Battery Swapping System and Techniques
AssigneeTesla Motors, Inc.
InventorsAlan Clarke, Matthew Lee Brown, Eric Orlando GAFFOGLIO, Samuel Milan POZNANOVICH, II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A battery pack lift system includes: a frame having nutrunners mounted thereon according to a battery pack fastener pattern for a vehicle; a lift configured to raise and lower the frame with regard to the vehicle; a first air bearing positioned between the frame and the lift, the first air bearing configured to allow relative movement between the frame and the lift; and a second air bearing positioned on the frame, the second air bearing configured to allow relative movement between a battery pack and the frame.
Claims16
A battery pack lift system comprising:
- a frame having nutrunners mounted thereon according to a battery pack fastener pattern for a vehicle;
- a lift configured to raise and lower the frame with regard to the vehicle;
- a first air bearing positioned between the frame and the lift, the first air bearing configured to allow relative movement between the frame and the lift;
- and
- a second air bearing positioned on the frame, the second air bearing configured to allow relative movement between a battery pack and the frame.
A method of exchanging a battery pack of a vehicle, the method comprising:
- positioning a battery pack lift system and the vehicle relative to each other, the battery pack lift system having a frame with nutrunners mounted thereon according to a battery pack fastener pattern for the vehicle and a lift configured to raise and lower the frame with regard to the vehicle;
- aligning the frame to a first battery pack on the vehicle, the alignment created using a first air bearing positioned between the frame and the lift;
- unfastening the first battery pack using the nutrunners and removing the first battery pack from the vehicle;
- aligning a second battery pack to the frame using a second air bearing on the frame, wherein the second battery pack obtains the alignment created for the first battery pack;
- and
- bringing the second battery pack to the vehicle using the lift, and fastening the second battery pack using the nutrunners.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.