Battery changing system and method
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:
- a grasping assembly configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle and to engage a securing assembly that protrudes outward from a single, common, planar first side of an outer housing of a battery box having one or more batteries disposed therein, the outer housing having the first side that faces the grasping assembly and that is a closest portion of the outer housing to the grasping assembly, the outer housing also including a second side that is opposite of the first side; and
an actuation assembly configured to move the grasping assembly away from the vehicle toward the battery box, the actuation assembly configured to move the grasping assembly into engagement with the securing assembly of the battery box without the grasping assembly extending into an interior of the outer housing of the battery box between the opposite first and second sides of the outer housing, without the grasping assembly engaging a side of the battery box other than the securing assembly on the first side, and without the grasping assembly extending beyond the first side of the housing of the battery box toward the opposite second side of the housing of the battery box, wherein the actuation assembly is configured to move the grasping assembly back toward the vehicle while the grasping assembly engages the securing assembly of the battery box to lift the battery box onto the vehicle.
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Abstract
A battery changing system includes a grasping assembly and an actuation assembly. The grasping assembly is configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle and to engage a battery box having one or more batteries disposed therein. The actuation assembly is configured to move the grasping assembly away from the vehicle toward the battery box. The actuation assembly also is configured to move the grasping assembly into engagement with a securing assembly of the battery box. The actuation assembly is configured to move the grasping assembly back toward the vehicle while the grasping assembly engages the securing assembly of the battery box to lift the battery box onto the vehicle.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a grasping assembly configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle and to engage a securing assembly that protrudes outward from a single, common, planar first side of an outer housing of a battery box having one or more batteries disposed therein, the outer housing having the first side that faces the grasping assembly and that is a closest portion of the outer housing to the grasping assembly, the outer housing also including a second side that is opposite of the first side; and an actuation assembly configured to move the grasping assembly away from the vehicle toward the battery box, the actuation assembly configured to move the grasping assembly into engagement with the securing assembly of the battery box without the grasping assembly extending into an interior of the outer housing of the battery box between the opposite first and second sides of the outer housing, without the grasping assembly engaging a side of the battery box other than the securing assembly on the first side, and without the grasping assembly extending beyond the first side of the housing of the battery box toward the opposite second side of the housing of the battery box, wherein the actuation assembly is configured to move the grasping assembly back toward the vehicle while the grasping assembly engages the securing assembly of the battery box to lift the battery box onto the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system comprising:
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one or more extendable devices configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle and to change length; and a grasping assembly configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle and to be coupled with the one or more extendable devices, the grasping assembly including one or more protrusions configured to engage a securing assembly that protrudes outward from a planar first side of an outer housing of a battery box that is disposed off-board of the vehicle and that includes one or more batteries disposed therein, the outer housing including the first side that faces the grasping assembly and that is a closest portion of the outer housing to the grasping assembly, the outer housing also including a second side that is opposite of the first side, wherein the one or more extendable devices are configured to increase in length to extend the grasping assembly away from the vehicle and to lower the grasping assembly below at least a portion of the battery box, the one or more extendable devices also configured to decrease in length to cause the one or more protrusions of the grasping assembly to engage the battery box, to lift the battery box, and to move the battery box onboard the vehicle without the grasping assembly extending into the outer housing of the battery box between the opposite first and second sides of the outer housing, without the grasping assembly engaging a side of the battery box other than the first side, and without the grasping assembly extending beyond the first side of the housing toward the opposite second side of the housing. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A vehicle comprising:
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a vehicle frame comprising at least first and second sub-frame assemblies connected with each other; a haulage assembly coupled with the first sub-frame assembly, the haulage assembly configured to pick up and transport material; and a battery changing system coupled with the second sub-frame assembly, the battery changing system configured to extend from the vehicle frame and lower to a battery box comprising one or more batteries disposed off-board the vehicle frame, the battery changing system configured to grasp a securing assembly disposed outside of and on a single planar first side of an outer housing of the battery box that faces the vehicle frame and lift the battery box onto the vehicle frame without grasping another side of the outer housing and without extending beyond the first side of the outer housing toward an opposite second side of the outer housing, the first side of the outer housing being a closest portion of the outer housing to the vehicle frame. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification