Rotating Battery Swap Platform for Compact Station Layouts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Direct-entry type battery swap platforms occupy a large area, leading to resource waste in battery charging and swap stations due to inefficient space utilization and difficulty in battery swap operations.

Innovation Solution

A battery swap platform with a fixed structure and a rotatable portion, featuring a rotating table and guide rail, driven by an electric motor and transmission members, allowing the rotating table to rotate by a set angle, such as 90 degrees, to optimize battery storage arrangement and facilitate robot movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a direct-entry type battery swap platform is used, then the battery swap operation is simple, but the occupied area is large causing resource waste

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery swap operation simplicityVSAvoidoccupied area of battery charging and swap station
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by introducing a rotatable portion that can rotate by a set angle (e.g., 90 degrees) relative to the fixed structure. This dynamic element allows the platform to change its orientation, enabling batteries to be arranged in different directions (including perpendicular to the vehicle's forward direction) without requiring a completely new platform design. The rotatable portion is driven by a driving portion comprising an electric motor and transmission members, making the platform adaptable to different battery arrangements while maintaining a compact footprint.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies the dimensionality change principle by utilizing rotational movement to change the spatial arrangement of batteries. Instead of only allowing linear arrangements in the direct-entry direction, the rotatable portion enables batteries to be arranged in multiple dimensions and orientations. This allows the battery storage to be positioned perpendicular to the vehicle's forward direction or at other angles, fully utilizing the available space in the battery charging and swap station and reducing the occupied area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If the battery storage is arranged to reduce occupied area, then space utilization improves, but the battery swap operation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoccupied area of battery charging and swap stationVSAvoidbattery swap operation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The rotatable portion provides a mechanical solution to the complexity problem. By rotating the platform to the appropriate orientation before battery swap operations, the system maintains simple, straightforward battery exchange procedures regardless of how the batteries are arranged in storage. The driving portion with electric motor and transmission members automates the rotation, eliminating the need for complex manual repositioning or complex robotic manipulation sequences.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Area of stationary object

If a rotatable portion is added to the battery swap platform, then space utilization improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoccupied area of battery charging and swap stationVSAvoidbattery swap platform structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a rotatable portion with a driving portion to enable dynamic reconfiguration of the battery swap platform. The rotatable portion is driven by a driving portion comprising an electric motor and transmission members, which rotates the rotating table by a set angle (e.g., 90 degrees) relative to the fixed structure. This allows the battery storage to be arranged in different orientations, fully utilizing the available space and reducing the occupied area of the battery charging and swap station.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The battery swap platform is segmented into a fixed structure and a rotatable portion that can independently rotate. This segmentation allows the rotatable portion to be optimized for space utilization while the fixed structure provides stable support. The driving portion is further segmented into an electric motor and transmission members, distributing the functional complexity across separate components rather than a single complex mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

This configuration reduces the occupied area, enhances space utilization, and simplifies battery swap operations by allowing flexible battery orientation and improved robot access, thereby reducing resource waste and operational complexity.

Implementation Method 1

driven by an electric motor and transmission members, allowing the rotating table to rotate by a set angle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic conversion: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP3718835B1Battery swapping platform and battery charging and swapping station having same
Publication Date: 2024.12.04 NIO ANHUI HLDG CO LTD
  • EP3718835B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3718835B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3718835B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided are a battery swap platform and a battery charging and swap station comprising the battery swap platform. The battery swap platform comprises a fixed structure and a rotating portion (2), wherein the rotating portion (2) allows a battery swap robot to rest thereon, and the rotating portion (2) is configured to be rotatable by a set angle relative to the fixed structure. Through the rotatable configuration of the rotating portion (2) relative to the fixed structure, the rotating portion (2) can change orientations of the battery swap robot and a traction battery through rotation when the battery swap robot rests on the rotating portion, so that the arrangement of the traction battery can be changed, thus achieving the purposes of fully utilizing the space of the battery charging and swap station and reducing the waste of resources.