Description:A Cradle Based Swappable Battery Assembly for Electric Vehicle
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to battery mounting assembly and battery packs for electric vehicles. More particularly, this invention relates to a cradle-based structure assembly for mounting swappable batteries.
Background of the Invention
The electric vehicles rely on a battery pack comprising a number of identical batteries or individual battery cells as the energy storage medium needed for propulsion power. The battery packs make up one to two thirds the cost of the electric vehicle and are expensive. Placing batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) presents several challenges that manufacturers and engineers need to address to ensure optimal performance, safety, and user experience. The challenges with regard to battery mounting are numerous which include, but not limited to, space constraints, as EVs often have specific design requirements and limited available space due to aesthetic considerations, therefore, it is important to maximize battery capacity within the available space without compromising the vehicle's aesthetics or interior comfort.
Batteries generate heat during charging and discharging, therefore, temperature and fire control are vital for battery health and safety. At the same time, placing batteries in a way that facilitates effective thermal management, including proper heat dissipation and even temperature distribution, is a significant challenge.
The battery's placement can affect the vehicle's overall structural integrity and also the batteries, like any other component, might require maintenance or replacement over the vehicle's lifetime. Placing batteries in accessible locations, without requiring excessive disassembly or dismantling of the vehicle, can simplify maintenance and reduce associated costs. Placing batteries in certain areas of the vehicle increases manufacturing complexity and cost. Balancing the benefits of performance and safety improvements with the additional expenses associated with specialized manufacturing processes is challenging.
Further, the location of the battery influences the ease of connecting the vehicle to charging stations. Placing the battery in a way that facilitates easy access to charging ports, whether they're located at the front, rear, or sides of the vehicle, can enhance user convenience.
Most importantly, battery degradation or damage is another challenge that electrified transportation faces. Due to the relative movement of the battery with respect to the moving vehicle while the vehicle is running, degradation of the battery components over time is inevitable, however this degradation can be further accelerated by wear and tear caused during swapping of the batteries at charging stations or transfer of vehicle’s vibration to the battery, and this could cause temporary or permanent damage to the battery or may reduce its service life.
Several attempts have been made in the past to address some of the challenges discussed above. Battery swapping station solves the problem of battery energy through charging stations, which makes easy and quick power regain by the vehicle, but then the existing solutions have challenges pertaining to mounting of batteries and its damage or degradation, and ease for maintenance.
Although the existing solutions are useful, still there is a need in the art to provide innovative designs of a battery packs and assembly thereof for electric vehicles that allow easy swapping without compromising service life of the batteries and ensures no relative movement with respect to the vehicle, and the user experience is improved.
Summary of the Invention
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Nor is this summary intended to be used to limit the claimed subject matter’s scope.
Both the foregoing summary and the following detailed description provide examples and are explanatory only. Accordingly, the foregoing summary and the following detailed description should not be considered to be restrictive. Further, features or variations may be provided in addition to those set forth herein. For example, embodiments may be directed to various feature combinations and sub-combinations described in the detailed description.
It is one of the objectives of the present invention to provide a cradle-based battery assembly which is designed to house battery packs and ensures to eliminate its relative motion or possibility of loose contacts with respect to the vehicle.
It is one of the objectives of the present invention to provide a cradle-based swappable battery assembly which is designed to house battery packs and fully avoid wear and tear while swapping of the batteries so as to increase service life of the battery.
It is one of the objectives of the present invention to provide a cradle-based swappable battery assembly which is designed in a manner that avoids transfer of vibration to the batteries.
It is one of the objectives of the present invention to provide a cradle-based swappable battery assembly which is anti-abrasive and fire-proof for the batteries.
It is one of the objectives of the present invention to provide a cradle-based swappable battery assembly having battery casing of high dimensional stability.
As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art that the present disclosure has broad utility and application. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the disclosure and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
Accordingly, while embodiments are described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present disclosure and are made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded in any claim of a patent issuing here from, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.
Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which an ordinary artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the ordinary artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the ordinary artisan should prevail.
Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. When used herein to join a list of items, “or” , “/” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.”
In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a cradle based swappable battery assembly for an electric vehicle, comprises of a battery mounting frame bolted on to rear downside along width and on to a chassis of the electric vehicle, and a plurality of battery casings arranged perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the vehicle, wherein each casing is designed to contain a swappable batter along the direction of the movement or along width of the vehicle, wherein said frame is having one or more beams fixedly and/or detachably arranged along outer periphery of the length and height of one or more battery casings.

In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a cradle based swappable battery assembly for an electric vehicle, comprises of a battery mounting frame bolted on to rear downside along width and on to a chassis of the electric vehicle, and a plurality
of battery casings arranged perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the vehicle, wherein each casing is designed to contain a swappable batter along the direction of the movement or along width of the vehicle, wherein said frame is having one or more beams fixedly and/or detachably arranged along outer periphery of the length and height of one or more battery casings, wherein said battery casing is formed by an upper panel, a bottom panel and a back plate, wherein each said panel and plate are provided with one or more grooves on its interior surface.
In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a cradle based swappable battery assembly for an electric vehicle, comprises of a battery mounting frame bolted on to rear downside along width and on to a chassis of the electric vehicle, and a plurality of battery casings arranged perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the vehicle, wherein each casing is designed to contain a swappable battery along the direction of the movement of the vehicle, wherein said frame is having one or more beams fixedly and/or detachably arranged along outer periphery of the length and height of one or more battery casings, wherein said battery casing is further provided with one or more guiding rings placed between the swappable battery and an inner surface of the casing.
In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a cradle based swappable battery assembly for an electric vehicle, comprises of a battery mounting frame bolted on to rear downside along width and on to a chassis of the electric vehicle, and a plurality of battery casings arranged perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the vehicle, wherein each casing is designed to contain a swappable battery along the direction of the movement of the vehicle, wherein said frame is having one or more beams fixedly and/or detachably arranged along outer periphery of the length and height of one or more battery casings, wherein said battery casing is further provided with one or more guiding rings placed between the swappable battery and an inner surface of the casing, wherein said guiding rings are arranged within and along length of the casing, wherein said swappable battery is placed between said guiding rings.
In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a cradle based swappable battery assembly for an electric vehicle, comprises of a battery mounting frame bolted on to rear downside along width and on to a chassis of the electric vehicle, and a plurality of battery casings arranged perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the vehicle, wherein each casing is designed to contain a swappable battery along the direction of the movement of the vehicle, wherein said frame is having one or more beams fixedly and/or detachably arranged along outer periphery of the length and height of one or more battery casings, wherein said battery casing is provided with an openable door on its front side and having a latch for locking the door, wherein said door is provided with a soft corrugated rubber damper on its inner side for positive clamping of the battery against force applied by the door.
In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a cradle based swappable battery assembly for an electric vehicle, comprises of a battery mounting frame bolted on to rear downside along width and on to a chassis of the electric vehicle, and a plurality of battery casings arranged perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the vehicle, wherein each casing is designed to contain a swappable battery along the direction of the movement of the vehicle, wherein said frame is having one or more beams fixedly and/or detachably arranged along outer periphery of the length and height of one or more battery casings, wherein said back plate is provided with a power transmitting unit connected to the swappable battery for powering the vehicle.
In accordance with any of the above embodiments, wherein said electric vehicle is a three-wheeler or four-wheeler or a truck or a bus.
In accordance with any of the above embodiments, wherein said frame is configured to accommodate four battery casings arranged along width of the electric vehicle.
In accordance with any of the above embodiments, wherein a front and rear beam are fixedly arranged around and along outer periphery of the length and height of the outer periphery of the four battery casings.
In accordance with any of the above embodiments, wherein said frame is having one or more supporting member fixedly inclined between the rear beam and the chassis of the vehicle.
In accordance with any of the above embodiments, wherein said battery casing is provided with fire shielding and anti-abrasive surfaces.
Brief Description of the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 shows perspective view of the cradle based swappable battery assembly for an electric vehicle.
Figure 2 shows exploded view of the battery casing.
Figure 3 shows perspective view of the cradle based swappable battery assembly mounted on the floor with swappable battery inside the battery casing.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While many embodiments of the disclosure may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims. The present disclosure contains headers. It should be understood that these headers are used as references and are not to be construed as limiting upon the subjected matter disclosed under the header.
Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a cradle based swappable battery assembly (100), wherein a battery mounting frame (101) is bolted on to rear downside along width and on to a chassis of the electric vehicle, wherein said frame (101) is mounted with the help of brackets (111) on both side of the vehicle along its width. Further, the brackets (111) are fastened onto the vehicle chassis by means of nut and bolts (or welded directly to the chassis), wherein tuned damper (112) are provided between each bracket.
The frame (101) is having two upper beams (102 and 105) and two lower beams (103 and 104) parallelly arranged along width of the vehicle for fixedly surrounding the upper and lower part of the battery casings. The frame is further provided with two side beams (106 and 109) each connected to the pair of upper (102) and lower beam (103), wherein the same structural arrangement is provided on the other side of the frame along width of the vehicle.
Further, the frame (101) is housed with four battery casings (107) bolted from upper and lower side by means of nut bolts between the upper (102 and 105) and lower beams (103 and 104), wherein cradle assembly (100) is provided with a door structure along the width of vehicle consist of two vertical members (115) welded to one horizontal member (110). Four doors (116) are mounted on door structure with help of nuts and bolts. The door structure has latch (108) welded to it at two locations. Door structure is bolted to (105) with the help of two hinges (117) allowing opening and closing of the door structure swivelling upward.
The cradle assembly (100) maintains its structural and dimensional stability with the help of above-mentioned beams, hinges, latch and locking. Further, said frame (101) is having one or more supporting member (116) fixedly inclined between the rear beam (106) and the chassis of the vehicle so as to provide strength to its structure.
Referring to Figure 2, there is shown an exploded view of the battery casing (107), wherein said battery casing (107) is formed by an upper panel (213), single piece bottom panel [in ‘U’ shape] (206) and a back plate (213), wherein said side panels are provided with one or more grooves (207) on its exterior surface, wherein the back plate (213) is having a protruded surface (216) on its interior side to fixate battery’s rear portion, wherein said back plate (213) is provided with a power transmitting unit (214) which is basically a connector between the swappable battery (316) and remaining parts of vehicle for powering the vehicle as a whole.
The battery casing (107) is further provided with two one or more guiding rings (211 and 212) placed between the swappable battery (316) and an inner surface of the casing (107), wherein said guiding rings are provided with slots (217) and battery (316) shape matching profile on its complete interior perimeter so as to allow fixed orientation of the swappable battery (316) inside the casing (107), wherein said guiding rings (211 and 212) are arranged within and along length of the casing (107), wherein said swappable battery (316) is placed between said guiding rings (211 and 212) on a bracket battery support (210) along the length of the casing. Bracket battery support (210) has anti abrasive characteristics ensuring minimal friction there by minimizing wear and tear of battery during swapping operation. This can be coating of an entoparasite tape or frictionless plastic material.
Further, a pair of battery holding dampers (209) are provided between the door (116) and front surface of the battery (316) to minimize the reach of vibration to the battery placed inside the casing (107), wherein said pair of battery holding dampers (209) are soft corrugated rubber damper (209) used for positive clamping of the battery (316) against force applied by the door (116), hence ensuring minimal movement of the battery inside the container.
Referring to Figure 3, the battery (316) is shown be housed within the casing (107) and locked from front side employing the front beam (110), wherein the front beam is locked employing a latch, wherein the battery (316) is swapped from the front side after unlocking the latch (108) and removing the front beam (110), wherein the bracket battery support (210) is an anti-abrasive surface, therefore, while sliding the battery over it, there is no abrasion on the bottom surface of the battery, hence increasing service life of the battery. Further, a sheet (315) is mounted between (111) and (112) which acts as a fire shield and direct exposure of mud and dirt.
While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, some embodiments have been illustrated by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail above. The intention, however, is not to limit the invention by those examples and the invention is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives to the embodiments described in this specification.

The embodiments in the specification are described in a progressive manner and focus of description in each embodiment is the difference from other embodiments. For same or similar parts of each embodiment, reference may be made to each other.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above description was in respect of preferred embodiments and that various alterations and modifications are possible within the broad scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention with the necessary modifications.

Based on the description of disclosed embodiments, persons skilled in the art can implement or apply the present disclosure. Various modifications of the embodiments are apparent to persons skilled in the art, and general principles defined in the specification can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments in the specification but intends to cover the most extensive scope consistent with the principle and the novel features disclosed in the specification. , Claims:We claim:
1. A cradle based swappable battery assembly (100) for an electric vehicle, comprises of:
a battery mounting frame (101) bolted on to rear downside along width and on to a chassis of the electric vehicle; and
a plurality of battery casings (107) arranged perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the vehicle, wherein each casing (107) is designed to contain a swappable battery (316) along the direction of the movement or along width of the vehicle,
wherein said frame (101) is having one or more beams (102, 103, 104 and 105) fixedly and/or detachably arranged along outer periphery of the length and height of one or more battery casings (107).
2. The battery assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery casing (107) is formed by an upper panel (213), a bottom panel (206) and a back plate (213), wherein bottom panel has one or more grooves (207) on its exterior surface.
3. The battery assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery casing (107) is further provided with one or more guiding rings (211 and 212) placed between the swappable battery (316) and an inner surface of the casing (107).
4. The battery assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said guiding rings (211 and 212) are arranged within and along length of the casing (107), wherein said swappable battery (316) is placed between said guiding rings (211 and 212).
5. The battery assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery casing (107) is provided with an openable door (116) on its front side and having a latch (108) for locking the door (116), wherein said door (116) is provided with a soft corrugated rubber damper (209) on its inner side for positive clamping of the battery (316) against force applied by the door (116).
6. The battery assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said back plate (213) is provided with a power transmitting unit (214) connected to the swappable battery (316) for powering the vehicle.
7. The battery assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electric vehicle is a three-wheeler or four-wheeler or a truck or a bus.
8. The battery assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame (101) is configured to accommodate four battery casings (107) arranged along width of the electric vehicle.
9. The battery assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a front (102 and 105) and rear beam (103 and 104) are fixedly arranged around and along outer periphery of the length and height of the outer periphery of the four battery casings (107).
10. The battery assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame (101) is having one or more supporting member (116) fixedly inclined between the rear beam (106) and the chassis of the vehicle.
11. The battery assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery casing (107) is provided with fire shielding / mud protector (315) and anti-abrasive surfaces (210).