the box body 400 to perform the operation of taking and placing the battery pack. When actually taking and placing the battery pack, only the telescopic mechanism 1 needs to extend out of the box body 400 and then drive the electric tray under the chassis of the battery swapping vehicle, avoiding the whole lifting and moving assembly 300 and the support frame 200 entering under the chassis of the battery swapping vehicle and occupying the vehicle bottom space, providing more operation space for the disassembly or installation of the battery pack under the body of the battery swapping vehicle, and making the battery swapping operation more simple and fast. The telescopic mechanism 1 can move relative to the box body 400 in a direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction, and this moving direction is parallel to the body of the battery swapping vehicle. When the driver parks the battery swapping vehicle in front of or behind the battery swapping position by experience and visual estimation and there is a deviation, the position of the battery tray 2 can be adjusted by the movement of the telescopic mechanism 1, forming a way for the battery swapping device to independently and more quickly find the battery pack on the battery swapping vehicle, replacing the way that the driver adjusts the vehicle body position multiple times to find the battery swapping position in the prior art. Moreover, it is easier to adjust the position of the telescopic mechanism 1 in the direction parallel to the body of the battery swapping vehicle. For example, it can be realized through the sliding mechanism 600 of the sliding block 601 and the guide rail 602. The structure is simple, which helps to reduce the battery swapping difficulty, save the cost of the battery swapping station, and improve the battery swapping efficiency. The box body 400 and the lifting and moving assembly 300 are rotatably connected, which is convenient to adjust the angle of the box body 400, so as to adjust the angle at which the telescopic mechanism 1 extends. When the position of the battery to be transferred has a deflection angle, accurate positioning and extension can be achieved through rotational adjustment to effectively transfer the battery. Moreover, through the rotation of the box body 400, the telescopic mechanism 1 can extend towards both the battery swapping vehicle and the battery rack arranged around the battery swapping device. Specifically, such as Figure 9As shown, a part of the support frame 200 can be used to form a battery rack with a battery compartment 201. A plurality of battery compartments 201 are vertically distributed along the battery rack. There is an electrical connector 700 for charging the battery pack in the battery compartment 201. When extending towards the battery swapping vehicle, a depleted battery can be removed from the swapping vehicle or a fully charged battery can be installed. When extending towards the battery rack, the depleted battery can be sent into the battery rack for charging or the fully charged battery can be taken out from the battery rack, thereby realizing the transfer and interaction of the battery pack between the battery rack and the battery swapping vehicle. The box body 400 can be rotated to make the arrangement of the battery rack more flexible and more scalable. When the battery rack is arranged around the periphery of the battery swapping device, through the rotation of the box body 400, the battery swapping device can perform battery pack interaction with the battery rack at any position, improving the battery transfer efficiency. In a preferred embodiment, the box body 400 can be rotatably connected to the lifting and moving assembly 300 through a driving motor and a gear mechanism. The gear mechanism includes a driving gear and a driven gear. The driving motor is fixed to the lifting and moving assembly 300. The driving gear is connected to the output shaft of the driving motor. The driving gear and the driven gear are meshed. The driven gear is fixed to the box body 400.

[0073] Embodiment 2: As Figures 12 to 17 shown, the bottom of the sinking groove 61 is not lower than the bottom of the telescopic fork 11, so that the sinking groove 61 is recessed by a sufficient depth; the battery tray 2 is a two-piece tray, and each tray piece 21 matches the size of the sinking groove 61 and is floatably arranged in the sinking groove 61 through an elastic member 5. In this technical solution, the bottom of the sinking groove 61 is not lower than the bottom of the telescopic fork 11, which can avoid interference between the support plate 6 and the structure connected below the telescopic fork 11, ensure that the telescopic fork 11 can normally complete the telescopic action, and make the sinking groove 61 recessed by a sufficient depth, so as to effectively reduce the overall height of the floating battery tray 2 above, and at the same time, it is further convenient for the connection between the moving assembly below the support plate 6 and the support plate 6. Each tray piece 21 matches the size of the sinking groove 61 and is floatably arranged in the sinking groove 61 through an elastic member 5. Through the limiting effect of the inner wall of the sinking groove 61 on the tray piece 21, the position stability of the tray piece 21 during the battery swapping process can be ensured, preventing displacement or tilt during the process of carrying the battery pack, thereby improving the safety and reliability of the battery swapping.

[0074] Further, in Embodiment 2, to adapt to the structure of the two-piece battery tray 2, as Figure 12 and Figure 13As shown, the telescopic mechanism 1 includes three telescopically forks 11 arranged at intervals, and the bracket 4 includes three cross beams 41 arranged at equal intervals. The three cross beams 41 are respectively fixedly connected to the three telescopically forks 11 to form four partition areas. Two longitudinal beams 42 are respectively arranged at intervals along the telescopic direction in the four partition areas, and four support plates 6 are respectively connected between every two longitudinal beams 42. Along the telescopic direction, two juxtaposed support plates 6 are used to arrange a battery tray 2, so that the battery swapping device can carry two battery packs at the same time. In this technical solution, the telescopic mechanism 1 carries the bracket 4 through three telescopically forks 11, which helps to improve the smoothness of the telescopic movement, thereby further improving the stability of carrying the battery pack. The three cross beams 41 are respectively fixedly connected to the three telescopically forks 11 to form four partition areas. The four partition areas correspond to the installation spaces of the four support plates 6. Two juxtaposed support plates 6 are used to arrange a battery tray 2, so there are two battery trays 2 arranged on the four support plates 6 in total, enabling the battery swapping device to carry two battery packs at the same time. For example, it can carry a fully charged battery and a discharged battery at the same time. During the battery swapping process, a fully charged battery can be taken out from the battery rack in advance and placed on the battery tray 2 on the inner side (it should be noted that when the telescopic mechanism 1 extends relative to the vehicle body, the side close to the compartment 400 is the inner side). Then, the telescopic mechanism 1 extends under the battery swapping vehicle while carrying this fully charged battery to remove the discharged battery. The discharged battery is removed and placed on the outer empty battery tray 2. After the telescopic mechanism 1 retracts, the telescopic mechanism 1 can be controlled to rotate through a suitable method (such as a rotating mechanism) so that the battery tray 2 carrying the fully charged battery is located on the outer side and aligned with the battery swapping vehicle. Then, the telescopic mechanism 1 extends again to insert the battery tray 2 carrying the fully charged battery under the battery swapping vehicle and install the fully charged battery on the battery swapping vehicle. Finally, after the telescopic mechanism 1 retracts, it rotates through the rotating mechanism to align with the battery rack, and then the discharged battery is loaded into the battery rack for charging. Therefore, through this battery swapping method, the overall battery swapping time is effectively shortened, and the battery swapping efficiency is further improved. The specific battery swapping method can be referred to as follows: After the battery swapping device obtains the information of the battery swapping vehicle, it immediately takes a suitable fully charged battery from the battery rack. After the battery swapping vehicle is parked in place, it directly performs the operation of removing the discharged battery - retracting while carrying the discharged battery - rotating and switching positions to align the fully charged battery with the battery swapping vehicle - installing the fully charged battery on the battery swapping vehicle - retracting and transporting the discharged battery to the battery compartment. By making full use of the parking time of the battery swapping vehicle and performing the operation of transporting the discharged battery after installing the fully charged battery on the battery swapping vehicle, the overall battery swapping time is effectively shortened, and the battery swapping efficiency is further improved.

[0075] Furthermore, as Figure 12 、 Figure 13 and Figure 17As shown, the two battery trays 2 are each two-piece trays. Each tray piece 21 is floatingly disposed in the sinking groove 61. Along the direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction, each battery tray 2 has an extension portion 22 extending outward from the tray piece 21 to the outside of the telescopic fork 11. An unlocking pin 3 is also provided in the end region of the extension portion 22 for locking and unlocking the battery pack. In this technical solution, the two battery trays 2 on the bracket 4 are each two-piece trays. Also, since the cross beam 41 and the telescopic fork 11 enclose four partition areas, the four partition areas correspond one by one to the four tray pieces 21, and two juxtaposed tray pieces 21 are used to carry one battery pack. The tray piece 21 extends outward to form an extension portion 22, and an unlocking pin 3 for locking and unlocking the battery pack is provided in the end region of the extension portion 22 to assist in locking and unlocking the battery pack in the battery swapping vehicle. For example, these unlocking pins 3 can be used to simultaneously drive multiple locking mechanisms on the battery swapping vehicle to actuate and synchronously achieve multi-stage locking and unlocking.

[0076] What is not described in this application can be achieved by adopting or referring to the existing technology.

[0077] Each embodiment in this specification is described in a progressive manner. The same or similar parts among the embodiments can be referred to each other, and the differences between each embodiment and other embodiments are emphasized.

[0078] The above are only the embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. For those skilled in the art, various changes and modifications can be made to this application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of this application shall be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A battery swapping device, characterized in that, It includes a telescopic mechanism and a battery tray that is floatably arranged on the telescopic mechanism. An unlocking pin is 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. The unlocking pin realizes the unlocking or locking of the battery pack with the lifting of the battery tray and the telescopic movement of the telescopic mechanism.

2. The battery swapping device according to claim 1, wherein the battery swapping device further includes a bracket. The battery tray is arranged higher than the bracket, and an elastic member for making the battery tray floatable is provided on the bracket.

3. The battery swapping device according to claim 2, wherein the battery swapping device further includes a support plate arranged on the bracket. A sinking groove is formed on the support plate, and the battery tray is arranged in the sinking groove.

4. The battery swapping device according to claim 3, wherein the telescopic mechanism includes two telescopic forks that are arranged at intervals and move synchronously in a telescopic manner. The bracket includes two cross beams that are arranged at intervals along the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism and whose two ends are respectively connected to the top surfaces of the two telescopic forks, and a plurality of longitudinal beams that are connected between the two cross beams and are arranged at intervals. Two edges of the support plate are respectively connected between adjacent two longitudinal beams so that the sinking groove is located in the area between the two longitudinal beams. The battery tray is floatably connected to the support plate through the elastic member.

5. The battery swapping device according to claim 4, wherein along the telescopic direction, the two support plates are movably connected between the two longitudinal beams located on the outer sides at both ends. Hanging portions are respectively provided at the two edges of each support plate. Sliders are provided on the hanging portions facing the bottom surface of the longitudinal beam. Slide rails are provided on the top surface of the longitudinal beam. The movement of the support plate is realized through the cooperation of the slider and the slide rail to drive the battery tray to move synchronously.

6. The battery swapping device according to claim 5, wherein the depth of the sinking groove is set to match the compression amount of the elastic member and the distance between the battery tray and the support plate.

7. The battery swapping device according to claim 6, wherein the top surface of the longitudinal beam is not higher than the top surface of the telescopic fork, and the bottom of the sinking groove is slightly lower than the top surface of the longitudinal beam; the battery tray is an integral tray so that the battery tray does not contact the telescopic fork after carrying the battery pack.

8. The battery swapping device according to claim 6, wherein the bottom of the sinking groove is not lower than the bottom of the telescopic fork so that the sinking groove is recessed to a sufficient depth; the battery tray is a two-piece tray, and each tray piece matches the size of the sinking groove and is floatably arranged in the sinking groove through an elastic member.

9. The battery swapping device according to claim 8, wherein The telescopic mechanism includes three telescopic forks arranged at intervals, and the bracket includes three cross beams arranged at equal intervals. The three cross beams are respectively fixedly connected to the three telescopic forks to form four partition areas. Two longitudinal beams are arranged at intervals along the telescopic direction in each of the four partition areas, and the four support plates are respectively connected between every two longitudinal beams; Along the telescopic direction, two adjacent support plates are used to arrange one battery tray, so that the battery swapping device can carry two battery packs simultaneously.

10. The battery swapping device according to claim 9, wherein The two battery trays are respectively two-piece trays, and each tray piece can float in the sinking groove. Along the direction perpendicular to the telescopic direction, each battery tray has an extension portion extending from the tray piece to the outside of the telescopic fork. The unlocking pins are arranged in the end area of the extension portion for unlocking and locking the battery pack.

11. The battery swapping device according to claim 7, wherein The bracket includes a plurality of mounting plates connecting the two longitudinal beams in a direction parallel to the cross beam from the bottom. A moving component is formed between the mounting plate and the support plate for driving the support plate to move along the telescopic direction; the moving component includes a lead screw nut mechanism fixed on the mounting plate and a guiding mechanism arranged on the back of the sinking groove. The guiding member of the guiding mechanism is fixedly connected to the nut of the lead screw nut mechanism.

12. The battery swapping device according to claim 7, wherein The unlocking pins penetrate through the battery tray and can move up and down. The battery swapping device further includes a lifting driving mechanism fixed on the bottom surface of the battery tray to make the unlocking pins at different heights during the unlocking and locking process of the battery pack; and / or The battery swapping device further includes at least one battery positioning pin arranged on the battery tray. The battery positioning pin is used to cooperate with the positioning hole on the battery pack to drive the battery pack to move synchronously when unlocking and locking the battery pack.

13. The battery swapping device according to claim 12, wherein Two unlocking pins are respectively arranged at both ends of the battery tray, and the two unlocking pins are arranged at intervals along the telescopic direction. The lifting driving mechanism on the same side is used to drive the two unlocking pins on this side to move up and down synchronously; the lifting driving mechanism includes an electric push rod, a connecting rod, and transmission rods corresponding to the two unlocking pins one by one. The connecting rod is connected to the electric push rod, and both ends of the transmission rod are respectively hinged to the connecting rod and the unlocking pin. The electric push rod drives the two unlocking pins to move up and down by driving the connecting rod to translate along the telescopic direction and the transmission of the transmission rod.

14. The battery swapping device according to claim 12, wherein The battery swapping device further includes a fixedly arranged support frame, a lifting and moving assembly that can move up and down along the support frame, and a box body that is rotatably connected to the lifting and moving assembly. The telescopic mechanism is movably arranged in the box body, and the moving direction of the telescopic mechanism is perpendicular to the telescopic direction of the telescopic mechanism. By rotating the box body, the orientation of the telescopic mechanism is adjusted to facilitate the telescopic movement to perform battery disassembly and assembly operations and / or battery transfer operations.

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