Battery-swapping robot

Abstract

A battery-swapping robot includes a lifting device (5) including a bottom seat (51) and a top seat (52) provided parallel to each other, and an extendable device (1) attached to the lifting device (5), wherein the extendable device (1) includes a mounting arm (11) rotatably connected below the top seat (52) and a lifting arm (13) slidably connected to the mounting arm (11), and a lifting device (14) is provided on the lifting arm (13). Because the extendable device of this battery-swapping robot is angle-adjustable, battery replacement becomes more accurate and efficient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of battery swapping technology, and particularly to battery swapping robots.

Background Art

[0002] With the maturity of new energy technology, battery swapping heavy trucks have gradually come into people's view. Among them, battery swapping for heavy trucks often adopts the ceiling crane method. This is because the weight and volume of the battery swapping battery pack used in heavy trucks are larger than those of general battery packs. However, the conventional battery swapping method still has high requirements for the parking position of the battery swapping heavy truck. In fact, when a driver parks a heavy truck to be battery-swapped at a battery swapping station, the front and rear positions and the heading of the heavy truck are not very accurate. Even if the driver parks many times or adjusts the lifting angle and position through a conventional battery swapping robot, it still takes a lot of time to align the lifting tool with the battery pack. There is no doubt that this will reduce the battery swapping efficiency. Also, like the battery swapping device disclosed in Chinese Utility Model Patent CN217574933U announced on October 14, 2022, in order to tolerate the parking angle error of the heavy truck, a chain or wire rope is used to flexibly connect the lifting mechanism and the lifting arm. However, as can be easily understood, when an angle is formed between the position of the horizontal lifting arm and the battery pack, the battery pack will sway when lifting a low-power battery pack, and it will be difficult to align when placing a fully charged battery pack. In other words, the flexible connection makes the mounting position of the battery pack unreliable and causes sway during transportation, posing a safety risk. In the prior art, there are also many battery swapping technologies in which the lifting arm itself can rotate around a rotation axis. However, since the main function of the lifting arm is still to carry a load, if the rotation axis is used as the fulcrum of the lifting arm, there is no doubt that the gap between the rotation axis and the bush will loosen, and this will definitely reduce the accuracy of the rotation axis angle adjustment.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] In conventional technology, the primary function of the lifting arm is to support the load. Therefore, if the pivot point of the lifting arm is the rotation axis, the gap between the rotation axis and the bushing will inevitably loosen, which will undoubtedly reduce the accuracy of the rotation axis angle adjustment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In contrast to the shortcomings of the prior art, the objective of this application is to provide a battery-swapping robot that can automatically adjust the deflection angle of its telescopic arm, enabling more accurate and efficient battery replacement.

[0005] To achieve the above objective, this application adopts the following technical solution.

[0006] The present invention provides a battery-replaceable robot comprising a lifting device including a bottom seat and a top seat provided parallel to each other, and an extendable device attached to the lifting device, wherein the extendable device includes a mounting arm rotatably connected below the top seat and a lifting arm slidably connected to the mounting arm, and the lifting arm is provided with a lifting device.

[0007] Furthermore, a hinge connection is provided at an intermediate position of the top seat, and the middle portion of the mounting arm is rotatably connected to the hinge connection via a pivot axis.

[0008] Furthermore, the top seat has two mounting parts provided opposite each other on both sides of the hinge connection, and both ends of the mounting arm are movably connected to the mounting parts.

[0009] Furthermore, the top seat further includes connecting portions that are connected to both ends of two mounting portions, the mounting portions and connecting portions are formed in a frame shape, and a first drive device is provided between at least one end of the mounting arm and the connecting portion, the first drive device drives the mounting arm to rotate relative to the top seat.

[0010] Furthermore, rollers are provided at both ends of the mounting arm, and stopper grooves are provided at the mounting portion of the top seat to restrict the direction of movement of the rollers.

[0011] Furthermore, the cross-section of the stopper groove is U-shaped, and the stopper groove has a bottom wall fixed to the mounting part and two side walls located on both sides of the bottom wall, and the side walls have an arc-shaped outer edge, the diameter of which is smaller than the length of the mounting arm.

[0012] Furthermore, the mounting portion has a retaining groove on the other side where the stopper groove is attached, and the mounting arm is provided with a retaining locking member that extends to the roller, and the retaining locking member extends and enters the retaining locking groove.

[0013] Furthermore, mounting plates are provided at both ends of the mounting arm, and the retaining locking member and roller are detachably fixed to the mounting plates with bolts.

[0014] Furthermore, the telescopic device further includes a telescopic arm provided between the mounting arm and the lifting arm, the telescopic arm being slidably connected to the mounting arm and the lifting arm, respectively.

[0015] Furthermore, the telescopic arm is provided with first and second rails parallel to each other along its length, the mounting arm is provided with a plurality of first pulleys, and the lifting arm is provided with a plurality of second pulleys. The mounting arm and the telescopic arm are slidably connected via the first pulleys and first rails, and the lifting arm and the telescopic arm are slidably connected via the second pulleys and second rails.

[0016] Furthermore, the mounting arm is further provided with a second drive device that drives the lifting arm and the telescopic arm to slide relative to the mounting arm.

[0017] To achieve the above objective, this application further employs the following technical solutions.

[0018] Furthermore, the present invention provides a battery-replaceable robot having a lifting device including a bottom seat and a top seat provided parallel to each other, and an extendable device attached to the lifting device, wherein the extendable device includes a mounting arm rotatably connected below the top seat and a lifting arm slidably connected to the mounting arm, the lifting arm having a first movable position located on one side of the lifting device and a second movable position located on the other side of the lifting device, and a lifting device is provided on the lifting arm.

[0019] Furthermore, a hinge connection is provided on the top seat, and the mounting arm is rotatably connected to the hinge connection via a pivot shaft.

[0020] Furthermore, the top seat has two mounting parts provided opposite each other on both sides of the hinge connection, and both ends of the mounting arm are movably connected to the mounting parts. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] By adopting the above-described technology, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: This battery-swapping robot has a function to adjust the angle of the telescopic device, and the lifting device itself does not need to have a rotating mechanism. By employing a lifting device to raise and lower the entire telescopic device, the use of flexible chains or wire ropes is reduced, improving safety and accuracy, as well as reducing the driver's requirements for parking position, resulting in a more stable, reliable, and efficient battery swapping effect. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0022] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of a battery-swapping robot according to an embodiment of this application. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a battery-swapping robot from a different viewpoint. [Figure 3]It is a partial plan schematic diagram of the battery-exchangeable robot shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 4] It is a partial side schematic diagram of the battery-exchangeable robot shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 5] It is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of area A shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 6] It is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of area B shown in Fig. 2. [Figure 7] It is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of area C shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 8] It is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of area D shown in Fig. 2. [Figure 9] It is a partial structure schematic diagram of one end of the mounting arm shown in Fig. 1.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described in detail. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, and the embodiments described with reference to the drawings are illustrative and for explaining the present application, and should not be construed as limitations on the present application. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connection", "connection", and "fixation" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral one. It may be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two elements or an interaction relationship between two elements. A person skilled in the art can specifically understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application.

[0024] In this application, unless otherwise explicitly stated and limited, if the first feature is "above" or "below" the second feature, this may include direct contact between the first and second features, as well as contact between them via other features without direct contact. Furthermore, "above," "above," and "on the top surface" of the second feature means that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply that the horizontal height of the first feature is greater than that of the second feature. "Below," "below," and "on the bottom surface" of the second feature means that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0025] Optimal Embodiment of the Present Invention The technical proposal of this application will be further described below with reference to the drawings, using specific embodiments.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, embodiments of the present application provide a battery-swappable robot, which includes a lifting device 5 and an extendable device 1 attached to the lifting device 5, the lifting device 5 including a bottom seat 51 and a top seat 52 provided parallel to each other, the extendable device 1 including a rigid mounting arm 11 rotatably connected to the top seat 52 and located below the top seat 52, a rigid extendable arm 12 slidably connected to the mounting arm 11, and a rigid lifting arm 13 slidably connected to the extendable arm 12, the lifting arm 13 being provided with a lifting device 14. The extendable arm 12 is extendable along both ends of the mounting arm 11, and the lifting arm 13 is extendable beyond both ends of the mounting arm 11, respectively, so that the battery-swappable robot has bidirectional operating space, that is, the lifting arm 13 has a first movable position located on one side of the lifting device 5 and a second movable position located on the other side of the lifting device 5. In this embodiment, the telescopic device 1 is a three-stage telescopic device; however, as can be easily understood, in other embodiments, if the working range of the telescopic device 1 does not need to be very large, the battery-changing robot may be provided only with the mounting arm 11 and the lifting arm 13, that is, the telescopic means may be provided as a two-stage telescopic device. Of course, if it is required to extend the working distance far, the telescopic device may be provided as a four-stage telescopic device, etc. Further explanation is omitted here. The battery-changing robot may be attached to the track 2 of a battery-changing station and may be used to lift and remove the low-power battery pack of a vehicle parked at the battery-changing station that is to have its batteries changed, and replace it with a fully charged battery pack.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the top seat 52 includes two opposing mounting portions 521 and connecting portions 522 connected to both ends of the two mounting portions 521, and the mounting portions 521 and connecting portions 522 form a rectangular frame. Both ends of the mounting arm 11 are movably connected to intermediate positions of the mounting portions 521 and move in opposite directions, allowing the mounting arm 11 to rotate around the top seat 52. To achieve the above objective, a first drive device 31 is provided between at least one end of the mounting arm 11 and the connecting portion 522, and the first drive device 31 drives the mounting arm 11 to move in a direction away from or closer to the connecting portion 522 to which the first drive device 31 is attached, thereby rotating the mounting arm 11 relative to the top seat 52 and achieving the objective of adjusting the angle of the telescopic device 1. In other embodiments, one first drive unit 31 may be attached to each end of the mounting arm 11, and in particular, two first drive units 31 may be attached to opposing sides of the mounting arm 11 to obtain the effect of better control over the rotation angle, and the first drive unit 31 preferably takes the form of a combination of a motor and a transmission shaft 310.

[0028] Continuing to refer to Figures 5 to 9, two rollers 110 are provided at both ends of the mounting arm 11 of the telescopic device 1, and a stopper groove 50 is provided in the mounting portion 521 of the top seat 52 to restrict the direction of movement of the rollers 110. In this embodiment, there are two stopper grooves 50, which are provided opposite each other, the opening of the stopper groove 50 faces inward along the horizontal direction, the cross-section of the stopper groove 50 is C-shaped, and the stopper groove 50 has a bottom wall 501 fixed to the mounting portion 521, and two side walls 502 located on both the upper and lower sides of the bottom wall 501, and the side walls 502 have an arc-shaped outer edge 503. When the mounting arm 11 rotates relative to the top seat 52, the roller 110 rolls along the lower side wall 502 within the arc-shaped stopper groove 50, and the arc-shaped outer edge 503 of the side wall 502 serves to restrict the range of motion of the mounting arm 11 in the horizontal direction. In other embodiments, the stopper groove 50 may be configured with an upward-facing opening, in which case the entire stopper groove 50 must be designed in an arc shape, and the roller 110 is configured to roll along the bottom wall 501.

[0029] However, in the above embodiment, each side wall 502 has an arc-shaped outer edge 503, the diameter of which is smaller than the length of the mounting arm 11, and the stopper groove 50 performs a load-bearing action in addition to a guiding action, that is, the telescopic device 1 transmits the weight of the lifted battery pack to the roller 110 and distributes it to the stopper groove 50. Preferably, the top seat 52 further includes a hinge connection 523 provided between the two mounting parts 521, and the middle part of the mounting arm 11 is rotatably connected to the middle part of the hinge connection 523 via a pivot shaft 40, at which point the center of the circle on which the arc-shaped outer edge 503 on the stopper groove 50 provided on the two mounting parts 521 is located is preferably the center of the pivot shaft 40, and the presence of the pivot shaft 40 makes it possible to control the rotational accuracy of the mounting arm 11 more effectively. In another embodiment, one stopper groove 50 may be provided in one mounting portion 521, a roller 110 may be provided in one end of the mounting arm 11, and the other end of the mounting arm 11 may be directly attached to the other mounting portion 521 via the rotating shaft 40, thereby achieving the same purpose of angle adjustment.

[0030] In this embodiment, since the mounting arm 11 is made of a rigid material, when the lifting device 14 lifts the battery pack, the lower side wall 502 of the stopper groove 50 on the side closer to the battery pack, the rotating shaft 40, and the upper side wall 502 of the stopper groove 50 on the side further from the battery pack all form a common pivot point. This makes the force received by the mounting arm 11 more rational compared to adjusting the angle of the telescopic device 1 by providing only one rotating disc. At this time, the first drive device 31 presses any end of the mounting arm 11, causing the roller 110 to roll within the stopper groove 50, thereby easily achieving precise rotation of the telescopic device 1. As can be easily understood, the angular range in which the mounting arm 11 rotates around the top 52 is limited by the length of the arc-shaped outer edge 503 of the stopper groove 50, and it is also easy to consider providing a stopper block in the stopper groove 50.

[0031] Furthermore, in the mounting portion 521, a retaining groove 504 is provided on the side opposite to the side to which the stopper groove 50 is attached, and a retaining locking member 104 extending in the direction of the roller 110 is provided on the mounting arm 11, and the retaining locking member 104 extends and enters the retaining locking groove 504. When the load received by the stopper groove 50 matches a preset range, the retaining locking member 104 does not come into contact with the retaining locking groove 504, leaving a small gap, for example, a gap of 1 to 2 mm. However, when the stopper groove 50 receives a weight exceeding the design load, the retaining locking member 104 is directly supported by the mounting portion 521. In other words, the retaining locking member 104 prevents deformation of the stopper groove 50 and prevents the roller 110 from falling out of the stopper groove 50, making battery replacement safer and more reliable. Furthermore, the mounting arm 11 is further provided with retaining hooks 105 near the position where the rotating shaft 40 is attached. Preferably, there are four retaining hooks 105, which are distributed around the rotating shaft 40, preventing the risk of the rotating shaft 40 falling out of the middle of the hinge connection portion 523. In addition, mounting plates 101 are provided at both ends of the mounting arm 11, and the retaining locking member 104 and the roller 110 are detachably fixed to the mounting plates 101 by bolts.

[0032] Embodiment of the present invention The telescopic arm 12 is provided with first rails 121 and second rails 122 that are parallel to each other along its length, the mounting arm 11 is provided with a plurality of first pulleys 111, and the lifting arm 13 is provided with a plurality of second pulleys 132. The mounting arm 11 and the telescopic arm 12 are slidably connected via the first pulleys 111 and the first rails 121, and the lifting arm 13 and the telescopic arm 12 are slidably connected via the second pulleys 132 and the second rails 122. In other embodiments, the positions of the pulleys and rails can be swapped, i.e., rails are provided on the mounting arm 11 and the lifting arm 13, and pulleys are provided on the telescopic arm 12. Preferably, the first pulleys 111 and the second pulleys 132 are arranged in sets of two or three, for example, to better transmit force and reduce friction. In this embodiment, the mounting arm 11 is further provided with a second drive device 32 that drives the telescopic arm 12 and the lifting arm 13 to slide relative to the mounting arm 11. A rack 123 is provided between the mounting arm 11 and the telescopic arm 12, and a rack 133 is further provided between the telescopic arm 12 and the lifting arm 13. The second drive device 32 works in cooperation with the racks 123 and 133 to accurately control the working length of the telescopic device 1. The racks 123 and 133 may further be provided as chains, and preferably, a driving force is generated by gears driven by the second drive device 32. A drag chain 16 is further provided between the lifting arm 13 and the top seat 52 to supply power to the lifting device 14 and output control signals. One end of the drag chain 16 is connected to the lifting device 14, the other end is fixed to the top seat 52, and it is connected to the bottom seat 51 via a harness. Preferably, a control module (not indicated) is provided on the bottom seat 51. [Industrial applicability]

[0033] The telescopic device 1, which is suitable for the battery-swapping robot of this application, allows for precise angle adjustment, so the lifting device 14 itself does not need to have an angle adjustment function. By employing a lifting device 5 to raise and lower the entire lifting device 14 with the telescopic device 1, the vertical distance of the lifting device 14 relative to the telescopic device 1 can be fixed, reducing the use of flexible chains or wire ropes, improving safety and accuracy, and reducing the driver's requirements for parking position, resulting in a more stable, reliable, and efficient battery swapping effect.

[0034] The embodiments described above merely illustrate the basic principles and characteristics of this application. This application is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes and modifications may be made to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application, all of which fall within the scope of this application seeking protection. The claims for utility model registration of this application are defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0035] 1, Telescopic device 11. Mounting arm 12. Extendable arm 13. Lifting arm 14. Lifting equipment 16. Drag chain 101, Mounting plate 104. Anti-loosening locking member 105, Anti-slip hook 110, Laura 111, First Pulley 121, First Rail 122, Second Rail 132, Second Pulley 2, orbit 31. First drive unit 310, transmission shaft 32. Second drive unit 40. Rotation axis 5. Lifting device 50. Stopper groove 51, bottom seat 52, top seat 501, bottom wall 502, side wall 503, outer edge 504, Anti-loosening locking groove 521, Mounting part 522, connection part 523, Hinge connection 123, 133, rack

Claims

1. A battery-swapping robot comprising a lifting device (5) including a bottom seat (51) and a top seat (52) provided parallel to each other, and an extendable device (1) attached to the lifting device (5), The battery-swapping robot is characterized in that the telescopic device (1) includes a mounting arm (11) rotatably connected below the top seat (52) and a lifting arm (13) slidably connected to the mounting arm (11), and a lifting device (14) is provided on the lifting arm (13).

2. The battery-swapping robot according to claim 1, characterized in that a hinge connecting portion (523) is provided at an intermediate position of the top seat (52), and the middle portion of the mounting arm (11) is rotatably connected to the hinge connecting portion (523) via a rotating shaft (40).

3. The battery-swapping robot according to claim 2, characterized in that the top seat (52) has two mounting portions (521) provided opposite to each other on both sides of the hinge connecting portion (523), and both ends of the mounting arm (11) are movably connected to the mounting portions (521).

4. The battery-swapping robot according to claim 3, wherein the top seat (52) further includes connecting portions (522) connected to both ends of two mounting portions (521), the mounting portions (521) and the connecting portions (522) are formed in a frame shape, a first drive device (31) is provided between at least one end of the mounting arm (11) and the connecting portion (522), and the first drive device (31) drives the mounting arm (11) to rotate relative to the top seat (52).

5. The battery-replaceable robot according to claim 3, characterized in that rollers (110) are provided at both ends of the mounting arm (11), and stopper grooves (50) for restricting the direction of movement of the rollers (110) are provided at the mounting portion (521) of the top seat (52).

6. The battery-replaceable robot according to claim 5, characterized in that the cross-section of the stopper groove (50) is U-shaped, the stopper groove (50) has a bottom wall (501) fixed to the mounting part (521) and two side walls (502) located on both sides of the bottom wall (501), the side walls (502) have an arc-shaped outer edge (503), and the diameter of this arc is smaller than the length of the mounting arm (11).

7. The battery-replaceable robot according to claim 5, characterized in that the mounting portion (521) has a retaining groove (504) on the other side to which the stopper groove (50) is attached, the mounting arm (11) is provided with a retaining locking member (104) that extends to the roller (110), and the retaining locking member (104) extends into the retaining locking groove (504).

8. The battery-replaceable robot according to claim 7, characterized in that mounting plates (101) are provided at both ends of the mounting arm (11), and the retaining locking member (104) and roller (110) are detachably fixed to the mounting plate (101) by bolts.

9. The battery-replaceable robot according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the telescopic device (1) further includes a telescopic arm (12) provided between the mounting arm (11) and the lifting arm (13), and the telescopic arm (12) is slidably connected to the mounting arm (11) and the lifting arm (13), respectively.

10. The battery-swapping robot according to claim 9, characterized in that the telescopic arm (12) is provided with a first rail (121) and a second rail (122) parallel to each other along its length, the mounting arm (11) is provided with a plurality of first pulleys (111), the lifting arm (13) is provided with a plurality of second pulleys (132), the mounting arm (11) and the telescopic arm (12) are slidably connected via the first pulleys (111) and the first rail (121), and the lifting arm (13) and the telescopic arm (12) are slidably connected via the second pulleys (132) and the second rail (122).

11. The battery-replaceable robot according to claim 9, further provided with a second drive device (32) that drives the lifting arm (13) and the telescopic arm (12) to slide relative to the mounting arm (11).

12. A battery-swapping robot having a lifting device (5) including a bottom seat (51) and a top seat (52) arranged parallel to each other, and an extendable device (1) attached to the lifting device (5), The battery-swapping robot is characterized in that the telescopic device (1) includes a mounting arm (11) rotatably connected below the top seat (52) and a lifting arm (13) slidably connected to the mounting arm (11), the lifting arm (13) having a first movable position located on one side of the lifting device (5) and a second movable position located on the other side of the lifting device (5), and the lifting arm (13) is provided with a lifting device (14).

13. The battery-swapping robot according to claim 12, characterized in that a hinge connection portion (523) is provided on the top seat (52), and the mounting arm (11) is rotatably connected to the hinge connection portion (523) via a rotating shaft (40).

14. The battery-swapping robot according to claim 13, characterized in that the top seat (52) has two mounting portions (521) provided opposite to each other on both sides of the hinge connecting portion (523), and both ends of the mounting arm (11) are movably connected to the mounting portions (521).

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