METHOD AND DEVICE FOR EXCHANGING A BATTERY IN A VEHICLE

• US 20110113609A1
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: BERDELLE-HILGE, PETER, SCHERERZ, HOLGER, VOSS, FRANK
• Application Number:
  US12/947,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20110113609A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• 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 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 Disassembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53274 Means to disassemble electrical device

Abstract

A method and a device for exchanging a battery of a vehicle, in particular of an electric car. The battery is connected to the vehicle by way of at least one mechanical fastening element and one electrical connection element. The vehicle is brought into a position in relation to a lift table located below the vehicle. The lift table is raised. At least one imaging device connected to the lift table produces at least one vehicle image. The vehicle image shows the battery in the vehicle before removal. A decision of good or bad in relation to the current state of the element is taken in each case by evaluating the vehicle image(s) for each fastening element and each connection element. In one refinement, the vehicle image is displayed on a video display unit, and an input of a user relating to the vehicle image is acquired.

Claims

1. A method of removing a battery from a vehicle, wherein the battery is mechanically connected to the vehicle by way of at least one fastening element and electrically connected by way of at least one connection element, the method which comprises the following steps:

causing the vehicle to be brought into a position relative to a lift table below the vehicle;

raising the lift table;

producing at least one vehicle image with at least one imaging device connected to the lift table, the at least one vehicle image showing the battery in the vehicle prior to removal; and

evaluating the at least one vehicle image and rendering a decision of good or bad concerning a current state of each fastening element and each connection element.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the evaluating step comprises:

transmitting the image to a data processing system having a display device;

displaying the image with the VDU; and

acquiring and evaluating with the data processing system at least one input relating to the current state of a respective connection element or fastening element being displayed.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

the data processing system tests whether a single decision of good has been taken for the battery with all the fastening elements and connection elements, and

if an overall decision of good has been taken, using the one overall decision of good as a decision of good for each fastening element and for each connection element.

4. The method according to claim 1, which comprises:

whenever a decision of good has been taken for each fastening element and connection element, carrying out the following additional steps;

releasing each fastening element with at least one changing tool mechanically connected to the lift table; and

lowering the lift table with the battery.

5. The method according to claim 4, which further comprises:

generating at least one further vehicle image after removal of the battery, the further vehicle image showing a region of the vehicle in which the battery was located prior to removal;

taking a decision of good or bad relative to the current state of each holding element and each connection element by evaluating the at least one further vehicle image for each holding element and connection element; and

if a decision of good has been taken upon renewed decision for each fastening element and connection element, carrying out the following additional steps;

placing a new battery onto the lift table;

raising the lift table together with the new battery; and

installing the new battery with the at least one changing tool by fastening each fastening element with the changing tool.

6. The method according to claim 1, which comprises:

producing at least one battery image showing the battery after the removal from the vehicle; and

evaluating the at least one battery image and taking a decision of good or bad concerning a current state of the battery.

7. A device for removing a battery from a vehicle, wherein the battery is mechanically connected to the vehicle by way of at least one fastening element and electrically connected by way of a connection element, the battery changing device comprising:

a lift table and at least one actuator for said lift table;

at least one changing tool mechanically connected to said lift table;

a regulator for driving said at least one actuator; and

at least one imaging device; and

the device being configured to carry out the following processing steps;

causing the vehicle to be brought into a position where said lift table is located below the vehicle;

raising the lift table;

producing at least one vehicle image by way of said imaging device, with the at least one vehicle image showing the battery in the vehicle prior to removal; and

evaluating the at least one vehicle image for each fastening element and each connection element and taking a decision of good or bad in relation to a current state of the respective element.

8. The device according to claim 7,

which further comprises a VDU workstation having a data processing system having a display unit and at least one input device;

said data processing system being connected to said at least one imaging device and being configured to display on said display unit a vehicle image that has been produced by said imaging device; and

said input device being configured to acquire at least one input in relation to a current state of a respectively displayed connection element or fastening element.