Battery connector system for a traction battery of a mobile work machine

Abstract

A battery connector system for a traction battery of a mobile work machine, in particular an industrial truck, comprising a fixed connector unit (1), a loose connector unit (2) at a movable cable end (3), and a joining and separating aid (4) with which the loose connector unit (2) can be brought into or out of engagement with the fixed connector unit (1), characterized in that the joining and separating aid (4) has a hand lever (5) that is pivotable about a first lever axis (8), a driver lever (6) that is provided with a driver device (K) that can be brought into operative connection with the loose connector unit (2) and is pivotable about a second lever axis (9), and a pull / push element (10) that is articulated to the hand lever (5) and the driver lever (6) at a distance from the two lever axes (8, 9) arranged parallel to one another, wherein the hand lever (5),the driver lever (6) and the fixed plug unit (1) are fastened to a common holder (7), wherein the holder (7) is U-shaped and has a base plate (7a) and two side plates (7b, 7c), the distance between which allows an arrangement of at least the loose plug unit (2) therebetween, wherein the fixed plug unit (1) is fixed to the base plate (7a) and the hand lever (5) and the driver lever (6) are fastened to the side plates (7b, 7c) so as to be pivotable about their lever axes (8, 9).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a battery connector system for a traction battery of a mobile work machine, in particular an industrial truck, comprising a fixed connector unit, a loose connector unit at a movable cable end and a joining and separating aid with which the loose connector unit can be brought into or out of engagement with the fixed connector unit.

[0002] Increasingly powerful industrial trucks with electric drives powered exclusively by, or at least supported by, traction batteries require larger cable cross-sections than before and therefore also larger connector units, i.e., the sockets and plugs of the battery connectors required in this context. Higher actuation forces are therefore required to connect (mate) and open (disconnect) the battery connectors. For this reason, battery connector systems have already been proposed that utilize a joining and disconnecting aid to provide mechanical support.

[0003] A generic battery connector system is disclosed in JP06215828A. The joining and separating aid consists of a lever to which the loose connector unit is attached in the area between a lever axis and a lever end serving as a handle. When the two connector units are joined, the lever is arranged at right angles to them and protrudes from the battery connector system with the handle. Furthermore, since the lever is relatively long to ensure sufficiently high joining and separating forces, the generic battery connector system requires considerable space overall.

[0004] US 3 721 359 A discloses a locking mechanism of a foldable grain tank pipe of a combine harvester.

[0005] DE 10 95 600 A discloses a pressure coupling for connecting lines, in particular ladder cables of excavators.

[0006] DE 42 22 193 A1 discloses a quick coupling for simultaneously connecting and disconnecting several couplings and / or connectors, in particular a coupling block for front loaders mounted on vehicles.

[0007] DE 23 26 557 A1 discloses a coaxial plug connection using plug-in technology.

[0008] US 1 793 015 A discloses a quick coupling for two lines.

[0009] The present invention is based on the object of providing a battery connector system of the type mentioned above which is compact and functionally reliable and enables high joining and separating forces with relatively low actuating forces.

[0010] This object is achieved according to the invention in that the joining and separating aid has a hand lever which is pivotable about a first lever axis, a driver lever which is provided with a driver device which can be brought into operative connection with the loose plug unit and is pivotable about a second lever axis, and a pull / push element which is articulated to the hand lever and the driver lever at a distance from the two lever axes arranged parallel to one another, wherein the hand lever, the driver lever and the fixed plug unit are fastened to a common holder, wherein the holder is U-shaped and has a base plate and two side plates, the distance between which enables an arrangement of at least the loose plug unit therebetween,wherein the fixed plug unit is fixed to the base plate and the hand lever and the driving lever are each pivotably mounted on the side plates about their lever axes.

[0011] The essential idea of ​​the invention is therefore to divide the function that a joining and separating aid of the battery connector system has to fulfil, namely to reduce the forces required when joining and separating the connector units compared to a purely manual execution of these processes, between two levers that are operatively connected to one another, which results in greater freedom in the spatial arrangement of the handle and also space-saving possibilities for force reduction, i.e. mechanical assistance.

[0012] According to the invention, the hand lever, the driving lever and the vehicle-side plug unit are attached to a common bracket.

[0013] The holder is U-shaped and has a base plate and two side plates, the distance between which allows an arrangement of at least the battery-side plug unit therebetween, wherein the fixed plug unit is fixed on the base plate and the hand lever and the driver lever are each pivotably fastened to the side plates about their lever axis.

[0014] Thus, according to an advantageous development of the invention, it is proposed that the hand lever be arranged approximately parallel to the fixed connector unit in a closed position of the joining and separating aid. Consequently, the hand lever is positioned in such a way that it requires hardly any space during operation of the industrial truck, i.e., when the battery connector is closed and the connector units are joined together.

[0015] Advantageously, a first joint of the pull / push element can be arranged between the first lever axis and the opposite end of the hand lever, and a second joint of the pull / push element can be arranged between the second lever axis and the opposite end of the driver lever.

[0016] It also proves advantageous if the distance between the first joint of the tension / compression element and the first lever axis is smaller than the distance between the second joint of the tension / compression element and the second lever axis. This allows – provided the distances between the respective end or joint of the tension / compression element and the associated lever are selected appropriately – a translation of the actuating force applied to the joining and separating aid via the hand lever into a significantly higher joining or separating force can be achieved in this range as well. Conversely, lower actuating forces required by an operator can be achieved, thereby reducing the risk of injury when closing and opening the battery connector.

[0017] To ensure a reliable joining and separating process, a guide rail is provided to accommodate the loose connector unit. This guide rail enables a defined movement of the loose connector unit during joining and separating. Furthermore, before the connector units are joined, the loose connector unit is aligned relative to the fixed connector unit, eliminating the need for manual adjustment.

[0018] In this case, the slide guide can have at least one slide track which is designed to engage with at least one slide block of the battery-side plug unit.

[0019] With regard to the operative connection between the driver lever and the loose plug unit, it is advantageous if the driver device has at least one driver slot on the driver lever, which is designed to engage with the at least one sliding block of the loose plug unit, transmitting tensile and compressive forces. This allows for self-locking in the closed state, which locks the plug units to each other and prevents accidental release.

[0020] Advantageously, the slide guide is also attached to the common bracket.

[0021] The fixed connector unit is preferably intended as the vehicle-side connector unit, and the loose connector unit as the battery-side connector unit. In this case, the bracket is attached to a suitable location on the vehicle. However, it is also possible to use an inverse arrangement, in which the fixed connector unit is assigned to the traction battery and the loose connector unit is assigned to the vehicle.

[0022] Further advantages and details of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the schematic figures. Fig. 1 a perspective view of a battery connector system in the open position of the joining and separating aid, Fig. 2 the battery connector system acc. Fig. 1 with inserted loose plug unit, Fig. 3 the battery connector system acc. Fig. 1 in an intermediate position, Fig. 4 the battery connector system acc. Fig. 1 in the closed position of the joining and separating aid, Fig. 5 a side view of the battery connector system according to Fig. 4.

[0023] The battery connector system according to the invention serves to connect a traction battery (not shown in the figures) of a mobile work machine, in particular an industrial truck, to an electric drive. The battery connector system comprises a fixed connector unit 1, which is provided, for example, as a vehicle-side connector unit, a loose connector unit 2, which is attached to a freely movable, two-strand cable end 3 and is provided, for example, as a battery-side connector unit of a traction battery, and a joining and separating aid 4.

[0024] The joining and separating aid 4 has two levers 5, 6 that are pivotally connected to a bracket 7. The bracket 7, which is attached to a suitable location on the vehicle, is U-shaped and consists of a base plate 7a and two side plates 7b, 7c. Located in a rear area of ​​the base plate 7a in the figures is the fixed plug unit 1, which is attached, in particular screwed, to the base plate 7a. The distance between the side plates 7b and 7c is sufficiently large to accommodate the loose plug unit 2 between them and to engage it with the fixed plug unit 1.

[0025] Of the two levers 5, 6, a hand lever 5 is pivotally mounted on the bracket 7 about a first lever axis 8. A driver lever 6, which is pivotally mounted on the bracket 7 about a second lever axis 9, consists of two side arms 6a, 6b and a crosspiece 6c, which is also part of a push / pull element 10 that articulates the hand lever 5 to the driver lever 6. The two lever axes 8, 9 are arranged parallel to each other at a distance.

[0026] The tension / compression element 10, designed as a two-part longitudinal web, is rotatably connected to the hand lever 5 via a first joint 11 at the end remote from the driver lever 6. At the opposite end, the tension / compression element 10 is attached, e.g., welded, to the crossbar 6c of the driver lever 6. The crossbar 6c of the driver lever 6 or of the tension / compression element 10 is rotatably connected to the ends of the side arms 6a, 6b remote from the second lever axis 9, thereby forming a second joint 12.

[0027] Driver slots K1, K2 with undercuts are incorporated into the side arms 6a, 6b of the driver lever 6. The driver slots K1, K2 serve as a driver device K of the driver lever 6 to the loose plug unit 2. The driver slots K1, K2 can be brought into engagement with pin-shaped sliding blocks S, which are attached to the side of the loose plug unit 2 in this embodiment, and enable the transmission of tensile and compressive forces when joining and separating the battery connector.

[0028] The sliding blocks S interact with a sliding guide F of the holder 7 in order to achieve a defined movement of the loose plug unit 2 relative to the fixed plug unit 1 and to prevent tilting or jamming of the loose plug unit 2 during assembly. The sliding guide F consists of sliding tracks F1, F2 which are incorporated into the side plates 7b, 7c. As an alternative to the arrangement of one sliding block S on each side of the loose plug unit 2 provided in the present exemplary embodiment, it is also possible to provide two spaced-apart sliding blocks S on each side in order to improve the guidance of the loose plug unit 2 in the sliding guide F.

[0029] Fig. 2 shows an arrangement of the battery connector system, in which - starting from the standby position according to Fig. 1 - to close the battery connector, the loose connector unit 2 is inserted into the joining and separating aid 4 with the aid of a handle 2a, whereby the guide pins S are inserted into the driver slots K1, K2 of the side arms 6a, 6b of the driver lever 6.

[0030] By operating the hand lever 5 (see Fig. 3) The joining and separating aid 4 allows the loose plug unit 2 to be moved toward the fixed plug unit 1. Due to the active connection between the sliding blocks S and the driver slots K1, K2, a (joining) force is applied to the loose plug unit 2.

[0031] Compared to an actuating force applied to the hand lever 5, this force is significantly increased by the lever ratios.

[0032] The decisive factors for the transmission ratio are the length of the hand lever 5 (distance from the lever end enclosed by the operator's hand to the first lever axis 8), the distance between the first lever axis 8 and the first joint 11 of the pull / push element 10, the distance of the second joint 12 of the pull / push element 10 from the second lever axis 9 of the driver lever 6 (corresponding to the effective length of the driver lever 6) and the distance between the sliding blocks S and the second lever axis 9 of the driver lever 6. For a large transmission ratio, it is expedient if the distance of the first joint 11 of the pull / push element 10 from the first lever axis 8 is smaller than the distance of the second joint 12 of the pull / push element 10 from the second lever axis 9.

[0033] At the end of the joining process (see Fig. 4), the hand lever 5 is arranged approximately parallel to the fixed plug unit 1 in a space-saving manner, thus not protruding from the joining and separating aid 4 in this operating position. To open the battery connector, the hand lever 5 of the joining and separating aid 4 is pivoted from the closed position towards the open position in reverse order to subsequently remove the loose plug unit 2 from the driver lever 6 of the joining and separating aid 4.

[0034] The battery connector system is preferably designed to be self-locking in the closed state, thus preventing accidental release, for example, caused by vehicle vibrations. In the closed position of the battery connector system, the second joint 12 is located below the first lever axis 8 and the first joint 11 is located above the first lever axis 8 in a second quadrant of a coordinate system whose zero point is formed by the first lever axis 8 and whose X-axis is parallel to the connector alignment (see Fig.5). If a force acts on the loose connector unit 2 in the opening direction (e.g., by pulling on the loose connector unit 2), the second joint 12 moves upwards – following a circular arc around the second lever axis 9 – and simultaneously the first joint 11 moves downwards, whereby the hand lever 5 is pressed downwards from a relatively precisely parallel position (dashed lines) toward a deviating position (solid lines), i.e., not in the opening direction. The battery connector system thus remains closed.

Claims

[1] Battery connector system for a traction battery of a mobile work machine, in particular an industrial truck, comprising a fixed connector unit (1), a loose connector unit (2) at a movable cable end (3) and a joining and separating aid (4) with which the loose connector unit (2) can be brought into or out of engagement with the fixed connector unit (1), characterized bythat the joining and separating aid (4) has a hand lever (5) which is pivotable about a first lever axis (8), a driver lever (6) which is provided with a driver device (K) which can be brought into operative connection with the loose plug unit (2) and is pivotable about a second lever axis (9), and a pull / push element (10) which is articulated to the hand lever (5) and the driver lever (6) at a distance from the two lever axes (8, 9) arranged parallel to one another, wherein the hand lever (5), the driver lever (6) and the fixed plug unit (1) are fastened to a common holder (7), wherein the holder (7) is U-shaped and has a base plate (7a) and two side plates (7b, 7c), the distance between which enables the arrangement of at least the loose plug unit (2) therebetween,wherein the fixed plug unit (1) is fixed on the base plate (7a) and the hand lever (5) and the driver lever (6) are each pivotably mounted on the side plates (7b, 7c) about their lever axes (8, 9). [2] Battery connector system according to claim 1, characterized by that the hand lever (5) is arranged approximately parallel to the fixed plug unit (1) in a joining position of the joining and separating aid (4). [3] Battery connector system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that a first joint (11) of the pull / push element (10) is arranged between the first lever axis (8) and the opposite end of the hand lever (5), and a second joint (12) of the pull / push element (10) is arranged between the second lever axis (9) and the opposite end of the driver lever (6). [4] Battery connector system according to claim 3, characterized bythat the distance of the first joint (11) of the tension / compression element (10) from the first lever axis (8) is smaller than the distance of the second joint (12) of the tension / compression element (10) from the second lever axis (9). [5] Battery connector system according to one of claims 1 to 4 characterized by that a slotted guide (F) is provided to accommodate the loose plug unit (2). [6] Battery connector system according to claim 5, characterized by that the sliding guide (F) has at least one sliding track (F1, F2) which is designed to engage with at least one sliding block (S) of the loose plug unit (2). [7] Battery connector system according to claim 6, characterized by that the driver device (K) has at least one driver slot (K1 or K2) on the driver lever (6), which is designed to engage with the at least one sliding block (S) of the loose plug unit (2) in order to transmit tensile and compressive forces. [8] Battery connector system according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by that the link guide (F) is attached to the common bracket (7). [9] Mobile work machine with a traction battery and a battery connector system according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by that the fixed plug unit (1) is provided as the vehicle-side plug unit and the loose plug unit (2) is provided as the battery-side plug unit.

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