Electric refuse vehicle battery exchange and trailer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12162373-B2
Application number	US-202117483988-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2021
Priority date	Sep 28, 2020
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, a refuse container coupled to the chassis, a tractive assembly coupled to the chassis and configured to propel the refuse vehicle, and an electric energy system configured to provide electrical energy to drive the tractive assembly. In a first configuration, a first energy system is removably coupled to the chassis and configured to provide the electrical energy to the electric energy system and in a second configuration, the first energy system is removed from the chassis and replaced with a second energy system, the second energy system removably coupled to the chassis and configured to provide the electrical energy to the electric energy system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refuse vehicle comprising:
a chassis;
a tractive assembly coupled to the chassis and configured to propel the refuse vehicle;
an electric energy system configured to provide electrical energy to drive the tractive assembly; and
a removal assembly comprising a lift device that is at least partially supported by the chassis and that is configured to move an energy system relative to the chassis while remaining coupled to the chassis, wherein:
in a first configuration, a first energy system is removably coupled to the chassis and configured to provide the electrical energy to the electric energy system; and
in a second configuration, the first energy system is removed from the chassis and replaced with a second energy system, the second energy system removably coupled to the chassis and configured to provide the electrical energy to the electric energy system.

2. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the electric energy system is further configured to generate electrical energy to charge at least one of the first energy system or the second energy system.

3. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each of the first energy system and the second energy system comprise a frame and a plurality of battery assemblies.

4. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein transitioning from the first configuration to the second configuration comprises:
decoupling the first energy system from the chassis;
supporting, by the lift device, the first energy system;
moving the first energy system relative to the chassis; and
coupling the second energy system to the chassis such that the second energy system provides the electrical energy to the electric energy system.

5. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the lift device is configured to engage one or more engagement elements of the first energy system to lift the first energy system off of the chassis.

6. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the refuse vehicle is transitioned from the first configuration to the second configuration to facilitate charging of the first energy system.

7. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a first trailer removably coupled to the chassis of the refuse vehicle, the first trailer comprising a first frame and a first tractive assembly, wherein:
the first energy system is coupled to the first trailer;
the second energy system is coupled to a second trailer comprising a second frame and a second tractive assembly; and
replacing the first energy system with the second energy system comprises decoupling the first trailer from the chassis and coupling the second trailer to the chassis.

8. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first energy system is disposed between frame rails of the chassis and slidably engaged with the frame rails, the first energy system removable through a front end or a rear end of the refuse vehicle.

9. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first energy system comprises:
a frame;
a plurality of shelves movably coupled to the frame; and
a plurality of batteries supported by the plurality of shelves.

10. A replaceable battery system for a refuse vehicle, the system comprising:
a first energy system comprising a first frame and a first plurality of battery assemblies;
a second energy system comprising a second frame and a second plurality of battery assemblies, wherein:
in a first configuration, the first energy system is coupled to a chassis of the refuse vehicle and configured to provide electrical energy to a prime mover of the refuse vehicle in order to drive one or more tractive elements to propel the refuse vehicle; and
in a second configuration, the first energy system is removed and the second energy system is coupled to the chassis and configured to provide the electrical energy to the prime mover; and

a removal assembly comprising a lift device that is configured to be supported by the chassis of the refuse vehicle and is configured to move at least one of the first energy system or the second energy system relative to the chassis while remaining coupled to the chassis.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first energy system and the second energy system are configured to couple to an electromagnetic device onboard the refuse vehicle and to receive charge from the electromagnetic device.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein transitioning between the first configuration and the second configuration comprises:
decoupling the first energy system from the chassis;
supporting, by the lift device, the first energy system;
moving the first energy system relative to the chassis; and
coupling the second energy system to the chassis such that the second energy system provides electrical energy to the prime mover.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first plurality of battery assemblies is removably coupled to the first frame.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first energy system further comprises a plurality of support shelves coupled to the first frame, and wherein a first one of the first plurality of battery assemblies is supported by a first one of the plurality of support shelves, and wherein a second one of the first plurality of battery assemblies is supported by a second one of the plurality of support shelves.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the system is transitioned from the first configuration to the second configuration to facilitate charging of the first energy system.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein:
the first energy system is coupled to a first trailer comprising a first trailer frame and a first tractive assembly, the first trailer detachably coupled to the chassis in the first configuration;
the second energy system is coupled to a second trailer comprising a second trailer frame and a second tractive assembly, the second trailer detachably coupled to the chassis in the second configuration; and
transitioning from the first configuration to the second configuration comprises decoupling the first trailer from the chassis and coupling the second trailer to the chassis.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first energy system is configured to be disposed between frame rails of the chassis and configured to be removed from the refuse vehicle by sliding the first energy system between the frame rails and out a front end or a rear end of the refuse vehicle.

18. A method of replacing a power source of a refuse vehicle, comprising:
disengaging the first energy system that is removably coupled to a chassis of the refuse vehicle and configured to provide electrical energy to an electric energy system to drive a tractive assembly of the refuse vehicle from the chassis, the tractive assembly coupled to the chassis and configured to propel the refuse vehicle;
supporting, by a removal assembly comprising a lift device that is at least partially supported by the chassis and that remains coupled to the chassis during removal of the first energy system, the first energy system;
moving, by the lift device, the first energy system relative to the chassis; and
coupling a second energy system to the chassis such that the second energy system is removably coupled to the chassis and provides the electrical energy to the electric energy system.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein moving the first energy system relative to the chassis includes powering, by the second energy system, at least one electric motor powering the tractive assembly to drive the refuse vehicle away from the first energy system.

20. T

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Koga Jeffrey
• Davis Emily
• Weckwerth Clinton T
• Hoover Vincent
• Klein Zachary L
• Kappers Jerrod
• Wente Derek A
• Gary Logan
• Rocholl Joshua D
• Nasr Nader
• Smith Chad K

Classifications

• B60S5/06

  Supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles (exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80) · CPC title

• B60K2001/0477

  from the back · CPC title

• B60K2001/0483

  from the front · CPC title

• B65F3/02 Primary

  with means for discharging refuse receptacles thereinto (conveyor construction B65G; loaders separate from vehicles B66F; fluid power control systems in general F15B) · CPC title

• B60K2001/0494

  with arrangements for sliding · CPC title