Apparatus and method for changing concomitantly conveyed bodies, in particular batteries, on a vehicle and a vehicle for this purpose

• US 20050278920A1
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jungheinrich AG
• Original Assignee: Jungheinrich AG
• Inventors: Bogelein, Rolf
• Application Number:
  US11/155,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278920A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/401.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53135 Storage cell or battery

Abstract

On a concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus (10) having a fitting station (12) and a removal station (14) for the purpose of fitting at least one first concomitantly conveyed body (32), preferably an energy store (32), particularly preferably a battery (32), to a vehicle (50), in particular an industrial truck (50), and, respectively, for the purpose of removing at least one second concomitantly conveyed body (38), which is different from the first concomitantly conveyed body (32), from the vehicle (50), the fitting station (12) feeds the first concomitantly conveyed body (32) to the vehicle (50) essentially in a concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V), and the second concomitantly conveyed body (38) can be removed from the vehicle (50) by being displaced in the concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V′) and fed to the removal station (14).

Claims

1. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus having a fitting station for the purpose of fitting at least one first concomitantly conveyed body, preferably an energy store, particularly preferably a battery, to a vehicle, in particular an industrial truck, and a removal station for the purpose of removing at least one second concomitantly conveyed body, which is different from the first concomitantly conveyed body, from the vehicle, it being possible for a first concomitantly conveyed body to be fed to the vehicle from the fitting station essentially in a concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V;

V′

), and it being possible for the second concomitantly conveyed body to be removed from the vehicle by being displaced in the concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V;

V′

) and for it to be fed to the removal station.

2. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fitting station and the removal station are arranged at a spacing from one another which extends in the concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V;

V′

) and which is dimensioned such that the vehicle can be arranged, preferably driven in and driven out, between the fitting station and removal station.

3. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V;

V′

) extends essentially orthogonally with respect to a longitudinal axis (L) of a vehicle, which is provided between the fitting station and the removal station, and preferably also extends essentially parallel to a vehicle standing area.

4. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus also has a vehicle receiving station which is provided between the fitting station and removal station and in which the vehicle can be arranged in a predetermined loading position.

5. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle receiving station has at least one stop means which is arranged such that the vehicle is located in the loading position if a vehicle section, which is designed to bear against the stop means, bears against the stop means.

6. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fitting station has a drive device which is designed to drive concomitantly conveyed bodies so as to move them in the loading direction (V;

V′

).

7. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the removal station has a conveying device which is designed to drive concomitantly conveyed bodies so as to move them in the loading direction (V).

8. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first concomitantly conveyed body and the at least one second concomitantly conveyed body have essentially the same design, and are preferably standardized.

9. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a transportation path is provided between the fitting station and the removal station and is designed to transport concomitantly conveyed bodies between the fitting station and removal station, in particular from the removal station to the fitting station.

10. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transportation path and/or at least one of the station is designed to charge or fill a concomitantly conveyed body in accordance with a storage property provided on it from a state of lower storage charge to a state of higher storage charge.

11. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a liquid filling apparatus for the purpose of filling concomitantly conveyed bodies with liquid is provided on the transportation path and/or at at least one of the fitting station and removal station.

12. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a charging apparatus for the purpose of charging concomitantly conveyed bodies is provided on the transportation path and/or at at least one of the fitting station and removal station.

13. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the concomitantly conveyed body is an energy store.

14. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the energy store is designed to store electrical energy.

15. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the charging apparatus comprises sliding contacts, preferably a sliding contact path, for the purpose of making electrical contact with concomitantly conveyed bodies.

16. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein an electrolyte circulating device is provided on the transportation path and/or at at least one of the fitting station and removal station.

17. Concomitantly conveyed body changing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the liquid filling apparatus is a water filling apparatus which is designed to fill concomitantly conveyed bodies with water.

18. Vehicle, in particular an industrial truck, having at least one concomitantly conveyed body, which can be fitted to the vehicle in a carry-along position for the purpose of being carried along by said vehicle and can be removed from said vehicle out of the carry-along position, wherein the concomitantly conveyed body can be brought into the carry-along position on the vehicle in a concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V, V′

) and can be removed from the vehicle in essentially the same concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V;

V′

).

19. Vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V;

V′

) extends essentially parallel to the transverse direction (Q) of the vehicle.

20. Vehicle according to claim 18, having a cutout into which a concomitantly conveyed body can be inserted on one side of the vehicle and out of which a concomitantly conveyed body can be removed from the vehicle on the other side of the vehicle.

21. Vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the cutout passes through the vehicle, preferably in the transverse direction (Q) of the vehicle.

22. Vehicle according to claim 18, having a latching apparatus which holds the concomitantly conveyed body on the vehicle such that it is latched in a releasable manner.

23. Vehicle according to claim 22, wherein the latching apparatus is designed such that it unlatches a latched concomitantly conveyed body, which is provided on the vehicle, when a further concomitantly conveyed body approaches in the concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V).

24. Vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the latching apparatus comprises a mechanical movement transmission apparatus which has a release section and a latching section, it being possible for the latching section to be moved between a latched position, which latches a concomitantly conveyed body on the vehicle, and a disengaged position which disengages the concomitantly conveyed body so as to move it in the concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V), and the release section being designed to be actuated by a concomitantly conveyed body travelling in the concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V) and being coupled to the latching section such that said latching section is moved from the latched position to the disengaged position when the release section is actuated.

25. Vehicle according to claim 24, wherein the latching section is prestressed into the latched position.

26. Vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the concomitantly conveyed body is a store for electrical energy, and the vehicle has a sliding contact arrangement for automatically making contact with the energy store.

27. Method for changing concomitantly conveyed bodies on a vehicle, in the case of which a feeding movement of a first concomitantly conveyed body to a carry-along position on the vehicle takes place at least partially at the same time as a removal movement of a second concomitantly conveyed body out of the carry-along position.

28. Method according to claim 27, wherein the first concomitantly conveyed body is fed to the vehicle in a concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V;

V′

) and, in the process, displaces a second concomitantly conveyed body, which is already arranged on the vehicle in a carry-along position, in the concomitantly conveyed body loading direction (V;

V′

) and, as a result, moves it away, out of the carry-along position.