Battery Lock Assembly with Central Pull Shaft and Return Spring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery lock-up mechanisms for new energy vehicles face challenges in achieving low cost, easy operation, and stable, reliable locking, particularly in battery swap systems where quick and secure attachment is necessary without compromising service life.

Innovation Solution

A lock assembly for a battery lock-up mechanism featuring a cylindrical casing with a central pull shaft, adjustment block, and return spring, which includes engaging structures to restrict rotation and axial movement, facilitating easy installation and detachment of batteries while ensuring secure attachment to the vehicle chassis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a battery lock-up mechanism is designed to be low cost, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but locking reliability and operational stability may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidlocking reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The lock assembly is divided into distinct functional components: a locking component with locking teeth, a driving component with driving teeth, a pull shaft, and a return spring. Each component is independently manufacturable with simple geometries, reducing overall manufacturing cost while maintaining reliable locking through the coordinated interaction of segmented parts

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The locking mechanism uses a passive locking approach where the locking teeth and driving teeth engage through simple geometric interlocking rather than active locking mechanisms. The return spring provides passive reset functionality, inverting the traditional active-locking design to reduce complexity and cost while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Device complexity

If the lock assembly structure is simplified to reduce cost, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation and secure attachment may worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural complexityVSAvoidease of operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The pull shaft provides a curved, ergonomic handle that is easy to grip and pull. This simple curved geometry enables easy manual operation of the locking mechanism without requiring complex controls, while the overall structure remains simple with only basic interlocking components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The return spring automatically resets the locking mechanism to the unlocked position after locking, eliminating the need for manual resetting operations. The mechanism serves itself by using spring energy to return to the initial state, simplifying both structure and operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of manufacture

If the locking mechanism uses simple interlocking structures, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the speed and reliability of battery swapping may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidbattery swapping speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The locking teeth and driving teeth are pre-positioned on the locking component and driving component respectively, so that when the pull shaft is pulled, the components are immediately driven into the locked position without requiring complex adjustment or alignment procedures. This preliminary positioning enables rapid locking

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The simple interlocking geometry of the teeth allows the locking action to occur rapidly in a single pulling motion, skipping complex multi-step locking sequences. The mechanism rushes through the locking action in one decisive movement, enabling fast battery swapping while using simple, low-cost components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides a cost-effective, easy-to-operate, and reliable locking mechanism that enhances the service life of batteries by ensuring secure and efficient battery swapping, reducing waiting times for charging, and improving user convenience.

Implementation Method 1

a return spring that is sleeved over the adjustment section of the central pull shaft for urging the adjustment block towards the stop end plate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring: Spring

Data Source

PatentEP3466734B1Lock body assembly, power battery, locking mechanism thereof, method of usage, and vehicle
Publication Date: 2021.04.07 NIO ANHUI HLDG CO LTD
  • EP3466734B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3466734B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3466734B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a lock assembly for a battery lock-up mechanism, a power battery comprising the lock assembly, a battery lock-up mechanism, a new energy vehicle, and a method for installing/detaching a power battery onto/from a new energy vehicle by using the battery lock-up mechanism of the invention. The lock assembly for battery lock-up mechanism comprises a casing and an stop end plate which define an accommodation space, in which a central pull shaft, an adjustment block and a return spring or the like are disposed. The return spring is sleeved over the central pull shaft. The technical solutions of the invention have a low cost, are easy to operate and are stable and reliable.