Battery module structure of electrical vehicle

• US 20040144580A1
• Filed: 01/27/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pihsiang Machinery Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Pihsiang Machinery Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Wu, Donald P.H.
• Application Number:
  US10/352,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20040144580A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/68.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery module structure is mounted on an electrical vehicle, including a retention frame mounted to a bar of a chassis of the electrical vehicle. The retention frame includes a top wall connected to the bar by opposite side walls whereby a space is formed between the top wall and the bar for accommodating the battery module. The battery module has a bottom face in which a groove is defined to fit over the bar and a top face on which a peg is formed. A mounting member forming a V-shaped opening is fixed to the top wall of the retention frame for receiving the peg. A lock member is pivoted to one arm of the mounting member and is biased by a spring to have a portion thereof extending into the V-shaped opening to engage and fix the peg of the battery module thereby securing the battery module in the retention frame. The retention frame has a back wall on which three electrodes are mounted. The electrodes are respectively and releasably engageable with jacks of the battery module to supply power to the vehicle. One of the electrodes is a grounding terminal for allowing for direct charging the battery module on the vehicle.

Claims

1. A battery module adapted to be mounted to an electrical vehicle comprising a chassis having front and rear wheels and a motor mounted to the chassis and drivingly coupled to the wheels, the battery module comprising a mounting device and a locking device for securely attaching the battery module to the chassis and supplying power to the motor

2. The battery module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery module comprises a switch.

3. The battery module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery module comprises a power level indicator.

4. The battery module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery module comprises a control circuit in which an overload breaker is included for automatically shutting off power supply from the battery module in an abnormal situation.

5. The battery module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery module comprises a plurality of electrodes, at least one of which is a grounding terminal.

6. The battery module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery module comprises a power connector for connection with the external power source and a dust cap removably attached to the power connector for protection purposes.

7. The battery module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery module comprises a handle for hand gripping.

8. A battery module structure adapted to be mounted to an electrical scooter comprising a chassis having front and rear wheels and a motor coupled to the wheels for driving the wheels, the battery module structure comprising:

an electrical power supply system comprising;

a battery module having opposite top and bottom faces, the bottom face defining a groove and the top face forming a peg, and

a battery module retention device comprising;

a retention frame mounted to a bar of the chassis, comprising a top wall connected to the bar by opposite side walls whereby a space is formed between the top wall and the bar for accommodating the battery module with the groove fit over the bar,

a mounting member fixed to the top wall of the retention frame and comprising two arms spaced from each other to define an opening therebetween for receiving the peg of the battery module,

a lock member pivoted to one of the arms and movable between a secured position wherein a portion of the lock member extends into the opening of the mounting member and engageable with the peg to retain the peg in the opening and a released position where the portion of the lock member is withdrawn from the opening of the mounting member to free the peg from the mounting member, and

a biasing element arranged between the mounting member and the lock member for biasing the lock member toward the secured position to secure the battery module in the retention frame.

9. The battery module structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein said one of the arms of the mounting member defines a slot for movably receiving the lock member therein, a pin extending through aligned holes defined in said one of the arms and the lock member to pivotally fix the lock member in the slot, allowing the lock member to move with respect to the mounting member between the secured position and the released position.

10. The battery module structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the biasing element comprises a torsional spring encompassing the pin and having opposite ends respectively attached to said one of the arms and the lock member.

11. The battery module structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the lock member comprises a manual operation tab for manually moving the lock member against the biasing element toward the released position to release the peg from the mounting member.

12. The battery module structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the retention frame further comprises a back wall on which a plurality of electrodes are mounted for releasably engaging jacks formed in the battery module, at least one of the electrodes being a grounding terminal.

13. The battery module as claimed in claim 12, wherein three electrodes are mounted to the back wall, two of the three electrodes supplying electrical power to the vehicle and the remaining one of the electrodes being a grounding terminal.

14. The battery module structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the battery module comprises an activation switch.

15. The battery module structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the battery module comprises a power level indicator.

16. The battery module structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the battery module comprises a control circuit in which a breaker is included for automatically shutting off power supply from the battery module in an abnormal situation.

17. The battery module structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the battery module comprises a plurality of electrodes, at least one of which is a grounding terminal.

18. The battery module structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the battery module comprises a power connector for selective connection with an external power source for re-charging the battery module and a dust cap selectively engaging the power connector.