Patent Application
20100291418
The present invention relates to batteries for electric vehicles. More specifically, the present invention relates to battery packs that can be easily transported and installed.
Typical electric vehicles are designed to carry bulky battery packs and to be recharged at particular locations. Bulky battery packs are often heavier than necessary, thus unnecessarily adding to the weight of the electric vehicle. Recharging the batteries takes long hours, a wait that can be inconvenient for the electric vehicle users.
Although some battery packs are designed to be removable, they are nevertheless heavy and difficult to be moved to a desired location, such as for recharging or replacement. Owners of electric vehicles will find many advantages with battery systems that can be easily transported for recharging, replacement, and the like.
In an aspect, a movable battery pack comprises an electric-vehicle battery pack having a battery enclosure with a ground transporting structure rollable, slidable, or both along a surface. In some embodiments, the battery enclosure and the ground transporting structure are removable as a unit from an electric vehicle. In alternative embodiments, the electric-vehicle battery pack comprises a battery-electric-vehicle battery pack. In other embodiments, the ground transporting structure comprises one or more wheels, coasters, or runners. In alternative embodiments, the ground transporting structure is attached to the battery enclosure. In other embodiments, the electric-vehicle battery pack comprises one or more mating connectors. In some embodiments, the battery enclosure comprises at least one handle. In alternative embodiments, the electric-vehicle battery pack comprises one or more modules of batteries. In other embodiments, the one or more modules comprises one or more cells of batteries. In alternative embodiments, the battery enclosure is configured to fit within a battery compartment of an electric vehicle. In other embodiments, the electric-vehicle battery pack and the ground transporting structure forms an unseparable energy unit.
In a second aspect, an electric vehicle comprises a controller and one or more removable battery packs including a casing adapted to slide or roll along a surface. In some embodiments, the one or more removable battery packs comprise at least one handle. In alternative embodiments, the one or more removable battery packs comprise a mating connector. In other embodiments, the electric vehicle comprises a mating connector. In some embodiments, the mating connector of the electric vehicle is configured to electrically couple with the mating connector of the one or more removable battery packs. In alternative embodiments, the electric vehicle further comprises a securing mechanism for substantially securing the one or more removable battery packs to the electric vehicle. In other embodiments, the securing mechanism couples with a mating connector of the electric vehicle, the one or more removable battery packs, or both. In some embodiments, the one or more removable battery packs comprise at least one wheel. In alternative embodiments, the one or more removable battery packs are rechargeable by an AC power source. In other embodiments, the electric vehicle is able to be operated using the energy solely from one of the one or more removable battery packs.
In a third aspect, a method of using an electric-vehicle battery pack comprises rolling, sliding, or both one or more ground transporting elements of an electric-vehicle battery pack along a surface and electrically coupling the electric-vehicle battery pack with an energy device. In some embodiments, the one or more ground transporting elements comprise one or more wheels. In alternative embodiments, the surface comprises a ground surface. In other embodiments, the energy device comprises an electric vehicle, an electrical charger or both. In some embodiments, the electrically coupling comprising coupling a mating connector of the electric-vehicle battery pack with a mating connector of the electric vehicle. In alternative embodiments, the rolling, sliding, or both are performed by holding at least one handle of the electric-vehicle battery pack. In other embodiments, the method further comprises disengaging the electric-vehicle battery pack from the energy device. In some embodiments, the method further comprises removing the electric-vehicle battery pack from the energy device. In alternative embodiments, at least one of the ground transporting elements touch a ground surface when the ground transporting elements is transported. In other embodiments, the method further comprises recharging the electric-vehicle battery pack. In some embodiments, the recharging is performed by using an AC power source.
A movable, portable, and easily attachable/detachable battery pack includes one or more batteries enclosed in a case having a ground transportation structure. In some embodiments, the ground transportation structure contains one or more wheels. Because most of its weight rests on the ground during movement, the battery pack can be moved easily, with little force. Battery packs in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention can be easily maneuvered for recharging or replacement. The battery pack disclosed herein can be transported among various locations, such as an EV, a docking recharging location, and storage, without the need to physically lift the battery pack.
The one or more battery packs 102 on the electric vehicle 100 can be operated concurrently and/or independently. In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 100 contains battery packs 102A, 102B, 102C, and 102D. The battery packs 102A-102D can form a battery pack assembly 102. In alternative embodiments, the electric vehicle 100 contains battery packs 102A and 102B. In other embodiments, the electric vehicle 100 contains single battery pack 102A. In the case when the electric vehicle 100 is designed to have multiple battery packs, such as 102A and 102B, the electric vehicle 100 is able to be operated when only one is installed. Alternatively, the electric vehicle 100 is able to operate using multiple battery packs at the same time. For example, the electric vehicle 100 can draw half of its operating electricity from battery pack 102A and the other half from the battery pack 102B. In another example, the electric vehicle 100 can draw 70% electricity from the battery pack 102A, 20% from the battery pack 102B, and 10% from other sources, such as a solar panel. The source and amount of electricity drawn can be controlled by an additional computer chip or by the nature of the battery properties, such as the remaining amount or relative amount of electricity in the battery packs 102A-D.
In some embodiments, each of the battery packs 102A-D is 22 kg. In alternative embodiments, the battery pack 102 has a weight ranging from 10 kg to 50 kg. In other embodiments, the battery pack, for example 102A, has a weight ranging from 1 kg to 100 kg. In some embodiments, the battery pack, for example 102A, has an electricity capacity of 3.5 kWh (Kilowatt-Hour). In alternative embodiments, the battery pack assembly102 has an electricity capacity sufficient for average daily use of an electrical vehicle. The electrical vehicle 100 can be any type of transportation vehicle, including a sedan, a coupe, a Jeep, a bus, or a train. In other embodiments, any one of the battery packs 102A-D is able to power a 600 kg car for 100 km, which is sufficient for daily driving needs. In some embodiments, each of the battery packs 102A-D has a physical dimension similar to half of a suitcase, such as 100 cm×50 cm×50 cm. In some embodiments, the battery pack, for example battery pack 102A, contains one or more battery modules. Each of the battery modules can contain one or more cells of batteries, such as 20×18 cells or 20×100 cells. In some embodiments, the batteries are lithium-ion batteries. A person who has ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that other types of batteries and any number of cells can be used. For example, the batteries can be nickle, lithium, or cadmium-based batteries.
The handle 108 is able to be connected to the battery pack enclosure or housing 104. In some embodiments, the handle 108 is fixed on one side of the battery pack enclosure or housing 104. A person who has ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the handle 108 is able to be fixed on any side of the battery pack enclosure or housing 104. The handle can be fixed in various ways. As some examples, the handle 108 is glued on the battery pack enclosure or housing 104, screwed onto the battery pack enclosure or housing 104, or secured by other methods, whether physical, mechanical, or chemical.
In different embodiments, the handle 108 comprises a fixed length frame; a retractable handle, so that the length of the handle is adjustable; a foldable handle, so that the handle is able to be folded to save space or to fit within a limited space in a compartment of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the handle contains the mating connectors 110, so the handle is able to be plugged into or connected with a power/electricity receiving part of the electric vehicle and/or a recharging facility. In some transportation methods disclosed herein, an operator or mover of the battery pack is able to hold onto the handles 108 transporting the battery packs 102 having the one or more wheels 106 touching the ground, so the weight of the battery packs 102 are substantially supported by the ground. As such, the operator or mover is able to easily maneuver or drag the battery packs 102 to a destination with a force sufficient to overcome the friction caused by the weight of the battery pack 102 between the wheels and the contacting ground. A person who has ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that different materials/sloops/patterns of the ground will result in different frictions or anti-moving barriers, so the operator or mover must exert difference forces to overcome such frictions or barriers.
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The mating connector 204 is able to act as an electrical interface between the battery pack 202 and the electric vehicle 201. In some embodiments, the mating connector 204 comprises one or more sets of high voltage connectors on the battery pack 202 and/or the electric vehicle 201 to provide high voltage, such as 320V, and/or high current path for the battery packs 202 to discharge or charge. In alternative embodiments, the mating connector 204 comprises one or more sets of low voltage connectors on the battery pack 202 and/or the electric vehicle 201 to provide low voltage, such as 12V, and/or low current path for the battery pack 202 to discharge or charge. In other embodiments, the mating connectors 204 comprises one or more sets of high voltage interlock loop connectors to determine the conductivity between the enclosures of the battery pack 202 to the electric vehicle 201. In some embodiments, the mating connectors 204 comprise one or more connectors to provide control signals to and to receive information from the battery pack 202. Various ways of electrical and electronic signal communications are able to be performed between the battery pack 202 and the electric vehicle 201. A person who has ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that any electronic controlling, detecting, sensing, communicating devices are able to be used to exchange voltage and control signals between the electric vehicle 201 and the battery pack 202. For example, a wireless device is able to be included on the battery pack 202 and/or the electric vehicle 201, so the usage and remaining amount of the electricity in the battery pack 202 are able to be monitored and controlled in a remote control center.
In some embodiments, the mating connector 204 includes one or more sets of group straps 218 to ground the enclosure of the battery pack 202 to the chassis of the electric vehicle 201. In alternative embodiments, the mating connector 204 comprises one or more coolant connectors 220 to provide coolant flow to remove heat from the battery pack 202. In some embodiments, the mating connector 204 includes one or more sets of matching air ducts to provide air flow to cool and/or heating wires to heat the battery packs 202A-D.
At Step 414, the battery pack is removed from the electric vehicle and is moved to a different location, such as a residential house, recharging station, and/or a storage place. At Step 416, the battery pack is recharged on a recharging docking station. The method of the electric vehicle battery pack usage can end in Step 418. The methods of the electric vehicle battery pack usage, electric vehicle operation, and/or recharging of the battery packs are able to be performed in various ways. In some embodiments, the method of the electric vehicle battery pack usage and/or electric vehicle operation comprises disengaging one or more mating connectors on the one or more battery packs and the mating connectors on the vehicle and removing the battery packs from the vehicle. In alternative embodiments, the method of the electric vehicle battery pack usage comprises installing the battery pack into the vehicle and engaging the mating connectors on the battery packs with the mating connectors on the vehicle. In some embodiments, the method of recharging the battery packs comprises disengaging the mating connectors on the battery packs and the mating connectors on the electric vehicle, removing the battery packs from the vehicle, moving the battery packs by holding onto the handles of the battery packs having the wheels of the battery packs touching the ground, and moving the battery packs to a location for recharging, such as by rolling or sliding.
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The term “electric vehicles” (EV) used herein can include, but is not limited to, at least electric cars, electric trains, electric trucks, electric airplanes, electric boats, electric motorcycles and scooters, and electric spacecraft. The term “electric vehicles” disclosed herein is able to include battery electric vehicles (BEV). BEVs use chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs. The term “coasters” and “runners” used herein can include long bladelike strips of metal or wood on which a sled or sleigh slides, and a small mat or plate placed under a vessel.
The battery packs disclosed herein can be utilized in many ways to facilitate the modern urban life. For example, the battery packs allow an electric vehicle user to drag the battery packs like a suitcase along with them, providing a convenient way for the electric vehicle users to drag the battery packs home and have them recharged during the night at the regular AC power outlet on the wall of their house. The next morning, the electric vehicle users are able to drag or roll their battery packs to their electric vehicles and plug them to the mating connectors on the electric vehicles, all without physically lifting the battery packs. During the day, the battery packs are able to be recharged in the office or in the parking lot through one or more solar panels or AC/DC electric power sources.
As described above, the battery packs disclosed herein advantageously incorporate a ground transportation structure/device that allows the land to support substantially all of the weight of the battery packs during movement. In some embodiments, the battery packs and the ground transportation structure form an integrated unseparateable unit, so the risk of dropping or falling of the batteries is avoided.
The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be readily apparent to those persons skilled in the art and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein. It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that other modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/178,635, filed May 15, 2009 and entitled “Battery Packs, Systems, and Methods,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61178635 | May 2009 | US |
