Battery unit mounting apparatus and battery unit mounting structure

• US 9,016,417 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2014
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
• Inventors: Fukagawa, Takahiro, Ojima, Yoshio, Ohgitani, Ikkei, Motoya, Akihiko, Maki, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hau
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANS, BRYAN A
• Application Number:
  US14/151,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20140196966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5
• US Class Current: 180/68.5
• 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: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations

Abstract

A battery unit mounting apparatus for mounting a battery unit to a vehicle from a bottom face side of the vehicle comprises a table having a mount surface for mounting the battery unit, a lift for moving the table up and down with respect to the bottom face of the vehicle, and a connection mechanism for connecting the table and the lift to each other. The connection mechanism connects the table and the lift to each other such that the battery unit or table comes into contact with the bottom face of the vehicle so as to tilt the mount surface by a predetermined inclination with respect to the bottom face of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A battery unit mounting apparatus for mounting a battery unit to a vehicle from a bottom face side of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a table having a mount surface for mounting the battery unit;

a lift for moving the table up and down with respect to the bottom face of the vehicle; and

a connection mechanism for connecting the table and the lift to each other;

wherein the connection mechanism connects the table and the lift to each other such that the table comes into contact with the bottom face of the vehicle so as to tilt the mount surface by a predetermined inclination with respect to the bottom face of the vehicle;

wherein the mount surface of the table is provided with a plurality of contact pieces adapted to come into contact with the bottom face of the vehicle when the table is moved up by the lift; and

wherein the mount surface tilts substantially parallel to the bottom face of the vehicle according to the contact between the contact pieces of the mount surface and the bottom face of the vehicle.

2. A battery unit mounting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection mechanism has a ball joint for connecting the table and the lift to each other while making the mount surface of the table tiltable, and an elastic member for generating an elastic force between the table and the lift so as to regulate the tilt of the mount surface.

3. A battery unit mounting structure for mounting a battery unit to a vehicle from a bottom face side of the vehicle, the structure comprising:

the battery unit mounting apparatus according to claim 1; and

a guide member, disposed on the bottom face of the vehicle, for tilting the mount surface substantially parallel to the bottom face by coming into contact with the contact piece disposed on the mount surface.