Battery swap system and method for electric vehicle

Abstract

A battery swap system and method for an electric vehicle. The battery swap system comprises an electric vehicle (1), a transfer trolley (2), a battery swap cabinet (3), and a parking platform (4), wherein a frame (5) and a battery compartment (6) which is located in the frame (5) are provided at the bottom of the electric vehicle (1), the frame (5) is provided with a locking device (7) for fixing or releasing the battery compartment (6), an opening structure for allowing a battery to enter and exit the battery compartment (6) is provided on either side wall of the battery compartment (6) in a traveling direction of the electric vehicle (1), and the battery compartment (6) is internally provided with a fixing structure for fixing the battery; the transfer trolley (2) is provided with a platform portion, a moving portion, a rotating portion and a lifting portion; the platform portion is provided with an angle measurement assembly (8) and an angle adjustment assembly (9) which are electrically connected to each other; the battery swap cabinet (3) is provided with a battery transfer device (10); and the front end and the rear end of the parking platform (4) have slopes. The battery swap efficiency of the battery swap system is not affected by the angle of the battery, and a battery swap operation can be quickly and accurately performed.

Description

A battery swapping system and method for electric vehicles Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electric vehicle battery swapping technology, and in particular to an electric vehicle battery swapping system and method. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of electric vehicles, with the continuous advancement of technology and the increasing market demand, battery swapping technology, as an important means to improve the driving range of electric vehicles, is gradually becoming the focus of industry attention.

[0003] Chassis battery swapping, as a type of battery swapping technology, is the most widely used. Existing chassis battery swapping technology often involves removing the battery from the battery compartment located at the bottom of the vehicle, and then using a transfer trolley to transport it. The fully charged battery is then installed back into the battery compartment. This battery swapping process is affected by the battery angle (because the vehicle may deviate from the standard parking angle when parked, resulting in a certain offset angle of the battery). The transfer trolley needs to be positioned accurately to successfully pull the battery with a certain offset angle out of the battery compartment at the bottom of the vehicle, which seriously affects the battery swapping efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an electric vehicle battery swapping system and method to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution:

[0006] An electric vehicle battery swapping system includes an electric vehicle, a transfer trolley, a battery swapping cabinet, and a parking platform;

[0007] The electric vehicle has a frame at its bottom and a battery compartment located within the frame. The frame is equipped with a locking device for fixing or releasing the battery compartment. Each side wall of the battery compartment has an opening structure for the battery to enter and exit the battery compartment. The interior of the battery compartment is equipped with a fixing structure for fixing the battery.

[0008] The transfer trolley is equipped with a platform section, a moving section, a rotating section and a lifting section. The platform section is equipped with an angle calculation component and an angle adjustment component that are electrically connected to each other.

[0009] The angle calculation component is used to calculate and record the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment and the periphery of the platform after the transfer trolley receives the battery compartment.

[0010] The angle adjustment component is used to adjust the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment and the periphery of the platform.

[0011] The battery swapping cabinet is equipped with a battery retrieval and delivery device, which is used to remove the battery from the battery swapping cabinet and transfer the battery to the battery compartment on the transfer trolley, or to take the battery from the battery compartment on the transfer trolley and put the battery into the battery swapping cabinet.

[0012] The parking platform has ramps at the front and rear ends, and is used to park electric vehicles. The parking platform also includes parking barriers that can be raised or lowered to limit the parking position of vehicles on the parking platform.

[0013] Furthermore, the electric vehicle has multiple frames at its bottom, each frame containing a battery compartment, and the battery compartments are arranged in a manner that is parallel to, perpendicular to, or a combination of parallel and perpendicular to the direction of travel of the electric vehicle.

[0014] Furthermore, the battery swapping cabinet is equipped with two rows of charging compartments on the left and right, and the battery delivery device is located between the two rows of charging compartments.

[0015] Furthermore, a track is provided between the battery swapping cabinet and the parking platform. The battery swapping cabinet has a door at the end facing the electric vehicle. One end of the track extends through the door into the battery swapping cabinet, and the other end of the track extends to the parking platform. The transfer trolley runs on the track and enters and exits the battery swapping cabinet through the door.

[0016] Furthermore, the parking platform also includes a left-right moving device and guardrails.

[0017] Furthermore, the rotating part can drive the platform part to rotate 90° in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

[0018] The present invention also provides a battery swapping method applied to the above-mentioned electric vehicle battery swapping system, comprising the following steps:

[0019] Step 1: The battery swapping vehicle drives into the parking platform, the transfer trolley moves to the bottom of the frame, and the lifting unit moves the platform to fit tightly against the bottom of the battery compartment;

[0020] Step 2: The locking device releases the battery compartment, and the lifting unit lowers the platform.

[0021] Step 3: The angle measurement component measures and records the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment and the periphery of the platform. After recording, the angle adjustment component adjusts the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment and the periphery of the platform so that the battery meets the position and angle standards for entering the battery swapping cabinet.

[0022] Step 4: The transfer trolley moves the battery compartment toward the battery swapping cabinet. After the transfer trolley is in place, the battery pick-and-place device grabs the battery inside the battery compartment and puts it into the battery swapping cabinet. Then, the fully charged battery in the battery swapping cabinet is taken out and transferred to the battery compartment on the transfer trolley.

[0023] Step 5: The transfer trolley moves the battery compartment toward the parking platform;

[0024] Step 6: After the transfer trolley moves to the bottom of the frame, the angle adjustment component adjusts the battery compartment to the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment and the periphery of the platform, as recorded by the angle measurement component.

[0025] Step 7: The lifting unit drives the platform to rise, the battery compartment enters the frame and is fixed by the locking device, the lifting unit drives the platform to fall, the transfer trolley resets, and the battery swap is completed.

[0026] Further, in step 2: the locking device releases the battery compartment, the lifting part drives the platform part to descend, and the rotating part drives the platform part to rotate 90° in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction;

[0027] Step 6: After the transfer trolley moves to the bottom of the frame, the rotating part drives the platform to rotate 90° in a counterclockwise or clockwise direction. The angle adjustment component adjusts the battery compartment to the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment and the periphery of the platform, as recorded by the angle measurement component.

[0028] As can be seen from the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0029] The battery swapping system provided by this invention is not affected by the angle of the battery when performing battery swapping operations. The transfer trolley does not need to find the right position to pull the battery out of the battery compartment, which can quickly and accurately perform battery swapping operations, greatly increasing battery swapping efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the electric vehicle battery swapping system in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the battery compartment in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the battery installed in the battery compartment in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the battery compartment installed in the frame in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positions of the angle calculation component and the angle adjustment component of the transfer trolley in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the battery swapping cabinet in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the parking platform in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Electric vehicle; 2. Transfer trolley; 3. Battery swapping cabinet; 4. Parking platform; 5. Frame; 6. Battery compartment; 7. Locking device; 8. Angle calculation component; 9. Angle adjustment component; 10. Battery pick-and-place device; 11. Track; 12. Parking barrier; 13. Charging compartment. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0040] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0041] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0042] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] To better understand the purpose, structure, and function of this invention, the invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] Example 1

[0045] Referring to Figure 1, this embodiment provides an electric vehicle battery swapping system, which includes an electric vehicle 1, a transfer trolley 2, a battery swapping cabinet 3, and a parking platform 4.

[0046] The bottom of the electric vehicle 1 is provided with a frame 5 and a battery compartment 6 located within the frame 5. The frame 5 is provided with a locking device 7 for fixing or releasing the battery compartment 6, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. An opening structure for the battery to enter and exit the battery compartment 6 is provided on any side wall of the battery compartment 6. A fixing structure for fixing the battery is provided inside the battery compartment 6.

[0047] It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 4, the bottom of frame 5 is open, allowing battery compartment 6 to enter and exit the interior of frame 5.

[0048] The transfer trolley 2 is equipped with a platform section, a moving section, a rotating section and a lifting section, as shown in Figure 5. The platform section is equipped with an angle calculation component 8 and an angle adjustment component 9 that are electrically connected to each other.

[0049] Specifically, the angle calculation component 8 is used to calculate and record the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment 6 and the periphery of the platform after the transfer trolley 2 receives the battery compartment 6 from the frame 5.

[0050] The angle adjustment component 9 is used to adjust the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment 6 and the periphery of the platform.

[0051] As shown in Figure 6, the battery swapping cabinet 3 is equipped with a battery retrieval and delivery device 10. The battery retrieval and delivery device 10 is used to take out the battery in the battery swapping cabinet 3 and transfer the battery to the battery compartment 6 on the transfer trolley 2, or to take out the battery from the battery compartment 6 on the transfer trolley 2 and put the battery into the battery swapping cabinet 3.

[0052] The parking platform 4 has ramps at the front and rear ends, and is used to park electric vehicles 1.

[0053] In addition, in order to increase the range of electric vehicle 1, as shown in Figure 4, multiple frames 5 are provided at the bottom of electric vehicle 1, and battery compartments 6 are provided in each of the multiple frames 5. The multiple battery compartments 6 are arranged in a way that is parallel to, perpendicular to or a combination of parallel and perpendicular to the driving direction of electric vehicle 1 (Figure 4 shows one of the arrangements).

[0054] It should be noted that the rotating part can drive the platform part to rotate 90° in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Specifically, when the layout direction of the battery compartment 6 is perpendicular to the driving direction of the electric vehicle, the rotating part can be used to adjust the battery compartment 6 to be parallel to the driving direction of the electric vehicle 1, so as to ensure that the battery inside the battery compartment 6 can smoothly enter the battery swapping cabinet 3 after the angle adjustment component 9 is adjusted.

[0055] Specifically, setting up a parking platform 4 ensures the effective operation of the battery swapping process and guarantees that the battery compartment 6 has sufficient space to move up and down to detach from the frame 5. When the electric vehicle 1 drives above the parking platform 4, the ground clearance of the electric vehicle 11 chassis can be increased.

[0056] Specifically, the battery swapping cabinet 3 has two rows of charging compartments 13 on the left and right sides inside, and the battery delivery device 10 is located between the two rows of charging compartments 13.

[0057] It should be noted that the battery compartment 6 is provided with an opening structure on any side wall along the driving direction of the electric vehicle 1 for the battery to enter and exit the battery compartment 6. The opening structure preferably faces the direction of the battery swapping cabinet 3, so that the battery retrieval and delivery device 10 can take the battery out of the battery compartment 6.

[0058] Referring to Figure 1, a track 11 is provided between the battery swapping cabinet 3 and the parking platform 4. The battery swapping cabinet 3 has a cabinet door at the end facing the electric vehicle 1. One end of the track 11 extends through the cabinet door into the battery swapping cabinet 3, and the other end of the track 11 extends to the parking platform 4. The transfer trolley 2 runs on the track 11 and enters and exits the battery swapping cabinet 3 through the cabinet door.

[0059] Specifically, the other end of track 11 extends at least below the frame 5 of electric vehicle 1 to ensure that the transfer trolley 2 can move to the bottom of battery compartment 6 to catch it.

[0060] The transfer trolley 2 runs on the track 11 and enters and exits the battery swapping cabinet 3 through the cabinet door, enabling the transfer trolley 2 to transport batteries inside the battery swapping cabinet 3. When the entire electric vehicle 1 battery swapping system is not in operation, the transfer trolley 2 can move to the inside of the battery swapping cabinet 3 to avoid damage to the transfer trolley 2 caused by external factors.

[0061] It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 7, the parking platform 4 specifically refers to two corresponding single-sided bridge structures. The parking platform 4 also includes a parking barrier 12, a left and right moving device, and a guardrail. The parking barrier 12 can be raised or lowered to limit the parking position of the vehicle on the parking platform 4.

[0062] Example 2

[0063] This embodiment provides a battery swapping method for the electric vehicle battery swapping system in Embodiment 1 above, including the following steps:

[0064] Step 1: The battery swapping vehicle drives onto the parking platform 4, the transfer trolley 2 moves to the bottom of the frame 5, and the lifting unit moves the platform to fit tightly against the bottom of the battery compartment 6.

[0065] Step 2: The locking device 7 releases the battery compartment 6, and the lifting unit drives the platform to descend;

[0066] Step 3: Angle measurement component 8 measures and records the relative position and angle between the side wall of battery compartment 6 and the periphery of platform. After recording, angle adjustment component 9 adjusts the relative position and angle between the side wall of battery compartment 6 and the periphery of platform so that the battery meets the position and angle standards for entering the battery swapping cabinet 3.

[0067] Step 4: The transfer trolley 2 moves the battery compartment 6 towards the battery swapping cabinet 3. After the transfer trolley 2 is in place, the battery picking and delivering device 10 grabs the battery inside the battery compartment 6 and puts it into the battery swapping cabinet 3. Then, the fully charged battery in the battery swapping cabinet 3 is taken out and transferred to the battery compartment 6 on the transfer trolley 2.

[0068] Step 5: The transfer trolley 2 moves the battery compartment 6 towards the parking platform 4;

[0069] Step 6: After the transfer trolley 2 moves to the bottom of the frame 5, the angle adjustment component 9 adjusts the battery compartment 6 to the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment 6 and the periphery of the platform, as recorded by the angle measurement component 8.

[0070] Step 7: The lifting unit drives the platform to rise, the battery compartment 6 enters the frame 5 and is fixed by the locking device 7, the lifting unit drives the platform to fall, the transfer trolley 2 resets, and the battery swap is completed.

[0071] It should be noted that when the battery compartment is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the electric vehicle, step 2 is as follows: the locking device 7 releases the battery compartment 6, the lifting part drives the platform part to descend, and the rotating part drives the platform part to rotate 90° in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to ensure that the battery compartment 6 can smoothly enter the battery swapping cabinet 3 in subsequent adjustments.

[0072] Step 6 is as follows: After the transfer trolley 2 moves to the bottom of the frame, the rotating part drives the platform part to rotate 90° in the counterclockwise or clockwise direction. Then the angle adjustment component 9 adjusts the battery compartment 6 to the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment 6 and the periphery of the platform part recorded by the angle measurement component 8.

[0073] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle battery swapping system, characterized by, This includes electric vehicles, transfer carts, battery swapping cabinets, and parking platforms; The electric vehicle has a frame at its bottom and a battery compartment inside the frame. The frame is equipped with a locking device for fixing or releasing the battery compartment. The battery compartment has an opening structure on one side wall for the battery to enter and exit the battery compartment. The battery compartment has a fixing structure inside for fixing the battery. The transfer trolley is equipped with a platform section, a moving section, a rotating section and a lifting section. The platform section is equipped with an angle calculation component and an angle adjustment component that are electrically connected to each other. The angle calculation component is used to calculate and record the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment and the periphery of the platform after the transfer trolley receives the battery compartment. The angle adjustment component is used to adjust the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment and the periphery of the platform. The battery swapping cabinet is equipped with a battery retrieval and delivery device, which is used to remove the battery from the battery swapping cabinet and transfer the battery to the battery compartment on the transfer trolley, or to take the battery from the battery compartment on the transfer trolley and put the battery into the battery swapping cabinet. The parking platform has ramps at the front and rear ends, and is used to park electric vehicles. The parking platform also includes parking barriers that can be raised or lowered to limit the parking position of vehicles on the parking platform.

2. The battery swapping system for electric vehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein, The electric vehicle has multiple frames at its bottom, and each of the multiple frames contains a battery compartment. The multiple battery compartments are arranged in a manner that is parallel to, perpendicular to, or a combination of parallel and perpendicular to the direction of travel of the electric vehicle.

3. The battery swapping system for electric vehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein, The battery swapping cabinet has two rows of charging compartments, one on the left and one on the right, and the battery delivery device is located between the two rows of charging compartments.

4. The battery swapping system for electric vehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein, A track is provided between the battery swapping cabinet and the parking platform. The battery swapping cabinet has a door at the end facing the electric vehicle. One end of the track extends through the door into the battery swapping cabinet, and the other end extends to the parking platform. The transfer trolley runs on the track and enters and exits the battery swapping cabinet through the door.

5. The battery swap system of claim 1, wherein, The parking platform also includes a left-right moving device and guardrails.

6. The battery swap system of claim 1, wherein, The rotating part can drive the platform part to rotate 90° in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

7. An electric vehicle battery swapping method applied to the electric vehicle battery swapping system of any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: The battery swapping vehicle drives into the parking platform, the transfer trolley moves to the bottom of the frame, and the lifting unit moves the platform to fit tightly against the bottom of the battery compartment; Step 2: The locking device releases the battery compartment, and the lifting unit lowers the platform. Step 3: The angle measurement component measures and records the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment and the periphery of the platform. After recording, the angle adjustment component adjusts the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment and the periphery of the platform so that the battery meets the position and angle standards for entering the battery swapping cabinet. Step 4: The transfer trolley moves the battery compartment toward the battery swapping cabinet. After the transfer trolley is in place, the battery pick-and-place device grabs the battery inside the battery compartment and puts it into the battery swapping cabinet. Then, the fully charged battery in the battery swapping cabinet is taken out and transferred to the battery compartment on the transfer trolley. Step 5: The transfer trolley moves the battery compartment toward the parking platform; Step 6: After the transfer trolley moves to the bottom of the frame, the angle adjustment component adjusts the battery compartment to the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment and the periphery of the platform, as recorded by the angle measurement component. Step 7: The lifting unit drives the platform to rise, the battery compartment enters the frame and is fixed by the locking device, the lifting unit drives the platform to fall, the transfer trolley resets, and the battery swap is completed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises: Step 2: The locking device releases the battery compartment, the lifting part drives the platform to descend, and the rotating part drives the platform to rotate 90° clockwise or counterclockwise. Step 6: After the transfer trolley moves to the bottom of the frame, the rotating part drives the platform to rotate 90° in a counterclockwise or clockwise direction. The angle adjustment component adjusts the battery compartment to the relative position and angle between the side wall of the battery compartment and the periphery of the platform, as recorded by the angle measurement component.

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