VEHICLE BATTERY REPLACING APPARATUS

• US 20120233850A1
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vehicle Battery Replacing Apparatus
• Inventors: MURASE, Takashi, HOZUMI, Mamoru, OJIMA, Yoshio, FUKAGAWA, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0472 from below
• 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: 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 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53274 Means to disassemble electrical device

Abstract

A battery replacing apparatus includes a battery mount portion, vehicle hoist members, and a lifting-lowering means for lifting and lowering the battery mount portion. When attaching a battery unit to or detaching a battery unit from the battery support portion of an electric vehicle, the vehicle hoist members are moved together with the battery mount portion to be brought into contact with the vehicle body. The vehicle hoist members are formed like rods extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The vehicle hoist members are arranged on the left and right sides of the battery unit placed on the battery mount portion. The battery unit is attached to the battery support portion of the vehicle or detached from the battery support portion from below.

Claims

1. A vehicle battery replacing apparatus for detaching a battery from or attaching a battery to a battery support portion provided in a vehicle from below, the apparatus comprising:

a battery mount portion;

a vehicle hoist member, which is moved together with the battery mount portion to contact the vehicle body at least when the battery is detached from or attached to the battery support portion; and

a lifting-lowering mechanism for lifting and lowering the battery mount portion.

2. The vehicle battery replacing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle hoist member is rod-like and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the vehicle hoist member is arranged both on the left and right side of the battery.

3. The vehicle battery replacing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle includes under floor reinforcements provided on the left and right sides of the battery support portion, and

the vehicle hoist member supports the vehicle body by contacting the under floor reinforcements.

4. The vehicle battery replacing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a battery lifting-lowering portion is provided in the battery mount portion, and

the battery lifting-lowering portion applies a movement amount to the battery that is smaller than a movement amount applied to the battery mount portion by the lifting-lowering mechanism.

5. The vehicle battery replacing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height of the vehicle hoist member from the upper surface of the battery mount portion is set such that, when the vehicle hoist member lifts the vehicle so that the vehicle is level, a clearance Δ

exists between the upper surface of the battery on the battery mount portion and the lower surface of the floor of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle battery replacing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the battery lifting-lowering portion is configured to lift and lower the battery by a distance corresponding to the clearance Δ

.

7. The vehicle battery replacing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an elastic member having a thickness greater than the clearance Δ

is fixed to the lower surface of the floor of the vehicle.