Battery Storage Device

Abstract

Provided is a battery storage apparatus having improved switching operability between the locked state and the unlocked state of a lock. In the battery storage apparatus (10), a battery (12) can be detachably stored in a storage space (58) of a storage part (30), and the battery (12) can be fixedly held in a holding position / location of the storage space (58). A portable part (34) can support the battery (12) and can move between the holding position and an insertion / extraction position within the storage space (58). In the portable part (34) the battery (12) is inserted and extracted at the insertion / extraction position. The lock (40) enters a locked state that fixedly holds the battery (12) to the storage part (30) when the portable part (34) is in the holding position, and enters an unlocked state that releases the fixed holding of the battery (12) to the storage part (30) when the portable part (34) is in the insertion / extraction position.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a battery storage device capable of fixing and holding a battery in a holding position in a storage space that detachably houses a battery. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, as described in International Publication No. 2019 / 064596, a battery storage device is known that is incorporated in an electric vehicle that uses battery power, a charger that charges the battery, etc. The battery storage device includes a storage space that detachably stores a battery, and a locking portion that can fix and hold the battery stored in the storage space.

[0003] Specifically, the storage space is provided inside a housing-like storage unit that is open at the top, and the battery is inserted and removed through the opening of the storage unit. The lock unit is configured to be switchable between a locked state and an unlocked state by operating a lever. When in the locked state, the lock unit presses the battery from the opening side of the storage unit toward the bottom side. This fixes and holds the battery in the storage space. Meanwhile, when in the unlocked state, the lock unit moves away from the battery to open the opening of the storage unit. This makes it possible to insert and remove the battery into and from the storage space through the opening of the storage unit. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In the battery accommodation device described above, it is necessary to operate the lever to switch between the locked and unlocked states of the locking unit each time after the battery is accommodated in the accommodation unit and before the battery is removed from the accommodation unit, so there is room for further improvement in terms of improving the operability of switching the locking unit.

[0005] The present invention is devised to solve this type of problem, and has an object to provide a battery housing device with improved operability for switching between the locked state and the unlocked state of a locking portion.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a battery storage device comprising a storage section having an opening through which a battery can be inserted and removed, and a storage space in which the battery can be removably accommodated through the opening, and capable of fixing and holding the battery in a holding position in the storage space, the battery storage device comprising: a portable section capable of supporting the battery and moving within the storage space between the holding position and an insertion / removal position different from the holding position; and a locking section switchable between a locked state in which the battery is fixedly held relative to the storage section and an unlocked state in which the battery is released from its fixed holding relative to the storage section, the locking section being switched from the unlocked state to the locked state in conjunction with movement of the portable section from the insertion / removal position to the holding position, and / or being switched from the locked state to the unlocked state in conjunction with movement of the portable section from the holding position to the insertion / removal position.

[0007] In this battery accommodation device, when the battery is inserted into the accommodation space through the opening of the accommodation part, the battery is supported by the portable part, which is in the insertion / removal position. Therefore, the battery moves together with the portable part from the insertion / removal position to the holding position and is accommodated in the accommodation space. The locking part may be switched from the unlocked state to the locked state in conjunction with the movement of the portable part. In this case, by the operation of accommodating the battery in the accommodation space, the locking part is switched to the locked state and fixes and holds the battery at the holding position in the accommodation space.

[0008] On the other hand, when the battery is removed from the storage space, the portable part supporting the battery is moved together with the battery from the holding position to the insertion / removal position. The locking part may be switched from the locked state to the unlocked state in conjunction with the movement of the portable part. In this case, the operation of removing the battery from the storage space releases the fixed holding of the battery by the locking part. Therefore, the battery can be removed from the portable part at the insertion / removal position and removed from the storage space through the opening of the storage part.

[0009] As described above, according to this battery accommodation device, by performing the operation of storing the battery in the accommodation space and / or the operation of removing the battery from the accommodation space as described above, the locked state and unlocked state of the lock unit can be switched by the portable unit that moves with the battery. In other words, for example, in addition to the operation of inserting and removing the battery into and from the accommodation space, an additional operation performed just for switching the lock unit can be eliminated. This improves the operability of switching the lock unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an external configuration diagram of the battery accommodation device according to the present embodiment when the portable main body is in the connected position (holding position) and the opening / closing part is in the closed state. [Diagram 2] 1 in a state where the portable body of the battery accommodation device is in a non-connected position (insertion / removal position) and the opening / closing part is in an open state. FIG. [Diagram 3] 4 is a schematic perspective view of a main portion illustrating the configuration of an outer shell case and an inner side of an opening / closing portion of the battery housing device. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an explanatory diagram of the battery accommodating device when the portable body of FIG. 3 supports the battery in a non-connected position (insertion / removal position). [Diagram 5] 5 is an explanatory diagram of the battery accommodation device when the operation part of FIG. 4 is moved upward in the insertion / removal direction relative to the accommodation part and the portable body. [Figure 6] 6 is an explanatory diagram of the battery housing device when the operation portion of FIG. 5 is moved in a release direction to release the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion. [Figure 7] 7 is an explanatory diagram of the battery accommodation device when the portable section main body in FIG. 6 is moved to a connection position (holding position), the battery terminals and the accommodation section terminals are brought into contact with each other and the lock section is put into a locked state. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is an explanatory diagram of the battery accommodation device when the lock fixing portion of the operation portion is engaged with the lock portion of FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] 5 is a perspective view of the rear side of the battery receiving device of FIG. 4. [Figure 10]An explanatory diagram of a battery storage device when the battery terminal and the storage portion terminal are not connected, the engaging portion and the engaged portion are in an engaged state, the locking portion is in an unlocked state, and the operating portion is positioned and oriented according to the resilient force of the operating portion biasing member. [Figure 11] 13 is an explanatory diagram of a battery storage device when the battery terminal and the storage terminal are not connected, the engagement portion and the engaged portion are in an engaged state, the locking portion is in an unlocked state, and the operating portion is moved upward in the insertion / removal direction. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is an explanatory diagram of the battery storage device when the battery terminal and the storage terminal are not connected, the engaging portion and the engaged portion are in a disengaged state, the locking portion is in an unlocked state, and the operating portion is moved in the release direction. FIG. [Figure 13] An explanatory diagram of a battery storage device when the battery terminal and the storage terminal are in contact and connected, the engaging portion and the engaged portion are in a disengaged state, the locking portion is in a locked state, and the lock fixing portion of the operating portion is engaged with the locking portion. [Figure 14] 14A is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion illustrating a lock portion and a lock switching portion in an unlocked state, and a lock fixing portion not engaged with the lock portion, and FIG. 14B is a front view of FIG. 14A. [Figure 15] 15A is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion illustrating a lock portion and a lock switching portion in a locked state, and a lock fixing portion engaged with the lock portion, and FIG. 15B is a front view of FIG. 15A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A preferred embodiment of the battery housing device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate components having the same or similar functions and effects, and repeated description may be omitted.

[0012] The battery storage device 10 of this embodiment shown in Figure 1 can be incorporated into various configurations in which the battery 12 can be attached and detached, such as an electric vehicle or electric device (neither shown) that uses the power of the battery 12, or a charger (not shown) that charges the battery 12.

[0013] The battery accommodating device 10 detachably accommodates a battery 12 having a battery terminal 14 (FIG. 4). Although the details of the battery 12 are not particularly limited, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the battery 12 is a secondary battery in which a plurality of battery cells, a battery management device, and the like (all not shown) are accommodated inside a substantially rectangular parallelepiped battery case 16 that serves as the exterior of the battery 12.

[0014] Moreover, a battery grip 18 that can be gripped by an operator is provided at one end of the battery 12 in the longitudinal direction. A battery terminal 14 is provided at the other end of the battery 12 in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the battery 12 is accommodated in the battery accommodating device 10 with the battery terminal 14 facing downward. Therefore, the up-down direction of the battery 12 will be described based on the orientation when accommodated in the battery accommodating device 10.

[0015] Although specific illustration is omitted, the lower portion of the battery terminal 14 is exposed from the battery case 16, for example, through a notch or the like provided in the bottom wall of the battery case 16. Also, the upper portion of the battery terminal 14 is connected, for example, to input / output terminals of a plurality of battery cells via a battery management device by power lines, or to the battery management device by a signal transmission line.

[0016] The battery accommodation device 10 will be specifically described with reference to Figures 1 to 15B. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the exterior of the battery accommodation device 10 is formed by an outer shell case 22, which is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing having a case opening 20 on the upper surface, and an opening / closing part 26 that is movable in a direction to open and close the case opening 20 via a hinge 24.

[0017] 1 to 15B will be described as the rear side, the front side, the first side, and the second side in the case of the battery accommodating device 10. However, the orientation in which the battery accommodating device 10 is assembled into the electric vehicle, the electric device, the charger, or the like is not particularly limited.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 3, a frame 28, a storage section 30, a storage section terminal 32, a transport section 34, a damping section 36 (Fig. 9), a restricting section 38, and a locking section 40 are provided inside the outer shell case 22 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The frame 28 is fixed inside the outer shell case 22 (Fig. 1) and reinforces the battery storage device 10. Specifically, the frame 28 has a bottom pipe frame 42, a first installation section 44, a second installation section 46, a back pipe frame 48, and a back plate 50 (Fig. 9).

[0019] The bottom pipe frame 42 is substantially U-shaped with a curved rear side (arrow X1 side) when viewed in the vertical direction (arrow Z direction), and is fixed to the bottom wall of the outer shell case 22 (FIG. 1) via an attachment member 52. The first bridge portion 44 and the second bridge portion 46 are each bridged across the bottom pipe frame 42 in the arrow Y direction. The first bridge portion 44 is disposed at an end of the front side (arrow X2 side) of the bottom pipe frame 42. The second bridge portion 46 is disposed on the rear side of the first bridge portion 44. The storage portion terminal 32 is fixed to the first bridge portion 44. As a result, the storage portion terminal 32 protrudes upward from the first bridge portion 44.

[0020] The back pipe frame 48 is fixed to the end of the back side (arrow X1 side) of the bottom pipe frame 42 and rises upward from the end. The back pipe frame 48 is generally U-shaped with a curved upper portion when viewed in the direction of the arrow X. The back plate 50 (FIG. 9) is attached to the end of the back pipe frame 48 on the arrow X1 side, and faces the back surface of the outer shell case 22 (FIG. 1). The back plate 50 (FIG. 9) is fixed to the back surface of the outer shell case 22 (FIG. 1) by screws or the like. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the upper end of the back plate 50 is provided with an engaged portion 54 that protrudes toward the arrow X1 side.

[0021] 3 to 8, the first side surface (the side indicated by the arrow Y1) of the storage unit 30 is omitted, but the storage unit 30 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing with an open upper end. That is, the storage unit 30 has an opening 56 into which the battery 12 can be inserted and removed, and a storage space 58 that detachably stores the battery 12 via the opening 56. Note that the entire storage unit 30 is omitted from illustration in FIGS. 10 to 15B.

[0022] In this embodiment, the direction in which the battery 12 is inserted into and removed from the storage space 58 through the opening 56 is vertical, but the direction may be inclined relative to the vertical direction. The battery 12 is inserted into the storage space 58 from above downward. The battery 12 is removed from the storage space 58 from below upward.

[0023] The outer dimensions of the accommodating section 30 are slightly smaller than the outer dimensions of the outer case 22 (FIG. 1). Therefore, the outer wall surface of the accommodating section 30 accommodated in the outer case 22 faces the inner wall surface of the outer case 22 with a predetermined gap therebetween.

[0024] 3, the accommodating section 30 is fixed to the frame 28. Specifically, the bottom surface of the accommodating section 30 is placed on the first bridge section 44 and the second bridge section 46, and the back surface of the accommodating section 30 is fixed to the front side (the side of the arrow X2) of the rear pipe frame 48 by screw fastening or the like. A terminal hole 60 is provided in the bottom wall of the accommodating section 30 for inserting the accommodating section terminal 32 protruding from the first bridge section 44. An upper portion of the accommodating section terminal 32 is disposed in the accommodating space 58 of the accommodating section 30 via the terminal hole 60. That is, the relative position of the accommodating section terminal 32 with respect to the accommodating section 30 is fixed.

[0025] 7, the lower part of the battery terminal 14 comes into contact with the upper part of the storage terminal 32 within the storage space 58, thereby electrically connecting the storage terminal 32 and the battery terminal 14. Note that, although not shown, the lower part of the storage terminal 32 is electrically connected, for example, via a power line, a signal transmission line, or the like to a drive motor or a control unit of an electric vehicle or the like in which the battery storage device 10 is incorporated.

[0026] 3, an insertion hole 62 extending in the vertical direction is provided at the lower end of each of the side walls forming the first side surface (not shown) and the second side surface 30S2 of the storage section 30. A locking section 40 is attached to the upper end of each of the side walls forming the first side surface (not shown) and the second side surface 30S2 of the storage section 30.

[0027] A protruding edge 64 that protrudes outward from the opening 56 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the opening 56 of the storage section 30. The protruding edge 64 is disposed to cover the upper end of the outer shell case 22 (FIG. 1), thereby blocking the gap between the opening 56 of the storage section 30 in FIG. 3 and the case opening 20 of the outer shell case 22 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 when viewed in the insertion / removal direction. In other words, the direction in which the opening / closing section 26 opens and closes the case opening 20 is the direction in which the opening 56 of the storage section 30 is opened and closed.

[0028] 4, the carrying unit 34 is capable of supporting the battery 12. In addition, while supporting the battery 12, the carrying unit 34 is capable of moving relative to the storage unit 30 between a connection position (holding position) in FIGS. 7 and 13 and a non-connection position (insertion / removal position) in FIGS. 4 and 10.

[0029] 7 and 13, in the connection position (holding position), the battery terminals 14 of the battery 12 supported by the transportable part 34 contact and are electrically connected to the accommodation part terminals 32. Furthermore, the battery accommodation device 10 can fix and hold the battery 12 supported by the transportable part 34 at the connection position (holding position) of the accommodation space 58, as described later.

[0030] 4 and 10, in the non-connection position (insertion / removal position), the battery terminal 14 of the battery 12 supported by the carrying unit 34 is separated from the housing terminal 32 and is electrically disconnected. Moreover, the non-connection position is preferably disposed above the connection position, and is set so that the battery terminal 14 of the battery 12 supported by the carrying unit 34 is close to or adjacent to the housing terminal 32. Furthermore, in the non-connection position (insertion / removal position), the battery 12 is inserted into or removed from the carrying unit 34.

[0031] Specifically, the portable part 34 has a portable part main body 66 that supports the battery 12, and an operation part 70 provided with a grip part 68 that can be gripped by an operator. The portable part main body 66 in the non-connected position (insertion / removal position) moves downward in the insertion / removal direction (arrow Z2 side) to reach the connected position (holding position). The portable part main body 66 in the connected position (holding position) moves upward in the insertion / removal direction (arrow Z1 side) to reach the non-connected position (insertion / removal position). The movement of the portable part main body 66 in the insertion / removal direction is guided by a first portable part guide 72 and a second portable part guide 74 fixed to the back plate 50 in FIG. 9.

[0032] The portable unit main body 66 includes a first main body 76 (FIGS. 3 and 10), a second main body 78 (FIG. 9), and a bottom plate 80 (FIG. 3). The first main body 76 is disposed between a first side surface 22S1 (FIG. 1) of the outer shell case 22 and a first side surface (not shown) of the storage unit 30. The second main body 78 is disposed between a second side surface (not shown) of the outer shell case 22 (FIG. 1) and a second side surface 30S2 (FIG. 3) of the storage unit 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom plate 80 extends in the direction of the arrow Y between the lower ends of the first main body 76 and the second main body 78, and crosses the storage space 58 by being inserted into the insertion hole 62 of the storage unit 30. Since the insertion hole 62 extends in the vertical direction as described above, the bottom plate 80 in the insertion hole 62 is movable relative to the storage unit 30 in the vertical direction (insertion / removal direction).

[0033] Each of the first main body portion 76 and the second main body portion 78 has a base portion 82 extending in the direction of the arrow X, and a guide forming portion 84 extending upward from the rear side (arrow X1 side) of the base portion 82. That is, each of the first main body portion 76 and the second main body portion 78 is substantially L-shaped in that the length in the up-down direction on the rear side is longer than that on the front side when viewed in the direction of the arrow Y. A front side rib 86 protruding toward the storage section 30 is integrally provided on the upper end of the base portion 82 and the front side end of the guide forming portion 84. In addition, a rear side rib 88 (FIG. 9) protruding toward the storage section 30 is integrally provided on the rear side end of the base portion 82 and the guide forming portion 84.

[0034] When the first body portion 76 moves in the insertion / removal direction, a corner formed by the rear side rib 88 of the first body portion 76 and the first side surface 76S1 of the first body portion 76 fits along the first portable portion guide 72. This guides the movement of the first body portion 76 in the insertion / removal direction. Also, when the second body portion 78 moves in the insertion / removal direction, a corner formed by the rear side rib 88 of the second body portion 78 and the second side surface 78S2 (FIG. 9) of the second body portion 78 fits along the second portable portion guide 74. This guides the movement of the second body portion 78 in the insertion / removal direction.

[0035] 9, the first main body 76 is elastically biased downward in the up-down direction (toward the arrow Z2) by a first main body biasing member 90 formed of, for example, a tension coil spring. An upper end of the first main body biasing member 90 is attached to the back side of the first main body 76 via an attachment portion 92. A lower end of the first main body biasing member 90 is attached to the lower end side of the back plate 50 via an attachment portion 94.

[0036] Similarly, the second main body 78 is resiliently biased downward in the up-down direction (toward the arrow Z2) by a second main body biasing member 91 formed of, for example, a tension coil spring. An upper end of the second main body biasing member 91 is attached to the back side of the second main body 78 via an attachment portion 92. A lower end of the second main body biasing member 91 is attached to the lower end side of the back plate 50 via an attachment portion 94.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom plate portion 80 is provided with rising portions 96 extending upward on both ends in the direction of the arrow Y. The rising portion 96 on the arrow Y1 side of the bottom plate portion 80 is fixed to the base 82 of the first main body portion 76 outside the storage portion 30. The rising portion 96 on the arrow Y2 side of the bottom plate portion 80 is fixed to the base 82 of the second main body portion 78 outside the storage portion 30. In this manner, the first main body portion 76 and the second main body portion 78 are integrated via the bottom plate portion 80. Therefore, the first main body portion 76, the second main body portion 78, and the bottom plate portion 80 can move together relative to the storage portion 30.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 4, the battery 12 inserted into the storage space 58 through the opening 56 of the storage unit 30 is placed on the bottom plate 80 of the portable unit main body 66 in the non-connected position (insertion / removal position). This causes the battery 12 to be supported by the portable unit main body 66. At this time, by adjusting the position of the battery terminal 14 relative to the storage unit terminal 32, the battery terminal 14 is disposed above the storage unit terminal 32 in a non-connected state and facing the storage unit terminal 32. As shown in Fig. 7, when the battery 12 moves to the connection position (retention position) together with the portable unit main body 66, the storage unit terminal 32 and the battery terminal 14 come into contact with each other and are electrically connected.

[0039] On the other hand, when removing the battery 12 from the portable main body 66, as shown in Fig. 4, in the non-connected position (insertion / removal position), the battery 12 is pulled upward in the insertion / removal direction from the bottom plate portion 80 of the portable main body 66. As a result, the battery 12 is removed from the portable main body 66 and taken out of the accommodation space 58 through the opening 56. That is, the battery 12 is inserted into and removed from the portable main body 66 when the portable main body 66 is in the non-connected position (insertion / removal position).

[0040] 9, a rack forming portion 98 extending toward the rear side of the second main body portion 78 is fixed to the second side surface 78S2 of the second main body portion 78. A rack 100 is formed at the end of the rack forming portion 98 on the arrow Y1 side. The rack 100 constitutes the damping portion 36 together with a rotary damper 102 and an idle gear 104. The rotary damper 102 and the idle gear 104 are each rotatably fixed to the rear side of the back plate 50.

[0041] The rotary damper 102 is a unidirectional damper mechanism that generates a braking force when rotating in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 9. In other words, the torque required to rotate the rotary damper 102 counterclockwise is higher than the torque required to rotate the rotary damper 102 clockwise. The idle gear 104 meshes with both the rack 100 and the rotary damper 102, thereby enabling the rotary damper 102 to rotate in conjunction with the movement of the rack 100 in the insertion / removal direction.

[0042] When the rack forming part 98 moves from the non-connected position to the connected position together with the portable part main body 66, the idle gear 104 meshing with the rack 100 rotates clockwise. This causes the rotary damper 102 to rotate counterclockwise to generate a braking force. That is, the damping part 36 damps the moving speed of the portable part main body 66 when moving from the non-connected position to the connected position. On the other hand, when the rack forming part 98 moves from the connected position to the non-connected position together with the portable part main body 66, the idle gear 104 rotates counterclockwise and the rotary damper 102 rotates clockwise. For this reason, the damping part 36 does not damp or hardly damps the moving speed of the portable part main body 66 when moving from the connected position to the non-connected position.

[0043] The movement of the portable part main body 66 between the connection position (holding position) and the non-connection position (insertion / removal position) can be performed, for example, by an operator gripping the gripping part 68 and moving the operation part 70 in the insertion / removal direction relative to the accommodation part 30. The movement of the portable part main body 66 from the non-connection position (insertion / removal position) to the connection position (holding position) from top to bottom may be performed by the weight of the battery 12 or the elastic biasing force of the first main body biasing member 90 and the second main body biasing member 91. The moving speed of the portable part main body 66 at this time is damped by the damping part 36 as described above.

[0044] In addition to the grip portion 68, the operation portion 70 has an operation portion main body 106 and a lock fixing portion 108. The grip portion 68 is disposed at the upper end of the operation portion 70 (the side opposite the accommodating portion terminal 32 side in the insertion / removal direction) and extends in the direction of arrow Y. Lock fixing portions 108 are provided at both ends of the grip portion 68 in the extending direction, and the operation portion main body 106 is provided extending downward from each lock fixing portion 108.

[0045] 10, the operation unit body 106 is movably attached to the guide forming portion 84 of the portable unit body 66. This allows the operation unit 70 to move relatively to the portable unit body 66. The guide forming portion 84 is provided with a guide portion 110 that extends in the insertion / removal direction and guides the relative movement of the operation unit 70 with respect to the portable unit body 66.

[0046] In this embodiment, the guide portion 110 is an elongated hole extending in the insertion / removal direction. The operation unit body 106 is fixed to a fastener 112 that is movably inserted into the inside of the guide portion 110 and is prevented from falling out. Therefore, the operation unit 70 is movable relative to the portable unit body 66 according to the range within which the fastener 112 can move inside the guide portion 110.

[0047] Specifically, the fastener 112 moves inside the guide part 110 along the extension direction, so that the operation part 70 can move relatively in the insertion / removal direction (up and down direction) with respect to the portable part main body 66. Also, the fastener 112 rotates inside the guide part 110 with the arrow Y direction as the axial direction, so that the operation part 70 can be moved relatively in a direction in which the operation part main body 106 is inclined with respect to the extension direction of the guide part 110 when viewed from the arrow Y direction (disengagement direction described later).

[0048] Furthermore, for example, when the operating unit 70 is moved upward relative to the guide forming portion 84, the fastener 112 comes into contact with the upper end of the guide portion 110. When the operating unit 70 is further raised in this state, it is possible to move the portable unit main body 66 together with the operating unit 70 upward relative to the storage unit 30. Note that in this embodiment, the gripping portion 68 and the lock fixing portion 108 are disposed above the opening 56 of the storage unit 30 regardless of the relative positions of the operating unit 70 with respect to the portable unit main body 66 and the storage unit 30, but are not particularly limited to this. Details of the lock fixing portion 108 will be described later.

[0049] 10, an upper end of an operation unit biasing member 114 formed of, for example, a tension coil spring or the like is attached to the lower end of the operation unit main body 106 attached to the first main body 76. The lower end of the operation unit biasing member 114 is attached to an operation unit biasing member attachment portion 116 provided on the first side surface 76S1 of the first main body 76. The operation unit biasing member attachment portion 116 is disposed below the lower end of the guide portion 110 and closer to the front side (the side in the direction of the arrow X2) than the guide portion 110.

[0050] By arranging the operation unit biasing member 114 in this manner, the operation unit 70 is resiliently biased so that the operation unit body 106 is inclined relative to the extending direction (insertion / removal direction, up-down direction) of the guide unit 110 when viewed in the direction of the arrow Y, and the gripping portion 68 is directed toward the outside (arrow X1 side) of the accommodation space 58 when viewed in the insertion / removal direction. In addition, the operation unit biasing member 114 resiliently biases the operation unit 70 so that the fastener 112 of the operation unit body 106 is directed toward the lower end of the guide unit 110.

[0051] In this embodiment, the operation unit biasing member 114 is provided only between the first body part 76 and the operation unit main body 106 attached to the first body part 76. However, the operation unit biasing member 114 may be similarly provided on the second body part 78 (FIG. 9) instead of the first body part 76, or on the second body part 78 together with the first body part 76.

[0052] A disengaging portion 118 is fixed to the operation unit body 106 by, for example, welding, above the connection portion with the fastener 112. The disengaging portion 118 extends from the operation unit body 106 to the arrow X2 side, and has a shape in which the end portion on the arrow X2 side is bent toward the storage unit 30 side. When viewed in the arrow Y direction, the disengaging portion 118 extends further toward the arrow X2 direction than the guide forming portion 84 of the portable unit body 66. Also, when viewed in the arrow X direction, the disengaging portion 118 extends to a position that faces the front side rib 86 of the guide forming portion 84 and does not contact the storage unit 30.

[0053] 9 and 10, the restricting portion 38 restricts the movement of the portable portion main body 66 from the non-connected position (insertion / removal position) toward the connected position (holding position) in a releasable manner. In this embodiment, the restricting portion 38 has an engaging portion 120 and a rotation range limiting portion 122 provided on the portable portion main body 66, and an engaged portion 54 whose relative position with respect to the accommodation portion terminal 32 is fixed.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 10, when the portable part main body 66 is in the non-connected position (insertion / removal position), the engaging part 120 and the engaged part 54 engage with each other. This restricts the movement of the portable part main body 66 from the non-connected position (insertion / removal position) toward the connected position (holding position). On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 12, when the engaging part 120 and the engaged part 54 are disengaged from each other, the restriction on the movement of the portable part main body 66 is released, and the portable part main body 66 can move from the non-connected position (insertion / removal position) toward the connected position (holding position).

[0055] Specifically, the engaging portion 120 is attached to the upper end on the back side of the guide forming portion 84, and is rotatable about an engaging portion rotation shaft 124 extending in the direction of the arrow Y. By rotating about the engaging portion rotation shaft 124, the engaging portion 120 is switched between an engaged state (FIG. 10) in which it engages with the engaged portion 54 provided at the upper end of the back plate 50, and a disengaged state (FIG. 12) in which it is disengaged from the engaged portion 54. Hereinafter, the rotational direction of the engaging portion 120 when in the engaged state is also referred to as the engaging direction, and the rotational direction of the engaging portion 120 when in the disengaged state is also referred to as the disengaging direction.

[0056] The rotation range limiting portion 122 is provided at the upper end of the guide forming portion 84 curved toward the front side (the side of the arrow X2), and has a front side abutment portion 126 and a rear side abutment portion 128 as shown in Figures 14A and 14B. The front side abutment portion 126 is formed by the front side rib 86 extending further toward the storage portion 30 than the engaging portion 120 when viewed in the direction of the arrow X. The rear side abutment portion 128 is formed by the rear side rib 88 extending further toward the storage portion 30 than the engaging portion 120 when viewed in the direction of the arrow X.

[0057] The front contact portion 126 contacts the lower surface of the engaging portion 120, thereby restricting the engaging portion 120 from rotating counterclockwise in Fig. 10 beyond the engaging orientation. The rear contact portion 128 contacts the upper surface of the engaging portion 120, thereby restricting the engaging portion 120 from rotating clockwise in Fig. 12 beyond the disengaging orientation.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 10, when the engaging portion 120 is engaged with the engaged portion 54, the lower portion 120L on the rear side of the engaging portion 120 protrudes from the guide forming portion 84 in the direction of the arrow X1 (the direction intersecting the insertion / removal direction, rear side) and is placed on the engaged portion 54, and the lower surface on the front side of the engaging portion 120 abuts against the front side abutment portion 126. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 12, when the engaging portion 120 and the engaged portion 54 are in a disengaged state, the lower portion 120L on the rear side of the engaging portion 120 is disposed closer to the front side than the engaged portion 54 and the back plate 50, and the upper surface on the rear side of the engaging portion 120 abuts against the rear side abutment portion 128. In this embodiment, the lower portion 120L on the rear side of the engaging portion 120 is bent in a predetermined direction to increase its strength.

[0059] 14A and 14B, an engagement portion biasing member 130, which is formed of, for example, a torsion spring, is provided near the engagement portion rotation shaft 124. The engagement portion biasing member 130 resiliently biases the engagement portion 120 in a direction that rotates the engagement portion 120 toward the engagement orientation (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 10).

[0060] 10, when the portable part main body 66 is in the non-connected position (insertion / removal position) or higher, the lower part 120L on the rear side of the engaging part 120 is disposed above the rear plate 50. Therefore, the engaging part 120 is rotated by the elastic force of the engaging part biasing member 130 into the engaging orientation, and the lower part 120L on the rear side of the engaging part 120 protrudes rearward beyond the guide forming part 84.

[0061] When the engaging part 120 is in an engaged state in the non-connected position (insertion / removal position), the lower part 120L on the rear side of the engaging part 120 is placed on the engaged part 54, so that the clockwise rotation of the engaging part 120 in Fig. 10 is restricted. At this time, the engaging part 120 is maintained in the engaged orientation because the counterclockwise rotation of the engaging part 120 in Fig. 10 is also restricted by abutment with the front abutment part 126. In other words, the engaging part 120 and the engaged part 54 are maintained in an engaged state, and the portable part main body 66 is restricted from moving downward from the non-connected position (insertion / removal position).

[0062] The operation of switching the engaging portion 120 from the engaged state to the disengaged state can be performed via the disengaging portion 118 of the operating portion 70. That is, as shown in Fig. 11, the operating portion 70 is moved upward relative to the portable portion main body 66 so that the disengaging portion 118 comes into contact with the lower surface of the front side of the engaging portion 120. In this state, as shown in Fig. 12, the operating portion 70 is moved relative to the portable portion main body 66 in a disengaging direction different from the insertion / removal direction. In this embodiment, the disengaging direction is a direction in which the extension direction of the operating portion main body 106 is inclined with respect to the insertion / removal direction as viewed in the direction of the arrow Y so that the gripping portion 68 of the operating portion 70 faces the outside of the accommodation space 58 (the arrow X1 side) as viewed in the insertion / removal direction.

[0063] 12 toward the disengagement direction against the elastic force of the engagement portion biasing member 130. As a result, the lower part 120L on the rear side of the engagement portion 120 moves from above the engaged portion 54 toward the arrow X2 side, and the engagement between the engagement portion 120 and the engaged portion 54 is released. As shown in FIG. 13, when the engagement portion 120 is in the disengaged state and the portable portion main body 66 moves downward below the non-connected position (insertion / removal position) due to, for example, the weight of the battery 12 or the elastic biasing force of the operation portion biasing member 114, the lower part 120L on the rear side of the engagement portion 120 is disposed below the engaged portion 54 and faces the back plate 50.

[0064] Therefore, the lower portion 120L on the rear side of the engaging portion 120 abuts against the rear plate 50, thereby restricting the engaging portion 120 from rotating in the engaging direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 13). That is, when the portable portion main body 66 is below the non-connecting position (insertion / removal position), even if the disengaging portion 118 is separated from the engaging portion 120, the engaging portion 120 can be maintained in the disengaging direction against the elastic force of the engaging portion biasing member 130.

[0065] A lock switching unit 132 is provided integrally on the upper part of the front side of the engagement unit 120. The lock switching unit 132 switches the lock unit 40 between a locked state and an unlocked state in conjunction with the movement of the portable unit main body 66 in the insertion / removal direction. The details of the lock switching unit 132 will be described together with the details of the lock unit 40.

[0066] 7 and 13, when the portable part main body 66 is in the connection position (holding position), the locking part 40 is in a locked state in which the battery 12 is fixed to the accommodation part 30. That is, the locking part 40 fixes and holds the battery 12 in the connection position (holding position) of the accommodation space 58. Also, as shown in Figs. 4 and 10, when the portable part main body 66 is in the non-connection position (insertion / removal position), the locking part 40 is in an unlocked state in which the battery 12 is released from the fixed state held to the accommodation part 30.

[0067] 3, in this embodiment, the locking portion 40 has a first locking portion 134 attached to the upper end side of the side wall forming the first side surface (not shown) of the storage portion 30, and a second locking portion 136 attached to the upper end side of the side wall forming the second side surface 30S2 of the storage portion 30. Note that when there is no particular distinction between the first locking portion 134 and the second locking portion 136, they are also collectively referred to as the locking portion 40.

[0068] The first lock section 134 has a lock section main body 138, a battery abutment portion 140, a lock fixed wall 142, and a lock rotation shaft 144. The lock section main body 138 is rotatably fixed to the accommodation section 30 via the lock rotation shaft 144. As shown in Fig. 7, in the lock section main body 138, when the first lock section 134 is in the locked state, the lock rotation shaft 144 is disposed at the end on the arrow Y1 side, the battery abutment portion 140 is disposed at the end on the arrow Y2 side, and the lock fixed wall 142 is disposed at the end on the arrow X1 side.

[0069] The battery contact portion 140 has a contact surface 146 that contacts the upper end of the battery 12 when the first lock portion 134 is in the locked state. The contact surface 146 of the battery contact portion 140 is preferably formed of an elastic member. As shown in FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B, the lock fixing wall 142 extends above and below the lock portion main body 138 when the first lock portion 134 is in the locked state. When the first lock portion 134 is in the locked state, the portion of the lock fixing wall 142 that extends above the lock portion main body 138 constitutes a lock engagement portion 148 that can be engaged with the lock fixing portion 108 of the operation portion 70 as described later. The lock rotation shaft 144 is disposed outside the opening 56 of the storage portion 30 when viewed in the insertion / removal direction.

[0070] 15B around the lock rotation shaft 144, the first locking portion 134 is brought into a locked state in which the abutment surface 146 of the battery abutting portion 140 abuts against the upper end of the battery 12 as described above. At this time, the battery 12 is pressed toward the bottom plate portion 80 of the portable portion main body 66 by the battery abutting portion 140, and is thereby fixed and held relative to the storage portion 30.

[0071] On the other hand, the first locking part 134 rotates clockwise around the lock rotation shaft 144 in FIG. 14B, thereby entering an unlocked state in which the battery abutment part 140 is separated from the upper end of the battery 12. As shown in FIG. 3, when in the unlocked state, the entire first locking part 134 is disposed outside the opening 56 of the storage part 30 as viewed in the insertion / removal direction. Also, as shown in FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B, when the first locking part 134 is in the unlocked state, the battery abutment part 140 extends upward from the locking part main body 138, and the lock fixing wall 142 extends further on the arrow Y1 side and the arrow Y2 side than the locking part main body 138, respectively. When the first locking part 134 is in the unlocked state, a cam part 150 that can be engaged with the lock switching part 132 of the engagement part 120 is provided on a part of the lock fixing wall 142 that extends further on the storage part 30 side (arrow Y2 side) than the locking part main body 138.

[0072] The second locking section 136 is configured similarly to the first locking section 134, except that the second locking section 136 is symmetrical (mirror image) with respect to the XZ plane. That is, in the second locking section 136, when in the locked state, a lock rotation shaft 144 is disposed at the end of the locking section main body 138 on the arrow Y2 side, and a battery abutment section 140 is disposed at the end of the locking section main body 138 on the arrow Y1 side. In addition, the second locking section 136 is in the locked state by rotating clockwise in FIG. 15B about the lock rotation shaft 144, and in the unlocked state by rotating counterclockwise in FIG. 14B.

[0073] The lock portion 40 is resiliently biased around the lock rotation shaft 144 by a lock portion biasing member 152 formed of, for example, a torsion spring or the like. In this embodiment, the lock portion biasing member 152 resiliently biases the lock portion 40 toward the locked state side in the rotation direction. That is, the first lock portion 134 is resiliently biased counterclockwise in FIG. 15B by the lock portion biasing member 152, and the second lock portion 136 is resiliently biased clockwise in FIG. 15B by the lock portion biasing member 152.

[0074] The lock portion 40 is restricted from rotating beyond a predetermined range in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction by a rotation restriction mechanism (not shown) or the like.

[0075] The lock switching unit 132 restricts the rotation of the lock unit 40 so as to be releasable. As described above, the lock switching unit 132 is provided integrally with the upper part on the front side of the engagement unit 120. Therefore, as the portable unit main body 66 moves in the insertion / removal direction between the non-connection position (insertion / removal position) and the connection position (holding position), the lock switching unit 132 also moves in the insertion / removal direction.

[0076] 14A and 14B, when the portable part main body 66 is in the non-connected position (inserted / removed position), the lock switching part 132 abuts against the cam part 150 of the lock fixed wall 142. This causes the lock part 40 to be maintained in a state rotated toward the unlocked state side against the elastic force of the lock part biasing member 152. In other words, when the portable part main body 66 is in the non-connected position (inserted / removed position), the lock switching part 132 puts the lock part 40 in the unlocked state and restricts the lock part 40 from rotating toward the locked state side.

[0077] On the other hand, when the portable part main body 66 is in the connection position (holding position), as shown in Figures 15A and 15B, the lock switching part 132 moves downward away from the cam part 150 of the lock fixed wall 142. This releases the restriction on the lock part 40 from turning toward the locked state. Therefore, the lock part 40 is brought into the locked state by the elastic force of the lock part biasing member 152.

[0078] As described above, in the lock section 40 in the locked state, the lock engagement section 148 extends upward from the lock section main body 138. In this state, when the operating section 70 is moved from above downward relative to the portable section main body 66 and the storage section 30, the lock engagement section 148 is inserted into the engagement groove 154 provided in the lock fixing section 108 of the operating section 70.

[0079] When the lock engagement portion 148 of the first lock portion 134 is inserted into the engagement groove 154, the side surface of the lock engagement portion 148 on the arrow Y1 side abuts against the inner surface of the engagement groove 154 of the lock fixing portion 108. That is, the first lock portion 134 is restricted from rotating about the lock rotation shaft 144 by abutting against both the upper end of the battery 12 and the lock fixing portion 108, and is kept fixed in the locked state. Similarly, when the lock engagement portion 148 of the second lock portion 136 is inserted into the engagement groove 154, the side surface of the lock engagement portion 148 on the arrow Y2 side abuts against the inner surface of the engagement groove 154 of the lock fixing portion 108. That is, the second lock portion 136 is restricted from rotating about the lock rotation shaft 144 by abutting against both the upper end of the battery 12 and the lock fixing portion 108, and is kept fixed in the locked state.

[0080] Further, for each of the first locking portion 134 and the second locking portion 136, an inclined portion 156 (FIG. 14A) is provided on the inner surface of the engagement groove 154, which is inclined in a direction approaching the side surface of the lock engagement portion 148 from the lower end side toward the upper side as viewed in the direction of the arrow X. Therefore, the force applied via the inner surface of the engagement groove 154 to move the lock engagement portion 148 toward the locked state side in the rotation direction increases as the lock engagement portion 148 is inserted from the lower end side toward the upper side of the engagement groove 154. As a result, it is possible to increase the force with which the battery abutment portion 140 presses the battery 12 while facilitating the insertion of the lock engagement portion 148 into the engagement groove 154, i.e., to increase the fixing and holding force of the battery 12 by the lock portion 40.

[0081] When the operation unit 70 is moved upward relative to the portable unit main body 66 and the storage unit 30 from a state in which the lock fixing portion 108 and the lock engaging portion 148 are engaged, the lock engaging portion 148 is extracted from the engaging groove 154. This releases the engagement between the lock fixing portion 108 and the lock engaging portion 148. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 10, if the operation unit 70 is left in a state in which the lock fixing portion 108 is not engaged with the lock engaging portion 148, the operation unit 70 will be oriented and positioned according to the resilient bias of the operation unit biasing member 114. Therefore, when viewed in the direction of the arrow Y, the operation unit main body 106 is inclined with respect to the extending direction of the guide portion 110, so that the grip portion 68 is positioned outside the storage space 58 (the arrow X1 side) when viewed in the insertion / removal direction. In addition, the fastener 112 of the operation unit main body 106 abuts against the lower end of the guide portion 110.

[0082] 2, when the portable body 66 (FIG. 3) is in the non-connected position (insertion / removal position), the dimensions of the battery accommodating device 10 are set relative to the dimensions of the battery 12 so that the upper end side of the battery 12 supported by the portable body 66, the grip part 68 (FIG. 3) of the operation unit 70, and the lock fixing part 108 protrude upward a predetermined length from the opening 56 of the accommodation part 30. Therefore, when the portable body 66 supporting the battery 12 is in the non-connected position (insertion / removal position), the upper end part of the battery 12, the grip part 68, and the lock fixing part 108 interfere with each other, thereby restricting the opening / closing part 26 from closing to cover the opening 56.

[0083] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 1, when the portable part main body 66 is in the connection position (holding position), the battery 12 is disposed lower in the storage section 30 than when the portable part main body 66 (Fig. 8) is in the non-connection position (insertion / removal position). This shortens the length by which the upper end side of the battery 12, the gripping part 68, and the lock fixing part 108 protrude from the opening 56 of the storage section 30. Therefore, when the portable part main body 66 supporting the battery 12 is in the connection position (holding position), it becomes possible to close the opening / closing part 26.

[0084] In the battery accommodating device 10 of the present embodiment, for example, when the opening / closing unit 26 is closed in a state where the battery 12 is not accommodated in the accommodation space 58, the portable unit main body 66 needs to be moved to the connection position (holding position). At this time, as described above, the portable unit main body 66 is resiliently biased toward the lower side (connection position side, holding position side) in the vertical direction by the first main body biasing member 90 and the second main body biasing member 91. Therefore, by releasing the engagement between the engaging portion 120 and the engaged portion 54 in the restricting portion 38, the portable unit main body 66 can be moved to the connection position (holding position) against the braking force of the damping portion 36 and maintained at the connection position (holding position).

[0085] The battery accommodation device 10 according to this embodiment is basically configured as described above. Hereinafter, as an example of an operation for attaching or detaching the battery 12 to or from the battery accommodation device 10, a case where the operation of accommodating the battery 12 in the accommodation space 58 is started from a state in which the opening / closing unit 26 (FIG. 1) is in a closed state and the portable unit main body 66 (FIG. 3) is in a connected position (retained position) will be described. In this case, first, the opening / closing unit 26 is opened to expose the opening 56 of the accommodation unit 30, and then the portable unit main body 66 is moved to the non-connected position (insertion / removal position).

[0086] That is, for example, by gripping the gripping portion 68 and pulling the operating portion 70 upward in the insertion / removal direction, the portable body 66 together with the operating portion 70 is moved upward relative to the accommodation portion 30. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, when the portable body 66 reaches the non-connection position (insertion / removal position), the engaging portion 120 rotates in the engagement direction under the resilient bias of the engaging portion biasing member 130. Therefore, the lower portion 120L on the rear side of the engaging portion 120 protrudes rearward beyond the guide forming portion 84 and is placed on the engaged portion 54, and the engaging portion 120 and the engaged portion 54 are engaged with each other. As a result, the movement of the portable body 66 toward the connection position (holding position) (downward) is restricted.

[0087] After the portable unit main body 66 reaches the non-connected position (insertion / removal position) as described above, the gripping unit 68 is released. This causes the operation unit 70 to be oriented and positioned according to the resilient bias of the operation unit biasing member 114. In other words, the operation unit main body 106 is inclined with respect to the extension direction of the guide unit 110, so that the gripping unit 68 is positioned outside the accommodation space 58 when viewed from the insertion / removal direction.

[0088] Furthermore, with the portable part main body 66 in the non-connected position (insertion / removal position), as shown in Figures 14A and 14B, the lock switching part 132 comes into contact with the cam part 150 of the lock fixed wall 142 to maintain the lock part 40 in the unlocked state. For this reason, as shown in Figure 3, the lock part 40 is disposed outside the opening 56 of the accommodation part 30 when viewed in the insertion / removal direction. In other words, the grip part 68 and the lock part 40 are disposed so as not to overlap with the opening 56 in the insertion / removal direction.

[0089] Next, for example, the battery gripping portion 18 is gripped to align the orientation of the battery terminal 14 with respect to the housing terminal 32. In this state, as shown in Figs. 4 and 10, the battery 12 is inserted into the housing space 58 from the opening 56 of the housing 30 along the insertion / removal direction and placed on the bottom plate portion 80 of the portable body 66. At this time, as described above, the movement of the portable body 66 from the non-connection position (insertion / removal position) toward the connection position (holding position) is restricted by the restricting portion 38 (the engaging portion 120 and the engaged portion 54). Therefore, the battery 12 is supported by the portable body 66 in the non-connection position (insertion / removal position).

[0090] Next, for example, the gripping portion 68 is gripped, and the operating portion 70 is moved relatively to the portable body 66 toward the upper side in the insertion / removal direction, as shown in Figs. 5 and 11. As a result, the disengagement portion 118 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the front side of the engaging portion 120, as shown in Fig. 11. In this state, the operating portion 70 is moved relatively to the portable body 66 in the disengagement direction, as shown in Figs. 6 and 12. As a result, the engaging portion 120 is rotated in the disengagement direction against the elastic force of the engaging portion biasing member 130, as shown in Fig. 12, so that the lower portion 120L on the rear side of the engaging portion 120 can be moved toward the arrow X2 side from the engaged portion 54. As a result, the engaging portion 120 and the engaged portion 54 are disengaged, and the disengaged state is established.

[0091] When the disengagement state is reached, for example, the weight of the battery 12 and the resilient biasing force of the first body biasing member 90 and the second body biasing member 91 move the portable part body 66 toward the connected position (holding position) which is lower than the non-connected position (insertion / removal position). At this time, the rack forming part 98 moves integrally with the portable part body 66, so that in the damping part 36, the rotary damper 102 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 9 through the rack 100 and the idle gear 104 to generate a braking force. As a result, the moving speed of the portable part body 66 from the non-connected position (insertion / removal position) toward the connected position (holding position) is damped.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 7, when the portable part body 66 reaches the connection position (holding position), the battery terminal 14 of the battery 12 supported by the portable part body 66 comes into contact with and is connected to the storage part terminal 32. In addition, since the portable part body 66 is in the connection position (holding position), the lock switching part 132 of the engagement part 120 is separated downward from the cam part 150 of the lock fixing wall 142 as shown in FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B. As a result, the lock part 40 rotates under the elastic bias of the lock part biasing member 152 and enters the locked state. Therefore, the abutment surface 146 of the battery abutment part 140 abuts against the upper end of the battery 12. In addition, the lock engagement part 148 extends upward from the lock part body 138.

[0093] Next, as shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 13, the operating unit 70 is moved from above to below with respect to the portable unit main body 66 and the storage unit 30, and the lock engagement portion 148 is inserted into the engagement groove 154 of the lock fixing portion 108. As a result, the lock unit 40 abuts against both the upper end of the battery 12 and the lock fixing portion 108, and the rotation around the lock rotation shaft 144 is restricted. In addition, a force is applied to the lock unit 40 via the inner surface of the engagement groove 154, which moves the lock engagement portion 148 toward the locked state in the rotation direction. As a result, the battery 12 is pressed toward the bottom plate portion 80 of the portable unit main body 66 via the battery abutment portion 140.

[0094] As described above, the transport body 66 supporting the battery 12 is moved to the connection position (holding position), and the operation unit 70 is moved downward in the insertion / removal direction to a position where the lock fixing unit 108 engages with the lock engagement unit 148, and then the opening / closing unit 26 is closed as necessary. This causes the battery 12 to be accommodated in the battery accommodating device 10.

[0095] Next, a description will be given of an operation for removing the battery 12 from the battery accommodating device 10. In this case, after the opening / closing part 26 (FIG. 1) is opened, the portable part main body 66 is basically moved together with the battery 12 from the connection position (holding position) to the non-connection position (insertion / removal position) in the same manner as the above-described operation for moving the portable part main body 66 from the connection position (holding position) to the non-connection position (insertion / removal position).

[0096] That is, for example, by gripping the gripping portion 68 and pulling the operating portion 70 upward in the insertion / removal direction, the portable portion main body 66 is moved upward relative to the accommodation portion 30. At this time, the battery 12 supported by the portable portion main body 66 also moves upward relative to the accommodation portion 30 together with the portable portion main body 66. As a result, when the battery 12 and the portable portion main body 66 reach the non-connection position (insertion / removal position), as shown in Figs. 6 and 11, the accommodation portion terminals 32 and the battery terminals 14 are separated and are non-connected to each other.

[0097] Furthermore, when the battery 12 and the portable main body 66 reach the non-connected position (insertion / removal position), the engaging portion 120 and the engaged portion 54 are engaged with each other. That is, the restricting portion 38 restricts the movement of the battery 12 and the portable main body 66 toward the connected position (holding position). Therefore, even if the grip of the gripping portion 68 is released, the battery 12 and the portable main body 66 are restricted from moving backward from the non-connected position (insertion / removal position) toward the connected position (holding position).

[0098] Furthermore, when the portable body 66 moves to the non-connected position (insertion / removal position), the lock switching portion 132 comes into contact with the cam portion 150 of the lock fixed wall 142, as shown in Figures 14A and 14B, and the lock portion 40 enters an unlocked state. In other words, the battery 12 is released from the lock by the lock portion 40.

[0099] Therefore, for example, by gripping the battery gripping portion 18 instead of the gripping portion 68 of the operating unit 70 and moving the battery 12 relatively upward in the insertion / removal direction relative to the storage section 30 and the portable body 66, the battery 12 can be removed from the storage space 58 through the opening 56.

[0100] From the above, in the battery accommodating device 10 according to this embodiment, when the battery 12 is accommodated in the accommodation space 58, the movement of the carrying part 34 (carrying part main body 66) supporting the battery 12 is restricted by the restricting part 38, so that the battery 12 can be stopped at the non-connection position before reaching the connection position. Thereafter, the restriction by the restricting part 38 is released, so that the battery 12 can be moved from the non-connection position to the connection position to connect the battery terminal 14 and the accommodation part terminal 32. In other words, it becomes possible to perform in a stepwise manner an operation of inserting the battery 12 into the accommodation part 30 to the non-connection position and an operation of inserting the battery 12 from the non-connection position to the connection position to connect the battery terminal 14 and the accommodation part terminal 32.

[0101] Furthermore, when removing the battery 12 accommodated in the accommodation space 58, the battery 12 supported by the transport section 34 can be moved from the connected position to the unconnected position to release the connection between the battery terminal 14 and the accommodation section terminal 32. In this manner, the movement (return) of the battery 12 moved from the connected position to the unconnected position toward the connected position is restricted by the restricting section 38. This makes it possible to perform, in a stepwise manner, an operation of releasing the connection between the battery terminal 14 and the accommodation section terminal 32 to move the battery 12 to the unconnected position, and an operation of further moving the battery 12 from the unconnected position to remove it from the accommodation section 30.

[0102] Therefore, with this battery accommodating device 10, it is not necessary to sequentially insert and remove the battery 12 into and from the accommodating section 30 and attach and detach the accommodating section terminals 32 and the battery terminals 14. This makes it possible to easily prevent the battery terminals 14 and the accommodating section terminals 32 from being subjected to impacts due to collisions or the like, and to provide good protection for the battery terminals 14 and the accommodating section terminals 32.

[0103] In the non-connection position of the battery accommodating device 10 according to the above embodiment, the battery terminal 14 of the battery 12 supported by the portable part 34 (portable part main body 66) is arranged close to or adjacent to the accommodation part terminal 32. In this way, by setting the non-connection position close to the connection position, it is possible to effectively prevent the accommodation part terminal 32 and the battery terminal 14 from being subjected to an impact due to a collision. In addition, it is possible to further effectively protect the battery terminal 14 and the accommodation part terminal 32. Note that the non-connection position is not limited to the above arrangement as long as it is a position in the accommodation space 58 where the battery terminal 14 of the battery 12 supported by the portable part main body 66 is not connected to the accommodation part terminal 32.

[0104] The battery accommodation device 10 according to the above embodiment is provided with the damping unit 36 ​​that damps the moving speed of the portable part 34 (portable part main body 66) moving from the non-connected position to the connected position. In this case, it is possible to more effectively prevent the battery terminals 14 and the accommodation part terminals 32 from being subjected to an impact due to a collision or the like. As a result, it is possible to better protect the battery terminals 14 and the accommodation part terminals 32.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the damping unit 36 ​​is configured with the rack 100, the rotary damper 102, and the idle gear 104, but is not particularly limited to this. As the damping unit 36, it is possible to adopt a known configuration capable of damping the moving speed of the portable main body 66 moving from the non-connected position toward the connected position.

[0106] The restricting section 38 of the battery accommodating device 10 according to the embodiment described above has an engaging section 120 provided on the portable section 34 (portable section main body 66) and an engaged section 54 whose relative position with respect to the accommodating section terminals 32 is fixed, and the engaging section 120 and the engaged section 54 engage with each other at the non-connected position to restrict movement of the portable section 34 from the non-connected position toward the connected position. In this case, it is possible to restrict movement of the portable section main body 66 from the non-connected position toward the connected position with a relatively simple configuration.

[0107] The portable unit 34 of the battery accommodation device 10 according to the above embodiment has a portable unit main body 66 that supports the battery 12, and an operation unit 70 provided with a gripping part 68 that can be gripped by an operator, and the portable unit main body 66 can be moved along the insertion / removal direction between the connected position and the non-connected position by moving the operation unit 70 relative to the accommodation unit 30 along the insertion / removal direction of the battery 12 through the opening 56. In this case, it is possible to improve operability when moving the battery 12 between the non-connected position and the connected position.

[0108] The operation unit 70 of the battery accommodating device 10 according to the above embodiment is movable relative to the portable body 66, and the operation unit 70 is provided with an engagement releasing unit 118 that releases the engagement between the engagement unit 120 and the engaged unit 54 by moving the operation unit 70 relative to the portable body 66 in a disengagement direction different from the insertion / removal direction. In this way, by setting the release direction to a direction different from the insertion / removal direction, it is possible to prevent the engagement between the engagement unit 120 and the engaged unit 54 from being erroneously released when the battery 12 is inserted or removed from the accommodation space 58. This makes it possible to improve the operability of the battery accommodating device 10 and to better protect the battery terminals 14 and the accommodation terminals 32.

[0109] The portable unit main body 66 of the battery accommodating device 10 according to the embodiment described above is provided with a guide portion 110 that extends in the insertion / removal direction and guides the relative movement of the operating unit 70 with respect to the portable unit main body 66, the grip portion 68 is disposed on the opposite side to the accommodating unit terminals 32 side in the insertion / removal direction of the operating unit 70, and the operating unit 70 is provided with an operating unit biasing member 114 that inclines the operating unit 70 with respect to the extending direction of the guide portion 110 and resiliently biases the grip portion 68 toward the outside of the opening 56 as viewed in the insertion / removal direction. In this case, the relative movement of the operating unit 70 is guided by the guide portion 110, thereby improving the operability of the battery accommodating device 10.

[0110] Furthermore, by the operation portion 70 being resiliently biased in the above-mentioned direction by the operation portion biasing member 114, it is possible to easily prevent the grip portion 68 from interfering with the operation of inserting and removing the battery 12 into the accommodation space 58 through the opening 56. This also makes it possible to improve the operability of the battery accommodation device 10.

[0111] The engaging portion 120 of the battery housing device 10 according to the embodiment described above is rotatable, and the rotation of the engaging portion 120 switches between an engaged state in which the engaging portion 120 engages with the engaged portion 54 and a disengaged state in which the engaging portion 120 is disengaged from the engaged portion 54, and the engaging portion 120 is provided with an engaging portion biasing member 130 that biases the engaging portion 120 in a direction to rotate the engaging portion 120 toward the engaged state, and by moving the operating portion 70 in the disengaging direction, the disengaging portion 118 rotates the engaging portion 120 against the elastic force of the engaging portion biasing member 130 to the disengaged state. In this case, it is possible to switch between the engaged state and the disengaged state of the engaging portion 120 and the engaged portion 54 with a relatively simple configuration and operation.

[0112] The battery storage device 10 of the above embodiment is provided with an opening / closing unit 26 that opens and closes the opening 56, and when the portable unit 34 (portable unit main body 66) is in the non-connected position, a part of the battery 12 supported by the portable unit 34 (portable unit main body 66) protrudes from the opening 56 to the outside of the storage unit 30, thereby preventing the opening / closing unit 26 from entering the closed state covering the opening 56. When the portable unit 34 is in the connected position, the battery 12 is positioned further inside the storage unit 30 than when it is in the non-connected position, thereby enabling the opening / closing unit 26 to enter the closed state.

[0113] In this case, since it is possible to prevent the opening / closing part 26 from being in the closed state when the battery 12 is in the non-connected position, it is possible to easily check the connection state between the battery terminal 14 and the storage part terminal 32. In addition, since the storage space 58 can be made relatively small compared to the size of the battery 12, it is possible to miniaturize the battery storage device 10.

[0114] In the battery accommodating device 10 according to this embodiment, when the battery 12 is inserted into the accommodating space 58 through the opening 56 of the accommodating section 30, the battery 12 is supported by the portable section 34 (portable section main body 66) which is in the insertion / removal position. Therefore, the battery 12 moves together with the portable section main body 66 from the insertion / removal position to the holding position and is accommodated in the accommodating space 58. In conjunction with this movement of the portable section main body 66, the locking section 40 is switched from the unlocked state to the locked state. In other words, by the operation of accommodating the battery 12 in the accommodating space 58, the locking section 40 is switched to the locked state and fixes and holds the battery 12 at the holding position in the accommodating space 58.

[0115] On the other hand, when removing the battery 12 from the storage space 58, the portable part body 66 supporting the battery 12 is moved together with the battery 12 from the holding position to the insertion / removal position. In conjunction with this movement of the portable part body 66, the locking part 40 is switched from the locked state to the unlocked state. In other words, the operation of removing the battery 12 from the storage space 58 releases the fixed holding of the battery 12 by the locking part 40. Therefore, it becomes possible to remove the battery 12 from the portable part body 66 at the insertion / removal position and to remove the battery 12 from the storage space 58 through the opening 56 of the storage part 30.

[0116] Therefore, by performing an operation of storing the battery 12 in the storage space 58 and an operation of removing the battery 12 from the storage space 58, the locking unit 40 can be switched between the locked state and the unlocked state by the portable body 66 that moves together with the battery 12. That is, for example, an additional operation performed only for switching the locking unit 40 can be eliminated in addition to the operation of inserting and removing the battery 12 into and from the storage space 58. Therefore, according to the battery storage device 10 of this embodiment, the operability of switching the locking unit 40 can be improved. In the above embodiment, both the switching of the locking unit 40 to the locked state and the switching of the unlocked state are linked to the movement of the portable body 66. However, only one of the switching of the locking unit 40 to the locked state and the switching of the unlocked state to the locked state may be linked to the movement of the portable body 66, and the other may be performed by another operation such as manually.

[0117] The battery accommodating device 10 according to the above embodiment is provided with a damping unit 36 ​​that damps the moving speed of the portable unit 34 (portable unit main body 66) moving from the insertion / removal position toward the holding position. In this case, when the battery 12 is accommodated in the accommodation space 58, it is possible to prevent the battery 12 from colliding with components of the battery accommodating device 10, causing an impact, etc. In particular, when the battery 12 is accommodated in the accommodation space 58 and the battery terminal 14 and the accommodation unit terminal 32 are brought into contact with each other, it is possible to prevent an impact due to a collision or the like from being applied to the battery terminal 14 and the accommodation unit terminal 32. This makes it possible to provide good protection for the battery terminal 14, the accommodation unit terminal 32, etc., even if the weight of the battery 12 is relatively large.

[0118] In the battery accommodation device 10 according to the embodiment described above, the lock unit 40 is switched between an unlocked state and a locked state by rotating about a lock rotation shaft 144, and is provided with a lock-unit biasing member 152 that resiliently biases the lock unit 40 around the lock rotation shaft 144, and the portable unit 34 (portable unit main body 66) has a lock switching unit 132 that restricts the rotation of the lock unit 40 so that it can be released, and when the portable unit 34 (portable unit main body 66) is in either the insertion / removal position or the holding position, the lock switching unit 132 restricts the rotation of the lock unit 40 against the resilient force of the lock unit biasing member 152, and when the portable unit 34 (portable unit main body 66) is in the other of the insertion / removal position and the holding position, the lock switching unit 132 releases the restriction on the rotation of the lock unit 40. In this case, the lock unit 40 can be configured to be relatively easily switched between the locked state and the unlocked state.

[0119] In the above embodiment, the lock portion biasing member 152 resiliently biases the lock portion 40 toward the locked state in the rotation direction. However, the lock portion biasing member 152 may resiliently bias the lock portion 40 toward the unlocked state in the rotation direction.

[0120] In this case, for example, when the portable portion main body 66 is in the holding position, the lock switching portion 132 is brought into contact with the lock rotation shaft 144 of the first locking portion 134 on the arrow Y1 side. Also, the lock switching portion 132 is brought into contact with the lock rotation shaft 144 of the second locking portion 136 on the arrow Y2 side. This makes it possible to maintain each of the first locking portion 134 and the second locking portion 136 in a locked state against the elastic force of the lock portion biasing member 152.

[0121] On the other hand, when the portable part main body 66 is in the insertion / removal position, the lock switching part 132 is separated from each of the first lock part 134 and the second lock part 136. As a result, each of the first lock part 134 and the second lock part 136 can be maintained in an unlocked state by the elastic force of the lock part biasing member 152.

[0122] In the battery storage device 10 according to the above embodiment, the portable unit 34 has a portable unit main body 66 that supports the battery 12, and an operating unit 70 provided with a gripping portion 68 that can be held by an operator, and by moving the operating unit 70 relative to the storage unit 30 along the insertion / removal direction of the battery 12 through the opening 56, it is possible to move the portable unit main body 66 along the insertion / removal direction between the insertion / removal position and the holding position, and the operating unit 70 has a lock fixing portion 108 that can keep the locking portion 40 fixed in a locked state when the portable unit main body 66 is in the holding position.

[0123] In this case, by gripping the gripping portion 68 and operating the operating portion 70, the battery 12 can be moved between the insertion / removal position and the holding position, thereby improving the operability of the battery accommodating device 10. In addition, the locking portion 40 can be fixed and maintained in the locked state by the lock fixing portion 108 of the operating portion 70, so that the battery 12 can be fixed and maintained in the holding position more satisfactorily.

[0124] The storage space 58 of the battery storage device 10 in the above embodiment is provided with a storage section terminal 32 that can be brought into contact with and connected to the battery terminal 14 provided on the battery 12, the holding position is a connection position where the battery terminal 14 of the battery 12 supported by the portable section main body 66 is connected to the storage section terminal 32, and the insertion / removal position is a non-connection position where the battery terminal 14 of the battery 12 supported by the portable section main body 66 is not connected to the storage section terminal 32, and a regulating section 38 is provided that releasably regulates the movement of the portable section main body 66 from the insertion / removal position toward the holding position.

[0125] In this case, it becomes possible to perform in a stepwise manner an operation of inserting the battery 12 into the storage section 30 to the insertion / extraction position, and an operation of inserting the battery 12 from the insertion / extraction position to the holding position and connecting the battery terminal 14 and the storage section terminal 32. It also becomes possible to perform in a stepwise manner an operation of moving the battery 12 to the insertion / extraction position by releasing the connection between the battery terminal 14 and the storage section terminal 32, and an operation of further moving the battery 12 from the insertion / extraction position to remove it from the storage section 30.

[0126] That is, there is no need to perform a series of operations for inserting and removing the battery 12 into and from the storage section 30 and for attaching and detaching the storage section terminal 32 and the battery terminal 14. This makes it possible to easily prevent impact due to collision or the like from being applied to the battery 12 and the components of the battery storage device 10, in particular, to the battery terminal 14 and the storage section terminal 32. The insertion and removal position may be set to a position different from the non-connection position.

[0127] In the battery accommodation device 10 according to the above embodiment, the restricting section 38 has an engaging section 120 provided on the portable main body 66 and an engaged section 54 whose relative position with respect to the accommodation section 30 is fixed, and the engaging section 120 and the engaged section 54 engage with each other at the insertion / removal position to restrict movement of the portable main body 66 from the insertion / removal position toward the holding position. In this case, it is possible to restrict movement of the portable main body 66 from the insertion / removal position toward the holding position with a relatively simple configuration.

[0128] In the battery accommodating device 10 according to the above embodiment, the lock switching unit 132 is provided integrally with the engaging unit 120, and when the portable unit main body 66 is in the insertion / removal position, the lock switching unit 132 abuts against the lock unit 40 to restrict rotation of the lock unit 40, and when the portable unit main body 66 is in the holding position, the lock switching unit 132 moves away from the lock unit 40 to release the restriction on rotation of the lock unit 40. In this case, since the lock switching unit 132 and the engaging unit 120 are provided integrally, it is possible to simplify the battery accommodating device 10 and reduce the size of the battery accommodating device 10.

[0129] The battery storage device 10 according to the above embodiment is provided with an opening / closing unit 26 that opens and closes the opening 56, and when the portable unit 34 (portable unit main body 66) is in the insertion / extraction position, a portion of the battery 12 supported by the portable unit main body 66 (portable unit 34) protrudes from the opening 56 to the outside of the storage unit 30, thereby preventing the opening / closing unit 26 from closing and covering the opening 56. When the portable unit main body 66 (portable unit 34) is in the holding position, the battery 12 is positioned further inside the storage unit 30 than when it is in the insertion / extraction position, thereby enabling the opening / closing unit 26 to close.

[0130] In this case, since the opening / closing part 26 can be prevented from being in the closed state when the battery 12 is in the insertion / extraction position, it is possible to easily check whether the lock part 40 is in the locked state. Also, since the accommodation space 58 can be made relatively small compared to the size of the battery 12, it is possible to miniaturize the battery accommodation device 10.

[0131] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 10... Battery storage device 12... Battery 14... Battery terminal 26... Opening and closing part 30: Housing portion 32: Housing portion terminal 34 ... portable part 36 ... damping part 38: Restriction section 40: Lock section 54...Engaged part 56...Opening 58: Storage space 66: Portable body 68...Gripping part 70...Operation part 108: Lock fixing portion 110: Guide portion 114: Operating portion biasing member 118: Disengagement portion 120: Engagement portion 130: Engagement portion biasing member 132: lock switching portion; 144: lock rotation shaft 152...lock portion biasing member

Claims

1. A battery storage device (10) comprising a storage section (30) provided with an opening (56) through which a battery (12) can be inserted and removed, and a storage space (58) for detachably storing the battery through the opening, and capable of fixing and holding the battery at a holding position in the storage space, a carrying section (34) capable of supporting the battery and moving within the storage space between the holding position and an insertion / removal position different from the holding position; a lock section (40) switchable between a locked state in which the battery is fixedly held in the storage section and an unlocked state in which the battery is released from the storage section, the locking unit is switched from the unlocked state to the locked state in conjunction with the movement of the portable unit from the insertion / removal position to the holding position, and / or is switched from the locked state to the unlocked state in conjunction with the movement of the portable unit from the holding position to the insertion / removal position, A battery storage device comprising: a damping section (36) that damps the moving speed of the portable section from the insertion / removal position toward the holding position.

2. 2. The battery receiving device according to claim 1, The lock portion is switched between the unlocked state and the locked state by rotating about a lock rotation shaft (144), and a lock portion biasing member (152) is provided which elastically biases the lock portion around the lock rotation shaft, The portable unit has a lock switching unit (132) that releasably restricts the rotation of the lock unit about the lock rotation axis, A battery storage device, wherein the lock switching unit restricts the rotation of the lock unit against the elastic force of the lock unit biasing member when the portable unit is in either the insertion / extraction position or the holding position, and releases the restriction on the rotation of the lock unit when the portable unit is in the other of the insertion / extraction position and the holding position.

3. 3. The battery receiving device according to claim 2, The portable unit has a portable unit main body (66) that supports the battery, and an operation unit (70) provided with a gripping portion (68) that can be gripped by an operator, By moving the operation unit relative to the storage unit along a direction in which the battery is inserted or removed through the opening, the portable unit body can be moved along the insertion / removal direction between the insertion / removal position and the holding position, The operation unit has a lock fixing portion (108) capable of fixing and maintaining the lock portion in the locked state when the portable body is in the holding position.

4. 4. The battery receiving device according to claim 3, A storage terminal (32) capable of contacting and connecting with a battery terminal (14) provided on the battery is provided in the storage space, the holding position is a connection position at which the battery terminal of the battery supported by the portable body is connected to the accommodation terminal, the insertion / removal position is a non-connection position in which the battery terminal of the battery supported by the portable body is not connected to the accommodation terminal, The battery storage device includes a restricting portion (38) that releasably restricts the movement of the portable body from the insertion / removal position toward the holding position.

5. The battery receiving device according to claim 4, The regulating portion has an engaging portion (120) provided on the portable main body and an engaged portion (54) whose relative position with respect to the storage portion is fixed, and the engaging portion and the engaged portion engage with each other at the insertion / removal position, thereby regulating movement of the portable main body from the insertion / removal position toward the holding position, in this battery storage device.

6. 6. The battery accommodating device according to claim 5, The operation unit is movable relative to the portable unit body, The operating unit is provided with an engagement release portion (118) that releases the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion by moving the operating unit relative to the portable body in a disengagement direction different from the insertion / removal direction.

7. 7. The battery housing device according to claim 5, The lock switching portion is provided integrally with the engagement portion, and when the portable body is in the insertion / removal position, it abuts against the lock portion to restrict the rotation of the lock portion, and when the portable body is in the holding position, it moves away from the lock portion to release the restriction on the rotation of the lock portion.

8. The battery housing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, An opening / closing part (26) for opening and closing the opening is provided, When the portable unit is in the insertion / removal position, a portion of the battery supported by the portable unit protrudes from the opening to the outside of the housing unit, thereby restricting the opening / closing unit from being in a closed state in which the opening is covered, A battery storage device in which, when the portable section is in the holding position, the battery is positioned further inside the storage section than when the portable section is in the insertion / removal position, thereby enabling the opening / closing section to be in the closed state.

9. A battery storage device (10) comprising a storage section (30) having an opening (56) through which a battery (12) can be inserted and removed, and a storage space (58) for detachably storing the battery via the opening, and capable of fixing and holding the battery in a holding position in the storage space, a carrying section (34) capable of supporting the battery and moving within the storage space between the holding position and an insertion / removal position different from the holding position; a lock section (40) switchable between a locked state in which the battery is fixedly held in the storage section and an unlocked state in which the battery is released from the storage section, the locking unit is switched from the unlocked state to the locked state in conjunction with the movement of the portable unit from the insertion / removal position to the holding position, and / or is switched from the locked state to the unlocked state in conjunction with the movement of the portable unit from the holding position to the insertion / removal position, The lock portion is switched between the unlocked state and the locked state by rotating about a lock rotation shaft (144), and a lock portion biasing member (152) is provided which elastically biases the lock portion around the lock rotation shaft, The portable unit has a lock switching unit (132) that releasably restricts the rotation of the lock unit about the lock rotation axis, A battery storage device, wherein the lock switching unit restricts the rotation of the lock unit against the elastic force of the lock unit biasing member when the portable unit is in either the insertion / extraction position or the holding position, and releases the restriction on the rotation of the lock unit when the portable unit is in the other of the insertion / extraction position and the holding position.

10. A battery storage device (10) comprising a storage section (30) having an opening (56) through which a battery (12) can be inserted and removed, and a storage space (58) for detachably storing the battery via the opening, and capable of fixing and holding the battery in a holding position in the storage space, a carrying section (34) capable of supporting the battery and moving within the storage space between the holding position and an insertion / removal position different from the holding position; a lock section (40) switchable between a locked state in which the battery is fixedly held in the storage section and an unlocked state in which the battery is released from the storage section, the locking unit is switched from the unlocked state to the locked state in conjunction with the movement of the portable unit from the insertion / removal position to the holding position, and / or is switched from the locked state to the unlocked state in conjunction with the movement of the portable unit from the holding position to the insertion / removal position, The portable unit has a portable unit main body (66) that supports the battery, and an operation unit (70) provided with a gripping portion (68) that can be gripped by an operator, A battery storage device, in which the portable unit main body can be moved along the insertion / removal direction between the insertion / removal position and the holding position by moving the operating unit relative to the storage unit along the insertion / removal direction of the battery through the opening.

11. A battery storage device according to claim 10, The operation unit has a lock fixing portion (108) capable of fixing and maintaining the lock portion in the locked state when the portable body is in the holding position.

12. A battery storage device according to claim 10 or 11, A storage terminal (32) capable of contacting and connecting with a battery terminal (14) provided on the battery is provided in the storage space, the holding position is a connection position at which the battery terminal of the battery supported by the portable body is connected to the accommodation terminal, the insertion / removal position is a non-connection position in which the battery terminal of the battery supported by the portable body is not connected to the accommodation terminal, The battery storage device includes a restricting portion (38) that releasably restricts the movement of the portable body from the insertion / removal position toward the holding position.

13. A battery storage device according to claim 12, The regulating portion has an engaging portion (120) provided on the portable main body and an engaged portion (54) whose relative position with respect to the storage portion is fixed, and the engaging portion and the engaged portion engage with each other at the insertion / removal position, thereby regulating movement of the portable main body from the insertion / removal position toward the holding position, in this battery storage device.

14. A battery storage device according to claim 13, The operation unit is movable relative to the portable unit body, The operating unit is provided with an engagement release portion (118) that releases the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion by moving the operating unit relative to the portable body in a disengagement direction different from the insertion / removal direction.

15. A battery storage device according to claim 13 or 14, The portable unit has a lock switching unit (132) that restricts the rotation of the lock unit so as to be releasable, The lock switching portion is provided integrally with the engagement portion, and when the portable body is in the insertion / removal position, it abuts against the lock portion to restrict the rotation of the lock portion, and when the portable body is in the holding position, it moves away from the lock portion to release the restriction on the rotation of the lock portion.

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