JP2000318463A - Method and structure for battery mounting and removal of electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the easiness in the battery mounting and removing work and suppress the space required. SOLUTION: A mounting part is provided on the outer undersurface of the body Va of an electric vehicle, and a battery B is held by a carrier 20. Mounting of the battery B is made by fixing the carrier 20 to the mounting part from outside the vehicle, and removal of the battery B is made by disconnecting the carrier 20 from the mounting part manipulated from outside the vehicle. Because the mounting and removal of the battery B are conducted externally from outside the vehicle, good easiness in executing the work is assured. Further because the battery B can be mounted and removed only through coupling or uncoupling the carrier 20 to/from the mounting part, the man-hours required remains less, and also in this point of view, it assures excellent easiness in executing the work. Because the battery B is installed outside the vehicle, no space for battery B is required inside the vehicle, and designing of the cabin inside layout can be performed without any restriction originating from installation of the battery B.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a battery attaching / detaching structure and a battery attaching / detaching method for an electric vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a means for attaching and detaching a battery in an electric vehicle, there is a conventional one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-315162. This has a structure in which a fixed portion of the battery is provided at a predetermined position in the vehicle, a detachable opening with a lid is provided on the floor surface, and a rail is laid between the fixed portion and the detachable opening. Usually, the battery is fixed in the fixing portion, and the lid is locked in a closed state in the attachment / detachment opening.

When the battery is removed, the battery is unlocked in the passenger compartment, and the battery is moved along the rail to the attachment / detachment port and placed on the lid, while the lid is supported by a jack outside the vehicle. . Next, the lid is unlocked and the jack is operated to lower the battery together with the lid to the outside of the vehicle. Installation of the battery is performed in the reverse procedure.

[0004]

In the structure in which the battery fixed inside the vehicle body is taken out from the opening / detachment on the floor surface of the vehicle body as described above, not only work inside and outside the vehicle is required, but also work is required. Since the number of processes is large, improvement in workability is desired.

[0005] In addition, a space is required in the vehicle for moving the battery between the fixed portion and the mounting / dismounting opening. Ensuring this moving space is a constraint when designing the layout of the vehicle. It should be noted that the moving space can be solved by providing the fixed portion and the attachment / detachment at the same position.However, when setting the position of the fixed portion in the vehicle, there is a restriction due to a seat or the like. In setting the position of the attachment / detachment port, there is a restriction due to a drive system device or the like, so that it is often difficult to provide the fixed portion and the attachment / detachment port at the same position.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to improve the workability of mounting and removing a battery and to save space.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an attaching / detaching structure for attaching / detaching a battery to / from an electric vehicle, comprising: an attaching portion provided on an outer lower surface of a vehicle body;
A configuration is provided that includes a carrier that holds the battery and fixing means that enables the carrier to be coupled to and disengaged from the mounting portion outside the vehicle.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the mounting portion and the carrier are provided with positioning means capable of positioning the carrier with respect to the mounting portion by fitting each other. Configuration. The invention according to claim 3 is a method for attaching and detaching a battery to and from an electric vehicle, wherein the attaching portion is provided on an outer lower surface of a vehicle body, and the battery is held by a carrier. The battery is mounted by fixing the carrier to the mounting portion from outside the vehicle, and the battery is removed by disengaging the carrier from the mounting portion outside the vehicle.

[0009]

[Operation and effect of the invention] [Invention of claim 1 and claim 3] The work of attaching and removing the battery can be performed only by work outside the vehicle, so that the workability is good. In addition, since the battery is attached and detached only by performing the operation of connecting or detaching the carrier to or from the mounting portion, the number of steps is small, and the workability is also excellent in this respect. Also, since the battery is mounted outside the vehicle, no space is required for the battery inside the vehicle, and the layout of the vehicle does not need to be limited by the installation of the battery.

Since the carrier is positioned with respect to the mounting portion by the positioning means, the workability of mounting is excellent.

[0011]

[First Embodiment] A first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. The attachment / detachment structure of this embodiment for attaching / detaching the battery B to / from the electric vehicle V includes an attachment portion 12 provided on the outer lower surface of the vehicle body Va, a carrier 20 for holding the battery B, and an attachment portion 12 outside the vehicle. The configuration includes a fixing unit 30 that enables coupling and disengagement of the carrier 20, and a lifting device 40 that raises and lowers the carrier 20.

A pair of left and right rectangular cross-shaped body frames 10 extending in the left-right direction are provided between the body frames 10 on the outer lower surface of the vehicle body Va. The member 11 is fixed by welding both ends to the inner surface of the body frame 10. On the lower surface of each body frame 10, a strip-shaped mounting portion 12 that hangs downward and extends back and forth in parallel with the body frame 10 is provided by integral molding or welding. The mounting portion 12 is provided on the body frame 10.
The mounting portion 12 is formed at a position slightly deviated from the center in the left-right direction (width direction) on the lower surface of the base member, and a region where the mounting portion 12 is formed covers at least a region covering the front and rear cross members 11. . The mounting portion 12 includes:
Five mounting holes 13 are formed at appropriate intervals in the front and rear, respectively, and bolts 15 pass through the mounting holes 13. Incidentally, the bolt 15 constitutes a fixing means 30 which is a constituent element of the present invention, and the carrier 20 is attached to the mounting portion 1.
2 has the function of fixing the number. Also, the body frame 10
Positioning projections 14 (positioning means, which is a component of the present invention) are formed on the lower surface of the inside of the mounting portion 12 so as to be located inside the mounting portion 12. The positioning protrusions 14 are provided so as to protrude downward at two places separated in the front-rear direction, and have a conical shape whose diameter decreases downward.

The carrier 20 includes a pair of side frames 21 extending in the front-rear direction and four cross bars 22A extending in the left-right direction and extending between the two side frames 21.
22B, 22C and 22D. Two of these four
The cross bars 22A and 22D of the book
The other two crossbars 22B and 22C are similarly welded to the side frame 21 at two positions such that the side frame 21 is substantially equally divided into three in the front-rear direction. It is stuck to.

The side frame 21 is formed by bending a steel plate,
Formed by extruding aluminum, drawing steel, etc.
A side substrate 21A, an upper substrate 21B coupled outward from an upper edge of the side substrate 21A, a mounting side plate 21C coupled downward at right angles to an outer edge of the upper substrate 21B, and a lower edge of the side substrate 21A Horizontal bearing plate 2 inwardly coupled
1D, and has a constant cross-sectional shape in the front-rear direction. The body frame 1 is provided on the upper substrate 21B.
Positioning holes 23 (positioning means, which is a component of the present invention) corresponding to the 0 positioning protrusions 14 are formed.
Further, five through holes 24 are formed in the mounting side plate 21C so as to be aligned with the mounting holes 13 of the body frame 10, and the inside of each through hole 24 is formed.
The nut 25 is fixed by welding so as to be in close contact with the edge of the hole on the side corresponding to). The nut 25 constitutes a fixing means 30 which is a component of the present invention, and the bolt 15
In cooperation therewith, the function of fixing the carrier 20 to the mounting portion 12 is exhibited.

The four crossbars 22A, 22B, 22
C, 22D, the crossbar 22A located at the forefront end
A top plate 22a, a side plate 22b coupled downward from the rear edge of the top substrate 22a at right angles, and a support plate 22c coupled rearward from a lower edge of the side substrate 22b;
And a connecting piece 22d rearwardly coupled from both left and right ends of the side substrate 22b. The cross bar 22A is formed by connecting the left and right ends of the support plate 22c to the support plate 21 of the side frame 21.
In the state of being placed on D, the connecting piece 22d is attached by being fixed to the side substrate 21A of the side frame 21 by welding. On the other hand, the crossbar 2 located at the rearmost end
2D has a shape symmetrical with the front end crossbar 22A. Also, the other two crossbars 22B, 2B
2C is an upper surface substrate 22a and a pair of front and rear side substrates 2 which are coupled at right angles downward from both front and rear edges of the upper surface substrate 22a.
2b, a pair of front and rear support plates 22c coupled to the front and rear from the lower edge of the both side substrates 22b, and a pair of front and rear coupling pieces coupled to the rear from both left and right ends of the front and rear both side substrates 22b. 22d. This crossbar 22B, 2
2C is a pair of left and right connecting pieces 2 with the left and right ends of the support plate 22c mounted on a support plate 21D of the side frame 21.
2d is welded to side substrate 21A of side frame 21
It is attached by being fixed to.

The carrier 20 holds six batteries B formed by laminating and fixing a large number of thick plate-shaped cells (not shown). The six batteries B include a side frame 21 and crossbars 22A, 22B, 22C, 2
In a space defined by the 2D, two are arranged on the left and right and three are arranged before and after.
The front and rear edges of the lower surface of each battery B are
A, 22B, 22C, and 22D are supported in a state of being placed on the support plate 22c, and play in the left and right directions is restricted by the side frames 21, so that the crossbars 22A, 22B,
The movement in the front-rear direction is regulated by 22C and 22D. The six batteries B are connected to each crossbar 22.
Upward movement is regulated by a band-like holding member 26 fixed to the upper substrate 22a of A, 22B, 22C, 22D. Note that the holding member 26 has a sufficiently wide width so as to straddle the two batteries B arranged side by side, and is made of a metal material, a rubber material, a plastic material, or the like.

As described above, the fixing means 30 is composed of the bolt 15 and the nut 25, and a total of ten sets of the bolt 15 and the nut 25 are prepared. Bolt 15
Is a hexagonal head 15A, a flange 15B and a male screw 15C.
Are integrally formed, are penetrated from the outside of the body frame 10 into the mounting holes 13 and the through holes 24, and are screwed to the nuts 25. The lifting device 40 is
It is for raising and lowering the carrier 20 holding the battery B, and includes a bogie frame 41, a lifting frame 42,
It is composed of a driving side lifting mechanism 43 and a driven side lifting mechanism 44. The bogie frame 41 is formed by bending a pipe material into a substantially rectangular shape, and lifting mechanisms 43 and 4 are provided on both left and right sides thereof.
The lower ends of the housings 47 and 54 are fixed by welding. The pipe members are interrupted inside the housings 47 and 54. In addition, truck frame 4
Two casters 45 are attached to each of the front and rear sides of 1. Like the bogie frame 41, the elevating frame 42 is also formed by molding a pipe material into a substantially rectangular shape, and the size thereof is set to fit inside the bogie frame 41. On both left and right sides of the lifting frame 42,
A "U" -shaped connecting portion 4 opened to the lower side when viewed from the side.
6 is fixed by welding. Note that the pipe material is interrupted inside the connecting portion 46. The connecting portion 46 has a female screw member 5 of a lifting mechanism 43 or 44 described later.
3, 57 are integrally connected.

The drive-side elevating mechanism 43 rotatably supports a vertically extending male screw shaft 48 in a housing 47, and the worm wheel 4 is mounted on the upper end of the male screw shaft 48.
9 is rotatably fixed thereto, and a worm 50 supported on the upper end of the housing 47 with the axis line extending in the left-right direction is engaged with the worm wheel 49, and the handle 51 is attached to the end of the worm 50 protruding outside the housing 47. The bevel gear 5 is fixed to the lower end of the male screw shaft 48 so as to be integrally rotatable.
2 is fixed so as to be integrally rotatable, and a female screw body 53 is screwed between the bevel gear 52 and the worm wheel 49 of the male screw shaft 48 in a state where the rotation is restricted.

The driven side elevating mechanism 44 rotatably supports a male screw shaft 55 extending vertically in the housing 54, and a bevel gear 56 is fixed to the lower end of the male screw shaft 55 so as to be integrally rotatable. The female screw body 57 is screwed above the bevel gear 56 of the shaft 55 in a state where the rotation is restricted. The height of the housing 54 of the driven-side elevating mechanism 44 is lower than the height of the housing 47 of the driving-side elevating mechanism 43, and is set to a size that can be sunk under the vehicle body Va.

The drive-side lift mechanism 43 and the driven-side lift mechanism 44
A connecting shaft 58 whose axis is directed in the left-right direction is inserted between the lower ends of the housings 47 and 54 so as to be rotatable. A pair of bevel gears 59 and 60 are fixed to both ends of the connection shaft 58 so as to be integrally rotatable. The bevel gears 59 and 60 are respectively connected to the bevel gears 52 and 44 of the drive-side elevating mechanism 43 and the driven-side elevating mechanism 44. 56 meshed. The female screw bodies 53 and 57 of the driving-side lifting mechanism 43 and the driven-side lifting mechanism 44 are fixed to the connecting portion 46 of the lifting frame 42 at the same height.

In the lifting device 40, when the handle 51 is rotated, the male screw shaft 48 on the drive side is rotated by the engagement between the worm 50 and the worm wheel 49,
The rotational force is transmitted to the male screw shaft 55 of the driven side elevating mechanism 44 via the meshing of the bevel gears 52 and 59 on the driving side and the meshing of the connecting shaft 58 and the bevel gears 60 and 56 on the driven side. Driven male screw shaft 4
The female screw bodies 53 and 57 screwed to the upper and lower parts 8 and 55 are screwed up or down, so that the lifting frame 42 is driven up and down while maintaining the horizontal posture. When the lifting frame 42 is lowered, the “U” -shaped connecting portion 46 is covered by the connecting shaft 58, thereby avoiding the interference between the two. So that it can be lowered. Also,
With the lifting frame 42 raised, the handle 51
Even when the worm 50 and the worm wheel 49 are not locked, the elevating frame 42 is maintained at a certain height without descending.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. When the battery B is mounted on the electric vehicle V, the lifting device 4
Then, the carrier 20 holding the battery B is mounted thereon, and the lifting device 40 is sunk under the vehicle body Va so that the carrier 20 corresponds to the mounting portion 12. Next, the handle 51 is rotated to raise the lifting frame 42 and the carrier 20, and the positioning holes 23 are fitted into the conical positioning projections 14. By this fitting, the mounting side plate 21C of the carrier 20 is accompanied by the ascending operation.
Are positioned in the horizontal direction with respect to the mounting portion 12. still,
At the time of this horizontal positioning, the caster 45 of the elevating device 40 rolls, so that the horizontal movement of the carrier 20 is performed smoothly. Then, the upper substrate 21B of the carrier 20
Comes into contact with the lower surface of the body frame 10, the mounting portion 12
The operation of the handle 51 is stopped because the through hole 24 of the carrier 20 is aligned with the mounting hole 13 of. In this state, when the bolt 15 is inserted into each of the mounting holes 13 and the through holes 24 and screwed and fastened to the nut 25, the carrier 20 and the battery B are fixed to the vehicle body Va. Thereafter, by operating the handle 51 of the lifting device 40, the lifting frame 42 is lowered, and the lifting device may be taken out from under the vehicle body Va.

When removing the battery B from the vehicle body Va,
The lifting device 40 with the lifting frame 42 lowered is moved below the battery B and the carrier 20, and the lifting frame 42 is raised by operating the handle 51 to support the carrier 20. In this state, the bolt 15 is loosened and pulled out from the nut 25, the through hole 24, and the mounting hole 13.
As a result, the battery B is detached from the vehicle body Va, and thereafter the carrier 20 and the battery B are lowered together with the lift frame 42 by operating the handle 51. Then, when the upper surface of the battery B is lower than the bottom surface of the vehicle body Va, the battery B is pulled out to the side of the vehicle body Va together with the lifting device 40.

The present embodiment has the following effects. Attachment and removal of the battery B to and from the vehicle body Va requires only work outside the vehicle, so that workability is better than when performing work both inside and outside the vehicle. Since the battery B is attached and detached simply by performing the operation of coupling or disengaging the carrier 20 to or from the mounting portion 12, the number of steps is small, and the workability is also excellent in this respect. Since the battery B is mounted outside the vehicle, a space for the battery B is not required inside the vehicle, and the layout due to the installation of the battery B is not required when designing the layout inside the vehicle.

When the battery B is mounted, the positioning of the positioning projection 14 and the positioning hole 23 causes the carrier 2 to be mounted.
0 through hole 24 and nut 25 are attached to mounting hole 13 of mounting portion 12.
Therefore, the workability of the fixing operation by the bolt 15 is good. Since the carrier 20 holds six batteries B, it is a heavy object and it is difficult to lift it with human hands. However, the use of the lifting / lowering device 40 allows one person to easily carry out the attaching / detaching work. Is possible. [Other Embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above with reference to the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

(1) In the above embodiment, the positioning means of the mounting portion is formed as a projection and the positioning means on the carrier side is formed as a hole. The means may be in the form of a protrusion. (2) In the above embodiment, a bolt is used as the fixing means, but according to the present invention, means other than the bolt may be used. (3) In the above embodiment, the carrier is attached and detached by vertically displacing the carrier with respect to the attachment portion. However, according to the present invention, the carrier is attached to and detached from the attachment portion by sliding horizontally. It may be.

(4) In the above embodiment, the carrier and the battery are fixed while being exposed outside the vehicle.
According to the present invention, the lower part of the carrier is covered with a cover,
The mounting portion may be box-shaped to accommodate the carrier and the battery therein, thereby protecting the battery from being wetted or colliding with foreign matter.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which a battery is attached to an electric vehicle in a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state where a battery is removed from an electric vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a mounting portion.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a carrier and a battery.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing a state where a battery is removed.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing a state where a battery is attached.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a lifting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 B ... Battery V ... Electric vehicle Va ... Car body 11 ... Mounting part 14 ... Positioning protrusion (positioning means) 20 ... Carrier 23 ... Positioning hole (positioning means) 30 ... Fixing means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An attachment / detachment structure for attaching / detaching a battery to / from an electric vehicle, comprising: an attachment portion provided on an outer lower surface of a vehicle body; a carrier holding the battery; and the carrier for the attachment portion outside the vehicle. A battery attaching / detaching structure for an electric vehicle, comprising: fixing means for enabling connection and disconnection of the battery. 2. The electric device according to claim 1, wherein said mounting portion and said carrier are provided with positioning means capable of positioning said carrier with respect to said mounting portion by fitting each other. Vehicle battery attachment / detachment structure. 3. A method for attaching and detaching a battery to and from an electric vehicle, the method comprising: providing a mounting portion on an outer lower surface of a vehicle body; and holding the battery on a carrier. A method for attaching and detaching a battery to and from an electric vehicle, wherein the battery is attached by fixing the attachment to the attachment portion from outside the vehicle, and the battery is detached by disengaging the carrier from the attachment portion outside the vehicle. .