JPS62194930A - Battery mounting construction for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the easy exchange of a battery by providing tapered coupling parts of concave and convex shape for horizontal positioning on both the bracket of a battery mounting part and the connection of a battery holder. CONSTITUTION:A battery holder 6 for housing and holding a battery 5 is provided with a flange 7 as projected from the vicinity of the upper end thereof both right and left. An inverted conical projection 7a formed on the lower surface of the flange 7 is detachably coupled downward to an inverted conical shape hole 4a on a bracket 4 at both right and left sides of a battery mounting part 2. And the flange 7 is fitted with an electrical contact point 12 through the projection 7a and another electrical point 15 is provided on the lower sides of the right and left brackets 4 via an insulation member 14, so that the coupling of the projection 7a to the hole 4a causes the connection of the electrical contact points 12 and 15, thereby giving electrical continuity. As a result, the battery 5 is automatically positioned in the exchange thereof and the electrical contact points are automatically connected to each other, thereby obtaining electrical continuity.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a battery mounting structure in a traveling vehicle such as an automatic guided vehicle that is equipped with a battery (storage battery) as a power source and runs automatically.

(Prior art) In general, in a traveling vehicle such as an automatic guided vehicle that runs automatically using a battery as a power source, a battery mounting part is provided on the vehicle body, the battery is mounted and fixed on this, and the electrode terminal of this battery and the vehicle body side power source are connected to each other. The vehicle is electrically connected to the circuit through a connector, and the drive motor is operated using electric power from the on-board battery, and the vehicle travels automatically through control of electromagnetic induction, optical guidance, and other autonomous guidance.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Currently, the above-mentioned battery replacement work in a traveling vehicle is performed manually, and it has been difficult to automate the battery replacement work. The reason for this is that when replacing a battery, it is necessary to first disconnect the battery from the vehicle's power circuit and then reconnect it after replacing the battery, which means that it is necessary to handle the connectors differently. The driving routes of automatic guided vehicles, etc. are becoming more complex, and instead of traveling on specific tracks such as conventional rails, they are driven on floors etc. using electromagnetic induction, optical guidance, and other autonomous guidance controls as described above. More and more vehicles are moving freely, and for this reason, a temporary battery exchange location is set up and a fork or other automatic battery exchange transfer device is installed there, and the vehicle is moved there automatically. Even if it is stopped, the accuracy of its stopping position and attitude is low, and an accurate positional correspondence with the transfer device cannot be obtained, so the battery is automatically replaced by allowing the error in the stopping accuracy by the transfer device. This is because they are unable to do so.

For this reason, even if there is an error in the stopping system of the running vehicle, it is possible to easily and reliably automatically replace the battery using a transfer device such as a fork, and at the same time, the electrical disconnection and connection between the battery and the vehicle body side power circuit is automatically performed. There is an increasing demand for a battery mounting structure in a car body that can be implemented in a practical manner.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means for Solving the Problems) The battery mounting structure for a traveling vehicle of the present invention was created in view of the above circumstances, and in order to solve the conventional problems, it is possible to provide a battery mounting structure for a traveling vehicle such as an automatic guided vehicle that runs using a battery as a power source. The vehicle body is provided with a battery mounting part that can be removably inserted from one side outside using a transfer device such as a fork with the battery stored in a box-shaped or frame-shaped holder, and the receiving surface of this battery mounting part and this A tapered concave-convex engaging portion for horizontal positioning is provided, which can be engaged with and disengaged from the joint surface portion of the battery holder that is placed on the battery holder from above by moving the holder up and down, and the engagement of both of the concave-convex engaging portions is provided. The present invention is characterized in that it is constructed by providing electrical contacts that are connected to each other to establish electrical continuity between the vehicle body side power supply circuit and the battery.

(Function) With the above configuration, when the holder containing the battery is lifted by a transfer device such as a fork, inserted onto the receiving surface of the battery mounting part of the traveling vehicle, and lowered, there may be some horizontal displacement at that time. Even if the receiving surface part and the battery holder are mutually provided, the tapered concave-convex engaging parts engage with each other, allowing the vehicle to be mounted in a state where it is accurately positioned and held in the horizontal direction. The electrical contacts between the two are automatically connected to establish electrical continuity, and when the mounted battery is removed, the battery holder is moved upward once from the receiving surface of the battery mounting part by the transfer device. By lifting it up, the electrical contacts between the vehicle's power supply circuit and the battery will automatically separate, cutting off electrical continuity and allowing it to be taken outside. With this, even if the accuracy (position, posture) of stopping the traveling vehicle at the battery replacement location is poor, if the error of -11 degrees of stopping is within the allowable range of the tapered concave-convex engaging portion for horizontal positioning, The battery can be replaced automatically, the battery can be accurately positioned and mounted on the vehicle body, and there is no need for manual electrical connection work between the vehicle power circuit and the battery.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. In the figure, reference numeral 1 indicates the body of a running vehicle, and a hanging type battery mounting portion 2 is provided on the lower side of the vehicle body 1. That is, a pair of left and right battery receiving plates 4 are each fixed in a horizontal state with parallel spacing between them via a plurality of hanging metal fittings 3 on both sides hanging from the lower frame of the vehicle body 1. Reference numeral 5 denotes a battery that is a power source for the traveling vehicle, and this is housed and held in a battery holder 6.

This battery holder 6 has a wide box shape with an open top end (a frame shape is also acceptable instead of a box), and seven rungs 7 project horizontally in the longitudinal direction from the upper end portions of the left and right outer surfaces. In addition, flanges 8 are similarly protruded from the left and right lower end portions. The left and right flanges 7 on the upper end are supported by being placed on the upper surface of the left and right receiving plates 4 of the battery mounting section 2 via the front and rear seat plates 9 (see Fig. 3) provided on the lower surface. 8 is scooped up from below by the left and right forks 10 of the transfer device via the front and rear seat plates 11.

Here, a bell-shaped hole 4a, which is a tapered concave engagement part for horizontal positioning of the battery, is formed in the left and right receiving plates 4 of the battery mounting part 2, respectively, located in the middle part in the longitudinal direction. On the lower surfaces of the left and right upper flanges 7 of the battery holder 6 placed on the upper side, inverted conical protrusions 7a, which are tapered convex engaging portions for horizontal positioning of the battery, are provided at the intermediate portions in the longitudinal direction. The inverted conical projection 7a forms a bell-shaped hole 4a.
It can be removably engaged from above.

In addition, inverted bell-shaped holes 8a are formed in the left and right lower flanges 8 of the battery holder 6 at intermediate portions in the longitudinal direction, and correspondingly, conical holes 8a are formed in the upper surfaces of the left and right forks 10 of the transfer device. The conical projections 10a are respectively formed so that the conical projections 10a can be removably engaged with the bell-shaped holes 8a from below.

Further, the battery holder 6 is made of an insulating material, and the left and right upper flanges 7 have an inverted conical projection 7a on the lower side.
Electrical contacts 12 made of a highly conductive material are provided all the way to the tip, and these electrical contacts 12 are connected to both electrode terminals 5a of the battery 5 by lead wires 13, respectively. Further, electrical contacts 15 are respectively attached to the lower sides of the left and right receiving plates 4 of the battery mounting section 2 via an insulating member 14, and the tips of these contacts are arranged to face directly below the reverse forest hole 4a, respectively. When the inverted conical projection 7a is fitted into the bell-shaped hole 4a from above, it is connected to the electrical contact 12 to establish electrical continuity. Note that the electrical contacts 15 on the lower side of the left and right receiving plates 4 are connected to the power supply circuit on the vehicle body 1 side through lead wires 16, respectively.

The transfer device is installed at a battery exchange location, and when a running vehicle automatically stops there, it moves the pair of left and right forks 10 forward and backward as well as up and down, thereby automatically replacing the battery on the battery mounting portion 2 of the vehicle body. This is a configuration that can be done in a specific manner.

Therefore, if the battery mounting structure has the above configuration,
It becomes possible to automatically replace the battery 5 in the battery mounting part 2 of the vehicle body 1 of a traveling vehicle that has come to a battery replacement place and stopped by a transfer device.

That is, when the traveling vehicle automatically stops at a battery exchange location, the transfer device there is operated and the left and right forks 10 move empty to the lower side of the battery mounted on the vehicle body and then rise. As a result, the left and right lower flanges 8 of the holding body 6 housing the battery 5 are scooped up from below by the left and right forks 10, and the entire holding body 6 is lifted as shown in FIG. At this time, the conical projections 10a on the left and right forks 10 engage with the bell-shaped holes 8a of the left and right lower flanges 8 of the holding body 6, and the holding body 6 is lifted while being held so that it does not move. By this lifting, the holding body 6
The upper flange 7 floats upward so that the inverted conical projection 7a on the lower surface is separated from the bell-shaped hole 4a of the receiving plate 4, and at the same time, the electrical contact 12 separates from the electrical contact 15. In this state, the left and right forks 10 move backward while carrying the holder 6 containing the battery 5, so that the battery 5 is removed together with the holder 6 from the battery mounting portion 2 of the vehicle body 1.

Then, with the battery 5 taken out from the vehicle body 1 removed and the holding body 6 containing a new battery 5 placed thereon, the left and right forks 10 again advance into the battery mounting portion 2 of the vehicle body 1 and descend as shown in FIG.

Now, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the left and right upper flanges 7 of the holder 6 are held on the left and right receiving plates 4, and the holder 6
The hanging is supported by the formula while the whole has a built-in battery 5. At this time, the inverted conical protrusions 7a on the lower surface of the left and right upper 7 langes 7 of the holding body 6 enter and fit into the bell-shaped holes 4a of the left and right receiving plates 4, and this causes the horizontal direction of the entire holding body 6 to change. Positioning is performed accurately and held without undue movement. Further, as the left and right inverted conical projections 7a enter and fit into the bell-shaped holes 4a of the left and right receiving plates 4, the left and right electrical contacts 12 are automatically joined to the electrical contacts 15, respectively.
Electrical continuity between the battery 5 and the power supply circuit on the vehicle body side is established. This completes battery replacement for the vehicle body 1, and the left and right forks 10 of the transfer device move back so as not to get in the way.

Here, if the traveling vehicle does not accurately stop at the fixed position of the battery replacement place and there is an error when replacing the battery, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the vehicle body 1
The center line of the hollow hole 4a of the left and right receiving plates 4 of the battery mounting portion 2 does not match the center line of the conical protrusion 10a of the left and right fork 10, and a deviation R occurs. The slotted hole 4a, the inverted conical projections 7a of the left and right upper 7 langes 7 of the holding body, and the conical projections 10a of the left and right forks 10
The reverse forest-like holes 8a of the left and right lower flanges 8 are each tapered, so that even if there is the deviation R, they can be smoothly engaged with each other, and the above-mentioned operation can be carried out without any problem. This enables automatic battery replacement work similar to the one previously used. The permissible range of the deviation R, that is, the maximum permissible deviation Rmax, is as shown in FIG.
If the diameter of the upper end of the opening of a is Dl, and the diameter of the tapered lower end of the conical projection 7a is D2, then Rmax = (Dl - D2) /2, and if the traveling vehicle automatically stops with a deviation accuracy of less than this value, there will be no problem. Automatic battery replacement is now possible. Therefore, it is decided to consider the error in the automatic stopping accuracy of the traveling vehicle and set the aforesaid forest-like hole 4a and the conical projection 7a to a size and shape that can sufficiently tolerate the error.

Next, another embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. Here, V-shaped seats 20 are respectively provided on the left and right receiving plates 4 of the battery mounting part as tapered concave engagement parts for horizontal positioning of the battery, and the left and right upper flanges 7 of the battery holder 6 placed on top of these seats are provided. An inverted triangular protrusion 21 is provided on the lower surface as a tapered convex engagement portion for horizontal positioning of the battery. In this case, the V-shaped catch seat 2
Two inverted triangular protrusions 21 are provided on either the left or right side, and one inverted triangular protrusion 21 is provided on the other side with the direction shifted by 90 degrees with respect to the one. Even in this case, the same effects as in the light embodiment described above can be obtained.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiments, a hanging type battery mounting structure was used, but a stand-type battery mounting structure as shown in FIG. 6 is also possible.
A concave engaging part 32 having a V-shaped cross section is provided on the left and right receiving plates 31 of the left and right frames of 1, and the concave engaging part 32 can be engaged and detached from the lower surface of the bottom plate of the holder 33 housing the battery 5. A convex engaging portion 34 having an inverted triangular cross section to be engaged is provided, and seven flange 35 are provided protrudingly on the upper left and right sides of the holding body 33, and the conical protrusion 10a of the fork 10 engages with this. With the configuration in which the shaped hole 35a is formed, the same automatic battery replacement work as described above is also possible.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Since this invention has been made as described above, by lifting the holding body housing the battery using a transfer Vt device such as a fork, inserting it onto the receiving surface of the battery mounting part of the traveling vehicle, and lowering it down, it will move slightly horizontally. Even if there is a misalignment, the tapered concave-convex engaging portions provided on the receiving surface and the battery holder engage with each other, allowing the battery to be mounted in an accurately positioned and held state in the horizontal direction. The electrical contacts between the circuit and the battery are automatically connected to establish electrical continuity, and when the mounted battery is removed, the battery holder is moved upward from the receiving surface of the battery mounting section by the transfer device. Once lifted, the electrical contact between the vehicle body side power circuit and the battery is automatically separated, breaking electrical continuity, and the battery can be taken out as it is, which improves the accuracy (position, Even if the vehicle's posture is bad, if the error in the stopping system is within the allowable range of the above-mentioned horizontal positioning bumper engagement part, the battery can be replaced automatically, and the battery can be placed accurately against the vehicle body. It is convenient because it can be positioned and mounted, and there is no need for manual electrical connection work between the power supply circuit on the vehicle body side and the battery.
the law of nature.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the battery installed, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the battery being replaced, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line G in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a horizontal positioning taper. 5 is a perspective view of a folded portion showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing still another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1.30...Vehicle body, 2...Battery mounting part, 4゜31...Receiving surface part (receiving plate), 5...Battery, 6゜33...Battery holder, 7. ...Flange, 4a. 7a, 20.21.32.34--Tapered concave-convex engaging portion for horizontal positioning (4a...Slide forest hole, 7
a... Inverted conical projection, 20... V-shaped catch, 21.
... inverted triangular protrusion, 32... concave engaging part with a V-shaped cross section, 34... convex engaging part with an inverted triangular cross section), 1
2.15... Electrical contact, 10... Transfer device Four applicant's representative Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] A battery that can be inserted and removed from one side from the outside using a transfer device such as a fork with the battery housed in a box-shaped or frame-shaped holder in a traveling vehicle such as an automatic guided vehicle that runs using a battery as a power source. A mounting part is provided on the vehicle body,
A tapered concave-convex engagement portion for horizontal positioning is provided, which can be engaged and disengaged by vertically moving the holder between the receiving surface of the battery mounting portion and the joint surface of the battery holder placed thereon from above. A battery mounting structure for a running vehicle, characterized in that an electrical contact is provided for electrical continuity between the vehicle body side power supply circuit and the battery by joining each other when the concave and convex engaging portions are engaged with each other.