1. A battery pack locking device for locking or unlocking a battery pack on a bracket, characterized by comprising a first locking unit provided to the bracket, the first locking unit being switchable between a first state and a second state;

when the first locking unit is in a first state, the battery pack can enter and exit the bracket along a first direction;

when the first locking unit is in the second state, the first locking unit restricts the battery pack from leaving the bracket along the first direction.

2. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery pack has an electrical connection socket for plugging and electrically connecting with an electrical connection plug on the cradle;

the battery pack is electrically connected to the bracket in the same direction as the first direction.

3. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 2, wherein when the first locking unit is in the second state, the first locking unit is configured to limit displacement of the battery pack relative to the cradle in the first direction when the battery pack is electrically connected to the cradle.

4. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first locking unit comprises:

the fixing piece is arranged on the bracket;

the movable piece is connected to the fixed piece and can move relative to the fixed piece so as to switch between a first state and a second state.

5. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 4, wherein when the battery pack enters the bracket, the sidewall of the battery pack applies a pushing force to the movable member, causing the movable member to move in a second direction away from the battery pack and switch to the first state.

6. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 5, wherein a side surface of the movable member facing the battery pack is provided with a guide structure, and when the battery pack enters the bracket, a side wall of the battery pack contacts the guide structure and applies a pushing force to the movable member in the second direction.

7. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first locking unit further comprises a driver, the driver being connected to the movable member;

before the battery pack enters the bracket, the driver drives the movable piece to be switched to a first state.

8. The battery pack locking apparatus according to any one of claims 5 or 7, wherein the movable member is switched to the second state when the battery pack reaches the first locking position; when the battery pack reaches a second locking position, the battery pack is abutted against the movable piece located in the second state along the first direction.

9. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 8, wherein a surface of the movable member for abutting against the battery pack has a concave-convex structure that matches a surface shape of an outer side surface of the battery pack.

10. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 5, wherein the fixed member is provided with a sliding groove along the second direction, and the movable member switches between the first state and the second state along the sliding groove.

11. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second direction is oriented differently than the first direction.

12. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second direction is angled between 45 degrees and 90 degrees from the first direction.

13. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 5, wherein the battery pack has an electrical connection socket for electrical connection with the bracket, the battery pack being electrically connected to the bracket in the same direction as the first direction;

when the battery pack is electrically connected with the bracket and the movable member is switched to the second state, the surface of the movable member is in contact with the outer side surface of the battery pack.

14. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 13, wherein when the battery pack is electrically connected to the bracket and the movable member is switched to the second state, the other surface of the movable member contacts a lateral side surface of the battery pack.

15. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first lock further comprises a resilient member for applying a resilient force in the second direction toward the movable member to maintain the movable member in the second state when the movable member is not subjected to an external force.

16. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 15, wherein the elastic member is a compression spring.

17. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first locking unit further comprises a connecting rod movably connected to the movable member, wherein the connecting rod moves the movable member from the second state to the first state under an external force.

18. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first locking unit further comprises a driver for driving the link to move the movable member from the second state to the first state.

19. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 18, wherein the end of the link projects downwardly from the lower surface of the tray, the actuator is a lifter or a stacker, the actuator is located beneath the tray, and the lift platform of the actuator lifts upwardly and pushes the end of the link to move the movable member from the second position to the first position.

20. The battery pack locking apparatus of claim 19, wherein the elevating platform of the driver contacts the lower surface of the bracket after pushing the end of the link upward.

21. The battery pack locking apparatus according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the link is capable of being compressed in the transmission direction of the external force.

22. A tray assembly comprising a tray and a battery pack locking apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. The tray assembly of claim 22, wherein the first locking unit is disposed at an entrance of the tray for the battery pack to enter the tray in the first direction.

24. The tray assembly of claim 22, wherein the battery pack locking means comprises two of the first locking units, the two first locking units being disposed at left and right sides of the tray, respectively.

25. The tray assembly of claim 22, wherein the battery pack locking device further comprises a second locking unit provided to the tray for limiting displacement of the battery pack relative to the tray in a direction other than the first direction.

26. The tray assembly of claim 25, wherein the second locking unit further comprises:

the bearing guide wheel is arranged on a bracket bottom plate of the bracket for bearing the battery pack, and can roll relative to the lower surface of the battery pack;

the guide wheels are arranged on two sides of the bracket and can roll relative to the side surface of the battery pack.

27. The bracket assembly of claim 22, wherein the bracket is secured to a chassis rail surface of the electric vehicle by a fastener.

28. An electric vehicle comprising the bracket assembly of claim 22.

29. The electric vehicle of claim 28, wherein the bracket of the bracket assembly is secured to the chassis rail surface of the electric vehicle by a fastener.

30. The electric vehicle of claim 29, wherein the electric vehicle has a chassis with a left side member and a right side member arranged side by side;

the bracket assembly is arranged on the left girder and the right girder.

31. The electric vehicle of claim 30, wherein the floor cross member of the bracket assembly is integrally formed and secured to the lower side surfaces of the left and right side members.

32. A locking method of a battery pack using the battery pack locking device according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

controlling the first locking unit to be in a first state;

controlling the battery pack to move into the bracket along a first direction;

controlling the first locking unit to be in a second state.

33. The battery pack locking method according to claim 32, further comprising, after the step of controlling the first locking unit to be in the second state, the steps of:

the battery pack is controlled to move towards the first direction and abut against the first locking unit.

Background

The conventional battery installation methods for electric vehicles are generally classified into a fixed type and a replaceable type, wherein the fixed type battery is generally fixed on a vehicle, and the vehicle is directly used as a charging object during charging. The replaceable battery is generally fixed to a bracket of the vehicle in a movable mounting manner, and the battery can be removed to be replaced or charged separately, and then the replaced battery is mounted on the vehicle after being charged.

In the prior art, the battery replacement mode includes various means such as manual and automatic means, and in any means, when the battery is mounted on the bracket of the vehicle, the bracket needs to lock the battery on the bracket.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to overcome the defects of complex process and complicated steps of installing a battery pack on a bracket in the prior art, and provides a battery pack locking device, a bracket assembly, an electric automobile and a battery pack locking method.

The invention solves the technical problems through the following technical scheme:

a battery pack locking device for locking or unlocking a battery pack on a bracket includes a first locking unit provided to the bracket, the first locking unit being switchable between a first state and a second state;

when the first locking unit is in a first state, the battery pack can enter and exit the bracket along a first direction;

when the first locking unit is in the second state, the first locking unit restricts the battery pack from leaving the bracket along the first direction.

According to the battery pack locking device, the first locking unit is switched to the second locking state after the battery pack enters the bracket, so that the position of the battery pack relative to the bracket is fixed by the first locking unit, the purpose of fixing the battery pack on the bracket in the process of placing the battery pack on the bracket is achieved, and the complexity of the process and the complexity of the step of installing and fixing the battery pack on the bracket are effectively reduced.

Preferably, the battery pack is provided with an electric connection socket which is used for being plugged and electrically connected with an electric connection plug on the bracket;

the electric connection direction of the battery pack and the bracket is the same as the first direction, so that the battery pack can synchronously complete the electric connection between the bracket and the battery pack while entering the bracket and being fixed on the bracket by the first locking unit.

Preferably, when the first locking unit is in the second state, the first locking unit is configured to limit displacement of the battery pack relative to the bracket along the first direction when the battery pack is electrically connected to the bracket, so as to prevent the battery pack from being displaced in the bracket along the first direction to affect an electrical connection effect between the battery pack and the bracket.

Preferably, the first locking unit includes:

the fixing piece is arranged on the bracket;

the movable piece is connected to the fixed piece and can move relative to the fixed piece so as to switch between a first state and a second state, and the movable piece limits the in-out state of the battery pack relative to the bracket.

Preferably, when the battery pack enters the bracket, the side wall of the battery pack applies a pushing force to the movable member, so that the movable member moves in the second direction towards the direction away from the battery pack and is switched to the first state.

Through the structural arrangement, the situation that the battery smoothly enters the bracket is effectively prevented from being influenced by the position state of the movable part.

Preferably, a guide structure is arranged on one side surface of the movable member facing the battery pack, when the battery pack enters the bracket, the side wall of the battery pack contacts with the guide structure, and thrust is applied to the movable member along the second direction, so that the movable member is far away from the battery pack along the second direction and is switched to the first state.

Preferably, the first locking unit further comprises a driver connected to the movable member;

before the battery pack enters the bracket, the driver drives the movable piece to be switched to the first state, so that the battery pack can smoothly enter the bracket.

Preferably, when the battery pack reaches the first locking position, the movable member is switched to the second state; when the battery pack reaches a second locking position, the battery pack is abutted against the movable piece located in the second state along the first direction.

Above-mentioned structural arrangement for after the external force that pushes the battery package into the bracket is cancelled, accessible battery package and moving part looks butt's mode make the battery package along first direction be located the bracket completely, avoid the battery package to produce horizontal drunkenness in the bracket.

Preferably, the surface of the moving part, which is used for being abutted to the battery pack, is provided with a concave-convex structure, and the concave-convex structure is matched with the surface shape of the outer side surface of the battery pack, so that after the battery pack is moved to the second locking position, the moving part is matched with the surface of the battery pack through the concave-convex structure, and the fixing effect of the moving part on the battery pack is further improved.

Preferably, the fixed member is provided with a sliding groove along the second direction, and the movable member is switched between the first state and the second state along the sliding groove, so that the sliding groove can limit the degree of freedom of movement of the movable member except the second direction.

Preferably, the second direction is different from the first direction in orientation, so as to prevent the displacement of the battery pack in the bracket along the first direction from affecting the state switching of the movable member along the second direction.

Preferably, an included angle between the second direction and the first direction is 45 degrees to 90 degrees, so that the influence of component force generated by acting force of the battery pack in the bracket along the first direction on the movable member when the battery pack is displaced in the first direction on the state switching of the movable member is avoided.

Preferably, the battery pack has an electrical connection socket for electrical connection with the bracket, and the electrical connection direction of the battery pack and the bracket is the same as the first direction;

when the battery pack is electrically connected with the bracket and the movable member is switched to the second state, the surface of the movable member is in contact with the outer side surface of the battery pack, so that the battery pack can synchronously complete the electrical connection between the bracket and the battery pack when entering the bracket and being fixed on the bracket by the first locking unit, and the movable member switched to the second state keeps the bracket and the battery pack in an electrical connection state all the time.

Preferably, when the battery pack is electrically connected with the bracket and the movable member is switched to the second state, the other surface of the movable member contacts with the lateral surface of the battery pack, so as to further improve the fixing and positioning effects between the movable member and the battery pack.

Preferably, the first lock further comprises an elastic member for applying an elastic force to the movable member in the second direction so as to keep the movable member in the second state when the movable member is not acted by an external force.

Above-mentioned structural arrangement, after the battery package got into the bracket, the thrust that the lateral wall of battery package applyed to the moving part disappeared, therefore the moving part moves to the second state under the effect of elastic component to realize locking the purpose in the bracket with the battery package under the condition that need not external intervention.

Preferably, the elastic element is a compression spring to push the movable element to the second state by the resilience force after being compressed.

Preferably, the first locking unit further comprises a connecting rod, the connecting rod is movably connected to the movable member, and the connecting rod drives the movable member to move from the second state to the first state under the action of an external force, so that the purpose of unlocking the battery pack relative to the bracket is achieved.

Preferably, the first locking unit further comprises a driver, and the driver is used for driving the connecting rod to drive the movable member to move from the second state to the first state so as to control the movable member to unlock the battery pack on the bracket.

Preferably, the tail end of the connecting rod protrudes downwards from the lower surface of the bracket, the driver is a lifting machine or a stacker crane, the driver is located below the bracket, and a lifting platform of the driver is lifted upwards and pushes the tail end of the connecting rod to drive the movable member to move from the second state to the first state.

Above-mentioned structural arrangement has the function that has the unblock concurrently through utilizing to have among the current equipment of trading electric lift or hacking machine to further simplify battery package locking device's unblock flow complexity.

Preferably, the lifting platform of the driver contacts with the lower surface of the bracket after pushing the end of the connecting rod upwards, so as to further achieve the purpose of lifting the bracket (and the electric vehicle connected with the bracket), and improve the compatibility of all parts.

Preferably, the connecting rod can be compressed along the transmission direction of the external force so as to store the acting force when the movable member cannot be switched to the first state, and is released when the movable member can be switched to the first state so as to drive the movable member to move to the first state, thereby achieving the purpose of unlocking.

A tray assembly comprising a tray and a battery pack locking arrangement as described above.

According to the battery pack locking device in the bracket assembly, the first locking unit of the battery pack is switched to the second locking state after the battery pack enters the bracket, so that the position of the battery pack relative to the bracket is fixed by the first locking unit, the purpose of fixing the battery pack to the bracket in the process of placing the battery pack in the bracket is achieved, and the complexity of the process of installing and fixing the battery pack to the bracket are effectively reduced.

Preferably, the first locking unit is disposed at an entrance of the tray for the battery pack to enter the tray along the first direction, so that the first locking unit can limit the battery pack to leave the tray from the entrance when switching to the second state.

Preferably, the battery pack locking device includes two first locking units, and the two first locking units are respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the bracket, so as to improve the locking effect of the battery pack locking device on the battery pack.

Preferably, the battery pack locking device further comprises a second locking unit, the second locking unit is disposed on the bracket, and the second locking unit is used for limiting the displacement of the battery pack relative to the bracket along a direction other than the first direction, so as to prevent the battery pack from being separated from the bracket along the direction other than the first direction, and thus the first locking unit can effectively lock the battery pack on the bracket.

Preferably, the second locking unit further includes:

the bearing guide wheel is arranged on a bracket bottom plate of the bracket for bearing the battery pack, and can roll relative to the lower surface of the battery pack;

the guide wheels are arranged on two sides of the bracket and can roll relative to the side surface of the battery pack.

The above structure can limit the battery pack to move along other directions except the first direction when the battery pack is positioned in the bracket.

Preferably, the bracket is fixed on the surface of a chassis beam of the electric automobile through a fastener, so that the stability of the bracket assembly can be kept when the bracket assembly is installed on the electric automobile.

An electric vehicle comprising a bracket assembly as described above.

In the electric automobile, the battery pack locking device of the bracket assembly switches the first locking unit to the second locking state after the battery pack enters the bracket, so that the position of the battery pack relative to the bracket is fixed by the first locking unit, the purpose of fixing the battery pack to the bracket in the process of placing the battery pack in the bracket is realized, and the complexity of the process and the complexity of the steps of installing and fixing the battery pack to the bracket are effectively reduced.

Preferably, the bracket of the bracket assembly is fixed on the surface of the chassis beam of the electric automobile through a fastener, so that the bracket assembly can keep stability when being installed on the electric automobile, and the bracket assembly is prevented from vibrating when the electric automobile runs.

Preferably, the chassis of the electric automobile is provided with a left crossbeam and a right crossbeam which are arranged in parallel;

the bracket assembly is arranged on the left crossbeam and the right crossbeam so as to further improve the installation stability of the bracket assembly.

Preferably, the bottom plate cross beam of the bracket assembly is integrally formed and fixed to the lower side surfaces of the left and right girders to further improve the installation stability of the bracket assembly.

A locking method of a battery pack using the battery pack locking device as described above, comprising the steps of:

controlling the first locking unit to be in a first state;

controlling the battery pack to move into the bracket along a first direction;

controlling the first locking unit to be in a second state.

Preferably, the step of controlling the first locking unit to be in the second state further comprises the following steps:

the battery pack is controlled to move towards the first direction and abut against the first locking unit.

The positive progress effects of the invention are as follows:

the battery pack locking device switches the first locking unit to the second locking state after the battery pack enters the bracket, so that the position of the battery pack relative to the bracket is fixed by the first locking unit, the purpose of fixing the battery pack to the bracket in the process of placing the battery pack to the bracket is achieved, and the complexity of the process of installing and fixing the battery pack to the bracket are effectively reduced.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a battery pack locking device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged schematic view of a portion C in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram (a) illustrating a locking process of the first locking unit according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram (two) illustrating a locking process of the first locking unit according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram (iii) illustrating a locking process of the first locking unit according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram (a) illustrating an unlocking process of the first locking unit according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view (two) of an unlocking flow of the first locking unit according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view (iii) of the unlocking flow of the first locking unit according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a partial structural view of a bracket assembly according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a schematic view of a connection relationship between a chassis and a bracket assembly of an electric vehicle according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a schematic view of a contact relationship between the movable member and the battery pack according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram (one) illustrating a motion state of the connecting rod according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram (two) illustrating a motion state of the connecting rod according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Description of reference numerals:

first locking unit 1

Fixing member 11, sliding groove 111

A movable member 12, a rod portion 12a

Guide structure 121, relief structure 122

Connecting rod 13, end 13a and pressure spring 131

Lifting platform 141

Bearing guide wheel 21

Guide pulley 22

Battery pack 3, side wall 31

Bracket 4, lower surface 4a

Bracket bottom plate 42

Bracket side plate 43

Floor beam 44

Bracket assembly 20

An electric automobile body 5, a left girder 51 and a right girder 52

Detailed Description

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples, which are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Example 1

The invention provides a battery pack 3 locking device which is used for locking or unlocking a battery pack 3 on a bracket 4, the battery pack 3 locking device comprises a first locking unit 1 arranged on the bracket 4, and the first locking unit 1 can be switched between a first state and a second state.

Specifically, when the first locking unit 1 is in the first state, the battery pack 3 can enter and exit the bracket 4 in a certain direction; and when the first locking unit 1 is in the second state, the first locking unit 1 can restrict the battery pack 3 from leaving the bracket 4 in that direction.

According to the locking device for the battery pack 3, the first locking unit 1 is switched to the second locking state after the battery pack 3 enters the bracket 4, so that the position of the battery pack 3 relative to the bracket 4 is fixed by the first locking unit 1, the purpose of fixing the battery pack 3 to the bracket 4 in the process of placing the battery pack 3 to the bracket 4 is achieved, and the complexity of steps for installing and fixing the battery pack 3 to the bracket 4 are effectively reduced.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the battery pack 3 locking device includes two first locking units 1, and the two first locking units 1 are respectively disposed at the left and right sides of the bracket 4 at the opening position where the battery pack 3 enters the bracket 4, so as to improve the locking effect of the battery pack 3 locking device on the battery pack 3.

Wherein a certain direction of the battery pack 3 to get in and out of the bracket 4 is a first direction a in the figure, and the first locking unit 1 of the locking device of the battery pack 3 is provided at an entrance position of the bracket 4 for getting in and out of the battery pack 3. In addition, an electrical connection socket (not shown) is disposed on the back of the battery pack 3, and the electrical connection socket is used for being plugged and electrically connected with an electrical connection plug (not shown) on the bracket 4, and the direction of the electrical connection is the same as the first direction a in which the battery pack 3 enters and exits from the bracket 4, so that the electrical connection between the bracket 4 and the battery pack 3 can be synchronously completed while the battery pack 3 enters the bracket 4 and is fixed on the bracket 4 by the first locking unit 1, and the purpose of physical connection and electrical connection between the bracket 4 and the battery pack 3 can be simultaneously realized.

As shown in fig. 2, the first locking unit 1 in this embodiment specifically includes a fixed member 11 and a movable member 12. The fixed member 11 is fixed on the bracket 4, the movable member 12 is connected to the fixed member 11, and the movable member 12 is movable relative to the fixed member 11 to switch between a first state and a second state, so that the movable member 12 can limit the in-and-out state of the battery pack 3 relative to the bracket 4.

The movable member 12 can be switched between a first state and a second state along the second direction B, and the orientation of the second direction B is different from that of the first direction a, so as to avoid the influence of the displacement of the battery pack 3 along the first direction a in the bracket 4 on the state switching of the movable member 12 along the second direction B. Preferably, the included angle between the second direction B and the first direction a should be 45 degrees to 90 degrees, so as to avoid that component force generated along the second direction B by acting force on the movable member 12 when the battery pack 3 is displaced along the first direction a in the bracket 4 affects state switching of the movable member 12, and further avoid that the battery pack 3 acts on the movable member 12 along the first direction a to unlock the movable member 12 when the battery pack 3 is locked in the bracket 4.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 3-5, it is a state switching process of the movable member 12 when the battery pack 3 enters the bracket 4. As can be seen from fig. 3, the second direction B is perpendicular to the first direction a. Meanwhile, under the condition that the movable member 12 is in the second state, in the process that the battery pack 3 enters the bracket 4 along the first direction a, the side wall 31 of the battery pack 3 can apply a thrust to the surface of the movable member 12, so that the movable member 12 moves in the direction away from the battery pack 3 along the second direction B and is switched to the first state, and the movable member 12 in any state can not influence the smooth entering of the battery pack 3 into the bracket 4.

Specifically, a guide structure 121 is disposed on a side surface of the movable member 12 facing the battery pack 3, the guide structure 121 is in a circular arc shape, and in a process that the battery pack 3 enters the bracket 4, the side wall 31 of the battery pack 3 contacts with the guide structure 121 and applies a pushing force to the movable member 12 along the second direction B, so that the movable member 12 is away from the battery pack 3 along the second direction B and is switched to the first state.

In other embodiments, the first locking unit 1 further includes a driver connected to the movable member 12 to drive the movable member 12 to switch to the first state by the driver before the battery pack 3 enters the bracket 4, so that the battery pack 3 can enter the bracket 4 smoothly. Of course, in the present embodiment, the movable element 12 is switched to the first state by using the component force generated by the contact of the battery pack 3 with the guide structure 121 on the movable element 12, which is simpler and more direct than the above-mentioned method of providing an actuator.

As shown in fig. 4, in this embodiment, when the battery pack 3 is pushed in the first direction a to the electrical connection plug on the bracket 4 for connection, the battery pack 3 is in the first locking position (i.e. the position of the battery pack 3 in fig. 4), at this time, the electrical connection plug of the bracket 4 and the electrical connection plug of the battery pack 3 are in a mutual pressing state, the battery pack 3 leaves the movable member 12, and the movable member 12 can be switched to the second state without the pushing force of the battery pack, so as to limit the battery pack 3 from leaving the bracket 4.

After that, as shown in fig. 5, after the external force pushing the battery pack 3 tightly against the bracket 4 is removed, the pressing force between the battery pack 3 and the electrical connection plug of the bracket 4 is released, so that the battery pack 3 is displaced to the second locking position (i.e. the position of the battery pack 3 in fig. 5), at this time, the battery pack 3 and the moving member 12 in the second state are abutted along the first direction a, so that after the external force pushing the battery pack 3 into the bracket 4 is removed, the battery pack 3 is provided with a first abutting surface by the manner that the battery pack 3 is abutted against the moving member 12, the moving member 12 is provided with a second abutting surface, the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface are engaged with each other, so as to limit the battery pack in the first direction a and in the direction perpendicular to the first direction a, and completely position the battery pack 3 on the bracket 4 along the first direction a, thereby preventing the battery pack 3 from generating horizontal movement in the bracket 4, so as to achieve the purpose of limiting the displacement of the battery pack 3 relative to the bracket 4 in the first direction a by the first locking unit 1 when the battery pack 3 is electrically connected to the bracket 4. Meanwhile, the scheme for limiting the displacement can also ensure that the bracket 4 and the battery pack 3 are always in an electric connection state, so that the reliability of electric connection is improved.

Preferably, the first abutting surface is provided with a concave portion, the second abutting surface is provided with a convex portion, and the shape of the convex portion is matched with that of the concave portion as shown in fig. 4 and 5, so that after the battery pack 3 moves to the second locking position, the movable member 12 is matched with the surface of the battery pack 3 through the concave-convex structure 122, and the fixing effect of the movable member 12 on the battery pack 3 is improved. Of course, in other embodiments, the surface of the movable member 12 abutting against the battery pack 3 in the first direction a may be a completely planar structure, and when the movable member 12 moves to the second state, the planar structure may also limit the battery pack 3 from moving away from the bracket 4 in the first direction a. In other embodiments, the concave portions and the convex portions of the concave-convex structure 122 may be provided in an exchangeable manner.

As shown in fig. 2, the fixed member 11 is provided with a sliding groove 111 along the second direction B, and the rod portion 12a at the lower end of the movable member 12 is disposed in the sliding groove 111 to switch between the first state and the second state along the sliding groove 111, so that the sliding groove 111 can limit the freedom of movement of the movable member 12 except for the second direction B.

In order to enable the movable member 12 to move to the second state after the battery pack 3 completely enters the bracket 4, the following scheme is provided in the present embodiment: the first lock further includes an elastic member (not shown) having one end connected to the rod portion 12a of the lower end of the movable member 12 and applying an elastic force to the movable member 12 along the second direction B to keep the movable member 12 in the second state when the movable member 12 is not applied with an external force. Through the above-mentioned structure, after the battery pack 3 completely enters the bracket 4, the thrust exerted by the side wall 31 of the battery pack 3 on the movable member 12 disappears, so that the movable member 12 automatically moves to the second state under the action of the elastic member, so as to lock the battery pack 3 in the bracket 4 without external intervention. In this embodiment, the elastic member may be a compression spring 131 to push the movable member 12 to the second state by a resilience force after being compressed.

Fig. 6-8 are schematic diagrams illustrating a process of unlocking the battery pack 3 from the bracket 4 by the locking device of the battery pack 3 in the present embodiment. The flow of the battery pack 3 locking device for unlocking the battery pack 3 to the bracket 4 by the first unit is substantially the same as the flow of the first unit for locking the battery pack 3 to the bracket 4. As shown in fig. 6, when the battery pack 3 is locked in the bracket 4 and located at the second locking position, the end surface of the battery pack 3 abuts against the concave-convex structure 122 on the upper surface of the movable member 12.

As shown in fig. 7, the external battery pack 3 pick-and-place mechanism pushes the battery pack 3 to the first locking position along the first direction a, so that the movable member 12 can move to the first state along the second direction B, so as to move the battery pack 3 out of the opening of the bracket 4 along the first direction a and open the opening. Thereafter, as shown in fig. 8, the battery pack 3 is moved out of the tray 4 in the first direction a by the external battery pack 3 pick-and-place mechanism, so as to unlock the battery pack 3 from the tray 4.

In the unlocking process, the movable element 12 moves from the second state to the first state in the second direction B, which is not realized by pushing the movable element 12 with the side wall 31 of the battery pack 3 to switch the states as in the locking process. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first locking unit 1 further includes a connecting rod 13 and a driver, and the driver is indirectly connected to the movable member 12 through the connecting rod 13. Under the driving of the driver, the connecting rod 13 drives the movable member 12 to move from the second state to the first state, so that the battery pack 3 can move out of the bracket 4 along the first direction a in the unlocking process. Wherein, the driver can adopt the motion mechanism in the prior art to realize the purpose of driving the movable part 12 to move. When the driver is a linear motion mechanism, the connecting rod 13 only plays a connecting role for transmitting linear displacement to the moving part 12; when the driver is a rotary motion mechanism, the connecting rod 13 also serves to change the motion direction, so as to change the rotary displacement into linear displacement through a mechanical structure, for example, a cam mechanism or the like is adopted. Since the structure of these connecting rods 13 is in the prior art, it will not be described in detail herein.

In addition, in other embodiments, if the contact surface between the battery pack 3 and the movable member 12 is not the concave-convex structure 122, it is not necessary to push the battery pack 3 to the first locking position in the unlocking process, that is: when the battery pack 3 is in the second locking position, the movable member 12 can be switched to the first state along the second direction B, so that the battery pack 3 can be moved out of the bracket 4 to realize unlocking.

The invention also provides a bracket assembly 20 which comprises the bracket 4 and the battery pack 3 locking device, wherein the battery pack 3 locking device further comprises a second locking unit which is arranged on the bracket 4 and is used for limiting the displacement of the battery pack 3 relative to the bracket 4 along the directions except the first direction A and preventing the battery pack 3 from being separated from the bracket 4 along the directions except the first direction A, so that the first locking unit 1 can effectively lock the battery pack 3 on the bracket 4.

As shown in fig. 9, in the present embodiment, the second locking unit specifically includes a bearing guide wheel 21 disposed on the bracket bottom plate 42 and a guide wheel 22 disposed on the bracket side plate 43, wherein the bearing guide wheel 21 is used for bearing the battery pack 3, and the bearing guide wheel 21 can roll against the lower surface of the battery pack 3, and the guide wheel 22 is in contact with and can roll against the side surface of the battery pack 3 to limit the battery pack 3 from moving in other directions than the first direction a when the battery pack 3 is located in the bracket 4.

The invention also provides an electric automobile which adopts the bracket assembly 20. As shown in fig. 10, a chassis is provided below the electric vehicle body 5, the chassis includes a left side member 51 and a right side member 52 arranged in parallel, and two bracket assemblies 20 are respectively arranged outside the left side member 51 and the right side member 52, and have an outward opening for mounting the battery pack 3 on the lower part of the vehicle body from both sides. The bracket assembly 20 is fixed to the chassis by a fastener, so that the stability of the bracket assembly 20 when the bracket assembly is mounted on the electric vehicle is ensured, and the bracket assembly 20 is prevented from vibrating when the electric vehicle runs.

In addition, the floor cross member 44 of the bracket 4 of the two bracket assemblies 20 is an integrally formed structure, and the floor cross member 44 is fixed on the lower side surfaces of the left and right side members 51 and 52, so as to further improve the installation stability of the bracket assemblies 20.

The invention also provides a battery pack locking method, which uses the battery pack 3 locking device to realize the purpose of locking or unlocking the battery pack 3 on the bracket 4 by switching the first locking unit 1 between the first state and the second state.

Example 2

The present embodiment further provides a locking device for a battery pack 3, which has a structure substantially the same as that of the locking device for a battery pack 3 provided in embodiment 1, except that, in the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 11, when the movable element 12 is switched to the second state in a state where the battery pack 3 is electrically connected to the bracket 4 and the movable element 12 locks the battery pack 3 to the bracket 4, the movable element 12 is in contact with and locked to the battery pack 3 through the concave-convex structure 122 on the surface along the first direction a, and the surface on one side of the movable element 12 along the second direction B is also in contact with the sidewall 31 of the battery pack 3, so as to limit the degree of freedom of the battery pack 3 along the direction perpendicular to the first direction a, and further improve the fixing and positioning effects between the movable element 12 and the battery pack 3.

In addition, as shown in fig. 12 and 13, it is a movement diagram of the link 13 in the present embodiment. In this embodiment, the end 13a of the connecting rod 13 protrudes downward from the lower surface 4a of the bracket 4, the driver is specifically a lifting machine or a stacker crane, the driver is located below the bracket 4, and the lifting platform 141 of the driver lifts upward and pushes the end 13a of the connecting rod 13 to drive the movable member 12 to move, and move from the second state to the first state. This battery package 3 locking device drives moving part 12 switching state through utilizing lift or hacking machine as the driver to utilize the current battery replacement equipment that exists to have the function of unblock concurrently, with the further degree of complexity of the unblock flow of simplifying battery package 3 locking device.

As shown in fig. 13, after the lifting platform 141 pushes the end 13a of the connecting rod 13 upwards, the lifting platform 141 is still lifted continuously and contacts with the lower surface 4a of the bracket 4, so as to further lift the bracket 4 (and the electric vehicle connected with the bracket 4).

In the conventional process of detaching the battery pack 3, the battery pack 3 is detached from the tray 4 after the tray 4 is lifted by the lifter or the stacker. Therefore, in this unlocking process sequence, when the lifting machine or the stacker pushes the connecting rod 13 upward, the movable member 12 cannot be switched to the first state because the battery pack 3 and the movable member 12 are connected by the concave-convex structure 122. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the connecting rod 13 should also be capable of being compressed along the transmission direction of the external force, so as to store the acting force of the lifting machine or the palletizing machine in the connecting rod 13 in a compressed manner, and release the displacement generated by compression when the battery pack 3 is separated from the concave-convex structure 122 of the movable member 12, so as to drive the movable member 12 to switch to the first state, thereby achieving the purpose of unlocking.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the purpose of storing the acting force is achieved by providing a compression spring 131 at an intermediate position of the link 13. Of course, in other embodiments, other manners in the prior art can also be adopted to achieve compression of the connecting rod 13 along the acting force direction, and the detailed structure is not described herein again.

In the present embodiment, the structure of the link 13 shown in fig. 12 and 13 is for illustrative purposes only.

The invention also provides a battery pack locking method, which specifically comprises the following steps:

1. the battery pack 3 is moved in the first direction a to the entrance position of the tray 4. In this embodiment, the battery pack 3 is moved by the battery pick and place mechanism in the first direction a to the entrance position of the tray 4.

2. The first locking unit 1 is controlled to be in the first state to open the passage of the battery pack 3 into and out of the cradle 4. In this embodiment, the driver drives the movable element 12 of the first locking unit 1 to switch to the first state, or the sidewall of the battery pack 3 applies a pushing force to the movable element 12 of the first locking unit 1 along the second direction B, so that the movable element 12 moves along the second direction B in a direction away from the battery pack 3 and switches to the first state.

3. Control the battery pack 3 to move into the cradle 4 in the first direction a, namely: the battery pack 3 is located at the first locking position in the present embodiment. In this embodiment, the battery pick and place mechanism continues to move the battery pack 3 in a direction towards the electrical connectors of the bracket 4 and reaches the first locking position, so that a compression state is formed between the electrical connectors.

4. The first locking unit 1 is controlled to be in the second state to close the passage of the battery pack 3 into and out of the cradle 4. In the present embodiment, after the battery pack 3 reaches the first locking position, the movable member 12 is switched to the second state without the pushing force of the battery pack or driven by the driver, so as to close the passage of the battery pack 3 into and out of the bracket 4.

5. The battery pack 3 is controlled to move along the first direction a towards the direction close to the first locking unit 1, and the battery pack 3 abuts against the movable piece 12, namely: the battery pack 3 is located at the second lock position in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, after the force pushing the battery pack 3 against the bracket 4 is removed, the pressing force between the battery pack 3 and the bracket 4 pushes the battery pack 3 to move reversely to the second locking position, so that the battery pack 3 and the first locking unit abut against each other in the first direction a to completely fix the battery pack 3 on the bracket 4.

According to the battery pack locking method, the first locking unit is switched to the second locking state after the battery pack enters the bracket, so that the position of the battery pack relative to the bracket is fixed by the first locking unit, the purpose of fixing the battery pack on the bracket in the process of placing the battery pack on the bracket is achieved, the process complexity and the step complexity of installing and fixing the battery pack on the bracket are effectively reduced, the firmness of fixing the battery pack on the bracket is effectively improved, and the reliability of fixing the battery pack is guaranteed.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this is by way of example only, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. Various changes and modifications to these embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and these changes and modifications are within the scope of the invention.