Unlocking mechanism, support assembly, battery pack unlocking method, and battery pack locking method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12221007-B2
Application number	US-202118014481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2021
Priority date	Jul 6, 2020
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

The present invention discloses an unlocking mechanism, a support assembly, a battery pack unlocking method, and a battery pack locking method. The unlocking mechanism is used for unlocking a battery pack locked on a support of an electric vehicle. The unlocking mechanism comprises an unlocking input member and an unlocking output member; the unlocking input member is adapted to be connected to an external unlocking drive portion, and is driven by the external unlocking drive portion to drive the unlocking output member to move; the unlocking output member is adapted to be connected to a locking mechanism on the support and drive the locking mechanism to move to unlock or lock the battery pack. The unlocking input member is connected to the external unlocking driving portion to be driven to move, to drive the locking mechanism to move to achieve the purpose of unlocking or locking the battery pack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unlocking mechanism, which is used for unlocking a battery pack locked on a support of an electric vehicle, wherein the support has an entrance and exit for a battery pack to enter and exit the support in a Y direction by means of the entrance and exit, the unlocking mechanism comprises an unlocking input member and an unlocking output member, the unlocking input member is movably connected to and located on the lower surface of a bottom plate of the support, the unlocking input member is adapted to be connected to an external unlocking driving portion, and is driven by the external unlocking driving portion to drive the unlocking output member to move, the unlocking output member is adapted to be connected to a locking mechanism on the support and drive the locking mechanism to move to unlock or lock the battery pack;
two ends of the unlocking output member are respectively movably connected with the locking mechanism and the unlocking input member, the unlocking input member moves horizontally along the Y direction driven by the unlocking driving portion, and drives the locking mechanism to rotate by means of the unlocking output member to unlock or lock the battery pack.

2. The unlocking mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the unlocking input member is provided with a limiting member for limiting a horizontal movement of the unlocking input member relative to the support along the Y direction;
preferably, the limiting member comprises a Z-direction limiting member and/or an X-direction limiting member for limiting a movement of the unlocking input member in a Z direction and/or an X direction;
preferably, the Z-direction limiting member comprises at least one limiting pole, the limiting pole extends and bulges along a side surface in the X direction and is used to insert into a first limiting slot on the support, and/or the X-direction limiting member comprises at least one limiting block, the limiting block extends and bulges upward along the Z direction and is used to insert into a second limiting slot on the support.

3. The unlocking mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the unlocking input member is further provided with a matching member for an unlocking driving portion to drive the unlocking input member to move axially along the Y direction;
preferably, the matching member is a pin shaft extending and bulging along the X direction.

4. The unlocking mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the unlocking output member comprises at least one connecting rod, the unlocking input member comprises a pushing rod, and two ends of the connecting rod are respectively movably connected with the pushing rod and the locking mechanism;
preferably, the locking mechanism comprises a connecting portion and a locking portion, one end of the connecting portion is movably connected with the unlocking output member, and the other end of the connecting portion is fixedly connected with the locking portion.

5. The unlocking mechanism as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the locking portion comprises a locking tongue that can be turned over relative to the battery pack and a locking rod that drives the locking tongue to turn over, the locking rod is fixedly connected with the connecting portion, the unlocking input member moves horizontally along the Y direction driven by the unlocking driving portion, and drives the locking rod to rotate by means of the unlocking output member, thereby driving the locking tongue to turn over to unlock or lock the battery pack;
preferably, the connecting portion comprises a bending member with at least one included angle.

6. The unlocking mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the unlocking mechanism further comprises a transmission unit, the transmission unit is respectively connected with the unlocking input member and the unlocking output member, the unlocking driving portion drives the unlocking input member to rotate axially along the Y direction, and the transmission unit is used to drive the locking mechanism to rotate axially along the X direction by means of the unlocking output member when the unlocking driving portion drives the unlocking input member to rotate axially along the Y direction.

7. The unlocking mechanism as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the transmission unit comprises a rotating member and a sliding member that are matched with each other, the rotating member is driven by the unlocking driving portion to rotate, the sliding member is arranged on the rotating member, and moves along a rotating axis when the rotating member rotates, and the unlocking output member is fixedly connected with the sliding member;
preferably, the rotating member comprises a screw rod, the sliding member comprises a nut, the screw rod is connected to the unlocking input member, and the nut is connected to the unlocking output member.

8. The unlocking mechanism as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the two ends of the unlocking output member are respectively movably connected with the sliding member and the locking mechanism.

9. The unlocking mechanism as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a connecting portion and a locking portion, one end of the connecting portion is fixedly connected to the locking portion, and the other end of the connecting portion is movably connected to the sliding member.

10. The unlocking mechanism as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one set of connecting portions and locking portions, and a plurality of connecting portions are connected by means of a linkage mechanism, the linkage mechanism comprises a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod which are vertically connected with each other, the plurality of the connecting portions are movably connected with the first connecting rod, and two ends of the second connecting rod are movably connected with the first connecting rod and the sliding member respectively.

11. The unlocking mechanism as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the unlocking mechanism further comprises an unlocking member, the unlocking member is arranged at an end of the unlocking input member, and the unlocking member is used to connect the unlocking input member and the unlocking driving portion.

12. The unlocking mechanism as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the unlocking member is an unlocking sleeve, and the inner wall of the unlocking sleeve matches the outer wall of a power output portion of the unlocking driving portion.

13. A support assembly, comprising a support and the unlocking mechanism as claimed in claim 1 .

14. The support assembly as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the support assembly further comprises a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism is arranged on the surface of an end plate of the support;
preferably, the support assembly further comprises an electrical connection socket, the electrical connection socket is fixed on the surface of the end plate of the support.

15. The support assembly as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the battery pack enters and exits the support from an entrance and exit of the support along a horizontal direction, and the unlocking input member is arranged below the entrance and exit of the support;
preferably, a bottom plate of the support comprises a profile extending along the moving-in direction of the battery pack, and the unlocking input member is arranged in the profile.

Assignees

• Aulton New Energy Autom Tech Group
• Shanghai Dianba New Energy Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Qiu Danliang
• Zhou Yingfu
• Liu Meng

Classifications

• E05B83/00

  Vehicle locks specially adapted for particular types of wing or vehicle (locks specially adapted for bicycles E05B71/00; locking arrangements for non-fixed vehicle roofs B60J7/185; latching means for sideboards or tailgates of open load compartments B62D33/037) · CPC title

• E05B81/40

  Nuts or nut-like elements moving along a driven threaded axle · CPC title

• E05B81/30

  Rotary elements · CPC title

• B60L50/66

  Arrangements of batteries · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title