CN218112407U

CN218112407U - Positioning mechanism, bearing device and battery replacement station

Info

Publication number: CN218112407U
Application number: CN202222530255.1U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 洪翼鸿; 黄巨明
Original assignee: Hangzhou Hikrobot Co Ltd
Current assignee: Hangzhou Hikrobot Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-09-23
Filing date: 2022-09-23
Publication date: 2022-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 2032-09-23

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a positioning mechanism, a bearing device and a power exchanging station. The positioning mechanism comprises a bearing platform for bearing the electric vehicle, and a side pushing assembly and a limiting piece which are respectively positioned on two sides of the bearing platform; the side pushing assembly comprises a side pushing driving piece and a side pushing piece; the side pushing driving piece is used for driving the side pushing piece to move towards the direction close to the limiting piece so as to push the electric vehicle to abut against the limiting piece. The locating part in the disclosure has simple function, so that the size or the height of the locating part can be reduced by optimizing the overall structure of the locating part and the corresponding limiting driving part, the locating part is only contacted with a chassis of the electric vehicle, and then the locating part is staggered with the battery module in height, and the battery module is not taken out or assembled from the side of the vehicle body.

Description

Positioning mechanism, bearing device and power changing station

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a commodity circulation transportation technical field especially relates to a positioning mechanism, bears device and trades power station.

Background

With the development of society, logistics systems are increasingly automated and intelligent. In the current logistics sorting and transportation operation, AGVs (acronyms of automated guided vehicles) are widely used, namely, an "automatic guided vehicle", which is a vehicle capable of traveling along a predetermined guide path and having safety protection and various transfer functions. The AGV generally adopts the battery that self carried to provide electric power, needs in time to supply when the electric power of battery nears exhaustion, consequently needs supporting automatic power supply equipment to AGV in the system.

In the related art, an automatic charging device is generally used to charge a battery of an AGV. However, such an automatic charging device needs to keep the AGV as a whole in the charging device until the battery is fully charged when the AGV is charged. The AGV cannot operate during charging, and thus a lot of time is wasted. Therefore, the prior art discloses a method for replacing a battery of an AGV and a battery replacement station; the method comprises the following steps: placing an empty first battery disassembling and assembling mechanism below the AGV; butting an old battery module on the AGV with a first battery disassembling and assembling mechanism and removing the connection relation with the AGV; separating the old battery module from the battery module assembling area of the AGV; placing a second battery disassembling and assembling mechanism butted with a new battery module below the AGV; and relatively moving the new battery module and the AGV to enable the new battery module to be arranged in the battery module assembling area and to be connected with the AGV. The battery replacement station comprises a lifter and a battery replacement device; the hoister comprises a hoisting frame and a hoisting frame lifting mechanism; the battery replacing device comprises a dismounting transferring mechanism and at least two battery dismounting mechanisms, wherein the two battery dismounting mechanisms are arranged on the dismounting transferring mechanism. The technology can rapidly replace the battery module, and time waste caused by power supplement of the AGV is reduced.

However, in the above technical solution, the elevator clamps the AGV by the horizontal clamping assembly to position the AGV in a specific direction; however, the horizontal clamp assemblies are only suitable for positioning bilaterally symmetrical AGVs, and for bilaterally asymmetrical AGVs, the horizontal clamp assemblies may cause the AGVs to deflect.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The disclosure provides a positioning mechanism, a bearing device and a power exchanging station. To solve at least part of the problems in the related art.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a positioning mechanism is provided, where the positioning mechanism includes a carrying platform for carrying an electric vehicle, and a side pushing assembly and a limiting member respectively located at two sides of the carrying platform; the side pushing assembly comprises a side pushing driving piece and a side pushing piece; the side pushes away the driving piece and is used for driving the side and pushes away the piece and move towards the direction that is close to the locating part to promote electric vehicle until with the locating part offsets.

Optionally, the side pushing member comprises a first position and a second position; the side pushing driving piece is used for driving the side pushing piece to move back and forth between the first position and the second position; when the side pushing piece is located at the first position, the side pushing piece can enable the electric vehicle to abut against the limiting piece.

Optionally, the positioning mechanism further comprises a limit driving member; the limiting piece comprises a third position and a fourth position; the limiting driving piece is used for driving the limiting piece to move between the third position and the fourth position in a reciprocating mode; when the limiting part is located at the third position and the side pushing part is located at the first position, the limiting part and the side pushing part are matched to position the electric vehicle.

Optionally, a stroke of the limiting member between the third position and the fourth position is smaller than a stroke of the side pushing member between the first position and the second position.

Optionally, the limit driving part comprises a motor; the positioning mechanism further comprises a trapezoidal screw rod; the trapezoidal screw rod is connected and arranged between the limiting driving piece and the limiting piece.

Optionally, the positioning mechanism further comprises a first sensor; the first sensor is used for judging whether the electric vehicle abuts against the limiting part or not.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a carrier device is proposed, which comprises a positioning mechanism as described above.

Optionally, the carrying device further includes a power supply mechanism disposed on the carrying platform; the power supply mechanism is used for supplying power to the electric vehicle.

Optionally, the power supply mechanism includes a base disposed on the bearing platform and a charging assembly disposed on the base; the charging assembly is provided with a plugging direction and a sliding direction which are intersected; the charging assembly is docked with the electric vehicle along the plugging direction to charge the electric vehicle; the charging assembly is slidably mounted on the base along the sliding direction.

Optionally, the power supply mechanism further includes a second connecting shaft disposed on the base; the charging assembly is sleeved on the second connecting shaft and can slide on the second connecting shaft.

Optionally, the power supply mechanism further includes a second reset member; the charging assembly further comprises a start position; when the charging assembly deviates from the starting position, the second resetting piece is used for driving the charging assembly to return to the starting position.

Optionally, the second resetting member includes at least two second spring members sleeved on the second connecting shaft; the at least two second spring pieces are respectively positioned at two sides of the charging assembly; one end of the second spring part is connected to the charging assembly, and the other end of the second spring part is connected to the base.

Optionally, the power supply mechanism further includes a second guide rail and a second chute which are in sliding fit; one of the second guide rail and the second chute is disposed in the charging assembly, and the other of the second guide rail and the second chute is disposed in the base.

Optionally, the charging assembly includes a charging seat, an electrical connector, a guide post and a third spring element; the charging seat is arranged on the base in a sliding manner along the sliding direction; the electric connector is arranged on the charging seat in a sliding manner along the inserting direction through the guide post; the third spring piece is sleeved on the guide post; the third spring piece is arranged between the electric connector and the charging seat in an abutting mode.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a power swapping station is provided, where the power swapping station includes a power swapping device and the above-mentioned carrying device; the battery replacing device comprises a rack, a battery bin and a battery replacing mechanism, wherein the battery bin and the battery replacing mechanism are arranged on the rack; the electric vehicle further comprises a vehicle body and a battery module arranged on the vehicle body; the battery replacing mechanism is used for taking out the battery module to be charged from the side of the vehicle body and assembling the battery module to the battery compartment, and is used for taking out the charged battery module from the battery compartment and assembling the battery module to the side of the vehicle body.

Optionally, the position-limiting member is disposed near the battery replacement device.

The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can have the following beneficial effects:

first, the battery module of the electric vehicle in the present disclosure is taken out from one side of the vehicle body, which means that the two opposite sides of the vehicle body are not completely the same; at the moment, if the two sides of the vehicle body are clamped by the traditional centering clamping and positioning assembly, because the two sides of the vehicle body are asymmetric, stress points of the traditional centering clamping and positioning assembly and the two sides of the vehicle body are also asymmetric, the phenomenon of vehicle body deflection is easy to occur, and the battery module cannot be taken out because the battery module is not aligned with the battery changing device; secondly, after the positioning of the vehicle body in the second direction is completed, the vehicle body is closer to the battery replacing device than the vehicle body after the positioning is completed through a traditional centering clamping positioning assembly, so that the battery replacing stroke is reduced, and the battery replacing efficiency is improved; finally, the limiting component is positioned between the battery replacing mechanism and the vehicle body, namely the limiting component is arranged close to the side of the vehicle body; after the positioning of the vehicle body in the second direction is completed, the battery module is taken out/assembled from the side of the vehicle body; in other words, if the conventional centering, clamping and positioning assembly is adopted, the battery module will inevitably conflict with the conventional centering, clamping and positioning assembly in spatial position; the limiting part in the disclosure can optimize the overall structure of the limiting part and the limiting driving part corresponding to the limiting part due to simple functions, and reduce the volume or height of the limiting part, so that the limiting part is only contacted with the chassis of the electric vehicle, and is further staggered with the battery module in height, and the battery module is not influenced to be taken out or assembled from the side of the vehicle body.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

Fig. 1 is a first schematic diagram of a swapping station in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 2 is a second schematic diagram (with the housing omitted) of a swapping station in an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a swapping station in cooperation with an AGV according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a load carrier, swapping mechanism, and AGV cooperation in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a carrier in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a side thrust assembly in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a spacing assembly in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a power supply mechanism in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a charging mechanism in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 10 is a schematic illustration of a mating of a swapping mechanism with a battery module (omitting a mounting bracket and part of a drive assembly) in an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a first schematic view of a coupling assembly (the coupling member in a second state) in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a second schematic view of a coupling assembly (the coupling member in a first state) in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of an alignment assembly in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of a fourth driver engaged with a mounting bracket in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 is a schematic illustration of a first station in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 16 is a schematic illustration of a first station mated with a battery module in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a first schematic illustration of a second station in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 18 is a schematic illustration of a first station mated with a battery module in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings in which the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the exemplary embodiments below are not intended to represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present disclosure, as detailed in the appended claims.

The terminology used in the disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. Unless defined otherwise, technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The use of "first," "second," and similar terms in the description and claims does not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but rather is used to distinguish one element from another. Also, the use of the terms "a" or "an" and the like do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of two. "plurality" or "a number" means two or more. Unless otherwise indicated, "front", "rear", "lower" and/or "upper" and the like are for convenience of description and are not limited to one position or one spatial orientation. The word "comprising" or "comprises", and the like, means that the element or item listed as preceding "comprising" or "includes" covers the element or item listed as following "comprising" or "includes" and its equivalents, and does not exclude other elements or items. The terms "connected" or "coupled" and the like are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect.

The terminology used in the present disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and/or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

As shown in fig. 1-3, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a power swapping station. The battery replacement station is applied to an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle includes a vehicle body 10 and a battery module 11 provided in the vehicle body 10.

The electric vehicle in the present disclosure is a vehicle that supplies electric power using a battery carried by the vehicle and needs to be replenished in time when the electric power of the battery is about to be exhausted. Either a human-driven vehicle or a two-wheel-driven AGV1 as shown in fig. 3 and 4. It is only necessary that the vehicle be able to remove/load the battery module 11 from the side.

The disclosed embodiments are illustrated by way of example of an AGV1 as shown in fig. 3 and 4. However, the AGV1 according to the present disclosure is not limited to the two-wheel-drive AGV1 shown in fig. 3 and 4, and may be an AGV1 that is four-wheel-drive or bionic-travel, and may travel and stop in an automatic navigation manner, and the battery module 11 may be removed from and loaded on the side of the AGV1.

The battery module 11 in the present disclosure may be a nickel-hydrogen rechargeable battery, a lithium battery, or a non-rechargeable battery, and is not limited to a specific shape, and may be detached from and loaded onto the lateral side of the AGV1 in cooperation with the battery replacement station of the present disclosure.

Note that the lateral sides of the AGV1 referred to in the present disclosure do not include the upper side and the lower side of the AGV1. But may include the left and right sides of the AGV1 and may also include the front and rear sides of the AGV1.

In some embodiments, the swapping station includes a carrying device 2 and a swapping device 3. The carrier 2 is used for carrying the AGV1. The battery replacement device 3 is used for taking out the battery module 11 to be charged from the side of the vehicle body 10, and for fitting the charged battery module 11 to the side of the vehicle body 10.

The battery replacing device 3 in the disclosure can directly take out/assemble the battery module 11 from the side of the vehicle body 10, and the AGV1 is not required to be lifted by the bearing device 2, so that the battery replacing steps are reduced, the battery replacing efficiency is improved, and the battery replacing time is saved. Meanwhile, as the carrying device 2 does not have the lifting function any more, the structure of the carrying device 2 is simplified, and the manufacturing cost of the carrying device 2 is reduced.

In the above embodiment, the carrying device 2 and the battery replacement device 3 are used in combination to form a battery replacement station. In other embodiments, the carrying device 2 and the battery replacement device 3 may also be used independently.

The carrier device 2 will first be described in detail below.

The load carrier 2, as shown in FIG. 5, includes a load platform 20 for carrying the AGV1, and a power supply mechanism 21 and a positioning mechanism 22 disposed on the load platform 20. The load platform 20 is not normally able to rest against the ground, so a ramp 24 may be provided in front of the load platform 20 to facilitate the AGV1 riding on the load platform 20.

When the battery module 11 is taken out or assembled, the matching precision between the battery replacing device 3 and the bearing device 2 is very important, and if the matching precision is too low, the relative position between the battery replacing device 3 and the bearing device 2 has a large deviation, so that the battery replacing station cannot complete the setting action. As shown in fig. 3-5, for convenience of description, the longitudinal direction of the AGV1, i.e., the forward direction in which the AGV1 drives onto the load platform 20, is defined as the first direction a. The width direction of the AGV1 is defined as a second direction B. The positioning mechanism 22 is used for respectively positioning the AGV1 at the accurate position in the first direction a and the accurate position in the second direction B, so that the AGV1 is integrally positioned, and the power exchanging station can complete the setting action.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the positioning mechanism 22 includes two positioning blocks 227 disposed on the carrying platform 20. The positioning block 227 is mounted on the loading platform 20 in a swinging manner along the first direction a. The positioning slot along the second direction B is disposed on the upper surface of the positioning block 227. The constant head tank can be like the V font that sets up shown in fig. 4 and 5, AGV 1's wheel can be automatic card in the constant head tank of V font like this, of course, also can consider to set up the constant head tank into the rectangle that holds AGV 1's wheel just, fall trapezoidal, semi-circular or other shapes, can sink into the constant head tank downwards when AGV 19's wheel passes through the constant head tank and fixed by it can, like this, through the wheel of location AGV1, realized the location to AGV1 on first direction A promptly.

As an alternative embodiment, the positioning mechanism 22 also includes a position sensor (not shown) for precisely positioning the AGV1 in the first direction A. The position sensors may be located on the load platform 20 or on the AGV1. The position sensor may be any sensor capable of sensing a position, which is commonly available on the market, and the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the position sensor may be a photoelectric sensor or a pressure sensor disposed on the positioning block, so as to sense whether the wheels of the AGV1 reach the positioning slot.

The position sensor may also be a camera with position sensing, and a corresponding two-dimensional code icon is provided on the power supply mechanism 21, and the AGV1 can be accurately located at the designated position in the first direction a through the cooperation of the camera and the two-dimensional code icon.

With continued reference to fig. 4 and 5, the positioning mechanism 22 further includes a lateral pushing assembly 220 and a stop assembly 221. The side pushing assembly 220 and the limiting assembly 221 are respectively located at two sides of the bearing platform 20. The side push assembly 220 is used to push the AGV1 in the second direction until it abuts against the stop assembly 221. When the AGV1 is pushed against the limiting member 221, it is equivalent to the AGV1 being at the designated position in the second direction B, so that the positioning of the AGV1 in the second direction B is completed. Meanwhile, the AGV1 is fixed between the side pushing component 220 and the limiting component 221, so that the vehicle body 10 does not shake when the battery module 11 is taken out/assembled by the battery replacing device 3, and the battery replacing process of the battery replacing device 3 is ensured to be smoothly performed.

The engagement of the side thrust assembly 220 and the stop assembly 221 in the present disclosure has the following advantages over the conventional centering clamping positioning assembly: first, the battery module 11 of the AGV1 in the present disclosure is taken out from one side of the car body 10, which is equivalent to that the two opposite sides of the car body 10 are not identical; at this time, if the conventional centering clamping and positioning assembly is adopted to clamp the two sides of the vehicle body 10, because the two sides of the vehicle body 10 are asymmetric, the stress points of the conventional centering clamping and positioning assembly and the two sides of the vehicle body 10 are also asymmetric, the deflection phenomenon of the vehicle body 10 is easy to occur, and the battery module 11 cannot be taken out because the battery module is not aligned with the battery changing device 3; secondly, after the positioning in the second direction B is completed, the vehicle body 10 is closer to the battery replacing device 3 than the vehicle body is positioned by the conventional centering clamping positioning assembly, so that the battery replacing stroke is reduced, and the battery replacing efficiency is improved; finally, as shown in fig. 4, the limit component 221 is located between the battery replacing mechanism 32 and the vehicle body 10, that is, the limit component 221 is disposed close to the side of the vehicle body 10; after the positioning of the vehicle body 10 in the second direction B is completed, the battery module 11 is taken out from the side of the vehicle body 10; in other words, if the conventional centering, clamping and positioning assembly is adopted, the battery module 11 will inevitably conflict with the conventional centering, clamping and positioning assembly in spatial position; the limiting assembly 221 in the present disclosure has a simple function, and can optimize the overall structure of the limiting assembly 221 and reduce the volume or height thereof, so that the limiting assembly 221 is only in contact with the chassis of the AGV1, and is further staggered from the battery module 11 in height, and the battery module 11 is not affected to be detached from the side of the vehicle body 10.

The positioning mechanism 22 can be applied to an AGV1 in which the battery module 11 is taken out from the bottom of the vehicle body.

As shown in fig. 6, the side pushing assembly 220 includes a side pushing driver 222 and a side pushing member 223. The side push 223 includes a first position and a second position. The side push driving member 222 is used for driving the side push member 223 to reciprocate between the first position and the second position along the second direction. When the side push 223 is located at the first position, the side push 223 can make the AGV1 abut against the limiting component 221. The side push drive 222 may include an air cylinder, hydraulic ram, or motor. The present disclosure is not so limited.

In some embodiments, the side-pushing driving member 222 is a motor, so that the side-pushing assembly 220 has a wider application range, higher walking precision and more convenient adjustment compared with air source driving or hydraulic driving. Specifically, the side push assembly 220 further includes a side push frame 230, and a ball screw (not shown) provided on the side push frame 230, a side push shaft 229, a timing belt 228, and a linear bearing. The linear bearing is used to ensure that the side pushing member 223 slides on the side pushing shaft 229 more smoothly without jamming. The side pushing driving member 222 drives the ball screw to rotate through the transmission of the timing belt 228, so that the side pushing member 223 reciprocates between a first position and a second position along the side pushing shaft 229.

As an alternative embodiment, the stroke of the side pushing member 223 between the first position and the second position is 0-50mm. In this range of travel, the side pushing member 223 can satisfy the adjustment of the positional deviation of the AGV1 in the second direction B of the loading platform 20, and can make the structure of the side pushing assembly 220 more compact.

As shown in fig. 7, the position limiting assembly 221 includes a position limiting driving member 224 and a position limiting member 225. The limiting member 225 includes a third position and a fourth position. The limiting driving member 224 is used for driving the limiting member 225 to reciprocate between the third position and the fourth position along the second direction B. When the limiting member 225 is located at the third position and the side pushing member 223 is located at the first position, the limiting member 225 and the side pushing member 223 cooperate to position the AGV1. The limit drives 224 may be pneumatic cylinders, hydraulic rams, and motors. The present disclosure is not so limited.

It should be noted that, in other embodiments, the limiting component 221 can also include only the limiting member 225; if the limiting member 225 is fixed at the third position, it can also cooperate with the side pushing assembly 220 to position the AGV1. The main function of the limiting driving member 224 in the present disclosure is to retract to the fourth position by driving the limiting member 225, so that a certain distance is formed between the limiting member 225 and the AGV1, and the limiting member 225 and the vehicle body 10 are prevented from being scratched when the AGV1 moves along the first direction a and thus the vehicle body 10 is contacted with each other.

As an alternative embodiment, the travel of the limiting member 225 between the third position and the fourth position is 0-10mm; that is, the travel of the limiting member 225 between the third position and the fourth position is smaller than the travel of the side pushing member 223 between the first position and the second position, which is determined by the respective actions of the limiting member 221 and the side pushing member 220.

In some embodiments, the limit driving member 224 is a motor, so that the application range of the side pushing assembly 220 is wider, the walking precision is higher, and the adjustment is more convenient compared with air source driving or hydraulic driving. Specifically, the limit assembly 221 further includes a trapezoidal screw (not shown), a limit rotation shaft 232, and a linear bearing. The linear bearing is used for ensuring that the side pushing piece 223 slides more smoothly on the limit rotating shaft 232 and does not have the phenomenon of blockage. The limiting member 225 is mounted on the trapezoidal screw, and the limiting driving member 224 rotates through the trapezoidal screw, so that the limiting member 225 reciprocates between a third position and a fourth position along the limiting shaft. The trapezoidal screw rod has a self-locking characteristic, and when the lateral pushing assembly 220 pushes the AGV1, the limiting member 225 can form a stop, so that the position where the AGV1 stops at each time is unique.

It should be noted that, as can be seen from fig. 4, the limiting component 221 and the battery module 11 are located on the same side of the AGV1, so that the limiting component 221 is small as a whole, and only contacts with the chassis on both sides of the driving wheel of the AGV1, and the battery is not affected to be detached from the side.

As an alternative embodiment, the position limiting assembly 221 further comprises a first sensor 233. The first sensor 233 is used to determine whether the AGV1 abuts against the stopper 225. When the AGV1 is normally in place, i.e. abuts against the limiting member 225, the power exchanging station continues to perform the next action. When the AGV1 is not in the normal position, that is, a certain distance exists between the AGV1 and the limiting piece 225, the power exchanging station stops operating.

It should be noted that the power supply mechanism 21 in the present disclosure supplies power to the AGV1, so as to prevent the AGV1 from being restarted after power failure after the battery is removed, and further prevent the subsequent control of the AGV1 from being disturbed due to power failure restart. Therefore, when the AGV1 travels to the loading platform 20 and is positioned in the first direction a, it will be docked with the power supply mechanism 21, so as to charge the AGV1. As can be seen from the above positioning process, after the AGV1 completes the positioning in the first direction a, the positioning in the second direction B is also completed. During positioning in the second direction B, there is also a displacement of the AGV1 in the second direction B. Therefore, the power supply mechanism 21 in the present disclosure needs to have an active space in the second direction B.

As shown in fig. 8, the power supply mechanism 21 includes a base 214 and a charging assembly 210 provided to the base 214. The charging assembly 210 includes a charging base 211 and an electrical connector 212 disposed on the charging base 211. The charging assembly 210 is provided with a plug-in orientation. The charging base 211 is slidably mounted on the base 214, and a sliding direction D of the charging base 211 intersects with the plugging direction C. Through so setting up, electric connector 212 can follow charging seat 211 and slide along its slip direction D, and then makes when AGV1 sideslip, and electric connector 212 still can follow AGV1 sideslip, avoids electric connector 212 and AGV1 to break away from, causes the power failure of AGV1.

It should be noted that the plugging direction C refers to a direction in which the electrical connector 212 is butted against the corresponding electrical connection structure on the AGV1, and in general, during the process of butting the electrical connector 212 against the corresponding electrical connection structure on the AGV1, the electrical connector 212 itself is stationary, and the AGV1 moves toward the electrical connector 212 to realize the butting. In other words, the plugging direction C can also be understood as the direction of movement of the electrical connector 212 relative to the AGV1. Specifically, in the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 3, the AGV1 moves toward the power supply mechanism 21 in a first direction a, and the inserting direction C is opposite to the first direction a. The electrical connection structure may include a charging coil capable of cooperating with the electrical connector 212, and may also include a plug capable of electrically connecting with the electrical connector or other structures capable of electrically connecting and charging the electrical connector, which are not described herein again.

In some embodiments, the sliding direction D of the charging stand 211 is perpendicular to the plugging direction C. That is, the sliding direction D of the charging stand 211 is the second direction B. So set up and to avoid charging seat 211 in the in-process that slides, electric connector 212 itself still has the displacement of grafting direction C, influences electric connector 212 and AGV1 complex stability. Of course, in other embodiments, the sliding direction D of the charging seat 211 may not be perpendicular to the plugging direction C, and only the electrical connector 212 itself may reciprocate along the plugging direction C, and the electrical connector 212 is ensured to be always in contact with the AGV1 within a certain range of travel by the elastic member.

In some embodiments, the power supply mechanism 21 further includes a second connecting shaft 215 disposed on the base 214. The charging seat 211 is sleeved on the second connecting shaft 215 and can slide on the second connecting shaft 215. Wherein, the card-pause may be formed only by the fitting of the charging seat 211 and the second connecting shaft 215 to slide on the second connecting shaft 215. Therefore, a linear bearing may be disposed between the charging stand 211 and the second connecting shaft 215. Certainly, a larger gap may also be left between the charging seat 211 and the second connecting shaft 215, and a matching structure of the guide rail and the sliding groove is additionally provided.

As an alternative embodiment, the power supply mechanism 21 further includes a second guide rail 217 and a second sliding groove (not shown) which are slidably fitted. One of the second guide rail 217 and the second sliding groove is disposed on the charging seat 211, and the other of the second guide rail 217 and the second sliding groove is disposed on the base 214. As shown in fig. 8, since the charging seat 211 is a U-shaped plate structure with small volume and thickness, the second guide rail 217 is fixedly connected to the charging seat 211, and the second sliding slot is disposed on the base 214.

It is contemplated that the AGV1 will complete its interface with the power supply 21 during its travel to the load bearing platform 20. Therefore, the power supply mechanism 21 further includes a second reset member 213. The cradle 211 also includes a start position. When the charging dock 211 is in the start position, the power supply mechanism 21 can complete the charging docking with the AGV1. When the charging seat 211 deviates from the starting position, the second resetting member 213 exerts a force on the charging seat 211 to drive the charging seat 211 to return to the starting position. And after the AGV1 finishes replacing the battery module 11, the AGV1 exits the carrying platform 20, i.e. the AGV1 disengages from the electrical connector 212, and the charging seat 211 returns to the starting position under the action of the second reset piece 213, so as to facilitate the next AGV1 to dock.

In an alternative embodiment, the second restoring member 213 includes at least two second spring members sleeved on the second connecting shaft 215. At least two second spring members are respectively located at two sides of the charging seat 211. One end of the second spring element is fixed on the charging seat 211, and the other end of the second spring element is fixed on the base 214. With this arrangement, the charging stand 211 can return to the start position after the AGV1 is separated from the electrical connector 212, regardless of whether the charging stand is displaced in the direction toward the second direction B or in the direction away from the second direction B.

Since the AGV1 needs to move to the position closest to the power supply mechanism 21 during positioning in the first direction a, and then move back a certain distance to reach the designated position in the first direction a. Therefore, the charging assembly 210 further includes a guiding post and a third spring member 216 sleeved on the guiding post. The guiding column is slidably mounted on the charging seat 211 along a horizontal plugging direction C, i.e., a first direction a. The third spring member 216 is disposed between the electrical connector 212 and the charging seat 211. In this way it is ensured on the one hand that the power supply mechanism 21 can accommodate the displacement of the AGV1 in the first direction a during power supply. On the other hand, the electric connector 212 is flexibly butted against the AGV1, and under the action of the third spring member 216, the electric connector can always be butted against the electric connection structure of the AGV1, so that the power failure of the AGV1 is avoided.

It should be noted that the positioning mechanism 22 and the power supply mechanism 21 in the carrying device 2 are used in a matching manner, and in the specific implementation process, the positioning mechanism 22 and the power supply mechanism 21 may also be used independently. For example, the positioning mechanism 22 is not only suitable for positioning an electric vehicle, but also for positioning any other movable object. And the power supply mechanism 21 is not only suitable for supplying power to an electric vehicle in which the battery module 11 is located on the side, but also suitable for supplying power to an electric vehicle in which the battery module 11 is located on the bottom or upper portion, and even to any other object with the battery module 11. The present disclosure is not intended to be limiting in any way.

The power exchanging device 3 will be described in detail below.

As shown in fig. 1-2, the battery replacing device 3 includes a housing 36, and a rack 30, a battery compartment 31 and a battery replacing mechanism 32 located in the housing 36. The battery replacing mechanism 32 and the battery compartment 31 are both arranged on the frame 30. The battery compartment 31 is used to store the battery module 11. The battery replacement mechanism 32 is used for taking out and mounting the battery module 11 to be charged to the battery compartment 31 from the side of the vehicle body 10, and for taking out and mounting the charged battery module 11 to the side of the vehicle body 10 from the battery compartment 31. With such an arrangement, the battery replacing mechanism 32 can directly take out/assemble the battery module 11 from the side of the vehicle body 10, thereby reducing the battery replacing steps, improving the battery replacing efficiency and saving the battery replacing time.

As shown in fig. 9-12, the battery swapping mechanism 32 includes a mounting plate 320 and a connecting assembly 321 disposed on the mounting plate 320. The battery module 11 includes a first sidewall 110 and a connection part 111 provided to the first sidewall 110.

When it is necessary to take out the battery module 11 from the vehicle body 10 or the battery compartment 31, the connection member 321 can establish connection with the connection portion 111 for pulling the battery module 11, thereby taking out the battery module 11.

When the battery module 11 needs to be assembled on the vehicle body 10 or the battery compartment 31, the connecting assembly 321 can be disconnected from the connecting portion 111, so that the connecting assembly 321 is conveniently separated from the battery module 11, and the battery module 11 can still be pulled when the connecting assembly 321 is prevented from retracting.

In some embodiments, the connection assembly 321 includes a first driver 322 and a connector 323. The connection member 323 includes a first state for establishing connection with the connection part 111 and a second state for releasing connection with the battery module 11. The first drive member 322 is used to drive the coupling member 323 between the first state and the second state. The first driving member 322 can be switched between the first state and the second state by the driving connecting member 323 in a rotating manner, a linear movement manner or an unfolding and folding manner. The present disclosure is not so limited.

The connection portion 111 may include holes, hooks, or other structures. The present disclosure is not so limited.

As an alternative embodiment, the connection portion 111 includes a hook provided to the first sidewall 110. When the connecting member 323 moves above the hook, the first driving member 322 drives the connecting member 323 to move downward to be abutted on the hook, so that the connecting member 323 is switched from the second state to the first state.

As an alternative embodiment, as shown in fig. 10 to 12, the connecting member 323 has a plate-like structure, and the connecting portion 111 has a long hole structure adapted to the connecting member 323. The coupling members 323 can be smoothly inserted into the coupling parts 111 for convenience, and the position of the battery module 11 is adjusted in consideration of the following. Therefore, a certain gap is required to be kept between the long hole structure and the connecting piece 323. As shown in fig. 11, the link 323 is in a second state of being vertically placed, and at this time, the link 323 can smoothly move in and out of the long hole structure. As shown in fig. 12, the connecting member 323 is rotated by 90 ° to the first state by the first driving member 322, and at this time, the connecting member 323 cannot move in and out of the long hole structure. In other words, when the connection member 323 is switched to the first state after being inserted into the long hole structure, the connection with the connection part 111 is established, so that the battery module 11 can be pulled. In other embodiments, after the connecting member 323 extends into the slot structure, the second state with a smaller area can be switched to the first state with a larger area.

With continued reference to fig. 11 and 12, the coupling assembly 321 further includes a coupling seat 324 that is connectively disposed between the first driving member 322 and the coupling member 323. The first driving member 322 drives the connecting seat 324 to rotate, thereby driving the connecting member 323 to rotate. The connecting assembly 321 further includes at least one second gear 345, and the second gear 345 is disposed between the first driving member 322 and the connecting base 324. The first driving member 322 is a motor. The first driving member 322 rotates the connecting base 324 via the second gear member 345, so that the connecting member 323 is switched between the first state and the second state.

Theoretically, when the connection member 323 is in the first state, and the connection member 323 does not protrude into the battery module 11. When the coupling members 323 move in the direction of the battery modules 11, the coupling members 323 can also push the battery modules 11 to move. However, considering that in this case, the stroke of the connecting component 321 is not consistent when the battery module 11 is taken out and assembled, and the connecting component 323 needs to be in a different state, this may increase the difficulty and complexity of the automatic battery replacement of the battery replacement mechanism 32. Therefore, in some embodiments, the battery replacing mechanism 32 further comprises a push-pull rod 325 disposed on the connecting seat 324 and a pushing member 326 fixedly disposed on the push-pull rod 325. The connector 323 is located at one end of the push-pull rod 325, and the pusher 326 is located between the connector 323 and the connecting seat 324. Through such arrangement, no matter the battery replacing mechanism 32 is taken out or in the step of assembling the battery module 11, the strokes of the connecting components 321 are consistent, and the states of the connecting components 323 are consistent, which is more beneficial to the automation of the battery replacing mechanism 32.

In some embodiments, the battery swapping mechanism 32 further includes a buffer assembly 327. The buffer assembly 327 serves to buffer the contact of the link 323 or the pusher 326 with the battery module 11. I.e., the buffer assembly 327 enables the contact of the link 323 or the pusher 326 with the battery module 11 to be a flexible contact. As an alternative embodiment, the damping assembly 327 includes a fixing sleeve 328 fixedly mounted to the push-pull rod 325 and two first spring members sleeved on the push-pull rod 325. Two first spring members are located on either side of the retaining sleeve 328. One end of the first spring member is connected to the fixing sleeve 328, and the other end is connected to the connecting seat 324. By so doing, the buffer assembly 327 has a buffering effect to prevent damage to the battery module 11, whether the connecting member 323 pulls the battery module 11 or the pushing member 326 pushes the battery module 11.

In some embodiments, the connection assembly 321 further comprises a second sensor. The second sensor is used to determine whether the connection member 321 is close to the battery module 11. The second sensor may be a proximity sensor, primarily for sensing metals; the material of the battery module 11 in the present disclosure includes iron; when the pusher 326 or the link 323 moves a fixed stroke, i.e. the second sensor is theoretically close to the battery module 11; at this time, when the second sensor determines that the connection assembly 321 is close to the battery module 11, the battery replacing mechanism 32 continues the next operation, that is, the battery replacing mechanism 32 pulls out the battery module 11 from the vehicle body 10 or the battery compartment. When the second sensor determines that the connecting member 321 does not approach the battery module 11, the battery replacing mechanism 32 stops, i.e., the connecting member 323 and the pushing member 326 do not move any more, and an alarm is issued.

The AGV1 trolley is parked on the bearing device 2, and the bearing device 2 and the battery replacing mechanism 32 are two independent mechanisms. Even if the two are aligned in advance, there is an assembly error. The battery replacing mechanism 32 needs to send the battery module 11 to the battery compartment 31 for charging, and the requirement on accuracy is high. If the battery module 11 is not aligned, the battery module may not be transported to the battery compartment 31 or the battery compartment 31 may not be charged. Therefore, with continued reference to fig. 9 and 10, the battery swapping mechanism 32 further includes an alignment assembly 331 disposed on the mounting plate 320 and a first rail 344 for sliding the battery module 11. The alignment assembly 331 is located between the carrier 2 and the first rail 344 and serves to enable the battery module 11 to be aligned with the first rail 344. The alignment assembly 331 is provided in the present disclosure so that the battery module 11 is gradually aligned with the first rail 344 during the sliding process, thereby being able to enter the first rail 344. In particular, since the first rail 344 and the battery compartment 31 are located in the same device, the same reference can be shared, i.e., the first rail 344 can be aligned with the battery compartment 31, and thus the battery compartment 31 can be accessed when the battery module 11 can access the first rail 344.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 13, the alignment assembly 331 includes a first restoring member 333 and a second rail 334 for sliding the battery module 11. Second rail 334 is slidably mounted to mounting plate 320. The second rail 334 includes an initial position aligned with the first rail 344. When the second rail 334 deviates from the initial position, the first restoring member 333 is used to drive the second rail 334 to return to the initial position. Due to assembly errors and the like between the carrier 2 and the battery changer 3, even if the AGV1 is positioned on the carrier 2, it is only roughly positioned to ensure that the battery module 11 can enter the second rail 334. In addition, in order to allow the battery module 11 to enter the second rail 334 more smoothly, a bell mouth may be provided at the entrance of the second rail 334, or a guide structure, such as a chamfer or a fillet, may be provided on the battery module 11. Thus, during the entering of the battery module 11, since the battery module 11 is partially still located in the mounting cavity of the vehicle body 10 and cannot move laterally (move in the first direction a), the second rail 334 is caused to move laterally. When the battery module 11 is completely separated from the mounting cavity of the vehicle body 10, the second rail 334 returns to the initial position by the first restoring member 333, so that the battery module 11 can be aligned with the first rail 344.

The shape of the battery module 11 may be varied in consideration of the AGV1 having different models and subsequent generations. In order to allow the swapping mechanism 32 to accommodate battery modules 11 of different shapes, the AGV1 further includes a guide plate (not shown) mounted to the first bottom wall 112 as an alternative embodiment. The guide plate is adapted to cooperate with the first track 344 and the alignment assembly 331. Through so setting up, different battery module 11 all can be equipped with the same deflector to guarantee local uniformity, make and trade electric mechanism 32 can adapt to the battery module 11 of different shapes. Wherein, the deflector is the rectangular plate, and four angles of deflector all chamfer setting or fillet setting to make things convenient for the deflector to get into first track 344 and second track 334.

With continued reference to fig. 13, in some embodiments, the second track 334 includes a second bottom wall and second side walls disposed on either side of the bottom wall. Wherein the second bottom wall comprises the slider and the second side wall comprises a plurality of guide bearings 335 spaced apart along the extension of the second rail 334. In other words, the floating block forms a second bottom wall of the second rail 334. A plurality of guide bearings 335 distributed on either side of the slider form a second side wall of the second track 334. By providing the guide bearing 335, the friction between the guide plate and the second rail 334 can be effectively reduced, and the noise can be reduced.

In some embodiments, the alignment assembly 331 further includes a first support fixedly mounted to the mounting plate 320 and a first connecting shaft 336 disposed at the first support. The second rail 334 is sleeved on the first connecting shaft 336 and can slide on the first connecting shaft 336. Wherein jamming may occur simply by virtue of the slider in the second track 334 sliding with the first coupling shaft 336 in engagement with the first coupling shaft 336. Thus, a linear bearing may be provided between the slider and the first coupling shaft 336. It is of course also possible to leave a large clearance between the slider and the first connecting shaft 336 and to provide additional rail and runner engagement.

In view of the compact structure of the alignment assembly 331, as an alternative embodiment, the alignment assembly 331 further includes a first guide rail 337 and a first sliding groove 338 which are slidably engaged. One of the first guide rail 337 and the first chute 338 is provided to the second rail 334, and the other of the first guide rail 337 and the first chute 338 is provided to the mounting plate 320.

As an alternative embodiment, the first restoring member 333 includes at least two first spring members sleeved on the first connecting shaft 336. At least two first spring members are positioned on either side of the second rail 334. One end of the first spring member is fixed to the first support, and the other end of the first spring member is fixed to the second rail 334. By such an arrangement, the second rail 334 can return to the initial position after the battery module 11 is completely detached from the vehicle body 10, regardless of whether the second rail 334 is deviated in the direction toward the first direction a or deviated in the direction away from the first direction a.

It should be noted that the alignment assembly 331 of the present disclosure is not only suitable for the battery module 11 to be taken out from the side of the vehicle body 10, but also suitable for the battery module 11 to be taken out from the bottom or the upper part of the vehicle body 10, and suitable for any other object requiring position adjustment during sliding.

With continued reference to fig. 9 and 10, in some embodiments, the structure of the first track 344 is the same as the structure of the second track 334. Of course, in other embodiments, the structure of the first rail 344 may not be the same as that of the second rail 334, and only needs to have the function of sliding and guiding the battery module 11. The present disclosure is not so limited.

In some embodiments, the battery swapping mechanism 32 further includes first pulley blocks 332 sequentially distributed along the sliding direction of the battery module 11. The battery module 11 includes a first bottom wall 112. The first pulley blocks 332 are adapted to contact the first bottom wall 112 to reduce the sliding resistance of the battery module 11. As an alternative embodiment, the battery replacement mechanism 32 includes two sets of first pulley assemblies 332. The two sets of first pulley blocks 332 are respectively located at two sides of the alignment component 331. By this arrangement, the width of the mounting plate 320 in the first direction a only needs to be slightly larger than the width of the battery module 11 in the first direction a, and the structure of the battery replacing mechanism 32 is more compact.

With continued reference to fig. 9, 10, and 14, in some embodiments, the swapping mechanism 32 further includes a drive assembly. The driving assembly is at least partially mounted to the mounting plate 320 and is used to drive the connecting assembly 321 to move between the vehicle body 10 and the battery compartment 31.

As an alternative embodiment, the driving assembly includes a second driving member 340 disposed on the mounting plate 320. The connection assembly 321 is slidably mounted to the mounting plate 320. The second driving member 340 is used for driving the connecting assembly 321 to reciprocate on the mounting plate 320, so as to drive the battery module 11 to move out of and into the battery compartment 31 or the vehicle body 10. Wherein the driving assembly further comprises a linear module, and the second driving member 340 comprises a motor. The second driving member 340 drives the connecting member 321 to reciprocate through the linear module.

As an alternative embodiment, the drive assembly further comprises a third drive member 341. The mounting plate 320 includes a third state in which the connection assembly 321 faces the carrier 2 and a fourth state in which the connection assembly 321 faces the battery compartment 31. The third driving member 341 is used for driving the mounting plate 320 to switch between the third state and the fourth state. When the mounting plate 320 is in the third state, the second driving member 340 is used to drive the connecting assembly 321 to move the battery module 11 out of the vehicle body 10. When the mounting plate 320 is in the fourth state, the second driving element 340 is used to drive the connecting assembly 321 to move the battery module 11 out of the battery compartment 31. Wherein the driving assembly further comprises a plurality of third gear members (not shown), the third driving member 341 is a motor, and the third driving member 341 is configured to switch between the third state and the fourth state by driving the mounting plate 320 to rotate back and forth through the plurality of third gear members.

As an alternative embodiment, as shown in fig. 14, the battery replacing mechanism 32 further includes a mounting bracket 343 movably mounted on the frame 30. The third driving member 341 is disposed on the mounting frame 343. The drive assembly further includes a fourth drive member 342. The fourth driving member 342 is used for driving the mounting frame 343 to reciprocate along the longitudinal direction of the frame 30. The driving force required is large in view of the longitudinal lifting of the mounting bracket 343 and the mounting plate 320. Thus, the drive assembly also includes a sprocket 346 and a chain 347. A chain 347 is connectively disposed between mounting bracket 343 and sprocket 346. The fourth driving member 342 is a motor. The fourth driving member 342 is rotated by the driving sprocket 346, so that the mounting frame 343 is moved back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the frame 30 by the chain 347.

In this way, the second driving member 340, the third driving member 341 and the fourth driving member 342 are engaged, so that the battery replacing mechanism 32 can deliver the battery module 11 to any position on the rack 30, and the structure is simple and compact.

In some embodiments, battery compartment 31 includes a first station 310 that is empty and a second station 312 for storing battery modules 11. The battery replacement mechanism 32 is used to take out the battery module 11 to be charged from the side of the vehicle body 10 and mount it at the first station 310. And a second station 312 for taking out the charged battery module 11 and mounting it on the side of the vehicle body 10. The replacement of the battery module 11 of the AGV1 can be accomplished very quickly by the cooperation of the first and

second stations

310, 312.

As shown in fig. 2, the battery compartment 31 includes two rows of stations arranged longitudinally to reduce the floor space of the battery replacement device 3. The longitudinal arrangement refers to the up-and-down arrangement along the rack 30. The battery replacement mechanism 32 is positioned between the two rows of stations. One of the columns of stations includes a plurality of longitudinally arranged second stations 312 and a first station 310. The first station 310 is located at the lowermost end, i.e., the position closest to the carrier 2 or the truck body 10. The other column of stations includes a plurality of longitudinally arranged second stations 312. Through such setting, trade electric mechanism 32 and take out the back with battery module 11 from car body 10, only need accomplish the plane motion, can deposit battery module 11 to first station 310 in, trade the stroke of coupling assembling 321 among electric mechanism 32 short and the orbit is simple to battery module 11's change efficiency has been improved, battery module 11's change time has been reduced.

Of course, in other embodiments, battery compartment 31 may also include two rows of laterally arranged stations. The transverse arrangement means that the first station and the plurality of second stations are sequentially arranged along the second direction B. The battery replacement mechanism 32 is still located between two rows of stations. One row of stations includes a plurality of second stations 312 arranged in a transverse direction and a first station 310. The first station 310 is located near one end of the carrier 2 or truck body 10. The other row of stations includes a plurality of second stations 312 arranged in a transverse direction.

The first and

second stations

310, 312 are largely identical in construction. However, it is considered that the first station 310 is mainly used for temporarily storing the battery modules 11, and the second station 312 is used for storing the battery modules 11 for a long time and charging the battery modules 11. Thus, the second station 312 is also provided with a charging structure as compared to the first station 310. As shown in fig. 15-18. The first station 310/the second station 312 includes a bottom plate 319, and a third slide rail 315, a second pulley block 316, a limiting block 314, and a third sensor 313 disposed on the bottom plate 319. The charging structure is disposed on the base plate 319, and includes a charging head 317 and a charger 318.

The structure of the third sliding rail 315 is the same as that of the second rail 334. Of course, in other embodiments, the structure of the third slide rail 315 may not be the same as that of the second rail 334, and only needs to have the function of sliding and guiding the battery module 11. The present disclosure is not so limited.

The second pulley block 316 has the same function as the first pulley block 332, and has the same basic composition structure as the first pulley block 332, and only the arrangement mode is different from that of the first pulley block 332. And will not be described in detail herein.

The stopper 314 is used to limit the farthest moving distance of the battery module 11, so as to prevent the battery module 11, the charging head 317 and the charger 318 from being damaged due to the long moving distance of the battery module 11.

The third sensor 313 is mainly used to determine whether the battery module 11 reaches the designated position of the first station 310/the second station 312. The third sensor 313 may be an optical sensor, a pressure sensor, or a camera, which will not be described in detail herein.

In conclusion, the AGV1 battery replacing station provided by the embodiment has the advantages of saving battery replacing time, improving the working efficiency of the AGV1, and enabling the battery module 11 to be replaced quickly, having high precision, having high automation degree and the like.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a method for replacing the battery module 11, where the method may be implemented by the above-described replacing station of the AGV1, and may also be implemented by other devices.

Specifically, the replacement method of the battery module 11 includes the steps of:

s10, the battery replacement mechanism 32 moves to the side of the AGV1.

And S20, butting the battery replacing mechanism 32 with the battery module 11 to be charged on the AGV1.

And S30, relatively moving the battery module 11 to be charged and the AGV1 so that the battery module 11 to be charged is separated from the assembly area of the battery module 11 of the AGV1.

And S40, placing the charged battery module 11 on the side of the AGV1 by the battery replacement mechanism 32.

S50, the charged battery module 11 and the AGV1 are relatively moved to place the charged battery module 11 in the battery module 11 mounting area.

Through the five steps, the original battery module 11 in the power shortage state on the AGV1 can be removed, and the new battery module 11 in the full power state is replaced into the AGV1, so that the whole replacement process of the battery module 11 is completed. This method of replacing the battery saves a lot of time compared to waiting for charging. It should be noted that, in the above S10 to S50, except for the case that the implementation of a certain step needs to depend on the result of another step, other steps may not have a strict sequence, and any two or even more of the steps may be executed simultaneously according to the structure of the adopted device and the difference of the control program, or another step may be started to be executed when one step is executed to a certain stage, and the step executed later may also be ended before the step executed earlier. It is only necessary to complete all the five steps to update the battery modules 11 of the AGV1.

Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure following, in general, the principles of the disclosure and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the disclosure pertains. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

It will be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements described above and shown in the drawings and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. The positioning mechanism is characterized by comprising a bearing platform for bearing an electric vehicle, and a side pushing assembly and a limiting piece which are respectively positioned at two sides of the bearing platform; the side pushing assembly comprises a side pushing driving piece and a side pushing piece; the side pushing driving piece is used for driving the side pushing piece to move towards the direction close to the limiting piece so as to push the electric vehicle until the electric vehicle is abutted to the limiting piece.

2. The positioning mechanism of claim 1, wherein the side-push member includes a first position and a second position; the side pushing driving piece is used for driving the side pushing piece to move back and forth between the first position and the second position; when the side pushing piece is located at the first position, the side pushing piece can enable the electric vehicle to abut against the limiting piece.

3. The positioning mechanism of claim 2, further comprising a limit drive; the limiting piece comprises a third position and a fourth position; the limiting driving piece is used for driving the limiting piece to reciprocate between the third position and the fourth position; when the limiting part is located at the third position and the side pushing part is located at the first position, the limiting part and the side pushing part are matched to position the electric vehicle.

4. The positioning mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein the travel of said stop member between said third position and said fourth position is less than the travel of said side thrust member between said first position and said second position.

5. The positioning mechanism of claim 3 wherein said limit drive comprises a motor; the positioning mechanism further comprises a trapezoidal screw rod; the trapezoidal lead screw is connected and arranged between the limiting driving piece and the limiting piece.

6. The positioning mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a first sensor; the first sensor is used for judging whether the electric vehicle is abutted to the limiting part.

7. A carrier device, characterized in that the carrier device is a positioning mechanism according to any of claims 1-6.

8. The carrier of claim 7, further comprising a power mechanism disposed on the carrier platform; the power supply mechanism is used for supplying power to the electric vehicle.

9. The carrier device of claim 8, wherein the power mechanism includes a base disposed on the carrier platform and a charging assembly disposed on the base; the charging assembly is provided with a plugging direction and a sliding direction which are intersected; the charging assembly is docked with the electric vehicle along the plugging direction to charge the electric vehicle; the charging assembly is slidably mounted on the base along the sliding direction.

10. The carrier device of claim 9, wherein the power mechanism further comprises a second connecting shaft disposed on the base; the charging assembly is sleeved on the second connecting shaft and can slide on the second connecting shaft.

11. The carrier device of claim 10 wherein said power supply mechanism further comprises a second reset member; the charging assembly further comprises a start position; when the charging assembly deviates from the starting position, the second resetting piece is used for driving the charging assembly to return to the starting position.

12. The carrier device according to claim 11, wherein the second restoring member includes at least two second spring members sleeved on the second connecting shaft; the at least two second spring pieces are respectively positioned at two sides of the charging assembly; one end of the second spring part is connected to the charging assembly, and the other end of the second spring part is connected to the base.

13. The carrier device of claim 9 wherein the power mechanism further comprises a second rail and a second runner in sliding engagement; one of the second guide rail and the second chute is disposed in the charging assembly, and the other of the second guide rail and the second chute is disposed in the base.

14. The carrier device of claim 9, wherein the charging assembly includes a charging dock, an electrical connector, a guide post, and a third spring member; the charging seat is arranged on the base in a sliding manner along the sliding direction; the electric connector is arranged on the charging seat in a sliding manner along the inserting direction through the guide post; the third spring piece is sleeved on the guide post; the third spring piece is arranged between the electric connector and the charging seat in an abutting mode.

15. A power swapping station, characterized in that the power swapping station comprises a power swapping device and a carrying device as claimed in any one of claims 8-14; the battery replacing device comprises a rack, and a battery bin and a battery replacing mechanism which are arranged on the rack; the electric vehicle comprises a vehicle body and a battery module arranged on the vehicle body; the battery replacing mechanism is used for taking out the battery module to be charged from the side of the vehicle body and assembling the battery module to the battery compartment, and is used for taking out the charged battery module from the battery compartment and assembling the battery module to the side of the vehicle body.

16. The swapping station of claim 15, wherein the stop is disposed proximate to the swapping device.