Vehicle battery replacing apparatus

• US 8,516,687 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ojima, Yoshio, Murase, Takashi, Hozumi, Mamoru, Fukagawa, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): CAZAN, LIVIUS RADU
• Application Number:
  US13/417,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20120233850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 187/218, 187/219, 297/29, 297/62
• 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 having a hole, the battery mount portion configured to support the battery upon detachment of the battery from or attachment of the battery to the battery support portion, the battery mount portion opposing the battery support portion;

vehicle hoist members arranged at opposite sides of the hole, which move 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, so that upper surfaces of the vehicle hoist members are higher than an upper surface of the battery mount portion; and

a lifting-lowering mechanism for lifting and lowering the battery mount portion having the vehicle hoist members,

and a battery lifting-lowering portion configured to move through the hole in the battery mount portion, between a position below the upper surface of the battery mount portion and a position above the hole in the upper surface of the battery mount portion to lift and lower the battery when the vehicle is in a lift position by the vehicle hoist members.

2. The vehicle battery replacing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle hoist members are rod-like and configured to extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and on the left and right side of the battery.

3. The vehicle battery replacing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height of each of the vehicle hoist members from the upper surface of the battery mount portion is set such that, when the vehicle hoist members lift the vehicle so that the vehicle is level, when the battery is to be lifted toward the vehicle, 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, and when the battery is to be lowered, a clearance Δ

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

4. The vehicle battery replacing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the battery lifting-lowering portion is configured to lift and lower the battery by a distance corresponding to the clearance Δ

.