Device for coupling a battery carrying car to battery guiding means provided in the carriage of a battery driven vehicle

• US 3,876,086 A
• Filed: 12/22/1972
• Issued: 04/08/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Friedhelm Kappei
• Original Assignee: Friedhelm Kappei
• Inventors: Kappei, Friedhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheridan, Robert G.
• Application Number:
  US05/317,746
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 214/38B,38BA,38BB,38D 104/34
• US Class Current: 414/343
• 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: 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

Abstract

A pair of battery carrying cars and a battery driven vehicle, in which a battery is supported on a pair of transverse guide rails, are provided with alignment means for aligning the battery carrying cars with opposite ends of the guide rails of the battery driven vehicle and are further provided with locking means for locking the aligned battery carrying cars in place while the battery is transferred from the battery driven vehicle to one of the battery carrying cars and another battery is transferred from the other battery carrying car to the battery driven vehicle.

Claims

1. Coupling apparatus for coupling a battery transport vehicle and a battery driven vehicle to permit transfer of a battery therebetween, said coupling apparatus including horizontallyspaced alignment means mounted on one of the vehicles for releasable engagement with corresponding horizontally-spaced alignment means of the other of the vehicles to align the battery transport vehicle along a longitudinal axis of a battery guiding means of the battery driven vehicle, and further including locking means displaceably mounted on said one of the vehicles for movement along a transverse axis laterally intersecting the longitudinal axis of the guiding means to releasably engage corresponding locking means of said other of the vehicles and lock the battery transport vehicle in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the guiding means of the battery driven vehicle, said locking means mounted on said one of the vehicles comprising horizontally-spaced key bolts displaceably mounted for movement along said transverse axis, and said locking means of said other of the vehicles comprising corresponding horizontallyspaced key openings for receiving the key bolts.

2. Coupling apparatus as in claim 1 wherein each of said horizontally-spaced alignment means mounted on said one of the vehicles comprises a centering head, and wherein each of said horizontally-spaced alignment means of said other of the vehicles comprises a mounting member having an outwardly widening opening for receiving a corresponding one of the centering heads.

3. Coupling apparatus as in claim 2 wherein each of said centering heads and each of said outwardly widening openings are provided with spherical contact surfaces.

4. Coupling apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said horizontally-spaced key bolts are coupled to a common tripping means.

5. Coupling apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said horizontally-spaced key bolts are spring loaded to automatically urge them into releasable locking engagement with the key openings.

6. Coupling apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said horizontally-spaced alignment means and said horizontally-spaced key bolts mounted on said one of the vehicles are mounted on the battery transport vehicle, wherein said longitudinal axis of the guiding means of the battery driven vehicle extends across the battery driven vehicle between a pair of axles thereof, and wherein said horizontally-spaced alignment means and said horizontally-spaced key openings of said other of the vehicles are mounted on the battery driven vehicle.