Vehicle base station

• US 8,862,288 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Vavrina, Matthew A., Vian, John L., How, Jonathan P., Michini, Bernard J., Michini, Matthew A., Toksoz, Tuna, Redding, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/663,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20130081245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/1, 701/36, 320/109, 320/104, 414390-392, 414395-396, 705/1.1
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/52 Wind-driven generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 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 29/4973 Replacing of defective part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53961 with work-holder for assembly

Abstract

A vehicle base station comprises a platform on which a vehicle may be positioned, a first battery bay located on a first side of the platform, a battery replacement assembly to remove a battery from the vehicle and to replace the battery with a new battery, and a power source adapted to provide power to the vehicle while the vehicle is positioned on the platform.

Claims

1. A vehicle base station, comprising:

a platform on which a vehicle may be positioned;

a first battery bay located on a first side of the platform;

a battery replacement assembly to remove a battery from the vehicle and to replace the battery with a new battery; and

a power source separate from the battery to provide power to the vehicle while the vehicle is positioned on the platform; and

at least one locking arm to lock the vehicle to the platform, wherein the at least one locking arm comprises at least one power contact to provide power from the power source to the vehicle when the vehicle is positioned on the platform.

2. The vehicle base station of claim 1, further comprising a second battery bay located on a second side of the platform, opposite the first side.

3. The vehicle base station of claim 2, wherein the battery replacement assembly:

slides a battery from the first battery bay onto a battery receiver coupled to the vehicle; and

slides a battery from the battery receiver coupled to the vehicle onto the second battery bay.

4. The vehicle base station 2, wherein the platform is contoured such that gravity causes the vehicle to be positioned in a predetermined location on the platform.

5. The vehicle base station of claim 4, wherein:

the platform comprises a sloped landing plate to receive the vehicle, such that the vehicle settles to the predetermined position under the force of gravity.

6. The vehicle base station of claim 5, wherein the first battery bay and the second battery bay each comprise a rotating drum for housing the battery.

7. A system, comprising:

a battery receiver comprising;

a first frame having a base mountable to a vehicle; and

a channel coupled to the base;

a battery carriage, comprising;

a second frame capable of holding one or more batteries;

a rail mounted on the second frame and adapted to engage the channel coupled to the base of the battery receiver frame; and

a vehicle base station, comprising;

a platform on which a vehicle may be positioned;

a first battery bay located on a first side of the platform;

a second battery bay located on a second side of the platform, opposite the first side;

a battery replacement assembly to remove a battery from the vehicle and to replace the battery with a new battery; and

a power source separate from the battery to provide power to the vehicle while the vehicle is positioned on the platform; and

at least one locking arm to lock the vehicle to the platform, wherein the at least one locking arm comprises at least one power contact to provide power from the power source to the vehicle when the vehicle is positioned on the platform.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the battery carriage comprises at least one electrical contact on the rail; and

the channel comprises electrical contacts positioned to couple with the electrical contacts on the rail when a battery carriage is engaged with the battery receiver.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the battery replacement assembly slides a first battery from the first battery bay onto a battery receiver coupled to the vehicle and to slide a second battery from the battery receiver coupled to the vehicle onto the second battery bay.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein:

the battery replacement assembly drives a first battery carriage housing a first battery from the first battery bay into the battery receiver; and

the first battery carriage displaces the second battery carriage.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second battery provides power to the vehicle before the first battery is disconnected from the battery receiver.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the platform comprises a sloped landing plate to receive the vehicle, such that the vehicle settles to the predetermined position under the force of gravity.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the first battery bay and the second battery bay each comprise a rotating drum capable of holding a plurality of batteries.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a power source coupled to the first battery bay and the second battery bay to provide power to charge one or more batteries stored in the first battery bay and the second battery bay.

15. A method to replace a battery on a vehicle, comprising:

positioning the vehicle on a platform of a vehicle base station;

providing power continuously to the vehicle while the vehicle is positioned on the vehicle base station by coupling at least one locking arm to lock the vehicle to the platform, wherein locking arm comprises at least one power contact to provide power to the vehicle;

aligning a first battery bay comprising a charged battery with a first side of a battery receiver coupled to the vehicle;

aligning a second battery bay, which is empty, with a second side of the battery receiver, opposite the first side;

sliding a first battery from the first battery bay onto the battery receiver coupled to the vehicle; and

sliding a second battery from the battery receiver coupled to the vehicle onto the second battery bay.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein sliding a first battery from the first battery docking station onto the battery receiver coupled to the vehicle comprises sliding a first battery carriage housing a first battery from the first battery bay into the battery receiver such that the first battery carriage displaces a second battery carriage housing a second battery.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second battery provides power to the vehicle before the first battery is disconnected from the battery receiver.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first battery bay and the second battery bay each comprise a rotating drum capable of holding a plurality of batteries, and wherein the rotating drums are rotated to align the first battery bay and the second battery bay with the battery receiver.