Carts, jigs, and coupling structures

Abstract

The objective is to provide a trolley, jig, and connecting structure that facilitates battery case replacement while preventing the battery case from falling. [Solution] In the connected state, when the pin 173 of the bogie 150 is inserted into the hole 122b1 of the electric vehicle 110 and the bogie 150 and electric vehicle 110 are connected, the bogie-side rail 171 of the bogie 150 and the vehicle-side rail 124 of the electric vehicle 110 are positioned in a straight line. Therefore, the battery case 140 can be easily guided in a straight line in the front-rear direction. As a result, the battery case 140 can be easily replaced. The jig 170 comprises at least the bogie-side rail 171 and the mounting part 172 that constitute the bogie 150. The bogie 150 is equipped with a bogie-side fixing means 174 on the rear side of the mounting part 180 that can fix the battery case 140 regardless of the connected state, so that the battery case 140 does not fall when unconnected and the battery case 140 can be easily replaced.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a cart, a jig, and a connection structure, and particularly to a cart, a jig, and a connection structure that can facilitate battery replacement work while suppressing battery drop.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a battery carrier (cart) used for transporting and replacing a battery case of an electric vehicle, which includes a mounting portion for mounting the battery case so as to be guidable along the front-rear direction, lifting means for lifting and lowering the mounting portion, and a stopper for restricting forward movement of the battery case mounted on the mounting portion when not connected to the electric vehicle (Patent Document 1). The battery carrier is connected to the electric vehicle by lowering the mounting portion. The stopper is pivotally supported on the front end side of the mounting portion. When the battery carrier and the electric vehicle are not connected, the other end side of the stopper protrudes in front of the battery case to restrict forward movement of the battery case. When connected, one end side of the stopper is pushed by a part of the electric vehicle, so that the other end side retreats from in front of the battery case, and the restriction on forward movement of the battery case is released.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a trolley, jig, and connecting structure that can easily replace the battery case while suppressing the battery case from falling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve this objective, the present invention provides a trolley for replacing and transporting a battery case housed in an electric vehicle, comprising: a mounting section extending along the front-rear direction and capable of guiding the battery case along the front-rear direction; a lifting means for raising and lowering the mounting section; a connecting means disposed on the front end side of the mounting section and connected to the electric vehicle when the mounting section is lowered by the lifting means; and a trolley-side fixing means disposed on the rear end side of the mounting section and for fixing the battery case to the mounting section. The trolley-side fixing means has one end that can be fixed to the battery case and the other end that is pivotally supported in the aforementioned mounting part, and in the trolley-side unfixed state where it is not fixed to the battery case, it rotates by its own weight around the other end pivotally supported in the aforementioned mounting part, so that the one end is positioned further back than the position where it is fixed to the battery case. ru. The present invention relates to a trolley for replacing and transporting a battery case housed in an electric vehicle, and comprises: a mounting section extending in the front-rear direction and on which the battery case is mounted so as to be guided in the front-rear direction; a lifting means for raising and lowering the mounting section; a connecting means disposed on the front end side of the mounting section and connected to the electric vehicle when the mounting section is lowered by the lifting means; and a trolley-side fixing means disposed on the rear end side of the mounting section and for fixing the battery case to the mounting section, wherein the mounting section comprises: a flat base body; a trolley-side rail disposed on the base body and guiding the battery case in the front-rear direction; and a mounting section connected to the trolley-side rail and clamping the base body from the up-down, left-right, and front-rear directions, wherein the distance by which the mounting section clamps the base body in each of the aforementioned directions is adjustable.

[0007] The jig of the present invention is used in a trolley for replacing and transporting a battery case housed in an electric vehicle, and comprises: a mounting section extending in the front-rear direction and on which the battery case is mounted so as to be guided in the front-rear direction; a lifting means for raising and lowering the mounting section; a connecting means disposed on the front end side of the mounting section and connected to the electric vehicle when the mounting section is lowered by the lifting means; and a fixing means disposed on the rear end side of the mounting section and for fixing the battery case to the mounting section, wherein the mounting section comprises a flat base body, a trolley-side rail disposed on the base body and for guiding the battery case in the front-rear direction, and a mounting section connected to the trolley-side rail and for clamping the base body from the up-down, left-right, and front-rear directions, wherein the mounting section comprises the trolley-side rail and the mounting section used in a trolley, which allows adjustment of the distance at which the base body is clamped in each of the aforementioned directions.

[0008] The coupling structure of the present invention is for coupling a trolley and an electric vehicle that houses a battery case, wherein the electric vehicle comprises a storage section in which the battery case is housed, a vehicle-side rail disposed in the storage section and guiding the battery case along the front-rear direction, an opening formed in the side of the vehicle body of the storage section, and a protruding portion extending rearward from the side of the vehicle body on the opening side or a coupling means formed in the storage section on the opening side of the vehicle-side rail and connected to the coupling means, A vehicle-side fixing means having one end that can be fixed to the battery case and the other end that is pivotally supported in the storage portion, and a cover fixed to the side of the vehicle body so as to be able to close the opening, The aforementioned mounting section includes a trolley-side rail that guides the battery case along the front-rear direction, and in the connected state in which the coupling means and the connected means are connected, the movement of the trolley-side rail relative to the vehicle-side rail in the downward, left-right, and front-rear directions is restricted, and the trolley-side rail and the vehicle-side rail are arranged in a straight line. In the vehicle-side unfixed state in which the battery case is not fixed to the vehicle-side fixing means, the vehicle-side fixing means rotates by its own weight around the other end which is pivotally supported in the storage section, so that one end is positioned outside the storage section from the opening, and the one end interferes with the cover, making it impossible to close the opening of the cover. ru. The coupling structure of the present invention is for coupling a bogie and an electric vehicle that houses a battery case, wherein the bogie comprises a coupling portion connected to the aforementioned mounting portion, and one convex-shaped stopper extending in the left-right direction of the coupling portion and projecting forward from the coupling portion, or a plurality of convex-shaped stoppers spaced at a predetermined distance apart in the left-right direction of the coupling portion and projecting forward from the coupling portion, wherein the electric vehicle comprises a storage portion in which the battery case is housed, a vehicle-side rail disposed in the storage portion and guiding the battery case along the front-rear direction, an opening formed in the side of the vehicle body of the storage portion, a protruding portion extending rearward from the side of the vehicle body on the opening side, or a coupling means formed in the storage portion on the opening side of the vehicle-side rail and connected to the coupling means, and the opening side The vehicle body side includes one or more concave guide portions that extend vertically along the side of the vehicle body and whose cross-section narrows as it moves forward from the side of the vehicle body, and the aforementioned mounting portion includes a bogie-side rail that guides the battery case along the front-rear direction, and in the connected state in which the coupling means and the connected means are connected, the movement of the bogie-side rail relative to the vehicle-side rail in the downward, left-right, and front-rear directions is restricted, the bogie-side rail and the vehicle-side rail are arranged in a straight line, and the one or more guide portions guide the coupling position of the coupling means in the left-right and front-rear directions relative to the connected means when the bogie is moved toward the side of the vehicle body on the opening side and the stopper of the one or more stoppers comes into contact with it. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] Claim 1 Or to 2The trolley described includes a mounting section that extends along the front-to-back direction and is capable of guiding the battery case along the front-to-back direction, a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the mounting section, a coupling mechanism disposed on the front end of the mounting section and connected to the electric vehicle when the mounting section is lowered by the lifting mechanism, and a trolley-side fixing mechanism disposed on the rear end of the mounting section and fixing the battery case to the mounting section. Therefore, regardless of the connection status with the electric vehicle, the trolley-side fixing mechanism can restrict the movement of the battery case in the front-to-back direction. Thus, whether the trolley is unconnected, such as during transport, or connected during replacement work, the fixing between the battery case and the mounting section will not be released unintentionally by the operator, thereby reducing the risk of the battery case falling.

[0010] Furthermore, even if the mounting section is tilted due to a slope in the floor, the battery case can be locked and unlocked at the operator's desired timing, regardless of the connection status with the electric vehicle, thus facilitating battery case replacement. The trolley-side fixing means is provided at the rear end of the mounting section, making it easy to lock and unlock the battery case in accordance with the operator's movement. Therefore, the operation of locking and unlocking the battery case is made easier. As a result, battery case replacement is made easier.

[0011] Claim 1 According to the trolley described , stand The vehicle-side fixing means has one end that can be fixed to the battery case and the other end that is pivotally supported on the mounting part. In the unfixed state on the bogie side where it is not fixed to the battery case, it rotates under its own weight around the other end pivotally supported on the mounting part, so that one end is positioned behind the position where it is fixed to the battery case. This prevents the bogie-side fixing means from being positioned on the track that guides the battery case along the front-to-back direction on the mounting part. As a result, the battery case replacement work can be made easier.

[0012] Claim 2 According to the trolley described , publishedThe mounting unit comprises a flat base body, a trolley-side rail disposed on the base body and guiding the battery case along the front-to-back direction, and mounting parts connected to the trolley-side rail that clamp the base body from the up-and-down, left-to-right, and front-to-back directions. The distance at which the mounting parts clamp the base body in each direction is adjustable, so that a common trolley-side rail and mounting parts can be attached to commercially available trolleys of different sizes within the adjustable distance range of the mounting parts. As a result, there is no need to change the trolley-side rail and mounting parts to match commercially available trolleys of different sizes, thus reducing the manufacturing cost of the trolley.

[0013] Claim 3 According to the described jig, 2 The trolley described is equipped with a trolley-side rail and mounting part, therefore, 2 It produces the same effect as the trolley described.

[0014] Claim 4 or 7 According to the described coupling structure, the electric vehicle comprises a storage section in which a battery case is housed, a vehicle-side rail disposed in the storage section and guiding the battery case along the longitudinal direction, an opening formed in the side of the vehicle body by the storage section, and a protruding portion extending rearward from the side of the vehicle body on the opening side, or a coupled means formed in the storage section on the side of the opening side of the vehicle-side rail and connected to the coupling means. The mounting section comprises a bogie-side rail that guides the battery case along the longitudinal direction. In the coupled state where the coupling means and coupled means are connected, the movement of the bogie-side rail relative to the vehicle-side rail is restricted in the downward, left-right, and longitudinal directions, and the bogie-side rail and the vehicle-side rail are arranged in a straight line, so that the battery case can be guided in a straight line along the longitudinal direction of the bogie-side rail and the vehicle-side rail. Therefore, the movement of the battery case from the bogie-side rail to the vehicle-side rail and from the vehicle-side rail to the bogie-side rail can be easily facilitated. As a result, the battery case replacement work can be easily performed.

[0015] Furthermore, for connection to an electric vehicle, the carriage according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is used, so that the same effect as that of the carriage according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is achieved. Thus, while suppressing the fall of the battery case, the replacement work of the battery case can be facilitated.

[0016] According to the connecting structure described in claim 4 the electric vehicle includes vehicle-side fixing means having one end portion that can be fixed to the battery case and the other end portion pivotally supported by the storage portion, and a cover fixed to the side surface of the vehicle body so as to be able to close the opening. In a vehicle-side unfixed state where the battery case is not fixed to the vehicle-side fixing means, the vehicle-side fixing means rotates by its own weight about the other end portion pivotally supported by the storage portion, so that one end portion is disposed outside the storage portion from the opening, and one end portion interferes with the cover and the closing of the opening of the cover becomes impossible. Therefore, it is possible to prevent forgetting to fix the vehicle-side fixing means and the battery case. Thus, it is possible to prevent the battery case from falling due to forgetting to fix it.

[0017] According to the connecting structure described in claim 5 in addition to the effect of the connecting structure described in claim 4 in a connected state and a vehicle-side unfixed state, the vehicle-side fixing means rotates by its own weight about the other end portion pivotally supported by the storage portion, so that the battery case is located in a space different from the orbit along which it is guided in the front-rear direction on the carriage-side rail and the vehicle-side rail. On the carriage and the electric vehicle, no member that interferes with the orbit on which the vehicle-side fixing means rotates and moves to the space is arranged. Therefore, when the battery case moves from the carriage-side rail to the vehicle-side rail and when the battery case moves from the vehicle-side rail to the carriage-side rail, it is possible to prevent the vehicle-side fixing means from interfering with the battery case. Thus, the replacement work of the battery case can be facilitated.

[0018] According to the connecting structure described in claim 6 in addition to the effect of the connecting structure described in claim 5 ​​In addition to the effects of the described connection structure, the battery case includes a rectangular parallelepiped main body portion, and protruding strip-shaped legs that are disposed inside the left and right end faces of the main body portion and extend along the front and rear directions of the lower surface of the main body portion. The vehicle-side rail and the carriage-side rail include a lower surface-side guide portion that guides along the front and rear directions so as to support the lower surface of the main body portion, and a side surface-side guide portion that guides along the front and rear directions so as to support the side surfaces of the legs. Therefore, while supporting the battery case from below by the lower surface-side guide portion and guiding it in the front and rear directions, the side surface-side guide portion can guide the side surfaces of the legs in the front and rear directions inside the left and right end faces of the battery case. Thus, the opposing widths in the left and right directions of the vehicle-side rail and the carriage-side rail can be made smaller than the width in the left and right directions of the main body portion of the battery case. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the width in the left and right directions of the storage portion as compared with the case where the left and right end faces of the main body portion of the battery case are guided in the front and rear directions by the side surface-side guide portion.

[0019] Claim 7 According to the connection structure described , stand The vehicle includes a connection portion connected to the mounting portion, and a convex-shaped single stopper that extends in the left and right direction of the connection portion and protrudes forward from the connection portion, or a plurality of convex-shaped stoppers that are separated from the connection portion by a predetermined distance in the left and right direction and protrude forward from the connection portion. The electric vehicle includes one or a plurality of concave-shaped guide portions that extend along the vertical direction on the vehicle body side surface on the opening side and whose cross-section becomes narrower as it goes forward from the vehicle body side surface. The one or a plurality of guide portions guide the connection positions in the left and right direction and the front and rear direction of the connecting means with respect to the connected means when the carriage is moved toward the vehicle body side surface on the opening side and the single stopper or the plurality of stoppers are brought into contact. Therefore, while making the vehicle-side rail and the carriage-side rail parallel, it is possible to easily align the connection positions in the front and rear direction of the connecting means and the connected means. Thus, the battery replacement work can be facilitated.

[0020] Furthermore, the guide portion extends vertically along the side of the vehicle body on the opening side, and its cross-section is concave, becoming narrower as it moves forward from the side of the vehicle body. Therefore, even if the stopper contacts the side of the concave portion of the guide before contacting the front of the concave portion of the guide, it can still be guided to the front of the concave portion of the guide. Thus, it becomes easier to align the left-right connection position of the connecting means and the connected means. As a result, battery replacement work can be made easier. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an electric vehicle and a bogie in one embodiment. [Figure 2] (a) is a side view of the battery case as seen from the direction of arrow IIa in Figure 1, and (b) is a bottom view of the battery case as seen from the direction of arrow IIb in Figure 2(a). [Figure 3] (a) is a partial cross-sectional view of the electric vehicle, (b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the electric vehicle along the line IIIb-IIIb in Figure 3(a), and (c) is a partial cross-sectional view of the electric vehicle along the line IIIc-IIIc in Figure 3(a). [Figure 4] (a) is a side view of the trolley as seen from the direction of arrow IVa in Figure 1, and (b) is a top view of the trolley as seen from the direction of arrow IVb in Figure 4(a). [Figure 5] (a) is an enlarged view of the bogie at the Va section of Figure 4(a), (b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the bogie along the Vb-Vb line in Figure 5(a), (c) is a partial cross-sectional view of the bogie along the Vc-Vc line in Figure 5(a), and (d) is a partial cross-sectional view of the bogie along the Vd-Vd line in Figure 4(b). [Figure 6] (a) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state before coupling the bogie and the motor vehicle (uncoupled state), and (b) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state after coupling the bogie and the motor vehicle (coupled state). [Figure 7] Figure 6(b) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the coupling state of the bogie and electric vehicle on the VII-VII line. [Figure 8](a) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the guide structure of the bogie and electric vehicle in a modified example, and (b) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the guide structure of the bogie and electric vehicle along the line VIIIb-VIIIb in Figure 8(a). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the electric vehicle 110 and the bogie 150 in one embodiment. In Figure 1, the arrows U, D, F, B, L, and R directions are described as the up, down, forward, backward, left, and right directions of the electric vehicle 110 and the bogie 150, respectively (the same applies to Figures 2 to 8). In this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the directions of the electric vehicle 110 and the bogie 150 are defined, but each direction is set independently of the direction in which the electric vehicle 110 and the bogie 150 move forward or backward. In Figure 1, the electric vehicle 110, the battery case 140, and the bogie 150 are simply illustrated.

[0023] In this embodiment, a cross-section cut along a plane extending in the left-right and front-back directions is defined as a transverse surface, and a cross-section cut along a plane extending in the up-down direction is defined as a longitudinal surface.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the electric vehicle 110 is a vehicle comprising a vehicle body 120 and a plurality of running gears 130 disposed at the bottom of the vehicle body 120 and driven by the power of a battery (not shown). In this embodiment, the electric vehicle 110 is an unmanned transport vehicle that operates without a driver and loads and unloads cargo using a lifter (not shown) disposed at the top of the vehicle body 120.

[0025] In the electric vehicle 110, the battery case 140 is housed in a storage compartment 122 of the vehicle body 120. The battery case 140 is housed in storage compartments 122 on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body 120, but only the left storage compartment 122 will be described, and the description of the right storage compartment 122 will be omitted (the same applies to Figures 2 to 8). The battery is housed inside the battery case 140. The storage compartment 122 has an opening 121a on the rear side of the vehicle body 120, which is the side of the vehicle body 120.

[0026] The trolley 150 is used to replace used battery cases 140 stored in the storage compartment 122 with charged battery cases 140 and transport them. As will be described in detail later, the trolley 150 is connected to the storage compartment 122 of the electric vehicle 110, thereby preventing the battery cases 140 from falling and facilitating the battery case replacement work.

[0027] Next, the battery case 140 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2(a) is a side view of the battery case 140 as seen from the direction of arrow IIa in Figure 1, and Figure 2(b) is a bottom view of the battery case 140 as seen from the direction of arrow IIb in Figure 2(a). Note that in Figure 2, the center of the battery case 140 in the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction) is omitted from the illustration.

[0028] In this embodiment, the battery case 140 is heavy because it houses a large battery for driving the electric vehicle 110. The battery case 140 is designed to be housed within the vehicle body 120 in order to lower the overall floor of the electric vehicle 110, which limits its height. Therefore, the battery case 140 is made into a large rectangular parallelepiped. It is preferable to replace the battery case 140 from the top of the vehicle body by suspending it with a crane or the like, but since the lift for loading and unloading cargo is located on the top of the vehicle body of the electric vehicle 110, it is difficult to replace the battery case 140 from the top of the vehicle body. In contrast, in this embodiment, the battery case 140 is replaced by moving it along the front-rear direction from the opening 121a (see Figure 1). At this time, since it is difficult for a worker to lift the large and heavy battery case 140 by themselves, a trolley 150 is used.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2(a), the battery case 140 is a metal case comprising a rectangular parallelepiped main body 141 and legs 142 connected to the lower surface 141b of the main body 141 and positioned inside the left and right end faces 141a of the main body 141. The battery case 140 may also be made of synthetic resin.

[0030] The main body 141 includes a U-shaped handle 141d (see Figure 2(b)) that extends rearward from the rear upper surface 141c, and a bracket 141f that extends rearward from the rear end surface 141e. The handle 141d is the part that the worker grips when replacing the battery case 140, and the bracket 141f is for fixing the battery case 140 to the vehicle-side fixing means 125 or the trolley-side fixing means 174, which will be described later.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2(b), the leg portion 142 is a pair of L-shaped plates in longitudinal section extending along the front-rear direction (see Figure 3(c)), comprising a base portion 142a which is the central part in the front-rear direction and extends parallel to the front-rear direction, a front end portion 142b which is connected to the front side of the base portion 142a and whose width in the left-right direction decreases as it extends forward, and a rear end portion 142c which is connected to the rear side of the base portion 142a and whose width in the left-right direction decreases as it extends backward. The left-right outer side surface 142d of the leg portion 142 is a surface that is guided along the front-rear direction by the side rollers 124c of the electric vehicle 110 and the side rollers 171c of the bogie 150, which will be described later.

[0032] The leg portion 142 is provided with a front end portion 142b and a rear end portion 142c, and the distance between opposing base portions 142a is approximately the same as the distance between opposing side rollers 124c and 171c. Therefore, when the leg portion 142 is guided along the front-rear direction by the side rollers 124c of the electric vehicle 110 and the side rollers 171c of the bogie 150, it is less likely that the tip portion of the leg portion 142 will interfere with the side rollers 124c and 171c.

[0033] Next, with reference to Figure 3, the storage section 122 of the electric vehicle 110 will be described in detail. Figure 3(a) is a partial cross-sectional view of the electric vehicle 110, Figure 3(b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the electric vehicle 110 along the line IIIb-IIIb in Figure 3(a), and Figure 3(c) is a partial cross-sectional view of the electric vehicle 110 along the line IIIc-IIIc in Figure 3(a). Figure 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of the left storage section 122 cut by a plane that passes perpendicularly to the vehicle-side rail 124 in the longitudinal direction. In Figure 3(a), the front, upper, and lower sides of the storage section 122 are omitted; in Figure 3(b), the front and right sides of the storage section 122 and the battery case 140 are omitted; and in Figure 3(c), the left, right, upper, and lower sides of the storage section 122 and the contents of the battery case 140 are omitted. Note that in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the structure by which the cover 121b is attached to the vehicle body 120 is omitted and only a schematic representation is shown (the same applies in Figures 6 to 8).

[0034] As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the storage compartment 122 for the electric vehicle 110 comprises a top surface 122a, a bottom surface 122b that is vertically opposite to the top surface 122a, and a side surface 122c that vertically connects the top surface 122a and the bottom surface 122b.

[0035] A pair of vehicle-side rails 124 extending parallel to each other in the front-rear direction are provided on the bottom surface 122b of the storage compartment 122. A vehicle-side fixing means 125, pivotally supported by the bottom surface 122b, is provided at the center of the pair of vehicle-side rails 124 in the left-right direction, on the rear side of the bottom surface 122b. Two holes 122b1 are formed on the bottom surface 122b behind the rear ends of each of the pair of vehicle-side rails 124, into which the pins 173 of the bogie 150, described later, are inserted.

[0036] A cover 121b is attached to the opening 121a (see Figures 1 and 6) formed by the storage compartment 122 in the side surface 121 of the vehicle body, for opening and closing the opening 121a. In this embodiment, the cover 121b is attached by being inserted downward from the opening into a groove (not shown) formed circumferentially on the portion of the storage compartment 122 facing the opening 121a and opening on the upper surface of the vehicle body 120.

[0037] The vehicle-side rail 124 is designed to facilitate the worker guiding the battery case 140 from the storage section 122 to the trolley 150, or from the trolley 150 to the storage section 122. The vehicle-side rail 124 has an L-shaped longitudinal cross-section and comprises two sets of rail sections 124a (see Figure 3(c)), each consisting of a pair of rail sections 124a that are erected vertically upward from the bottom surface 122b and extend in the front-rear direction, with the portions erected vertically upward from the bottom surface 122b facing each other; a plurality of lower rollers 124b that are positioned at a predetermined distance apart in the front-rear direction between the opposing sets of rail sections 124a and are capable of rolling around an axis in the left-right direction; and a plurality of side rollers 124c that are positioned at a predetermined distance apart in the front-rear direction on the inner sides of the two opposing sets of rail sections 124a and are capable of rolling around an axis in the up-down direction.

[0038] When the battery case 140 is guided along the vehicle-side rail 124 in the front-rear direction, the lower roller 124b is the part that guides the battery case 140 along the front-rear direction while supporting the lower surface 141b of the main body 141, and the side roller 124c is the part that guides the side surface 142d of the leg portion 142 of the battery case 140 along the front-rear direction.

[0039] The vehicle-side fixing means 125 is pivotally supported on the bottom surface 122b such that its other end 125b can rotate around an axis along the left-right direction. A fixing part 125c is provided at one end 125a opposite to the other end 125b of the vehicle-side fixing means 125 for fixing the bracket 141f of the battery case 140 to the storage section 122 (bottom surface 122b). A male thread is formed on the fixing part 125c, and this male thread is screwed into a female thread formed on the bracket 141f. Thus, the vehicle-side fixing means 125 can prevent fixing and releasing from being done unintentionally by the operator.

[0040] The vehicle-side fixing means 125 is positioned vertically upward when it is fixed to the battery case 140 (see the solid line for the vehicle-side fixing means 125 in Figure 3(a)). Furthermore, the center of gravity of the vehicle-side fixing means 125 is set to be located behind the part where the other end 125b is pivotally supported on the bottom surface 122b when it is fixed to the vehicle. As a result, when the vehicle-side fixing means 125 is not fixed to the battery case 140, it rotates backward and falls over due to its own weight around the axis on which the other end 125b is pivotally supported (see the dashed line for the vehicle-side fixing means 125 in Figure 3(a)).

[0041] The vehicle-side fixing means 125 is set to a length that protrudes behind the opening 121a of the vehicle body side 121 when the battery case 140 is not fixed to the vehicle-side fixing means 125. Therefore, when the battery case 140 is not fixed to the vehicle-side fixing means 125, the vehicle-side fixing means 125 interferes with the cover 121b even if the cover 121b tries to close the opening 121a. As a result, when the battery case 140 is not fixed to the vehicle-side fixing means 125, the cover 121b cannot close the opening 121a. Therefore, it is possible to prevent forgetting to fix the battery case 140 to the vehicle-side fixing means 125.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3(c), the legs 142 of the battery case 140 are positioned inward in the left-right direction from the end face 141a of the main body 141, and the lower roller 124b supports the lower surface 141b of the main body 141 on the left-right side of the leg 142. Therefore, the side roller 124c that guides the leg 142 along the front-rear direction can be positioned inward in the left-right direction from the end face 141a of the main body 141. Thus, the left-right distance of the storage section 122 can be reduced compared to the case where the side roller 124c guides the end face 141a of the main body 141 along the front-rear direction.

[0043] The leg portion 142 is set to be shorter than the height from the lower surface of the rail portion 124a to the upper end of the lower roller 124b. Therefore, the lower bottom surface 122b of the leg portion 142 can be flush with the lower surface of the rail portion 124a. As a result, the vertical distance of the storage portion 122 can be reduced.

[0044] Next, the bogie 150 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4(a) is a side view of the bogie 150 viewed from the direction of arrow IVa in Figure 1, Figure 4(b) is a top view of the bogie 150 viewed from the direction of arrow IVb in Figure 4(a), Figure 5(a) is an enlarged view of the bogie 150 at the Va portion of Figure 4(a), Figure 5(b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the bogie 150 along the line Vb-Vb in Figure 5(a), Figure 5(c) is a partial cross-sectional view of the bogie 150 along the line Vc-Vc in Figure 5(a), and Figure 5(d) is a partial cross-sectional view of the bogie 150 along the line Vd-Vd in Figure 4(b).

[0045] In Figure 4, the bogie-side fixing means 174 is shown in a state where it is fixed to the bogie and secures the battery case 140. In Figures 5(b) and 5(c), the right-hand bogie-side rail 171 of the cross-section of the bogie 150 is shown. In Figure 5(d), the bogie-side fixing means 174 in the fixed state is shown with a solid line, and the part of the bogie-side fixing means 174 excluding the fixing portion 174c in the unfixed state where the battery case 140 is not secured is shown with a dashed line.

[0046] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the trolley 150 comprises a trolley body 160 and a jig 170 attached to the trolley body 160. In this embodiment, a commercially available trolley is used for the trolley body 160.

[0047] The trolley body 160 comprises a flat base body 161, a lifting mechanism 162 for raising and lowering the base body 161, a plurality of wheels 163 provided on a support base 165 positioned below the lifting mechanism 162, and an operating unit 164 for the operator to raise and lower the lifting mechanism 162 and operate the trolley body 160. In this embodiment, the front wheels 163 are not rotatable, and the rear wheels 163 are rotatable, however, the front wheels 163 may also be rotatable.

[0048] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 162 has a structure in which two sets of members, each consisting of two plates pivotally supported at the center in the longitudinal direction, are arranged in the left-right direction on the base body 161. Note that the lifting mechanism 162 in this embodiment is based on well-known technology, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0049] The mounting section 180 is formed by the base body 161 of the trolley body 160 and the trolley-side rail 171 and mounting section 172 of the jig 170, which allow the battery case 140 to be guided along the front-rear direction.

[0050] The jig 170 comprises a pair of trolley-side rails 171 positioned above the base body 161 and extending parallel to each other in the front-rear direction, and mounting parts 172 connected below the trolley-side rails 171 that clamp the base body 161 from the up-down, left-right, and front-rear directions, respectively.

[0051] The trolley-side rail 171 is designed to facilitate the worker guiding the battery case 140 from the storage compartment 122 to the trolley 150, or from the trolley 150 to the storage compartment 122. The bogie-side rail 171 has an L-shaped longitudinal cross-section and comprises two sets of rail sections 171a, each consisting of a pair of rail sections 171a that are erected vertically upward from the base body 161 and extend in the front-rear direction, with the portions erected vertically upward from the base body 161 facing each other; a plurality of lower rollers 171b that are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the front-rear direction between the opposing sets of rail sections 171a and are capable of rolling around an axis in the left-right direction; a plurality of side rollers 171c that are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the front-rear direction on the inner sides of the two opposing sets of rail sections 171a and are capable of rolling around an axis in the up-down direction; and a plurality of sleepers 171d that connect the two opposing sets of rail sections 171a in opposing directions (left-right direction).

[0052] The rail portion 171a, lower roller 171b, and side roller 171c of the bogie-side rail 171 correspond to the rail portion 124a, lower roller 124b, and side roller 124c of the vehicle-side rail 124, and are substantially identical in configuration to the vehicle-side rail 124 except for the portion equipped with the sleeper 171d. The bogie-side rail 171 includes a front end portion 171a1 that extends forward from the front end of the bogie body 161.

[0053] Furthermore, the positional relationship between the rail portion 171a, the lower roller 171b, and the side roller 171c of the bogie-side rail 171 of the bogie 150 and the battery case 140 in the bogie-side fixed state described later is substantially the same as the positional relationship between the rail portion 124a, the lower roller 124b, and the side roller 124c of the vehicle-side rail 124 and the battery case 140 in the vehicle-side fixed state, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0054] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(c), a pin 173 is provided at each of the front ends 171a1 of the left and right bogie rails 171, protruding downward from the bottom surface. The pin 173 comprises a base portion 173a which is connected to the front end portion 171a1 and has a cylindrical shape with a constant diameter, and a frustoconical tip portion 173b which decreases in diameter as it extends downward from the base portion 173a.

[0055] Pin 173 is the part that is inserted into hole 122b1 when the bogie 150 is connected to the electric vehicle 110. The diameter of the base 173a of pin 173 is set to be slightly smaller than hole 122b1, so that the distance between the centers of two pins 173 is the same as the distance between the centers of two holes 122b1. Since the tip 173b of pin 173 is frustoconical, it is easier to guide its horizontal position when inserting it into hole 122b1. Therefore, the battery case 140 can be easily replaced.

[0056] As shown in Figure 5(a), a bracket 175 with a longitudinal cross-section L-shaped is bolted to each of the left and right front ends 171a1. A front stopper 176, which extends forward from the bracket 175, is bolted to the bracket 175. The front-to-back distance from the tip surface of the front stopper 176 to the center of the pin 173 is set to be approximately the same as the front-to-back distance from the side surface 121 of the electric vehicle 110 to the center of the hole 122b1. This allows the front surface of the front stopper 176 to contact the side surface 121 of the electric vehicle 110 when the bogie 150 is moved from the rear to the front of the electric vehicle 110, thereby aligning the front-to-back insertion position (connection position) of the pin 173 with the hole 122b1.

[0057] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the mounting portion 172 comprises a first mounting portion 172a with a vertical L-shaped cross-section that is bolted to the lower part of the sleeper 171d, and a second plate-shaped mounting portion 172b that is bolted to the first mounting portion 172a.

[0058] The first mounting portion 172a comprises a flat upper portion 172a1 that is bolted to the sleeper 171d, and a flat side portion 172a2 that hangs down from the upper portion 172a1. On the front side of the side portion 172a2 that is outward in the left-right direction, a protrusion 172a3 is formed that extends outward in the left-right direction from the side in a rectangular shape.

[0059] The second mounting portion 172b comprises a flat base portion 172b1 bolted to the protrusion 172a3 of the first mounting portion 172a, a flat side portion 172b2 extending inward in the left-right direction from the front end of the base portion 172b1, and a flat lower portion 172b3 extending inward in the left-right direction from the lower end of the base portion 172b1.

[0060] The first mounting portion 172a and the second mounting portion 172b are positioned at the four corners of the base body 161 when viewed from above. Two sets of first mounting portions 172a, each consisting of two first mounting portions 172a facing each other in the left-right direction, sandwich the base body 161 from the left and right directions with the opposing surfaces of the side portions 172a2. Two sets of second mounting portions 172b, each consisting of two second mounting portions 172b facing each other in the front-rear direction, sandwich the base body 161 from the front-rear direction with the opposing surfaces of the side portions 172b2. The front and rear sleepers 171d, which face each other in the up-down direction, and the four second mounting portions 172b positioned at the four corners sandwich the base body 161 from the up-down direction with the lower surface of the sleeper 171d and the upper surface of the lower portion 172b3.

[0061] In other words, in this embodiment, the trolley 150 is constructed by attaching the trolley-side rail 171 to a commercially available trolley via the mounting portion 172. Therefore, the cost of manufacturing the part corresponding to the trolley body 160 can be reduced.

[0062] The first mounting portion 172a of the sleeper 171d has a bolted hole that extends horizontally, the upper part 172a1 of the first mounting portion 172a has a hole that extends vertically, and the base portion 172b1 of the second mounting portion 172b has a hole that extends vertically. Therefore, the mounting portion 172 can adjust the distance in each direction in which it clamps the base body 161 in the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions by the length of the extension of the elongated hole. This allows the bogie body 160 of different sizes to be attached using a common jig 170. As a result, costs can be reduced compared to preparing a different jig 170 for each bogie body 160 of different sizes. In this embodiment, the two front and two rear sleepers 171d to which the mounting portion 172 is attached are set to a length that allows for the formation of elongated holes on the side (outward in the left-right direction) of the base body 161, while the other sleepers 171d are set to a length that is approximately the same as the width (left-right length) of the base body 161 (see Figure 4(b)).

[0063] As shown in Figures 4(b) and 5(d), the bogie-side fixing means 174 is pivotally supported at the center in the left-right direction of the rearmost sleeper 171d, such that its other end 174b is rotatable around an axis along the left-right direction. A fixing part 174c is provided at one end 174a opposite to the other end 174b of the bogie-side fixing means 174, for fixing the bracket 141f of the battery case 140 to the bogie 150.

[0064] The bogie-side fixing means 174 is erected vertically upward when it is fixed to the battery case 140 (see the bogie-side fixing means 174 shown by the solid line in Figure 5(d)). Furthermore, the center of gravity of the bogie-side fixing means 174 is set to be located behind the part where the other end 174b is pivotally supported by the sleeper 171d when it is fixed to the bogie. As a result, when it is not fixed to the battery case 140, the bogie-side fixing means 174 rotates backward and falls over due to its own weight around the axis to which the other end 174b is pivotally supported (see the bogie-side fixing means 174 shown by the dashed line in Figure 5(d)).

[0065] The bogie 150 is equipped with a vertically L-shaped restricting portion 178 positioned behind the bogie-side fixing means 174. The upper end of the restricting portion 178 is located above the portion where the other end 174b of the bogie-side fixing means 174 is pivotally supported by the sleeper 171d. When the bogie-side fixing means 174 is not fixed, the upper end and the other end 174b of the restricting portion 178 come into contact, thereby restricting rotation of the bogie-side fixing means 174 beyond the contact point.

[0066] The rearmost sleeper 171d is provided with a pair of rear stoppers 177 at positions equidistant from the bogie-side fixing means 174 on both sides in the left-right direction. These stoppers are designed to mitigate impacts with the rear ends 142c of the legs 142 of the battery case 140, which are guided along the front-rear direction. The contact between these rear stoppers 177 and the legs 142 of the battery case 140 restricts the rearward movement of the battery case 140.

[0067] Next, with reference to Figures 6 and 7, the coupling and uncoupling operations of the bogie 150 and the electric vehicle 110, and the operation of the worker replacing the battery case 140 will be explained. Figure 6(a) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state of the bogie 150 and the electric vehicle 110 before coupling (uncoupled state), Figure 6(b) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state of the bogie 150 and the electric vehicle 110 coupled (coupled state), and Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the coupling state of the bogie 150 and the electric vehicle 110 on line VII-VII in Figure 6(b). Note that the bogie 150 in Figure 6 is shown as a side view from the right, rather than a cross-section (similarly in Figure 8(a)).

[0068] First, the coupling operation of connecting the trolley 150 to the electric vehicle 110 and the operation of the worker replacing the battery case 140 will be explained. As shown in Figure 6(a), the worker uses the lifting mechanism 162 to raise the mounting portion 180 of the trolley 150 until the tip (lowest end) of the tip portion 173b of the pin 173 is positioned above the bottom surface 122b of the electric vehicle 110.

[0069] Next, the bogie 150 is moved from side to side to align the left-right position of the pin 173 and the hole 122b1, and is moved forward until the tips of the pair of front stoppers 176 of the bogie 150 come into contact with the side of the electric vehicle 110's body 121. At this time, a portion of the front end 171a1 of the bogie rail 171 (the portion in front of the front stoppers 176) enters the storage section 122 and is positioned above the bottom surface 122b. From this state, the mounting section 180 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 162 so that the pin 173 is inserted into the hole 122b1. At this time, the lower surface of the bogie rail 171 comes into contact with the bottom surface 122b, restricting further downward movement of the bogie rail 171 (downward direction (arrow D direction)).

[0070] As shown in Figure 6(b), the bogie 150 and the electric vehicle 110 are connected when the tip 173b of the pin 173 guides the pin 173 into the hole 122b1 and inserts it.

[0071] The battery case 140 is replaced while the trolley 150 and the electric vehicle 110 are coupled together. Specifically, while coupled, the worker releases the used battery case 140 stored in the storage compartment 122 from the vehicle-side fixing means 125, grasps the handle 141d of the used battery case 140, and pulls it out from the storage compartment 122 of the electric vehicle 110 towards the rear end of the trolley 150 (mounting section 180). After that, the used battery case 140 is fixed with the trolley-side fixing means 174 of the trolley 150, and the coupling between the trolley 150 and the electric vehicle 110 is released.

[0072] Next, the uncoupled bogie 150 is separated from the electric vehicle 110, the used battery case 140 is moved to a designated location, and the charged battery case 140 is placed on the mounting section 180 of the bogie 150 and secured by the bogie-side fixing means 174. With the charged battery case 140 still in place, the bogie 150 is coupled to the electric vehicle 110. Then, while coupled, the fixing between the charged battery case 140 and the bogie-side fixing means 174 is released, the handle 141d of the charged battery case 140 is grasped, and it is pushed into the storage section 122 of the electric vehicle 110 from the rear end of the bogie 150 (mounting section 180). After that, the charged battery case 140 is secured with the vehicle-side fixing means 125 of the electric vehicle 110, and the coupling between the bogie 150 and the electric vehicle 110 is released, completing the battery case 140 replacement work.

[0073] In this embodiment, the trolley 150 is equipped with a trolley-side fixing means 174 that can fix the battery case 140 to the mounting section 180 by a fixing part 174c, so that the movement of the battery case 140 in the front-rear direction can be restricted regardless of the connection status with the electric vehicle 110. Therefore, even when not connected, such as during transport, the battery case 140 can be prevented from falling.

[0074] Furthermore, since the trolley-side fixing means 174 is positioned on the rear side of the mounting section 180, it is easy for the operator to visually confirm whether or not the trolley-side fixing means 174 and the battery case 140 are fixed together.

[0075] Furthermore, since the trolley-side fixing means 174 is positioned on the rear side of the mounting section 180, when an operator places a used battery case 140 onto the trolley 150, the trolley-side fixing means 174 is positioned at the rear of the trolley 150 (mounting section 180) where the used battery case 140 was pulled. Therefore, the operator can fix the used battery case 140 using the trolley-side fixing means 174 without moving from the position where the used battery case 140 was pulled.

[0076] Conversely, when an operator places a fully charged battery case 140 onto the electric vehicle 110, the operator lowers the lifting mechanism 162 using the operating unit 164 of the trolley 150 to connect the trolley 150 and the electric vehicle 110. The operator can release the trolley-side fixing mechanism 174 from the fully charged battery case 140 without moving from the position where the operating unit 164 was operated.

[0077] In other words, since the trolley-side fixing means 174 is positioned on the rear side of the mounting section 180, the trolley-side fixing means 174 is positioned in the path of movement of the worker when pulling or pushing the battery case 140 during replacement work. Therefore, the work of fixing and releasing the battery case 140 can be made easy. As a result, the replacement work of the battery case 140 can be made easy.

[0078] Furthermore, the bogie-side fixing means 174 rotates to the rearward side under its own weight, allowing it to be positioned further back than the position where it is fixed to the battery case 140. This prevents the bogie-side fixing means 174 from being positioned on the track guided by the battery case 140 when the battery case 140 is placed from the electric vehicle 110 onto the bogie 150. Therefore, the bogie-side fixing means 174 does not interfere with the battery case 140 during battery case 140 replacement, making the battery case 140 replacement process easier.

[0079] In this embodiment, the bogie 150 and the electric vehicle 110 are connected with the front end 171a1 of the bogie-side rail 171 supported from below by the bottom surface 122b of the storage section 122. Therefore, when the battery case 140 is guided from the vehicle-side rail 124 to the bogie-side rail 171, the mass of the battery case 140 is placed on the front end 171a1 of the bogie-side rail 171, which prevents the front of the bogie 150 from tilting downwards. Thus, the battery case 140 is less likely to fall.

[0080] Here, as described above, the battery case 140 is a large rectangular parallelepiped with a large mass and elongated in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, if there is a direction in which the connection between the bogie 150 and the electric vehicle 110 is not restricted, or if there is a dimensional difference between the guide surface (a hypothetical surface not shown) on the bogie-side rail 171 that guides the battery case 140 and the guide surface (a hypothetical surface not shown) on the vehicle-side rail 124 that guides the battery case 140, it becomes difficult to replace the battery case 140.

[0081] In contrast, in this embodiment, the bogie 150 and electric vehicle 110 are configured such that the height from the lower surface of the rail portion 171a of the bogie-side rail 171 to the uppermost part of the lower roller 171b is set to be approximately the same as the height from the lower surface of the rail portion 124a of the vehicle-side rail 124 to the uppermost part of the lower roller 124b, and the width in which the pair of bogie-side rails 171 are arranged in the left-right direction of the base body 161 is set to be approximately the same as the width in which the pair of vehicle-side rails 124 are arranged in the left-right direction of the bottom surface 122b.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bogie 150 and the electric vehicle 110 are configured such that the movement of the bogie 150 relative to the electric vehicle 110 in the downward direction (direction of arrow D), left and right direction (direction of arrows LR), and front and back direction (direction of arrow FB) is restricted by inserting the pin 173 into the hole 122b1.

[0083] Due to the coupling structure of the bogie 150 and the electric vehicle 110, the bogie-side rail 171 and the vehicle-side rail 124 are aligned in a straight line when coupled. Therefore, even a rectangular parallelepiped battery case 140, which is long in the front-to-back direction and has a large mass, can be easily guided in a straight line along the front-to-back direction of the bogie-side rail 171 and the vehicle-side rail 124. As a result, the battery case 140 can be easily replaced. In addition, as a result of the bogie-side rail 171 and the vehicle-side rail 124 being arranged in a straight line, the pair of legs 142 of the battery case 140 come into contact from the inside with the side rollers 124c of the vehicle-side rail 124 and the side rollers 171c of the bogie-side rail 171, which are arranged in a nearly straight line, thereby restricting the lateral movement of the battery case 140 and making it easier to guide the battery case 140 in a straight line (see Figures 3(c) and 7).

[0084] Furthermore, with this coupling structure of the trolley 150 and the electric vehicle 110, the operator can determine the timing of fixing and releasing the battery case 140 to the trolley-side fixing means 174 or the vehicle-side fixing means 125. The trolley-side fixing means 174 and the vehicle-side fixing means 125 are positioned in a location suitable for the operator's movement during the battery case 140 replacement work. In addition, the trolley-side rail 171 and the vehicle-side rail 124 are provided with lower rollers 124b, 171b and side rollers 124c, 171c to guide the battery case 140. As a result, even a battery case 140 that is heavy and long in the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction) can be replaced by a single operator.

[0085] As shown in Figure 7, when the cross-sections of the bogie 150 and the electric vehicle 110, cut along the line VII-VII in Figure 6(b), are viewed from above, a vertically penetrating space S is formed in the area enclosed by the side of the vehicle body 121, the main body 161, and the pair of front ends 171a1. Space S is located below the uppermost part of the bogie-side rail 171 (a virtual surface on which the main body 141 of the battery case 140 is guided by the lower roller 171b of the bogie-side rail 171).

[0086] The front end 171a1 is set such that, in the connected state, even if the vehicle-side fixing means 125 rotates, the front end of the base body 161 does not interfere with the vehicle-side fixing means 125. The other end 125b of the vehicle-side fixing means 125 is in contact with the bottom surface 122b of the storage section 122, thereby restricting further rotation.

[0087] The rotation of the vehicle-side fixing means 125 is restricted when it is positioned below the uppermost part of the bogie-side rail 171. At this time, one end 125a of the vehicle-side fixing means 125 is positioned within space S. The bogie 150 and the electric vehicle 110 are configured such that no members interfering with the vehicle-side fixing means 125 are located on the rotational trajectory of the vehicle-side fixing means 125.

[0088] Since a space S is formed between the front ends 171a1 of the bogie rails 171 that face each other in the left-right direction, even if the vehicle-side fixing means 125 is too large to fit within the distance from the top of the bogie rails 171 to the top surface of the base body 161 when the vehicle side is not fixed, it is easy to position the vehicle-side fixing means 125 below the top of the bogie rails 171. Therefore, when the battery case 140 is guided along the front-rear direction of the vehicle-side rails 124 and the bogie rails 171, the vehicle-side fixing means 125 can be positioned so as not to interfere. As a result, the battery case 140 can be easily replaced.

[0089] The uncoupling operation is simply the reverse of the coupling operation described above, so a detailed explanation of that will be omitted.

[0090] Although the present invention has been described above based on embodiments, it can be easily inferred that the present invention is not limited in any way to the above embodiments, and that various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0091] In the above embodiment, a case was described in which there is no guide structure for aligning the left-right insertion position (connection position) of the pin 173 and the hole 122b1. However, a guide structure for aligning the left-right insertion position of the pin 173 and the hole 122b1 may be provided. This form will be described as a modified example (bogie 250 and electric vehicle 210) with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8(a) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the guide structure of the bogie 250 and electric vehicle 210 in the modified example, and Figure 8(b) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the guide structure of the bogie 250 and electric vehicle 210 along the line VIIIb-VIIIb in Figure 8(a). Note that in Figure 8(b), the battery case 140 is omitted from the illustration.

[0092] As shown in Figure 8(a), the electric vehicle 210 has a body side 221 that extends further rearward than the body side 121 in the above embodiment. The body side 221 is provided with an overhang 221c that extends further rearward. A hole 221d is formed in the overhang 221c into which a pin 273, which will be described later, is inserted.

[0093] The bogie 250 is equipped with a front stopper 276, which is mounted on a bracket 275 that is bolted to the underside of the front end 171a1 of the bogie side rail 171. The bracket 275 is a plate with a U-shaped longitudinal cross-section, and has a lower section that extends rearward, connected to the part to which the front stopper 276 is bolted. A pin 273 is bolted to the lower section, protruding downward from the underside of the lower section. The pin 273 has the same shape as the pin 173.

[0094] The front stopper 276 is a convex-shaped member that is bolted to the bracket 275 and decreases in diameter from its base end to its tip. A guide portion 221e with a concave cross-section corresponding to the convex shape of the front stopper 276 is formed on the side surface 221 of the vehicle body. The guide portion 221e is a groove that extends vertically on the side surface 221 of the vehicle body. The guide portion 221e is a groove that contacts the front stopper 276 and guides the connection position of the pin 273 and hole 221d in the left-right and front-rear directions.

[0095] The bogie 250 and the electric vehicle 210 are configured such that the lateral distance from the center of the concave bottom of the guide portion 221e to the center of the hole 221d is approximately the same as the lateral distance from the center of the front stopper 276 to the center of the pin 273. As a result, when connecting the bogie 250 to the electric vehicle 210, even if the lateral center of the front stopper 276 and the lateral center of the guide portion 221e are slightly misaligned, the side surface of the groove in the guide portion 221e and the side surface of the front stopper 276 come into contact, guiding the lateral center of the front stopper 276 to coincide with the lateral center of the guide portion 221e. Consequently, the lateral connection position between the pin 273 and the hole 221d is guided.

[0096] Furthermore, the bogie 250 and the electric vehicle 210 are set so that the front-to-back distance from the bottom of the concave shape of the guide portion 221e to the center of the hole 221d and the front-to-back distance from the tip of the front stopper 276 to the center of the pin 273 are approximately the same. As a result, when the operation to connect the bogie 250 to the electric vehicle 210 is performed, the front-to-back connection position between the pin 273 and the hole 221d is guided when the tips of the pair of front stoppers 276 of the bogie 250 are moved forward until they contact the bottom of the guide portion 221e on the side of the electric vehicle 210's body.

[0097] The guide structure of these bogies 250 and electric vehicle 210 allows for not only front-to-back alignment of the pin 273 relative to the hole 221d, but also left-to-right alignment using the guide portion 221e. Therefore, the battery case 140 can be easily replaced.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the case where the electric vehicle 110 is an automated guided vehicle (AGV) was described, but the electric vehicle 110 may also be a manned AGV such as a forklift.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the case in which the bogie 150 is equipped with a pin 173 and the electric vehicle 110 has a hole 122b1 formed in it has been described, but it is also possible for the bogie 150 to have a hole 122b1 formed in it and the electric vehicle 110 to be equipped with a pin 173.

[0100] In the above embodiment, the lifting mechanism 162 of the trolley 150 was described as having a structure in which two sets of members, each consisting of two plates pivotally supported at the center in the longitudinal direction, are arranged in the left-right direction on the base body 161. However, the trolley 150 may also have a structure in which the lifting mechanism is one or more columnar members erected vertically upward from the support base 165, and the mounting section 180 connected to the lifting mechanism is capable of moving up and down.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the case in which the bogie-side rail 171 and the vehicle-side rail 124 are equipped with lower rollers 124b, 171b and side rollers 124c, 171c has been described. However, the battery case 140 may be equipped with rollers on at least the lower surface 141b of the main body 141, which is one of the lower surface 141b of the main body 141 and the side surface 142d of the leg portion 142. In this case, the lower rollers 124b, 171b and side rollers 124c, 171c of the bogie-side rail 171 and the vehicle-side rail 124 may be omitted.

[0102] In the above embodiment, a case was described in which the distance at which the first mounting portion 172a and the second mounting portion 172b of the mounting portion 172 clamp the base body 161 can be adjusted by the elongated holes. However, it is also possible to prepare multiple first mounting portions 172a and second mounting portions 172b of different dimensions and change the clamping distance of the base body 161 by replacing them with first mounting portions 172a and second mounting portions 172b that match the dimensions of the base body 161.

[0103] In the above embodiment, the case in which the vehicle-side fixing means 125 is pivotally supported on the bottom surface 122b of the storage section 122 (the same surface as the surface on which the vehicle-side rail 124 is arranged) was described. However, the vehicle-side fixing means 125 may also be pivotally supported on the top surface 122a or the side surface 122c of the storage section 122.

[0104] In the above embodiment, the case in which the width of the opposing pair of legs 142 narrows toward the front of the front end 142b and toward the rear of the rear end 142c has been described. However, conversely, the width may also be wider toward the front of the front end 142b and toward the rear of the rear end 142c. In this case, the side rollers 124c and 171c are able to guide the battery case 140 along the front-rear direction while supporting the inner side surfaces of the opposing pair of legs 142.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the case in which the cover 121b is attached to the vehicle body 120 by being inserted into and fitted into a groove in the storage section 122 was described. However, the cover 121b may also be attached to the vehicle body 120 using bolts, pins, various latches such as flat latches, ball catches, or magnetic catches. For example, a pin may be provided on the bottom surface 122b on the opening 121a side of the storage section 122, and the pin may be inserted into the cover 121b, while the upper end of the cover 121b is secured with a flat latch. In this case, the cover 121b can be easily removed by operating the flat latch, making it easy to check the battery status. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0106] 110,210 electric vehicles 121,221 Side view of the vehicle 121a aperture 121b Cover 122 Storage compartment 122b1 hole (connected means) 124 Vehicle-side rail 124b, 171b Lower side roller (lower side guide part) 124c, 171c Side roller (side guide section) 125 Vehicle-side fixing means 125a One end 125b Other end 140 Battery Case 141 Main body 141a End face 141b Bottom side 142 Legs 142d side 150,250 trolleys 161 units 162 Lifting and lowering means 170 jigs 171 Bogie-side rail 172 Mounting part 173,273 pins (connecting means) 174 Bogie-side fixing means 174a one end 174b Other end 175,275 Bracket (connecting part) 176,276 Front stopper (stopper) 180 Mounting section 221c Overhang 221d hole (connected means) 221e Guide Section S space Arrow D direction: Down Arrow FB direction Forward / Backward direction Arrows L and R directions Left and right directions

Claims

1. A trolley for replacing and transporting battery cases housed in electric vehicles, A mounting section that extends along the front-to-back direction and is capable of guiding the battery case along the front-to-back direction, A lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the mounting section, A coupling means is provided on the front end side of the mounting portion and is connected to the electric vehicle when the mounting portion is lowered by the lifting means, The vehicle includes a trolley-side fixing means disposed on the rear end side of the mounting portion and used to fix the battery case to the mounting portion, The trolley-side fixing means is characterized in that one end can be fixed to the battery case and the other end is pivotally supported on the aforementioned mounting part, and in the trolley-side unfixed state where it is not fixed to the battery case, it rotates by its own weight around the other end pivotally supported on the aforementioned mounting part, so that the one end is positioned further rear than the position where it is fixed to the battery case.

2. A trolley for replacing and transporting battery cases housed in electric vehicles, A mounting section that extends along the front-to-back direction and is capable of guiding the battery case along the front-to-back direction, A lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the mounting section, A coupling means is provided on the front end side of the mounting portion and is connected to the electric vehicle when the mounting portion is lowered by the lifting means, The vehicle includes a trolley-side fixing means disposed on the rear end side of the mounting portion and used to fix the battery case to the mounting portion, The mounting section comprises a flat base body, a trolley-side rail disposed on the base body and guiding the battery case along the front-rear direction, and a mounting section connected to the trolley-side rail and clamping the base body from the vertical, left-right, and front-rear directions. The trolley is characterized in that the mounting portion is adjustable in the distance at which it clamps the base body in each of the aforementioned directions.

3. A jig characterized by comprising the trolley-side rail and the mounting portion used in the trolley described in claim 2.

4. A coupling structure for connecting a trolley according to any one of claims 1 to 3 with an electric vehicle that houses a battery case, The electric vehicle comprises a storage compartment in which the battery case is housed, a vehicle-side rail disposed in the storage compartment and guiding the battery case along the front-rear direction, an opening formed in the side of the vehicle body by the storage compartment, a protruding portion extending rearward from the side of the vehicle body on the opening side or a connecting means formed in the storage compartment on the opening side of the vehicle-side rail and connected to the connecting means, a vehicle-side fixing means having one end that can be fixed to the battery case and the other end that is pivotally supported in the storage compartment, and a cover fixed to the side of the vehicle body so as to be able to close the opening, The mounting section includes a trolley-side rail that guides the battery case along the front-rear direction, In the connected state in which the coupling means and the connected means are connected, the movement of the bogie-side rail relative to the vehicle-side rail is restricted in the downward, left-right, and front-rear directions, and the bogie-side rail and the vehicle-side rail are arranged in a straight line. In a vehicle-side unfixed state in which the battery case is not fixed to the vehicle-side fixing means, the vehicle-side fixing means rotates by its own weight around the other end which is pivotally supported in the storage section, so that one end is positioned outside the storage section from the opening, and the one end interferes with the cover, making it impossible to close the opening of the cover.

5. In the aforementioned connected state and the vehicle side unfixed state, The vehicle-side fixing means rotates by its own weight around the other end which is pivotally supported in the storage section, thereby positioning the battery case in a space different from the track that is guided along the front-rear direction by the bogie-side rail and the vehicle-side rail. The coupling structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the trolley and the electric vehicle are not provided with any members that interfere with the track on which the vehicle-side fixing means rotates to the space.

6. The battery case comprises a rectangular parallelepiped main body and protruding leg portions that are positioned inward from the left and right end faces of the main body and extend along the front-to-back direction of the lower surface of the main body. The connecting structure according to claim 5, characterized in that the vehicle-side rail and the bogie-side rail each include a lower-side guide portion that guides the lower surface of the main body portion in the front-rear direction so as to support it, and a side-side guide portion that guides the side of the leg portion in the front-rear direction so as to support it.

7. A coupling structure for connecting a trolley according to any one of claims 1 to 3 with an electric vehicle that houses a battery case, The trolley comprises a connecting portion connected to the previously described mounting portion, and one convex-shaped stopper extending in the left-right direction of the connecting portion and protruding forward from the connecting portion, or a plurality of convex-shaped stoppers spaced at a predetermined distance apart in the left-right direction of the connecting portion and protruding forward from the connecting portion. The electric vehicle comprises a storage section in which the battery case is housed, a vehicle-side rail disposed in the storage section and guiding the battery case in the front-rear direction, an opening formed in the side of the vehicle body by the storage section, a protruding portion extending rearward from the side of the vehicle body on the opening side or a connecting means formed in the storage section on the opening side of the vehicle-side rail and connected to the connecting means, and one or more concave guide portions extending vertically along the side of the vehicle body on the opening side and having a cross-section that narrows as it extends forward from the side of the vehicle body, The mounting section includes a trolley-side rail that guides the battery case along the front-rear direction, In the connected state in which the coupling means and the connected means are connected, the movement of the bogie-side rail relative to the vehicle-side rail is restricted in the downward, left-right, and front-rear directions, and the bogie-side rail and the vehicle-side rail are arranged in a straight line. The coupling structure is characterized in that the one or more guide portions guide the coupling position of the coupling means in the left-right and front-rear directions with respect to the coupling means by moving the trolley toward the side of the vehicle body on the opening side and bringing into contact with the stopper of the one or the multiple stoppers.

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