# US 11,114,873 B2 · Contingency battery charging system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,114,873 B2 - Document ID: US11114873B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/366,389 - Filed: 2019-03-27 - Published: 2019-10-03 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-03 - Assignees: Walmart Apollo, LLC - Applicants: Walmart Apollo, LLC - Inventors: Micah Baldwin; Mitchell Barnett - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114873B2 ## CPC - H02J 7/751: {concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries} - B60L 1/006: {to power outlets} - B60L 53/50: Charging stations characterised by energy-storage or power-generation means - B60L 53/80: Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries - H01M 10/06: Lead-acid accumulators (semi-lead accumulators H01M10/20) - H01M 50/247: specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers - H02J 7/1423: {with multiple batteries} - H02J 7/342: {The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68)} - H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/92: Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract The system and method described herein provide a contingency battery charging system that can be deployed on demand to a location in need of an alternate power system to power industrial vehicles (such as forklifts or other industrial vehicles used in a transportation and distribution operation). The contingency battery charging system can be transported from a centrally-located standby location to support a fleet of industrial vehicles at a deployment location. The contingency battery charging system may include a truck trailer that is wired to facilitate quick deployment of one or more transportable battery charging stations. Each transportable battery charging station may include at least one battery charger capable of concurrently charging multiple lead-acid batteries for use in industrial vehicles. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A transportable battery charging station, comprising: one or more battery chargers capable of charging a plurality of lead-acid batteries; a transportation container configured for transport from a standby location to a deployment location, the transportation container including one or more fixed connectors for connecting a transportable power source to the one or more battery chargers, wherein at least one fixed connector includes an exterior mounted turn-locking connector for connection to an electric power generator; a plurality of battery stands; and a rack structure for mounting and wiring the one or more battery chargers to the plurality of battery stands, wherein the rack structure is constructed to fit in the transportation container. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The transportable battery charging station of claim 1, wherein the rack structure is constructed with a stable base that forms a space for an industrial vehicle to lift and move the rack structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The transportable battery charging station of claim 1, further comprising: at least one cable tray incorporated with the rack structure, the at least one cable tray for organizing power charging cables from a power source to the one or more battery chargers or from the one or more battery chargers to the plurality of battery stands. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The transportable battery charging station of claim 1, further comprising: at least one power distribution panel for distributing power from a power source to the one or more battery chargers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The transportable battery charging station of claim 1, further comprising: charging cables wired from the one or more battery chargers to the plurality of battery stands. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The transportable battery charging station of claim 1, further comprising: one or more lead-acid batteries stowed on the plurality of battery stands in the rack structure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The transportable battery charging station of claim 1, wherein the transportable battery charging station is capable of concurrently charging multiple lead-acid batteries. ### Claim 8 A system for providing contingency battery power, the system comprising: a first truck trailer for transportation of at least a first transportable battery charging station; the first transportable battery charging station having one or more battery chargers mounted to a rack structure constructed to fit in the first truck trailer for transportation from a standby location to a deployment location; at least a first fixed connector incorporated into the first truck trailer for connecting a power source to a power distribution system of the first truck trailer, wherein the first fixed connector includes an exterior mounted turn-locking connector for connection to an electric power generator outside the first truck trailer; and at least a second fixed connector incorporated into the first truck trailer for connecting the power distribution system to the one or more battery chargers of the first transportable battery charging station. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the power source comprises an electric power generator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, further comprising: an amp breaker between the first fixed connector and the power distribution system of the first truck trailer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the second fixed connector includes an exterior mounted turn-locking connector at a rear of the first truck trailer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, further comprising: one or more cable trays incorporated into an interior of the first truck trailer, the one or more cable trays capable of supporting electric cables running from the power distribution system to the one or more battery chargers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, further comprising multiple transportable battery charging stations, wherein the multiple transportable battery charging stations are capable of concurrently charging multiple lead-acid batteries. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, further comprising: a battery changing apparatus stowed in the first truck trailer, wherein the battery changing apparatus facilitates changing a battery in a first industrial vehicle with a lead-acid battery charged by the first transportable battery charging station. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the battery changing apparatus comprises an adapter that attaches to a second industrial vehicle that is used to change the battery in the first industrial vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, further comprising: a second truck trailer for transportation of additional transportable battery charging stations. ### Claim 17 A contingency battery charging system, comprising: a plurality of trailers for transporting multiple transportable battery charging stations from a standby location to a deployment location, wherein each trailer of the plurality of trailers is equipped with a first fixed connector electrically coupled to wiring inside each trailer, and wherein the wiring inside each trailer is electrically coupled to one or more power output connectors at a dock side portion of each trailer; the multiple transportable battery charging stations, each transportable battery charging station having one or more battery chargers and a plurality of battery stands mounted to a rack structure, the one or more battery chargers capable of charging lead-acid batteries; a generator trailer for transporting a generator from the standby location to the deployment location; power cables to connect the generator to the first fixed connector on each trailer of the plurality of trailers; power cables to connect the multiple transportable battery charging stations to the second fixed connector on each trailer of the plurality of trailers; charging cables to connect the lead-acid batteries to the one or more battery chargers; and a battery puller adapter configured to facilitate changing fuel cells in a fleet of industrial vehicles with the lead-acid batteries. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The contingency battery charging system of claim 17, further comprising: multiple lead-acid batteries for use in the fleet of industrial vehicles, wherein the multiple lead-acid batteries are transported to the deployment location in one or more of the following: the plurality of trailers, the generator trailer, another trailer, or a transportation vehicle.