Locking method and unlocking method

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 11958351
  • Patent Number
    11,958,351
  • Date Filed
    Monday, May 9, 2022
    2 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, April 16, 2024
    8 months ago
  • Inventors
  • Original Assignees
    • SHANGHAI DIANBA NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
  • Examiners
    • Dolak; James M
    Agents
    • Schulman, Esq.; B. Aaron
    • Stites & Harbison, PLLC
Abstract
A locking method and an unlocking method are provided. The locking method is used to mount a battery to a fixing seat of an electric vehicle by a locking device. The locking device includes: a lock base including a lock body, a surface of the lock body being provided with a lock groove recessed towards the interior of the lock body, the lock body being internally provided with a lock tongue groove and a lock tongue movably mounted in the lock tongue groove, and the lock tongue groove being in connection with the lock groove; and a lock shaft including a shaft rod configured to be inserted into the lock groove of the lock base to perform unlocking and locking.
Description
FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a technical field of electric vehicles, and more particularly to a locking method for locking a battery of an electric vehicle to the electric vehicle and an unlocking method for unlocking the battery from the electric vehicle.


BACKGROUND

A battery of an existing electric vehicle is generally installed in a fixed way or in a replaceable type. The fixed battery is usually fixed to the vehicle, and the vehicle is directly charged during charging. The replaceable battery is usually installed in a movable manner, and the battery can be removed at any time for replacement or for charging and then be installed to the vehicle body after replacement or charging.


At present, a battery may be replaced by a manual operation or an automatic operation. Either way, the battery is mounted to a chassis of the electric vehicle, and the installed battery needs to be locked to the vehicle body. Due to a relatively large weight of the battery, a structure using multiple locking positions to lock simultaneously is employed, but an existing locking structure fails to meet requirements in terms of speed and automation.


SUMMARY

The present disclosure aims to provide a locking method and an unlocking method that can automatically lock or unlock a plurality of battery pack locking positions at the same time. That is, the present disclosure provides a locking method and an unlocking method.


A locking method uses a locking device to mount a battery to a fixing seat of an electric vehicle. The locking device includes: a lock base configured to provide a locking position, and including a lock body having a surface provided with a lock groove recessed towards the inside of the lock body, the lock body being provided with a lock tongue groove and a lock tongue movably mounted in the lock tongue groove, and the lock tongue groove being in communication with the lock groove; and a lock shaft including a shaft rod, the shaft rod being configured to be inserted into the lock groove of the lock base to perform unlocking and locking. The locking method includes: step 1, moving the battery from a bottom of the electric vehicle into the fixing seat under a lifting action of a battery-changing mobile platform; and step 2, inserting the shaft rod of the lock shaft around the battery into the lock groove through an opening of the lock groove on the lock base.


An unlocking method is used to unlock a locking device that mounts a battery to a fixing seat of an electric vehicle. The locking device includes: a lock base configured to provide a locking position, and including a lock body having a surface provided with a lock groove recessed towards the inside of the lock body, the lock body being provided with a lock tongue groove and a lock tongue movably mounted in the lock tongue groove, and the lock tongue groove being in connection with the lock groove; a lock connecting rod movably connected with the lock base through the lock tongue, and configured to control lock tongues of a plurality of lock bases simultaneously and perform synchronous locking of the plurality of lock bases; and a lock shaft including a shaft rod, the shaft rod being configured to be inserted into the lock groove of the lock base to perform unlocking and locking. The unlocking method includes: step 1, making an unlocking device on a battery-changing mobile platform contact the lock connecting rod and push the lock connecting rod to rise, so that the lock tongue leaves the lock groove; and step 2, moving the battery to withdraw the shaft rod from the lock groove, and completing a battery removal process.





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS


FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a locking device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.



FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional view of a lock shaft along an axis according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.



FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of a lock base according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.



FIG. 4 is a perspective view of FIG. 3.



FIG. 5 is a right view of FIG. 4.



FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of a lock shaft according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.



FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic view of a lock connecting rod according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.



FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic view of a lock connecting rod according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.



FIG. 9 is a top view of FIG. 8.



FIG. 10 is a perspective view of FIG. 9.



FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic view of a lock base according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.



FIG. 12 illustrates a rear view of the lock base of FIG. 11.



FIG. 13 illustrates a schematic view of a fixing seat according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.



FIG. 14 illustrates a schematic view of an electric vehicle and a battery-changing mobile platform according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.





DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIGS. 1-6, a locking device of an embodiment of the present disclosure generally includes a lock base 20 configured to provide a locking position, a lock shaft 30 configured to be inserted into the lock base 20, and a lock connecting rod 10 configured to unlock the lock shaft 30 after being inserted.


The lock base 20 includes a lock body 25 having a rectangular shape. A front surface of the lock body 25 is provided with a lock groove 21 recessed towards the inside of the lock body 25. The lock base 20 further includes a lock tongue groove 22 and a lock tongue 24 mounted in the lock tongue groove 22. The lock tongue groove 22 is in connection with the lock groove 21, and the lock tongue 24 is movably mounted in the lock tongue groove 22.


The lock shaft 30 includes a shaft seat 34 having a fixing hole, and a shaft rod 31 perpendicularly arranged to a surface of the shaft seat 34 and configured to be inserted into the lock groove 21 of the lock base 20 so as to perform locking.


The lock connecting rod 10 may include an elongated rod member 11 movably connected to the lock tongue 24 of the lock base 20.


The locking device in the embodiment can be used to lock a power battery 50 of an electric vehicle 100 (as shown in FIG. 14), in which the lock shafts 30 are mounted around a battery pack, and the lock bases 20 and the lock connecting rod 10 are mounted to an inner lateral surface of a vehicle body fixing seat 60 for fixing the battery 50 and arranged at positions corresponding to the positions of the lock shafts 30. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the lock groove 21 has a certain length in the horizontal direction, and the lock groove 21 has a side provided with an opening 211 in connection with a bottom surface of the lock body 25 and leading to the outside of the lock body, in which the opening 211 is used for the lock shaft 30 mounted on the battery 50 to enter. The lock tongue groove 22 has an opening which leads to a top surface of the lock body, and the lock tongue passes through this opening to be movably connected with the lock connecting rod 10. A side of the lock tongue adjacent to the lock groove 21 is provided with a stopping device 2A, and the stopping device 2A is configured to close the opening 211 of the lock groove 21.


The lock body 25 has a back surface fixedly fixed to the vehicle body fixing seat 60, and a front surface facing the battery 50 to be installed. The lock connecting rod 10 is movably mounted above the lock base 20 through the lock tongue. The lock shaft 30 is mounted on an outer side of the battery pack by the shaft seat at a position corresponding to the lock base 20.


When in use, the battery 50 enters the fixing seat 60 from the bottom of the electric vehicle 100 under a lifting action of a battery-changing mobile platform 200 (as shown in FIG. 14), and a unlocking member (or called an unlocking device) 201 pushes the lock connecting rod 10 to move upwards and drives the lock tongue to open the opening 211 of the lock groove 21, such that the lock shaft 30 around the battery 50 is inserted into the lock groove 21 through the opening 211 of the lock groove 21 of the corresponding lock base 20 by means of the shaft rod 31, and then is moved to the other side of the lock groove 21 under the push of the battery-changing mobile platform 200 until the lock shaft comes into contact with the other end of the lock groove. One end of the lock groove 21, where the opening 211 is located, is denoted as “21a”, while the other end of the lock groove 21, which is away from the opening 211, is denoted as “21b”. In such a way, a suspension process of the battery 50 is completed. During the insertion of the shaft rod 31, the lock connecting rod 10 drives the stopping device 2A to move upwardly, under the push of the unlocking member 201, and when the shaft rod 31 enters a locking region 212 in the lock groove 21 beyond the position of the stopping device 2A, the stopping device 2A falls under the gravity of the lock connecting rod 10 to laterally block a return path of the shaft rod 31. At this time, the battery 50 is in a state of being completely locked to the electric vehicle 100. When the battery 50 needs to be replaced, the unlocking device 201 on the battery-changing mobile platform 200 contacts the lock connecting rod 10 and pushes the lock connecting rod 10 to rise, so that the lock tongue leaves the lock groove 21, and at this time, the battery 50 is moved to cause the shaft rod 31 to be withdrawn from the lock groove 21, thereby completing a battery removal process.


As shown in FIG. 5, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, an elastic pad 23 is mounted on the other end of the lock groove 21 away from the opening 211, and an elastic pad mounting hole 251 is provided in a side wall of the other end. The elastic pad 23 may be installed in the elastic pad mounting hole 251 through a pillar 231 on a surface of the elastic pad. By providing the elastic pad 23 at the other end of the lock groove, after the lock shaft is inserted into the lock groove 21, the friction between the lock shaft 30 and the lock groove 21 can be reduced to protect the lock shaft 30. This structure facilitates the installation and removal of the elastic pad 23. The pillar 231 may adopt a tensioning structure with an opening, and after being inserted into the elastic pad mounting hole 251, the protrusion may be automatically clamped to prevent an unintentional escape of the elastic pad 23. The elastic pad 23 may be specifically made of an organic material such as rubber or plastic, so as to have certain stiffness and meanwhile avoid causing hard damage to the lock shaft 30.


In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the lock groove 21 may adopt an L-shaped structure, which can provide the battery 50 with a stable suspension platform, and at the same time, the elastic pad 23 is arranged at the end of the lock groove 21, which can reduce the collision between the battery 50 and the fixing seat 60 during the installation and during driving, thereby improving the service life of various locking components. In other embodiments, the lock groove 21 may also adopt a curved shape or other shapes capable of providing the suspension platform.


In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the stopping device 2A may be specifically configured as a stop block 243 protruding from the lock tongue 24 towards a side of the lock groove 21, and the stop block 243 is used to close the opening 211 of the lock groove 21 to prevent the shaft rod 31 inserted into the lock groove 21 from sliding out of the lock groove 21. The lock tongue 24 is connected in the lock tongue groove 22 through a shaft, and the lock tongue 24 includes a lock tongue groove shaft hole 241 connected to the lock tongue groove 22, and a lock connecting rod shaft hole 242 connected to the lock connecting rod 10 which pushes the lock tongue 24 to rotate.


The lock tongue 24 in a normal state is simultaneously connected to the lock base 20 and the lock connecting rod 10 through shafts. Since the lock connecting rod 10 is in an active state, the lock tongue 24 can be rotated about a shaft connection point with the lock base 20 by the movement of the lock connecting rod 10, so that the stop block 243 of the lock tongue 24 can be switched between a state of entering the lock groove 21 and a state of leaving the lock groove 21. The lock connecting rod 10 is pushed to move upwards by the external unlocking device, such that the lock tongue is moved upwards, and the stop block 243 leaves the lock groove 21. The shaft rod 31 of the lock shaft 30 enters the lock groove 21 from the opening 211, and is translated into the locking region 212 of the lock groove 21 under the push of the battery-changing mobile platform 200. At this time, the unlocking device 201 is removed, the lock connecting rod 10 moves downwards by gravity, the lock tongue is also moved downwards, and the stop block 243 blocks the opening 211 of the lock groove 21, such that the shaft rod is locked in the lock groove 21, and the corresponding battery is also stably fixed in the fixing seat 60 of the electric vehicle 100.


During the battery replacement, the unlocking device 201 on the battery-changing mobile platform 200 pushes the lock connecting rod 10 upwardly in an upward lifting process, and the movement of the lock connecting rod 10 naturally drives the stop block 243 of the lock tongue 24 to leave the lock groove 21. At this time, the battery 50 can be moved to remove the lock shaft 30 from the opening 211 of the lock groove 21, thereby completing the unlocking of the battery 50.


In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a diameter of a first end of the opening 211 at the bottom surface may be larger than a diameter of a second end of the opening 211 at the lock groove 21. The use of such an open structure facilitates the entry of the lock shaft 30 and also reduces the collision damage to the lock base 20.


In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom surface of the lock body 25 and the front surface of the lock body 25 may be connected through tangent surfaces. This structure can reduce the collision with the lock base 20 in a rising process of the battery 50.


In an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 11-12, the back surface of the lock body 25 is provided with a lock shaft sensing hole 244 in connection with the lock groove 21. As shown in FIG. 13, a sensing device 62 may be installed at a position of the fixing seat 60 corresponding to the lock shaft sensing hole 244. When the lock shaft 30 enters the lock groove 21, a first positioning steel magnet 32 mounted thereon is sensed by the sensing device 62 when passing through the lock shaft sensing hole 244, such that it is determined whether the battery 50 currently enters the lock groove 21 or not, thereby determining the next action.


As shown in FIG. 2, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, a concave positioning hole 321 is provided in an end of the shaft rod 31 away from the shaft seat 34, and the first positioning steel magnet 32 is mounted in the positioning hole 321. A sleeve 33 is fitted over the shaft rod 31 to prevent the first positioning steel magnet 32 from coming off. The shaft seat 34 may have a circular plate-like structure, first fixing holes 35 are provided around a center of the circle, and the shaft seat 34 is fixed to a side edge of the battery 50. The shaft rod 31 is perpendicularly connected to the center of the shaft seat 34, the concave positioning hole 321 is provided in the end away from the shaft seat 34, and after the shaft seat 34 is fixed to the battery 50, the shaft rod 31 perpendicularly projects outwards. The first positioning steel magnet 32 is mounted in the positioning hole 321 of the shaft rod 31, and configured to provide sensing information to an external sensing device, so as to indicate the current position of the battery 50. The sleeve 33 is fitted over an outer circumference of one end of the shaft rod 31 to which the first positioning steel magnet 32 is mounted, and the sleeve 33 and the shaft rod 31 may be in a sliding relationship.


In the present embodiment, a plurality of the lock shafts 30 may be provided, and they are fixed, through the first fixing holes 35 in the shaft seat 34, to a side edge of the battery 50 in contact with the fixing seat 60 of the electric vehicle 100. The positions of the fixed lock shafts 30 correspond to the positions of the lock bases 20 on the fixing seat 60. Each of the shaft rods 31 protrudes perpendicularly from the side edge of the battery 50. When the battery 50 is snapped into the fixing seat 60 of the electric vehicle 100 under the control of the battery-changing mobile platform 200, the shaft rods 31 of the lock shafts 30 are inserted into the lock grooves 21 of the corresponding lock bases 20, and the friction of the shaft rod 31 in the moving contact with the lock groove 21 can be reduced by the sleeve 33. When the battery-changing mobile platform 200 drives the shaft rod 31 to move in the lock groove 21, the first positioning steel magnet 32 at a front end of the shaft rod 31 passes through the sensing device 62 mounted on the fixing seat 60, so that the battery-changing mobile platform 200 clearly knows the current installation position of the battery 50 and can make the next action in time.


In the present embodiment, the friction between the lock shaft 30 and the lock base 20 can be reduced, the locking and unlocking processes can be improved, and clear movement state information of the battery 50 can be offered to provide a basis for automatic unlocking and automatic locking.


In an embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to define the position of the sleeve 33, a retaining ring or a retaining flange may be provided at both ends of the shaft rod 31. An outwardly protruding retaining flange 36 is provided at an end of the shaft rod close to the shaft seat 34, and has a diameter larger than a diameter of the shaft rod 31, so that the sleeve 33 can be restricted at a specified position of the shaft rod 31 to achieve better contact with the lock groove 21. The retaining flange 36 may also prevent the shaft seat 34 from rubbing against the lock base 20 and hence avoid causing damage to the corresponding components. Further, a retaining ring 331 may be provided at an end of the shaft rod 31 away from the shaft seat 34 and be configured to prevent the sleeve 33 from coming off. The retaining ring 331 may be mounted to the shaft rod 31 by a structure that is snapped in a groove of the shaft rod 31.


In order to facilitate the fixation of the lock shaft 30, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the shaft seat 34 of the lock shaft 30 may be circular or triangular, and three to four first fixing holes 35 are provided and symmetrically distributed around the center of the shaft seat 34.


In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a connecting end of the shaft rod 31 with the shaft seat 34 may pass through a shaft hole in the center of the circle and may be exposed from the other end. A snap ring may be provided to the passing end of the shaft rod 31 to prevent the shaft rod 31 from coming off. The snap ring may be mounted in the same way as the aforementioned retaining ring 331. Although the shaft rod 31 and the shaft seat 34 are movably mounted, the shaft rod 31 may be integrally formed with the shaft seat 34 in other embodiments.


As shown in FIGS. 7-10, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the lock connecting rod 10 may specifically include an elongated rod-like member 11, and the lock connecting rod 10 may be movably connected with a plurality of lock bases 20 to be locked through the lock tongues. The lock connecting rod has a length corresponding to the distance among the plurality of lock bases 20 to be locked, and a through hole 16 is provided at a position corresponding to each of the lock bases 20 and configured to be connected with the lock tongue 24 through a shaft. The through hole 16 facilitates the insertion of the lock tongue, and the number of the through holes 16 corresponds to the number of the lock bases. The rod member 11 is further provided with an unlocking block 12 on a side corresponding to the position of the lock base 20, and the unlocking block 12 is used to lift the rod member 11 under the push of the unlocking device 201 of the battery-changing mobile platform 200, so that the lock connecting rod 10 drives the lock tongue 24 to switch between an unlocking state and a locking state.


When installed, the lock connecting rod 10 is connected with the lock tongue 24 through shaft and hence is located above each lock base 20, and the lock tongue 24 is also connected with the lock base 20 by a shaft, so that the rise and fall of the lock connecting rod 10 can drive the lock tongue 24 to rotate around a shaft connection point in the lock base 20, to realize the switch between the state of being snapped into the lock groove 21 and the state of leaving the lock groove 21. This embodiment employs a single lock connecting rod 10 to simultaneously control the lock tongues 24 of the plurality of lock bases 20, thereby realizing a function of synchronously unlocking and locking the plurality of lock bases 20, so as to improve the unlocking process of the battery 50 and accelerate the battery replacement efficiency.


The rod member 11 of each lock connecting rod 10 may be provided with three through holes 16, and a second fixing hole 14 may be provided in the through hole 16 and configured to be connected with the lock tongue by means of a shaft. Each second fixing hole 14 corresponds to and is connected with the lock tongue 24 of one lock base 20. The second fixing hole 14 runs through the through hole 16 in a manner perpendicular to a lateral surface of the rod member 11.


In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the unlocking block 12 may be an arc protrusion 122 formed outwardly by the rod member 11. The top of the unlocking block 12 is configured as an inner arc groove 121 recessed towards the rod member 11. The use of the arc protrusion 122 prevents the lock connecting rod 10 from being blocked by other components during its movement. At this time, the arc protrusion 122 facilitates contact with the unlocking device 201 of the battery-changing mobile platform 200, to enable the unlocking device 201 to move the lock connecting rod 10 along the arc protrusion 122 in a transverse direction instead of being stuck in a certain position. The structure of the inner arc groove 121 on the top of the unlocking block 12 can form an optimal unlocking position with the unlocking device 201, and at this position, the lock connecting rod 10 has been fully unlocked and the retention of the unlocking device 201 is facilitated. The position of the unlocking block 12 may be specifically arranged on the rod member 11 between the two through holes, as long as the movement of the lock connecting rod 10 is not affected.


In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a spring pull tab 101 on the same side of the unlocking block 12 may be fixedly mounted on the rod member 11, and an exposed end of the spring pull tab 101 is provided with a hooking hole. The spring pull tab 101 is used to connect a spring fixed to the fixing seat 60 of the electric vehicle 100, and the spring applies a pulling force to the lock connecting rod 10 towards the lock base 20 to improve the stability of the lock connecting rod 10 in the locked state.


In an embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to determine the current position of the lock connecting rod 10, a second positioning steel magnet 13 may be mounted on the rod member 11, and the second positioning steel magnet 13 may generate induction with an external magnetic detecting device to determine the current position of the rod member 11 according to a sensing signal.


The second positioning steel magnet 13 may be specifically mounted at an end of the rod member 11 and may be cylindrical; the end of the rod member 11 is provided with a steel magnet mounting hole 131 passing through the rod member 11; and the second positioning steel magnet 13 is inserted in the steel magnet mounting hole 131. A corresponding sensing device 62 is provided on a moving track of the second positioning steel magnet 13. When the rod member 11 is moved, the second positioning steel magnet 13 stays at or passes through the sensing device 62 to determine whether the lock connecting rod 10 is currently in the unlocked state or in the locked state.


The present disclosure can fix the battery to the electric vehicle in such a way that a plurality of lock shafts distributed on a side edge of the battery are simultaneously inserted into a plurality of lock bases of the electric vehicle, and can simultaneously lock the plurality of lock shafts to the lock bases in an automatic manner by means of the action of the lock connecting rod, thereby improving the efficiency of assembling or disassembling the battery greatly.


By adopting the above-mentioned lock groove structure, the lock base of the present disclosure can provide the battery with a balanced suspension platform, and the elastic pad arranged at the end of the lock groove can reduce the collision between the battery and the fixing seat during the installation and during driving, thereby improving the service life of various locking components.


The lock shaft of the present disclosure can reduce the friction with the lock base, improve the locking and unlocking process, and offer clear motion state information to provide a basis for automatic unlocking and automatic locking.


The present disclosure utilizes a single lock connecting rod to simultaneously control the lock tongues of the plurality of lock bases, realizes a function of synchronously unlocking and locking the plurality of lock bases, so as to improve the unlocking process of the battery and accelerate the battery replacement efficiency.


It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described in detail, but many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the present disclosure may be directly determined or derived based on the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should be understood and construed to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims
  • 1. A locking method for mounting a battery to a fixing seat of an electric vehicle using a locking device, the locking device comprising: a lock base configured to provide a locking position, and comprising a lock body having a surface provided with a lock groove recessed towards the inside of the lock body, the lock body being provided with a lock tongue groove and a lock tongue movably mounted in the lock tongue groove, and the lock tongue groove being in connection with the lock groove;a lock shaft comprising a shaft rod, the shaft rod being configured to be inserted into the lock groove of the lock base to perform unlocking and locking; anda lock connecting rod movably connected with the lock base through the lock tongue, wherein lock tongues of a plurality of lock bases are controlled simultaneously by a single lock connecting rod to perform synchronous locking of the plurality of lock bases, and wherein the lock connecting rod comprises a rod member, and a second positioning steel magnet is mounted on the rod member,wherein the locking method comprises:moving the battery from a bottom of the electric vehicle into the fixing seat under a lifting action of a battery-changing mobile platform; andinserting the shaft rod of the lock shaft around the battery into the lock groove through an opening of the lock groove on the lock base; andwherein after moving the battery from the bottom of the electric vehicle into the fixing seat under the lifting action of the battery-changing mobile platform, the locking method further comprises:pushing the lock connecting rod to move upwards by an unlocking member, and driving the lock tongue to open the opening of the lock groove; anddetermining whether the lock connecting rod is currently in an unlocked state or in a locked state by the second positioning steel magnet stays at or passes through a sensing device provided on a moving track of the second positioning steel magnet, when the rod member is moved.
  • 2. The locking method according to claim 1, wherein the lock tongue comprises a stopping device, wherein pushing the lock connecting rod to move upwards by the unlocking member and driving the lock tongue to open the opening of the lock groove further comprises:driving the stopping device to move upwards by the lock connecting rod under the push of the unlocking member, and allowing the stopping device to leave the lock groove.
  • 3. The locking method according to claim 1, wherein after moving the battery from the bottom of the electric vehicle into the fixing seat under the lifting action of the battery-changing mobile platform, the locking method further comprises: moving the lock shaft around the battery towards an end, away from the opening, of the lock groove under the push of the battery-changing mobile platform until the lock shaft comes into contact with the end, away from the opening, of the lock groove.
  • 4. The locking method according to claim 3, wherein the lock groove comprises a locking region, wherein moving the lock shaft around the battery to an end, away from the opening, of the lock groove under the push of the battery-changing mobile platform until the lock shaft comes into contact with the end, away from the opening, of the lock groove comprises:translating the shaft rod into the locking region of the lock groove under the push of the battery-changing mobile platform.
  • 5. The locking method according to claim 4, wherein the lock tongue comprises a stopping device, wherein after inserting the shaft rod of the lock shaft around the battery into the lock groove through the opening of the lock groove on the lock base, the locking method further comprises:enabling the stopping device to fall under the gravity of the lock connecting rod and laterally block a return path of the shaft rod after the shaft rod enters the locking region in the lock groove beyond a position of the stopping device.
  • 6. The locking method according to claim 1, wherein the lock shaft further comprises a shaft seat, the shaft rod is perpendicularly arranged to a surface of the shaft seat, a concave positioning hole is arranged in an end of the shaft rod away from the shaft seat, a first positioning steel magnet is mounted in the positioning hole, and a back surface of the lock body has a lock shaft sensing hole in connection with the lock groove; wherein after moving the battery from the bottom of the electric vehicle into the fixing seat under the lifting action of the battery-changing mobile platform, the locking method further comprises:determining whether the battery currently enters the lock groove by the first positioning steel magnet mounted on the shaft rod being sensed by the sensing device when passing through the lock shaft sensing hole, when the lock shaft enters the lock groove.
  • 7. An unlocking method for unlocking a locking device that mounts a battery to a fixing seat of an electric vehicle, wherein the locking device comprises: a lock base configured to provide a locking position, and comprising a lock body having a surface provided with a lock groove recessed towards the inside of the lock body, the lock body being provided with a lock tongue groove and a lock tongue movably mounted in the lock tongue groove, and the lock tongue groove being in connection with the lock groove;a lock connecting rod movably connected with the lock base through the lock tongue, and configured to control lock tongues of a plurality of lock bases simultaneously and perform synchronous locking of the plurality of lock bases, wherein the lock connecting rod comprises a rod member, and a second positioning steel magnet is mounted on the rod member; anda lock shaft comprising a shaft rod, the shaft rod being configured to be inserted into the lock groove of the lock base to perform unlocking and locking,wherein the unlocking method comprises:making an unlocking device on a battery-changing mobile platform contact the lock connecting rod and push the lock connecting rod to rise, so that the lock tongue leaves the lock groove; andmoving the battery to withdraw the shaft rod from the lock groove, and completing a battery removal process; andwherein during rise of the lock connecting rod, the rod member is moved, and the second positioning steel magnet stays at or passes through a sensing device provided on a moving track of the second positioning steel magnet to determine whether the lock connecting rod is currently in the unlocked state or in the locked state.
  • 8. The unlocking method according to claim 7, wherein the lock tongue has a stop block, and wherein making the unlocking device on the battery-changing mobile platform contact the lock connecting rod and push the lock connecting rod to rise to allow the lock tongue to leave the lock groove, comprises: pushing the lock connecting rod upwards by the unlocking device on the battery-changing mobile platform in an upward lifting process, and driving the stop block of the lock tongue to leave the lock groove.
  • 9. The unlocking method according to claim 7, wherein the lock connecting rod comprises a rod member configured to drive the lock tongue to move, and the rod member is provided with an unlocking block on a side facing the lock base, wherein making the unlocking device on the battery-changing mobile platform contact the lock connecting rod and push the lock connecting rod to rise to allow the lock tongue to leave the lock groove, comprises:lifting the rod member by the unlocking block under the push of the unlocking device of the battery-changing mobile platform, and allowing the lock connecting rod to drive the lock tongue to switch between an unlocking state and a locking state.
  • 10. The unlocking method according to claim 9, wherein the unlocking block is configured as an arc protrusion formed outwardly by the rod member, and the unlocking block has a top configured as an inner arc groove recessed towards the rod member; wherein making the unlocking device on the battery-changing mobile platform contact the lock connecting rod and push the lock connecting rod to rise to allow the lock tongue to leave the lock groove, comprises:pushing the lock connecting rod to move along the arc protrusion in a transverse direction by the unlocking device.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
201611041220.4 Nov 2016 CN national
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/462,828, which is a National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/CN2017/111994 filed on Nov. 21, 2017, which claims priority to and benefits of Chinese Patent Application Serial No. 201611041220.4, titled “Locking Device and Electric Vehicle” and filed on Nov. 21, 2016, the entire contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

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Related Publications (1)
Number Date Country
20220258587 A1 Aug 2022 US
Divisions (1)
Number Date Country
Parent 16462828 US
Child 17739499 US