Battery rental system and apparatus
AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMamoru Kokubu, Tomohide Shimizu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
After confirmation that a user is an authorized user by bringing a user certification into proximity to a user discriminating device, following the guidance of a touch panel display device, a battery is selected, and the battery, for which a lock thereof is unlocked, is taken out from a battery supply device. Thereafter, the battery is installed in a two electric wheeled vehicle in a parking apparatus, and the two wheeled electric vehicle is unlocked and used.
Claims14
A battery rental system wherein batteries are supplied for use in rental vehicles, comprising:
- a battery supply device holding a plurality of batteries each accommodated in a locked state in a corresponding battery receptacle, for charging said batteries, and for unlocking and supplying a desired one of said batteries;
- a user discriminating device for discerning users who shall use said batteries;
- a selecting device for selecting from among usable batteries;
- a rental return control device for controlling said battery supply device, said user discrimination device, and said selection device, and performing rental and return processing of said batteries;
- a user management device for managing use condition of users who use said batteries;
- a plurality of battery receptacles each of said receptacles including a locking mechanism for accommodating a single battery therein in said locked state;
- and
- means for unlocking said locking mechanism and releasing the battery from said locked state, for permitting a user to grasp and pull said batteries out of said receptacles.
A battery supply device wherein batteries are supplied for use in rental vehicles the battery supply device having a receptacle for accommodating therein a rentable battery, a charge circuit for charging the battery accommodated in said receptacle, and comprising a lock mechanism for locking the battery accommodated in said receptacle, said lock mechanism comprising:
- a claw member for engaging said battery;
- a holder for retractably supporting said claw member against the battery;
- a resilient member for projecting said claw member toward a side of said battery, whereby said claw member engages a projection disposed on the side of said battery;
- and
- a stop means having a retractable stop member for maintaining the projected state of said claw member by engagement of said stop member with a portion of said holder,
- wherein when said battery is inserted into said receptacle, said claw member retracts while opposing the elastic force of said resilient member, and
- wherein when said battery is pulled out from said receptacle by a user, said holder is moved angularly by said projection, thereby inclining said claw member to permit removal of said battery.
A battery supply device wherein batteries are supplied for use in plural rental vehicles, comprising:
- a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle accommodating a rentable battery therein in a locked state, each of said receptacles comprising:
- a charging circuit for charging the battery accommodated in the receptacle;
- a lock mechanism for locking the battery accommodated in the receptacle;
- means for unlocking said lock mechanism and releasing said battery from said locked state, for permitting a user to grasp and pull said battery out of the receptacle;
- a charge detection means for detecting a charge state of the battery accommodated in the receptacle;
- and
- an availability detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of the battery in the receptacle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.