KR20220169602A - Locking Apparatus for battery charging station or the like as - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a locking apparatus, which is provided in a housing of a station with a storage space for storing an item or a battery pack in a standardized case with predetermined specifications, and prevents the stored item or the stored battery pack from being taken out without approval. The locking apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a locking unit (30) which is provided to be removable in the housing forming the entrance to the storage space (21), and includes a protrusion (23a) which protrudes and comes into close contact with a front surface of the battery pack when the battery pack is fully inserted into the storage space (21); and a locking holding unit (40) which supports the locking unit at a lower part of the locking unit only when the protrusion (23a) protrudes, in order to hold the protrusion (23a) in close contact with the front surface of the battery pack.

Description

Locking Apparatus for battery charging station or the like as}

The present invention relates to a locking device applied to a station for storing a battery pack for charging or an article having a hard case, and is applied to a station housing having a storage space for storing a standardized article or battery pack having a predetermined standard. The present invention relates to a locking device that is provided and prevents taking out of stored articles or battery packs without approval.

Recently, with the spread of electric motorcycles, many charging stations for charging shared battery packs have appeared. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of a charging station for a shared battery pack that has recently been promoted.

Since the shared battery packs are made of standardized casings of the same standard, the charging stations have several storage spaces of the same standard and equipped with charging terminals. The user puts the discharged battery pack into the empty storage space through the control panel of the charging station and pays for the charge. When procedures such as whether to accommodate the discharged battery pack and whether to pay for it are confirmed, the control unit of the charging station releases the locking device so that the user can take out the new battery pack that has been charged. A number of prior patent documents related to the control function of the charging station have been disclosed, including Korean Patent No. 10-2183183 and Korean Patent Registration No. 10-2131287.

As disclosed in the case shown in FIG. 1 and Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1924573, the charging station in which the battery pack is stored in the storage space and then the entrance to the storage space is closed and locked with a door is provided in the battery pack. Since the user cannot check the LED for displaying the state of charge, an LED for indicating the state of charge should be additionally provided for each storage space. In addition, the charging station of this type is very cumbersome to use because opening the door, storing the battery pack, closing and locking the door, and the like must be sequentially performed.

In addition, the locking device used in the charging station should not only maintain a solid locking function to prevent theft of the stored battery pack, but also assist in ensuring contact between the battery pack stored in the storage space and the charging terminal. It is necessary to have a function From this point of view, the locking device for a charging station disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0044587 has a disadvantage in that it does not reliably ensure contact between a battery pack stored in a storage space and a charging terminal.

And, since the locking device used in the charging station should have an independent locking device for each storage space, it should have a compact structure. That is, a space is required to install a locking device inside the housing between a storage space and an adjacent storage space. If the structure of the locking device is complicated or large, the overall size of the station increases. . It is preferable that the charging station is designed to occupy a small installation space when the volume is small, and to form as much storage space as possible if the size of the station is the same.

Furthermore, even if a power failure occurs in the charging station, the locked state of the stored battery pack must be maintained.

KR 10-2183183 B KR 10-2131287 B KR 10-1924573 B KR 10-2021-0044587 A1

The present invention discloses a locking device for a charging or storage station that can meet the above needs.

A locking device for a charging or article storage station according to the present invention aims to improve convenience of use by automatically locking a battery pack by simply pushing it into a storage space of the station.

Furthermore, in the locking device for a charging or storage station according to the present invention, while the locking state is firmly maintained and the locking member operates, the battery pack is brought into close contact with the storage space of the station, thereby providing a barrier between the battery pack and the charging terminal inside the charging station. Its purpose is to ensure that contact is ensured.

In addition, the object of the locking device for a charging or article storage station according to the present invention is that it can be designed in a compact size so as to minimize the housing size of the charging station.

Furthermore, an object of the locking device for a charging or article storage station according to the present invention is to maintain a locked state of a stored battery pack even if a power failure occurs in the charging station.

In order to achieve the above object, the locking device for a charging or article storage station according to the present invention,

A protruding protrusion provided in a housing forming an entrance of the storage space 21 to be protruding and coming into close contact with the front surface of the battery pack when the battery pack is completely inserted into the storage space 21 ( A locking unit 30 having 23a),

A lock holding unit (40) supporting the locking unit from the bottom of the locking unit (30) only when the protruding protrusion (23a) protrudes in order to keep the protruding protrusion (23a) in close contact with the front surface of the battery pack. It is characterized in that it includes.

Another problem to be solved in the present invention and its specific solution will be described in more detail in 'specific contents for carrying out the invention' and accompanying drawings to be described later.

According to the present invention, the locking device for a battery pack charging or hard-cased article storage station is automatically locked when an object (battery pack or hard-cased article) is pushed into the storage space of the station, so that the convenience of use is improved. great.

Furthermore, in the locking device according to the present invention, the locking state is firmly maintained, and the locking member is in close contact with the front surface of the object to push the object into the station storage space, so when the object is a battery pack, There is an effect of reliably ensuring contact between the electric terminal 1e of the battery pack and the charging terminal 20e of the station.

In addition, since the locking device according to the present invention has a structure that performs a locking or unlocking function by turning around the hinge axis within a certain angular range, it can be designed in a compact size, so that the battery pack charging station also has a hard casing It can also be used as a storage station for stored items, as well as various other locking devices, so the industrial applicability is very high.

Furthermore, in the locking device according to the present invention, even if a power failure occurs in the station, the locked state of the stored object can be firmly maintained.

Another function and effect of the present invention will be described in more detail in 'Specific Contents for Carrying Out the Invention' to be described later.

1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating embodiments of a battery pack charging station;
Figure 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the outer appearance of a station to which a locking device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is applied
Figure 4 is a partially exploded perspective view showing the structure of a locking device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a locking device state before the object (1) is accommodated
Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the locking unit operating relationship of the locking device in a state in which the object (1) is entering the storage space
Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the locking unit operating relationship of the locking device in a state where the object (1) is accommodated in the storage space
Figure 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the operating relationship of the lock holding unit of the locking device in a state where the object (1) is stored in the storage space

Since the present invention can have various changes and various forms, the implementation examples (or embodiments) will be described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific form disclosed, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In addition, the components in each drawing are expressed in exaggeratedly large (or thick) small (or thin) or simplified expressions in size or thickness in consideration of convenience of understanding, etc., but the scope of protection of the present invention is thereby limited. It shouldn't be.

Terms used in this specification are only used to describe a specific embodiment (aspect, aspect, aspect) (or embodiment), and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In this application, terms such as ~comprising~ or ~consisting of are intended to designate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features It should be understood that it does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, they should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning. don't

~First~, ~Second~, etc. described in this specification will only be referred to to distinguish different components from each other, regardless of the manufacturing order, and the names in the detailed description and claims of the invention may not match.

In describing the locking device for a charging or article storage station according to the present invention together with the accompanying drawings, if a non-rigid approximate direction standard is specified for convenience, the direction from the entrance of the storage space of the station to the inside, that is, the battery pack is stored. The left and right sides of the storage space are defined as the left and right directions, respectively, based on the perspective of looking at the entrance of the station, and the upper and lower parts of the storage space are designated as the upper direction, respectively. and the lower direction, and in the detailed description and claims of the invention related to the other drawings, the direction will be specified and described according to this criterion unless otherwise specified.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a locking device for a station according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings shown centrally.

Figure 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the exterior of a station to which a locking device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is applied, and Figure 4 is a partially exploded perspective view showing the structure of a locking device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. And, Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a locking device state (hereinafter referred to as 'standby state') before the object 1 is accommodated.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the locking device according to the present invention exemplarily prevents the battery pack 1 stored in the storage space 21 of the charging station 20 from being withdrawn without permission. It is a locking device for the station provided in the housing of the station 20 to prevent it.

The station 20 to which the locking device according to the present invention is applied has a storage space 21 in which a battery pack is stored. An open entrance is formed at the front of the storage space 21, and the top and bottom and left and right sides of the storage space 21 are respectively upper housing 21, left and right side housings 22 and bottom housings 23 It is surrounded by, and a rear housing 24 is also provided at the rear, so that only the entrance is open as a whole.

And, the vertical cross-sectional shape of the storage space 21 is made of a shape corresponding to the vertical cross-sectional shape of a battery pack or hard-cased article (hereinafter referred to as 'object') 1 to be stored, so that the storage object It is made to be movable only in the storage or withdrawal direction, that is, in the forward and backward directions within the storage space 21 .

The locking device according to the present invention is installed embedded in the housing at any one of the upper housing or the lower housing or the left and right side housings of the storage space 21 . However, a plurality of them may be installed in two or more locations as needed.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a state of being buried and installed in the lower housing is shown.

The locking device according to the present invention is largely divided into a locking unit 30 and a lock holding unit 40.

First, the locking unit 30 of the locking device according to the present invention is provided inside one of the housings 23 forming the entrance of the storage space 21 and is configured to appear and retract through the entrance of the storage space 21 .

And, the locking unit 30 is composed of a contact member 31 and a locking member 32 that rotate within a certain angular range around the pivot 33, the pivot 33 is in the receiving direction of the object It is supported by a bracket (B) to be disposed horizontally in a direction orthogonal to. In FIG. 4, reference numeral H denotes a through hole for supporting the pivot shaft 33 to the bracket B.

One end of the contact member 31 is coupled to the pivot shaft 33, and the other end of the contact member having the contact protrusion 31a is disposed rearward. One end of the locking member 32 is coupled to the pivot 33, and the other end of the locking member having a locking protrusion 32a is disposed forward. The contact protrusion 31a is located at the rear of the pivot 33 and protrudes in the storage space, and the locking protrusion 32a is located in front of the pivot 33 and at the entrance of the storage space. It is located buried in the

The locking protrusion 32a protrudes when the object is completely inserted into the storage space, and adheres to the edge of the front surface 1b of the object. By forming the extension portion 23a extending the lower housing 23 forward, the locking unit 30 and the lock holding unit 40 according to the present invention are not exposed to the outside of the housing, while the lock protrusion 32a can be placed at the front edge of the object. The locking device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 protects the lower housing 23 and the locking unit 30 and the lock holding unit 40 disposed below the lower housing 23. By further comprising the housing 25, it is possible to prevent intentional breakage or damage of the locking device.

In order for the contact protrusion 31a and the locking protrusion 32a to protrude outward from within the housing, as shown in FIG. 3, a slot for passing the contact protrusion 31a and the locking protrusion 32a ( 23S) is formed on the lower housing 23.

An elastic member 34 for applying an elastic force to protrude the contact protrusion 31a of the contact member 31 and the locking protrusion 32a of the locking member 32 out of the housing is provided on the pivot shaft 33.

The contact protrusion 31a of the contact member 31 maintains a state in which it protrudes into the storage space 21 by the elastic member 34 provided on the pivot shaft 33, and then an object moves into the storage space 21. ) When the object presses the contact protrusion 31a when entering the inside, the contact member 31 rotates around the pivot 33 by this pressing force, and the contact protrusion 31a moves into the housing. landfill

Despite the elastic force of the elastic member, the locking protrusion 32a of the locking member 32 is constrained by the stopper 31b and remains embedded in the housing. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the stopper 31b is formed to protrude forward from one end of the contact member 31 .

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the locking unit operating relationship of the locking device in a state in which the object (1) is entering the storage space.

The locking protrusion 32a of the locking member 32 is maintained buried inside the housing by the restraint of the stopper 31b, and as shown in FIG. 6, the object 1 is stored in the storage space 21 When stored in, the contact member 31 rotates around the pivot 33 by the pressing force, and at this time, the locking protrusion 32a of the locking member 32 escapes from the restraint of the stopper 31b, It is possible to protrude out of the housing by the elastic force of the elastic member 34 .

However, when the object 1 is being stored in the storage space 21, as shown in FIG. 6, the locking protrusion 32a of the locking member 32 is in close contact with the case 1a of the object, and storage is completed. As shown in FIG. 7, the locking protrusion 32a of the locking member 32 protrudes out of the housing into the entrance of the storage space 21 and clamps the front edge of the object.

Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the locking unit operating relationship of the locking device in a state where the object (1) is accommodated in the storage space. The storage state of the battery pack shown in FIG. 7 is a state in which locking has not yet been completed, and the control unit of the station waits for a signal input to reliably confirm the user's storage intention for the battery pack inserted into the storage space 21. will do In the lock holding unit 40 shown in FIG. 7, since the contact portion 45a of the trigger 45 is located in an avoidance area far from the lower surface of the locking unit 30, the locking protrusion of the locking member 32 (32a) can be pushed into the housing 23 only with a light pressing force. Accordingly, in the state shown in FIG. 7, the user can freely take out the battery pack inserted into the storage space of the station again from the storage space.

As shown in FIG. 4, when an object enters the storage space 21 and presses the contact protrusion 31a, the contact member 31 rotates around the pivot 33. At this time, it is possible to detect that an object is being accommodated in the storage space by the first sensor S1.

And, when the object is completely stored in the storage space, the locking member 32 rotates around the pivot 33 and the locking protrusion 32a protrudes into the entrance of the storage space 21, The front edge is clamped, and a second sensor (S2) for detecting and transmitting this state to the control unit is further provided.

Unexplained reference numeral 1a in FIG. 3 refers to a case of an object, reference numeral 1b refers to the front of the object, and reference numeral 1c refers to the back of the object. When the object is a battery pack, it is common that the connection terminals 1e for charging are provided on the rear surface 1c. Reference numeral 1d denotes a display window displaying a charging state.

Next, the lock holding unit 40 according to the present invention will be described.

The lock holding unit 40 according to the present invention is disposed below the locking unit 30, more specifically below the locking member 32 of the locking unit 30, and the locking member 32 is prevented by an external force. It has the ability to prevent movement.

The lock holding unit 40 according to the present invention includes a driving means 41 operating by receiving a signal from a control unit, and a rotational rotation within a certain angle range around a hinge shaft 43 by the driving means 41. It is made including a trigger (45).

The hinge shaft 43 is supported by a bracket (B) to be horizontally disposed in a direction orthogonal to the receiving direction of the object.

One end of the trigger 45 is connected to the driving means 41 by a power transmission member, and the middle part is coupled to the hinge shaft 43, so that when the plunger of the driving means 41 moves forward and backward, While the trigger 45 pivots around the hinge axis 43 within a certain range of angles, the contact portion 45a of the other end moves to a position in close contact with the lower surface of the locking unit 30 or moves to a position where it is avoided do. In the drawings accompanying the present invention, the driving means is a solenoid, and the power transmission member shows a plunger (41a) coupled to one end of the trigger with a pin (P) as an example, but the driving means and power transmission of the present invention The member is not limited thereto, and a pneumatic cylinder or the like may be employed as a driving means, and when the driving means is a motor that rotates, the power transmission member may be a cam mechanism capable of converting rotational motion into linear motion, or a rack-pinion. Instruments, etc. may be applied.

The trigger 45 shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 is a position when the lock holding unit 40 is in a non-operating standby state, and the trigger 45 shown in FIG. 8 is the position when the lock holding unit 40 is In operation, a state in which the lower surface of the locking unit 30 is more accurately supported by the lower surface of the locking member 32 of the locking unit 30 is described. Figure 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the operating relationship of the lock holding unit of the locking device in a state where the object (1) is accommodated in the storage space.

And, preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, the trigger 45 of the lock holding unit 40 operates to detect a state in which the contact portion 45a closely supports the lower surface of the locking unit 30. A third sensor (S3) for transmitting to the control unit is further provided.

In addition, in the locking device according to the present invention, in order to maintain the locked state of the lock holding unit even if the supply of electricity to the driving means 41 is stopped, the driving means is a ratchet solenoid. desirable.

Finally, the release operation of the lock holding unit 40 in the locking device according to the present invention will be described.

By a release signal applied from the control unit of the station, the driving means 41 operates to avoid the contact portion 45a of the trigger 45 from the lower surface of the locking unit 30. 7 shows a state in which the lock holding unit 40 according to the present invention is released. By the release operation of the lock holding unit 40, the lock protrusion 32a of the lock member 32 is converted into a release state in which it can be pushed into the housing with only a light pressing force. In this state, when the user pulls the battery pack stored in the storage space 21 of the station, the lock protrusion 32a of the locking member 32 is pushed into the housing, and the stored battery pack is removed from the storage space of the station. it is possible to take out

In the above description of the present invention, the preferred embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but various modifications, changes, and substitutions are possible by those skilled in the art, and these modifications, changes, and substitutions fall within the protection scope of the present invention. .

The locking device according to the present invention can be applied to a station for other purposes than a station for charging a battery pack.

For example, in an article storage station for temporarily storing courier goods, a housing of the station 20 is provided to prevent unauthorized withdrawal of articles stored in the storage space 21 (hereinafter referred to as 'object'). It can be transformed into a locking device.

The front of the storage space formed in the goods storage station has an open entrance, and the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the storage space are surrounded by housings to form a storage space having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the vertical cross-sectional shape of the storage article case. form

In addition, items that can be stored in the storage space of the item storage station may be items in a standardized hard casing or items placed in such a hard case.

The locking device for the goods storage station,

A locking unit provided in a housing forming an entrance of the storage space to be protruding and retracting, and having a protruding protrusion that protrudes and comes into close contact with the front surface of the storage article case when the storage article case is completely inserted into the storage space. class,

In order to keep the protruding protrusion in close contact with the front surface of the stored article case, a lock holding unit supporting the locking unit at the bottom of the locking unit only when the protruding protrusion protrudes is included.

The configuration of the locking unit and the lock holding unit of the locking device for the goods storage station is as described above, except that the object stored in the storage space is a 'storage item' or a 'case with a built-in item' instead of a 'battery pack'. Since it is substantially the same as the configuration of the locking device for the station for charging the battery pack, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

And, as shown in FIG. 4, the locking protrusion 32a of the locking member 32 constituting the locking unit 30 according to the present invention is shown as an example of two, but the locking protrusion 32a It goes without saying that may consist of only one.

The two locking protrusions 32a according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention are arranged on both side surfaces of the locking member 32 and are designed not to cover the display window 1d provided on the front side of the battery pack. As in this embodiment, since the locking device according to the present invention is a structure that clamps and locks only the front edge of the object 1 in a state where the front of the object 1 is exposed to the outside as it is, the front of the object 1 It has the advantage that it is not necessary to add a separate means to the station for showing the information or status described or displayed in the station.

1: Object (battery pack, storage item)
20: station
30: locking unit
31: contact member 32: locking member
33: pivot
40: lock holding unit
41: drive means 43: pivot shaft
45: trigger

Claims (4)

To prevent unauthorized withdrawal of battery packs or articles stored in the storage space 21 of the charging or article storage station 20, charging or articles provided in the housing of the station 20 In the locking device for the storage station,
The front of the storage space provided in the station 20 has an open entrance, and the top, bottom, left and right sides of the storage space 21 are surrounded by housings corresponding to the vertical cross-sectional shape of the object 1. Forming a storage space 21 of a cross-sectional shape,
The locking device is
It is provided to be able to emerge from the housing forming the entrance of the storage space 21, and protrudes when the object is completely inserted into the storage space 21, and is provided with a protruding protrusion that adheres to the front surface of the object. A locking unit 30,
In order to keep the protruding protrusion in close contact with the front surface of the object, it characterized in that it comprises a locking holding unit 40 for supporting the locking unit at the bottom of the locking unit only when the protruding protrusion protrudes Locks for filling or storage stations. According to claim 1,
The locking unit 30,
One end is coupled to the pivot shaft 33 having an axis perpendicular to the storage direction of the object, and the other end extends toward the rear of the storage space 21 to protrude into the storage space 21 or into the housing. A contact member (31) having a contact protrusion (31a) provided on the pivot shaft and having an elastic member (34) for maintaining the contact protrusion to protrude into the storage space (21);
A locking member 32 having one end coupled to the pivot 33 and the other end protruding into the entrance of the storage space 21 or having a locking protrusion 32a buried into the housing,
When the contact protrusion 31a of the contact member 31 protrudes into the storage space 21, the locking protrusion 32a of the locking member 32 does not protrude into the entrance of the storage space 21. 32 is restricted, and in a state where the contact protrusion 31a of the contact member 31 is pressed by an object inserted into the storage space, the locking member 32 is moved by the elastic force of the elastic member 34. A locking device for a charging or article storage station, characterized in that a stopper (31b) for allowing the locking protrusion (32a) to protrude into the entrance of the storage space (21) is further provided on the contact member (31). According to claim 1 or 2,
The lock holding unit 40,
A driving means 41 operating by receiving a signal from the control unit;
One end is connected to the drive means 41 by a power transmission member, and coupled to the hinge shaft 43 in the middle, within a certain angle range around the hinge shaft 43 by reciprocating movement of the power transmission member A locking device for a charging or article storage station, characterized in that it includes a trigger (45) that moves to a position where the other end is in close contact with or avoided by the lower part of the locking unit (30) while turning. According to claim 3,
The locking device for a charging or item storage station, characterized in that the driving means is a ratchet solenoid so that the locking state of the locking device can be maintained even if the supply of electricity to the station is stopped.

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