Abstract:
A method for mounting or removing a power supply container of a drive motor of a motor vehicle that is secured to the motor vehicle using a bolt acted on by a piston. The method includes: acting on the piston to move the pistons relative to the bolt so as to disengage the bolt; and rotating the bolt such as to lock or unlock the bolt and lock or unlock the battery.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to a method for mounting or removing, for example in order to recharge and/or replace it, a container of energy that powers an engine or motor that propels a motor vehicle. It also relates to a mounting or removal system and to an energy-container exchange station implementing such a method. 
     Certain motor vehicles, such as electric or hybrid vehicles, comprise a container of energy that powers a propulsion engine or motor, such as an electric battery that powers an electric motor. It may prove advantageous to exchange this container, when its level of energy is low, for a new container which is full of energy. This can be done in a station similar to a service station in which a motor vehicle can have its tank filled with gasoline. 
     Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,606 discloses a station for exchanging the electric battery that powers a motor that propels an electric vehicle and a method for performing such an exchange. In the exchange station described, the driver positions the vehicle approximately in a rail, against a longitudinal end stop with respect to equipment belonging to the station. After that, in phases that are fairly automatic, mobile means for removing the electric battery and for assembling the new battery in the vehicle position themselves relative to the vehicle using sensors. The number of sensors and electronic means required for the operation of such a station makes it not very reliable and means that it cannot operate very robustly. 
     To make it easy to roll out energy container exchange stations (requiring little by way of technological competence), it is necessary to offer an energy container exchange system that is reliable and robust, and therefore a method for mounting or removing energy containers that works well. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a solution for mounting or removing an energy container that addresses the disadvantages mentioned hereinabove and improves the replacement methods known from the prior art. 
     In particular, the invention proposes a method for mounting or removing an energy container that is simple, reliable and automated. 
     To this end, the invention relies upon a method for mounting or removing a container of energy that powers an engine or motor that propels a motor vehicle, fixed to the motor vehicle using a lock on which a piston acts, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
         (E1): acting on the piston to cause it to move in relation to the lock in order to disengage the latter;   (E2): turning the lock to lock or unlock it and lock or unlock the battery.       

     The first step (E1) may consist in pushing the piston in order to move it translationally against an elastic means. 
     The second step (E2) may consist in rotating the lock by half a turn or less. 
     The second step (E2) may be obtained by associating a connecting means of a tool with a connecting means of one end of the lock. 
     The method may comprise a prior step (E0) of fixing a tool for implementing the method to at least one corresponding element of the vehicle body shell, of the battery or of the lock. 
     The prior step (E0) may comprise connecting the tool via at least two connecting elements which are distributed symmetrically about a connecting means of the lock. 
     The prior step (E0) may comprise inserting a mushroom-shaped element into a corresponding slot. 
     The steps of actuating the lock may be performed automatically using a motorized tool. 
     The invention also relates to a method for replacing a container of energy that powers an engine or motor that propels a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a method for mounting or removing the power supply energy container as described hereinabove. 
     The invention also relates to a system for mounting or removing a container of energy that powers an engine or motor that propels a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises hardware and/or software means for implementing the mounting or removal method as described hereinabove. 
     The invention also relates to a station for mounting or removing a container of energy that powers an engine or motor that propels a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a mounting or removal system as described above. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be explained in detail in the following description of one particular embodiment given by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the attached figures in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a view in cross section of a battery provided with a locking device suitable for implementation of the method for mounting or removing a battery according to the embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view from above of a tool that can be used to implement the method for mounting or removing a battery according to the embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view from above of a detail of how the battery and the tool collaborate with one another to implement the method for mounting or removing a battery according to the embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention applies to any vehicle comprising a power supply energy container positioned in the rear luggage compartment or under the chassis. The remainder of the description describes the removal of an energy container by describing the removal of a battery that supplies electrical power to a motor that propels a vehicle. However, the invention applies to any type of power supply container and also applies to the mounting of a power supply battery, by performing the steps described hereinbelow in reverse. 
     The method for removing a battery that supplies electric power to a motor vehicle according to the invention is connected with the principle via which such a battery is fixed, which is illustrated in  FIG. 1  by way of example. A battery  1  is locked by a lock  2  which comprises a first end  3 , collaborating with the body shell  10  of a motor vehicle which forms a latch fitting to perform the function of locking the battery, and a second end  4 , comprising a connecting means intended for actuating the lock  2 . The lock  2  is mounted so that it can turn on the battery, so that it can perform its locking or unlocking function. The battery further comprises a piston  5  acting on the lock  2  via an elastic element  6 , such as a spring, in order to keep the lock  2  securely in the locked position. 
     More generally, the method of removing the battery, which will be described hereinafter, is suited to any principle of fixing a battery of the previous type that combines a turning lock associated with a device for placing the lock under load. 
     The method of removing the battery  1  is implemented using a tool  11 , for example as depicted in  FIG. 2 , which will be described later on. It comprises the following two essential steps, performed automatically by the tool  11 :
         E1: action on the piston  5  to cause a relative movement of the piston  5  with respect to the lock  2  in order to disengage the latter;   E2: rotation of the lock  2  to allow the lock to come out of the latch fitting and unlock it.       

     The first step E1 may simply consist in pushing the piston  5  in order to move it translationally against the force of the elastic means  6 . The second step E2 may consist in turning the lock through one quarter of a turn, or in turning it through half a turn or less. 
     The method may comprise a prior step E0 of fixing the tool  11  to corresponding fixing elements  7  at the vehicle body shell, the battery or, more specifically, the lock, in order to ensure that it is correctly positioned with respect to the battery  1  and notably its locking system before the removal method described above is implemented reliably and well. 
     The fixing elements  7  of the tool  11  may take the form of mushrooms, which will preferably be arranged in such a way as to be accessible, of a shape that is easy to clean, resistant to the high stresses applied to them and which are not excessively bulky. Advantageously, two mushrooms are distributed symmetrically about the lock, in order to hold the tool stable. As an alternative, any other number of mushrooms and any shape of fixing elements  7  are acceptable without departing from the concept of the invention. 
     The tool can be fixed to the mushrooms by two types of movement: either through a translational movement or through a rotation in the plane of the mushrooms. 
     Finally, the removal method comprises one last step E4 of withdrawing the unlocked battery. To do that, the tool  11  may simply be returned in a translational movement in order to withdraw it and, at the same time, the battery. 
     These steps of the method for removing the battery are therefore performed via movements of a tool  11  which can be carried out in various ways, using independent actuators of the electrical, hydraulic type, using cam-operated dynamics, etc.  FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of a tool  11  capable of automatically carrying out the method of removing a battery according to the invention. 
     The tool  11  comprises an upper end  14  mounted on a cylindrical vertical rod (spindle  12 ) intended to collaborate with the connecting part of the lock  2 . This collaboration is illustrated more specifically in  FIG. 3 , in a phase during which the tool  11  is nearing the lock  2 , of which only the lower connecting part  2  and the two mushroom-shaped lateral connecting elements (fixing elements  7 ) are depicted. The end  14  of the tool  11  comprises two slots  17  positioned symmetrically about a connecting element  18  which is in the form of a mortise capable of accepting a corresponding rod of flat type, not depicted, positioned under the surface of the connecting element  4  of the lock  2 . Each slot has a substantially circular part  19  of substantial size, corresponding to a mushroom of fixing element  7 , so that such a mushroom can be inserted via this circular part  19 . Following on from that, each slot  17  comprises a narrower part  20  forming a portion of a circular arc, within which the narrower part  8  of a mushroom can move after it has been inserted through the opening  19 . Thus, during the step E0 of fixing the tool  11 , the openings  19  are brought closer to the mushrooms of fixing elements  7  until the latter become inserted in these openings, before the spindle  12  that locks the tool  11  in position via the mushrooms of fixing elements  7  is rotated. As an alternative, this fixing could be obtained using a different geometry and/or different movements, such as a translational movement. Thereafter, the central part of the spindle  12  moves in a vertical translational movement to come to rest against the piston  5  and disengage the lock, according to step E1. Finally, rotation of the connecting element  18  turns the lock to unlock it, according to step E2. 
     In order to obtain these various movements, the tool  11  has three independent motors, for example electric or pneumatic or hydraulic motors, an upper link rod  21  for fixing the tool to the mushrooms, a lower link rod  22  for turning the central part of the spindle  12  to unlock the lock, and a device  23  for causing the translational movement of the spindle  12 . Note that these two movements may be coupled.