Battery changing system for an industrial truck

• US 20050036861A1
• Filed: 10/27/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STILL GmbH (KION GROUP AG)
• Original Assignee: STILL GmbH (KION GROUP AG)
• Inventors: Buchmann, Michael, Neumann, Udo
• Granted Patent: US 7,338,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/398
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0754 Battery removal arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

A battery changing system is provided to change the battery in an industrial truck, such as a fork lift truck, with a battery block that can be moved in the horizontal direction by a roller conveyor relative to a battery compartment of the industrial truck. The invention teaches that the battery in the industrial truck can be changed easily and economically by providing an external roller conveyor (5) that can be moved in the vertical direction. To change the battery, the roller conveyor (5) can be placed underneath a battery compartment (2) in the industrial truck that contains the battery (1) and then the roller conveyor (5) can be raised. A floor (7) of the battery compartment (2) of the industrial truck can be provided with at least one opening (8; 9) for receiving one or more rollers of the roller conveyor (5).

Claims

1. A battery changing system to change the battery block of an industrial truck, comprising:

an external roller conveyor, at least a portion of which can be raised and lowered,

wherein the external roller conveyor is configured to be placed underneath a battery compartment of an industrial truck that holds a battery block, and wherein a floor surface of the battery compartment of the industrial truck is provided with at least one opening to receive at least one roller of the roller conveyor.

2. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery block is movable all the way out of the battery compartment by means of the roller conveyor.

3. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floor of the battery compartment of the industrial truck is provided with a plurality of openings, with each opening configured to receive a roller of the roller conveyor.

4. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floor of the battery compartment of the industrial truck is provided with one opening for receiving a plurality of rollers of the roller conveyor.

5. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the roller conveyor is in the form of a one-part component.

6. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the roller conveyor includes two or more parts.

7. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the roller conveyor includes a stationary segment configured to be located next to the battery compartment of the industrial truck during a battery block change, and a second segment which can be raised and lowered and can be placed underneath the battery compartment of the industrial truck to change the battery block.

8. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the roller conveyor includes a first segment and at least one movable second segment that is an extension of the first segment.

9. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second segment is mounted by means of a guide device on the first segment so that it can move longitudinally.

10. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the roller conveyor is stationary and is effectively connected with a lifting device.

11. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the roller conveyor is effectively connected with a movable device and/or with a lifting device.

12. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 1, including a drive device to move the battery block.

13. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the drive device includes a drive for at least one roller of the roller conveyor.

14. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 1, including a stop provided on the roller conveyor.

15. The battery changing system as claimed in claim 1, including a retaining device provided on the roller conveyor to connect the roller conveyor with the industrial truck.