Battery transfer device for electrically powered vehicles

Abstract

Battery transfer device (10; 100) for electrically powered vehicles with a vehicle frame (R) forming a vehicle contour (K), comprising: a single double-acting linear actuator (14; 114; 114') with a defined working stroke (A); a transmission gearbox (16; 116; 116'); a battery block carrier which is designed to accommodate a battery block of the electrically powered vehicle and which in a first state of the battery transfer device is located completely within the vehicle contour (K) in the width direction (W) of the vehicle; wherein the linear actuator (14; 114; 114') and the transmission gear (16; 116; 116') interact in such a way that the battery block carrier in a second state of the battery transfer device is displaced in the lateral direction (W) of the vehicle compared to the first state by an amount (B) which is greater than the working stroke (A) of the linear actuator (14; 114; 114'), characterized in that in the second state the battery block carrier is located completely outside the vehicle contour (K) in the width direction (W) of the vehicle.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery transfer device for electrically powered vehicles having a vehicle frame forming a vehicle contour.

[0002] Electric vehicles, and especially electric industrial trucks, are used in logistics and industrial facilities in areas where, for example, local emissions must be excluded due to air pollution regulations, and where combustion engine vehicles cannot be used. Unlike vehicles with combustion engines, which can be refueled within a few minutes, electric vehicles require a much longer period of time, typically several hours, to fully charge the accumulator, often referred to as a battery pack.

[0003] However, such a long charging process, with the associated downtime, is unacceptable, particularly in plants operating in shifts. Therefore, it has been proposed that the battery pack not be permanently installed in the vehicles, but rather be mounted in a removable or replaceable manner within the vehicles, allowing discharged battery packs to be replaced with battery packs charged outside the vehicles. This would reduce the effective downtime of the vehicles from several hours to just a few minutes, and the corresponding process could be carried out, for example, during shift changes in the plant without disrupting other operations.

[0004] However, since the battery blocks commonly used are relatively heavy, they cannot be changed manually; instead, additional equipment is required, such as cranes that can remove discharged battery blocks from vehicles and insert externally charged battery blocks back into the vehicles.

[0005] However, since the corresponding battery blocks are located in designated battery compartments within the frame or the contour formed by the frame of the vehicle, they are not easily accessible with cranes or similar equipment. It is therefore necessary to first relocate the battery blocks away from the contour of the vehicle so that they can then be picked up using appropriate equipment. In order for the battery blocks to be transported vertically upwards, as is usually the case with a crane, for example, it may even be necessary to relocate the battery blocks completely away from the contour of the vehicle. This also reduces the risk of damage to both the battery blocks and the vehicle itself.

[0006] To date, systems employing linear actuators have been used to transfer the battery pack of an electric vehicle from the vehicle's contour. However, the maximum travel of these linear actuators is limited by the width of the vehicle; for example, when using a hydraulic cylinder, the travel cannot be longer than the cylinder itself. Therefore, additional measures are required to ultimately remove the battery pack from the vehicle.

[0007] For example, various systems are known in which several linear actuators are connected in series in stages to achieve complete displacement of battery blocks from a vehicle contour, such as those described in EP 1 925 512 A1 and DE 10 2006 048 105 A1, in which two hydraulic cylinders interact telescopically. However, such systems are relatively complex in design because, as mentioned, several hydraulic units must be operated in combination, which also makes the corresponding systems more susceptible to failures and wear.

[0008] Furthermore, reference is made to DE 297 20 404 U1 and DE 10 2013 216 399 A1, which also teach battery transfer devices for electrically powered vehicles, wherein in particular DE 297 20 404 U1 discloses a generic battery transfer device with all features of the preamble of the enclosed main claim 1

[0009] It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a mechanically simplified system that nevertheless allows a battery pack to be moved out of the vehicle's contour by a desired amount. Such a system is not only suitable for vehicles with replaceable battery packs, but also for battery pack maintenance, depending on the vehicle's design, it may be necessary to move the battery pack out of the vehicle's contour.

[0010] For this purpose, the battery transfer device according to the invention comprises a single double-acting linear actuator with a defined travel, a transmission gear, and a battery block carrier configured to accommodate a battery block of the electrically powered vehicle. In a first state of the battery transfer device, the battery block carrier is located completely within the vehicle contour in the width direction of the vehicle. The linear actuator and the transmission gear interact such that, in a second state of the battery transfer device, the battery block carrier is displaced in the width direction of the vehicle relative to the first state by an amount that is greater than the travel of the linear actuator, and is located, for example, completely outside the vehicle contour.

[0011] Furthermore, the battery transfer device can comprise a first carriage which is displaceable substantially in the width direction of the vehicle and to which the double-acting linear actuator and the transmission gear are assigned, wherein the battery block carrier is formed by a second carriage which is carried on the first carriage in a displaceable manner in the width direction of the vehicle, and the linear actuator and the transmission gear further cooperate with the first and second carriages and the vehicle frame for transferring the second carriage between the first state and the second state.

[0012] The term "vehicle frame," as used in this application, is to be interpreted broadly and essentially refers to the vehicle body and all vehicle parts that are permanently connected to it. Furthermore, the term "carriage" is also to be understood broadly and can refer to all parts that are horizontally displaceable relative to the aforementioned vehicle frame or to other carriages. "Vehicle contour" is also to be understood as the outline of the vehicle in a plan view.

[0013] By operatively connecting a linear actuator and a transmission gear, the desired effect of displacing a battery pack held by a battery pack carrier by a distance greater than the actuator's travel can be achieved with less effort than is possible with prior art devices. In particular, the linear actuator can be formed by a single hydraulic cylinder or a single electric linear or rotary drive. This significantly simplifies the control of the battery pack transfer process compared to prior art devices.

[0014] Known transmission types such as gear transmissions, traction transmissions or push-pull transmissions can be used for the transmission gear, and are suitable for the limited space available in the vehicle. Since the device is subjected to considerable torques due to the heavy weight of the battery block when transferring the battery block from the vehicle contour, a support means can be assigned to the first carriage and / or the second carriage or the battery block carrier, for example, which allows the first carriage or second carriage to be supported on a surface outside the vehicle. This could, for example, be an extendable support which is provided with a wheel at its lower end, which facilitates the extension of the first carriage, or a support which is set down during or only at the end of the extension process.

[0015] The second carriage can also be provided with at least one recess that allows removal of the battery pack using a lifting device. These can, in particular, be recesses in the second carriage through which the battery pack can be accessed from below using the forks of a pallet truck. Alternatively, in one embodiment, the components of the battery transfer device that can be displaced in the width direction of the vehicle can be designed so narrow in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle that the battery pack can be accessed from below using a conventional low-lift truck. In this case, the corresponding components are located centrally between the forks of the low-lift truck.

[0016] Furthermore, means for securing the second carriage and / or means for securing the first carriage may be provided. These are understood to mean means that fix the respective carriage in its current horizontal position in the first position and / or the second position and / or other positions during the transfer process.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the linear actuator can act between the first carriage and the second carriage, and the transmission gear can act between the vehicle frame and the second carriage. This is a particularly simple embodiment that enables a one-step transfer of the battery pack out of the vehicle contour.

[0018] On the other hand, in an alternative embodiment, a third carriage can also be provided which is displaceable relative to the first carriage, the second carriage and the vehicle frame, wherein the linear actuator acts between the first carriage and the third carriage and the transmission gear acts between the third carriage and the second carriage. In this case, means for securing the third carriage can also be provided. In such an embodiment, the transfer of the battery block out of the vehicle contour takes place in at least two steps, wherein first the third carriage is displaced while the second carriage is held fast and subsequently the second carriage is displaced while the third carriage is held fast.Although this two-stage process can be initiated manually by a user of the device, a control unit can also be provided which is operatively coupled to the linear actuator, the means for fixing the second carriage and the means for fixing the third carriage and which is configured to actuate, in said first step, the means for fixing the second carriage in the first state and simultaneously the linear actuator in an extending direction and, in a second step, to actuate the means for fixing the third carriage and simultaneously the linear actuator in a retracting direction.

[0019] A battery transfer device according to the invention can further comprise at least one sensor device configured to detect the current position of the first carriage and / or the second carriage and / or the third carriage, and which is optionally operatively coupled to the control unit. This measure allows the current state of the battery transfer device to be monitored and the transfer process to be controlled.

[0020] In a second aspect, the present invention relates to an electrically powered vehicle comprising a battery extension device according to the invention.

[0021] Finally, the invention also relates to a battery exchange system formed from a battery transfer device according to the invention and a battery transport device, wherein the battery transport device is configured to be able to remove the battery pack from the second carriage in the second state or to insert a battery pack into the second carriage. In this case, the battery transport device can in particular comprise a lifting truck or a crane.

[0022] The advantages and further details of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures, which show in detail: Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a battery transfer device according to a first embodiment in a first state; Fig. 2 the device from Fig. 1 in a second state; Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of a battery transfer device according to the present invention in a first state; Fig. 4 the device from Fig. 3 in an intermediate state; Fig. 5 the device from the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 in a second state; and Fig. 6 a variant of a device according to the Fig. 3 to Fig. 5 in an oblique exploded view.

[0023] In Fig. 1, a device according to the invention of a first embodiment is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The device 10 is located in Fig. 1 in a first state in which it is located completely within the contour of a vehicle (not shown) indicated by the dashed lines K. Here, the device 10 is located below a battery chamber (also not shown) intended to accommodate a battery pack.

[0024] Below the device 10 there is also a section of the vehicle frame, which is generally designated by the letter R. On this section R there is arranged a first carriage 12 which is displaceable in the indicated width direction W of the vehicle. On this first carriage 12 there is arranged in one plane a linear actuator designed as a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 14 and a transmission gear 16, which are each fixedly connected to the first carriage 12. Above the hydraulic cylinder 14 and the transmission gear 16 there is arranged a second carriage 20 which is mounted so as to be displaceable in the width direction W relative to the first carriage and thus also to the vehicle frame R. This second carriage 20 is designed to receive a battery pack which is arranged in Fig. 1 is not shown, but whose width can essentially correspond to the width of the vehicle.

[0025] How further Fig. 1, the linear actuator 14 is fixedly connected at its second end to the second carriage 20 and the transmission gear 16 is connected both to the second carriage 20 and to the frame R of the vehicle in the manner of a pulley.

[0026] If the linear actuator is now actuated, i.e. the hydraulic cylinder 14 is extended over its working travel, this firstly moves the second carriage 20 out of the contour K of the vehicle. At the same time, however, due to the effect of the connection of the second carriage 20 to the transmission gear 16, this transmission gear 16 is also set in motion and acts through its connection to the vehicle frame R in such a way that the first carriage 12 is also moved out of the vehicle contour K in the same direction as the second carriage 20. Due to the effect of the transmission gear 16, a telescopic effect is consequently achieved between the first carriage 12 and the second carriage 20, which leads to the fact that at the end of the extension movement of the hydraulic cylinder 14, i.e.after the working path A of the hydraulic cylinder 14 has been covered, the second carriage 20 has been transferred by an amount B which is greater than the working path A of the hydraulic cylinder 14. This fully extended second state of the device is shown in . Fig. 2. From this, it can be seen that the extension movement of the hydraulic cylinder 14 has been translated by the transmission gear 16 in such a way that, although a complete extension of the second carriage 20 from the vehicle contour K has not been achieved, the second carriage 20 has left the vehicle contour K by more than half.

[0027] In the Fig. In the second state shown in Figure 2, the battery block accommodated on the second carriage 20 is now exposed from above over a large part of its width and can therefore be removed from the second carriage 20, for example by means of a crane, and replaced with another battery block. After the battery blocks have been replaced, the hydraulic cylinder can then be retracted, whereupon the transition discussed above is reversed and the device 10 is removed from the Fig. 2 shown state back to the one in Fig. 1. This is made possible by the use of the double-acting hydraulic cylinder 14.

[0028] Furthermore, reference should be made to the support means 22 in Fig. 2, which is assigned to the first carriage 12 and supports the torque acting on the first carriage 12 on the ground outside the vehicle contour K, thereby increasing the stability of the device. The support means 22 can be actuated, for example, via a suitable mechanism that interacts with the linear actuator.

[0029] In Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of the battery transfer device according to the invention, which is generally designated by the reference numeral 110. Furthermore, all elements in Fig. 3, which corresponds to the elements from the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, but increased by 100. In Fig. 3, the device 110 is also shown in its first state, ie the second carriage 120 and all other parts of the device 110 are completely accommodated in the vehicle contour K. In Fig. 3 further shows a means for fixing the second carriage 120, which is designated by the reference numeral 122 and which, in the first state shown, fixes the second carriage 120 in its current position. Furthermore, in addition to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 known elements, a third carriage 130 is provided, which in the embodiment shown is located in the height direction between the frame R of the vehicle and the first carriage 112, and which is displaceably supported on the frame R. On the other hand, the third carriage 130 in turn supports the first carriage 112, also in a displaceable manner.

[0030] As in Fig. 3, the hydraulic cylinder 114 does not act on the second carriage 120 but on the third carriage 130. This third carriage 130 is also connected to the transmission gear 116 in the same way as the second carriage 120.

[0031] If the hydraulic cylinder 114 is now extended while the second carriage 120 is held in its current position by the means for fixing 122, the device goes into the Fig. 4. This can be explained by the fact that the extension movement of the hydraulic cylinder 114 initially acts on the third carriage 130, whereby this extension movement of the third carriage 130, through the action of the transmission gear 116 together with the fixed second carriage 120, also leads to a telescopic displacement of the third carriage 130 relative to the first carriage 112. Up to this point, the operation of the second embodiment of the invention is identical to that of the Fig. 1 and Fig. comparable to the first embodiment shown in Figure 2.

[0032] Now, however, in one, in Fig. 5, the third carriage 130 is secured by a further means for fixing 132 in the position shown in Fig. 4. On the other hand, the second carriage 120 is released, i.e. the operative connection with the means for fixing 122 is cancelled. If the hydraulic cylinder 114 is now moved in its retraction direction, the first carriage 112, to which the hydraulic cylinder 114 is firmly connected, is pulled out of the contour K of the vehicle. This also drives the transmission gear 116, which is firmly connected to the first carriage, which then, through its operative connection with both the third carriage 130 and the second carriage 120, acts like a pulley, which translates the movement of the second carriage 120 relative to the first carriage 112. At the end of this retraction movement, the device 100 is then in the Fig. 5, in which the first carriage 112 and the second carriage 120 are in the same position relative to each other as in the first state (see Fig. 3). Analogous to the first embodiment, the second carriage 120 has also been extended from the vehicle contour by an amount B' that is greater than the working travel A' of the hydraulic cylinder 114.

[0033] In the Fig. 5, the second carriage 120 is again in a position that allows the removal of the battery block from the second carriage 120 and the insertion of another battery block into the second carriage 120. If the transfer process is now carried out in the reverse order, ie if the hydraulic cylinder 114 is extended again while the third carriage 130 is still held, the second carriage 120 first moves back into the vehicle contour K, where it can again be fixed by the fixing means 122, whereupon, upon a renewed retraction of the hydraulic cylinder 114 after a release of the third carriage 130, the device 100 is moved into the position shown in Fig. 3 returns to the first state shown.

[0034] In a variant of this embodiment, however, an even further extension of the second carriage 120 from the vehicle contour K could be realized by not shortening the hydraulic cylinder 114 to its minimum length in the first state. In such a case, a further retraction of the hydraulic cylinder 114 in the second step could also result in a further extension of the second carriage 120 in the second state relative to the first carriage 112 and of the third carriage 130 relative to the frame.

[0035] Another option could be to use a hydraulic cylinder that extends essentially across the entire width of the vehicle contour. This would require the transmission gear to be Fig. 1 to Fig. 5, however, can be offset from the hydraulic cylinder either longitudinally or vertically. With such a variant, the battery pack can then be easily fully extended from the vehicle's contours.

[0036] In Fig. 6 shows such a variant of the second embodiment of a battery transfer device according to the invention in an oblique exploded view and designated by reference numeral 110'. In particular, the hydraulic cylinder 114' and the transmission gear 116' are arranged side by side, and the hydraulic cylinder 114' extends across almost the entire width of the device 110'. Thus, taking into account the transmission ratio of the transmission gear 116', a complete extension of the second carriage 120' can be achieved in the manner described above.

[0037] It can also be seen that the individual carriages are mounted relative to each other by means of a rail system, which, due to reduced friction losses, allows for relatively easy extension while also ensuring sufficient rigidity in both vertical and lateral directions. The rail system is designed so narrow that the battery pack can be lifted past it with a conventional pallet truck, i.e., it is narrower than the distance between the forks of the pallet truck.

Claims

[1] Battery transfer device (10; 100) for electrically powered vehicles with a vehicle frame (R) forming a vehicle contour (K), comprising: a single double-acting linear actuator (14; 114; 114') with a defined working travel (A); a transmission gear (16; 116; 116'); a battery block carrier which is designed to receive a battery block of the electrically powered vehicle and which, in a first state of the battery transfer device, is located completely within the vehicle contour (K) in the width direction (W) of the vehicle; wherein the linear actuator (14; 114; 114') and the transmission gear (16; 116; 116') interact in such a way that the battery block carrier, in a second state of the battery transfer device, is displaced in the width direction (W) of the vehicle relative to the first state by an amount (B) which is greater than the working travel (A) of the linear actuator (14; 114; 114'), characterized by that in the second state the battery block carrier is located completely outside the vehicle contour (K) in the width direction (W) of the vehicle. [2] Battery transfer device (10; 100) according to claim 1, further comprising: a first carriage (12; 112) displaceable substantially in the width direction (W) of the vehicle; wherein the double-acting linear actuator (14; 114; 114') and the transmission gear (16; 116; 116') are each assigned to the first carriage (12; 112); wherein the battery block carrier is formed by a second carriage (20; 120; 120') displaceably carried on the first carriage (12; 112) in the width direction (W) of the vehicle, and the linear actuator (14; 114; 114') and the transmission gear (16; 116; 116') for transferring the second carriage (20; 120; 120') between the first state and the second state further cooperate with the first (12; 112) and second (20; 120; 120') carriages and the vehicle frame (R). [3] Battery transfer device (10; 100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the linear actuator (14; 114; 114') is formed by a hydraulic cylinder (14; 114; 114') or an electric linear drive. [4] Battery transfer device (10; 100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the transmission gear (16; 116; 116') is designed as a gear transmission or traction mechanism transmission or thrust mechanism transmission. [5] Battery transfer device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that support means (22) associated with the first carriage (12) and / or the second carriage (20) and / or the battery block carrier are provided, which allow the first carriage (12) or the second carriage (20) to be supported on a surface in the width direction (W) outside the vehicle. [6] Battery transfer device (10; 100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the second carriage (20; 120; 120') and / or the battery block carrier is provided with at least one recess which allows removal of the battery block by means of a lifting device. [7] Battery transfer device (10; 100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat means (122) for fixing the second slide (20; 120; 120') or the battery block carrier and / or means for fixing the first slide (12; 112) are provided. [8] Battery transfer device (10) according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized by that the linear actuator (14) acts between the first carriage (12) and the second carriage (20) and the transmission gear (16) acts between the vehicle frame (R) and the second carriage (20). [9] Battery transfer device (100) according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized byin that it further comprises a third carriage (130) which is displaceable with respect to the first carriage (112), the second carriage (120; 120') and the vehicle frame (R), wherein the linear actuator (114; 114') acts between the first carriage (112) and the third carriage (130) and the transmission gear (116; 116') acts between the third carriage (130) and the second carriage (120; 120'). [10] Battery transfer device (100) according to claim 9, characterized by that means (132) for fixing the third carriage (130) are further provided. [11] Battery transfer device (100) according to claim 10, characterized bythat a control unit is further provided which is operatively coupled to the linear actuator (114; 114'), the means for fixing the second carriage (122) and the means for fixing the third carriage (132), and is configured to, in a first step, actuate the means for fixing the second carriage (122) in the first state and, at the same time, the linear actuator (114; 114') in an extension direction and, in a second step, to actuate the means for fixing the third carriage (132) and, at the same time, the linear actuator (114; 114') in a retraction direction. [12] Battery transfer device (10; 100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat it comprises at least one sensor device which is designed to detect the current position of the first carriage (12; 112) and / or the second carriage (20; 120; 120') or the battery block carrier and / or the third carriage (130), and which is optionally operatively coupled to the control unit [13] An electrically powered vehicle comprising a battery transfer device (10; 100) according to any one of the preceding claims. [14] Battery exchange system, formed from a battery transfer device (10; 100) according to one of claims 1 to 12 and a battery transport device which is designed to be able to remove the battery block from the second carriage (20; 120; 120') in the second state and / or to insert a battery block into the second carriage (20; 120; 120'). [15] Battery replacement system (10; 100) according to claim 14, characterized bythat the battery transport device includes a pallet truck or a crane.

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