BATTERY PACKS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS

• US 20100291418A1
• Filed: 05/13/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sinoelectric Powertrain Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sinoelectric Powertrain Corporation
• Inventors: Zhou, Wei, Zhou, Peng
• Application Number:
  US12/779,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20100291418A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/50
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0477 from the back
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• 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 53/302 Cooling of charging equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• 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: H01M 50/256 Carrying devices, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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

Abstract

A movable, portable, and instantly attachable/detachable battery pack includes batteries enclosed in a case with a ground transportation structure, such as wheels, coasters, and runners. The battery pack can include handles and mating connectors. The ground transportation structure allows the majority of the weight of the battery packs to be supported by the ground during transportation. The person who moves the battery pack only needs to use a minimum force sufficient to move the battery pack in a direction perpendicular to the force of gravity. Battery packs disclosed herein can be easily maneuvered into a building or structures to be recharged or swapped.

Claims

1. A movable battery pack comprising an electric-vehicle battery pack having a battery enclosure with a ground transporting structure rollable, slidable, or both along a surface.

2. The movable battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery enclosure and the ground transporting structure are removable as a unit from an electric vehicle.

3. The movable battery pack of claim 1, wherein the electric-vehicle battery pack comprises a battery-electric-vehicle battery pack.

4. The movable battery pack of claim 1, wherein the ground transporting structure comprises one or more wheels.

5. The movable battery pack of claim 1, wherein the ground transporting structure comprises one or more coasters or runners.

6. The movable battery pack of claim 1, wherein the ground transporting structure is attached to the battery enclosure.

7. The movable battery pack of claim 1, wherein the electric-vehicle battery pack comprises one or more mating connectors.

8. The movable battery pack of claim 1, wherein the battery enclosure comprises at least one handle.

9. The movable battery pack of claim 1, wherein the electric-vehicle battery pack comprises one or more modules of batteries.

10. The movable battery pack of claim 1, wherein the one or more modules comprises one or more cells of batteries.

11. The movable battery pack of claim 1, wherein battery enclosure is configured to fit within a battery compartment of an electric vehicle.

12. The movable battery pack of claim 1, wherein the electric-vehicle battery pack and the ground transporting structure forms an unseparable energy unit.

13. An electric vehicle comprising:

a. a controller; and

b. one or more removable battery packs including a casing adapted to slide or roll along a surface.

14. The electric vehicle of claim 13, wherein the one or more removable battery packs comprise at least one handle.

15. The electric vehicle of claim 13, wherein the one or more removable battery packs comprise a mating connector.

16. The electric vehicle of claim 15, wherein the electric vehicle comprises a mating connector.

17. The electric vehicle of claim 16, wherein the mating connector of the electric vehicle is configured to electrically couple with the mating connectors of the one or more removable battery packs.

18. The electric vehicle of claim 13 further comprising a securing mechanism for substantially securing the one or more removable battery packs to the electric vehicle.

19. The electric vehicle of claim 18, wherein the securing mechanism couples with a mating connector of the electric vehicle, the one or more removable battery packs, or both.

20. The electric vehicle of claim 13, wherein the one or more removable battery packs comprise at least one wheel.

21. The electric vehicle of claim 13, wherein the one or more removable battery packs are rechargeable by an AC power source.

22. The electric vehicle of claim 13, wherein the electric vehicle is able to be operated using energy solely from one of the one or more removable battery packs.

23. A method of using an electric-vehicle battery pack comprising:

a. rolling, sliding, or both one or more ground transporting elements of an electric-vehicle battery pack along a surface; and

b. electrically coupling the electric-vehicle battery pack with an energy device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more ground transporting elements comprise one or more wheels.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the surface comprises a ground surface.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the energy device comprises an electric vehicle, an electrical charger, or both.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the electrically coupling comprising coupling a mating connector of the electric-vehicle battery pack with a mating connector of the electric vehicle.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the rolling, sliding, or both are performed by holding at least one handle of the electric-vehicle battery pack.

29. The method of claim 23 further comprising disengaging the electric-vehicle battery pack from the energy device.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising removing the electric-vehicle battery pack from the energy device.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein at least one of the ground transporting elements touch a ground surface when the ground transporting elements are transported.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising recharging the electric-vehicle battery pack.

33. The method of claim 33, wherein the recharging is performed by using an AC power source.