WO2013144948A1

WO2013144948A1 - Battery exchange system and method for electric vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO2013144948A1
Application number: PCT/IL2013/050257
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yoav Heichal
Original assignee: Better Place GmbH; Better Place Labs Israel Ltd.
Priority date: 2012-03-29
Filing date: 2013-03-19
Publication date: 2013-10-03
Also published as: CN103359076B; IL218924A; CN103359076A; IL218924A0

Abstract

A battery exchange system configured for servicing various types of vehicles having different sizes and different geometrical dimensions, and for exchanging various types of batteries of the vehicles, the batteries having different sizes and different geometrical dimensions, using a battery exchange lane for supporting and moving the vehicle to and through the battery exchange system.

Description

BATTERY EXCHANGE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ELECTRIC

VEHICLES

FIELD AND BACKGROUND

The disclosed embodiments relate generally to a battery exchange system for electric vehicles, and to a method of using the same.

Electric vehicles using a battery as their main power source typically require battery services for replenishing their batteries, either by charging the battery at a suitable battery charge spot or by exchanging the exhausted battery with a fresh one. While battery charge spots may be readily available at various locations easily accessible to the vehicles (e.g., user residence, parking lots, shopping centers and office buildings), the exchange of the battery of electric vehicles requires specialized machinery and infrastructures. For this purpose battery exchange stations are designed to allow quick and efficient servicing of electric vehicles requiring battery exchange.

Various battery exchange station solutions known from the patent literature are briefly described herein below.

US Patent No. 6,014,597 describes a distributed battery exchange network employing E-stops to service electric vehicles by an underground robotic battery changer provided in a road lane and covered by a cover plate configured for horizontal movement to allow access to the battery of the vehicle from below the vehicle.

Patent publication FR 2737694 describes an electro-station designed to swap a battery of a vehicle utilizing a combination of movable gripping, storage, and charging, modules. The electro-station described in this publication is designed to remove a used battery and place a fresh battery in the vehicle utilizing a robotic gripper configured to access and remove/replace the battery of the vehicle from the sides of the vehicle (i.e., lateral to the vehicle).

Patent publication GB 1,377,729 describes a replaceable battery pallet for an electrical vehicle constructed as a detachable container forming part of the vehicle floor. The battery pallet accommodates the battery cells and is designed to be attachable to the bottom side of the vehicle. In this publication the battery is exchanged by moving the vehicle into position above an elevating platform where the battery pallet provided with sets of rollers is lowered and slid in a sideway direction. A charged battery platform is then conveyed to the elevating platform, raised into the vehicle, and secured thereto by bolts.

In the battery exchange station described in WO 2010/033883 the serviced vehicle is moved on a swap lane of the station using a number of conveyer systems along the lane configured to position the vehicle in a swap station comprising a sliding door configured to provide access to a battery of a vehicle from the bottom side of the vehicle.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The present invention in some of its embodiments is directed to a battery exchange system which is associated with a battery service station and is configured for servicing various types of vehicles having different sizes and different geometrical dimensions. In some embodiments the battery exchange system is also configured to exchange various types of batteries having different sizes and different geometrical dimensions. For this purpose a battery exchange lane, which is used in the present invention for supporting and moving the vehicle to and through the battery exchange system, is configured to permit passage of such various types of vehicles thereover. Specially designed adjustable tools are employed to enable the exchange of myriad types of batteries having different sizes and geometrical dimensions.

The battery exchange lane may comprise an elongated support platform having two ends defining a vehicle entrance port at one end of the lane, and a vehicle departure port at the other end of the lane. Accordingly, a serviced vehicle may approach the battery exchange lane via the vehicle entrance port, and after being serviced, leave the battery exchange lane via the vehicle departure port of the lane.

It should be noted that the battery exchange lane and its associated conveyor system may be a part (e.g. , integral part) of a common lane of the battery service station, while the battery service station may include several sub-stations, one or more of which is/are associated with the battery exchange system. For example, the battery service station includes a cleaning sub-station which is typically upstream of the battery exchange system, as well as one or more sub-station defining vehicle waiting zones where the vehicle "rests" between different types of services. Such a battery service station, including several sub-stations, is described for example in WO 2010/033883 and WO 2010/033881 both assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference.

The battery exchange lane comprises a battery exchange opening, located between the entrance and departure ports of the lane, and configured to permit passage therethrough of various types of batteries having different sizes and different geometrical dimensions. The battery exchange opening is further configured to permit access of a battery exchange tool from a service shaft (also referred to herein as cavity) located under the vehicle support platform to the underside of the vehicle being serviced. The exchange tool is configured to release the battery installed in the vehicle, lower it into the service shaft, raise a new battery from the service shaft via the exchange opening and install the new battery in the serviced vehicle. In some embodiments of the invention, the vehicle support platform extends along the ground, and the battery exchange tool and associated equipment of the battery exchange system are located underground.

An arrangement of movable covers may be provided in the exchange/support platform configured and operable to cover portions of the exchange opening by controllably sliding the movable covers to cover or expose portions, or the entire area, of the battery exchange opening, to thereby define an exchange aperture therein. This arrangement of movable covers may be configured to permit a plurality of opening states in the battery exchange opening defining different exchange aperture sizes, for example, a fully closed state, a plurality of partially opened states, and a fully opened state. In this way, the battery exchange opening of the lane may be controllably adjusted by the system for servicing a plurality of vehicle types having different sizes and geometrical dimensions, and to exchange myriad types of different batteries having different sizes and geometrical dimensions. For example, one or more of the movable covers may be slid to define a certain exchange aperture by exposing or covering a certain amount of the exchange opening area suitable for passage therethrough of a certain battery having certain size and shape.

In some embodiments, the location of the exchange aperture is controllably adjusted to facilitate the battery exchange. For example, the system may be configured to slide the one or more movable covers so as to accurately situate the location of the exchange aperture under the location of the battery in the serviced vehicle. In this way the system may be configured to adjust the size and location of the exchange aperture according to the type of vehicle that is being serviced (e.g. , based on the dimensions of the vehicle, exact location of the battery in the serviced vehicle, and/or the size and shape of the battery used in the vehicle).

In some embodiments the system is configured to slide the one or more movable covers to adjust the location and size of the exchange aperture formed in the exchange opening of the lane based on at least one of the following: the type of vehicle being serviced; the position and orientation of the serviced vehicle over the exchange opening; and the type of battery being exchanged.

To this end, the battery exchange system according to some embodiments, comprises a battery exchange lane including an elongated exchange platform defining at its ends vehicle entrance and vehicle departure ports of the battery exchange lane, the exchange platform having a battery exchange opening located between the entrance and departure ports and an arrangement of movable covers configured to controllably cover or expose portions, or the entire area, of the exchange opening.

In possible embodiments the movable covers arrangement comprises one or more longitudinally movable covers slidably mounted at anterior (facing the departure port) and/or posterior (facing the entrance port) sides of the battery exchange opening. The longitudinally movable cover(s) may be configured to slide lengthwise (in parallel to the axis of the exchange platform), to expose portions of the battery exchange opening when being longitudinally slid away from the center of the exchange opening, and to gradually cover portions of the opening when being longitudinally slid towards the center of the exchange opening.

The movable covers arrangement may comprise one or more laterally movable covers slidably mounted at lateral sides of the battery exchange opening. The laterally movable covers may be slidably mounted in the exchange platform at the lateral sides of the exchange opening. The laterally movable covers may be configured to slide in directions substantially perpendicular to the axis of the exchange platform, to expose portions of the battery exchange opening when being laterally slid away from the center of the exchange opening, and to gradually cover portions of the opening when being laterally slid towards the center of the exchange opening.

In possible embodiments one or more of the movable covers includes low friction rollers, sliding plates or conveyor rubber sheets, allowing the movable covers to slide underneath the vehicle wheels being positioned thereon without moving the vehicle, thereby to allow adjusting the size/shape and location of the exchange aperture in an optimized manner, while the vehicle is firmly supported on the exchange lane.

In some possible embodiments the battery exchange lane includes a vehicle docking section, an exchange section, and release section, configured to facilitate battery exchange procedures of the present invention. The vehicle docking section is an area/zone of the exchange lane in which a serviced vehicle entering the exchange lane is attached to a conveyer system configured to controllably move the vehicle along the exchange lane during a battery exchange procedure. The battery exchange section is a section of the lane comprising the exchange opening over which the serviced vehicle is positioned by the conveyer system for enabling the battery exchange. After exchanging the battery of the serviced vehicle, the conveyer system moves the vehicle to the release section of the lane wherein the vehicle is detached therefrom to allow the vehicle to leave the exchange lane via the departure port of the lane.

The exchange/support platform may thus include a vehicle conveyer system having a gripping assembly configured to grip the vehicle (an appropriate portion thereof) at the docking section, transfer/translate the vehicle to the exchange section and thereafter transfer the vehicle to the release section and detach therefrom. In some embodiments the conveyer system is configured to attach to/grip the front wheels of the vehicle. To this end, two pairs of movable rods can be used being located at opposite sides of the lane respectively, where each rod is movable along longitudinal and lateral axes of the lane and possibly also rotatable about its axis, e.g., the rod of each pair is movable along the longitudinal axis of the lane and the first and second pairs are movable along the traverse/lateral axis. More specifically, the rods in each pair may be arranged in a plane more or less parallel to the plane of the exchange platform, and configured to simultaneously move up or down relative to the exchange platform, and/or to laterally move in sideway directions (perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the exchange lane/platform), e.g., in or out of the exchange platform.

The conveyer system may be configured to retract {i.e., move outwardly in sideway directions) the pairs of movable rods out of the exchange platform before a serviced vehicle enters the exchange lane via the vehicle entrance port. Once the serviced vehicle stops at the docking section of the lane, the conveyer system adjusts the locations of the pairs of movable rods to position them adjacent to the front wheels of the vehicle. The conveyer system further adjusts the distance between the rods of each pair to assume a gap suitable to accommodate at least a portion of the wheel located therebetween e.g., the gap between the movable rods may be adjusted to be greater than, or about, the diameter of the front wheels. The pairs of movable rods are then advanced laterally into the lane towards the front wheels of the vehicle to position the movable rods of each pair of rods such that each front wheel of the vehicle is bound by one pair of movable rods i.e. , in each pair of rods one movable rod is placed in front of the wheel and the other is placed back to the wheel. The rods of each pair are then moved one towards the other (i.e., in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the exchange lane) until they contact the front wheel located between them.

In some embodiments the attachment of the conveyer system to the vehicle is achieved once the moving rods engage the front wheels of the vehicle. In this state the conveyer system may be moved back and forth along the exchange lane and transfer the position of the vehicle between the various sections of the lane. The movable rods may be configured to rotate about their axes to thereby allow the attached wheel to rotate as the vehicle is being moved along the lane.

For example, the conveyer system may move the vehicle to the exchange section and position the vehicle over the exchange opening, and after exchanging the battery of the vehicle, move the vehicle to the release section wherein the vehicle is detached from the conveyer system by moving the rods of each pair in opposite directions, one away from the other (i.e., in direction substantially parallel to the axis of the lane), to release their contact over the front wheels of the vehicle, and thereafter to clear the passage over the lane by laterally (e.g. , in direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the lane) retracting the pairs or rods to the sideways out of the area of the lane.

In some embodiments the serviced vehicle enters the battery exchange lane via the vehicle entrance port and upon approaching a vehicle docking section of the battery exchange lane it is grabbed and transferred by a conveyer system into a battery exchange section of the lane. In the battery exchange section of the lane the serviced vehicle is placed over a movable covers arrangement configured to define a suitable exchange aperture in the exchange opening for exchanging the battery of the vehicle. The size and location of the exchange aperture are defined by the movable covers arrangement to allow a battery exchange tool disposed in a service shaft beneath the battery exchange section of the lane to access and exchange the battery of the vehicle from the bottom side of the vehicle. After the battery exchange process is completed, the movable covers are shifted into a fully, or a permissible partially, closed state, in which the opening over the service shaft is fully or partially closed. After changing the movable covers arrangement into a closed state the conveyer system moves the serviced vehicle to the release section of the lane wherein the vehicle is released from the conveyer system, thereby allowing the serviced vehicle to depart from the exchange lane, and a new vehicle to enter the lane for service.

In some embodiments after achieving attachment between the conveyer system and the vehicle, the pairs of movable rods are simultaneously moved upwardly to thereby lift the front side of the vehicle above the surface of the exchange lane. Controllably lifting the front side of the serviced vehicle allows the battery exchange system to adjust the orientation of the serviced vehicle to facilitate access and engagement of the exchange tool to the battery of the vehicle. In addition, since most of the electric vehicles employ front wheel actuators designs, lifting the front wheels above the surface of the exchange lane prevents the user from erroneously, or purposely, driving the vehicle over the exchange lane during the battery exchange process, which may result in damage to the vehicle and/or battery exchange system. It is therefore desirable to configure the movable rods of the conveyer system to rotate about their axes to allow the attached wheels to rotate while being gripped by the conveyer system. In this way, if the user of the vehicle activates the wheels actuation system during the battery exchange procedure the front wheels and the the moving rods will freely rotate without losing the grip of the conveyer system over the vehicle, thereby preventing the user from driving the vehicle over the exchange lane during the battery exchange process.

In one aspect, the present application is directed to a battery exchange system for servicing an electric vehicle. The battery exchange system comprises a support lane configured for holding and moving a vehicle thereover. In possible embodiments the support lane comprises an elongated battery exchange platform having length and width suitable for supporting and moving thereover vehicles of different sizes and geometrical dimensions, a battery exchange opening provided in said battery exchange platform for allowing passage therethrough of a battery of a serviced vehicle positioned over the exchange opening, and a movable cover arrangement mounted for controllable sliding movement with respect to the battery exchange opening to vary an aperture defined by said opening to adjust at least one of a location of the aperture within said opening, and a size of said aperture.

The lane may comprise an entrance port at one end of the platform and a departure port at opposite end of the platform, and the exchange opening may be located between said entrance and departure ports e.g. , more or less at the center of the elongated exchange platform.

The location and/or size of the exchange aperture may be determined based on at least one of the position of the vehicle over the exchange opening, the orientation of the vehicle {e.g. , yaw) over the exchange opening, the type of the vehicle, and the type of battery in the vehicle.

Optionally, the movable cover arrangement comprises one or more movable covers. For example, the movable cover arrangement may comprise at least one pair of movable covers, wherein the covers of each pair being slidably movable {e.g. , towards and away from one another) over said battery exchange opening. In this respect, the covers may comprise laterally movable covers, configured to move laterally with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated platform, and/or longitudinally movable covers configured to move longitudinally with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated platform.

In possible embodiments the movable covers arrangement includes at least one pair of laterally movable covers configured to move towards and away from one another. Alternatively or additionally, the movable covers arrangement may include at least one pair of longitudinally movable covers configured to move towards and away from one another.

According to some embodiments the battery exchange system comprises a vehicle conveyer system comprising a gripping assembly configured to engage the vehicle while in the vicinity of the entrance port and move the vehicle over the exchange platform. The conveyer system may be configured to place the vehicle over the exchange opening in a predetermined orientation with respect to the exchange opening to enable battery exchange by a battery exchange tool. In some applications the vehicle conveyer system is configured to detach the vehicle from the gripping assembly when the vehicle reaches the departure port.

Optionally, the gripping assembly is configured to attach to one, or both, front wheels of the vehicle. For example the gripping assembly may comprise two pairs of movable rods disposed at opposite sides of the exchange platform respectively. The pairs of rods may be configured to grip a wheel of the vehicle by establishing attachment thereto at two sides (e.g. , front and back sides) of the wheel. The rods may be more or less perpendicular to a radial plane of the wheels with which they are being engaged. The pairs of rods may be further configured to move up or down relative to the exchange platform and thereby to raise or lower at least a portion of the vehicle.

In some embodiments the movable cover arrangement is configured to adjust the orientation of the vehicle with respect to the lane.

In another aspect, the present application is directed to a method for servicing a vehicle having a battery, the method comprising:

bringing the vehicle to a position above an exchange opening thereby allowing access from a battery exchange system to an underside of the vehicle;

controllably varying a geometry of said opening to adjust a size and location of an exchange aperture in said opening to be aligned with a predetermined location at the underside of the vehicle.

In some embodiments, the method comprises placing the vehicle over the exchange opening provided in an exchange platform of the lane on which the vehicle is supported, and controllably moving a movable cover arrangement of said exchange platform, thereby adjusting the size and position of the exchange aperture in said exchange opening for allowing equipment residing in a cavity under the lane to access the battery of the vehicle through the aperture; thereby allowing for using said equipment to service the vehicle via said exchange aperture.

The controllable movement may be based on receiving data indicative of at least one of a type of the vehicle and a type of the battery, wherein said adjusting is based at least in part on said data, e.g. , at least one of a position of the vehicle over the exchange opening and an orientation of the vehicle over the exchange opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which same reference numerals are used to identify elements or acts with the same or similar functionality, and in which: Figs. 1A to ID schematically illustrate a possible embodiment of a battery exchange system of the present application, wherein Figs. 1A to 1C respectively show perspective, top and bottom views of an exchange platform of the system, and Fig. ID is a sectional view, of the exchange system;

Figs. 2A to 2F schematically illustrate a conveyer system and steps of positioning a serviced vehicle over a battery exchange section of the battery exchange lane, according to some embodiments, wherein Fig. 2A shows the conveyer system as a serviced vehicle is approaching the battery exchange lane, Fig. 2B shows advancing the conveyer system to bound the front wheels of the serviced vehicles, Fig. 2C and 2D illustrate gripping the front wheels of the serviced vehicle by the conveyer system, Fig. 2E shows lifting the front side of the vehicle by the conveyer system, and Fig. 2F shows positioning the serviced vehicle over the battery exchange section of the lane;

Figs. 3A and 3B schematically illustrate structure and functions of the service shaft, wherein Fig. 3A is a perspective view showing the battery exchange lane with the battery exchange tool provided in the service shaft, and Fig. 3B is a top view of the service shaft; and

Fig. 4 is a flowchart exemplifying a battery exchange process according to possible embodiments.

It is noted that the embodiments exemplified in the figures are not intended to be in scale and are in diagram form to facilitate ease of understanding and description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention in some of its embodiments relates to a battery exchange system and method suitable for use in a battery service station for exchanging batteries of various types of electrical vehicles. More specifically, the invention provides a novel configuration for the lane associated with the battery exchange system. To this end, the lane of the battery exchange system is designed to support multiple types of electric vehicles having different external sizes and/or shapes, and which may employ different types of batteries having different sizes, different shapes, different form factors and different relative location in the serviced electric vehicles. The lane is thus designed to provide adjustable battery exchange platform adapted to facilitate the battery exchange process by battery exchange tool(s), and allow service of myriad types of vehicles employing such different types of batteries. The lane of the battery exchange system is thus designed to satisfy predetermined accuracy requirements needed to provide proper alignment between a battery exchange site (that of the battery exchange tool) and a battery bay (the battery site) of the serviced vehicle, and also to maintain high safety standards.

In general, the battery exchange system of the present invention includes inter alia a battery exchange lane (referred herein as exchange lane or support lane or lane for short) for holding/gripping and moving a vehicle with respect to a service shaft arrangement associated with a battery exchange tool. Typically, the lane is located in a plane above the service shaft arrangement. The construction and operation of the battery exchange tool do not form part of the present invention and therefore need not be specifically described, except to note the following: The battery exchange tool is configured to selectively carry out the following: release a battery from underneath of a serviced vehicle, lower the released battery to the service shaft, raise from the service shaft a fresh battery {e.g. , fully or partially charged) and bring it to engagement with the battery bay in the serviced vehicle. Such a battery exchange tool is described in the copending Israeli patent application No. 218870 of the same assignee hereof.

Figs. 1A to ID schematically illustrate a battery exchange lane 10 according to some possible embodiments of the present invention. The battery exchange lane 10 comprises an elongated exchange platform lOr having a vehicle entrance port lOe at one end of the lane 10, and a vehicle departure port lOp at the other end of the lane 10. The exchange platform lOr comprises a battery exchange opening 10η located between the entrance port lOe and the departure port lOp of platform lOr, for example, more or less at the center of the exchange platform lOr. Exchange platform lOr may further comprise supports 10s fixedly attached to the underside of platform lOr for anchoring/engaging and stabilizing it over a service shaft 18 (shown in Fig. ID) located beneath, and accessible through, the exchange opening 10η.

With reference to Fig. IB, the lane 10 may be divided into a docking section lOd located near the entrance port lOe of the lane, a release section lOq located near the departure port lOq, and a battery exchange section lOx located therebetween. As will be elaborated below, the docking section lOd of lane 10 is used for attaching the serviced vehicle 40 to a conveyer system of the battery exchange system, the battery exchange section lOx is where the battery of the vehicle 40 (shown in Fig. ID) is exchanged, and at the release section lOq the vehicle 40 is detached from the conveyer system, thereby allowing the user of the serviced vehicle to leave the lane 10 via the departure port lOp.

Exchange platform lOr may further comprise one or more wheel tracks 11a and lib for the vehicle wheels (generally referenced as 41) to roll on during its passage through the lane 10. The wheel tracks 11a and lib may include friction enhancing elements, such as bars, carved geometrical patterns or one or more coatings of friction enhancement layers for enhancing friction between the wheels 41 of the vehicle 40 and wheels track 11a and lib.

The exchange section lOx of the exchange platform lOr comprises an exchange opening 10η configured to allow passage therethrough of different types of batteries having different sizes and different geometrical dimensions. More particularly, the exchange opening 10η is configured to allow an exchange tool 35 (shown in Fig. ID) located in the service shaft 18 below the exchange platform lOr to access therethrough a battery 40b (seen in Fig. 2A) of a serviced vehicle 40 positioned above the exchange opening 10η. The exchange tool 35 is configured to release the battery 40b of the vehicle 40 and lower it through the exchange opening 10η into the service shaft 18, raise a fresh battery 40c from the service shaft 18 upwardly through the exchange opening 10η, and attach the fresh battery 40c to the serviced vehicle 40.

An arrangement of movable covers, generally referenced as 14, may be used in exchange platform lOr to define an exchange aperture 10a to be used in the battery exchange process for the passage of the batteries into and from the service shaft 18. More particularly, the movable covers 14 are configured to adjust the location and the size and shape of the exchange aperture 10a, by covering and/or exposing portions of the exchange opening 10η. In this way, the exchange system may adjust the location size and shape of the exchange aperture 10a according to at least one of the following: the type of vehicle 40 being serviced; the orientation of the serviced vehicle 40; the location of the serviced vehicle 40 over the exchange opening 10η; and the type of battery 40b that needs to be exchanged.

For example, in some vehicles 40 the battery is located more or less at the center of the underside of the vehicle, and in such cases the movable covers 14 may be adjusted to define an exchange aperture 10a located beneath the center of the vehicle 40 and having size and shape suitable for passage of a specific battery type used in the serviced vehicle. Similarly, in certain types of vehicles 40 the battery bay 40b in which the battery is installed is located in a rear portion of the vehicle, and accordingly the exchange aperture 10a defined by the movable covers 14 in such cases will be located under the respective rear portion of the serviced vehicle 40, and will assume suitable size and shape for the passage of the specific battery type used therein.

In some possible embodiments of the present invention the movable covers arrangement 14 comprises a pair of longitudinally movable covers 14e and 14p slidably mounted on opposite sides along the elongated axis ('/ axis) of the exchange platform lOr. In this example, the longitudinally movable covers include a front movable cover 14p facing the departure port lOp, and a rear movable cover 14e facing the entrance port lOe. The longitudinally movable covers 14e and 14p are configured to define the location of the exchange aperture along the length of the exchange lane lOr, and the length of the exchange aperture by adjusting the gap 13g obtained between the front movable cover 14p and the rear movable cover 14e. In this way, the length and relative location of the exchange aperture 10a along the axis of exchange platform lOr ('/ axis) may be adjusted as to not extend beyond the length of the serviced vehicle, and thereby prevent formation of unsafe user accessible portions of the exchange opening 10η.

In some possible embodiments of the present invention the movable covers arrangement 14 comprises a pair of laterally movable covers 14r and 14f slidably mounted on opposite lateral sides of the exchange platform lOr. In this example, the laterally movable covers include a right side movable cover 14r and a left side movable cover 14f. The laterally movable covers 14r and 14f are configured to define the lateral location of the exchange aperture 10a i.e. , left or right side shifted, or centered, about the axis of the exchange platform, and the width of the exchange aperture by adjusting the gap 16g (see Fig. IB) obtained between the right side movable cover 14r and the left side movable cover 14f. In this way, by adjusting the laterally movable covers 14r and 14f, the battery exchange system may define exchange apertures 10a adapted according to different widths of serviced vehicles and/or of batteries to be exchanged, thereby ensuring that the width of the exchange aperture 10a allows full access to the battery 40b in the battery bay of the serviced vehicles 40, while ensuring the wheels 41 of the serviced vehicle 40 do not flip into the exchange opening 10η.

The laterally movable covers 14r and 14f may comprise vertical stoppers 13w (seen in Fig. 1A) protruding upwardly at the edges of the covers. The vertical stoppers 13w may be used to define stop point for movement of laterally movable covers 14r and 14f by using pressure sensors (not shown) installed on the vertical stoppers 13w configured to issue indication(s) whenever a vertical stopper 13w contacts one of the wheels 41 of the serviced vehicle 40 during lateral retraction of the covers. The vertical stoppers 13w may be configured to abut side surfaces of the wheels 41 of the serviced vehicle 40 and sense the correct stop point and also to serve as a mechanical barrier for the wheels 41 of the vehicle 40 for preventing them from flipping into the exchange opening 10η. The laterally movable covers 14r and 14f may each comprise one or more conveyor systems (not shown) configured to facilitate the lateral sliding of the movable covers while having a wheel 41 of the vehicle 40 located thereover, such as described in International Patent Publication No. WO 2010/033883, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

In some embodiments the laterally movable covers arrangement 14 is configured to close the exchange opening 10η by sliding the longitudinally movable covers 14e and 14p one towards the other until their facing sides abut, and sliding the laterally movable covers 14r and 14f one towards the other until their facing sides abut the sides of the longitudinally movable covers.

Figs. 2A to 2F schematically illustrate a conveyer system 44 configured to move the serviced vehicle 40 through the various sections of the exchange lane 10. In possible embodiments of the present invention conveyer system 44 comprises a gripping assembly configured to attach to the front wheels 41a of the serviced vehicle 40 upon entrance of the vehicle to the docking section lOd of lane 10. The serviced vehicle 40 is then moved to the exchange section lOx and positioned over the exchange opening 10η, and after exchanging the battery 40b of the serviced vehicle 40, the vehicle is moved to the release section lOq and detached from the gripping assembly. The battery exchange process may further include steps of adjusting the location and shape of the battery exchange aperture 10a and adjusting the orientation of the serviced vehicle 40 to align it with the exchange opening and/or the exchange tool, as described hereinabove and hereinbelow.

For example, the conveyer system 44 may comprise two pairs of movable rods 44r, the pairs of movable rods situated at opposing sides of the lane 10 and configured to contact and attach to the front wheels 41a of the vehicle 40. As exemplified in Figs. 2A to 2C each pair of movable rods 44r may be connected to a movable tray 44p configured to be laterally moved (designated by arrowed lines 44t) into, or out of, the exchange lane 10 (in directions along the 'JC' axis). The movable rods 44r may be slidably attached to the movable tray 44p to allow moving them one towards, or away from the other (designated by arrowed lines 44i - in directions along the 'y' axis). In this way the gap between each pair of rods 44r may be adjusted, for example, by using computerized control (e.g. , control unit - not shown). Initially, as shown in Fig. 2A, the movable rods 44r are retracted to the sides of the lane i.e., to evacuate the exchange lane 10 from obstacles and permit vehicle 40 to access the exchange platform lOr.

Once the serviced vehicle 40 approaches the docking section lOd of the lane 10 and crosses a certain point (e.g. , may be sensed using pressure sensors lip installed in the exchange platform and configured to issue signals responsive to pressure applied thereon by the wheels, or alternatively or additionally, using optical sensors configured to sense the presence of the vehicle in the docking section at such certain point), the pairs of movable rods 44r are moved inwardly in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the lane (in directions along the 'x' axis) towards the vehicle 40. Optionally, rods/plates (not shown) movably placed on the lane may be used to prevent the driver from driving the vehicle forward into the lane, away from the docking section area. The conveyer system, which may be equipped with optical or sonic sensors (not shown), may be moved along the exchange lane until the vehicle wheels are detected by the sensors. The conveyer system then stops, and as exemplified in Fig. 2B, the pairs of movable rods 44r are moved inwardly into the lane (designated by arrowed lines 44t) until they are introduced at both sides of the front wheels 41a of the vehicle 40. The back wheels 41b of the serviced vehicle 40 may be left outside of the exchange platform 10 at this stage.

Once the pairs of movable roads 44r are adequately introduced to bound the front wheels 41a at their front and back sides, the inward movement of the rods 44r is stopped. Next, as exemplified in Fig. 2C, the gap between each pair of rods 44r is gradually decreased by moving the rods 44r of each pair of roads one towards the other (designated by arrowed line 44i) until they grab the wheel 41a at its front and back sides. In possible embodiments of the present invention after grabbing the front wheels 41a by the movable rods 44r the vehicle is moved along the exchange lane 10 by the conveyer system 44 as the battery exchange process is performed. The movable rods 44r may be configured to allow them to rotate about their axes to facilitate rotation of the front wheels 41a while the vehicle is being moved along the lane 10. The point at which the movable rods 44r of each pair of rods stop contracting one toward the other is either sensed according to the back pressure sensed by the rods 44r due to the pressure applied by the contacted wheel (and its associated conveyor system), and/or determined a priori by the computerized control system (not shown) according to the identification of the type of vehicle 40. Information about the vehicle 40 may be obtained based on identifying information about the user of the vehicle (e.g. , by means of RFID techniques, using a cellular phone of the user, a BlueTooth device, or any other vehicle telematic device). The identification of the vehicle 40 and/or its user may be carried out using any of the techniques described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/560, 120, assigned to the same assignee hereof, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The point on the wheel 41a at which the movable rods 44r contacts the wheel is different for different wheel sizes and allows to support wheels having wide diameters with more limited opening span of the rods 44r.

In some embodiments of the present invention the pairs of movable rods 44r are lifted upwardly (in the z' axis direction) to thereby lift the front wheels 41a of the vehicle 40 above the surface of the exchange platform lOr, as exemplified in Figs. 2D to 2F (designated by arrows 44w). In this example the front wheels of the vehicle 40 are lifted a predetermined height (e.g. , 0.1 to 150 cm, or optionally about 2 to 5 cm) above the surface of the exchange platform lOr, and then moved along the exchange lane (designated by arrow 44q in Fig. 2E) by the conveyer system 44. Optionally, before the conveyer system starts moving the vehicle, the retractable rod/plate used to stop the vehicle motion at the docking section is retracted to permit passage over the lane.

The lifting of the front wheels 41a above the surface of the exchange platform lOr provides a safety measure to prevent drivers driving their vehicles in the battery exchange lane 10 while they are prohibited to do so during the battery exchange process. This aim may be achieved as currently used electric vehicle designs typically employ front wheels actuation systems, such that only the front wheels 41a need to be lifted in order to prevent the vehicle 40 from being driven forward or backward during the battery exchange process.

In some possible embodiments of the present invention the conveyer system 44 is configured to grab the front wheels 41a of the vehicle 40 and move the vehicle over the battery exchange lane 10 without lifting the front wheels 41a. This approach is more suitable in cases where the exchange station needs to serve only one type of vehicle, and the conveyer system does not need to adjust itself to different sizes of wheels.

The vehicle 40 may be advanced through the lane 10 by moving the rods 44r forward along the length of the lane, or retracted by moving the rods 44r backwardly therealong. The pairs of movable rods 44r stop their movement along the exchange platform when the vehicle 40 is properly positioned in the battery exchange section lOx over the exchange opening 10η, wherein the battery 40b of the electric vehicle 40 is properly located above the service shaft 18 of the battery exchange lane 10.

In some embodiments the exact location at which the movable rods 44r stop their forward movement depends on the type of electric vehicle being serviced and the relative location of its battery 40b in the vehicle structure (e.g. , battery may be placed on the back part or between the wheels).

Once the vehicle 40 is properly placed over the exchange opening, the movable covers arrangement 14 is operated to define a suitable exchange aperture 10a for allowing the battery switch module / exchange tool 35 to lower the battery installed in the vehicle 40 into the service shaft 18, and raise a fresh battery 40c from the service shaft 18 and install it in the serviced vehicle 40. Electric vehicle and battery pack configurations suitable for battery exchange from the bottom side of the vehicle are described in International Patent Publication No. WO 2010/033881, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart exemplifying a battery exchange process according to some possible embodiments. This flowchart illustrates a specific but not limiting example of the functions carried out by the exchange lane (in cooperation with those of other parts of the battery exchange system, such as battery exchange tool) which is configured for servicing different types of vehicles and/or different types of batteries. In this example optional steps of the process are designated by broken line boxes and arrowed broken lines. Typically the battery exchange process is initiated in step S2 as the vehicle 40 approaches the exchange lane 10 and enters the docking section lOd. As exemplified in Fig. 4, an optional step SI, of receiving information about the type of vehicle 40 and/or about the battery 40b to be replaced, may be carried out before the vehicle 40 enters the exchange lane 10, or alternatively during the various stages of the battery exchange process. After entering the docking section lOd, in step S3 the conveyer system 44 attaches to the vehicle 40, and in step S4 the vehicle is moved along the service lane 10 to the exchange section lOx. Optionally, in step S5 the vertical and/or angular orientation of the vehicle is adjusted in order to properly align the battery (battery bay) 40b of the vehicle with the exchange opening and/or exchange tool. In some possible embodiments of the present invention the orientation of the serviced vehicle 40 is adjusted by the laterally movable covers 14r and 14f.

In some embodiments, orientation of the vehicle is adjusted to position the vehicle correctly and roughly align it with respect to some reference point on the lane. For example, the conveyer system may position the vehicle and roughly aligns it in 'JC' direction. The movable covers may be then moved laterally, to roughly position the vehicle in the 'j' (lateral) direction. Guiderails may be used in the lane to move laterally and align the wheels in lateral direction, if those wheels are not on the moving covers. In this way the vehicle may be roughly aligned in 'JC' and 'j' and angular yaw (rotation about the 'z' axis). In some possible embodiments, the vehicle is also raised by jacking units (not shown) in order to align the vehicle with the battery switch module in the 'z' axis direction and in roll and pitch (rotation about 'JC' and 'j' axes).

For example, the exchange lane may be configured to position the vehicle 40 over the exchange opening 10η such that the back wheels 41b are placed over the laterally movable covers 14r and 14f. In this way, the orientation of the vehicle 40 may be aligned with the lane 10 as the movable covers 14r and 14f are laterally moved and laterally (along the 'x' axis) translate the back wheels 40b vertically, while the position of the front wheels 41a is fixedly defined by the grip of the conveyer system 44 over them.

Once the vehicle 40 is properly positioned over the exchange opening 10η, in step

S6 the movable covers arrangement 14 is actuated to define a suitable exchange aperture 10a for the exchange tool 35 to access the battery 40b of the vehicle therethrough in step S7 and release the battery 40b, lower the released battery 40b in step S8 into the service shaft 18, and in step S9 raise a fresh battery 40c from the service shaft 18 and install it in the vehicle 40. During or after step S8 the released battery is transferred from the service shaft for storage and recharge.

With reference to Fig. 3A, in some embodiments a robotic conveyer 37 is used inside the service shaft 18 in the battery exchange process. The battery exchange tool 35 is detachably attached to the robotic conveyer 37 which is configured to connect to various different exchange tools accessibly placed in an exchange tool storage 34 provided in the service shaft 18. Accordingly, in some embodiments of the present invention the battery exchange system is configured to identify the type of vehicle being serviced and/or type of battery to be exchanged, and accordingly to select from the exchange tool storage 34 a proper battery exchange tool and attach it to the robotic conveyer 37.

The robotic conveyer 37 is configured to move along a track 35r provided in the service shaft 18 between various distinct positions allowing access to different areas of the service shaft 18. For example, the robotic conveyer 37 may be configured to move to a battery temporary storage position for accessing a temporary battery storage 33 used for storing one or more batteries 40b released from serviced vehicles 40. The robotic conveyer 37 may be further configured to move to a battery collecting position for collecting a fresh battery 40c to be installed in a serviced vehicle 40, and to a battery exchange position in an area below the exchange opening 10η for exchanging vehicle batteries.

For example, as demonstrated in Fig. 3B, the service shaft 18 may be arranged to define a number of zones at which the robotic conveyer 37 may be positioned during its operation, as follows:

- a battery exchange zone 37x, at which the battery 40b of the serviced vehicle 40 is released and placed on the exchange tool 35 below the vehicle;

- a battery collection zone 37c wherein a fresh battery is picked up from the storage robotic conveyer system (not shown);

- a battery storage zone 37s adjacent to the temporary battery storage 33, at which the robotic conveyer 37 may be positioned after releasing a battery 40b from a serviced vehicle 40 for placing the released battery 40b for storage in the temporary battery storage 33; and

- a tool replacement zone 37t, at which the robotic conveyer 37 may be positioned to replace the exchange tool 35 with another suitable exchange tool stored in the exchange tool storage 34, when a certain exchange tool is required for interfacing with a certain type of battery 40b.

The robotic conveyer 37 may be configured to provide lifting and lowering capabilities (i.e., along the z' axis) for upwardly lifting fresh batteries through exchange opening 10n and for lowering the batteries 40b released from the serviced vehicles 40. The robotic conveyer 37 is further configured to support multiple tools arranged (e.g. , on shelves) in the exchange tool storage 34.

Optionally, the various positions that the robotic conveyer 37 is configured to move through inside service shaft 18 are arranged along a single track, or arranged over two axes in a cross arrangement.

With reference to Fig. 4, after installing a fresh battery 40c in the vehicle 40, in step S10 the movable covers arrangement 14 is changed into a fully or partially closed state to substantially cover the battery exchange opening 10η. The serviced vehicle 40 is then moved in step Sll by the conveyer system 44 to the release section lOq, and in step S12 the vehicle is detached from the conveyer system 44 to allow the serviced vehicle 40 to evacuate the exchange lane in step S13.

In possible embodiments of the present invention the battery exchange system comprises a battery storage facility (not shown). The battery storage facility may have a modular structure designed to be universal, which may comprise adjustable shelves that can be arranged to fit different battery heights and widths.

For example, the battery storage facility may be structured to include a plurality of cubicles (e.g. , constructed to form metal frames), where the cubicles are generally larger than the size of the typical batteries used in the vehicles. Each cubicle in this structure can be split by placing horizontal shelves to form spaces that fit the specific height of a specific battery. Additionally or alternatively, horizontal rods (not shown) may be placed in such cubicles to split them along their vertical axes and allow placing more than one battery on the vertical axis. Each shelf may be configured to accommodate a specific type of battery and include the mechanical, electrical and thermal (cooling) interfaces for the specific battery. The shelves can be replaced so that each storage can accommodate different numbers of different types of batteries. In this way, the battery storage facility of the exchange system of the present invention may be configured to support a plurality of different battery types suitable for servicing myriad types of electric vehicles.

The exchange lane of the battery exchange system of the present invention is associated with / connectable to (via wires or wireless signal transmission) a control system, which is not specifically shown here. The control system is typically a computer system comprising various controller utilities (hardware/software) preprogrammed for controlling the operation of the lane, in cooperation with that of the battery exchange tool and other sub-stations of the battery service station. Also, as described above, the control system comprises an identification system which is configured to identify the type of vehicle being serviced, as well as the type of battery (in case the same vehicle may operate with different types of batteries). The identification system is capable of communicating with the lane-related controller utilities (directly or via a central controller, as the case may be). Accordingly, the control system operates to control the operation of the exchange lane, and also control the operation of a battery storage robotic conveyer (not shown) of the battery exchange system to retrieve a proper battery (that matches the type of the serviced vehicle) from a storage shelf and transport it to the battery exchange tool (i.e. , its associated battery exchange robotic conveyer 37) which will then bring the battery to the battery bay in the vehicle as described hereinabove.

The control system may comprise one or more processors and memories used for storing data and programs executed by the one or more processors to carry out some, or all, of the functions and operations of the battery exchange process described hereinabove. For example, the control unit may be configured to operate the exchange lane using sensors to identify the entrance of a vehicle into the docking section of the lane, activate the conveyer system to grip the vehicle and move it to the exchange section of the lane, actuate the movable covers to define a suitable exchange aperture, actuate the robotic conveyer and exchange tool to release the battery in the vehicle, place it in the temporary storage, collect a fresh battery and bring it to engagement with the battery bay in the serviced vehicle. In possible embodiments of the present invention the control unit is further configured to communicate data (e.g. , the type of vehicle and/or the type of battery used therein) with an onboard computer of the serviced vehicle, and/or with a control center of a service provider that manages battery services (e.g. , exchange and/or recharge) provided to users of the electric vehicles.

The various features discussed hereinabove optionally may be combined with one another. For example, in possible embodiments of the present invention the exchange lane may just include the exchange platform having the exchange opening and the movable covers arrangement. In other exemplary embodiments of the present invention the exchange lane may be configured to include just the exchange platform having the exchange opening and the conveyer system. Embodiments of the present invention may employ different movable covers arrangements, for example, a single movable cover may be used to adjust the size and location of the exchange opening. Alternatively, the movable covers arrangement may be include just one pair of movable covers (e.g. , the longitudinal movable covers or the laterally movable covers).

In certain embodiments of the present invention the service shaft may be an underground structure associated with an exchange lane located on, or above, ground surface. Alternatively, the exchange platform of the lane may be an elevated platform and the various equipment (e.g. , exchange tool, robotic conveyer, tolls and battery storages) used in the service shaft may be placed on, or above, the ground surface and below the exchange lane to carry out the same operations as described hereinabove.

The above examples and description have of course been provided only for the purpose of illustration, and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. As will be appreciated by the skilled person, the invention can be carried out in a great variety of ways, employing more than one technique from those described above, all without exceeding the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A battery exchange system for servicing an electric vehicle, the system comprising a support lane configured for holding and moving a vehicle, the support lane comprising:

an elongated battery exchange platform having length and width suitable for supporting and moving thereover vehicles of different sizes and geometrical dimensions,

a battery exchange opening in said battery exchange platform for allowing passage therethrough of a battery of a serviced vehicle positioned over said opening; and

a movable cover arrangement mounted for controllable sliding movement with respect to said battery exchange opening to vary an aperture defined by said opening to adjust at least one of a location of the aperture within said opening, and a size of said aperture.

2. The battery exchange system of claim 1 , wherein said lane comprises an entrance port at one end of said platform and a departure port at opposite end of said platform, the exchange opening being located between said entrance and departure ports.

3. The battery exchange system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the location of the exchange aperture is determined based on at least one of the following:

position of the vehicle over the exchange opening;

orientation of the vehicle over the exchange opening;

type of the vehicle; and

type of the battery in the vehicle.

4. The battery exchange system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the size of the exchange aperture is determined based on at least one of the following:

position of the vehicle over the exchange opening;

orientation of the vehicle over the exchange opening;

type of the vehicle; and

type of the battery in the vehicle.

5. The battery exchange system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movable cover arrangement comprises one or more movable covers.

6. The battery exchange system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movable cover arrangement comprises at least one pair of movable covers, the covers of each pair being slidably movable over said battery exchange opening.

7. The battery exchange system of claim 6, wherein the covers of each pair being movable towards and away from one another.

8. The battery exchange system of claim 6 or 7, wherein the covers comprise laterally movable covers with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated platform.

9. The battery exchange system of any one of claims 6 to 8, comprising longitudinally movable covers with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated platform.

10. The battery exchange system according to any one of claims 2 to 9, further comprising a vehicle conveyer system comprising a gripping assembly configured to engage the vehicle while in the vicinity of the entrance port and move the vehicle over the exchange platform.

11. The battery exchange system according to claim 10, wherein the conveyer system is configured to place the vehicle over the exchange opening in a predetermined orientation with respect to said opening to enable a battery exchange by a battery exchange tool.

12. The battery exchange system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the vehicle conveyer system is configured to detach the vehicle from the gripping assembly when the vehicle reaches the departure port.

13. The battery exchange system according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the gripping assembly is configured to attach to the front wheels of the vehicle.

14. The battery exchange system according to claims 10 to 13, wherein the gripping assembly comprises two pairs of movable rods disposed at opposite sides of the exchange platform respectively.

15. The battery exchange system according to claim 14, wherein the pairs of rods are configured to grip a wheel of the vehicle by establishing attachment thereto at two sides of the wheel.

16. The battery exchange system according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the pairs of rods are configured to move up or down relative to the exchange platform and thereby raise or lower at least a portion of the vehicle.

17. The battery exchange system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the movable cover arrangement is configured to adjust the orientation of the vehicle with respect to the opening in the exchange platform.

18. A method for servicing a vehicle having a battery, the method comprising:

19. The method of Claim 18, comprising placing the vehicle over the exchange opening provided in an exchange platform of a lane on which the vehicle is supported, and controllably moving a movable cover arrangement of said exchange platform, thereby adjusting the size and position of the exchange aperture in said exchange opening for allowing equipment residing in a cavity under the lane to access the battery of the vehicle through the aperture; thereby allowing for using said equipment to service the vehicle via said exchange aperture.

20. A method according to claim 18 or 19, comprising receiving data indicative of at least one of a type of the vehicle and a type of the battery, wherein said adjusting is based at least in part on said data.

21. A method according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein said adjusting is based at least in part on at least one of a position of the vehicle over the exchange opening and an orientation of the vehicle over the exchange opening.

22. A method according to any one of claims 18 or 21, wherein the placing of the vehicle includes gripping at least one front wheel of the vehicle by a gripping assembly provided in the lane before the placing of the vehicle.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the gripping includes lifting the at least one front wheel of the vehicle above the surface of the lane.

24. A method according to any one of claims 18 to 23, wherein the placing includes placing at least one back wheel of the vehicle on a movable cover of the movable cover arrangement.

25. A method according to claim 24, further comprising adjusting the orientation of the vehicle with respect to the opening by moving the movable cover in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the lane.

26. A method according to any one of claims 18 to 25, further comprising: using the equipment provided under the lane to release the battery from a battery bay of the vehicle;

lowering the battery through the exchange aperture into the cavity;

raising from the cavity a fresh battery through the exchange aperture; and

bringing said fresh battery to engagement with the battery bay of the vehicle.