Battery Locking Device for Quick Swap Stations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery swap technologies for new energy vehicles are complex, costly, and inefficient, with a large space requirement due to the use of on-board drive motors for battery swapping, which affects the service life and reliability of the battery.

Innovation Solution

A battery lock-up device with a simple and compact structure, utilizing a connection bracket, housing structure, press plate, nut, and anti-rotation locking member to facilitate quick installation and detachment of power batteries, reducing the need for a motor-driven swapping mechanism.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If an on-board drive motor is installed for battery swap in the automobile, then the battery can be quickly swapped, but the structure becomes complicated, space occupation increases, and cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery swapping speedVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the drive motor function from the automobile and relocates it to the battery swap station. The automobile is equipped with only a locking device that cooperates with the station's swapping device, eliminating the need for a complex on-board motor system while maintaining quick swapping capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a locking device as an intermediary mechanism between the automobile and the battery swap station. This locking device cooperates with the station's swapping device to enable quick battery replacement without requiring a complex drive motor system in the automobile

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If an on-board drive motor is installed for battery swap in the automobile, then the battery can be quickly swapped, but the space occupation and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery swapping speedVSAvoidspace occupation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the drive motor function from the automobile and relocates it to the battery swap station. The automobile is equipped with only a locking device that cooperates with the station's swapping device, eliminating the need for a complex motor system and reducing space occupation in the vehicle

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If an on-board drive motor is installed for battery swap in the automobile, then the battery can be quickly swapped, but the cost of the automobile increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery swapping speedVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the expensive drive motor function from the automobile and relocates it to the battery swap station. The automobile is equipped with only a locking device that cooperates with the station's swapping device, significantly reducing the manufacturing cost of each automobile while maintaining quick swapping capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The battery swap station is designed with a universal swapping device that can serve multiple automobiles. By centralizing the expensive motor system in the station rather than duplicating it in each vehicle, the patent achieves cost efficiency through shared infrastructure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Reliability

If a complicated assembled configuration is used for battery attachment, then the battery can be securely locked, but the structure becomes complicated and reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocking reliabilityVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the battery attachment system into two independent parts: a simple locking device in the automobile and a corresponding swapping device in the battery swap station. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the locking device being simple and reliable while the station's swapping device handles the complex swapping operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3336929B1Battery locking device, new energy source transportation tool, and method for assembling and disassembling power battery
Publication Date: 2021.01.13 NIO ANHUI HLDG CO LTD
  • EP3336929B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3336929B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(d)
  • EP3336929B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5(a)

AI summary

The invention refers to a battery lock-up device, a new energy vehicle comprising the battery lock-up device, and a method for installing/detaching a power battery. The battery lock-up device comprises: a connection bracket having a first connection hole and a dual limited position structure; a housing structure having a second connection hole; a press plate and a nut, the press plate comprising a head portion and a pillar portion passing through the first connection hole and the second connection hole, the pillar portion being formed with a threaded portion for engaging with the nut and having a distal end adapted to mate with a rotational operation tool; and an anti-rotation locking member which locks the nut against the housing structure. When the press plate is in the first limited position, the press plate and the nut which is engaged on the threaded portion lock-up the connection bracket and the housing structure; and when the press plate reaches the second limited position, the head portion of the press plate can exit via the first connection hole so as to realize unlocking. The invention applies to a situation of detaching and installing the battery quickly. By retaining only the locking function and quick detaching/installing function on the new energy vehicle, the mechanical structure is simplified, arrangement space is reduced, the cost of a single vehicle is reduced, and the reliability is improved.