초록 ▼

A system for replacing electrical batteries in electrically powered vehicles in a minimum period of time on the order of one minute or less. Carriage-elevator structure is arranged in front of a battery charging station to transfer selected batteries between the charging station and a parked station

A system for replacing electrical batteries in electrically powered vehicles in a minimum period of time on the order of one minute or less. Carriage-elevator structure is arranged in front of a battery charging station to transfer selected batteries between the charging station and a parked stationary vehicle. The vehicle and the charging station are provided with roller support units adapted to bear the battery weight and permit manual push-and/or pull shift of individual batteries to or from the aforementioned elevator. The system enables a substantially discharged battery to be removed from a vehicle and replaced with a fully charged battery in a very short time, e.g. about one minute.

대표청구항 ▼

In association with battery-powered vehicles, the combination comprising an upright battery charging station that includes first horizontal roller support units constructed to receive battery modules for charging purposes; said support units being arranged in vertical rows, adjacent ones of the rows

In association with battery-powered vehicles, the combination comprising an upright battery charging station that includes first horizontal roller support units constructed to receive battery modules for charging purposes; said support units being arranged in vertical rows, adjacent ones of the rows being in side-by-side relationship; an upright battery module transfer mechanism movable horizontally along one face of the battery charging station for selective registration with different ones of the vertical rows of horizontal roller support units in said station; an elevator carried by the transfer mechanism for selective registration with different ones of the battery modules in any given vertical row; said elevator including a second roller support unit for supporting at least one battery module thereon; and a third battery module roller support unit located within an automobile for registration with a module roller support unit on the elevator after the vehicle has been driven to a prespecified location near the path traversed by the aforementioned transfer mechanism; each battery module support unit comprising a number of horizontal rollers adapted to rollably engage the undersurface of a battery module; the various module roller support units being sufficiently close to one another when the vehicle is in the prespecified location that a given battery module can be moved horizontally from the third roller support unit to a second roller support unit and thence onto selected ones of the first roller support units; each battery module comprising a rectangular box and a plurality of batteries disposed therein; two sets of external terminals on opposite ends of the box, and electrical connections between said batteries and said external terminals; said charging station including a first electrical receptacle located above each one of the first roller support units for electrical engagement by one set of terminals on a battery box when the box is moved to its intended position in the charging station; and a second electrical receptacle located above the third roller support unit in the vehicle for electrical engagement by the other set of terminals on the battery box when the box is moved to its intended position in the vehicle.