Battery Exchange Station

• US 20100141206A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charge Peak Limited
• Original Assignee: Better Place GmbH
• Inventors: Agassi, Shai, Heichal, Yoav
• Granted Patent: US 8,164,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• 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 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0472 from below
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/202 Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/242 adapted for protecting batteries against vibrations, collision impact or swelling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• 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 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 : Disassembling

Abstract

At a battery exchange station a discharged battery is removed and a charged battery is inserted into an electric vehicle. The battery exchange station has various mechanisms to make this exchange. In some embodiments, the batteries are stored in a warehouse, where they are given an appropriate amount of charge. The charged batteries are moved from the warehouse by an automated robotic mechanism. The automated robotic system provides the charged battery to a battery exchange system which inserts the charged battery into the vehicle after it removes the discharged battery from the vehicle. The insertion and removal of the battery is done vertically, i.e., into and out of the bottom of the vehicle. The battery exchange system is located in a service bay under the vehicle. A sliding door system creates an opening above the service bay. The opening is of variable size depending on the size of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A sliding door system for providing access to an underside of a vehicle, comprising:

a door configured to slide in a first direction; and

a conveyor system in the door configured to slide in a second direction opposite to the first direction while supporting a least one wheel of a vehicle.

2. The sliding door system of claim 1, wherein the door is slidably coupled to at least one rail.

3. The sliding door system of claim 1, wherein said sliding door system is configured to couple to a service bay such that when the door slides it exposes an opening above the service bay.

4. The sliding door system of claim 3, wherein the opening exposed is of variable size, and is sizable with respect to one or more of the vehicle'"'"'s wheelbase or track.

5. The sliding door system of claim 3, wherein the opening exposed is sized to receive a battery for the vehicle there through.

6. The sliding door system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor system is one or more conveyor belts each configured to support a distinct wheel.

7. The sliding door system of claim 6, wherein the one or more conveyor belts include a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt, wherein the first conveyor belt is larger than the second conveyor belt to support differently sized vehicles.

8. The sliding door system of claim 6, wherein the one or more conveyor belts each have an upper supporting surface, wherein the upper supporting surface is flush with the door.

9. The sliding door system of claim 6, wherein the one or more conveyor belts are free to rotate without power.

10. The sliding door system of claim 6, further comprising:

one or more an electric motors, wherein each electric motor rotates the a respective conveyor belt.

11. The sliding door system of claim 10, wherein the one or more conveyor belts are configured to alter the yaw of the vehicle

12. The sliding door system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor system is one or more roller pads each for supporting a distinct wheel.

13. A method of servicing a vehicle, comprising:

providing a sliding door system comprising;

a door; and

a conveyor system in the door;

receiving a vehicle over the sliding door system such that at least one wheel of the vehicle rests on the conveyor system; and

sliding the door in a first direction while allowing the conveyor system to slide in a second direction opposite to the first direction while supporting the at least one wheel, wherein the sliding of the door and the sliding of the conveyor system happen at least partially concurrently.

14. A method of claim 13, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and parallel to an underside of the vehicle.

15. A method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a first guide positioned on the door adjacent to the conveyor system, and

stopping the sliding when the at least one wheel contacts the first guide.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a second guide positioned adjacent to the door;

providing a second conveyor system positioned adjacent to the second guide remote from the door for supporting a second wheel; and

allowing the second conveyor system to slide in the first direction translating the vehicle in the first direction until the second wheels contacts the second guide.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing a conveyor system and corresponding guide for each wheel of the vehicle; and

altering the yaw of the vehicle by allowing each conveyor system to rotate until its respective wheel hits its corresponding guide.

18. A method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing one or more rising supports, and

lifting the vehicle on the one or more rising supports to alter the vehicle'"'"'s roll and pitch.

19. A battery exchange station, comprising:

a battery exchange system configured to;

lower a first rechargeable battery from a cavity in an underside of an at least partially electric vehicle along a first axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by a bottom surface of the at least partially vehicle; and

lift second rechargeable battery into the cavity in the underside of the at least partially electric vehicle along a second axis parallel to the first axis.

20. A battery exchange station of claim 19, further comprising:

a warehouse configured to charge a plurality of different sized rechargeable batteries.

21. A battery exchange station of claim 19, wherein the battery exchange system further comprises:

a shuttle slidably coupled to at least one rail;

an exchange platform; and

a hydraulic or scissor lift mechanism coupled between the shuttle and the exchange platform.

22. A battery exchange station of claim 21 wherein the battery exchange system further comprises:

a gripper coupled to the exchange platform configured to temporarily fix the first and second rechargeable batteries to the battery exchange system.

23. A battery exchange station of claim 19, wherein the battery exchange system has at least three degrees of freedom.

24. A battery exchange station of claim 19, wherein the battery exchange system is located below ground when at a rest position.

25. A battery exchange station of claim 19, wherein the battery exchange system is located above ground when at a rest position.

26. A battery exchange station of claim 21, further comprising:

an indexing system configured to measure alignment between the exchange platform and the cavity in the underside of the at least partially electric vehicle.

27. A battery exchange station of claim 19, wherein the battery exchange system further comprises:

an unlocking mechanism configured to electronically activate a lock on the at least partially electric vehicle.

28. A battery exchange station of claim 19, wherein the battery exchange system further comprises:

an unlocking mechanism configured to mechanically activate a lock on the at least partially electric vehicle.

29. A method of exchanging a battery in an at least partially electric vehicle, comprising:

removing a first rechargeable battery from a cavity in an underside of an at least partially electric vehicle by lowering the first rechargeable battery along a first axis substantially perpendicular to a plane formed by a bottom surface of the at least partially vehicle;

inserting the second battery into the cavity in the underside of the at least partially electric vehicle by lifting the second battery along a second axis parallel to the first axis.

30. A method of claim 29, wherein the first axis and the second axis are collinear.

31. A method of claim 29, further comprising:

prior to the inserting, retrieving the second battery from a battery charging warehouse; and

temporarily storing the second battery in a standby location.

32. A method of claim 31, wherein the retrieving comprises:

retrieving, with an automated robotic mechanism the second battery from a rack module inside the battery charging warehouse; and

delivering the second battery from the automated robotic mechanism to a battery exchange system.

33. A method of claim 29, further comprising:

after the removing, moving the first rechargeable battery to a battery charging warehouse.

34. A method of claim 29, further comprising:

prior to the removing, mechanically disengaging a lock attaching the first battery to the at least partially electric vehicle.

35. A method of claim 34, wherein the mechanically disengaging comprises:

inserting a key into a lock on the at least partially electric vehicle; and

retracting the key until into the exchange platform.

36. A method of claim 29, wherein the method of exchanging happens in under five minutes.

37. A method of claim 29, further comprising:

prior to the removing, cleaning at least a portion of the first battery.

38. A method of claim 29, wherein the removing occurs at a first location and the inserting occurs at a second location.

39. A method of claim 29, further comprising:

prior to the removing, automatically translating the vehicle to a first location above a service bay; and

after the inserting, automatically translating the vehicle to a second location distinct from the first location.

40. An expandable modular system of racks with a plurality of rack modules for charging batteries of different sizes.

41. The expandable modular system claim 40, wherein a respective rack module is configured for charging at least two different sized batteries.

42. The expandable modular system claim 40, wherein the plurality of rack modules includes first rack modules and second rack modules, wherein the first rack modules are configured to charge batteries of a first size, and the second rack modules are configured to charge batteries of a second size different than the batteries of the first size.

43. The expandable modular system claim 40, wherein a respective rack module includes:

battery presence sensor for sensing when a respective battery is in place;

one more battery locating features to enable positioning of the battery; and

a connector actuator arm for removably coupling to the battery for charging.

44. The expandable modular system claim 40, wherein the modular system of rack is entirely underground.