System apparatus for battery swapping

• US 5,585,205 A
• Filed: 04/26/1994
• Issued: 12/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Institute For Home Economics of Japan Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Institute For Home Economics of Japan Incorporated
• Inventors: Kohchi, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorgos, Kathryn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mee, Brendan
• Application Number:
  US08/234,392
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 429/123, 429/179, 429/163, 429/99, 429/120, 654/6 C, 180/68.5, 180/65.1
• US Class Current: 429/99
• 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 2001/0477 from the back
• 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 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• 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: H01M 50/271 Lids or covers for the racks or secondary casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/291 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using 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

Abstract

A power pack of batteries are enclosed in an encasement for handling ease and safety of passengers riding in an electric vehicle. The encased batteries are hung underneath and outside the vehicular floor, and are air-cooled. Spent batteries are replaced with an encasement with charged ones, and the vehicle is driven onward. A special jack, provided as a part of the system, facilitates replacing operations.

Claims

1. A system apparatus for swapping vehicular batteries comprising:

an encasement for enclosing a plurality of batteries for accumulating electricity in a compact manner;

means provided on said encasement for cooling said batteries;

terminals provided on said encasement and which are electrically connected with said batteries therein;

electric cables with a multi-plug connector for supplying electricity from said batteries through said terminals to an electric vehicle;

a pair of extended rims opposedly provided on said encasement; and

a pair of parallel framed rails affixed to an undercarriage of said electric vehicle for receiving said rims within said frames when said rims are aligned with said pair of rails., thereby holding the encasement suspended by said rims under the undercarriage of said vehicle.

2. The system apparatus for swapping vehicular batteries as defined in claim 1 wherein said terminals for supplying electricity include more than one pair of anode and cathode electrodes to enable a selective combining of voltage and current depending upon the driving requirements of said vehicle, and the number of conductors leading out of said battery encasement and connected with said vehicle is less than the number of the electrodes.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein a plurality of roller-bearings is provided on the rims to contact said rails.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein a plurality of roller-bearings is provided on the rails to contact said rims.

3. The system apparatus for swapping vehicular batteries as defined in claim 3, wherein the batteries inside the encasement are switchably electrically connected in either series or parallel, or in combinations of series and parallel electrical connections, to produce different voltage and current combinations as required by the electric vehicle.

6. A system apparatus for swapping vehicular batteries comprising:

a plurality of batteries for accumulating electricity;

an encasement for enclosing said batteries in a compact manner;

means provided on said encasement for cooling said batteries;

terminals provided on said encasement and electrically connected with said batteries therein;

electric cables with a multi-plug connector for supplying electricity from said batteries through said terminals to an electric vehicle;

a pair of extended rims opposedly provided on said encasement;

a pair of framed rails affixed to an undercarriage of said electric vehicle for receiving said rims thereon when said rims are aligned with said pair of rails;

a truck member having wheels dimensioned to translate underneath the undercarriage; and

a lifter assembly mounted on the truck member which is raised and lowered relative to the truck member, the lifter assembly including a self-centering clamping member for securing the encasement by two sidewalls not parallel to said rails, where the lifter assembly can lift and release an encasement from engagement with the pair of framed rails and move the encasement parallel to the rails to remove spent batteries from said vehicle and can install a new encasement on the rails with charged batteries.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein a plurality of roller-bearings is provided on the rims to contact said rails.

8. The invention of claim 6 wherein a plurality of roller-bearings is provided on the rails to contact said rims.

9. In an electric car battery exchanging system for replacing spent batteries in an electric vehicle with recharged batteries, the improvement comprising:

a pair of spaced elongated rail members suspended beneath an undercarriage of an electric vehicle;

a plurality of enclosed hollow housing members, each having a pair of elongated side rim members cantilevered respectively from either side of the housing member and of a dimension to extend over the spaced rail members for movable support;

a plurality of batteries mounted in each of the housing members;

a track member having wheels dimensioned to translate underneath said housing members when the housing members are supported by said pair of rails; and

a lifter assembly mounted on the truck member and which is raised and lowered relative to the truck member, the lifter assembly including a clamping member for securing the housing member below the side rim members where the lifter member can lift and release a housing member from the spaced rail members and move the housing member parallel to the rail members to remove spent batteries can install a new housing member on the spaced rail members with charged batteries.

10. The invention of claim 9 further including heat releasing means on each housing member.

11. The invention of claim 9 wherein the side rim members are of an inverted L cross-sectional shape.

12. The invention of claim 11 wherein the rail members are substantially a hollow rectangular shape with an aperture along one side.

13. The invention of claim 9 wherein each of the cantilevered rim members are supported by a plurality of roller members contacting said rail members.

14. In an electric car battery exchanging system for replacing spent batteries in an electric vehicle with recharged batteries, the improvement comprising:

a pair of spaced parallel supporting rail members connected to an undercarriage of an electric vehicle;

an encasement for enclosing a plurality of batteries for accumulating electricity, having a pair of rim members cantilevered, respectively, on either side of the encasement and of a dimension to extend over the spaced supporting rail members for support;

terminals provided on said encasement and electrically connected with said batteries therein;

electric cables with a multi-plug connector for supplying electricity from said batteries through said terminals to an electric vehicle;

a truck member having wheels dimensioned to translate underneath the undercarriage; and

a lifter assembly mounted on the truck member which is raised and lowered relative to the truck member, the lifter asssembly including self-centering clamping members for aligning and securing said encasement where the lifter assembly can release an encasement from the spaced supporting rail members to remove spent batteries and can install a new encasement on the spaced supporting rail members with charged batteries.

15. The invention of claim 14 wherein each of the cantilevered rim members are supported by a plurality of roller members contacting said rail members.

16. An electric vehicle battery support system comprising:

an encasement for enclosing a plurality of batteries;

cooling means on the encasement for cooling the batteries;

electrical terminals on the encasement which are switchably, electrically connected to the batteries such that the batteries are connected either in series, parallel, or a combination of series and parallel, to the electrical terminals to provide the electric vehicle with a required voltage and current;

electric cables having a multi-plug connector for supplying electricity from the batteries through the electrical terminals to the electric vehicle;

two parallel rims opposedly connected to a top portion of each of the opposite sides of the encasement, the rims having a plurality of roller-bearings; and

two parallel framed rails attached to an undercarriage of the electric vehicle for engaging the rims when the rims are aligned with the rails suspending the encasement under the undercarriage of the vehicle.

17. The electric vehicle support system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of roller-bearings are connected to the rails instead of to the rims.