Guide column and battery pack guide system including same

Abstract

Disclosed is a guide column and a battery pack guide system including the same, the guide column including a guide surface having a hollow portion downward, a bearing component arranged in the hollow portion at the bottom of the guide surface, and a first panel arranged above the guide surface, the guide surface being an inclined surface, a first frame being fixed to four peripheral edges of the guide surface, the bearing component including a second frame and a plurality of rolling bearings, the first panel being provided with a fourth through hole through which the rolling bearings pass, and an outer bearing of the rolling bearing is exposed to the first panel, the first frame and the second frame being fixedly connected to the first panel, the first frame being provided with a plurality of first through holes, the second frame being provided with a plurality of second through holes, and the first panel being provided with a plurality of third through holes which are larger on the outside and smaller on the inside, and the first through hole, the second through hole and the third through hole cooperate with each other.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2022103640127, filed in China on April 7, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of new energy vehicles, and in particular to a guide column and a battery pack guide system including the same. [Background technology]

[0003] There are two modes of energy replenishment for new energy electric vehicles: plug-in charging and battery swapping. The plug-in charging mode has problems such as high initial battery purchase costs, long charging times, and low charging safety. The battery swapping mode, combined with large-scale centralized charging, will become a competitive technology mode. Depending on the type of vehicle, the installation position of the swappable battery pack is generally under the chassis, on the side of the body, behind the body, or above the body. The battery pack installed above the body generally adopts a hanging type swapping.

[0004] When the battery pack is replaced using the hanging replacement mechanism, a certain amount of shaking occurs when the battery pack falls because the replacement mechanism is flexible, and in the process of the battery pack falling into the battery pack tray, it is guided through the primary, secondary and tertiary guide columns, so that the battery pack can accurately fall into the battery pack tray and complete the entire replacement. During replacement, the battery pack first passes through the primary guide column before reaching the position, and the primary guide column limits the swing range of the battery pack, which is swinging widely, to a small range, so that the swing range meets the guiding ability requirements of the secondary guide column. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The current primary guide column has an upper guide surface and a lower guide column as an integral structure, is manufactured from high-strength steel, and is generally welded directly to the battery pack tray to form an integral structure with the battery pack tray (see Figure 9). Both the primary guide column and the battery pack frame are manufactured from high-strength steel, and a certain amount of shaking occurs in the process of the battery pack dropping during vehicle replacement. When the battery pack contacts the primary guide column, the primary guide column controls the battery pack's shaking within a certain range. In the process of the battery pack contacting the primary guide column, an impact force is generated on the guide surface of the primary guide column, and a large friction force is generated between the battery pack and the primary guide column during the guiding process after contact. Such impact force and friction force during the replacement process cause deformation and friction damage to the primary guide column, and in severe cases, directly affect the replacement. At the same time, it also causes similar damage to the battery pack frame.

[0006] In addition, when replacing mining trucks and long-distance heavy trucks in mining areas, due to the continuous working hours, poor working environment, and high working intensity of mining trucks and long-distance heavy trucks in mining areas, the damaged part of the primary guide column may be cracked by vibration and the structure may be destroyed, which may cause replacement failure and increase the risk to the safety of the battery pack. Since the primary guide column is fixed and welded to the battery pack tray, replacing the damaged primary guide column requires removing and cutting the battery pack tray for replacement, which requires a long repair time, a complicated repair method, and a high repair cost, which seriously affects the operation efficiency of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In view of the above technical problems that the existing primary guide column is easily damaged and difficult to replace when changing power, the embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a guide column and a battery pack guide system including the same.

[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention discloses a guide column, the guide column including: a guide surface having a hollow portion below; a bearing component disposed in the hollow portion at the bottom of the guide surface; and a first panel disposed above the guide surface, the guide surface being an inclined surface; a first frame is fixed to four peripheral edges of the guide surface; the bearing component includes a second frame and a plurality of rolling bearings; the first panel is provided with a fourth through hole through which the rolling bearings pass, and an outer bearing of the rolling bearing is exposed to the first panel; the first frame and the second frame are fixedly connected to the first panel; the first frame is provided with a plurality of first through holes, the second frame is provided with a plurality of second through holes, and the first panel is provided with a plurality of third through holes which are larger on the outside and smaller on the inside, and the first through hole, the second through hole and the third through hole cooperate with each other.

[0009] In a second embodiment, the rolling bearing includes a third frame, a bearing rod, a positioning groove symmetrically fixed to the inner wall of the third frame, and an elastic member, the third frame corresponds to the size of the inner area surrounded by the first frame, the second frame is fixed to the outer periphery of the third frame, the bearing rod is fixedly connected to the inner bearing of the rolling bearing, the positioning groove is used to limit the position of the bearing rod, the elastic member is disposed in the positioning groove, and the elastic member is selected according to the load capacity of the rolling bearing.

[0010] In a third embodiment, both ends of the bearing rod are provided with concentric large-head cylindrical structures or coaxial small-bearing structures.

[0011] In a fourth aspect, the elastic member is a spring.

[0012] In a fifth embodiment, the rolling bearing is a deep groove ball bearing.

[0013] In a sixth embodiment, the first frame, the second frame and the third frame are all steel plate frames.

[0014] In a seventh aspect, a battery pack guide system includes a guide column according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and further includes a battery pack tray and a battery pack frame, the guide columns being fixed to the battery pack tray in pairs, a shock-absorbing rubber pad being installed on the battery pack tray, and a second panel being installed at the contact portion between the battery pack frame and the first panel.

[0015] In an eighth embodiment, one end of the second panel has an inclined surface.

[0016] In a ninth aspect, the second panel is provided with a plurality of fifth through holes that are larger on the outside and smaller on the inside, and the second panel is fixed to the battery pack frame through the fifth through holes.

[0017] In a tenth embodiment, the first panel and the second panel are both made from a composite wear-resistant material. Effect of the Invention

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects brought about by the embodiments of the present disclosure are as follows:

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first panel of the guide column, the bearing component and the frame of the guide surface are removably connected, and the maintenance can be completed by quickly replacing parts, reducing the difficulty of maintenance, greatly shortening the maintenance time, and ensuring work efficiency.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the elastic force of the elastic member and the rotation of the rolling bearing reduce the friction force between the first panel and the second panel, and the friction of the panels is smaller than that of the rigid contacts, which not only protects the frame of the battery pack, but also protects the guide surface of the guide column, eliminating the risk of causing structural damage during the subsequent operation of the battery pack.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the battery pack contacts the guide column during battery replacement, the impact force when the battery pack is dropped is reduced and the guiding speed is improved by the rotation of the rolling bearing and the elastic member below it. When the first panel contacts the second panel, the rolling bearings are all stored in the third frame, ensuring the normal progress of the replacement process and reducing the impact force between the battery pack and the guide column. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a guide column in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates a front view of a guide column in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 shows a structural schematic diagram of a bearing component in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a connection structure between a rolling bearing and a bearing rod in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 shows a structural schematic diagram of a guide surface of a guide column in an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 shows a structural schematic diagram of a first panel in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a second panel in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a second panel in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a guide column in the related art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The following clearly describes the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present application are all within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0024] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application are used to distinguish between similar objects and are not intended to describe a particular order or sequence. It is to be understood that the terms used in this way are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application can be performed in an order other than that shown or described herein, and that the objects distinguished by "first" and "second" are generally of the same type and do not limit the number of objects, e.g., the first object may be one or more. It should be noted that "and / or" in the specification and claims represents at least one of the objects connected, and the character " / " generally represents that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. In the present application, "transmission" represents the delivery of a signal, not the narrow sense of signal transmission.

[0025] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, and the same or similar numbers indicate the same or similar elements, or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are examples, and are intended to explain the present disclosure, and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0026] Hereinafter, a guide column and a battery pack guide system including the same based on an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 , the guide column of the embodiment of the present disclosure mainly includes a guide surface 1 , a bearing component 17 and a first panel 5 .

[0028] In some embodiments, the guide surface 1 is an inclined surface, and the bottom (lower part) of the guide surface 1 is a hollow structure.

[0029] In some embodiments, a first frame 2 is fixed around the four periphery edges of the guide surface 1. Specifically, the first frame 2 is welded and fixed around the four periphery of the guide surface 1 to form a frame for the guide surface 1. In some embodiments, the first frame 2 is a steel frame, but may be made of other suitable materials.

[0030] In some embodiments, the first frame 2 is provided with a plurality of first through holes 7. That is, the first frame 2 has a plurality of first through holes 7 distributed therethrough, and the first panel 5 and the bearing component 17 are fixedly connected to each other via the first through holes 7.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first panel 5 is fixed above the guide surface 1, and the first panel 5 is provided with a fourth through hole 10. The size of the first panel 5 matches the size of the guide surface 1, and the fourth through hole 10 is for passing the rolling bearing 12 of the bearing component 17. Specifically, the outer bearing of the rolling bearing 12 passes through the fourth through hole 10 and is exposed to the first panel 5. The fourth through hole 10 has a one-to-one correspondence with the rolling bearing 12.

[0032] In some embodiments, the first panel 5 is provided with a plurality of third through holes 9. The third through holes 9 of the first panel 5 cooperate with the first through holes 7 of the first frame 2. That is, the opening positions and the number of openings of the third through holes 9 of the first panel 5 and the first through holes 7 of the first frame 2 are the same.

[0033] In some embodiments, the third through hole 9 of the first panel 5 is a through hole that is larger on the outside and smaller on the inside, so that when the first panel 5 and the first frame 2 are fixedly connected using the bolt 16, the bolt cap will not be higher than the surface of the first panel 5 after the bolt 16 is tightened, thereby avoiding damage to the bolt 16 during operation. The surface of the first panel 5 facing the guide surface is the inner surface, and the surface away from the guide surface is the outer surface.

[0034] In some embodiments, the first panel 5 is made of a composite wear-resistant material.

[0035] In some embodiments, the bearing component 17 is disposed in the hollow portion at the bottom of the guide surface 1, and the bearing component 17 includes a second frame 3, a third frame 4, a bearing rod 13, a positioning groove 14, an elastic member 15, and a plurality of rolling bearings 12.

[0036] The third frame 4 is an assembly frame of the bearing components 17, and the bearing rod 13, the positioning groove 14, the elastic member 15, and the multiple rolling bearings 12 are accommodated in the third frame 4, and the second frame 3 is fixed on the outer periphery (on the outer ring) of the third frame 4. The sizes of the inner areas of the third frame 4 and the first frame 2 are consistent, specifically, the outer size of the third frame 4 and the inner area size of the first frame 2 are the same, so that the third frame 4 can be disposed below the first frame 2. In some embodiments, the third frame 4 is a steel plate frame. The third frame 4 may also be made of other suitable materials.

[0037] The second frame 3 is welded to the outer periphery of the third frame 4, and the size of the second frame 3 is consistent with the size of the first frame 2. The second frame 3 is provided with a plurality of second through holes 8. The opening positions and the number of openings of the second through holes 8 of the second frame 3 are consistent with the first through holes 7 of the first frame 2. That is, the first through holes 7 of the first frame 2, the second through holes 8 of the second frame 3, and the third through holes 9 of the first panel 5 cooperate with each other to connect the bearing component 17, the first panel 5, and the first frame 2. In some embodiments, the second frame 3 is a steel frame, but may be made of other suitable materials. Since the bearing component 17 and the first panel 5 are removably fixed to the first frame 2, when the bearing component 17 or the first panel 5 needs to be replaced, it is only necessary to remove the damaged related components, which can shorten the repair time and improve the work efficiency.

[0038] In some embodiments, the rolling bearing 12 is disposed in the third frame 4 through the bearing rod 13. Specifically, the inner bearing of the rolling bearing 12 is fixedly connected to the bearing rod 13, and the rolling bearing 12 is fixed to the bearing rod 13. As can be seen, the rolling bearing 12 is fixed to the bearing rod 13 through the inner bearing, and the outer bearing of the rolling bearing 12 is exposed to the first panel 5. It should be noted that the rolling bearing 12 can be a deep groove ball bearing or other suitable bearing. The number of the rolling bearings 12 is set according to actual needs.

[0039] In some embodiments, both ends of the bearing rod 13 are provided with a concentric large cylindrical structure or a coaxial small bearing structure. As can be seen, during operation, both ends of the bearing rod 13 are placed in the locating groove 14, and the design of the locating groove 14 prevents the bearing from coming off during operation.

[0040] In some embodiments, the positioning grooves 14 are symmetrically fixed to the inner wall of the third frame 4, and the positioning grooves 14 are for restricting the bearing rods 13. The positioning grooves 14 are welded to the inner wall of the third frame 4, and the number of the positioning grooves 14 is arranged according to actual needs.

[0041] In some embodiments, the elastic member 15 is disposed in the positioning groove 14, and the elastic member 15 is selected according to the load capacity (load-bearing capacity) of the rolling bearing 12. During installation, the elastic member 15 is first disposed in the positioning groove 14, and then both ends of the bearing rod 13 are disposed in the positioning groove 14.

[0042] In some embodiments, the elastic member 15 is a spring.

[0043] The battery pack guide system of the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a guide column, a battery pack tray and a battery pack frame. The guide column is the above-mentioned guide column, and the battery pack tray is a support structure for fixing the battery pack to the vehicle.

[0044] In some embodiments, the battery pack tray is provided with a shock absorbing rubber pad, which cushions the impact when the battery pack is dropped and prevents the battery pack from colliding violently with the battery pack tray.

[0045] The guide columns are fixed in pairs to the battery pack tray. When the battery pack is dropped onto the battery pack tray of the vehicle, the pair of guide columns guide the battery pack so that it falls accurately in the designed position.

[0046] In some embodiments, the second panel 6 is installed at the contact area between the battery pack frame and the first panel 5. The second panel 6 is provided with a plurality of fifth through holes 11, which are larger on the outside and smaller on the inside, and the second panel 6 is fixed to the battery pack frame through the fifth through holes 11. As can be seen, the surface of the second panel 6 facing the battery pack frame is the inner surface, and the surface of the second panel 6 facing away from the battery pack frame is the outer surface. Specifically, the battery pack frame is provided with holes corresponding to the fifth through holes 11, and the second panel 6 is fixed to the battery pack frame using bolts. After the bolts are tightened, the heads of the bolts are not higher than the surface of the second panel 6. In addition, the thickness of the second panel 6 is smaller than the thickness of the buffer rubber pad, so that the buffer rubber pad does not lose its effect.

[0047] In some embodiments, one end of the second panel 6 has an inclined surface. That is, by designing one end of the second panel 6 to have an inclined surface, the battery pack can better fit the guide surface when it is dropped.

[0048] In some embodiments, the second panel 6 is made from a composite wear-resistant material.

[0049] This battery pack guide system is applied to suspended battery swapping vehicles. Suspended battery swapping vehicles are powered by pure electricity and use a rear-mounted battery pack. When the swapping vehicle enters the swapping station, the control system of the swapping station sends a command to the swapping system, which activates the swapping robot to swap the battery pack in a suspended manner, realizing the continuous navigation of the vehicle.

[0050] During replacement, the battery pack comes into contact with the guide column, and during the guiding process, the rotation of the rolling bearing 12 and the elastic member 15 under the bearing reduce the impact force during the battery pack's drop process and increase the guiding speed. As the replacement progresses, the battery pack falls further, and the second panel 6 of the battery pack frame presses down on the rolling bearing 12, causing the elastic member 15 to contract and bringing the second panel 6 into contact with the first panel 5. When the first panel 5 and the second panel 6 come into contact, the rolling bearings 12 are all contained within the third frame 4, ensuring the normal progress of the replacement process and reducing the impact force between the battery pack and the guide column.

[0051] During the replacement process, the elasticity of the elastic member 15 and the rotation of the rolling bearing 12 reduce the friction between the first panel 5 and the second panel 6. The friction between the first panel 5 and the second panel 6 is smaller than that of rigid contact, so that the battery pack frame is protected and the guide surface of the guide column is also protected, eliminating the risk of structural damage during the subsequent operation of the battery pack. The design of the first panel 5 and the second panel 6 reduces structural damage caused by rigid contact between the battery pack and the guide column, ensuring the structural safety of the battery pack frame and the guide column. If the first panel 5, the second panel 6, or the bearing component 17 is damaged during long-term use, the maintenance can be completed by quickly replacing the parts, reducing the difficulty of repair, greatly shortening the repair time, and ensuring the operation efficiency of the vehicle. In addition, the high standardization and low price of the present invention allow a certain number of spare parts to be prepared.

[0052] As used herein, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples" mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in the corresponding embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. In this specification, exemplary expressions of the above terms may correspond to different embodiments or examples. In addition, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be used in combination in one or more embodiments or examples in an appropriate manner. Furthermore, if not mutually inconsistent, a person skilled in the art may use different embodiments or examples described herein and features of different embodiments or examples in combination.

[0053] Moreover, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and do not imply a relative importance or quantity of the specified technical features. Thus, a feature qualified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one feature. In the description of this disclosure, the meaning of "plurality" means at least two, such as two or three, but is not limited thereto unless specifically and explicitly limited thereto.

[0054] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is limited by the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1 Guide surface 2 First Frame 3 Second Frame 4. Third Frame 5 First Panel 6 Second Panel 7 First through hole 8 Second through hole 9 Third through hole 10 Fourth through hole 11 Fifth through hole 12 Rolling bearings 13 Bearing rod 14 Positioning groove 15 Elastic member 16 Volts 17 Bearing components (bearing units)

Claims

1. a guide surface having a hollow portion below it, a bearing component disposed in the hollow portion at the bottom of the guide surface, and a first panel disposed above the guide surface; The guide surface is an inclined surface, and a first frame is fixed to four peripheral edges of the guide surface; the bearing component includes a second frame and a plurality of rolling bearings; a fourth through hole through which the rolling bearing passes, an outer bearing of the rolling bearing being exposed to the first panel, the first frame and the second frame being fixedly connected to the first panel, the first frame being provided with a plurality of first through holes, the second frame being provided with a plurality of second through holes, and the first panel being provided with a plurality of third through holes which are larger on the outside and smaller on the inside, and the first through hole, the second through hole and the third through hole cooperating with each other.

2. The rolling bearing includes a third frame, a bearing rod, a positioning groove symmetrically fixed to an inner wall of the third frame, and an elastic member; The third frame is the same size as the inner area surrounded by the first frame, and the second frame is fixed to the outer periphery of the third frame; The bearing rod is fixedly connected to the inner bearing of the rolling bearing; The positioning groove is used to limit the position of the bearing rod; The guide column according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is disposed in the positioning groove, and the elastic member is selected according to a load capacity of the rolling bearing.

3. The guide column according to claim 2 , wherein both ends of the bearing rod are provided with concentric large-head cylindrical structures or coaxial small-bearing structures.

4. The guide column according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the elastic member is a spring.

5. 5. A guide column according to claim 1, wherein the rolling bearing is a deep groove ball bearing.

6. The guide column according to claim 1 , wherein the first frame, the second frame and the third frame are all steel plate frames.

7. A battery pack guide system comprising the guide column according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a battery pack tray and a battery pack frame, The guide columns are fixed to the battery pack tray in pairs, and a shock-absorbing rubber pad is installed on the battery pack tray; A battery pack guide system comprising: a second panel installed at a contact portion between the battery pack frame and the first panel.

8. The battery pack guide system of claim 7 , wherein one end of the second panel has an inclined surface.

9. 9. The battery pack guide system of claim 7 or 8, wherein the second panel has a plurality of fifth through holes that are larger on the outside and smaller on the inside, and the second panel is fixed to the battery pack frame through the fifth through holes.

10. The battery pack guide system of claim 7 , wherein the first panel and the second panel are both made of a composite wear-resistant material.

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