Interoperable EV Batteries for Enhanced Vehicle Adoption

A system for sharing electric vehicle (EV) batteries to enable easy, fast swapping of discharged batteries for fully charged ones. The system uses standardized, removable battery modules that can be swapped at dedicated exchange stations. EV owners can exchange their discharged battery for a charged one on the go, avoiding the need for lengthy recharging stops.

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Battery swapping method for electric vehicles that reduces the size and complexity of battery swap stations by avoiding the need to rotate the battery packs. The method involves using a specialized overturning mechanism to move the battery packs between the vehicle and charging compartment without rotating them. The mechanism has two perpendicular sections that hold the packs at different positions. The packs are moved between the sections without flipping. This allows vertical transfer of packs without requiring a large rotating area.

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Battery covering structure with replaceable terminals for connecting to the battery body. The terminals are detachably connected to the covering using screws. This allows different terminals to be swapped out to match different battery types and sizes. A lead plate between the terminals and covering provides electrical connection to the battery.

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An energy system that enables seamless integration of batteries with different chemistries for flexible energy storage. The system uses a link device to connect batteries with incompatible chemistries. The link device regulates the power profile to allow the incompatible batteries to charge and discharge together. This allows using external batteries with different chemistries to supplement the primary battery in the system. The link device prioritizes charging/discharging of the primary battery, external batteries, or both. This allows balancing charge/discharge, bypassing the primary battery, or simultaneous charging/discharging.

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Modular battery exchange system that allows scaling of battery replacement capacity at a battery exchange station after initial deployment. The system uses detachable, modular battery charging modules that can be added or removed from a station as demand changes. Each module has a tray to guide and hold a battery, a power terminal to charge it, a communication terminal for battery management, and an indicator to show charge level. The modules are detachable and can be easily swapped to expand or contract the number of batteries in a station without replacing the entire unit.

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Hot-swap battery module that can be inserted into a battery pack without worrying about voltage mismatch. The module has switches, transistors, and circuitry to manage charging, discharging, and voltage levels. When a new module is inserted, it starts in a low-current discharge mode to prevent reverse charging. If the pack voltage is normal, it soft starts charging. If the pack voltage is low, it provides a controlled discharge to match pack voltage. If the pack voltage is very low, it disconnects. This allows hot-swapping without voltage mismatch issues.

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Battery-vehicle interface solutions for supporting use of swappable batteries in electric vehicles. The interface allows quick and efficient battery swapping in infrastructure like fueling stations for electric vehicles. The swappable battery has a control circuit and connectors to interact with the vehicle. The vehicle also has a power distribution system and connectors for the battery. This allows seamless swapping of drained batteries for charged ones at fueling stations without disconnecting the vehicle. The battery interface enables monitoring and management of the swapped battery in the vehicle.

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Battery swapping system for electric vehicles that uses sensors to ensure accurate and safe battery pack mounting during swapping. The system has a position sensor on the vehicle's quick swapping support and a detection section on the battery pack. When the sensor detects the detection section is in the correct position, it sends a stopping instruction to prevent further movement. This prevents the pack from being mounted incorrectly due to weight instability or operator error. The sensor type can be capacitive, inductive, or photoelectric.

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Rechargeable battery system for electric vehicles that enables battery swapping at strategic locations instead of waiting for charging. The system has modular batteries that can be easily swapped between a vehicle and a battery rack at charging stations. This allows rapid battery swapping like refueling instead of waiting for charging. The system also provides a mobile app to track station locations, facilitates remote or manual ejection of batteries, and computes payment based on charge level difference. The charging stations can also generate power from renewable sources.

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Battery pack design that allows using interchangeable sub-modules containing different types of lithium-ion cells from various suppliers. The pack has a modular chassis with compartments for receiving the sub-modules. Internal interconnects couple the sub-modules to a central battery pack controller. This allows mixing and matching sub-modules from different cell technologies and form factors without needing to redesign the pack for each cell type. The pack controller can communicate, balance, and monitor the sub-modules through dedicated buses.

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Battery locking/unlocking system and methods for electric vehicle battery swapping that accurately locates and locks/unlocks batteries during swapping to improve speed and success rate. The system has lock slots in the base and snapping lock shafts on the battery. Location sensors detect position. When loading, the shafts snap into slots. When unloading, the shafts are lifted by the device while sensors ensure proper alignment. This prevents errors and ensures precise swapping.

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A simplified locking mechanism for swapping batteries in electric vehicles that reduces parts count and size compared to existing mechanisms. The mechanism uses sliding blocks on the vehicle chassis that guide the battery bolt. In assembled state, the bolt is sandwiched between the sliding blocks. Rotating the bolt moves the sliding blocks apart, allowing the bolt to slide in the guide. The blocks have springs to return them. This replaces multiple complex locking mechanisms with fewer, simpler sliding blocks.

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A device for swapping depleted electric vehicle batteries with fully charged ones while the vehicle is moving. The device has a loader with multiple charged batteries and a robotic arm that can move between the vehicle battery compartment and loader. The arm can detach the depleted battery from the vehicle and replace it with a charged one from the loader. This allows efficient battery swapping to extend range without long charging times.

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Modular battery pack design for high power applications like electric vehicles that allows flexible expandability and interchangeability. The pack uses universal battery modules (UBMs) with integrated cell stacks, sensors, and basic control. Multiple UBMs are connected in strings and managed by a master control module (MCM). The UBMs communicate over a standard bus and can be mixed and matched in packs of different sizes. The MCM provides pack level functions like balancing, safety, and pack enable/disable. This allows customizable packs by swapping UBMs instead of redesigning the entire pack for changed load requirements.

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