Electric cars with swappable batteries

Abstract

The present invention discloses a completely new system for charging the energy storage systems of electric cars. This system typically avoids direct charging of the vehicle's own batteries via cable from an external power source, although this is possible in emergencies. Instead, the segments that comprise the energy storage system of these novel electric cars are exchanged during charging. Empty battery segments are marked by non-illuminating LEDs – LEDs only illuminate when the corresponding battery segment is functional. The use of exchangeable batteries allows drivers to undertake journeys of any length without worrying about finding a charging station or waiting for the battery to charge; swapping the battery segments takes place in a similar timeframe to refueling a gasoline-powered car.The battery segments are inserted and removed by sliding them in and out laterally after one of the swiveling battery compartment plates has been lowered. They are positioned in transverse slots in the vehicle's underbody, perpendicular to the direction of travel. To allow the segments to be lowered, the electric vehicle is first raised on one side by 10-15 cm. After replacing the battery segments on one side, the vehicle is lowered and the other side is raised. Suitable wheel supports are attached for lifting, and standard car jacks are used. The swiveling compartment plates have a motorized drive with a cable pulley system on rollers, a control panel with a push button for the motorized drive, and a locking mechanism with a sliding detent.The difference between the present system and electric cars with charging ports or standard electric cars is limited only to the underside of the electric car; it is therefore possible to convert any standard electric car into an electric car with swappable batteries by replacing the underbody of its body.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to electric cars (hereinafter referred to as e-cars) with exchangeable batteries.

[0002] The currently standard method for charging electric cars involves connecting a charging point, via a cable, to the charging socket of the vehicle being charged at a charging station. After starting the charging process, one must wait until the electric car's battery is charged. Charging takes approximately 6 hours, unless fast charging is chosen, which charges the battery to 70-80% in a shorter time, typically 30-60 minutes. This fast charging method utilizes complex measuring and charging equipment housed within the charging station and charging point. The following disadvantages, among others, can be identified with this system: a- limited driving time with mandatory breaks of considerable duration for battery charging b- Difficulties finding a battery charging station c- relatively small battery capacities; typically between 60 and 100 kWh, resulting in a short range d- rapid battery wear with frequent fast charging (30 - 60 min.) Driving electric vehicles at high speeds (over 160 km / h) is not possible due to the enormous increase in energy demand (cube of speed). f- Required replacement of the battery after a maximum of 8 years, which is very expensive.

[0003] The state of the art includes, among other things: - AU002008200543B8 “Light weight, Mass-producible, Combined Chassis, Battery Housing, Cooling System Structure for Solar Electric Vehicle” enables quick battery swapping instead of “plug-in” charging. - DE 20 2018 003 439 U1 “System for operating and changing accumulators in electrically powered motor vehicles” enables both electric charging at fuel pumps and electric charging by battery swapping - US 2019 / 0 118 782 A1 “Robotics for rotating energy cells in vehicles” enables manual or robotic battery replacement in electric cars - CN 1 12297 812 A “E-car and battery swapping vehicle suitable for the electric car” enables the replacement of the complete battery pack. - DE 10 2023 002 602 B3 “Charging method and charging station for electric cars”, whereby the vehicle and the batteries always remain in a horizontal position during the exchange.

[0004] The present invention aims to design an electric car in such a way that recharging with energy is possible without an electrical connection between the charging station and the vehicle, although this can be done in emergencies. Many of the aforementioned disadvantages are thereby partially or completely avoided.

[0005] Charging for electric cars is based on an energy storage system that uses a lithium-ion battery mounted on the vehicle's underbody. The individual segments, oriented transversely to the direction of travel, are designed to pivot downwards and be removable from the side. During charging, a segment without a charge is removed sequentially and replaced with a fully charged segment.

[0006] The battery segments are secured against loss or theft by a locking cover that prevents the segments from being pulled out.

[0007] Among other things, the following advantages result: - Ensuring fast charging with energy that may be faster than refueling with gasoline. - At each charging station for the electric cars according to the invention, the electric car receives the complete installation of all battery segments, and in addition to the energy costs, a pro-rata surcharge for the use of the borrowed battery segments and the charging station's profit must also be paid. This eliminates any need for the driver to take care of the batteries. - The arrangement of the battery segments allows for better utilization of the underbody of the electric car, thus enabling a much larger capacity for the energy source and making it possible to increase the range and top speed of the electric car. - The arrangement according to the invention can be used by replacing the underbody plate of conventional electric cars with a specially tailored one for converting conventional electric cars into those with exchangeable batteries; in this way, practically all unsold electric cars and all used electric cars can be converted into electric cars with exchangeable batteries, which represents an enormous economic and application advance. List of ingredients 1 electric car 2 electric car batteries 3 battery segment 4 Underside (for battery) 5 car jacks 6 cover flaps 7 8 Upper contact (battery segment) 9 Lower contact (battery segment) 10 buttons 11 Swivel plate 12 rolls 13 recording positions 14 Control panel 15 hinge 16 Upper recess 17 Lower recess 18 Front panel 19 Motor drive 20 rope 21 Pulley 22 Pulley 23 Locking mechanism 24 screws 25 Displacement nut 26 bracket Department 27 28 Hex head 29 Locking frame 30 In-depth study 31 light-emitting diode 32 Back panel 33 sockets 34 sockets 35– 36– 37 Sliding rail 38 Lower section of the department wall 39 Department wall 40 screw-washer 41 stoppers on plate 42 stoppers on the body 43 Notch in the lower part 38 of the partition wall 39 44 Metal sector (in the swiveling plate 11) 45 Larger rectangular indentation 46 Metal sector (to 29) 47 Uninterrupted border (to 29) 48 Metal sector (of the lower part 38 of the department wall 39) 49 Recess in the stopper on the bodywork 50 recess (to 11) 51 52– 53 Outside 54 Starting point 55 wheel fork 56 Fork-tooth 57 Fork-tooth 58 access savings 59 locking clip 60 Notch on the edge of the swiveling plate 11

[0008] The present invention describes, in one embodiment, a suitable design for electric cars and their batteries.

[0009] The embodiment of the energy source according to the invention in the electric car is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below.

[0010] They show Fig. 1 - Schematic representation of electric cars with swappable batteries Fig. 2 - Electric car, view from below Fig. 3 - Cut AA Fig. 4 - Cut BB Fig. 5 - Cut CC

[0011] The procedure for charging electric cars, provided that the electric car 1 is equipped with a novel, standard and segmented electric car battery 2, whose battery segments 3 are oriented transversely to the vehicle axis, consists of the following steps: a- The electric car 1 is driven into the marked charging area where replacement battery segments 3 are available, such that the wheels remain in the area of ​​the jack 5 and the driver releases the cover flaps 6 on both sides of the electric car, which slide aside into a lateral recess in the car body by spring force or manual operation and each exposes a control panel 14 b- The removal unit – human or automated – operates the two jacks 5 – e.g., scissor jacks – located on one side of the electric car until the car is tilted, whereby the height difference is no more than 10-15 cm – harmless – c- The removal unit only observes the control panels and the battery segments 3, which indicate the empty state with a non-illuminated LED 31, and activates the button 10, causing the swiveling plate 11 to move downwards and revealing the battery segments 3; the swiveling plate 11 can provide storage positions for one or more battery segments 3 arranged in parallel. d- The removal unit - human or machine - performs a fine positioning of a platform cart so that the platform of the platform cart comes into the correct position for the removal of a battery segment 3 The removal unit pulls the battery segment 3 out of the electric car using a pincer-shaped tool and pushes it onto the platform trolley. f- The removal unit pushes the just-pulled-out battery segment 3 on the rollers 12 into a conveniently positioned shelf with storage spaces for battery segments 3 g- The removal unit takes a full battery segment 3 from the shelf and pushes it into the receiving position in place of the previously removed battery segment 3; when all empty battery segments 3 have been replaced on the swiveling platform 11, the removal unit activates the button 10 again, which raises the swiveling platform 11. h- Where steps c - g are repeated until all battery segments 3, marked by light-emitting diodes 31, have been replaced i- The electric car 1 remains in the marked loading area, whereby the jacks 5 on one side are lowered and the jacks 5 for the other side of the electric car are raised. j- Steps c - g for the other side of the electric car 1 are also repeated k- After the last pivoting plate 11 is raised by pressing button 10 and the cover flaps 6 are closed, the electric car can continue driving.

[0012] As a further step in the process, the removal unit informs the cash register about the number of replaced battery segments 3 and their energy content in kWh, whereby the cash register calculates the payment for the customer, whereby in addition to the pure energy costs, a share for the loan of the batteries is also due, because these do not directly belong to the e-car equipment, and plus the profit of the e-charging facility is charged.

[0013] The charging method for electric cars 1 equipped with an electric car battery 2 consisting of lithium-ion battery segments 3, which are placed transversely to the longitudinal axis in the underbody of the vehicle, is based on the fact that the elongated battery segments 3, located on a pivoting plate 11, are pivoted laterally downwards and the electric car 1 is in a slight lateral tilt, and then are pushed in and out to exchange empty battery segments 3 for fully charged ones.

[0014] The electric car battery 2 consists of two parallel rows of compartments 27, each equipped with a downwardly pivoting plate 11, in which one or more parallel battery segments 3 are located in each of a receiving position 13 and wherein each pivoting plate 11 is attached to the electric car body by a hinge 15 and has a motor drive 19 with rope 20 and pulleys 21, 22, a control panel 14 and a locking mechanism 23.

[0015] Each mounting position 13 has four recesses 30 in which the rollers 12 of a respective battery segment 3 fit and, when the battery segment 3 is fully inserted and the plate 11 is pivoted upwards, are pressed lightly to a suitable degree for locking the battery segment 3 in all directions in its compartment 27, and wherein a rear wall 32 of the compartment 27 contains sockets 33, 34 in which an upper contact 8 and a lower contact 9 of the respective battery segment 3 are inserted, such that cable connections 35 provide flexible electrical access to the connection matrix 36 of the electric vehicle battery 2, so that the battery segments 3 are connected together as required by the requirements of electric vehicle operation.

[0016] The control panels 14, each responsible for a swiveling plate 11, are located under a cover plate 6 in the lower part of the electric car body and contain the following elements: - Button 10, which starts the motor drive 19 when pressed, with the motor drive 19 starting in the opposite direction with each press of the button, the motor drive 19 being stopped by microswitches at the respective end of the swiveling movement of the swiveling plate 11. - Light-emitting diodes 31 which, by not lighting up, signal the empty status for each of the battery segments 3 located on the present swiveling plate 11 - a hexagonal head 28 of the screw 24

[0017] On the lower parts 38 of the two compartment walls 39 of the respective compartment 27 there is a locking mechanism 23, consisting of: - Notch 43 in the lower part 38 of the partition wall 39 formed by the metal sectors 48 - Notches 60 at the edge of the pivoting plate 11, formed by solid metal sectors 44, while the pivoting plate 11 is manufactured in a hollow construction to save weight while increasing rigidity - Displacement nut 25 in conjunction with an uninterrupted edge 47 of the locking frame 29 - Locking frame 29 with larger rectangular notches 45, which are slightly longer than the metal sectors 44, such that, when the locking frame 29 is offset towards the center of the carriage, all metal sectors 44 fit through the larger rectangular notches 45 and the pivoting plate 11 can thus also be lowered through the recesses 50 in the horizontal lower part 38 of the compartment wall 39 - the compartment wall 39 is of hollow construction, while the horizontal part 38 is of solid construction - wherein, when the locking frame 29 is offset towards the edge of the carriage, the metal sectors 44 are firmly clamped between the metal sectors 46 in the lower area of ​​the locking frame 29 and the uninterrupted edge 47 of the same locking frame 29 - Screw 24 with a hexagonal head 28 which is actuated by means of a pipe wrench when required, causing the translation of the displacement nut 25 together with the locking frame 29, whereby the axial position of the screw 24 remains stable, while the screw washer 40 can rotate between the stopper on plate 41 and the stopper on body 42, whereby the screw 24 with the pivoting plate 11 moves downwards when this action takes place - for this purpose a recess 49 is provided in the stopper on body 42, which allows movement downwards -

[0018] The functionality of the locking mechanism 23 is only guaranteed if the length L44 of each metal sector 44 (to part 11) is shorter than the length L45 of the larger rectangular notch 45 in the locking frame 29 and also longer than the length L43 of the notch 43 in the lower part 38 of the compartment wall 39. The length of the metal sectors 46 of the locking frame 29 must be longer than the length L43 of the notch 43 in the lower part of the compartment wall 38.

[0019] The electric car can be lifted using commercially available car jacks 5, the point of attachment 54 of which is located in the middle on the outside 53 of a special wheel fork 55, whereby the wheel fork 55 is pushed laterally onto the wheel of the electric car 1, so that the two fork teeth 56, 57 point towards the center of the car, where they are secured by means of an attached locking clip 59.

Claims

[1] Method for charging electric cars provided that the electric car (1) is equipped with a novel, standard and segmented electric car battery (2) whose battery segments (3) are oriented transversely to the vehicle axis characterized by that the following steps are followed: a. The electric car (1) is driven into the marked charging area where replacement battery segments (3) are available, in such a way that the wheels remain in the area of ​​the jacks (5) and the driver releases the cover flaps (6) on both sides of the electric car, which slide aside into a lateral recess in the car body by spring force or manual operation and each expose a control panel (14). b. The removal unit - human or machine - operates the two jacks (5) located on one side of the electric car until the car is tilted, whereby the height difference is no more than 10-15 cm c. The removal unit only observes the control panels and the battery segments (3) which indicate the empty state with a non-illuminated LED (31) and activates the button (10), causing the swiveling plate (11) to move downwards and revealing the battery segments (3); the swiveling plate (11) can provide receiving positions for one or more battery segments (3) arranged in parallel. d. The removal unit – human or machine – performs a fine positioning of a platform cart so that the platform of the platform cart comes into the correct position for the removal of a battery segment (3). e. the removal unit pulls the battery segment (3) out of the electric car using a pincer-shaped tool and pushes it onto the platform trolley; f. The removal unit pushes the battery segment (3) that has just been pulled out on the rollers (12) into a conveniently placed shelf with storage places for battery segments (3) g. The removal unit takes a full battery segment (3) from the shelf and pushes it into the receiving position in place of the previously removed battery segment (3); when all empty battery segments (3) are present and have been replaced on the swiveling platform (11), the removal unit activates the button (10) again, which raises the swiveling platform (11). h. Whereby steps c - g are repeated until all battery segments (3) marked by light-emitting diodes (31) have been replaced. i. The electric car (1) remains in the marked loading area, with the jacks (5) on one side being lowered and the jacks (5) on the other side of the electric car being raised. j. Steps c - g for the other side of the electric car (1) are also repeated. k. After the last pivoting plate (11) has been raised by pressing the button (10) and the cover flaps (6) have been closed, the electric car can continue driving. [2] Method according to claim 1 characterized by , that the withdrawal unit informs the cash register about the number of replaced battery segments (3) and their energy content in kWh, whereby the cash register calculates the payment for the customer, charging not only the pure energy costs but also a share for the loan of the batteries, because these do not directly belong to the e-car equipment, plus the profit of the e-charging facility. [3] Electric cars (1) for enabling the method according to claim 1 characterized by , that a. an electric car battery (2) is provided made of lithium-ion battery segments (3) which are placed in the underbody of the vehicle transversely to the longitudinal axis, wherein the elongated battery segments (3) can be rolled in and out laterally in order to replace empty battery segments (3) with fully charged ones, but only after a pivoting platform (11) has been swung down and the electric car is in a slight lateral tilt b. wherein the electric vehicle battery (2) consists of two parallel rows of compartments (27), each equipped with a downwardly pivoting plate (11), wherein one or more parallel battery segments (3) are located in each of a receiving position (13) and wherein each pivoting plate (11) is attached to the electric vehicle body by a hinge (15) and has a motor drive (19) with cable (20) and pulleys (21, 22), a control panel (14) and a locking mechanism (23). c. wherein each mounting position (13) has four recesses (30) in which the rollers (12) of a respective battery segment (3) fit and, when the battery segment (3) is fully inserted and the plate (11) is pivoted upwards, are pressed lightly to a suitable degree for locking the battery segment (3) in all directions in its compartment (27), and wherein a rear wall (32) of the compartment (27) contains sockets (33, 34) in which an upper contact (8) and a lower contact (9) of the respective battery segment (3) are inserted, such that cable connections provide flexible electrical access to the connection matrix of the electric vehicle battery (2), so that the battery segments (3) are connected together as required by the requirements of electric vehicle operation. d. wherein the control panels (14), each responsible for a swiveling plate (11), are located under a cover plate (6) in the lower part of the electric car body and contain the following elements: i. a button (10) which, when pressed, starts the motor drive (19), wherein with each press of the button the motor drive (19) starts in the opposite direction, wherein the motor drive (19) is stopped by microswitches at the respective end of the pivoting movement of the pivoting plate (11). ii. Light-emitting diodes (31) which, by not lighting up, indicate the empty status for each of the battery segments (3) located on the present pivotable plate (11). iii. a hexagonal head (28) of the screw (24) e. wherein a locking mechanism (23) is located on the lower parts (38) of the two compartment walls (38), manufactured in a cavity construction, of the respective compartment (27), consisting of: i. a notch (43) in the lower part (38) of the compartment wall (39), formed by metal sectors (48) ii. Notches (60) at the edge of the pivoting plate (11), formed by solid metal sectors (44), while the pivoting plate (11) is manufactured in a hollow construction to save weight while increasing rigidity iii. Displacement nut (25) in conjunction with an uninterrupted edge (47) of the locking frame (29) iv. Locking frame (29) with rectangular notches (45) that are slightly longer than the metal sectors (44), such that when the locking frame (29) is offset towards the center of the carriage, all metal sectors (44) fit through the larger rectangular notches (45) and the pivoting plate (11) can thus also be lowered through the recesses (50) in the horizontal lower part of the compartment wall (38) - the compartment wall is constructed of hollow material, while the horizontal part is constructed of solid material - wherein, when the locking frame (29) is offset towards the edge of the carriage, the metal sectors (44) are firmly clamped between the metal sectors (46) in the lower part of the locking frame (29) and the continuous edge (47) of the same locking frame (29). v. Screw (24) with a hexagonal head (28) which is actuated by means of a pipe wrench when required, which causes the translation of the displacement nut (25) together with the locking frame (29), whereby the axial position of the screw (24) remains stable, while the screw washer (40) can rotate between the stopper on plate (41) and the stopper on body (42), whereby the screw (24) with the pivoting plate (11) moves downwards when this action takes place - for this purpose a recess (49) is provided in the stopper on the body (42) which allows movement downwards. [4] Electric cars according to claim 3 characterized by , that the functionality of the locking mechanism (23) is only ensured if the length L44 of the metal sector (44) (to part 11) is smaller than the length L45 of the larger rectangular notch (45) in the locking frame (29) and also larger than the length L43 of the notch (43) in the lower part (38) of the compartment wall (39), wherein the length L46 of the metal sectors (46) of the locking frame 29 must be larger than the length L43 of the notch (43) in the lower part (38) of the compartment wall (39). [5] Electric cars according to claim 3 characterized by , that the lifting of the electric car is possible using commercially available car jacks (5), the point of attachment (54) of which is located in the middle on the outside (53) of a special wheel fork (55), the wheel fork (55) being pushed laterally onto the wheel of the electric car (1), so that the two fork teeth (56, 57) point towards the center of the car, where they are secured by means of an attached locking clip (59).

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