Battery Swap Platform Wheel Positioning With Pull-Plate Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle positioning devices for battery charging and swapping stations suffer from motor overload, lack of differential adjustment, and increased parking difficulty due to their configuration, which affects positioning accuracy and user experience.

Innovation Solution

The device employs a first positioning portion with V-shaped roller groups for initial alignment and a second positioning portion with power transmission mechanisms, including pull plates that pull wheels from the outside to the inside, allowing unilateral differential adjustment and reducing motor load and footprint, thereby improving positioning accuracy and ease of parking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If push rod motors are used to drive two push rods to push tires from the inside to the outside for positioning, then positioning function is realized, but the motor is prone to overload affecting service life and differential adjustment is impossible

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor service lifeVSAvoiddifferential adjustment capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional push mechanism by using pull plates that extend from the middle toward the sides to pull tires from the outside to the inside instead of pushing from the inside to the outside. This inversion reduces motor load and enables differential adjustment capability, resolving both the reliability and operability issues simultaneously

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

Solution Approach 2:

The positioning device is segmented into multiple independent components: V-shaped roller groups for initial alignment, pull plates for fine positioning, and multiple independent motors for each wheel. This segmentation allows differential adjustment of each wheel independently while distributing the load across multiple motors, improving both reliability and operational flexibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Manufacturing precision

If front-wheel and rear-wheel alignment push rods are both arranged in the middle of the battery swap platform, then positioning accuracy is achieved, but parking space is occupied increasing parking difficulty

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle positioning accuracyVSAvoidparking ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the spatial dimension of the positioning mechanism by extending pull plates from the middle toward the sides of the platform rather than arranging all components in the middle. This dimensional change reduces obstruction in the parking area while maintaining positioning accuracy through the extended pull plate configuration

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

Solution Approach 2:

The V-shaped roller groups perform preliminary alignment of the vehicle in the driving direction before the pull plates perform fine positioning in the transverse direction. This preliminary action reduces the adjustment range needed for the pull plates, maintaining accuracy while minimizing space requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 enhances the accuracy and efficiency of vehicle positioning, reduces motor load, and simplifies the parking process, leading to a better battery swapping experience by enabling precise and unilateral fine-adjustment of vehicle displacement.

Implementation Method 1

V-shaped roller groups for carrying the front wheels of the electric vehicle in order to position the front wheels in the X direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

each of the first centring mechanisms comprises a power transmission portion provided in the middle of the battery swap platform, and a pull plate extending from the power transmission portion towards one side

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical Advantage: Mechanical Advantage

Data Source

PatentEP3705363B1Vehicle-positioning device for battery charging and swapping station
Publication Date: 2024.11.27 NIO ANHUI HLDG CO LTD
  • EP3705363B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3705363B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3705363B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle positioning device comprises a first positioning portion (2) and a second positioning portion (3) which are provided at a battery swap platform (1). The first positioning portion (2) is used to position a vehicle in a first direction (X). The second positioning portion (3) is used to position the vehicle in a second direction (Y). The second positioning portion (3) comprises two first centring mechanisms (31). Each of the first centring mechanisms (31) comprises a power transmission portion provided in the middle of the battery swap platform (1), and a pull plate (34) extending from the power transmission portion towards one side. The pull plates (34) are able to position, under the drive of the power transmission portions, front/rear wheels of the vehicle in the second direction (Y). The vehicle positioning device can solve the problems in the existing vehicle positioning devices of a motor being prone to overload, differential adjustment being unable to be performed, etc.