Battery exchange station and method for exchanging rechargeable batteries at a battery exchange station - Patents.com

Abstract

[0003] A battery exchange station for charging a plurality of batteries, each of the plurality of batteries comprising a battery management system (BMS), the battery exchange station comprising: i) a cabinet comprising a plurality of battery chargers; ii) a plurality of bays each configured to receive batteries, the plurality of bays comprising: a) a plurality of charging bays, each comprising an electrical connector for connecting to a battery received in the charging bay, each electrical connector electrically coupled to a respective one of the plurality of battery chargers; b) one or more non-charging buffer bays, each comprising coupling means configured to establish communication with the BMS of the battery received in the non-charging buffer bay; and iii) a robotic arm configured to exchange a battery located in a battery-powered device with a battery located in one of the plurality of charging bays. [0004] A storage and retrieval system is provided, the storage and retrieval system comprising: a storage structure comprising a track structure; one or more cargo handling devices configured to travel on the track structure; and one or more battery exchange stations located adjacent to or on the track structure. [0005] A method of exchanging a first battery with a second battery at a battery exchange station is provided.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a battery exchange station and a method for performing a battery exchange at a battery exchange station. [Background technology]

[0002] Some commercial and industrial activities require a system that allows for the storage and retrieval of a large number of different products. WO2015019055A1 describes a storage and retrieval system in which a stack of storage containers is arranged in a grid storage structure. The system further comprises a remotely operated load handling device configured to travel on a track located on top of the grid storage structure. To access the containers in the grid storage structure, the load handling device is equipped with a container holding device for releasably grasping the container at the top of the stack and a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the container.

[0003] Each cargo handling device is powered by a rechargeable battery, which is typically charged in situ by driving the cargo handling device to a charging station located at the edge of the grid storage structure. The cargo handling device remains stationary at the charging station while the battery is recharged. The charging period is a significant source of downtime for the cargo handling device and can be on the order of several hours.

[0004] To alleviate the problem of downtime, the cargo handling device may be powered by replaceable batteries. When a battery in the cargo handling device becomes depleted, the depleted battery is replaced with a fully charged battery, thus reducing downtime to the time it takes to replace the battery rather than the time it takes to charge the battery.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide improvements to battery exchange systems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure is defined in the appended claims.

[0007] 1. A battery exchange station for charging a plurality of batteries, each of the plurality of batteries comprising a battery management system (BMS), the battery exchange station comprising: i) a cabinet containing a plurality of battery chargers; ii) a plurality of bays each configured to receive a battery; and wherein the plurality of bays comprises: a) a first subgroup of bays, wherein the first subgroup comprises a plurality of charging bays, each of the plurality of charging bays comprising an electrical connector for connecting to a battery received in the charging bay, each electrical connector electrically coupled to a respective one of the plurality of battery chargers; b) a second subgroup of bays, wherein the second subgroup comprises one or more non-charging buffer bays, each of the one or more non-charging buffer bays comprising coupling means configured to establish communication with a BMS of a battery received in the non-charging buffer bay; are grouped into iii) a robotic arm configured to replace a battery located in the battery-powered device with a battery located in one of a plurality of charging bays; A battery exchange station is provided, comprising:

[0008] A non-charging buffer bay may be referred to as a buffer bay, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Each buffer bay may not be configured to charge a battery received therein. In other words, each buffer bay is not a charging bay. For example, each buffer bay may not be electrically coupled to a battery charger. For example, each buffer bay may not include an electrical connector for connecting to a corresponding electrical connector on a battery.

[0009] The cabinet may be a single unit. The multiple bays may be housed in the cabinet. This has the advantage that the cabinet is easy to manufacture and both the first and second subgroups of bays are housed in the same cabinet.

[0010] Each of the plurality of bays may be in the form of a container having an opening in a top surface of the cabinet to allow the battery to be received in the container vertically. The cabinet may have a single top surface, with all of the bays having their openings in the top surface.

[0011] The cabinet may have a first top surface and a second top surface, and a respective opening of each of the plurality of charging bays in the first subgroup may be in the first top surface, and a respective opening of each of the one or more non-charging buffer bays in the second subgroup may be in the second top surface. The second top surface of the cabinet may be at a lower vertical level than the first top surface of the cabinet. This may be useful when the buffer bays need to be at a height that is more convenient for human workers to access.

[0012] The ratio of the number of charging bays in the first subgroup to the number of non-charging buffer bays in the second subgroup can be between 2:1 and 10:1. The ratio of the number of charging bays in the first subgroup to the number of non-charging buffer bays in the second subgroup is 4:1. In some examples, the second subgroup consists of a single non-charging buffer bay. In other examples, the second subgroup includes multiple non-charging buffer bays. This has the advantage of providing redundancy in case one of the non-charging buffer bays is not operational.

[0013] One or more of the plurality of bays may include one or more sensors for detecting the presence of a battery in the bay.

[0014] One or more of the multiple bays may further include a visual indicator of the state of charge of a battery received in the bay. For example, an LED located next to the bay may indicate whether the battery in the bay is fully charged. In some examples, different colored LEDs may be used to indicate different levels of state of charge, e.g., green for >80% SOC, yellow for 50-80% SOC, and red for <50% SOC. In some examples, the visual indicator (e.g., LED) may indicate whether the battery in the bay is in an error state (e.g., the BMS has an error code or the battery's temperature is outside a predetermined range). In some examples, the battery exchange station may send a wireless signal to the mobile device with information about the battery in the bay, such as the SOC or temperature or error state.

[0015] Battery exchange stations are i) determining a state of charge of a battery received within one of a plurality of non-charging buffer bays; ii) commanding the robotic arm to move the battery from the non-charging buffer bay to one of a plurality of charging bays if the battery's state of charge falls below a predetermined threshold charge level; The device may further comprise a control system configured to:

[0016] The control system may be a central control system for the storage and retrieval system or a separate control system for the battery exchange station. Step ii) may be commanded by the control system and performed by a local arm controller. The control system may include one or more processors and a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, command the robotic arm to move the battery.

[0017] The control system is i) determining whether a temperature of a battery in any of the plurality of bays exceeds a predetermined temperature threshold and / or whether a current of a battery in any of the plurality of bays exceeds a predetermined current; ii) activating a switch to disconnect the plurality of battery chargers from the plurality of charging bays when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined temperature threshold and / or the current of the battery exceeds a predetermined current; The device may be further configured to:

[0018] The switch may be a circuit breaker, a fuse, or any other switch capable of disconnecting the power supply to the charging bay.

[0019] 1. A storage and retrieval system comprising: a storage structure, wherein the storage structure is a plurality of horizontal members arranged to form a grid pattern defining a plurality of grid cells; a plurality of upright members configured to support the horizontal member from below to define a storage area below the grid cells for storing a stack of storage containers; a track structure located on top of the horizontal member, the track structure comprising a plurality of tracks arranged to form a grid pattern corresponding to the grid pattern formed by the horizontal member; Equipped with one or more load handling devices, wherein each load handling device comprises: a drive assembly configured to move the load handling device on the track structure; a container retention assembly configured to releasably retain a storage container from above; a lifting assembly configured to raise and lower the container retention assembly to allow a load handling device to lift and lower storage containers into and out of the storage structure and aisles through the grid cells; Equipped with one or more battery exchange stations as described above, wherein each battery exchange station is located adjacent to or on a track structure; A storage and retrieval system is provided, comprising:

[0020] 1. A method of replacing a first battery with a second battery, the first battery being located in a battery-powered device and the second battery being located in a charging bay configured to charge the batteries, the method comprising: (i) removing a first battery from a battery-powered device and placing it in a non-charging buffer bay; (ii) removing the second battery from the charging bay and placing it in the battery-powered device; (iii) removing the first battery from the non-charging buffer bay and placing it in the charging bay; A method is provided, comprising:

[0021] 1. A method of replacing a first battery with a second battery, the first battery being located in a battery-powered device and the second battery being located in a charging bay configured to charge the batteries, the method comprising: (i) removing a second battery from the charging bay and placing it in a non-charging buffer bay; (ii) removing a first battery from the battery-powered device and placing it in a charging bay; (iii) removing the second battery from the non-charging buffer bay and placing it in the battery-powered device; A method is provided, comprising:

[0022] In any of the above methods, steps (i)-(iii) may be performed by a robotic arm. All of steps (i)-(iii) may be performed by the same robotic arm.

[0023] The present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a storage structure and a container disposed within the storage structure; [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a track structure on top of the storage structure of FIG. 1; [Figure 3] 2 shows a cargo handling device on top of the truck structure of the storage structure of FIG. 1; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a load handling device with a container holding device in a position below the bottom of the load handling device. [Figure 5] 5 is a schematic perspective view of the load handling device of FIG. 4 with the sides of the outer body omitted from the view to show the container receiving space. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic perspective view of the cargo handling device of FIG. 5 with a container occupying the container receiving space. FIG. [Figure 7A] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cargo handling device with a battery received in a battery compartment; FIG. [Figure 7B] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a battery in a battery compartment. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a battery exchange station including a cabinet with the side panels omitted from the view. [Figure 9] FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of a battery exchange station next to a track structure of a storage structure. [Figure 10] 1 is a top view of a load handling device and a battery exchange station illustrating steps in a method for exchanging a battery; [Figure 11] 10A-10C are top views of a load handling device and a battery exchange station illustrating steps of another method for exchanging a battery. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative storage structure 1 that may be used in a storage and retrieval system to store storage containers 9. The storage structure 1 comprises a framework including upright members 3 and horizontal members 5, 7 supported by the upright members 3. The horizontal members 5 extend parallel to each other and to the illustrated x-axis. The horizontal members 7 extend parallel to each other and to the illustrated y-axis, as well as transverse to the horizontal members 5. The upright members 3 extend parallel to each other and to the illustrated z-axis, as well as transverse to the horizontal members 5, 7. The horizontal members 5, 7 form a grid pattern that defines a plurality of grid cells 14. In the illustrated example, the storage containers 9 are arranged in stacks 11 beneath the grid cells 14 defined by the grid pattern, with one stack 11 of storage containers 9 per grid cell 14.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a large-scale plan view of a section of a track structure 13 that forms part of and is located on top of the horizontal members 5, 7 of the storage structure 1 illustrated in FIG. 1. The track structure 13 may be provided by the horizontal members 5, 7 themselves (e.g., formed in or on the surfaces of the horizontal members 5, 7) or by one or more additional components mounted on top of the horizontal members 5, 7. The illustrated track structure 13 includes x-direction tracks 17 and y-direction tracks 19, i.e., a first set of tracks 17 extending in the x-direction and a second set of tracks 19 extending in the y-direction across the tracks 17 in the first set of tracks 17. The tracks 17, 19 define apertures 15 at the centers of the grid cells 14. The apertures 15 are sized to allow storage containers 9 located directly below the grid cells 14 to be lifted and lowered through the apertures 15. The x-direction tracks 17 are provided in pairs separated by channels 21, and the y-direction tracks 19 are provided in pairs separated by channels 23. Other arrangements of the track structures may also be possible.

[0027] Figure 3 shows multiple load handling devices 25 moving on top of the storage structure 1 illustrated in Figure 1. The load handling devices 25, hereafter referred to as "bots," are provided with a set of wheels for engaging with a corresponding x-direction track 17 or y-direction track 19 to enable the bots 25 to move across the track structure 13 and reach a particular grid cell 14. The illustrated pair of tracks 17, 19, separated by channels 21, 23, allows the bots 25 to occupy (or pass by) neighboring grid cells 14 without colliding with each other.

[0028] 4, the bot 25 comprises an outer body 27 within or on which one or more components are mounted that enable the bot 25 to perform its intended functions. These functions may include moving across the storage structure 1 on the track structure 13 and raising or lowering storage containers 9 (e.g., from or to the stacks 11) so that the bot 25 can retrieve or place storage containers 9 into or from specific locations defined by the grid pattern.

[0029] The illustrated bot 25 includes a drive assembly including first and second sets of wheels 29, 31 mounted on an outer body 27 of the bot 25 and enabling the bot 25 to move in the x and y directions, respectively, along tracks 17 and 19. In particular, two wheels 29 are provided on a shorter side of the bot 25 as seen in FIG. 4 , and two additional wheels 29 are provided on an opposite, shorter side of the bot 25. The wheels 29 engage with the tracks 17 and are rotatably mounted on the outer body 27 of the bot 25, enabling the bot 25 to move along the tracks 17. Similarly, two wheels 31 are provided on a longer side of the bot 25 as seen in FIG. 4 , and two additional wheels 31 are provided on an opposite, longer side of the bot 25. The wheels 31 engage with the tracks 19 and are rotatably mounted on the outer body 27 of the bot 25, enabling the bot 25 to move along the tracks 19.

[0030] To enable the bot 25 to move on different wheels 29, 31 in the first and second directions, the drive assembly further includes a wheel positioning mechanism (not shown) for selectively engaging either the first set of wheels 29 with the first set of tracks 17 or the second set of wheels 31 with the second set of tracks 19. The wheel positioning mechanism is configured to raise and lower the first set of wheels 29 and / or the second set of wheels 31 relative to the outer body 27, thereby enabling the load handling device 25 to selectively move in either the first direction or the second direction across the tracks 17, 19 of the storage structure 1.

[0031] The wheel positioning mechanism may include one or more linear actuators, rotating components, or other means for raising and lowering at least one set of wheels 29, 31 relative to the outer body 27 of the bot 25 to move the at least one set of wheels 29, 31 away from and into contact with the tracks 17, 19. In some examples, only one set of wheels is configured to be raised and lowered, such that the act of lowering one set of wheels may effectively lift the other set of wheels away from the corresponding tracks, while the act of raising one set of wheels may effectively lower the other set of wheels into contact with the corresponding tracks. In other examples, both sets of wheels may be raised and lowered, advantageously meaning that the outer body 27 of the bot 25 remains at substantially the same height, thus eliminating the need for the weight of the outer body 27 and components mounted thereon to be lifted and lowered by the wheel positioning mechanism.

[0032] The bot 25 also includes a lifting assembly 33 and a container retention assembly 37 configured to raise and lower the storage container 9. The illustrated lifting assembly 33 includes four tethers 35 connected at their lower ends to the container retention assembly 37. The tethers 35 may be in the form of cables, ropes, tapes, or any other form of tether having the physical properties necessary to lift the storage container 9. The container retention assembly 37 includes a gripping mechanism 39 configured to engage features of the storage container 9 to releasably hold the container 9 from above. In the illustrated example, the gripping mechanism 39 includes legs that can be received in corresponding apertures 10 in the rim of the storage container 9 and then moved outward to engage the underside of the rim of the storage container 9. The tethers 35 can be wound up or down to raise or lower the container retention assembly 37 as needed. One or more motors and winches or other means can be provided to effect or control the winding up or down of the tethers 35.

[0033] 5 and 6, the sides of the external body 27 of the bot 25 are omitted from the illustrations to allow the interior of the bot 25 to be seen. The illustrated external body 27 of the bot 25 has an upper portion 41 and a lower portion 43. The upper portion 41 is configured to house or support one or more operating components (not shown), such as components of the lifting assembly 33 (e.g., motors), wireless communication components, one or more processors for controlling the operation of the bot 25, etc. The lower portion 43 is disposed directly below the upper portion 41. The lower portion 43 is open to the outside at the bottom and defines a container receiving space 45 for housing at least a portion of a storage container 9 raised into the container receiving space 45 by the lifting assembly 33. FIG. 5 shows the container receiving space 45 before it is occupied by the storage container 9, and FIG. 6 shows the container receiving space 45 after it is occupied by the storage container 9. The container receiving space 45 is sized so that enough storage containers 9 can fit inside the space 45 to allow the bot 25 to move across the track structure 13 on top of the storage structure 1 without the underside of the storage containers 9 getting caught on the track structure 13 or another part of the storage structure 1. When the bot 25 reaches its intended destination, the lifting assembly 33 controls the tether 35 to lower the container holding assembly 37 and corresponding storage container 9 out of the space 45 and to its intended location. The intended location may be the stack 11 of storage containers 9 or the exit point of the storage structure 1 (or the entrance point of the storage structure 1 if the bot 25 moves to collect a storage container 9 for storage therein). In the illustrated example, the upper portion 41 and the lower portion 43 are separated by a physical partition, but in other examples, the upper portion 41 and the lower portion 43 may not be physically separated by a particular component or portion of the outer body 27 of the bot 25. The upper and lower configuration of the bot 25 allows the bot 25 to occupy only a single grid cell 14 on the track structure 13 of the storage system 1.

[0034] In alternative examples, the container receiving space 45 of the bot 25 may not be within the external body 27 of the bot 25. For example, the container receiving space 45 may instead be adjacent to the external body 27 of the bot 25, e.g., in a cantilever configuration in which the weight of the external body 27 of the bot 25 balances the weight of the container to be lifted. In such embodiments, the frame or arms of the lifting assembly 33 may protrude horizontally from the external body 27 of the bot 25, and the tethers 35 may be disposed at respective locations on the protruding frames / arms and configured to be raised and lowered from those locations to raise and lower the storage container 9 into the container receiving space 45 adjacent the external body 27.

[0035] 7A shows a view of bot 25 similar to FIGS. 5 and 6, but showing rechargeable battery 80 received within battery compartment 70 of bot 25. Lifting assembly 33 and container retention assembly 37 have been omitted from the view for clarity.

[0036] Battery 80 provides power to one or more components of bot 25, such as lifting assembly 33, container retention assembly 37, and drive assembly. Battery 80 can be any suitable rechargeable battery chemistry, such as lithium-ion, lithium iron phosphate, nickel-metal hydride, nickel-cadmium, etc. Battery 80 includes an outer casing that houses the cells of battery 80. To facilitate handling of battery 80, outer casing 204 includes one or more engagement features 84 for engagement by an end effector of a robotic arm to enable the robotic arm to move battery 80 into and out of battery compartment 70. Engagement feature 84 can be a simple protruding feature, such as a handle that can be grasped by an end effector including a gripping assembly, or can be part of a more complex battery retention mechanism for releasably locking battery 80 in battery compartment 70. Examples of such battery retention mechanisms are described in UK Patent Applications GB2211853.3, GB2207553.5 and GB2216843.9, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0037] The battery compartment 70 is exposed to the outside at the top of the bot 25 so that the battery 80 can be received downwardly from a location above the external body 27 of the bot 25. In the illustrated example, the battery compartment 70 is located within the external body 27 of the bot 25 and includes an opening in the top surface of the external body 27 to allow the battery 80 to be moved in and out of the battery compartment 70. In alternative examples, the battery compartment may be located partially within the external body 27 of the bot 25 (i.e., the battery compartment extends beyond the top surface of the external body 27) or may be located outside the external body 27 of the bot 25 (e.g., at the top of the top surface of the external body 27 of the bot 25).

[0038] 7B shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the battery 80 within the battery compartment 70. The battery 80 includes one or more electrical connectors 82, and the battery compartment 70 includes one or more corresponding electrical connectors 72 electrically coupled (directly or indirectly) to components of the bot 25 to be powered by the battery 80. The electrical connectors 82, 72 are configured to electrically couple with each other when the battery 80 is inserted into the battery compartment 70. The electrical connectors 82, 72 may be any suitable electrical connectors for transferring power when connected. The electrical connectors 82, 72 may be blind-mate connectors that physically connect via the action of moving the battery 80 into the battery compartment 70.

[0039] FIG. 8 illustrates a battery exchange station 100 in which a battery 80 is charged and exchanged for a battery 80 in a bot 25. The battery exchange station 100 includes a charging system for charging the battery 80. The charging system includes one or more battery chargers 114 and one or more charging bays 110 connected to a power supply. Each charging bay includes an electrical connector 112 electrically coupled to a corresponding battery charger 114. The electrical connector 112 of each charging bay 110 is configured to connect to the electrical connector 82 of the battery 80 (such as the electrical connector 72 of the battery compartment 70) when the battery 80 is inserted into the charging bay 110. When the electrical connector 82 of the battery 80 and the electrical connector 112 of the charging bay 110 are connected, the battery charger 114 can transmit current to the battery 80 to recharge its cells. The battery 80 preferably includes a battery management system (BMS) to protect against hazards such as overcurrent, overvoltage, and overtemperature during charging. Each charging bay 110 may further include a sensor (e.g., a light gate) for detecting when the charging bay 110 is occupied by a battery 80, or the charging system may infer that the charging bay 110 is occupied if current is drawn from the associated battery charger. The sensor for detecting the presence of a battery in the bay may be a load cell for detecting the weight of the battery in the bay.

[0040] The battery exchange station 100 further comprises a cabinet 102 that houses at least some of the components of the charging system (e.g., battery chargers 114) and in which charging bays 110 are located. Each charging bay 110 is in the form of a container having an opening in the top surface of the cabinet 102 to allow a battery 80 to be received vertically in the container. The cabinet 102 preferably comprises a door to allow convenient access to the components of the charging system housed within the cabinet 102.

[0041] The cabinet 102 further comprises at least one buffer bay 120. Each buffer bay 120 is also in the form of a container having an opening in the top surface 104 of the cabinet 102 to allow the battery 80 to be received vertically in the container. In contrast to the charging bays 110, none of the buffer bays 120 are charging bays 110; they are not part of the charging system. In particular, none of the buffer bays 120 are electrically coupled to the battery charger 114 and therefore are not capable of charging the battery 80. The buffer bays may also be referred to as non-charging buffer bays. In some examples, none of the buffer bays 120 have an electrical connector for connecting to the electrical connector 82 of the battery 80 when the battery 80 is received in the buffer bay 120.

[0042] Each buffer bay 120 includes a coupling means configured to establish communication with the BMS of a battery received in the buffer bay. For example, the coupling means may be an electrical connector (not electrically coupled to the charging system) configured to connect to the electrical connector 82 of the battery 80 to establish communication with the battery's BMS for monitoring purposes, e.g., to monitor the temperature of the battery 80.

[0043] In some examples, each buffer bay 120 may include one or more sensors, for example, to sense the presence of a battery 80 in the buffer bay 120. Each buffer bay 120 may further include a sensor (e.g., a light gate) to detect when the buffer bay 120 is occupied by a battery 80, such as a charging bay. The sensor for detecting the presence of a battery in the buffer bay may be a load cell to detect the weight of the battery in the bay. Alternatively, a connection to a BMS may be used to infer whether a battery is present or absent.

[0044] Temperature monitoring of the batteries in the buffer bay is a safety feature. If the battery overheats, for example if the measured temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature, appropriate action can be taken. For example, the battery exchange station can signal an error, switch off the power supply, and / or activate fire safety features such as sprinklers. A switch can be activated to disconnect the battery charger from the charging bay.

[0045] In particular, a system that has means for monitoring the temperature in the buffer bay and charging bay has the advantage of ensuring that the temperature of the battery is always monitored regardless of where the battery is located in the battery exchange station.

[0046] In some examples, a battery may be provided with two types of temperature sensors: one or more first-type temperature sensors send temperature data to a BMS, and one or more second-type temperature sensors are electrically connected to the battery's electrical connector rather than connected through the BMS. In addition to providing a useful cross-check of data from the first-type temperature sensor, the second-type temperature sensor is independent of the BMS so that it remains operational in the event of a software failure. In some examples, if the temperature reading(s) from the one or more second-type temperature sensors are outside a predetermined acceptable temperature range, the charger will not provide a charge to the battery. The second-type temperature sensor is effectively a hardware fail-safe mechanism; in the event of a software problem, the second-type temperature sensor will still operate and be accessible directly through the battery's electrical connector.

[0047] Another advantage of a buffer bay with a battery connection to the BMS is that the battery's state of charge (SOC) can be determined from the BMS. If a battery is in the buffer bay and the battery's SOC falls below a predetermined threshold level, the robotic arm can be commanded to move the battery from the buffer bay to a charging bay. This allows batteries stored in the buffer bay to be "topped up." Even when fully charged, batteries gradually discharge over time, so leaving a battery in the buffer bay for an extended period of time will result in the battery discharging. Knowing the SOC of the battery in the buffer bay allows the battery to be moved to the charging bay to be charged when needed. Batteries in the buffer bay can also be monitored to determine whether they are ready to be deployed in a battery-powered device.

[0048] The battery exchange station 100 further includes a robotic arm 130 for moving the battery 80 between the load handling device 25 and the battery exchange station 100. In the illustrated example, the robotic arm 130 is mounted on the cabinet 102, but may alternatively be mounted adjacent to the cabinet 102. The robotic arm 130 includes an end effector 132 adapted to selectively engage and disengage the engagement features 84 of the battery 80 to enable the robotic arm 130 to pick up and place the battery 80 at different locations. The robotic arm 130 has sufficient degrees of freedom to enable the robotic arm 130 to move the battery 80 between the battery compartment 70 of the bot 25, the charging bay 110, and the buffer bay 120. The illustrated robot arm 130 is in the form of an articulated robot with joints and linkages to provide the desired degrees of freedom (e.g., six degrees of freedom), but the robot arm 130 can also take other forms, such as a gantry robot that can move the end effector 132 in two or three vertical directions (i.e., two or three degrees of freedom).

[0049] During operation of the bot 25 on the track structure 13, the energy in the battery 80 will continue to be depleted until the depleted battery 80 requires replacement with a replacement battery 80 to enable the bot 25 to continue operation on the track structure 13.

[0050] FIG. 9 illustrates a battery exchange station 100 located next to a track structure 13. For example, the battery exchange station 100 may be located on a mezzanine floor at the same height as the track structure 13. The track structure 13 has one or more designated grid cells 14a to which the bot 25 is required to move to perform a battery exchange. The designated grid cells 14a are grid cells 14a located next to the battery exchange station 100 that are accessible to the end effector 132 of the robotic arm 130. The battery exchange station 100 may have more than one designated grid cell 14a in its vicinity, depending on the reach of the robotic arm 130. When the bot 25 moves into the designated grid cell 14a, the battery compartment 70 may be in a predetermined position relative to the robotic arm 130 so that the robotic arm 130 can perform a predetermined set of end effector movements to engage and move the battery 80 to perform the battery exchange. Thus, the battery 80, battery compartment 70, and battery exchange station 100 form part of a battery exchange system in which the battery 80 in the bot 25 can be exchanged in an automated manner for a battery 80 in the charging bay 110 while the bot 25 remains on the track structure 13. In an alternative example, the battery exchange station 100 can be located on the track structure 13 itself, rather than next to the track structure 13.

[0051] To replace a depleted battery 80 in a bot 25 with a charged battery 80 in a charging bay 110 of a battery exchange station 100, the robotic arm 130 can perform the following first illustrative method, as illustrated by FIG. 10 , which shows the bot 25 and battery exchange station 100 from above. The robotic arm 130 has been omitted for clarity.

[0052] In step (A), a bot 25 with a depleted battery 80a in its battery compartment 70 arrives at a designated grid cell 14a next to a battery exchange station 100. Each of the charging bays 110 is occupied by a charged or charging battery 80. The buffer bays 120 are unoccupied.

[0053] In step (B), the robot arm 130 engages with the depleted battery 80a to remove the depleted battery 80a from the bot 25, and then places and releases the depleted battery 80a into one of the buffer bays 120.

[0054] In step (C), the robot arm 130 engages with and removes the charged battery 80b from one of the charging bays 110, then places and releases the charged battery 80b into the battery compartment 70 of the bot 25 so that the bot 25 can move away from the designated grid cell 14a and continue normal operation on the storage structure 1 using power from the charged battery 80b.

[0055] In step (D), the robotic arm 130 engages and removes the depleted battery 80 from the buffer bay 120, and then places and releases the depleted battery 80a into the empty charging bay 110 (i.e., the charging bay 110 from which the charged battery 80b was just removed) so that the depleted battery 80a can begin recharging.

[0056] The robotic arm 130 can also perform a second alternative method, as represented by FIG.

[0057] In step (A), a bot 25 with a depleted battery 80a in its battery compartment 70 arrives at a designated grid cell 14a next to a battery exchange station 100. Each of the charging bays 110 is occupied by a charged or charging battery 80. The buffer bays 120 are unoccupied.

[0058] In step (B), the robotic arm 130 engages and removes the charged battery 80b from the charging bay 110, and then places and releases the charged battery 80b into one of the buffer bays 120.

[0059] In step (C), the robotic arm 130 engages with the depleted battery 80a to remove the depleted battery 80a from the bot 25, and then places and releases the depleted battery 80a into an empty charging bay 110 so that the depleted battery 80a can begin recharging.

[0060] In step (D), the robot arm 130 engages with and removes the charged battery 80b from the buffer bay 120, then places and releases the charged battery 80b into the battery compartment 70 of the bot 25, so that the bot 25 can move away from the designated grid cell 14a and continue normal operation on the storage structure 1 using power from the charged battery 80b.

[0061] In each method, depending on which of the two methods described above is being implemented, it will be appreciated that the buffer bay 120 serves as an intermediate / temporary holding area for placing the battery 80 during battery swapping, particularly when moving the battery 80 from the bot 25 to the charging bay 110 or when moving the battery 80 from the charging bay 110 to the bot 25.

[0062] In either method, the state of charge of the depleted battery 80a need not be 0% or nearly 0% at the time of replacement, but may be below a predetermined threshold, e.g., 10% or less. Similarly, the state of charge of the charged battery 80b at the time of replacement need not be 100%, but may be above a predetermined threshold, e.g., 80% or more, or at least higher than the state of charge of the depleted battery 80a. Furthermore, the charged battery 80b need not stop charging at the time of replacement, but instead may still be in a charging state.

[0063] The first and second methods are similar in nature, but in the first method, the time that the charged battery 80b spends in the charging bay 110 can be maximized, and thus the charged battery 80b can have a higher state of charge when placed in the bot 25, which allows the bot 25 to travel longer before needing to return to the battery exchange station 100. On the other hand, in the second method, the time that the bot 25 needs to spend in the battery exchange station 100 can be minimized, particularly if the charged battery 80b is moved to the buffer bay 120 in anticipation of the bot 25's arrival at the battery exchange station 100 (i.e., just before the bot 25 arrives at the battery exchange station).

[0064] It will be appreciated that the minimum number of charging bays 110 and buffer bays 120 required by the battery exchange station 100 to implement the above method is one each. However, providing multiple charging bays 110 provides redundancy and increases the likelihood that a battery 80 with a high state of charge will be present in one of the charging bays 110 for placement into a bot 25. Providing multiple buffer bays 120 also provides redundancy in case there is a problem with one of the buffer bays 120 or a battery 80 in one of the buffer bays 120.

[0065] By using the buffer bay 120 as an intermediate / temporary holding area during each battery exchange operation, it is understood that a charging bay 110 needs to be vacant only at the point where a battery exchange operation is occurring. Without the buffer bay 120, the battery exchange station 100 would need to keep at least one charging bay 110 unoccupied at all times in anticipation of a future battery exchange operation to provide a place for a depleted battery 80a to be moved before a charged battery 80b can be moved into the bot 25. Thus, the battery exchange station 100 allows all of the charging bays 110 to be occupied by batteries 80 for a majority of the time to maximize use of all the charging bays 110. This is particularly advantageous because each charging bay 110 is relatively expensive, and therefore, keeping charging bays 110 empty at all times would be an inefficient use of capital. An alternative solution to providing a buffer bay 120 could be to provide the battery exchange station 100 with two robotic arms 130 configured to substantially simultaneously replace a depleted battery 80a in a bot 25 with a charged battery in the charging bay 110. However, the capital cost of the robotic arm 130 is high, and therefore a battery exchange station 100 requiring only a single robotic arm 130 and the use of a relatively inexpensive buffer bay 120 provides a cost-effective way to maximize the use of the charging bay 110.

[0066] The battery exchange station 100 may also be configured to allow a human operator to manually actuate the robotic arm 130 to move a battery 80 from a buffer bay 120 to a charging bay 110 and / or vice versa. In particular, the battery exchange station 100 may include a computer terminal 140 communicatively coupled to the robotic arm 130 and configured to send commands to the robotic arm 130 to instruct the robotic arm 130 to move a battery 80 from a particular buffer bay 120 to a charging bay 110 and / or vice versa. When an operator desires to place a battery 80 in a charging bay 110, the operator may first place the battery 80 in the buffer bay 120 and then instruct the robotic arm 130 via the computer terminal 140 to move the battery 80 from the buffer bay 120 to the charging bay 110. When an operator desires to remove a battery 80 from a charging bay 110, the operator can command the robotic arm 130 via computer terminal 140 to move the battery 80 from the particular charging bay 110 to a buffer bay 120 from which the operator can remove the battery 80. This may be useful, for example, when the height of the charging bay 110 above the floor is too high to allow the charging bay 110 to be comfortably accessed by a human operator. In this case, the buffer bay 120 may be located lower than the charging bay 110, as shown in FIG. 9 , to a height that is more comfortable for access by a human operator.

[0067] The storage and retrieval system may further include a central control system including one or more controllers configured to command the bots 25 to move to specific grid cells 14 on the track structure 13 and to command the robotic arms 130 to perform the above-described method of exchanging the batteries 80. Each bot 25 may include a local bot controller configured to receive and implement commands from the central control system, for example, by controlling the drive assembly to move to a specific grid cell 14. The robotic arms 130 may include a local arm controller configured to receive and implement commands from the central control system, for example, by controlling the robotic arms 130 to perform predetermined movements to move the batteries 80 between the bots 25 and specific charging bays 110 and specific buffer bays 120, as needed. The battery exchange stations may include separate control systems or may be controlled by the central control system.

[0068] The central control system may communicate wirelessly with the bot 25 and the robotic arm 130 via wireless transmitters and receivers using known wireless communication technologies such as 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0069] When the battery 80 in the bot 25 is depleted beyond a threshold state of charge (as indicated by the BMS), the bot controller can report this to a central control system, which can then command the bot 25 to move to a designated grid cell 14a to perform a battery swap.

[0070] The central control system is configured to track which charging bays 110 are occupied by batteries 80 (or determine occupancy, e.g., via direct sensors), track the state of charge of each battery 80 (e.g., via each battery's BMS), and determine which particular battery 80 in a charging bay 110 should replace a depleted battery 80 in a bot 25. For example, the central control system may be configured to instruct the robotic arm 130 to replace a depleted battery 80 in a bot 25 with a charged battery 80 in the charging bay 110 that has the highest state of charge.

[0071] The control system described above is only one example of how the control system for the storage and retrieval system may be configured, and other methods of distributing control of the bots 25 and robotic arms 130 will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0072] The battery exchange station is not limited to the precise form described above, and various modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the claims will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0073] For example, while each buffer bay 120 described above is in the form of a container for receiving a battery 80, each buffer bay 120 can take any form suitable for allowing a battery 80 to be temporarily placed in a particular location. For example, each buffer bay 120 can simply be a particular area on a flat surface into which a battery 80 is placed. However, a container is useful for securely holding the battery 80 while it is in the buffer bay 120.

[0074] Additionally, the buffer bay 120 does not necessarily have to be provided on the same support structure (ie, the cabinet 102 ) as the charging bay 110 , but instead may be provided on a separate support structure adjacent to the cabinet 102 .

[0075] Although the system described above is one in which the battery 80 is received into the bot 25 and battery exchange station 100 in a downward orientation, the above-described method of exchanging the battery 80 is not limited to inserting and removing the battery 80 in a vertical orientation, but is applicable to systems in which the battery 80 is inserted and removed in other orientations, for example, horizontally.

[0076] Furthermore, the above-described method of exchanging battery 80 is not only applicable to the storage and retrieval system described above, but is generally applicable to any system in which rechargeable batteries or other power sources are exchanged between a battery-powered device (e.g., an electric vehicle) and an exchange station where the batteries are charged.

[0077] This disclosure may also be defined by the following clauses:

[0078] [Article A] 1. A method of replacing a first rechargeable battery with a second rechargeable battery, the first rechargeable battery being located in a battery-powered device and the second rechargeable battery being located in a charging bay configured to charge the batteries, the method comprising: (i) removing a first rechargeable battery from a battery-powered device and placing it in a buffer bay; (ii) removing a second rechargeable battery from the charging bay and placing it in the battery-powered device; (iii) removing a first rechargeable battery from the buffer bay and placing it in a charging bay; A method comprising:

[0079] [Clause B] 1. A method of replacing a first rechargeable battery with a second rechargeable battery, the first rechargeable battery being located in a battery-powered device and the second rechargeable battery being located in a charging bay configured to charge the batteries, the method comprising: (i) removing a second rechargeable battery from the charging bay and placing it in the buffer bay; (ii) removing a first rechargeable battery from the battery-powered device and placing it in a charging bay; (iii) removing the second rechargeable battery from the buffer bay and placing it in the battery-powered device; A method comprising:

[0080] [Clause C] The method of any one of Clauses A to B, wherein steps (i)-(iii) are performed by a robotic arm.

[0081] [Clause D] The method of clause C, wherein steps (i)-(iii) are performed by the same robotic arm.

[0082] [Clause E] 1. A battery exchange station, comprising: one or more charging bays configured to receive and charge batteries; one or more buffer bays; a robotic arm configured to replace a first rechargeable battery located in the device with a second battery located in one of the charging bays by performing the method of any one of clauses A to D; A battery exchange station comprising:

[0083] [Article F] A battery exchange station as described in clause E, wherein each charging bay includes an electrical connector for connecting to a battery received in the charging bay, and wherein the battery exchange station further includes one or more battery chargers, each electrical connector being electrically coupled to a respective battery charger.

[0084] [Article G] A battery exchange station as described in clause E or F, wherein each buffer bay is not configured to charge batteries received in the buffer bay.

[0085] [Clause H] The battery exchange station of any one of clauses E-G, wherein the one or more buffer bays are lower than the one or more charging bays.

[0086] [Article I] 1. A storage and retrieval system comprising: a storage structure, wherein the storage structure is a plurality of horizontal members arranged to form a grid pattern defining a plurality of grid cells; a plurality of upright members configured to support the horizontal member from below to define a storage area below the grid cells for storing a stack of storage containers; a track structure located on top of the horizontal member, the track structure comprising a plurality of tracks arranged to form a grid pattern corresponding to the grid pattern formed by the horizontal member; Equipped with one or more load handling devices, wherein each load handling device comprises: a drive assembly configured to move the load handling device on the track structure; a container retention assembly configured to releasably retain a storage container from above; a lifting assembly configured to raise and lower the container retention assembly to allow a load handling device to lift and lower storage containers into and out of the storage structure and aisles through the grid cells; Equipped with one or more battery exchange stations according to any one of clauses E-H, wherein each battery exchange station is located adjacent to or on a track structure; A storage and retrieval system comprising:

Claims

1. A battery exchange station (100) for charging a plurality of batteries (80), each of the plurality of batteries comprising a battery management system (BMS), the battery exchange station comprising: i) a cabinet (102) containing a plurality of battery chargers (114); ii) a plurality of bays each configured to receive a battery; wherein the plurality of bays comprises: a) a first subgroup of bays, said first subgroup comprising a plurality of charging bays (110), each of said plurality of charging bays comprising an electrical connector (112) for connecting to said battery received in said charging bay, each electrical connector electrically coupled to a respective one of said plurality of battery chargers; b) a second subgroup of bays, wherein said second subgroup comprises one or more non-charging buffer bays (120), each of said one or more non-charging buffer bays comprising coupling means configured to establish communication with said BMS of said battery received in said non-charging buffer bay; are grouped into iii) a robotic arm (130) configured to replace a battery located in a battery-powered device with a battery located in one of the plurality of charging bays; A battery exchange station (100) comprising:

2. The battery exchange station (100) of claim 1, wherein the cabinet (102) is unitary.

3. 3. The battery exchange station (100) of claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of said bays are housed in said cabinet.

4. 4. The battery exchange station (100) of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of bays is in the form of a container having an opening in a top surface of the cabinet (102) to allow a battery (80) to be received in the container vertically.

5. 5. The battery exchange station (100) of claim 4, wherein the cabinet (102) has a first top surface and a second top surface, the opening of each of the plurality of charging bays (110) in the first subgroup being in the first top surface, and the opening of each of the one or more non-charging buffer bays (120) in the second subgroup being in the second top surface.

6. 6. The battery exchange station (100) of claim 5, wherein the second top surface of the cabinet (102) is at a lower vertical level than the first top surface of the cabinet.

7. 7. The battery exchange station (100) of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the number of charging bays (110) in the first subgroup to the number of non-charging buffer bays (120) in the second subgroup is between 2:1 and 10:

1.

8. 8. The battery exchange station (100) of claim 7, wherein the ratio of the number of charging bays (110) in the first subgroup to the number of non-charging buffer bays (120) in the second subgroup is 4:

1.

9. The battery exchange station (100) of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein one or more of the plurality of bays comprises one or more sensors for detecting the presence of a battery in the bay.

10. The battery exchange station (100) of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein one or more of the plurality of bays comprises a visual indicator for the state of charge of a battery received in the bay.

11. i) determining a state of charge of a battery (80) received within one of said plurality of non-charging buffer bays (120); ii) commanding the robotic arm to move the battery from the non-charging buffer bay (120) to one of the plurality of charging bays (110) if the state of charge of the battery falls below a predetermined threshold charge level; The battery exchange station (100) of any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a control system configured to:

12. The control system includes: i) determining whether the temperature of a battery (80) in any of the plurality of bays exceeds a predetermined temperature threshold and / or whether the current of a battery in any of the plurality of bays exceeds a predetermined current; ii) activating a switch to disconnect the plurality of battery chargers (114) from the plurality of charging bays (110) when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined temperature threshold and / or the current of the battery exceeds a predetermined current; The battery exchange station (100) of claim 11, further configured to:

13. A storage and retrieval system comprising a storage structure (1), one or more cargo handling devices (25), and one or more battery exchange stations (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, The storage structure includes: a plurality of horizontal members (5, 7) arranged to form a grid pattern defining a plurality of grid cells (14); a plurality of upright members (3) configured to support the horizontal members from below to define a storage area below the grid cells for storing a stack of storage containers (9); a track structure located on top of said horizontal member, said track structure comprising a plurality of tracks (17, 19) arranged to form a grid pattern corresponding to the grid pattern formed by said horizontal member; Each load handling device: a drive assembly configured to move the load handling device on the track structure; a container holding assembly (37) configured to releasably hold a storage container from above; a lifting assembly (33) configured to raise and lower the container retention assembly to allow the cargo handling device to lift and lower storage containers into and out of the storage structure and aisles through the grid cells; A storage and retrieval system wherein each battery exchange station is located adjacent to or on said track structure.

14. 13. A method of exchanging a first battery (80a) with a second battery (80b) in a battery exchange station (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first battery is located in a battery-powered device and the second battery is located in a charging bay (110), the method comprising: (iv) removing the first battery from the battery-powered device and placing it in a non-charging buffer bay (120); (v) removing the second battery from the charging bay and placing it in the battery-powered device; (vi) removing the first battery from the non-charging buffer bay and placing it in the charging bay; A method comprising:

15. 13. A method of exchanging a first battery (80a) with a second battery (80b) in a battery exchange station (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first battery is located in a battery-powered device and the second battery is located in a charging bay (110), the method comprising: (iv) removing the second battery from the charging bay and placing it in a non-charging buffer bay (120); (v) removing the first battery from the battery-powered device and placing it in the charging bay; (vi) removing the second battery from the non-charging buffer bay and placing it in the battery-powered device; A method comprising:

16. The method of claim 14 or 15, wherein steps (i)-(iii) are performed by a robotic arm (130).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein all of steps (i)-(iii) are performed by the same robotic arm (130).

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