Battery replacement buffer mechanism and battery replacement station with same

Abstract

The utility model provides a battery replacing buffering mechanism and a battery replacing station with the same. The battery replacing buffering mechanism comprises a battery replacing frame, a buffering mechanism and a buffering mechanism, the at least two supporting arms are movably arranged on the battery replacing frame, and each supporting arm has an unfolding state in which the supporting arms are unfolded relative to the battery replacing frame and a recovery state in which the supporting arms are recovered relative to the battery replacing frame; and the driving assembly comprises a driving part and a transmission part, the driving part is in driving connection with the transmission part so that the transmission part can be movably arranged on the battery replacing frame, and the transmission part is in driving connection with the at least two supporting arms so that the at least two supporting arms can be synchronously switched between the unfolding state and the retracting state. Through the technical scheme provided by the invention, the problem of poor service capability of the battery swap station in the related technology can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of battery swap stations, and in particular to a battery swap buffer mechanism and a battery swap station having the same. Background Art

[0002] Electric vehicles, powered by electricity, offer energy-saving and environmentally friendly advantages. With the rapid development of electric vehicles, their sales continue to grow. However, long charging times and limited battery life hinder their use. Therefore, battery swapping stations, which offer a way to recharge batteries, have become an alternative for new energy vehicle owners.

[0003] In related technologies, when a vehicle requiring a battery swap enters a battery swap station, a robotic arm inside the station removes the battery pack, stores it for charging, and then replaces it with another battery pack. The station typically has two upper and lower buffer zones, each with four pallets for temporary storage of battery packs. Each pallet is driven by an independent electric device to deploy and retract it.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned driving method is prone to the problem of asynchronous pallet deployment because each pallet is deployed or retracted individually, which prolongs the battery swap cycle of the battery swap station and reduces the service capacity of the battery swap station. Utility Model Content

[0005] The utility model provides a battery swap buffer mechanism and a battery swap station having the same, so as to solve the problem of poor service capability of battery swap stations in the related art.

[0006] According to one aspect of the utility model, a battery-swapping buffer mechanism is provided, which includes: a battery-swapping frame; at least two supporting arms, at least two supporting arms can be movably arranged on the battery-swapping frame, and the supporting arms have an expanded state relative to the battery-swapping frame and a recovered state relative to the battery-swapping frame; a driving assembly, including a driving member and a transmission member, the driving member is driven and connected to the transmission member so that the transmission member can be movably arranged on the battery-swapping frame, and the transmission member is driven and connected to at least two supporting arms so that at least two supporting arms can synchronously switch between the expanded state and the recovered state.

[0007] Furthermore, the transmission member includes a transmission rod, the middle part of the transmission rod is movably connected to the battery exchange frame, and the battery exchange buffer mechanism includes two support arms, the driving member is drivingly connected to one of the support arms, and the other support arm is hinged to the driving member through the transmission rod.

[0008] Furthermore, the transmission member also includes two transmission blocks, the driving member is a linear driving member, the driving member is connected to one of the transmission blocks, and the driving member is hinged to the other transmission block through a transmission rod, so that the two transmission blocks are movably arranged on the battery exchange rack along the first horizontal direction, and the two transmission blocks are connected to the corresponding support arms respectively. The two transmission blocks can approach and move away from each other, so that at least two support arms can switch synchronously between the expanded state and the retracted state.

[0009] Furthermore, the transmission rod also includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod and a third connecting rod. The first end of the driving member is connected to one of the transmission blocks, the second end of the driving member is hinged to the first end of the first connecting rod, the second end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the first end of the second connecting rod, the middle part of the second connecting rod is hinged on the battery exchange frame, the second end of the second connecting rod is hinged to the first end of the third connecting rod, and the second end of the third connecting rod is hinged to another transmission block.

[0010] Furthermore, the transmission member also includes a meshing gear and rack, the rack is arranged on the transmission block, the rack extends along the first horizontal direction, and the gear is arranged on the support arm. When the transmission block moves, the rack and the gear cooperate to drive the support arm to rotate relative to the battery exchange frame.

[0011] Furthermore, the drive assembly also includes a bearing, which is coaxially arranged with the gear, the inner ring of the bearing is connected to the battery exchange frame, and the outer ring of the bearing is connected to the support arm.

[0012] Furthermore, the transmission member also includes a linear guide rail arranged on the battery exchange frame and extending along the first transverse direction, and the transmission block is movably arranged on the linear guide rail.

[0013] Furthermore, the driving member is an electric push rod.

[0014] Furthermore, the battery exchange rack includes at least two battery exchange layers arranged at vertical intervals, each battery exchange layer is provided with at least two supporting arms, and the at least two supporting arms of each battery exchange layer are synchronously switched between the expanded state and the retracted state through a driving component.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a battery swap station is provided, which includes two battery swap buffer mechanisms, which are arranged along a second lateral interval, and the battery swap buffer mechanism is the battery swap buffer mechanism provided above.

[0016] Applying the technical solution of the present invention, the battery swap buffer mechanism includes a battery swap frame, at least two supporting arms and a driving assembly. The driving member can drive the movable member to move on the battery swap frame, and then drive the at least two supporting arms to move synchronously relative to the battery swap frame through the transmission member, so that the at least two supporting arms can switch synchronously between the deployed state and the retracted state. By arranging two battery swap buffer mechanisms along the second horizontal direction, the supporting arms of the two battery swap buffer mechanisms move simultaneously. When the at least two supporting arms of each battery swap buffer mechanism are synchronously switched from the retracted state to the deployed state, the supporting arms of the two battery swap buffer mechanisms can respectively support both sides of the battery pack. Compared with the driving method in which each supporting arm is deployed separately, the synchronization of the supporting arm movement is improved, the battery swap rhythm of the battery swap station is improved, and the service capacity of the battery swap station is improved. In addition, it can reduce the number of driving parts and sensors in the battery swap station, streamline the lines, reduce the failure rate of electrical components, improve the operating efficiency of the entire station, and reduce maintenance costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The drawings constituting part of this application are provided to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are provided to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a battery replacement buffer mechanism provided according to an embodiment of the utility model is shown.

[0019] The above drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0020] 10. Battery swap rack;

[0021] 20. Support arm;

[0022] 30. Drive assembly; 31. Drive member; 32. Transmission member; 321. Transmission rod; 322. Transmission block; 323. First connecting rod; 324. Second connecting rod; 325. Third connecting rod; 326. Gear; 327. Rack; 328. Linear guide. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention and its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0024] like Figure 1As shown, an embodiment of the utility model provides a battery-swapping buffer mechanism, which includes a battery-swapping frame 10, at least two supporting arms 20, and a driving assembly 30. At least two supporting arms 20 can be movably arranged on the battery-swapping frame 10, and the supporting arms 20 have an expanded state relative to the battery-swapping frame 10 and a recovered state relative to the battery-swapping frame 10; the driving assembly 30 includes a driving member 31 and a transmission member 32, and the driving member 31 is driven and connected to the transmission member 32 so that the transmission member 32 can be movably arranged on the battery-swapping frame 10, and the transmission member 32 is driven and connected to at least two supporting arms 20 so that at least two supporting arms 20 can switch synchronously between the expanded state and the recovered state.

[0025] Applying the technical solution of the present invention, the battery swap buffer mechanism includes a battery swap frame 10, at least two supporting arms 20, and a drive assembly 30. The driving member 31 can drive the movable member to move on the battery swap frame 10, and then the transmission member 32 drives the at least two supporting arms 20 to move synchronously relative to the battery swap frame 10, so that the at least two supporting arms 20 can switch synchronously between the deployed state and the retracted state. By arranging two battery swap buffer mechanisms along the second horizontal direction, the supporting arms 20 of the two battery swap buffer mechanisms move simultaneously. When the at least two supporting arms 20 of each battery swap buffer mechanism switch synchronously from the retracted state to the deployed state, the supporting arms 20 of the two battery swap buffer mechanisms can respectively support both sides of the battery pack. Compared with the driving method in which each supporting arm 20 is deployed separately, the synchronization of the movement of the supporting arms 20 is improved, the battery swap rhythm of the battery swap station is improved, and the service capacity of the battery swap station is improved. In addition, it can reduce the number of driving members 31 and sensors in the battery swap station, streamline the wiring, reduce the failure rate of electrical components, improve the operating efficiency of the entire station, and reduce maintenance costs.

[0026] The transmission member 32 may adopt one or a combination of multiple transmission forms, such as tooth transmission, belt transmission, rod transmission, inclined plane transmission, etc. All the supporting arms 20 of the two battery-swap buffer mechanisms may be combined by multiple transmission forms, so that one driving member 31 can simultaneously drive all the supporting arms 20 to move.

[0027] It should be noted that the support arm 20 can move in a linear motion or rotate relative to the battery exchange frame 10. When the support arm 20 rotates, the drive member 31 can drive the support arm 20 to rotate by a tooth transmission, such as a gear transmission, or a rack and pinion transmission. When the support arm 20 moves in a straight line, the drive member 31 can drive the support arm 20 to move by a belt transmission or an inclined plane transmission.

[0028] like Figure 1As shown, the transmission member 32 includes a transmission rod 321, the middle portion of which is movably connected to the battery swap frame 10. The battery swap buffer mechanism includes two supporting arms 20, the driving member 31 is drivingly connected to one of the supporting arms 20, and the other supporting arm 20 is hinged to the driving member 31 through the transmission rod 321. With the above structure, one supporting arm 20 can be driven directly by the driving member 31, and the other supporting arm 20 can be indirectly driven by the transmission rod 321, thereby enabling one driving member 31 to drive the two supporting arms 20 to move synchronously.

[0029] Among them, the middle part of the transmission rod 321 is movably connected to the battery swap frame 10, including the middle part of the transmission rod 321 being hinged to the battery swap frame 10. At this time, the transmission rod 321 can rotate relative to the battery swap frame 10, and the transmission rod 321 is used to realize power transmission, and the linear guide rail is used to convert the rotation of the transmission rod 321 into linear motion, and then drive the support arm 20 to move. Of course, a strip hole can also be set in the middle part of the transmission rod 321. When the transmission rod 321 rotates, it can move along the extension direction of the strip hole, making the movement form of the transmission rod 321 more diversified, and then driving the support arm 20 to move.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the transmission member 32 also includes two transmission blocks 322, and the driving member 31 is driven and connected to one of the transmission blocks 322. The driving member 31 is a linear driving member. The driving member 31 is hinged to the other transmission block 322 through the transmission rod 321, so that the two transmission blocks 322 are respectively movably arranged on the battery exchange rack 10 along the first horizontal direction. The two transmission blocks 322 are respectively driven and connected to the corresponding support arms 20. The two transmission blocks 322 can move closer to and away from each other, so that at least two support arms 20 can switch synchronously between the expanded state and the retracted state. The linear telescopic movement of the driving member 31 is utilized to drive the linear movement of one of the transmission blocks 322, thereby driving one of the support arms 20 to move, and the driving member 31 drives the transmission rod 321 to rotate relative to the battery exchange rack 10, so that power can be transmitted to the other transmission block 322, and the other transmission block 322 is caused to move along the linear direction to drive the other support arm 20 to move.

[0031] The two transmission blocks 322 drive the corresponding supporting arms 20 to move, thereby making the structure symmetrical and improving the synchronization of the movement of the two supporting arms 20.

[0032] It should be noted that, by the linear motion of the transmission block 322, another transmission structure can be provided to achieve the linear motion or rotation of the support arm 20. The specific transmission structure is arranged according to actual needs.

[0033] like Figure 1As shown, the transmission rod 321 also includes a first connecting rod 323, a second connecting rod 324 and a third connecting rod 325. The first end of the driving member 31 is connected to one of the transmission blocks 322, the second end of the driving member 31 is hinged to the first end of the first connecting rod 323, the second end of the first connecting rod 323 is hinged to the first end of the second connecting rod 324, the middle part of the second connecting rod 324 is hinged on the battery swap frame 10, the second end of the second connecting rod 324 is hinged to the first end of the third connecting rod 325, and the second end of the third connecting rod 325 is hinged to another transmission block 322. With the above-mentioned transmission rod 321, when the driving member 31 performs telescopic movement, it can drive the first connecting rod 323 hinged thereto to move, the first connecting rod 323 drives the second connecting rod 324 to rotate relative to the battery swap frame 10, the second connecting rod 324 drives the third connecting rod 325 to move, and the third connecting rod 325 drives the transmission block 322 to move in a straight line.

[0034] The first connecting rod 323, the second connecting rod 324, and the third connecting rod 325 form a Watt's linkage structure, which enables power transmission. In this embodiment, to accommodate the dimensions of the battery pack, the two supporting arms 20 are spaced a certain distance apart. The arrangement of the transmission rod 321 allows for power transmission while also bridging the gap between the two supporting arms 20, enabling synchronized movement.

[0035] In other embodiments, the transmission rod 321 may be configured as a four-bar linkage, which can also compensate for the distance between the two supporting arms 20 while achieving power transmission.

[0036] In this embodiment, a hinge shaft is provided on the battery-swap rack 10 , and the hinge shaft is located between the two transmission blocks 322 . The middle portion of the second connecting rod 324 is rotatably mounted on the hinge shaft.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the transmission member 32 also includes a gear 326 and a rack 327 that are meshed with each other. The rack 327 is provided on the transmission block 322, and the rack 327 extends along the first horizontal direction. The gear 326 is provided on the support arm 20. When the transmission block 322 moves, the rack 327 and the gear 326 cooperate to drive the support arm 20 to rotate relative to the battery swap rack 10. With the above structure, when the transmission block 322 moves in a straight line, it can drive the rack 327 connected thereto to move, and drive the gear 326 meshing with the rack 327 to rotate, thereby driving the support arm 20 to rotate relative to the battery swap rack 10, thereby switching the battery swap rack 10 between the deployed and retracted states.

[0038] like Figure 1As shown, the drive assembly 30 also includes a bearing, which is coaxially arranged with the gear 326. The inner ring of the bearing is connected to the battery swap frame 10, and the outer ring of the bearing is connected to the support arm 20. The use of the bearing can reduce the friction between the support arm 20 and the battery swap frame 10, making the rotation of the support arm 20 smoother, and the driving force required for the rotation of the support arm 20 in the no-load state is smaller.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the transmission member 32 further includes a linear guide rail 328 provided on the battery exchange rack 10 and extending along the first transverse direction, and the transmission block 322 is movably provided on the linear guide rail 328. The linear guide rail 328 can be used to guide the transmission block 322, thereby achieving linear movement of the transmission block 322, which has the advantages of simple structure and easy installation.

[0040] The driving member 31 is an electric push rod, which has the advantages of easy material acquisition and low cost.

[0041] In this embodiment, by using one driving member 31 to drive the two supporting arms 20 at the same time, the number of electric push rods used is reduced, and the maintenance cost is reduced.

[0042] Specifically, when the electric push rod is extended, one end of the electric push rod directly drives one of the transmission blocks 322 to move, and through the cooperation of the rack 327 and the gear 326, drives one of the supporting arms 20 to rotate relative to the battery swap rack 10. At the same time, the other end of the electric push rod drives the first connecting rod 323 hinged thereto to move, the first connecting rod 323 drives the second connecting rod 324 to rotate relative to the battery swap rack 10, the second connecting rod 324 drives the third connecting rod 325 to move, the third connecting rod 325 drives the other transmission block 322 to move in a straight line, and through the cooperation of the rack 327 and the gear 326, drives the other supporting arm 20 to rotate relative to the battery swap rack 10, thereby realizing the synchronous movement of the two supporting arms 20.

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, the battery swap rack 10 includes at least two vertically spaced battery swap levels, each of which is equipped with at least two supporting arms 20. The at least two supporting arms 20 in each battery swap level are synchronously switched between an extended state and a retracted state via a drive assembly 30. This structure allows for the temporary storage of two battery packs using the two battery swap levels, improving the operational efficiency of the battery swap station.

[0044] Another embodiment of the present utility model provides a battery swap station, which includes two battery swap buffer mechanisms, and the two battery swap buffer mechanisms are arranged along the second lateral interval, and the battery swap buffer mechanism is the battery swap buffer mechanism provided above. When the two supporting arms 20 of the two battery swap buffer mechanisms move at the same time and are synchronously switched from the recovery state to the unfolded state, the supporting arms 20 of the two battery swap buffer mechanisms can support both sides of the battery pack respectively. Compared with the driving method in which each supporting arm 20 is unfolded separately, the synchronization of the movement of the supporting arms 20 is improved, the battery swap rhythm of the battery swap station is improved, and the service capacity of the battery swap station is improved. In addition, it can reduce the number of driving parts 31 and sensors of the battery swap station, streamline the circuits, reduce the failure rate of electrical components, improve the operating efficiency of the entire station, and reduce maintenance costs.

[0045] Among them, the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are perpendicular to each other, the first horizontal direction refers to the length direction of the battery swap rack 10, and the second horizontal direction refers to the width direction of the battery swap rack 10.

[0046] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0047] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of the parts and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to actual proportional relationships. The technology, methods and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, methods and equipment should be considered as part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar numbers and letters represent similar items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0048] In the description of the present invention, it needs to be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention; the directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0049] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature to other devices or features as shown in the figures. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figures. For example, if the device in the drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0050] In addition, it should be noted that the use of words such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above words have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0051] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery replacement buffer mechanism, characterized in that: The battery replacement buffer mechanism includes: Battery exchange rack (10); At least two supporting arms (20), both of which are movably arranged on the battery exchange rack (10), and the supporting arms (20) have an expanded state relative to the battery exchange rack (10) and a retracted state relative to the battery exchange rack (10); A drive assembly (30) comprises a drive member (31) and a transmission member (32), wherein the drive member (31) is drive-connected to the transmission member (32) so that the transmission member (32) can be movably arranged on the battery exchange rack (10), and the transmission member (32) is drive-connected to at least two of the support arms (20) so that at least two of the support arms (20) can be switched synchronously between the deployed state and the retracted state.

2. The battery replacement buffer mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission member (32) includes a transmission rod (321), the middle portion of the transmission rod (321) is movably connected to the battery exchange frame (10), the battery exchange buffer mechanism includes two support arms (20), the driving member (31) is drivingly connected to one of the support arms (20), and the other support arm (20) is hinged to the driving member (31) through the transmission rod (321).

3. The battery replacement buffer mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transmission member (32) further includes two transmission blocks (322), the driving member (31) is a linear driving member, the driving member (31) is drivingly connected to one of the transmission blocks (322), the driving member (31) is hinged to the other transmission block (322) through the transmission rod (321), so that the two transmission blocks (322) are movably arranged on the battery exchange rack (10) along the first transverse direction, the two transmission blocks (322) are drivingly connected to the corresponding support arms (20), and the two transmission blocks (322) can approach and move away from each other, so that at least two support arms (20) can switch synchronously between the deployed state and the retracted state.

4. The battery replacement buffer mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transmission rod (321) also includes a first connecting rod (323), a second connecting rod (324) and a third connecting rod (325); the first end of the driving member (31) is connected to one of the transmission blocks (322); the second end of the driving member (31) is hinged to the first end of the first connecting rod (323); the second end of the first connecting rod (323) is hinged to the first end of the second connecting rod (324); the middle part of the second connecting rod (324) is hingedly arranged on the battery exchange frame (10); the second end of the second connecting rod (324) is hinged to the first end of the third connecting rod (325); and the second end of the third connecting rod (325) is hinged to the other transmission block (322).

5. The battery replacement buffer mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transmission member (32) further includes a gear (326) and a rack (327) that are meshed with each other. The rack (327) is arranged on the transmission block (322). The rack (327) extends along the first transverse direction. The gear (326) is arranged on the support arm (20). When the transmission block (322) moves, the rack (327) and the gear (326) cooperate to drive the support arm (20) to rotate relative to the battery exchange rack (10).

6. The battery replacement buffer mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The drive assembly (30) further includes a bearing, which is coaxially arranged with the gear (326), the inner ring of the bearing is connected to the battery exchange frame (10), and the outer ring of the bearing is connected to the support arm (20).

7. The battery replacement buffer mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transmission member (32) further includes a linear guide rail (328) disposed on the battery exchange rack (10) and extending along the first transverse direction, and the transmission block (322) is movably disposed on the linear guide rail (328).

8. The battery replacement buffer mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The driving member (31) is an electric push rod.

9. The battery replacement buffer mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery exchange rack (10) comprises at least two battery exchange layers spaced apart vertically, each of the battery exchange layers being provided with at least two support arms (20), and the at least two support arms (20) of each battery exchange layer being synchronously switched between the deployed state and the recovered state via a drive assembly (30).

10. A battery swap station, characterized in that: The battery swap station includes two battery swap buffer mechanisms, which are arranged along a second lateral interval. The battery swap buffer mechanism is the battery swap buffer mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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