Battery replacement method, battery swapping station, controller, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

A battery replacement method, a battery swapping station, a controller, and a computer-readable storage medium. The battery replacement method comprises: a battery transfer device (60) transports a first battery apparatus from a battery storage system (70) and delivers the first battery apparatus to a first handover position (501); a battery replacement device (10) moves from a standby position to a battery replacement position; the battery replacement device (10) detaches a second battery apparatus and transports the second battery apparatus to a second handover position (502); the battery replacement device (10) hands over the second battery apparatus to a battery buffer device (50); the unloaded battery replacement device (10) moves to the first handover position (501) and receives the first battery apparatus; the battery replacement device (10) installs the first battery apparatus onto a chassis. After the battery replacement device (10) begins moving from the standby position toward the battery replacement position, the battery transfer device (60) starts transporting the first battery apparatus from the battery storage system (70). Furthermore, the battery transfer device (60) completes the delivery of the first battery apparatus to the first handover position (501) before the battery replacement device (10) transports the second battery apparatus to the second handover position (502). The present battery replacement method enables quick replacement of a battery apparatus and is highly efficient.

Description

Battery replacement method, battery swapping station, controller and computer-readable storage medium

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This disclosure is based on and claims priority to two Chinese patent applications: application number 202510304514.4, filed on March 14, 2025, entitled "Flat Battery Swapping Module and Battery Swapping System" and application number 202510307929.7, filed on March 14, 2025, entitled "Vehicle Bottom Battery Swapping Method and Battery Swapping Station". The entire contents of the aforementioned Chinese patent applications are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of battery replacement technology, and in particular to battery replacement methods, battery swapping stations, controllers, and computer-readable storage media. Background Technology

[0004] New energy batteries are being used more and more widely in daily life and industry. For example, new energy vehicles equipped with batteries are already in widespread use.

[0005] With the development of electric vehicles, users have increasingly higher requirements for vehicle range and charging. Traditional charging methods via charging stations can no longer meet the needs of some electric vehicles. Therefore, battery swapping stations can be used to quickly replenish the power of electric vehicles by replacing the battery packs. Improving the operating cycle time of battery swapping stations is one of the research topics in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a battery replacement method, a battery swapping station, a controller, and a computer-readable storage medium that offer fast battery replacement cycles and high efficiency.

[0007] This disclosure is achieved through the following technical solution.

[0008] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a battery replacement method. The battery replacement method is applied to a battery swapping station for replacing a battery device locked to a commercial vehicle chassis. The battery swapping station includes a battery replacement device, a battery buffer device, a battery transfer device, and a battery storage system. The battery device includes a first battery device and a second battery device. The method includes: the battery transfer device moving the first battery device from the battery storage system and transferring the first battery device to a first transfer position; the battery replacement device moving from a standby position to a battery replacement position; the battery replacement device disassembling the second battery device; the battery replacement device transporting the second battery device to a second transfer position; the battery replacement device transferring the second battery device to the battery buffer device; the unloaded battery replacement device moving to the first transfer position and transferring the first battery device from the battery buffer device; and the battery replacement device installing the first battery device onto the commercial vehicle chassis. Specifically, after the battery replacement device begins moving from the standby position to the battery replacement position, the battery transfer device begins moving the first battery device from the battery storage system, and before the battery replacement device transports the second battery device to the second transfer position, the battery transfer device completes the transfer of the first battery device to the first transfer position.

[0009] Therefore, the actions of the battery transfer equipment and the battery replacement equipment overlap to some extent in time, which reduces equipment waiting time and improves overall battery swapping efficiency. Before the battery replacement equipment, carrying the depleted second battery unit, returns to the second handover position, the fully charged first battery unit has already been handed over. This allows the battery replacement equipment to continuously hand over the first battery unit after completing the handover of the second battery unit, reducing the waiting time of the battery replacement equipment at the workstation. This helps to shorten the handover time of the first battery unit, thereby improving the battery swapping cycle time and increasing the battery replacement efficiency.

[0010] In some embodiments, the time period during which the battery transfer device moves the first battery device from the battery storage system and hands over the first battery device to the first handover location is a first time period, the time period during which the battery replacement device disassembles the second battery device is a second time period, and the time period during which the battery replacement device transports the second battery device to the second handover location is a third time period, wherein the first time period is less than or equal to the sum of the second time period and the third time period.

[0011] Since the first time period is less than or equal to the sum of the second and third time periods, when the battery replacement equipment hands over the first battery device to the battery buffer device at the first handover position, the battery transfer equipment has already handed over the first battery device to the battery buffer device in advance or exactly at that time. In this way, when the battery replacement equipment hands over the first battery device to the battery buffer device, it does not need to wait and can directly obtain the placed first battery device. This reduces the time for the battery replacement equipment to hand over battery devices in the battery swapping station, improves the battery swapping cycle, reduces the equipment's idle waiting time, and enables the battery replacement equipment to work uninterruptedly, thereby improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0012] In addition, this orderly and efficient battery replacement method helps maintain the stable operation of the entire battery swapping station, reduces potential failures or delays caused by inefficient processes, and improves the reliability and maintainability of the battery swapping station.

[0013] In some embodiments, the second time period is in the range of 24s to 42s.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second time period is in the range of 30s to 36s.

[0015] Therefore, the battery replacement equipment can disassemble the second battery device faster, which helps to further improve the battery replacement efficiency. In addition, while the battery replacement equipment can disassemble the battery device faster, the battery transfer equipment can also transfer the first battery device to the first handover position before the battery replacement equipment reaches the first handover position. This means that the battery replacement equipment does not need to wait when handing over the first battery device, reducing the idle waiting time of the battery replacement equipment during the battery replacement process, and improving the battery swapping cycle and battery replacement efficiency of the battery swapping station.

[0016] In some embodiments, the time period from when the battery replacement device removes the second battery unit to when it installs the first battery unit onto the chassis of the commercial vehicle is a fourth time period, which is in the range of 125s to 135s.

[0017] Therefore, the battery replacement method disclosed herein improves the battery swapping cycle time of the battery swapping station, thereby helping to reduce the battery replacement time, improve the battery replacement efficiency, and enhance the service capability of the battery swapping station.

[0018] In some embodiments, the distance between the bottom of the battery unit of the commercial vehicle chassis and the working surface is in the range of 375 mm to 700 mm.

[0019] The battery swapping equipment in this embodiment has a low overall height along the lifting direction, which means that the battery swapping station does not need to be equipped with a trench or only needs to be equipped with a shallow groove to replace the battery device on the commercial vehicle chassis. It also eliminates the need to design a special lifting mechanism to lift the commercial vehicle, thereby saving the time of the battery swapping equipment rising and falling in the trench, the time of lifting the commercial vehicle, or the time of opening and closing the bridge plate on the trench. This allows the battery swapping equipment to disassemble the battery device faster, speeds up the battery swapping cycle of the swapping station, and improves the battery device replacement efficiency.

[0020] In some embodiments, the time period during which the battery replacement device moves to the battery replacement location is a fifth time period; after the battery replacement device moves to the battery replacement location for a predetermined time period, the battery transfer device begins to move the first battery device from the battery storage system for half of the fifth time period; before the battery replacement device completes the disassembly of the second battery device, the battery transfer device completes the handover of the first battery device to the first handover location.

[0021] Therefore, the battery transfer equipment typically begins moving the fully charged first battery unit from the battery storage system only after the battery replacement equipment has moved more than halfway to the battery replacement location. This reduces the possibility of interference between the battery transfer equipment and the battery replacement equipment, thereby improving the overall reliability of the battery replacement process. Furthermore, the battery transfer equipment can begin moving the first battery unit as early as possible without the risk of interference, ensuring that the first battery unit is already in place when the battery replacement equipment hands it over. This helps shorten the overall battery replacement time, reduces vehicle waiting time, and improves the service efficiency of the battery swapping station, enhancing the user experience.

[0022] In some embodiments, the battery replacement device moves along a first direction, and the first handover position and the second handover position are arranged along the first direction and located on the same side of the battery replacement position along the first direction; along the first direction, the battery transfer device is located between the first handover position and the second handover position.

[0023] Therefore, the simple travel route of the battery swapping equipment facilitates optimization of its movement path, enabling it to move quickly between the battery swapping and handover positions, thus improving the overall battery swapping efficiency of the station. Furthermore, since the battery transfer equipment is located between the first and second handover positions, it does not need to move along the first direction. The transfer equipment only needs to control the lifting or extending movement of its forks to transfer battery devices between the battery buffer device and the battery storage system. This shortens the battery device handling time, thereby improving the transfer efficiency of the battery transfer equipment. Consequently, the battery swapping equipment does not need to wait during battery handover, which helps to increase the battery swapping cycle time of the station.

[0024] In some embodiments, along a first direction, the second handover position is closer to the battery replacement position relative to the first handover position.

[0025] Therefore, the battery replacement equipment first handles the handover of the second battery device and then the first battery device, making it less likely for the battery transfer equipment and the battery replacement equipment to interfere with each other. This reduces the overall time of battery transfer and replacement, lowers the risk of accidental damage or failure of the battery device, and improves the reliability and stability of the entire system.

[0026] In some embodiments, after the battery transfer device delivers the first battery device to the first delivery location, and after the battery replacement device delivers the second battery device to the second delivery location, the battery replacement method further includes: the battery transfer device acquiring the second battery device at the second delivery location; and the battery transfer device transporting the second battery device to the battery storage system.

[0027] Therefore, the battery transfer equipment can also promptly transport the second battery device at the second handover position to the battery storage system for charging, freeing up space for the battery replacement equipment to hand over the second battery device next time. This allows the battery replacement equipment to perform the next battery device replacement operation more quickly, achieving efficient utilization of equipment and space within the battery swapping station, reducing the impact of the battery swapping process on the smooth progress due to the backlog of the second battery device, and improving the overall resource utilization rate of the battery swapping station.

[0028] In some embodiments, during the process of the battery replacement equipment installing the first battery device onto the chassis of the commercial vehicle, the battery transfer equipment completes the handover of the second battery device at the second handover location.

[0029] Therefore, the battery transfer equipment can transfer the second battery device at the second handover point during the installation of the first battery device on the commercial vehicle by the battery replacement equipment. This reduces the likelihood of interference between the battery transfer equipment and the battery replacement equipment, improving the reliability and stability of the battery transfer equipment. Furthermore, the battery transfer equipment can utilize the time spent installing the first battery device on the battery replacement equipment to transfer the second battery device from the battery buffer device, reducing equipment waiting and constraints. This makes the entire battery swapping process more compact and efficient, thereby improving the battery swapping cycle time and efficiency.

[0030] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device includes a support platform, an adjustment mechanism, a traveling mechanism, and an unlocking mechanism. The support platform carries the battery device, the adjustment mechanism adjusts the position of the support platform, and the unlocking mechanism is disposed on the support platform for locking or unlocking the battery device relative to the chassis of the commercial vehicle. The battery swapping device removes the second battery device by: adjusting the position of the support platform based on the position information of the second battery device on the chassis of the commercial vehicle using the adjustment mechanism or the traveling mechanism; unlocking the second battery device using the unlocking mechanism; and detaching the unlocked second battery device from the chassis of the commercial vehicle using the adjustment mechanism.

[0031] Therefore, the battery replacement equipment can support the second battery unit via a carrying platform, providing stable support and reducing the possibility of the battery unit shaking or falling during disassembly, thus ensuring operational safety. The adjustment mechanism and the traveling mechanism can adjust the position of the carrying platform based on the orientation information of the depleted battery unit on the commercial vehicle chassis, ensuring that the locking / unlocking mechanism accurately aligns with the locking mechanism of the second battery unit. Then, the locking / unlocking mechanism performs the unlocking operation, and the adjustment mechanism smoothly detaches the unlocked depleted battery unit from the commercial vehicle chassis. The entire process is efficient and smooth, enabling rapid disassembly of the second battery unit, reducing vehicle waiting time, and improving battery replacement efficiency.

[0032] In some embodiments, the adjustment mechanism includes a lifting component, a translation component, and a rotation adjustment component; the battery replacement equipment adjusts the orientation of the carrier platform based on the orientation information of the second battery device on the commercial vehicle by means of the adjustment mechanism or the traveling mechanism, including at least one of the following: the lifting component adjusts the height of the carrier platform along the lifting direction to bring the carrier platform closer to the second battery device; the traveling mechanism adjusts the position of the carrier platform along a first direction; the translation component adjusts the position of the carrier platform along a second direction; the rotation adjustment component adjusts the rotation angle of the carrier platform about the lifting direction; the lifting component adjusts the tilt angle of the carrier platform about the second direction; the battery replacement equipment removes the unlocked second battery device from the chassis of the commercial vehicle by means of the adjustment mechanism, including: the lifting component adjusts the height of the carrier platform along the lifting direction to move the second battery device away from the chassis; the first direction, the second direction, and the lifting direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0033] Therefore, the battery swapping equipment can be raised to different heights via lifting components, enabling battery swapping for commercial vehicle chassis of varying heights. This improves adaptability and compatibility with different vehicle chassis heights. Furthermore, commercial vehicles may shift during parking; they may not be parked precisely in the ideal battery swapping position, or the battery installation position on the vehicle may be off. The adjustment or traveling mechanism can correct this deviation based on the battery device's positional information, considering the actual vehicle parking position and the battery device's position and orientation. This ensures the support platform corresponds correctly to the battery device's position and orientation, facilitating better battery installation and removal and improving the reliability of battery swapping.

[0034] In some embodiments, the battery swapping station further includes a pose detection device; before the battery swapping equipment adjusts the pose of the carrying platform by adjusting the mechanism or the walking mechanism based on the pose information of the second battery device on the commercial vehicle, the battery swapping method further includes: the pose detection device acquiring the pose information of the second battery device; comparing the acquired pose information of the second battery device with the prescribed contour information of the battery device to obtain the pose adjustment information to be adjusted.

[0035] Therefore, the actual pose information of the second battery device on the commercial vehicle chassis can be detected by the pose detection device. By comparing it with the specified contour information, the pose adjustment information that needs to be adjusted can be obtained. The pose detection device can quickly and accurately acquire and analyze the pose information of the battery device, providing timely adjustment basis for the battery replacement equipment. This makes the pose adjustment of the supporting platform faster and more accurate, reducing the time spent on repeated operations due to improper pose adjustment during the battery swapping process. This effectively improves the efficiency of the entire battery swapping process, shortens the vehicle's dwell time at the battery swapping station, and enhances the service capacity of the battery swapping station. It can better meet the battery swapping needs of larger and heavier vehicles such as commercial vehicles, and improve the operational efficiency of the battery swapping station. In addition, the application of the pose detection device provides key technical support for the automation and intelligent battery swapping of the battery swapping station. It can realize the automatic acquisition, analysis, and adjustment of the battery device's pose information, making the battery swapping process more intelligent and automated. This is conducive to further improving battery swapping efficiency and quality, and also reduces manual intervention and lowers labor costs.

[0036] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device adjusts the orientation of the carrying platform based on the orientation information of the second battery device on the commercial vehicle by means of an adjustment mechanism or a walking mechanism, including: the adjustment mechanism or the walking mechanism of the battery swapping device adjusts the orientation of the carrying platform based on the orientation adjustment information.

[0037] Therefore, the battery swapping equipment can adjust the orientation of the carrier platform based on the orientation adjustment information, reducing the possibility of battery disassembly failure or collisions / interference with other components due to excessive positional deviations during battery replacement, thus improving the reliability of the battery swapping operation. Furthermore, accurate orientation adjustment ensures a smooth battery swapping process, reducing potential jamming and misalignment issues caused by inaccurate orientation, making the battery swapping process more efficient and stable, contributing to the automation and intelligentization of the battery swapping operation, and further improving swapping efficiency. In addition, accurate orientation adjustment can reduce excessive friction and collisions between the battery swapping equipment and the battery device, reducing the risk of stress and mechanical wear on the battery swapping equipment during the swapping process, and extending the service life of the battery swapping equipment.

[0038] In some embodiments, during the process of the battery replacement device moving from the standby position to the battery replacement position, the pose detection device acquires the pose adjustment information that should be adjusted.

[0039] Therefore, before the battery swapping equipment moves to the battery swapping location, the pose detection device can detect and obtain pose adjustment information. This allows the battery swapping equipment to directly adjust the pose of the supporting platform based on the obtained pose adjustment information after moving to the battery swapping location. This reduces the extra time spent waiting for pose adjustment information after the battery swapping equipment arrives at the swapping location, improving the efficiency of battery swapping and allowing commercial vehicles to complete the swap and resume operation more quickly. In addition, obtaining pose adjustment information in advance during the movement of the battery swapping equipment to the battery swapping location makes the entire battery swapping process more compact and coherent, making fuller use of time between each stage. This reduces problems such as process interruptions or excessive waiting times caused by delays in information acquisition and pose adjustment, improving the operational efficiency of the battery swapping station and enabling it to provide battery swapping services to more commercial vehicles in the same amount of time.

[0040] In some embodiments, before the battery transfer device moves the first battery device from the battery storage system, the battery replacement method further includes: obtaining battery swapping demand information of the commercial vehicle regarding the battery device; wherein the battery swapping demand information includes type information and / or quantity information of the battery device, and the information of the first battery device moved by the battery transfer device corresponds to the battery swapping demand information.

[0041] This allows battery swapping stations to pre-plan the routes of battery transport equipment based on the battery swapping demand information of the battery devices, enabling the battery transport equipment to obtain the corresponding battery device type and quantity from the battery storage system more quickly, thereby saving the time of battery transport equipment in transporting battery devices and improving battery swapping efficiency.

[0042] The second aspect of this disclosure provides a battery replacement method for use in a battery swapping station, for replacing a battery device locked to a commercial vehicle chassis. The battery replacement method includes: acquiring a first battery device and transferring the first battery device to a first transfer position; removing a second battery device from the commercial vehicle chassis; transporting the second battery device to a second transfer position and transferring the first battery device from the first transfer position; and installing the first battery device onto the commercial vehicle chassis. The time period for acquiring the first battery device and transferring it to the first transfer position is a first time period, the time period for removing the second battery device from the commercial vehicle chassis is a second time period, and the time period for transporting the second battery device to the second transfer position is a third time period. The first time period is less than or equal to the sum of the second and third time periods. The acquisition of the first battery device and the transfer of the first battery device to the first transfer position are completed before the second battery device is transported to the second transfer position.

[0043] A third aspect of this disclosure provides a battery swapping station for replacing the battery device of a commercial vehicle using the battery swapping method described in the first or second aspect of this disclosure. The battery swapping station includes: a battery swapping system comprising a battery swapping device, a battery buffer device, and a battery transfer device; the battery swapping device being used to disassemble, install, and transport the battery device; the battery buffer device being used to exchange the battery device with the battery swapping device; and the battery transfer device being used to exchange the battery device with the battery buffer device; and a battery storage system for storing the battery device and configured to charge the second battery device.

[0044] The battery swapping station layout of this embodiment is reasonable, which helps to simplify the movement of the battery swapping equipment in the battery swapping system. Furthermore, through the cooperation of the battery transfer equipment, battery buffer equipment, and battery storage system in the battery swapping system, battery swapping time can be effectively saved, the battery swapping cycle can be improved, and the battery replacement efficiency can be increased.

[0045] In some embodiments, the battery replacement system further includes a travel guide assembly extending along a first direction, the battery replacement device being able to move along the travel guide assembly, the travel guide assembly passing at least a battery replacement position, a first handover position, and a second handover position along the first direction; and along the lifting direction, a battery buffer device is located on the side of the battery replacement device opposite to the travel guide assembly.

[0046] Since the battery buffer device is located above the walking guide assembly, when the battery replacement device moves to the battery buffer device, it can directly transfer the battery device to the battery buffer device by raising the support platform. This helps to reduce the walking distance of the battery replacement device, thereby further improving the battery replacement cycle time and battery replacement efficiency.

[0047] In some embodiments, the battery transfer device is located between a first transfer position and a second transfer position along a first direction.

[0048] Since the battery transfer equipment is located between the first and second handover positions, it does not need to move along the first direction. The transfer between the battery buffer device and the battery storage system is achieved simply by controlling the lifting or extending movement of its transport forks, simplifying the equipment's mechanism. Furthermore, because the transfer equipment itself does not need to move, the battery handling time is shortened, improving its transfer efficiency. This eliminates waiting time for battery swapping equipment during handover, thus increasing the battery swapping cycle time at the station.

[0049] In some embodiments, the battery storage system includes a battery storage rack with multiple layers of battery compartments for storing battery devices, the multiple layers of battery compartments being located above the travel rail assembly.

[0050] The multi-layered battery storage compartments are located above the travel rail assembly, thus making full use of vertical space and storing a greater number of battery devices within a limited area, resulting in higher space utilization. Furthermore, the location of the battery storage compartments above the travel rail assembly allows for efficient access to battery devices by the battery transfer equipment, reducing unnecessary movement and improving transfer efficiency. Additionally, each battery device can be stored individually in its own compartment, reducing the possibility of a cascading effect in the event of battery failure or damage, and improving the reliability and stability of the battery storage system.

[0051] A fourth aspect of this disclosure provides a controller including a processor and a memory; wherein the memory stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor, which, when the controller is in operation, execute the machine-readable instructions to perform a battery replacement method as described in the first or second aspect of this disclosure.

[0052] The fifth aspect of this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored, which, when executed by a processor, performs the battery replacement method as described in the first or second aspect of this disclosure.

[0053] Invention Effects

[0054] This disclosure provides a battery swapping method, a battery swapping station, a controller, and a computer-readable storage medium that offer fast battery swapping cycles and high battery device replacement efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0055] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0056] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the vehicle structure provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0057] Figure 2 is an exploded structural diagram of a battery device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0058] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the layout of a battery swapping station provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0059] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0060] Figure 5 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a battery replacement device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0061] Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of a battery replacement device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0062] Figure 7 is a schematic flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure (II).

[0063] Figure 8 is a schematic flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0064] Figure 9 is a schematic flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0065] Figure 10 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a portion of the bracket and the translation component provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0066] Figure 11 is an exploded structural diagram of the carrier platform provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0067] Figure 12 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a battery replacement device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure (the support platform is not shown);

[0068] Figure 13 is a schematic flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0069] Figure 14 is a schematic flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0070] Figure 15 is a schematic flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0071] Figure 16 is a schematic flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0072] Figure 17 is a schematic flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0073] Figure 18 is a schematic block diagram of the controller provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0074] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Bracket; 2. Bearing platform; 21. Bearing surface; 22. Bearing support; 23. Bearing component; 231. Arc-shaped part; 3. Unlocking mechanism; 4. Motion mechanism; 41. Walking mechanism; 42. Adjustment mechanism; 421. Lifting assembly; 421a. First lifting assembly; 421b. Second lifting assembly; 422. Lifting platform; 422a. First lifting platform; 422b. Second lifting platform; 4221. Lifting top plate; 4222. Lifting bottom plate; 43. Translation assembly; 431. Translation drive component; 432. Lead screw; 433. Engaging component; 44. Rotation adjustment assembly; 45. Rotation adjustment assembly; 451. Rotation drive component; 452. Second gear; 10. Battery replacement equipment; 2 0. Working surface; 40. Walking guide rail assembly; 50. Battery buffer device; 501. First handover position; 502. Second handover position; 60. Battery transfer equipment; 70. Battery storage system; 701. Battery storage rack; 80. Controller; 801. Processor; 802. Memory; 8021. Machine-readable instructions; 803. Bus system; 100. Battery device; 101. Battery cell assembly; 102. Housing; 102a. First housing; 102b. Second housing; 200. Controller; 300. Motor; 1000. Commercial vehicle; 2000. Battery swapping station; t1. First time period; t2. Second time period; t3. Third time period; t4. Fourth time period; t5. Fifth time period. Detailed Implementation

[0075] The embodiments of the technical solutions disclosed herein will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solutions disclosed herein and are therefore intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0076] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this disclosure; the terms “comprising” and “having” and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0077] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, technical terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary or secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0078] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0079] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0080] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, the technical terms "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "circumferential," 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 the embodiments of this disclosure and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, operated, or used in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0081] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; 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; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0082] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the technical term "contact" should be interpreted broadly, and can be direct contact, contact through an intermediate medium layer, contact between two contacting parties with substantially no interaction force, or contact between two contacting parties with interaction force.

[0083] The following is a detailed description of this disclosure.

[0084] Currently, new energy batteries are being used more and more widely in daily life and industry. They are not only used in energy storage systems for hydropower, thermal power, wind power, and solar power plants, but also extensively in electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, electric cars, and electric trucks, as well as in aerospace and other fields. With the continuous expansion of the application areas of power batteries, the market demand for them is also constantly increasing.

[0085] When electrical equipment runs out of power, it can usually be recharged by connecting to charging equipment, such as charging stations for electric vehicles. However, with the development of electric vehicles, users have increasingly higher requirements for vehicle range and charging speed. Traditional charging stations can no longer meet the needs of some electric vehicles, especially for commercial vehicles such as heavy trucks, where long charging times severely impact operational efficiency and utilization. Therefore, replacing the battery at battery swapping stations can replenish the power of electric vehicles. Compared to connecting to charging stations, battery swapping provides a faster way to replenish power.

[0086] Commercial vehicles with swappable batteries have their batteries replaced at the swappable battery station. For chassis-type battery swapping where the battery is installed under the commercial vehicle chassis, the battery replacement equipment needs to enter the space under the commercial vehicle to install or remove the battery.

[0087] In related technologies, because the battery transfer equipment takes a long time to transport battery devices, the battery replacement equipment usually needs to wait at the battery buffer device for the battery transfer equipment to hand over the battery device before it can continue to transfer battery devices. This time-consuming process creates gaps in the coordination between the equipment, which slows down the battery replacement cycle and affects the battery replacement efficiency. Furthermore, the long battery replacement time in related technologies further impacts the battery replacement cycle and efficiency.

[0088] This disclosure addresses the problems existing in the aforementioned related technologies by proposing a battery replacement method. This method is applied to a battery swapping station for replacing battery devices locked to a commercial vehicle chassis. The battery swapping station includes battery replacement equipment, battery buffer equipment, battery transfer equipment, and a battery storage system. The battery replacement method includes: a battery transfer device moving a first battery unit from a battery storage system and transferring the first battery unit to a first transfer position; a battery replacement device moving from a standby position to a battery replacement position; a battery replacement device removing a second battery unit; a battery replacement device transporting the second battery unit to a second transfer position; a battery replacement device transferring the second battery unit to a battery buffer device at the second transfer position; an unloaded battery replacement device moving to the first transfer position; a battery replacement device transferring the first battery unit from the battery buffer device at the first transfer position; and a battery replacement device installing the first battery unit onto the chassis of a commercial vehicle. Specifically, after the battery replacement device begins moving from the standby position to the battery replacement position, the battery transfer device begins moving the first battery unit from the battery storage system, and before the battery replacement device transports the second battery unit to the second transfer position, the battery transfer device completes the transfer of the first battery unit to the first transfer position.

[0089] Therefore, the actions of the battery transfer equipment and the battery replacement equipment overlap to some extent in time, which reduces equipment waiting time and improves overall battery swapping efficiency. Before the battery replacement equipment, carrying the depleted second battery unit, returns to the second handover position, the fully charged first battery unit has already been handed over. This allows the battery replacement equipment to continuously hand over the first battery unit after completing the handover of the second battery unit, reducing the waiting time of the battery replacement equipment at the workstation. This helps to shorten the handover time of the first battery unit, thereby improving the battery swapping cycle time and increasing the battery replacement efficiency.

[0090] The first aspect of this disclosure provides a battery replacement method applied to a battery swapping station 2000 for replacing a battery device 100 locked to a commercial vehicle chassis 100.

[0091] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a commercial vehicle 1000 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0092] Commercial vehicle 1000 refers to a vehicle used for carrying passengers or transporting goods. Exemplarily, commercial vehicle 1000 may include commercial buses, commercial trucks, heavy-duty trucks, semi-trailer tractors, and special commercial vehicles such as concrete trucks, drilling trucks, and tank trucks. This disclosure does not impose any special limitations on the type of commercial vehicle.

[0093] Commercial vehicle 1000 can be a fuel-powered vehicle, a natural gas-powered vehicle, or a new energy vehicle. New energy vehicles can be pure electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, or range-extended vehicles, etc. This disclosure does not impose any special restrictions on the above-mentioned vehicles.

[0094] As shown in Figure 1, a battery device 100 is installed inside the commercial vehicle 1000. In some embodiments, the battery device 100 may be located at the bottom, front, or rear of the commercial vehicle 1000. In this embodiment, the battery 100 is located at the bottom chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000. The battery device 100 can be used to power the commercial vehicle 1000; for example, the battery device 100 can serve as the operating power source for the commercial vehicle 1000. The commercial vehicle 1000 may also include a controller 200 and a motor 300. The controller 200 is used to control the battery device 100 to supply power to the motor 300, for example, to meet the power requirements of the commercial vehicle 1000 during startup, navigation, and driving.

[0095] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the battery device 100 can not only serve as the operating power source for the commercial vehicle 1000, but also as the driving power source for the commercial vehicle 1000, replacing or partially replacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power for the commercial vehicle 1000.

[0096] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the battery replacement device 10 is used to replace the battery device 100 of a commercial vehicle 1000 in which the battery device 100 is mounted on the chassis.

[0097] Therefore, the battery swapping device 10 can perform chassis-type battery swapping on the battery device 100 installed at the bottom of the commercial vehicle 1000. The battery swapping device 10 has good compatibility and high battery swapping efficiency.

[0098] Typically, the distance between the bottom edge of the battery pack 100 mounted on the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000 and the working surface 20 is between 375mm and 700mm. The chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000 refers to the assembly of components beneath the commercial vehicle that supports the vehicle body, bears the vehicle's weight and load, and withstands various dynamic and static loads during operation. The chassis may include, for example, a frame, which is the skeleton structure of the chassis and may consist of multiple longitudinal beams and multiple transverse beams. In some embodiments, the battery pack 100 may be mounted on the chassis frame. The bottom edge of the battery pack 100 refers to the portion of the battery pack 100 closest to the working surface 20 along the lifting direction (which is also the direction of gravity in most cases), or it may refer to the portion of the battery pack 100 furthest from the frame along the lifting direction.

[0099] The working surface 20 refers to the surface on which the battery swapping equipment 10 travels. However, in some cases, the commercial vehicle 1000 also travels on the working surface. For example, when the commercial vehicle 1000 travels on the ground surface of the battery swapping station 2000, the ground surface of the battery swapping station 2000 can be considered the working surface 20, and the battery swapping equipment 10 can also travel on the ground surface of the battery swapping station 2000. In some embodiments, the working surface 20 may refer to the surface on which the battery swapping equipment 10 travels, but the commercial vehicle 1000 does not travel on this surface. For example, when the distance between the battery device 100 of the commercial vehicle 100 chassis and the working surface 20 is large along the lifting direction, the vehicle remains parked on the ground surface, while the battery swapping equipment 10 enters below the vehicle chassis via a ramp or similar surface. In this case, the ramp can be considered the working surface 20.

[0100] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments disclosed herein do not specifically limit the shape of the working surface 20. The working surface 20 can be a horizontal surface, a surface inclined relative to a horizontal surface (e.g., a ramp), or a shallow trench. In terms of application scenarios, the working surface 20 can be the ground in the battery swapping station 2000 for the commercial vehicle 1000 to travel on, the ground in a parking lot, or a surface specifically designed for battery swapping. As long as the distance between the working surface 20 and the bottom of the battery device 100 installed on the chassis of the commercial vehicle 100 meets the aforementioned numerical range, it is acceptable.

[0101] In some embodiments, the battery swapping device 10 has an improved structure (described in detail below) with a lower overall height along the lifting direction. Therefore, the battery swapping device 10 can move directly on the same working surface (e.g., the ground of the battery swapping station) as the commercial vehicle 1000 and replace the battery device 100 on the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000. This eliminates the need for the battery swapping station 2000 to set up a trench or only a shallow groove, as is required in some related technologies, and eliminates the need for a specially designed lifting mechanism to lift the commercial vehicle 1000. This saves time on the battery swapping device 10's ascent and descent in the trench, the time for lifting the commercial vehicle 1000, or the time for opening and closing the bridge plate set on the trench. This allows the battery swapping device 10 to disassemble the battery device 100 faster, speeds up the battery swapping cycle of the battery swapping station 2000, and improves the battery device 100 replacement efficiency.

[0102] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a battery device 100 provided in some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0103] As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment of the disclosure, the battery device 100 may include one or more battery cell assemblies 101 for providing voltage and capacity. The battery cell assembly 101 may include multiple battery cells, which can be connected in series, parallel, or mixed connections via a busbar.

[0104] In some embodiments, the battery cell assembly 101 is typically formed by arranging a plurality of battery cells.

[0105] A single battery cell can be a rechargeable battery. A rechargeable battery is a battery cell that can be recharged after it has been discharged, allowing the active materials to be activated and the cell to continue to be used.

[0106] The battery cell can be a lithium-ion battery, sodium-ion battery, sodium-lithium-ion battery, lithium metal battery, sodium metal battery, lithium-sulfur battery, magnesium-ion battery, nickel-metal hydride battery, nickel-cadmium battery, lead-acid battery, etc., and this disclosure does not specifically limit the types of batteries.

[0107] As an example, the battery cell assembly 101 can be a battery module, which is formed by arranging and fixing multiple battery cells into an independent module. As an example, the battery module can be formed by bundling multiple battery cells together with cable ties.

[0108] In some embodiments, the battery device 100 may be a battery pack, which may include a housing 102 and one or more battery cell assemblies 101, the battery cell assemblies 101 being housed in the housing 102.

[0109] As an example, the battery cell assembly 101 can be a battery module, and the battery cell assembly 101 can be housed in the housing 102 by fixing the battery module in the housing 102.

[0110] As an example, the battery cell assembly 101 can also be housed in the housing 102 by directly fixing multiple battery cells to the housing 102.

[0111] As an example, the housing 102 may include a first housing 102a and a second housing 102b. The first housing 102a and the second housing 102b are fastened together to form a closed space inside the housing 102 to house the battery cell assembly 101. Here, "closed" refers to covering or closing, which can be sealed or unsealed. The first housing 102a can be a top cover, and the second housing 102b can be a bottom plate, or the first housing 102a can be a bottom plate, and the second housing 102b can be a top cover.

[0112] The following describes some embodiments of the present disclosure in detail with reference to Figures 3 to 18.

[0113] Figure 3 is a layout diagram of a battery swapping station provided in some embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 4 is a flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure (Figure 1); Figure 5 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a battery replacement device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 6 is a planar structural diagram of a battery replacement device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 7 is a flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure (Figure 2); Figure 8 is a flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure (Figure 3); Figure 9 is a flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of this disclosure (Figure 4); Figure 10 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a bracket portion and a translation component provided in some embodiments of this disclosure; Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the... Figure 12 is a partial structural diagram of a battery replacement device (not shown) provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 13 is a flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 14 is a flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 15 is a flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 16 is a flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 17 is a flowchart of a battery replacement method provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 18 is a structural block diagram of a controller provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0114] Figure 3 illustrates some embodiments of this disclosure, where, for ease of explanation, a first direction, a second direction, and a lifting direction are defined, and these three directions are perpendicular to each other. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to the case where these three directions are perpendicular to each other. For ease of explanation, as shown by the arrows in Figures 5, 6, and 10 to 12, the direction where arrow X is located is the first direction, the direction where arrow Y is located is the second direction, and the direction where arrow Z is located is the lifting direction. Sometimes the lifting direction is also referred to as the height direction, and the direction in which arrow Z points along the lifting direction is called "above," and its opposite direction is called "below."

[0115] As shown in Figure 3, the battery swapping station 2000 includes a battery swapping device 10, a battery buffer device 50, a battery transfer device 60, and a battery storage system 70.

[0116] Battery swap equipment 10 is a device used for removing, transporting and installing battery devices 100.

[0117] The battery temporary storage equipment 50 is a device that temporarily stores the battery device 100 during the battery swapping process. The battery temporary storage equipment 50 has a handover position, which refers to the location where the battery replacement equipment 10 and the battery temporary storage equipment 50 hand over the battery device 100. Specifically, the handover position may include a first handover position 501 and a second handover position 502. The battery replacement equipment 10 may hand over the first battery device at the first handover position 501 and the second battery device at the second handover position 502. Alternatively, the battery replacement equipment 10 may also hand over the second battery device at the first handover position 501 and the first battery device at the second handover position 502. This disclosure describes the battery replacement equipment 10 handing over the first battery device at the first handover position 501 and the second battery device at the second handover position 502.

[0118] Battery transfer equipment 60 is a device used to move battery device 100 back and forth between battery buffer device 50 and battery storage system 70.

[0119] The battery swap system 70 is a system for centrally storing the battery unit 100, including mechanical frames, electrical components, high and low voltage electrical connectors, water-cooling connectors, and other accessories. The battery unit 100 includes a first battery unit and a second battery unit.

[0120] For example, the first battery device refers to the battery device 100 that needs to be removed from the commercial vehicle chassis. The second battery device refers to the battery device 100 that needs to be installed on the commercial vehicle chassis.

[0121] As another example, the first battery device may include a depleted battery device 100. The second battery device may include a fully charged battery device 100.

[0122] Those skilled in the art will understand that, in some embodiments, the second battery device may be a battery device that is not fully charged.

[0123] As shown in Figure 4, the battery replacement method includes:

[0124] S100: The battery transfer device 60 moves the first battery device from the battery storage system 70 and transfers the first battery device to the first transfer position 501;

[0125] S200: The battery replacement device 10 moves from the standby position to the battery replacement position;

[0126] S300: Battery replacement device 10 removes the second battery unit;

[0127] S400: Battery replacement equipment 10 transports the second battery device to the second handover position 502;

[0128] S500: Battery replacement device 10 transfers the second battery device to battery buffer device 50;

[0129] S600: The unloaded battery replacement device 10 moves to the first handover position 501 and hands over the first battery device from the battery buffer device 50;

[0130] S700: Battery replacement device 10 installs the first battery unit onto the chassis of commercial vehicle 1000.

[0131] Specifically, after the battery replacement device 10 starts moving from the standby position to the battery replacement position, the battery transfer device 60 starts moving the first battery device from the battery storage system 70, and before the battery replacement device 10 transports the second battery device to the second handover position 502, the battery transfer device completes the handover of the first battery device to the first handover position 501.

[0132] Those skilled in the art should understand that the battery replacement position refers to the ideal position where the battery replacement device 10 replaces the battery unit 100 on the commercial vehicle 1000. Ideally, after the battery replacement device 10 reaches its designated position, no additional position or attitude adjustments are required; the battery unit 100 can be installed or removed directly by lifting the device via the lifting assembly 421.

[0133] The standby position refers to the initial position of the battery replacement equipment 10, that is, the safe parking position of the battery replacement equipment 10 when it is not performing operations. It is the start and end point of the battery replacement operation cycle of the battery replacement equipment 10.

[0134] The actions of the battery transfer device 60 and the battery replacement device 10 overlap in time, thereby reducing equipment waiting time and improving overall battery swapping efficiency. Before the battery replacement device 10, carrying the depleted second battery unit, returns to the second handover position 502, the fully charged first battery unit has already been handed over. This allows the battery replacement device 10 to continuously hand over the first battery unit after handing over the second battery unit, reducing the waiting time of the battery replacement device 10 at the workstation. This helps to shorten the handover time of the first battery unit, thereby improving the battery swapping cycle time and increasing the replacement efficiency of the battery unit 100.

[0135] For example, the battery swapping device 10 may begin to move from the standby position to the battery swapping position in response to the commercial vehicle 1000 arriving at the target position.

[0136] As another example, the battery swapping device 10 can respond to the commercial vehicle 1000 entering the battery swapping station 2000 by moving from the standby position to the battery swapping position, thereby enabling the battery swapping device 10 to be dispatched as early as possible and to start the operation on the vehicle as early as possible, thus improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0137] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the time period during which the battery transfer device 60 acquires the first battery device and transfers the first battery device to the first transfer position 501 is a first time period t1, the time period during which the battery replacement device 10 disassembles the second battery device is a second time period t2, and the time period during which the battery replacement device 10 transports the second battery device to the second transfer position 502 is a third time period t3. The first time period t1 is less than or equal to the sum of the second time period t2 and the third time period t3.

[0138] Since the first time period t1 is less than or equal to the sum of the second time period t2 and the third time period t3, when the battery replacement device 10 hands over the first battery device to the battery buffer device 50 at the first handover position 501, the battery transfer device 60 has already handed over the first battery device to the battery buffer device 50 in advance or exactly. In this way, the battery replacement device 10 does not need to wait when handing over the first battery device to the battery buffer device 50. The battery replacement device 10 can directly obtain the placed first battery device, thereby reducing the time for the battery replacement device 10 to hand over the battery device 100 in the battery swapping station 2000, improving the battery swapping cycle, and enabling the battery replacement device 10 to work uninterruptedly, thereby improving the replacement efficiency of the battery device 100.

[0139] In addition, this orderly and efficient battery replacement method helps maintain the stable operation of the entire battery swapping station 2000, reduces the failures or delays that may be caused by inefficient processes, and improves the reliability and maintainability of the battery swapping station 2000.

[0140] This embodiment does not specifically limit the timing when the battery transfer device 60 begins to acquire the first battery device. As long as the first time period t1 is less than or equal to the sum of the second time period t2 and the third time period t3, that is, the battery transfer device 60 has already transferred the first battery device to the first handover position 501 before the battery replacement device 10 moves to the first handover position 501 to prepare to hand over the first battery device.

[0141] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the second time period t2 is in the range of 24 seconds to 42 seconds. Further, the second time period t2 is in the range of 30 seconds to 36 seconds.

[0142] Therefore, the time period for the battery replacement device 10 to remove the second battery device is in the range of 24s to 42s, and further, in the range of 30s to 36s.

[0143] The battery replacement device 10 can disassemble the second battery device faster, which helps to further improve the replacement efficiency of the battery device 100. In addition, the battery transfer device 60 can transfer the first battery device to the first handover position 501 before the battery replacement device 10 reaches the first handover position 501. This means that the battery replacement device 10 does not need to wait when handing over the first battery device, reducing the idle waiting time of the battery replacement device 10 during the replacement of the battery device 100, and improving the overall battery replacement cycle and overall battery replacement efficiency.

[0144] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the battery replacement device 10 includes a bracket 1, a support platform 2, an locking / unlocking mechanism 3, and a motion mechanism 4. The support platform 2 is used to support the battery device 100. The locking / unlocking mechanism 3 is disposed on the support platform 2 and is used to lock or unlock the battery device 100 relative to the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000. The motion mechanism 4 includes a walking mechanism 41 and an adjustment mechanism 42. The walking mechanism 41 is connected to the bracket 1 and is configured to walk on the working surface 20 to drive the bracket 1 to reciprocate along a first direction. The adjustment mechanism 42 is used to adjust the position of the support surface 21 of the support platform 2 relative to the bracket 1. The adjustment mechanism 42 includes a lifting assembly 421 and a lifting platform 422. The lifting assembly 421 is connected to the bracket 1, and the lifting platform 422 is connected to the side of the lifting assembly 421 away from the bracket 1 along the lifting direction. The lifting assembly 421 is configured to enable the lifting platform 422 to be lifted. The bearing platform 2 is connected to the lifting platform 422. Along the lifting direction, the bearing surface 21 is located on the side closer to the bracket 1 relative to the lifting platform 422, and the lifting direction is perpendicular to the working surface 20.

[0145] The bracket 1 is the chassis support structure of the battery replacement device 10, used to support various structural components that enable the functions of the battery replacement device 10. Exemplarily, the bracket 1 can be a frame structure, a flat plate structure, or a tray structure. This embodiment does not specifically limit the shape of the bracket 1.

[0146] The bracket 1 can move on the working surface 20 via the traveling mechanism 41. Exemplarily, the traveling mechanism 41 may include rollers capable of moving on the working surface 20, or it may include track wheels capable of moving on a traveling guide assembly disposed on the working surface 20.

[0147] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the working surface 20 refers to the ground surface of the site of the battery swapping station 2000.

[0148] The support platform 2 is a structural component used to support the battery device 100. Specifically, the support platform 2 can be used to support either a second battery device or a first battery device. The support platform 2 includes a support surface 21 on which the battery device 100 is supported. In this embodiment, the support surface 21 is generally flat, thereby providing stable support for the battery device 100.

[0149] The unlocking mechanism 3 is located on the bearing surface 21 of the bearing platform 2. The unlocking mechanism 3 is used to unlock the battery device 100 relative to the commercial vehicle 1000 to remove the second battery device from the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000, or to lock the battery device 100 relative to the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000 to install the first battery device onto the commercial vehicle 1000.

[0150] This disclosure does not specifically limit the type and structure of the locking / unlocking mechanism 3, as long as it can lock and unlock the battery device 100 relative to the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000.

[0151] The motion mechanism 4 is a structural component that enables various actions and movements of the battery replacement device 10. In this embodiment, the motion mechanism 4 includes a walking mechanism 41 and an adjustment mechanism 42. The walking mechanism 41 is used to drive the battery replacement device 10 to move on the working surface 20, and the adjustment mechanism 42 is used to adjust the position and posture of the support platform 2 of the battery replacement device 10 relative to the bracket 1.

[0152] The lifting assembly 421 refers to a structural component capable of lifting and lowering along the lifting direction (height direction). One end of the lifting assembly 421 is connected to the bracket 1, and the other end is connected to the lifting platform 422. The lifting platform 422 can also be lifted and lowered along the lifting direction under the drive of the lifting assembly 421. The carrying platform 2 is connected to the lifting platform 422. Thus, the carrying platform 2 can also be lifted and lowered along the lifting direction under the drive of the lifting platform 422, thereby moving closer to or further away from the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000 to replace the battery device 100 installed on the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000.

[0153] For example, the lifting assembly 421 can be a lifting cylinder. As another example, the lifting assembly 421 can be a rigid chain assembly. Even more exemplarily, the lifting assembly 421 can be a ball screw lifting assembly. This disclosure does not specifically limit the type and structure of the lifting assembly 421, as long as it enables the lifting platform 422 to rise and fall along the lifting direction.

[0154] In this embodiment, there are two lifting components 421 and two lifting platforms 422. The support platform 2 is connected between the two lifting platforms 422, thereby improving the load-bearing reliability of the support platform 2.

[0155] In some other embodiments, it may include only one lifting component 421 and one lifting platform 422. The present disclosure does not specifically limit the number of lifting components 421 and lifting platforms 422, as long as the stable bearing of the bearing platform 2 can be achieved and the lifting platform can be raised and lowered in the lifting direction.

[0156] In this embodiment of the battery swapping device 10, the lifting component 421 and the support platform 2 are arranged side by side, meaning that the projection of the lifting component 421 and the projection of the support platform 2 do not overlap in the same projection plane perpendicular to the lifting direction. This reduces the overall height of the battery swapping device 10 along the lifting direction, thereby reducing the need for chassis height space in the commercial vehicle 1000 and improving the battery swapping compatibility of the battery swapping device 10 with different chassis heights of the commercial vehicle 1000. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for specially designed pits or lifting mechanisms to raise the vehicle due to the battery swapping device 10's excessive height preventing it from accessing the underside of the vehicle chassis, resulting in higher battery swapping reliability, better battery swapping efficiency, and also contributing to cost savings in production.

[0157] Furthermore, due to the reduced height of the battery swapping device 10, it can move directly on the same working surface 20 as the commercial vehicle 1000, interacting with the commercial vehicle 1000 and the battery buffer device 50 within the battery swapping station 2000. This eliminates the need for a trench for the battery swapping device 10 to descend or a lifting mechanism for the commercial vehicle 1000, reducing the engineering time and complexity of station placement, thus lowering economic costs and improving battery swapping reliability. The direct movement of the battery swapping device 10 on the same working surface 20 as the commercial vehicle 1000 also saves time on the time required for the supporting platform 2 to rise and fall from the trench, thereby improving the battery swapping efficiency of the battery swapping device 10, resulting in a faster battery swapping cycle and stronger service capabilities.

[0158] In some embodiments, along the lifting direction, the bearing surface 21 of the bearing platform 2 is located on the side closer to the bracket 1 relative to the lifting platform 422; that is, along the lifting direction, the bearing surface 21 is set lower than the lifting platform 422. This allows the bearing platform 2 to be driven to lift within a lower height range, thereby further reducing the battery swapping equipment 10's requirement for the chassis height space of the commercial vehicle 1000.

[0159] Furthermore, after the unlocking mechanism 3 unlocks the battery device 100 relative to the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000, the battery device 100 will be supported on the support platform 2. At this time, the top surface of the battery device 100 will be higher than the top surface of the lifting platform 422. Since the support surface 21 is located on the side closer to the bracket 1 relative to the lifting platform 422, the part of the battery device 100 that is higher than the lifting platform 422 will not be too much. This makes it less likely for the battery replacement equipment 10 carrying the battery device 100 to interfere with the chassis support and other structures when it moves under the commercial vehicle 1000, further improving the reliability of the battery replacement equipment 10.

[0160] This embodiment does not specifically limit the height difference between the carrying platform 2 and the lifting platform 422 along the lifting direction. As long as the carrying platform 2 carries the battery device 100, the battery device 100 does not interfere with the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000, and the battery replacement equipment 10 can smoothly enter and exit under the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000.

[0161] Those skilled in the art will understand that the improved battery replacement efficiency of the battery replacement device 10 includes improving the efficiency of the battery replacement device 10 in removing the second battery device, as well as improving the efficiency of the battery replacement device 10 in installing the first battery device.

[0162] As a specific example, the second time period t2 can be 30.5s. That is, due to the above-mentioned structural improvements, the time for disassembling the second battery device in the battery replacement equipment 10 can be reduced to 30.5s, thereby greatly reducing the time of the second time period t2, which is beneficial to improving the battery swapping cycle of the battery swapping station 2000.

[0163] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the time period from the removal of the second battery device to the installation of the first battery device onto the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000 by the battery replacement device 10 is a fourth time period t4, which is in the range of 125s to 135s.

[0164] As described above, due to the improved structure of the battery replacement device 10, the time for removing the second battery device and the time for installing the first battery device on the commercial vehicle 1000 chassis can be effectively reduced.

[0165] This disclosure also improves the structure of the battery transfer device 60. Exemplarily, the battery transfer device 60 includes a palletizer with at least two transport forks. These forks are capable of moving along a second direction and a lifting direction under the drive of a driving device, and can also extend and retract along a first direction under the drive of the driving device. Each of the at least two transport forks can extend and retract independently. Therefore, the battery transfer device 60 can simultaneously acquire multiple battery devices 100 from the battery storage system 70 based on battery swapping needs, and simultaneously transfer the multiple battery devices 100 to the first transfer position 501. This helps save time in the first time period t1, and further helps reduce time in the fourth time period t4, that is, reduces the overall time for the battery replacement device 10 to replace the battery devices 100, and improves the battery swapping cycle time.

[0166] In addition, since at least two transport forks can extend and retract independently, different numbers of transport forks can be controlled to perform actions to acquire the battery device 100 and to transfer the battery device 100 according to different battery replacement needs.

[0167] As a specific example, there are three forks, and the three forks can extend and retract independently of each other.

[0168] Because the efficiency of battery replacement equipment 10 in disassembling and installing battery device 100 is improved, and the efficiency of battery transfer equipment 60 in transferring battery device 100 is also improved, battery replacement equipment 10 can directly acquire the first battery device after handing over the second battery device without waiting, reducing the idle waiting time of battery replacement equipment 10 during the replacement of battery device 100. Therefore, the battery replacement method of this disclosure improves the overall battery swapping cycle time of battery swapping station 2000, thereby helping to reduce the replacement time of battery device 100, improve the replacement efficiency of battery device 100, and improve the service capacity of battery swapping station 2000.

[0169] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the time period during which the battery replacement device 10 moves to the battery replacement position is a fifth time period t5. After the battery replacement device 10 moves to the battery replacement position for a predetermined time period, the battery transfer device 60 begins to transport the first battery device from the battery storage system 70. The predetermined time period is half of the fifth time period t5. Before the battery replacement device 10 completes the removal of the second battery device, the battery transfer device 60 completes the transfer of the first battery device to the first transfer position 501.

[0170] Therefore, the battery transfer device 60 only begins to move the fully charged first battery device from the battery storage system 70 after the battery replacement device 10 has moved more than halfway to the battery replacement position. This reduces the possibility of interference between the battery transfer device 60 and the battery replacement device 10, thereby improving the overall reliability of the battery replacement process.

[0171] For example, the fifth time period t5 is generally in the range of 9s to 10s.

[0172] The battery transfer device 60 can begin moving the first battery device from the battery storage system 70 when the battery replacement device 10 has moved halfway (e.g., after 4.5 seconds of movement), or it can begin moving the first battery device from the battery storage system 70 after the battery replacement device 10 has moved for a longer period of time (e.g., after the battery replacement device 10 has moved to the battery replacement position). This embodiment does not specifically limit the timing at which the battery transfer device 60 begins moving the first battery device from the battery storage system 70, as long as the battery transfer device 60 does not easily interfere with the battery replacement device 10, and the battery transfer device 60 completes the transfer of the first battery device to the first transfer position 501 before the battery replacement device 10 completes the removal of the second battery device.

[0173] In some embodiments, starting from the beginning of the battery transfer device 60 moving the first battery device from the battery storage system 70, the battery replacement device 10 moves to the battery replacement position within a predetermined time period, which is less than 5 seconds. Before the battery replacement device 10 completes the disassembly of the second battery device, the battery transfer device 60 completes the transfer of the first battery device to the first transfer position 501.

[0174] Therefore, the battery transfer device 60 requires less time to transfer the battery device 100. Even if the battery replacement device 10 only starts transferring the battery device 100 when it is about to arrive at the battery replacement position, the first battery device can still be transferred and handed over before the battery replacement device 10 completes disassembly, that is, the first battery device is transferred from the battery storage system 70 to the first handover position 501. This improves the close coordination between the operation of the battery transfer device 60 and the battery replacement device 10, reduces unnecessary waiting time, makes the battery device 100 replacement process more seamless, thereby speeding up the entire battery device 100 replacement process and improving the battery device 100 replacement efficiency.

[0175] Furthermore, it helps to shorten the overall replacement time of the battery device 100, reduce vehicle waiting time within the battery swapping station 2000, and improve the service efficiency and user experience of the battery swapping station 2000. In addition, it can reduce the possibility of interference between the battery swapping equipment 10 and the battery transfer equipment 60, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the battery swapping method.

[0176] Furthermore, the battery replacement device 10 typically passes through the battery transfer device 60 and the battery buffer device 50 during its journey to the battery replacement position. Since the specified time period is relatively short, the battery transfer device 60 may still be in the process of transferring the battery device 100 to the battery storage system 70 during this period. For example, the forks of the battery transfer device 60 may extend into the battery storage compartment of the battery storage system 70 to retrieve the battery device 100; that is, the battery transfer device 60 has not yet begun transferring the battery device 100 to the battery buffer device 50. However, within the specified time period, the battery replacement device 10 has already reached the battery replacement position. Therefore, when the battery transfer device 60 subsequently transfers the battery device to the battery buffer device 50, it is less likely to interfere with the battery replacement device 10, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the battery replacement method.

[0177] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the battery replacement device 10 moves along a first direction, and the first handover position 501 and the second handover position 502 are arranged along the first direction and located on the same side of the battery replacement position along the first direction. Along the first direction, the battery transfer device 60 is located between the first handover position 501 and the second handover position 502.

[0178] Therefore, the simple travel route of the battery replacement device 10 is conducive to optimizing the travel path of the battery replacement device 10, enabling the battery replacement device 10 to move between the battery replacement position and the handover position at a faster speed, thereby improving the overall battery replacement efficiency of the battery swapping station 2000.

[0179] In related technologies, besides the lifting and extending movements of the forks of the battery transfer device 60, the battery transfer device 60 itself also moves, that is, it moves between the battery storage system 70 and the battery buffer device 50 to transfer the battery device 100. Because the battery transfer device 60 is relatively heavy, driving its movement requires a large amount of power and a long time, which is not conducive to improving the battery swapping cycle time.

[0180] The battery transfer device 60 of this embodiment is located between the first handover position 501 and the second handover position 502. The battery transfer device 60 itself does not need to move along the first direction. The battery transfer device 60 can transfer the battery device 100 between the battery buffer device 50 and the battery storage system 70 by controlling the lifting or extending movement of its transport fork. Therefore, it can save the movement time of the battery transfer device 60 itself, thereby shortening the transport time of the battery device 100, which is conducive to improving the transfer efficiency of the battery transfer device 60, reducing the time of the first time period t1, so that the battery replacement device 10 does not need to wait when transferring the battery device 100, which is conducive to improving the battery replacement cycle of the battery swapping station 2000.

[0181] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG3, along a first direction, the second handover position 502 is closer to the battery replacement position relative to the first handover position 501.

[0182] Therefore, after the battery replacement device 10 removes the second battery unit from the commercial vehicle 1000 chassis, it first passes through the second handover position 502 to hand over the second battery unit, and then continues to the first handover position 501 to hand over the first battery unit. Since the battery transfer device 60 can complete the handover of the first battery unit with the battery buffer device 50 when the battery replacement device 10 moves to the first handover position 501 or before it moves to the first handover position 501, the arrangement of the first handover position 501 and the second handover position 502 ensures that after the battery replacement device 10 hands over the second battery unit to the second handover position 502, during its movement towards the first handover position 501, the battery transfer device 60 can move to a retreating position, thus minimizing interference with the battery transfer device 60. In other words, during the process of transferring the first battery device, the battery replacement device 10 is still located at the second handover position 502 or on its way to the second handover position 502, so it is not easy to interfere with the battery replacement device 10. This reduces the overall time of the battery device 100 transfer and replacement process, reduces the risk of accidental damage or failure of the battery device 100, and improves the reliability and stability of the entire system.

[0183] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that in some embodiments, the first handover position 501 may be closer to the battery replacement position than the second handover position 502. In this case, after disassembling the second battery device, the battery replacement device 10 will pass through the first handover position 501 and the battery transfer device 60 before reaching the second handover position 502. As mentioned above, since the first time period t1 is less than or equal to the sum of the second time period t2 and the third time period t3, the battery transfer device 60 may have already transferred the first battery device to the battery buffer device 50 before or just as the battery replacement device 10 reaches the second handover position 502. In other words, when the battery replacement device 10 passes through the battery transfer device 60 to the second handover position 502, the battery transfer device 60 may have already completed the step of transferring the first battery device between the first handover position 501 and the battery buffer device 50. Therefore, the battery transfer device 60 is less likely to interfere with the battery replacement device 10, which is beneficial to improving the reliability and stability of battery swapping.

[0184] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the battery replacement device 10 includes a support platform 2, an adjustment mechanism 42, a walking mechanism 41, and an unlocking mechanism 3. The support platform 2 is used to support the battery device 100, the adjustment mechanism 42 is used to adjust the position of the support platform 2, and the unlocking mechanism 3 is disposed on the support platform 2 for locking or unlocking the battery device 100 relative to the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000.

[0185] As shown in Figure 7, the battery replacement device 10 removes the second battery assembly, including:

[0186] S201: The battery replacement device 10 adjusts the position of the carrier platform 2 based on the position information of the second battery device on the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000 by adjusting the mechanism 42 or the walking mechanism 41.

[0187] S202: The unlocking mechanism unlocks the second battery device;

[0188] S203: The battery replacement device 10 removes the unlocked second battery unit from the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000 via an adjustment mechanism.

[0189] Therefore, the battery replacement device 10 can support the second battery device through the support platform 2, providing stable support for the second battery device, reducing the possibility of the battery device 100 shaking or falling during the disassembly process, and ensuring operational safety.

[0190] The walking mechanism 41 and the adjustment mechanism 42 can adjust the position of the carrying platform 2 according to the position information of the depleted battery device 100 of the commercial vehicle 1000 chassis, so that the unlocking mechanism 3 can be accurately aligned with the locking mechanism of the second battery device. Then, the unlocking mechanism 3 performs the unlocking operation, and then the adjustment mechanism 42 is used to smoothly remove the unlocked depleted battery device 100 from the commercial vehicle 1000 chassis. The whole process is efficient and smooth, which can quickly remove the second battery device, reduce vehicle waiting time, and improve the replacement efficiency of the battery device 100.

[0191] In addition to adjusting the position of the bearing platform 2 when it is aligned with the battery device 100 of the commercial vehicle 100 chassis, the walking mechanism 41 can also control the movement of the battery replacement device 10 along the first direction, such as controlling the battery replacement device 10 to move to the battery replacement position, the first handover position 501, the second handover position 502, etc.

[0192] The pose of the support platform 2 may include, for example, the position and orientation of the support platform 2. Further, the pose of the support platform 2 may include the position of the support platform 2 along a first direction, the position along a second direction, the position along a lifting direction, the rotation angle around the first direction, the rotation angle around the second direction, and the rotation angle around the lifting direction, etc.

[0193] For example, the pose of the battery device 100 of the commercial vehicle 1000 chassis can be detected by a pose sensor.

[0194] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the adjustment mechanism 42 includes a lifting assembly 421, a translation assembly 43, and a rotation adjustment assembly 45.

[0195] As shown in Figure 8, the battery replacement device 10 adjusts the orientation of the carrier platform 2 based on the orientation information of the second battery device on the commercial vehicle 1000 by adjusting the mechanism 42 or the walking mechanism 41, including at least one of the following:

[0196] S2011: The lifting assembly 421 adjusts the height of the support platform 2 along the lifting direction so that the support platform 2 is close to the second battery device;

[0197] S2012: The traveling mechanism 41 adjusts the position of the bearing platform 2 along the first direction;

[0198] S2013: Translation component 43 adjusts the position of bearing platform 2 along the second direction;

[0199] S2014: Rotary adjustment component 45 adjusts the rotation angle of the bearing platform 2 around the lifting direction;

[0200] S2015: Lifting assembly 421 adjusts the tilt angle of the bearing platform 2 around the second direction.

[0201] As shown in Figure 9, the battery replacement device 10 removes the unlocked second battery unit from the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000 via the adjustment mechanism 42, including:

[0202] S2031: The lifting assembly 421 adjusts the height of the support platform 2 along the lifting direction so that the second battery device is away from the chassis.

[0203] Among them, the first direction, the second direction, and the lifting direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0204] Therefore, the battery swapping device 10 can be raised to different heights via the lifting component 421, thereby enabling battery swapping for commercial vehicle 1000 chassis of different heights, improving battery swapping adaptability to different vehicle chassis heights, and providing better compatibility.

[0205] Furthermore, when the commercial vehicle 1000 is parked, it may deviate from its intended position for battery replacement, meaning it may not be parked precisely at the ideal location for the battery replacement device 100, or the installation position of the battery device 100 on the commercial vehicle 1000 may be off. The adjustment mechanism 42 or the traveling mechanism 41 can correct this deviation based on the battery device 100's position and orientation information, according to the actual parking position of the vehicle and the actual position and orientation of the battery device 100 on the vehicle. This ensures that the position and orientation of the carrying platform 2 correspond to those of the battery device 100, thereby enabling better installation and removal of the battery device 100 and improving the reliability of battery replacement.

[0206] The structure of the adjustment mechanism 42 and the traveling mechanism 41 will be described in detail below.

[0207] As described above, the adjustment mechanism 42 includes a lifting assembly 421 and a lifting platform 422. The lifting platform 422 is connected to the lifting assembly 421 and can move up and down in the lifting direction (height direction) under the drive of the lifting assembly 421. The support platform 2 is connected to the lifting platform 422. Thus, the support platform 2 can move up and down in the lifting direction along with the lifting platform 422, thereby approaching or moving away from the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000, to disassemble the second battery device of the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000 or to install the first battery device on the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000.

[0208] In this embodiment of the disclosure, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, there are two lifting components 421 and two lifting platforms 422. The two lifting components 421 include a first lifting component 421a and a second lifting component 421b, and the two lifting platforms 422 include a first lifting platform 422a and a second lifting platform 422b. The first lifting component 421a causes the first lifting platform 422a to move up and down in the lifting direction, and the second lifting component 421b causes the second lifting platform 422b to move up and down in the lifting direction. The first lifting component 421a and the first lifting platform 422a are located on one side of the support platform 2 along the first direction, and the second lifting component 421b and the second lifting platform 422b are located on the other side of the support platform 2 along the first direction.

[0209] In some embodiments, the first lifting platform 422a and the second lifting platform 422b can simultaneously achieve the overall lifting action of the bearing platform 2 through the first lifting component 421a and the second lifting component 421b, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the bearing platform 2 during the lifting process, reducing the possibility of the bearing platform 2 overturning during the lifting process, and thus improving the stability and reliability of the battery replacement device 10 during the battery replacement process of the battery device 100.

[0210] In some embodiments, the first lifting platform 422a and the second lifting platform 422b can be raised and lowered independently. Thus, the first lifting platform 422a and the second lifting platform 422b can be raised and lowered to different heights, causing the support platform 2 connected to the first lifting platform 422a and the second lifting platform 422b to tilt around the second direction. Different height differences result in different tilt angles for the support platform 2, thereby adapting to situations where the battery device 100 on the commercial vehicle 1000 tilts around the second direction relative to the battery replacement position due to factors such as the installation accuracy of the battery device 100 and the parking position deviation of the commercial vehicle 1000. This allows the support surface 21 of the support platform 2 to maintain good surface contact with the tilted battery device 100 on the commercial vehicle 1000, enabling the unlocking mechanism 3 of the battery replacement device 10 to smoothly install and remove the tilted battery device 100, improving the reliability of battery device 100 replacement.

[0211] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG10, the translation assembly 43 includes a translation drive 431, a lead screw 432 extending along a second direction, and a meshing member 433. The drive end of the translation drive 431 is connected to the lead screw 432 and is used to drive the lead screw 432 to rotate. The meshing member 433 is sleeved on the lead screw 432 and can move along the second direction as the lead screw 432 rotates. The lifting assembly 421 is connected to the meshing member 433 and can reciprocate along the second direction as the meshing member 433 moves. Thus, the meshing member 433 can achieve reciprocating motion along the second direction through the rotation of the lead screw 432, thereby driving the lifting assembly 421 connected to the meshing member 433 to reciprocate along the second direction, thereby adjusting the position of the bearing platform 2 along the second direction.

[0212] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that the translation component 43 is not limited to the kinematic pair of lead screw and nut. As long as the lifting component 421 can move along the second direction, the translation component 43 can also be a gear and rack drive, chain drive, belt drive, etc.

[0213] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG11, the support platform 2 includes a support member 22 and a support member 23 movably connected. Along the lifting direction, the side of the support member 23 facing away from the support member 22 is configured as a support surface 21. The rotation adjustment assembly 45 includes a rotation drive member 451, a second gear 452, and a second rack. The support member 23 extends arcuately along one side of the first direction to form an arcuate portion 231. The rotation drive member 451 and the second gear 452 are disposed on one side of the support member 22 along the first direction. The drive end of the rotation drive member 451 is connected to the second gear 452, and the second rack is disposed on the arcuate portion 231 and meshes with the second gear 452. Thus, the support surface 21 can rotate around the lifting direction by the meshing of the second gear 452 with the second rack disposed on the arcuate portion 231, in conjunction with the rotation drive member 451, thereby adjusting the rotation angle of the support platform 2 around the lifting direction. If there is a deviation in the parking position of the commercial vehicle 1000 or a deviation in the installation position of the battery device 100 on the commercial vehicle 1000, the rotation angle of the bearing surface 21 around the lifting direction can be adjusted by rotating the adjustment component 45 so that the rotation angle of the bearing surface 21 around the lifting direction can be consistent with the rotation angle of the battery device 100 around the lifting direction, thereby enabling the bearing surface 21 to be better aligned with the battery device 100.

[0214] Of course, those skilled in the art will not impose specific limitations on the structure of the rotation adjustment component 45, as long as it can adjust the rotation angle of the bearing platform 2 around the lifting direction.

[0215] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG12, the adjustment mechanism 42 further includes a rotation adjustment component 44. The rotation adjustment component 44 is used to rotate the bearing surface 21 relative to the bracket 1 about a first direction. The lifting platform 422 includes a lifting top plate 4221 and a lifting bottom plate 4222 spaced apart. The rotation adjustment component 44 is disposed between the lifting top plate 4221 and the lifting bottom plate 4222, and is used to rotate the lifting top plate 4221 relative to the lifting bottom plate 4222 about the first direction. The bearing platform 2 is connected to the lifting top plate 4221. Thus, the lifting top plate 4221 is movably connected to the lifting bottom plate 4222, and can rotate relative to the lifting bottom plate 4222 about the first direction by the rotation adjustment component 44, thereby driving the bearing platform 2 connected to the lifting top plate 4221 to rotate about the first direction, thereby adjusting the rotation angle of the bearing platform 2 about the first direction.

[0216] The rotation adjustment component 44 in this embodiment is a passive adjustment component, meaning that the rotation adjustment component 44 does not rotate under the drive of the drive device, but rather rotates due to the action of an external force. Specifically, when the battery device 100 installed on the commercial vehicle 1000 rotates and tilts around the first direction, during the upward movement of the support platform 2, since the battery device 100 is tilted, the support platform 2 will first partially contact the bottom of the battery device 100. At this time, as the support platform 2 continues to rise along the lifting direction, the part of the battery device 100 in contact with the support platform 2 will exert a certain force on the support platform 2. The force on the support platform 2 will be transmitted to the lifting top plate 4221 connected to the support platform 2. Under the influence of this force, the lifting top plate 4221 can, for example, drive the rotating side of structural components such as bearings to rotate, thereby causing the support platform 2 to rotate around the first direction, adapting to the tilted bottom of the battery device 100, so that the bearing surface 21 of the support platform 2 contacts the bottom surface of the battery device 100.

[0217] Of course, those skilled in the art should understand that the present disclosure does not specifically limit the structure of the rotation adjustment component 44, as long as it can adjust the rotation angle of the bearing platform 2 around the first direction. In some other embodiments, the lifting top plate 4221 may also rotate relative to the lifting bottom plate 4222 around the first direction under the drive of the driving device, thereby adapting to the inclined bottom of the battery device 100 in an active rotation manner.

[0218] The walking mechanism 41 can drive the battery replacement device 10 to move along the first direction on the working surface 20, for example, by using walking wheels or guide rail wheels, thereby adjusting the position of the bearing platform 2 along the first direction.

[0219] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the battery swapping station 2000 further includes a pose detection device. As shown in FIG13, before the battery swapping device 10 adjusts the pose of the carrying platform by adjusting mechanism 42 or walking mechanism 41 based on the pose information of the second battery device on the commercial vehicle 1000, the battery swapping method further includes:

[0220] S201a: The pose detection device acquires the pose information of the second battery device;

[0221] S201b: The acquired pose information of the second battery device is compared with the specified contour information of the battery device 100 to obtain the pose adjustment information that should be adjusted.

[0222] For example, the pose sensor may include a vision camera and / or a laser sensor. For instance, an image of the battery device 100 on the chassis of a commercial vehicle 1000 can be captured by the vision camera, and then the position coordinates and attitude angle of the battery device 100 in space can be determined using image processing algorithms (such as edge detection, feature point extraction, etc.). Furthermore, a ranging sensor such as a lidar can be combined to accurately measure the distance between the battery device and the detection device by emitting a laser beam and receiving the reflected light, thereby further assisting in determining the pose of the battery device 100.

[0223] This disclosure does not limit the specific type of pose sensor. The pose sensor can also be any other suitable sensor, as long as it can detect the pose information of the battery device 100.

[0224] Furthermore, this embodiment does not impose specific limitations on the installation location of the pose sensor, as long as its detection range can cover the area where the battery device 100 is located to ensure the accuracy of the measurement.

[0225] The outline information specified for the battery device 100 can be a set of pre-set position and attitude parameters that the battery device 100 should have under ideal conditions.

[0226] The actual pose information acquired by the pose sensor is compared with the contour information specified by the battery device 100. This can be achieved by calculating the deviation between the actual pose parameters (position coordinates and attitude angles, etc.) and the corresponding parameters of the specified contour, and based on a certain error calculation model and algorithm, obtaining the pose adjustment information that needs to be adjusted so that the pose of the second battery device can approach or conform to the state required by the specified contour.

[0227] Therefore, the actual position and posture information of the second battery device on the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000 can be detected by the position and posture detection device, and the position and posture adjustment information that needs to be adjusted can be obtained by comparing it with the specified contour information.

[0228] The pose detection device can quickly and accurately acquire and analyze the pose information of the battery device 100, providing timely adjustment basis for the battery replacement equipment 10. This makes the pose adjustment of the carrying platform 2 faster and more accurate, reducing the time spent on repeated operations due to improper pose adjustment during the battery swapping process. This effectively improves the efficiency of the entire battery swapping process, shortens the dwell time of the commercial vehicle 1000 at the battery swapping station 2000, improves the service capacity of the battery swapping station 2000, and better meets the battery swapping needs of larger and heavier vehicles such as the commercial vehicle 1000, thereby improving the operational efficiency of the battery swapping station 2000.

[0229] In addition, the application of the pose detection device provides key technical support for the automation and intelligent battery swapping of the 2000 battery swapping station. It can automatically acquire, analyze and adjust the pose information of the battery device 100, making the battery swapping process more intelligent and automated, which is conducive to further improving the battery swapping efficiency and quality, and also reduces manual intervention and lowers labor costs.

[0230] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG14, the battery replacement device 10 adjusts the orientation of the carrier platform 2 based on the orientation information of the second battery device on the commercial vehicle 1000 by adjusting the mechanism 42 or the walking mechanism 41, including:

[0231] S2016: The adjustment mechanism 42 or the walking mechanism 41 of the battery replacement device 10 adjusts the posture of the carrier platform based on the posture adjustment information.

[0232] Therefore, the battery replacement device 10 can adjust the position of the carrier platform 2 based on the position adjustment information, reducing the possibility of battery device 100 failing to be disassembled or colliding or interfering with other components due to excessive position deviation during the battery replacement process, thereby improving the reliability and smoothness of the battery swapping operation, and thus improving the battery swapping cycle and battery swapping efficiency.

[0233] Moreover, accurate positioning and orientation adjustment can ensure the smooth progress of the battery swapping process, reduce problems such as jamming and misalignment that may occur due to inaccurate positioning and orientation, make the battery swapping process more efficient and stable, help to realize the automation and intelligence of battery swapping operations, and further improve battery swapping efficiency.

[0234] In addition, accurate positioning adjustment can reduce excessive friction and collision between the battery replacement device 10 and the battery device 100, reduce the risk of force impact and mechanical wear on the battery replacement device 10 during the battery replacement process, and extend the service life of the battery replacement device 10.

[0235] In some embodiments of this disclosure, during the process of the battery replacement device 10 moving from the standby position to the battery replacement position, the pose detection device acquires the pose adjustment information that should be adjusted.

[0236] Therefore, before the battery replacement device 10 moves to the battery replacement position, the posture detection device can detect and obtain posture adjustment information. This allows the battery replacement device 10 to directly adjust the posture of the carrier platform based on the obtained posture adjustment information after it moves to the battery replacement position. This reduces the extra time that the battery replacement device 10 needs to wait for posture adjustment information to adjust its posture after it arrives at the replacement position, improves the efficiency of battery swapping, and allows the commercial vehicle 1000 to complete battery swapping and resume operation more quickly.

[0237] In addition, by acquiring the position adjustment information in advance during the process of the battery replacement device 10 moving to the battery replacement position, the entire battery swapping process becomes more compact and coherent, and the time between each link is utilized more fully. This reduces problems such as process interruption or excessive waiting time caused by delays in information acquisition and position adjustment, improves the operational efficiency of the battery swapping station 2000, and enables it to provide battery swapping services for more commercial vehicles 1000 in the same amount of time.

[0238] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG15, after the battery transfer device 60 transfers the first battery device to the first transfer position 501, and after the battery replacement device 10 transfers the second battery device to the second transfer position 502, the battery replacement method further includes:

[0239] S800: Battery transfer device 60 acquires the second battery device at the second handover position 502;

[0240] S900: The battery transfer device 60 transports the second battery device to the battery storage system 70.

[0241] Therefore, the battery transfer equipment 60 can also promptly transfer the second battery device at the second handover position 502 to the battery storage system 70 for charging, freeing up space for the battery replacement equipment 10 to hand over the second battery device next time. This allows the battery replacement equipment 10 to perform the next battery device 100 replacement operation more quickly, achieving efficient utilization of equipment and space within the battery swapping station 2000, reducing the impact of the backlog of second battery devices on the smooth progress of the battery swapping process, and improving the overall resource utilization rate of the battery swapping station 2000.

[0242] In some embodiments of this disclosure, during the process of the battery replacement device 10 installing the first battery device onto the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000, the battery transfer device 60 completes the transfer of the second battery device at the second transfer position 502.

[0243] Therefore, the battery transfer device 60 can transfer the second battery device at the second handover position 502 during the process of the battery replacement device 10 installing the first battery device to the commercial vehicle 1000, making it less likely for the battery transfer device 60 to interfere with the battery replacement device 10, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the battery transfer device 60.

[0244] Furthermore, the battery transfer device 60 can utilize the time it takes to install the first battery device in the battery replacement device 10 to transfer the second battery device in the battery buffer device 50, reducing equipment waiting time and the possibility of interference, making the entire battery swapping process more compact and efficient, thereby improving the battery swapping cycle and efficiency.

[0245] For example, in this embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery transfer device 60 is located along a first direction between the first handover position 501 and the second handover position 502. During the movement of the battery transfer device 60 from the second handover position 502 to the first handover position 501, or from the first handover position 501 to the second handover position 502, the battery transfer device 60 will pass through the battery transfer device 60. Therefore, when the battery replacement device 10 moves between the first handover position 501 and the second handover position 502, the transport fork of the battery transfer device 60 will be in a retracted position, thereby reducing the possibility of interference with the battery replacement device 10. Therefore, when the battery replacement device 10 has finished handing over the first battery device at the first handover position 501 and is moving towards the battery replacement position, the battery transfer device 60 will wait at least until the battery replacement device 10 has passed through the battery transfer device 60 before handing over the second battery device at the second handover position 502. When the battery replacement device 10 installs the first battery device, it has already passed through the battery transfer device 60. At this time, when the battery transfer device 60 starts to obtain the second battery device from the second handover position 502, it is less likely to interfere with the battery replacement device 10, thus improving the reliability of battery replacement.

[0246] In some embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in FIG16, the battery replacement method further includes, before the battery transfer device 60 moves the first battery device from the battery storage system 70:

[0247] S1000: Obtain information from commercial vehicle 1000 regarding battery swapping requirements of battery device 100.

[0248] The battery swapping demand information includes the type and / or quantity information of the battery device 100, and the information of the first battery device handed over by the battery transfer equipment 60 corresponds to the battery swapping demand information.

[0249] The number and model of battery devices 100 installed in different commercial vehicles 1000 may vary. Therefore, obtaining the battery swapping needs of commercial vehicles 1000 regarding battery devices 100 in advance allows the battery swapping station 2000 to pre-plan the route of the battery transfer equipment 60 based on the battery swapping needs information. This enables the battery transfer equipment 60 to obtain the corresponding type and quantity of battery devices 100 from the battery storage system 70 more quickly, thereby saving the time of the battery transport equipment in transferring the battery devices 100 and improving battery swapping efficiency.

[0250] For example, the battery swapping station 2000 may include an information reading device or a wireless communication module. When the commercial vehicle 1000 enters the battery swapping station 2000, a communication connection can be established through the information reading device or the wireless communication module to obtain the battery swapping demand information of the commercial vehicle 1000 regarding the battery device 100. The information reading device may be, for example, a barcode scanner, which obtains the battery swapping demand information by scanning specific identification tags (such as RFID tags or QR code tags) on the commercial vehicle 1000. The wireless communication module may establish a communication connection with the commercial vehicle 1000 through Bluetooth, WIFI, or other means to obtain the battery swapping demand information.

[0251] There can be multiple battery swapping devices 10; in some embodiments, the number of battery swapping devices 10 is three. The battery swapping station 2000 can control the movement of a corresponding number of battery swapping devices 10 to the battery swapping station based on battery swapping demand information, and control the battery transfer device 60 to acquire a corresponding number and type of battery devices 100.

[0252] The second aspect of this disclosure provides a battery replacement method applied to a battery swapping station 2000 for replacing a battery pack 100 locked to the chassis of a commercial vehicle 1000. As shown in Figure 17, the battery replacement method includes:

[0253] S001: Acquire the first battery device and transfer the first battery device to the first transfer position 501;

[0254] S002: Remove the second battery unit from the commercial vehicle 1000 chassis;

[0255] S003: Transport the second battery device to the second handover position 502 and hand over the first battery device from the first handover position 501;

[0256] S004: Install the first battery unit onto the chassis of the commercial vehicle 1000.

[0257] The time period for acquiring the first battery device and handing it over to the first handover position 501 is the first time period t1, the time period for removing the second battery device from the commercial vehicle 1000 chassis is the second time period t2, and the time period for transporting the second battery device to the second handover position 502 is the third time period t3. The first time period t1 is less than or equal to the sum of the second time period t2 and the third time period t3.

[0258] The entity that performs the above steps may be the same as or different from the entity mentioned above, and will not be elaborated on here.

[0259] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above methods are not in any particular order, unless otherwise specified.

[0260] As shown in Figure 3, a third aspect of this disclosure provides a battery swapping station 2000 for replacing the battery device 100 of a commercial vehicle 1000 using the battery swapping method described in the first aspect of this disclosure. The battery swapping station 2000 includes a battery swapping system and a battery storage system 70. The battery swapping system includes a battery swapping device 10, a battery buffer device 50, and a battery transfer device 60. The battery swapping device 10 is used to remove, install, and transport the battery device 100. The battery buffer device 50 is used to transfer the battery device 100 to the battery swapping device 10, and the battery transfer device 60 is used to transfer the battery device 100 to the battery buffer device 50. The battery storage system 70 is used to store the battery device 100 and is configured to charge the second battery device.

[0261] The layout of the battery swapping station 2000 in this embodiment is reasonable, which helps to simplify the movement of the battery swapping equipment 10 in the battery swapping system. Furthermore, through the cooperation of the battery transfer equipment 60, the battery buffer equipment 50 and the battery storage system 70 in the battery swapping system, the battery swapping time can be effectively saved, the battery swapping cycle can be improved, and the battery swapping efficiency of the battery device 100 can be increased.

[0262] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the battery replacement system further includes a travel guide assembly 40 extending along a first direction. The battery replacement device 10 is movable along the travel guide assembly 40, which passes at least a battery replacement position, a first junction position 501, and a second junction position 502 along the first direction. Along the lifting direction, a battery buffer device 50 is located on the side of the battery replacement device 10 opposite to the travel guide assembly.

[0263] For example, the travel rail assembly 40 includes two travel rails. The battery swapping device 10 is supported on the two travel rails and is able to move along the two travel rails under the drive of the travel mechanism 41.

[0264] This disclosure does not specifically limit the structure and quantity of the walking guide assembly 40.

[0265] Since the battery buffer device 50 is located above the travel guide assembly, the battery buffer device 50 can be arranged in the vertical direction, which helps to save space, reduce space occupancy, and reduce production costs.

[0266] Furthermore, when the battery replacement device 10 moves to the battery buffer device 50, it can directly transfer the battery device 100 to the battery buffer device 50 by raising the support platform 2. This helps to reduce the travel distance of the battery replacement device 10, thereby further improving the battery replacement cycle time and battery replacement efficiency.

[0267] In some embodiments, the clamping device of the battery buffer device 50 may be lowered to hand over the battery device 100 to the battery replacement device 10.

[0268] In addition, since the walking guide assembly 40 extends along the first direction, the battery replacement device 10 only needs to make a straight line movement along the first direction from the battery replacement position to the handover position (first handover position 501 and second handover position 502). The travel route is simple, which helps to optimize the travel path of the battery replacement device 10, so that the battery replacement device 10 can move between the battery replacement position and the handover position at a faster speed, improve the battery replacement cycle, and improve the overall replacement efficiency of the battery replacement station 2000 for the battery device 100.

[0269] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the battery transfer device 60 is located between a first transfer position 501 and a second transfer position 502 along a first direction.

[0270] Since the battery transfer device 60 is located between the first transfer position 501 and the second transfer position 502, the battery transfer device 60 itself does not need to move along the first direction. The battery transfer device 60 can transfer batteries between the battery buffer device 50 and the battery storage system 70 simply by controlling the lifting or extending movement of its transport forks, which helps to simplify the mechanism of the battery transfer device 60.

[0271] In addition, since the battery transfer equipment 60 itself does not need to move, the handling time of the battery device 100 can be shortened, thereby improving the transfer efficiency of the battery transfer equipment 60. As a result, the battery replacement equipment 10 does not need to wait when handing over batteries, which helps to improve the battery swapping cycle of the battery swapping station 2000.

[0272] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the battery storage system 70 includes a battery storage rack 701, which includes multiple layers of battery storage compartments for storing battery devices 100, the multiple layers of battery storage compartments being located above the travel rail assembly 40.

[0273] The multi-layered battery storage compartments are located above the walking rail assembly 40, thereby making full use of the space in the vertical direction and storing a larger number of battery devices 100 in a limited space, resulting in higher space utilization.

[0274] Furthermore, the battery storage compartment is located above the travel guide assembly 40, enabling the battery transfer device 60 to efficiently access the battery device 100, reducing unnecessary movement, thereby improving transfer efficiency and increasing battery swapping cycle time.

[0275] In addition, each battery device 100 can be stored individually in its own battery storage compartment, reducing the possibility of a chain reaction when the battery device 100 fails or is damaged, and improving the reliability and stability of the battery storage system 70.

[0276] In this embodiment, along the lifting direction, a row of battery storage compartments and a battery buffer device 50 are arranged opposite each other. That is, in the same projection plane perpendicular to the lifting direction, the projection of a battery buffer device 50 falls within the projection range of a row of battery storage compartments. Thus, after the battery transfer device 60 removes the battery device 100 from the battery buffer device 50 by extending and retracting its forks, it can directly place the battery device 100 into the battery storage compartment by raising it. Alternatively, after the battery transfer device 60 removes the battery device 100 from the battery storage compartment by extending and retracting its forks, it can directly lower it to temporarily store the removed battery device 100 in the battery buffer device 50 without additional lateral adjustments, which helps save handling time and further improves the battery swapping cycle time.

[0277] A fourth aspect of this disclosure provides a controller 80. As shown in FIG18, the controller 80 includes a processor 801 and a memory 802. The memory 802 stores machine-readable instructions 8021 executable by the processor 801. When the controller 80 is running, the machine-readable instructions 8021 are executed by the processor 801 to perform the battery replacement method of this disclosure.

[0278] The various components in controller 80 are coupled together via bus system 803. It should be understood that bus system 803 is used to implement communication connections between these components. In addition to the data bus, bus system 803 also includes a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus, etc. However, for clarity, all buses are labeled as bus system 803 in Figure 18.

[0279] It should be understood that memory 802 can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or it can include both volatile and non-volatile memory.

[0280] The memory 802 in this embodiment of the disclosure is used to store various types of data to support battery swapping operations of the battery swapping station 2000. This data may include, for example, any computer instructions for operation within the battery swapping station 2000. For example, machine-readable instructions 8021. Instructions for implementing the control method of the battery swapping station 2000 according to this embodiment of the disclosure may be included in the machine-readable instructions 8021.

[0281] The fifth aspect of this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored, the computer program being executed by a processor to perform the battery replacement method of this disclosure.

[0282] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium. A computer program is stored on the computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it performs the battery replacement method of this disclosure.

[0283] It should be noted that the storage medium in the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device, or a combination thereof. The non-volatile memory can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic random access memory (FRAM), a flash memory, a magnetic surface memory, an optical disc, or a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). The magnetic surface memory can be a disk storage device or a magnetic tape storage device.

[0284] Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM) used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), synchronous static random access memory (SSRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synclink dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus random access memory (DRRAM). The storage media described in the embodiments of this disclosure are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0285] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above method embodiments can be implemented by hardware associated with program instructions. The aforementioned instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When executed, these instructions perform the steps of the above method embodiments.

[0286] The aforementioned storage media include: mobile storage devices, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks or optical disks, and other media capable of storing program code.

[0287] The following describes specific examples of some embodiments of this disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0288] The vehicle (commercial vehicle 1000) prepares to enter the battery swapping station 2000. The vehicle's RFID tag is scanned. After scanning, the station controller issues a command to open the gate and sends the optional package. The PLC opens the gate based on the command. The wireless communication module connects to the vehicle's Bluetooth, the cloud platform verifies the data, and reports the vehicle's data. After the vehicle arrives, its degrees of freedom are adjusted. Upon receiving the battery swapping command from the cloud platform, a high-voltage reduction request is sent, and the entire vehicle reduces high voltage. A low-voltage reduction request is also sent, and the entire vehicle reduces low voltage. Simultaneously, the battery degrees of freedom installed on the vehicle are identified. The RGV (battery swapping device 10) moves from the standby point to the bottom of the vehicle (battery swapping position). During the RGV's movement, the hoist (battery transfer device 60) retrieves a fully charged battery from the fully charged compartment to the fully charged buffer (first handover position 501). The forks place the fully charged battery into the fully charged buffer. After placement, the hoist returns to its clearance position. The RGV adjusts its X (along the first direction), Y (along the second direction), and R (around the lifting direction) positions at the bottom of the vehicle. The RGV rises to the unlocked waiting position. The RGV rises to the unlocked position. The RGV removes the depleted battery, and after removal, travels from the bottom of the vehicle to the depleted battery buffer (second handover position 502). The RGV places the depleted battery in the depleted battery buffer and travels from the depleted battery buffer to the fully charged buffer. The RGV retrieves a fully charged battery from the fully charged buffer and travels from the fully charged buffer to the bottom of the vehicle. The hoist moves from the depleted battery buffer at the clearance position, the forks retrieve the depleted battery from the depleted battery buffer, and from the depleted battery buffer to the depleted battery compartment, where the forks place the depleted battery in the depleted battery compartment. While the forks are retrieving the depleted battery from the depleted battery buffer, the RGV begins installing a fully charged battery into the vehicle. After installation, the RGV returns to the standby point. The vehicle performs a self-check and applies high voltage, while the water and electricity connectors are depressurized. The vehicle leaves the battery swapping station.

[0289] In some embodiments, the battery swapping station includes a flat battery swapping module (battery swapping device 10). The flat battery swapping module includes a ground rail (walking guide rail assembly 40). A first drive device (first lifting platform 422a), a floating platform (bearing platform 2), and a second drive device (second lifting platform 422b) are sequentially arranged on the ground rail along its extension direction. The floating platform is used to load the battery pack (battery device 100). The first and second drive devices drive the floating platform to suspend above the ground rail. The first and second drive devices cooperate to drive the floating platform to move. The top surface (bearing surface 21) of the floating platform is lower than the top surface of the first drive device, and the top surface of the floating platform is lower than the top surface of the second drive device. A connector (bracket 1) is provided at the bottom of the first and second drive devices to connect them. A traction assembly (walking mechanism 41) is provided between the first drive device and the ground rail. The traction assembly can drive the first drive device to move in the x-direction (first direction) on the ground rail. The x-direction is consistent with the extension direction of the ground rail. The first drive device and the floating platform are connected by a chain floating connection. The floating platform and the second drive unit are connected by a floating chain. The structure of the first drive unit is the same as that of the second drive unit. The flat battery swapping module includes a walking base plate, on which are arranged a y-axis moving component (translation component 43), a lifting component (lifting component 421), and a first rotating component (rotation adjustment component 44). The y-axis moving component is used to drive the lifting component to move in the y-direction (second direction), the lifting component is used to drive the first rotating component to move in the z-direction (third direction), and the first rotating component is used to drive the floating platform to rotate around the x-axis. The x-direction, y-direction, and z-direction are perpendicular to each other, and the z-direction is the height direction.

[0290] In some embodiments, a battery swapping method for the bottom of a vehicle is provided. The method includes: providing a placement plate (carrying platform 2) for placing a battery; providing a first adjustment mechanism disposed on a first side of the placement plate; providing a second adjustment mechanism disposed on a second side of the placement plate; setting the first side and the second side to be opposite to each other; setting the first adjustment mechanism and the second adjustment mechanism to be connected to the placement plate via a movable member; setting the first adjustment mechanism and the second adjustment mechanism to be movable along a first direction and a height direction; setting the movement of the first adjustment mechanism and / or the second adjustment mechanism to drive the connection point between the movable member and the placement plate to move along the first direction or the height direction (a third direction), thereby driving the placement plate to move along the first direction or along the height direction or rotate around a first axis (around a second direction); defining the axial direction of the first axis to be the same as the second direction; defining the first direction, the second direction and the height direction to be perpendicular to each other; setting the placement plate to adjust the relative position between the battery located on the placement plate and the battery compartment at the bottom of the vehicle by moving along the first direction or rotating around the second direction, so that the battery is aligned with the battery compartment; setting the placement plate to move along the height direction after the battery and the battery compartment are aligned, and installing the battery into the battery compartment.

[0291] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of this disclosure and are not intended to limit it. Although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, and all should be covered within the scope of this disclosure. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the embodiments can be combined in any way. Industrial applicability

[0292] The battery replacement method of this disclosure has a fast replacement cycle and high replacement efficiency.

Claims

1. A battery replacement method, applied in a battery swapping station, for replacing a battery device locked to a commercial vehicle chassis, the battery swapping station comprising battery replacement equipment, battery buffer equipment, battery transfer equipment, and a battery storage system, the battery device comprising a first battery device and a second battery device, the battery replacement method comprising: The battery transfer device moves the first battery device from the battery storage system and transfers the first battery device to the first handover position; The battery replacement device moves from the standby position to the battery replacement position; The battery replacement device disassembles the second battery unit; The battery replacement equipment transports the second battery device to the second handover location; The battery replacement device transfers the second battery device to the battery buffer device; The unloaded battery replacement device moves to the first handover position and hands over the first battery device from the battery buffer device; The battery replacement equipment installs the first battery device onto the chassis of the commercial vehicle; Specifically, after the battery replacement device starts moving from the standby position to the battery replacement position, the battery transfer device starts moving the first battery device from the battery storage system, and before the battery replacement device transports the second battery device to the second handover position, the battery transfer device completes the handover of the first battery device to the first handover position.

2. The battery replacement method according to claim 1, wherein, The time period during which the battery transfer device moves the first battery device from the battery storage system and hands it over to the first handover position is a first time period; the time period during which the battery replacement device disassembles the second battery device is a second time period; and the time period during which the battery replacement device transports the second battery device to the second handover position is a third time period. The first time period is less than or equal to the sum of the second time period and the third time period.

3. The battery replacement method according to claim 2, wherein, The second time period is in the range of 24s to 42s.

4. The battery replacement method according to claim 3, wherein, The second time period is in the range of 30s to 36s.

5. The battery replacement method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The time period from when the battery replacement device removes the second battery device to when it installs the first battery device onto the chassis of the commercial vehicle is the fourth time period, which is in the range of 125s to 135s.

6. The battery replacement method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The distance between the bottom of the battery device on the commercial vehicle chassis and the working surface is in the range of 375mm to 700mm.

7. The battery replacement method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The time period during which the battery replacement device moves to the battery replacement location is the fifth time period; after the battery replacement device moves to the battery replacement location for a specified time period, the battery transfer device begins to move the first battery device from the battery storage system, and the specified time period is half of the fifth time period; Before the battery replacement equipment completes the removal of the second battery device, the battery transfer equipment completes the transfer of the first battery device to the first transfer position.

8. The battery replacement method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The battery replacement device moves along a first direction, and the first handover position and the second handover position are arranged along the first direction and located on the same side of the battery replacement position along the first direction; Along the first direction, the battery transfer device is located between the first handover position and the second handover position.

9. The battery replacement method according to claim 8, wherein, Along the first direction, the second handover position is closer to the battery replacement position relative to the first handover position.

10. The battery replacement method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, After the battery transfer device transfers the first battery device to the first transfer position, and after the battery replacement device transfers the second battery device to the second transfer position, the battery replacement method further includes: The battery transfer device acquires the second battery device at the second handover position; The battery transfer device transports the second battery device to the battery storage system.

11. The battery replacement method according to claim 10, wherein, During the process of the battery replacement equipment installing the first battery device onto the chassis of the commercial vehicle, the battery transfer equipment completes the handover of the second battery device at the second handover position.

12. The battery replacement method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The battery replacement equipment includes a support platform, an adjustment mechanism, a walking mechanism, and an unlocking mechanism. The support platform is used to support the battery device, the adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the position of the support platform, and the unlocking mechanism is disposed on the support platform and is used to lock or unlock the battery device relative to the chassis of the commercial vehicle. The battery replacement device disassembles the second battery assembly, including: The battery replacement equipment adjusts the position of the carrying platform based on the position information of the second battery device on the chassis of the commercial vehicle through the adjustment mechanism or the walking mechanism. The unlocking mechanism unlocks the second battery device; The battery replacement equipment removes the unlocked second battery unit from the chassis of the commercial vehicle via the adjustment mechanism.

13. The battery replacement method according to claim 12, wherein, The adjustment mechanism includes a lifting component, a translation component, and a rotation adjustment component; The battery replacement equipment adjusts the orientation of the carrying platform based on the orientation information of the second battery device on the commercial vehicle through the adjustment mechanism or the walking mechanism, including at least one of the following: The lifting assembly adjusts the height of the support platform along the lifting direction so that the support platform is close to the second battery device; The traveling mechanism adjusts the position of the bearing platform along the first direction; The translation component adjusts the position of the support platform along the second direction; The rotation adjustment component adjusts the rotation angle of the support platform about the lifting direction; The lifting assembly adjusts the tilt angle of the support platform about the second direction; The battery replacement equipment removes the unlocked second battery unit from the chassis of the commercial vehicle via the adjustment mechanism, including: The lifting assembly adjusts the height of the support platform along the lifting direction to move the second battery device away from the chassis; The first direction, the second direction, and the lifting direction are perpendicular to each other.

14. The battery replacement method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, The battery swapping station also includes a pose detection device; Before the battery replacement equipment adjusts the orientation of the carrying platform via the adjustment mechanism or the walking mechanism based on the orientation information of the second battery device on the commercial vehicle, the battery replacement method further includes: The pose detection device acquires the pose information of the second battery device; The pose information of the second battery device is compared with the specified contour information of the battery device to obtain the pose adjustment information that should be adjusted.

15. The battery replacement method according to claim 14, wherein, The battery replacement equipment adjusts the orientation of the carrying platform based on the orientation information of the second battery device on the commercial vehicle, through the adjustment mechanism or the walking mechanism, including: The adjustment mechanism or the walking mechanism of the battery replacement device adjusts the posture of the carrying platform based on the posture adjustment information.

16. The battery replacement method according to claim 14, wherein, During the process of the battery replacement device moving from the standby position to the battery replacement position, the posture adjustment information that needs to be adjusted is obtained by the posture detection device.

17. The battery replacement method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein, Before the battery transfer device moves the first battery unit from the battery storage system, the battery replacement method further includes: Obtain the battery swapping requirements of the commercial vehicle regarding the battery device; The battery swapping demand information includes the type and / or quantity information of the battery device, and the information of the first battery device transported by the battery transfer equipment corresponds to the battery swapping demand information.

18. A battery replacement method, applied at a battery swapping station, for replacing a battery device locked to a commercial vehicle chassis, the battery replacement method comprising: Acquire the first battery device and transfer the first battery device to the first transfer position; The second battery device is removed from the commercial vehicle chassis; The second battery device is transported to the second handover location and the first battery device is handed over from the first handover location; The first battery device is installed on the chassis of the commercial vehicle; The time period for acquiring the first battery device and handing it over to the first handover location is the first time period; the time period for removing the second battery device from the commercial vehicle chassis is the second time period; and the time period for transporting the second battery device to the second handover location is the third time period. The first time period is less than or equal to the sum of the second time period and the third time period. The acquisition of the first battery device and the handover of the first battery device to the first handover location are completed before the second battery device is transported to the second handover location.

19. A battery swapping station for replacing the battery device of a commercial vehicle using the battery swapping method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, the battery swapping station comprising: A battery replacement system includes a battery replacement device, a battery buffer device, and a battery transfer device. The battery replacement device is used to disassemble, install, and transport the battery device. The battery buffer device is used to transfer the battery device to the battery replacement device. The battery transfer device is used to transfer the battery device to the battery buffer device. and A battery storage system for storing the battery device and configured to charge the second battery device.

20. The battery swapping station according to claim 19, wherein, The battery replacement system also includes a walking guide rail assembly that extends along a first direction. The battery replacement device is capable of moving along the walking guide rail assembly, and the walking guide rail assembly passes through at least a battery replacement position, a first handover position, and a second handover position along the first direction. Along the lifting direction, the battery buffer device is located on the side of the battery replacement device opposite to the walking guide rail assembly.

21. The battery swapping station according to claim 20, wherein, Along the first direction, the battery transfer device is located between the first handover position and the second handover position.

22. The battery swapping station according to claim 20 or 21, wherein, The battery storage system includes a battery storage rack with multiple layers of battery compartments for storing the battery device, the multiple layers of battery compartments being located above the travel guide assembly.

23. A controller, comprising a processor and a memory; in, The memory stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor, which, when executed by the processor while the controller is running, perform the battery replacement method as described in any one of claims 1 to 18.

24. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being executed by a processor to perform the battery replacement method as described in any one of claims 1 to 18.

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