Storage device

Abstract

The present invention can efficiently store components.　This storage device comprises: a plurality of power storage devices (19); a plurality of housing sections (20) that respectively house the power storage devices (19); and a power conversion device (109) that converts power inputted from an external power supply to the plurality of power storage devices (19), or power outputted from the power storage devices (19) to an external load, wherein the storage device is characterized in that the housing sections (20) have respective openings (20a) through which the power storage devices (19) can be inserted and removed, and the power conversion device (109) is positioned lower than the openings (20a).

Description

Storage device

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage device.

[0002] Conventionally, there are three issues in the electrification of mobility: "short cruising range", "long charging time", and "high battery cost". Patent Document 1 discloses a storage device that uses a replaceable battery and sharing to solve these three issues and contribute to the acceleration of the electrification of mobility and the expansion of the utilization of renewable energy.

[0003] International Publication No. 2024 / 058242

[0004] A storage device includes component parts such as communication parts and electrical parts, but the emergence of a storage device that efficiently stores such component parts has been desired. An object of the present invention is to provide a storage device that can efficiently store component parts.

[0005] This specification includes all the contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-169550 filed on September 27, 2024. The present invention relates to a storage device including a plurality of power storage devices, a plurality of storage parts for respectively accommodating the power storage devices, and a power conversion device for converting power input from an external power source to the plurality of power storage devices or power output from the power storage devices to an external load. In the storage device, each of the storage parts has an opening through which the power storage device can be inserted and removed, and the power conversion device is disposed below the opening.

[0006] According to the present invention, component parts can be efficiently stored.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the storage device. FIG. 2 is a front view thereof. FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 with the right side plate removed. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the storage part and the power storage device. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the power conversion device. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the lower right front of the electrical component room. FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 with the power conversion device removed. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the bottom plate of the housing.

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the description, directions such as front, back, left, right, and up and down refer to the same directions as those in Figure 1 relative to the storage device unless otherwise specified. In each figure, the symbol FR indicates the front of the storage device, the symbol UP indicates the top of the storage device, and the symbol LH indicates the left side of the storage device.

[0009] [Configuration of the Embodiment] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the storage device 1, Figure 2 is a front view thereof, and Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the state with the side panels of Figure 1 removed. The storage device 1 comprises a housing 10 that is roughly rectangular in shape. The housing 10 comprises a bottom plate 11, a top plate 12, a front plate 13, a back plate 14, a right side plate (one side plate) 15, and a left side plate (the other side plate) 16. For the convenience of transport and relocation by the user, the storage device 1 is provided with handles 18 on the side plates 15 and 16, respectively. In this embodiment, the storage device 1 will be referred to as the battery exchange station 1 below. The bottom plate 11 is provided with four adjuster bolts 17. The adjuster bolts 17 are legs and are provided at the four corners of the bottom plate 11. The front adjuster bolts 17 are provided with plate-shaped leg plates 17A. The tip of the leg plate 17A is positioned in front of the front plate 13. This makes it less likely for the casing 10 to tip forward.

[0010] The front panel 13 comprises an upper front panel 41 and a lower front panel 43. The upper front panel 41 has four openings 13a arranged in a 2x2 grid. The four openings 13a are arranged in pairs in the left-right direction and in the up-down direction. A housing section 20 is placed in the openings 13a, and a battery (not shown) is inserted and removed from the housing section 20. In this embodiment, the housing section 20 will be referred to as a slot 20, and an opening 20a is formed in the slot 20. The lower front panel 43, although not shown, is detachably attached to the lower edge of the upper front panel 41 by hooking its upper part onto it.

[0011] Figure 3 shows the right side panel (one side panel) 15 removed. On the right side of the enclosure 10, the front frame 121 and rear frame 123 run vertically. Although not shown in the figure, these frames are also provided on the left side of the enclosure 10, and the pair of left and right frames are connected by beam members (not shown) that extend to the left and right. In addition, a central frame 125 (see Figure 2) runs vertically through the center in the width direction.

[0012] Inside the enclosure 10, two base plates 50 are arranged in layers. Each base plate 50 extends in the width direction of the enclosure 10 and slopes downward towards the rear. Both ends of the base plates 50 are supported by a pair of front frames 121 and rear frames 123. The slot 20 is supported on top of the base plates 50.

[0013] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the slot 20. The slot 20 comprises a rectangular cylindrical body portion 21 having an opening 20a, and a connector unit 22 having electrodes and a fan 24 for blowing air into the body portion 21 are arranged at the bottom 21a of the body portion 21. The energy storage device 19 is inserted into and removed from the slot 20. In this embodiment, the energy storage device 19 will be referred to as the battery 19 below.

[0014] The battery 19 is portable by the user and is configured to be detachable from, for example, electric vehicles (four-wheeled vehicles, three-wheeled vehicles, two-wheeled vehicles), lawnmowers, agricultural machinery, and other work machines. The battery 19 is an MPP (Mobile Power Pack) and has battery terminals (not shown) on the opposite side of the handle 19a. When the battery 19 is inserted into the slot 20, the battery terminals (not shown) are electrically connected to the connector unit 22 and the battery 19 is charged.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the battery exchange station 1 has four slots 20 arranged in two pairs in the left-right and up-down directions. Compared to conventional stations, it is smaller, highly portable by hand, and easy to move and install at the customer's location. Due to the size required to accommodate the four slots 20, the front width W is approximately 63% and the depth width W1 is approximately 47% of the height H, which will be described later. The top plate 12 consists of a front top plate 141 and a rear top plate 143, and is triangular in side view, forming a so-called mountain shape. The height H1 of the back portion 144 is approximately 76% of the height H of the ridge portion 142 of the top plate 12. The ridge portion 142 of the top plate 12 corresponds to the top of the housing 10. The top plate 12 corresponds to an example of an inclined surface. The front top plate 141 corresponds to an inclined surface and an example of a first inclined surface. The rear top plate 143 corresponds to an inclined surface and an example of a second inclined surface.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the battery replacement station 1 has an electrical component compartment 100 at the bottom and a communication component compartment 101 at the top. The electrical component compartment 100 is separated from the space where each slot 20 is arranged by a middle plate 101a. The upper communication component compartment 101 houses, in order from the front left, a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) module 102, an NFC (Near-field communication) antenna 103, an indicator 104, etc. The Wi-Fi module 102 and NFC antenna 103 correspond to examples of communication components that can communicate with the outside. User Interface (UI) such as user authentication 105 and user operation unit 106 is arranged on the front top plate 141. The inclination angle θ1 of the front top plate 141 is formed to be between 20° and 50°. According to this, the UI and the user's line of sight E become closer to perpendicular, improving visibility and operability. The front top panel 141 corresponds to an example of an inclined surface that slopes forward.

[0017] The battery exchange station 1 is formed such that the height H1 of the back portion 144 is lower than the height H of the ridge portion 142 of the top portion 12. Therefore, the rear top portion 143 is inclined rearward and downward, and furthermore, the rear edge 143a of the rear top portion 143 has an R shape. This lowers the point of force from external loads, making it less likely to tip over.

[0018] The lower electrical component compartment 100 houses, from left to right, a control board 107A, an electrical box 107 housing an AC / DC converter 107B, and a power converter 109, in that order. A backup power battery (not shown) is also located there. These are heavy components, which helps to lower the center of gravity of the battery exchange station 1. This ensures the stability of the battery exchange station 1 even if it is made smaller and lighter. The backup power battery (not shown) is used as a power source to continue at least some of the functions of the battery exchange station 1 when the power supply to the battery exchange station 1 from the power grid is interrupted due to a power outage or the like. The backup power battery may be a lead-acid battery, a lithium-ion battery, or other types of batteries.

[0019] In front of the electrical box 107, an electrical component fan 108 is provided, which is fixed to the top surface of the electrical component room 100. From the electrical box 107, a harness 150 is routed to connect to electrical components related to communication, such as the Wi-Fi module 102 and the NFC antenna 103. The harness 150 is routed on the left side of the housing 10. Since the electrical box 107 and the electrical components related to communication connected to its contents are located on the same side of the housing 10, the harness 150 can be routed in a concentrated manner, and the harness 150 can be shortened.

[0020] A circuit breaker 151 and a LAN (Local Area Network) port 152 are located to the left and in front of the electrical box 107 in the electrical components room 100. Because the circuit breaker 151 and LAN port 152 are located on the front side of the enclosure 10, they are easily accessible when installing the battery replacement station 1 or during inspections.

[0021] Figure 5 shows the power converter 109. In Figure 5, the front panel 13 of the housing 10 is located on the left, and the back panel 14 of the housing 10 is located on the right. The power converter 109 includes an air filter 110, an intake fan 111, four circuit boards 112 that supply power to multiple batteries 19 via the connector unit 22 of the slot 20 as described later, and an exhaust port 113, in which a fan blade 113a is placed.

[0022] Multiple vanes 113a are arranged vertically in the exhaust port 113. Slit-shaped gaps are formed between adjacent vanes 113a. The multiple vanes 113a and the gaps between them are configured to function as an exhaust port 113 as a whole.

[0023] The four circuit boards 112 are arranged on an L-shaped lower wall 114, and an inverted L-shaped upper wall 115 covers the lower wall 114. The power converter 109 is enclosed by the lower wall 114 and the upper wall 115 in all aspects except for the front intake fan 111 and the rear exhaust port 113, thereby making it a component. The power converter 109 has a so-called enclosure configuration. The lower wall 114 and the upper wall 115 are examples of covering parts that surround the power converter 109. The circuit boards 112 of the power converter 109 are controlled by a control board 107A and convert power input from an external power source to multiple batteries 19, or power output from multiple batteries 19 to an external load (not shown), using an AC / DC converter 107B and a DC / DC converter (not shown).

[0024] [Cooling Path Configuration] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the front lower right of the electrical component room 100. The electrical component room 100 is enclosed at the front by a lower front plate 43, at the top by the lowest base plate 50, and at the bottom by a bottom plate 11. A componentized power converter 109 is located at the front lower right of the electrical component room 100.

[0025] The lower part of the lower front plate 43 is bent backward to form an air intake 116. The air intake 116 is located between the front surface of the lower front plate 43 of the housing 10 and the air filter 110 of the power converter 109. There is an opening on the lower right front of the back plate 14, and the exhaust port 113 of the power converter 109 is located in this opening. The vane 113a faces the opening.

[0026] Arrow A indicates the power supply cooling path DK of the power converter 109. Driven by the intake fan 111, outside air flows along the power supply cooling path DK. That is, outside air is drawn in from the intake port 116, flows through the air filter 110, the intake fan 111, and the circuit board 112 in that order, cools the circuit board 112, and is exhausted from the exhaust port 113.

[0027] In the power supply cooling path DK, a portion of the outside air does not flow inside the power converter 109, but instead flows into the housing 10 where the slot 20 is located, and is drawn in by the fan 24 located at the rear of the slot 20. This air flows along the battery cooling path BK indicated by arrow B.

[0028] In the battery cooling path BK, air flows through the housing 10 towards the back plate 14, reflects off the back plate 14, and flows upward through the housing 10. The air is then drawn in by the fans 24 at the bottom 21a of each slot 20, enters each rectangular body section 21 almost evenly, cools the battery 19, and is exhausted from the opening 20a of the body section 21.

[0029] In this embodiment, there is no air intake on the lower front plate 43, and the vanes do not face the lower front plate 43, thus improving the design. Furthermore, the lower front plate 43 is removable, and when the lower front plate 43 is removed, the air filter 110 is exposed. As a result, the air filter 110 can be easily replaced simply by removing the lower front plate 43.

[0030] In this embodiment, the intake fan 111 may be reversed at a predetermined timing. This makes it possible to discharge foreign matter, dirt, dust, etc. that have accumulated in the air filter 110 to the bottom of the housing 10.

[0031] [Configuration of the discharge path] Figure 7 shows the state with the power converter 109 of Figure 6 removed. In Figure 7, for the sake of explanation, the rear frame 123 is not shown. Arrow C indicates the first discharge path HK1. The slot 20 is provided with a drain hole (not shown) at the bottom 21a. Rainwater and dust that enter the opening 20a of the slot 20 are drained and discharged onto the base plate 50 through the drain hole (not shown) at the bottom 21a of the main body 21. Drain holes (not shown) are formed in all four slots 20, and rainwater, etc. from the drain holes (not shown) of the four slots 20 are all collected on the upper and lower two-tiered base plate 50.

[0032] The two upper and lower base plates 50 both slope downward and to the rear, and a levee 51 extending in the width direction of the housing 10 is formed on the lower edge of the base plates 50. Rainwater and dust collect around the rear frame 123 along the levee 51. The rear frame 123 is a hollow square pipe, and holes (not shown) are formed in the rear frame 123. Rainwater and the like that collect around the rear frame 123 enter the hollow part of the rear frame 123 through the holes (not shown), fall through the rear frame 123, and are drained to the outside.

[0033] Arrow D indicates the second discharge route HK2. Rainwater flowing in from slot 20 is discharged along the first discharge route HK1, using the rear frame 123 as a gutter, as described above. However, condensation water from the housing 10 flows directly onto the bottom plate 11 through the second discharge route HK2.

[0034] As shown in Figure 8, the bottom plate 11 of the housing 10 has a central groove 11a that extends in the width direction of the housing 10 and is lower, with a drain opening 131 formed at the lowest point of the central groove 11a. The bottom plate 11 is a so-called tray. The bottom plate 11 is formed in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and has an inclined surface 140 that is inclined toward the drain opening 131. Water flowing through the second discharge path HK2 is guided in one direction toward the drain opening 131 by the inclined surface 140. A mesh filter 133 is placed in the drain opening 131. The central groove 11a formed in the bottom plate 11 is an example of a drainage channel that guides water entering the housing 10 from above to the drain opening 131 at the bottom.

[0035] In this embodiment, rainwater and the like are drained to the outside through the first discharge path HK1 and the second discharge path HK2, so they do not remain on the bottom plate 11, preventing corrosion and the formation of holes in the bottom plate 11. Furthermore, a central groove 11a is formed in the bottom plate 11, and a single drain opening 131 is formed at the lowest point of the central groove 11a, eliminating the need for multiple drain openings and reducing costs. In addition, a mesh filter 133 is placed in the drain opening 131, preventing the intrusion of small animals and the like.

[0036] [Water Level Sensor] The housing 10 is equipped with a water level sensor 120 at its lower part. The water level sensor 120 is located on the side of the power converter 109. The water level sensor 120 detects water levels lower than the control board 107A and AC / DC converter 107B housed in the electrical box 107, and the circuit board 112 housed in the power converter 109. The height of the battery exchange station 1 is adjusted using four adjuster bolts 17. The adjuster bolts 17 are an example of legs that can be freely adjusted in height. Nevertheless, if a flood occurs due to heavy rain at the location where the battery exchange station 1 is installed, the water level sensor 120 will detect the water level and stop all operations of the power converter 109. This ensures safety.

[0037] [Effects, etc.] As described above, the battery exchange station 1 (storage device) of this embodiment comprises a plurality of energy storage devices 19, a plurality of storage compartments 20 that each house the energy storage devices 19, and a power converter 109 that converts power input from an external power source to the plurality of energy storage devices 19, or power output from the battery 19 to an external load. Each storage compartment 20 has an opening 20a into which the energy storage devices 19 can be inserted and removed, and the power converter 109 is positioned below the opening 20a. This allows the power converter 109 to be stored efficiently. Furthermore, by arranging the power converter 109 using the space below the plurality of storage compartments 20, the size of the battery exchange station 1 is suppressed, and since the plurality of openings 20a are positioned above the power converter 109, the height at which the battery 19 is inserted and removed relative to the installation surface of the battery exchange station 1 is reduced, which can prevent the user from having difficulty inserting and removing the battery 19.

[0038] Furthermore, the battery exchange station 1 includes a control board 107A that controls the power converter 109, and the control board 107A is positioned below the opening 20a. As a result, since the power converter 109 and the control board 107A are positioned on the same lower side, the wiring connecting the power converter 109 and the control board 107A can be shortened.

[0039] Furthermore, the battery replacement station 1 is equipped with a Wi-Fi module 102 (communication component) and an NFC antenna 103 (communication component) that can communicate with the outside, and the Wi-Fi module 102 (communication component) and NFC antenna 103 (communication component) are positioned above the opening 20a. This makes it less likely for the internal parts of the battery replacement station 1 to be involved when the Wi-Fi module 102 and NFC antenna 103 communicate with external devices or communication equipment.

[0040] Furthermore, the battery exchange station 1 is equipped with a water level sensor 120, and the power converter 109 is positioned above the water level sensor 120. This allows the circuit of the power converter 109 to be shut off even when submerged in water.

[0041] Furthermore, the battery exchange station 1 includes a lower wall 114 (covering part) and an upper wall 115 (covering part) that cover at least a portion of the area around the power converter 109. This improves the waterproofness of the power converter 109.

[0042] Furthermore, the battery exchange station 1 includes a housing 10 that houses multiple storage compartments 20, and a top plate 12 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 10 in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. This prevents objects from being placed on the top plate 12, thus preventing external loads from being applied to the battery exchange station 1 itself.

[0043] The top panel 12 includes a front top panel 141 whose height decreases towards the surface on which the opening 20a is located in the housing 10. This improves the visibility and operability of the front top panel 141 from the user's perspective.

[0044] The top plate 12 includes a rear top plate 143 that decreases in height towards the side of the housing 10 opposite to the side where the opening 20a is located. As a result, since the rear top plate 143 is not formed horizontally, it is difficult for external loads to be applied. In addition, compared to the case where the rear top plate 143 is not inclined, the upper end of the back plate 14 is lower, so the point of application of an external load can be lowered when an external load is applied to the rear end of the rear top plate 143 or the upper end of the back plate 14.

[0045] Further, the battery exchange station 1 includes a housing 10 that houses a plurality of storage units 20, and the height of the surface of the housing 10 on the side opposite to the surface where the opening 20a is disposed is lower than the height of the surface where the opening 20a is disposed. According to this configuration, since the battery 19 is housed in the storage unit 20 from the opening 20a side, the center of gravity position of the entire battery exchange station 1 is closer to the front plate 13 side where the opening 20a is disposed in the front-rear direction. Therefore, by reducing the height of the rear plate 14 that is farther from the center of gravity position than the front plate 13, it is possible to suppress an increase in the distance from the center of gravity position to the point of action of the force, that is, the length of the arm in the moment, and thus suppress the tipping of the battery exchange station 1.

[0046] Further, the housing 10 includes an adjuster bolt 17 (leg portion) at the lower part that can adjust the flooding height. According to this, the height can be changed according to the installation location of the housing 10.

[0047] The housing 10 includes a housing 10 that houses a plurality of storage units 20, and the housing 10 includes leg portions 17 that support the housing, and the tips of the leg portions 17 are disposed in front of the front surface of the housing 10. According to this, it is possible to suppress the forward tipping of the housing 10.

[0048] Further, the battery exchange station 1 includes a housing 10 that houses a plurality of storage units 20, and the housing 10 includes a first discharge path HK1 that discharges water from the storage unit 20 and a second discharge path HK2 that discharges water from inside the housing 10. According to this, it is possible to discharge water that has entered the storage unit 20 or the inside of the housing 10, or water generated inside the storage unit 20 or the housing 10.

[0049] The second discharge path HK2 has an inclined surface 140 formed in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. According to this, since the water flowing from inside the housing 10 can be concentrated and guided in a certain direction, the water can be easily discharged.

[0050] [Other Embodiments] The embodiments described above are merely one aspect of the present invention and can be modified and applied as needed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the embodiments described above, the wastewater from the first discharge path HK1 was directly drained below the bottom plate 11, but the invention is not limited to this, and the wastewater from the first discharge path HK1 and the second discharge path HK2 may be merged on top of the bottom plate 11 and drained together from the drain port 131 of the bottom plate 11.

[0051] [Configurations supported by the above embodiment] The above embodiment supports the following configurations.

[0052] (Configuration 1) A storage device comprising a plurality of energy storage devices, a plurality of storage compartments for each of the energy storage devices, and a power converter for converting power input from an external power source to the plurality of energy storage devices, or power output from the energy storage devices to an external load, wherein each of the storage compartments has an opening into which the energy storage devices can be inserted and removed, and the power converter is positioned below the opening. This allows for efficient storage of components. Furthermore, by arranging the power converter in the space below the plurality of storage compartments, the size of the storage device can be kept down, and since the plurality of openings are positioned above the power converter, the height at which the energy storage devices can be inserted and removed relative to the installation surface of the storage device is reduced, which can prevent the user from having difficulty inserting and removing the energy storage devices.

[0053] (Configuration 2) The storage device according to Configuration 1, further comprising a control board for controlling the power converter, wherein the control board is located below the opening. With this configuration, since the power converter and the control board are located on the same lower side, the wiring connecting the power converter and the control board can be shortened.

[0054] (Configuration 3) The storage device according to Configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that it is equipped with a communication component capable of communicating with the outside, and the communication component is positioned above the opening. With this configuration, when the communication component communicates with an external device or communication device, it is made less likely for the internal parts of the storage device to be involved.

[0055] (Configuration 4) A storage device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that it is equipped with a water level sensor, and the power converter is positioned above the water level sensor. With this configuration, the circuit of the power converter can be shut off even when submerged in water.

[0056] (Configuration 5) A storage device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, characterized by comprising a cover portion that covers at least a part of the periphery of the power converter. This improves the waterproofness of the power converter.

[0057] (Configuration 6) A storage device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, comprising a housing that houses the plurality of storage compartments, wherein an inclined surface formed on the upper surface of the housing is formed in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. With this, it is possible to suppress the placement of objects on the inclined surface, and thus it is possible to suppress external loads being applied to the storage device itself.

[0058] (Configuration 7) The storage device according to Configuration 6, characterized in that the inclined surface includes a first inclined surface whose height decreases as it approaches the surface in the housing where the opening is located. This improves the visibility and operability of the first inclined surface from the user's perspective.

[0059] (Configuration 8) The storage device according to Configuration 6, characterized in that the inclined surface includes a second inclined surface whose height decreases as it approaches the surface of the housing opposite to the surface on which the opening is located. With this configuration, since the second inclined surface is not formed horizontally, external loads are less likely to be applied. In addition, compared to the case where the second inclined surface is not inclined, the upper end of the back of the housing is lower, so that the point of application of an external load can be lowered when an external load is applied to the rear end of the second inclined surface or the upper end of the back.

[0060] (Configuration 9) A storage device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 8, comprising a housing that houses the plurality of storage compartments, wherein the height of the surface of the housing opposite to the surface on which the opening is located is lower than the height of the surface on which the opening is located. With this configuration, since the energy storage device is housed in the storage compartment from the opening side, the center of gravity of the entire storage device is located closer to the front side of the housing on which the opening is located in the front-rear direction. Therefore, by lowering the height of the rear, which is further from the center of gravity than the front, it is possible to suppress an increase in the distance from the center of gravity to the point of application of force, i.e., the length of the arm in the moment, and thus it is possible to suppress the tipping of the storage device.

[0061] (Configuration 10) A storage device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 9, comprising a housing that houses the plurality of storage compartments, wherein the housing is provided with legs that can be adjusted in height. With this configuration, the height can be changed to suit the installation location of the storage device.

[0062] (Configuration 11) A storage device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 10, comprising a housing that houses the plurality of storage units, wherein the housing is provided with legs that support the housing, and the tips of the legs are positioned in front of the front surface of the housing. This makes it possible to suppress the housing 10 from tipping forward.

[0063] (Configuration 12) A storage device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 11, comprising a housing that houses the plurality of storage units, wherein the housing includes a first discharge path for discharging water from the storage units and a second discharge path for discharging water from inside the housing. With this, water that has entered the storage units or housing, or water generated inside the storage units or housing, can be discharged.

[0064] (Configuration 13) The storage device according to Configuration 12, characterized in that the second discharge path has an inclined surface formed in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. With this, water flowing from inside the housing can be concentrated and guided in a certain direction, making it easier to discharge the water.

[0065] (Configuration 14) A storage device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 13, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of the energy storage devices and a plurality of storage sections for each of the plurality of energy storage devices. With this configuration, each of the plurality of energy storage devices can be stored individually. Therefore, the convenience of the storage device for storing energy storage devices for sharing is improved.

[0066] 1 Battery exchange station (storage device) 10 Enclosure 11 Bottom plate 13 Front plate 14 Back plate 17 Adjuster bolts (legs) 19 Battery (energy storage device) 20 Slot (storage area) 22 Connector unit 24 Fan 41 Upper front plate 43 Lower front plate 50 Base plate 100 Electrical component compartment 101 Communication component compartment 102 Wi-Fi module (communication component) 103 NFC antenna (communication component) 104 Indicator 105 User authentication 106 User operation area 107 Electrical box 109 Power converter 110 Air filter 111 Intake fan 112 Circuit board 114 Lower wall (cover) 115 Upper wall (cover) 116 Air intake 141 Front top plate (first inclined surface) 143 Rear side top plate (second slope)

Claims

1. A storage device comprising: a plurality of energy storage devices (19); a plurality of storage compartments (20) each housing the energy storage devices (19); and a power converter (109) that converts power input from an external power source to the plurality of energy storage devices (19) or power output from the energy storage devices (19) to an external load, wherein each storage compartment (20) has an opening (20a) into which the energy storage devices (19) can be inserted and removed, and the power converter (109) is positioned below the opening (20a).

2. The storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a control board (107A) for controlling the power converter (109), wherein the control board (107A) is positioned below the opening (20a).

3. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is equipped with communication components (102, 103) capable of communicating with the outside, and the communication components (102, 103) are positioned above the opening (20a).

4. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is equipped with a water level sensor (120), and the power converter (109) is positioned above the water level sensor (120).

5. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a covering portion (114, 115) that covers at least a part of the periphery of the power converter (109).

6. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a housing (10) that houses the plurality of storage compartments (20), wherein an inclined surface (12) formed in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal plane is formed on the upper surface of the housing (10).

7. The storage device according to claim 6, characterized in that the inclined surface (12) comprises a first inclined surface (141) whose height decreases as it approaches the surface of the housing (10) on which the opening (20a) is located.

8. The storage device according to claim 6, characterized in that the inclined surface comprises a second inclined surface (143) whose height decreases as it approaches the surface of the housing (10) opposite to the surface on which the opening (20a) is located.

9. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a housing (10) that houses the plurality of storage compartments (20), wherein the height of the housing (10) opposite to the surface on which the opening (20a) is located is lower than the height of the surface on which the opening (20a) is located.

10. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a housing (10) that houses the plurality of storage compartments (20), wherein the housing (10) is provided with height-adjustable legs (17).

11. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a housing (10) that houses the plurality of storage compartments (20), wherein the housing (10) is provided with legs (17) that support the housing, and the tips of the legs (17) are positioned in front of the front surface of the housing (10).

12. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a housing (10) that houses the plurality of storage units (20), wherein the housing (10) includes a first discharge path (HK1) for discharging water from the storage units (20) and a second discharge path (HK2) for discharging water from inside the housing (10).

13. The storage apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the second discharge path (HK2) has an inclined surface (140) formed in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal plane.

14. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of the energy storage devices (19) and a plurality of the storage units (20) that house each of the plurality of energy storage devices (20).

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