Battery powered shuttle car

• US 7,770,673 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phillips Machine Service, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phillips Machine Service, Inc.
• Inventors: Allen, Claude R., Hickok, Jimmy A., Cushman, Thomas S., McWhorter, Purnal L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): OLSZEWSKI, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US10/380,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20030205421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,253 Days
• Field of Search: 116/227, 414/528, 180/65.1, 180/22, 180/24.01, 180/68.5
• US Class Current: 180/65.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/38 with automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/44 Industrial trucks or floor conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• 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: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: E21F 13/025 Shuttle cars
• 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

Abstract

A battery powered shuttle car (10) incorporates features and components that facilitate use and operation and effect efficient application in a mining environment. The shuttle car (10) incorporates at least one battery (20) that is secured to the vehicle frame (11) between one of a left front wheel (17) and a left rear wheel (17) or the right front wheel (17) and the right rear wheel (17). A battery change-over mechanism (51) facilitates battery replacement. Additionally, the shuttle car (10) may be provided with an integral discharge end (81) having a substantially fixed height (82). A full load indicator mechanism (83) provides an indication when the conveyor (16) is substantially full to maximize use and operation of the shuttle car (10).

Claims

1. A battery powered shuttle car comprising:

a vehicle frame supporting a plurality of wheels including at least a left front wheel, a left rear wheel, a right front wheel, and a right rear wheel;

at least one motor coupled with the vehicle frame and the plurality of wheels; and

three batteries connected in series and operatively coupled with the motor, the batteries powering the motor, one of the batteries being disposed between the left front wheel and the left rear wheel, another of the batteries being disposed between the right front wheel and the right rear wheel, and a last of the batteries being disposed in a central portion of the shuttle car.

2. A battery powered shuttle car comprising:

a vehicle frame supporting a plurality of wheels including at least a left front wheel, a left rear wheel, a right front wheel, and a right rear wheel;

at least one motor coupled with the vehicle frame and the plurality of wheels; and

three batteries connected in series and operatively coupled with the motor, the batteries powering the motor, one of the batteries being disposed in substantial alignment with the left front wheel and the left rear wheel, another of the batteries being disposed is substantial alignment with the right front wheel and the right rear wheel, and a last of the batteries being disposed in a central portion of the shuttle car.

3. A method of changing a battery mounted on a battery powered shuttle car, wherein a first battery is mounted in alignment with a left front wheel and a left rear wheel, and a second battery is mounted in alignment with a right front wheel and a right rear wheel, the method comprising:

securing at least one actuating mechanism between the first and second batteries;

releasing one of the first and second batteries from the vehicle frame;

driving the actuating mechanism against the other of the first and second batteries to thereby move the one of the first and second batteries off of the vehicle frame; and

receiving one of the first and second batteries on an adjacent mechanism.