Charging plug docking device and method

Abstract

The application relates to a charging plug docking device and method. The charging plug docking device is used for docking a mechanical arm and a charging plug and comprises a base, a traction assembly comprising a connecting piece and a driving assembly connected to the connecting piece and used for driving the connecting piece to rotate, one end of the connecting piece being used for threadedly docking the charging plug, and the other end of the connecting piece being threadedly connected to the base, so that when the connecting piece rotates, the charging plug is threadedly pulled, and the base moves in a direction away from the charging plug. One end of the connecting piece of the charging plug docking device and method can be threadedly connected to the charging plug, and the other end of the connecting piece can be threadedly connected to the base of the docking mechanical arm. During the rotation of the connecting piece, on one hand, the connecting piece pulls the charging plug to dock the charging plug docking device, and on the other hand, the base is pulled to move in a direction away from the charging plug, so as to compensate for the displacement generated by the movement of the charging plug.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure belongs to the field of charging technology, and in particular to a charging plug docking device and method. Background Technology

[0002] Some existing plug-connecting devices require threaded engagement between two mating components during the connection process. This necessitates external force to cause one of the mating components to move and displace, thereby creating a clamping force between the two parts to achieve the connection. An external motor is also required to push the male connector to displace and press it into place. However, if the robotic arm cannot provide sufficient load capacity when operating remotely, it cannot achieve connection to the charging plug via external force.

[0003] In some cases, docking devices can also achieve docking through internal force traction such as thread engagement. During the thread engagement process, the robotic arm or charging plug will be pulled to move, causing the position of the robotic arm to shift or the connection between the charging plug and the vehicle to loosen, resulting in charging docking failure. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above, it is necessary to provide a charging plug docking device and method to improve the problem of positional misalignment during the charging plug docking process.

[0005] Therefore, this application first provides a charging plug docking device for docking a robotic arm and a charging plug, comprising:

[0006] A base for connecting the robotic arm;

[0007] A traction assembly includes a connector and a drive assembly. The drive assembly is connected to the connector and is used to drive the connector to rotate. One end of the connector is threaded into the charging plug, and the other end is threaded into the base, so that when the connector rotates, it pulls the charging plug through the threads, and the base moves away from the charging plug.

[0008] Preferably, it further includes a snap-fit ​​assembly, the snap-fit ​​assembly including a first snap-fit ​​member, the connector being threadedly connected to the first snap-fit ​​member, for pulling the charging plug through the first snap-fit ​​member when the first snap-fit ​​member snaps the charging plug.

[0009] Preferably, it further includes a stop assembly, the stop assembly including a connector and a guide, one of the connector and the guide being connected to the first snap-fit ​​member;

[0010] The guide member includes a guide groove extending along its length, and the end of the plug-in is embedded in the guide groove. The guide groove includes a guide section and a curved section. The guide section extends along the length of the first snap-fit ​​member and is used to stop the first snap-fit ​​member from rotating. The curved section extends along the length and circumferential direction of the first snap-fit ​​member and is used to guide the plug-in member to move relative to the curved section of the guide groove when the connector rotates and pulls the first snap-fit ​​member to move along its length, thereby guiding the first snap-fit ​​member to rotate to the snap-fit ​​position or the unlocked position.

[0011] Preferably, the guide is coaxially connected to the first snap-fit ​​member, and is used to stop the first snap-fit ​​member or guide the first snap-fit ​​member to rotate.

[0012] Preferably, it further includes a base, the connector being connected to the base and embedded in the guide groove along the radial direction of the guide.

[0013] Preferably, the connector is connected to the first snap-fit ​​member in a radial direction, the guide member includes a cavity that houses the first snap-fit ​​member, the guide groove is disposed on the inner wall of the cavity, and the end of the connector is embedded in the guide groove.

[0014] Preferably, the first latching member includes a second latching member corresponding to the charging plug. The first latching member includes a locking rod and a latching portion, and the second latching member includes a supporting portion and an entry channel. Alternatively, the first latching member includes a supporting portion and an entry channel, and the second latching member includes a locking rod and a latching portion. The latching portion is connected to the locking rod and extends radially along the locking rod, and the guide member is connected to the locking rod. When the plug is inserted into the guide segment, the latching portion is located at a latching position that at least partially overlaps with the supporting surface of the supporting portion along the length direction of the locking rod. When the plug is inserted into a preset position of the curved segment, the latching portion is located at an unlocking position corresponding to the entry channel.

[0015] Preferably, the base includes a floating seat, a connecting seat, and a connecting rod. The floating seat is connected to the connecting member, the connecting seat is used to connect the robotic arm, and the connecting rod is fitted with a spring. One end of the connecting rod is engaged with the floating seat, and the other end is connected to the connecting seat. The spring abuts against the floating seat and the connecting seat.

[0016] Preferably, the drive assembly includes a motor, a drive gear, and a driven gear, wherein the drive gear is connected to the motor, the driven gear is connected to the connector, and the drive gear meshes with the driven gear.

[0017] In addition, this application also provides a charging plug docking method for docking a robotic arm and a charging plug, including the following steps:

[0018] The connector is embedded in the curved segment of the guide groove, wherein the curved segment extends along the length direction and the circumferential direction of the connector;

[0019] The drive component drives the connector to rotate, causing the connector to pull the first latching member to rotate to the latching position where it is latched onto the charging plug;

[0020] The connector continues to rotate, pulling the charging plug through the first snap-fit ​​member, and the rotating member rotates relative to the base, causing the base to move away from the charging plug.

[0021] Compared to existing technologies, the connector of the above-mentioned charging plug docking device and method can be threaded to the charging plug at one end and to the base of the docking robot at the other end. During the rotation of the connector, the connector pulls the charging plug to dock with the charging plug docking device, while the base moves away from the charging plug to compensate for the displacement caused by the movement of the charging plug. This ensures that the relative position between the robot and the charging plug does not change and prevents the position of the robot and the charging plug from shifting. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the docking robotic arm and the charging plug of the charging plug docking device.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the charging plug docking device.

[0025] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the charging plug docking device.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the snap-fit ​​assembly.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the traction assembly and the stop assembly.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the connector and the base.

[0029] Explanation of main component symbols

[0030]

[0031]

[0032] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will further illustrate the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this disclosure, a detailed description is provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the invention; the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments disclosed. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the disclosed embodiments are not based on inventive effort.

[0034] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application.

[0035] In each embodiment, for ease of description and not limitation of this disclosure, the term "connection" used in this application specification and claims is not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Above," "below," "under," "left," "right," etc., are only used to indicate relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship also changes accordingly.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the docking robotic arm 1 and the charging plug 2 of the charging plug docking device 3. Figure 1 As shown, the charging plug docking device 3 is used to dock the robotic arm 1 and the charging plug 2. The robotic arm 1 is electrically connected to a power source for supplying power to the vehicle. The charging plug docking device 3 is connected to the robotic arm 1 to dock the charging plug 2. The charging plug 2 is used to plug into the vehicle's charging port. During charging, the charging plug 2 can be manually plugged into the vehicle's charging port. The charging plug docking device 3 is connected to the free end of the robotic arm 1 to connect the robotic arm 1 and the charging plug 2. The charging plug 2 is docked using the internal traction force of the charging plug docking device 3, thus eliminating the need for the robotic arm 1 to apply a large external force to dock the charging plug 2, which is beneficial for docking the charging plug 2.

[0037] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the charging plug docking device 3. Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the charging plug docking device 3. (See diagram below.) Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the charging plug docking device 3 includes a base 10, a housing 80, and a base 20. The base 10 is used to dock the charging plug 2, the base 20 is used to connect the robotic arm 1, and the housing 80 is connected to the base 10 and the base 20. The base 10 and the housing 80 are internally provided with a locking assembly, a stop assembly, and a traction assembly. The locking assembly is used to lock the charging plug 2. When the stop assembly is in the stopped state, the traction assembly pulls the locking assembly to move. The charging plug 2 is pulled by the internal force of the charging plug docking device 3, thereby avoiding the need for external force to dock the charging plug 2.

[0038] The base 10 is generally columnar in shape, with one end connected to the housing 80 by one or more screws or bolts, and the other end (outer end face) used for docking with the charging plug 2. Specifically, the outer end face of the base 10 is also provided with a guide rod 40 and an electrode 70. The guide rod 40 extends along the length of the base 10 and is used to guide the angle and position of the end face of the base 10 relative to the charging plug 2 when docking with the charging plug 2, ensuring docking accuracy. The electrode 70 is located in the recessed area of ​​the outer end face of the base 10, and when the base 10 docks with the charging plug 2, the electrode 70 and the charging plug 2 are electrically connected.

[0039] Two snap-fit ​​components are installed on both sides of the base 10. In this embodiment, the snap-fit ​​components include a first snap-fit ​​member 50, and the connector 60 is threadedly connected to the first snap-fit ​​member 50. The connector 60 is used to pull the charging plug 2 when the first snap-fit ​​member 50 snaps into the charging plug 2. During operation, after the first snap-fit ​​member 50 engages with the charging plug 2, its rotation threadedly connects to the charging plug 2, thereby pulling the charging plug 2 and inserting the electrode 70 into the electrode 70 of the charging plug 2, thus achieving electrical connection.

[0040] In some embodiments, the first snap-fit ​​50 can achieve electrical connection by directly screwing it into the threaded hole of the charging plug 2. However, in the process of implementing this solution, the inventors discovered that, since there is an unavoidable docking error after the charging plug docking device 3 docks with the charging plug 2, there is a docking error in the thread engagement of the first snap-fit ​​50. This may result in inaccurate thread engagement, making it difficult to screw into the threaded hole, or it may cause damage to the docking threads due to incorrect thread engagement.

[0041] To this end, the inventors have proposed a novel docking structure, which involves first attaching the first snap-fit ​​component 50 to the charging plug 2, i.e., hooking it onto the charging plug 2, and then pulling the first snap-fit ​​component 50 to tighten the charging plug by rotating the thread, thereby tightly docking the electrode 70 with the charging plug 2. The specific description is as follows.

[0042] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the snap-fit ​​assembly. (Example) Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the snap-fit ​​assembly also includes a second snap-fit ​​member 51 corresponding to the charging plug 2. When the charging plug docking device 3 docks with the charging plug 2, the first snap-fit ​​member 50 and the second snap-fit ​​member 51 are hooked together, thereby avoiding the problem of precise docking and thread engagement required in a direct threaded docking structure. When the snap-fit ​​assembly is in the snap-fit ​​position, the charging plug docking device 3 and the charging plug 2 are connected together through the snap-fit ​​assembly. When the snap-fit ​​assembly is in the unlocked position, the charging plug docking device 3 and the charging plug 2 can be separated from each other, thus unlocking the device.

[0043] In some embodiments, the first latching member 50 includes a locking rod 502 and a latching portion 501, and the second latching member 51 includes a supporting portion 511 and an entry channel 512. The locking rod 502 may be a rod-shaped structure, and the latching portion 501 is connected to the locking rod 502 and extends radially along the locking rod 502, forming a "T"-shaped structure with the locking rod 502. The second latching member 51 may include a recessed area disposed at the bottom of the charging plug 2, and connecting blocks symmetrically connected to the sidewalls of the recessed area by screws or other means, with a certain distance between the connecting blocks, forming a rectangular structure and an entry channel 512 communicating with the recessed area. The inner side of the connecting block (i.e., the side away from the first latching member 50, used to support the first latching member 50, hereinafter referred to as the "supporting surface") can be used to hook the first latching member 50, forming the supporting portion 511 of the second latching member 51. Those skilled in the art will understand that, depending on the position and shape of the connecting blocks, the entry channel 512 can also be an elliptical or other irregularly shaped through hole, such as a cross-shaped or plum blossom-shaped through hole, so that after the first snap-fit ​​member 50 passes through the entry channel 512, it can be rotated at a preset angle to snap onto the bearing surface to achieve a snap-fit ​​connection. Correspondingly, the first snap-fit ​​member 50 includes a plurality of snap-fit ​​portions 501, which are formed in one of the following shapes: a straight line, a plum blossom shape, a cross shape, or a rice-shaped shape.

[0044] Depending on the relative position between the latching part 501 and the entry channel 512, the latching part 501 has a latching position and an unlocking position during rotation. The latching position refers to the position where the latching part 501 rotates to at least partially overlap with the bearing surface of the bearing part 511 along the length of the locking rod 502, preferably a position where the latching part 501 is perpendicular to the width direction of the entry channel 512, allowing the latching part 501 to hook onto the bearing surface of the bearing part 511, thus achieving a latching connection. The unlocking position is when the latching part 501 rotates to a position corresponding to the entry channel 512, allowing the latching part 501 and the locking rod 502 to move along the entry channel 512 until they disengage from the entry channel 512, or the latching part 501 can move along the entry channel 512 to a position beyond the bearing surface so that the latching part 501 can rotate to the latching position. When the connector 30 is inserted into the guide section 611, the snap-fit ​​portion 501 is located at a snap-fit ​​position that at least partially overlaps with the bearing surface of the bearing portion 511 along the length direction of the locking rod 502. When the connector 30 is inserted into the preset position of the curved section 612, the snap-fit ​​portion 501 rotates to the unlock position corresponding to the entry channel 512.

[0045] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the traction assembly and the stop assembly. The stop assembly controls the rotation angle of the first latching member 50, thereby controlling the latching position or unlocking position of the latching assembly. The stop assembly includes a plug-in member 30 and a guide member 61, one of which is connected to the first latching member 50. The plug-in member 30 is embedded radially into the guide member 61, thereby stopping the rotation of the guide member 61 or controlling the rotation angle of the guide member 61, but without affecting the axial movement of the guide member 61.

[0046] Specifically, in this embodiment, the guide member 61 is coaxially connected to the first latching member 50, used to stop or guide the rotation of the first latching member 50. The guide member 61 includes a guide groove extending along its length, comprising a guide section 611 and a curved section 612. The guide section 611 extends along the length of the first latching member 50, used to stop the rotation of the first latching member 50. The curved section 612 extends generally in a spiral shape, extending along the length and circumferential direction of the first latching member 50, used to guide the rotation angle and axial movement distance of the guide member 61. In this embodiment, the guide section 611 and the curved section 612 may be connected, forming an "L"-shaped groove; however, in other embodiments, the guide section 611 and the curved section 612 may be isolated from each other and not connected. The end of the connector 30 is embedded in the guide groove. When the connector 30 is inserted into the guide section 611, the guide member 61 is locked by the connector 30 and cannot rotate because the guide section 611 extends axially, but this does not affect the axial movement of the guide member 61. When the connector 30 is inserted into the curved section 612, the curved section 612 extends both axially and circumferentially. Therefore, when the connector 60 rotates and pulls the first locking member 50 to move along its length, the connector 30 moves relative to the curved section 612 of the guide groove, thereby guiding the guide member 61 to rotate and move axially. The guide member 61 is coaxially connected to the first locking member 50, thereby guiding the first locking member 50 to rotate to the locking position or the unlocking position. In this embodiment, the connector 30 is threaded into the through hole of the base 10, and its end extends out of the base 10 and is inserted into the guide groove along the radial direction of the guide member 61. In some other embodiments, the plug-in 30 is radially connected to the locking rod 502 of the first snap-fit ​​member 50, protruding from the rotational surface of the locking rod 502. The guide member 61 further includes a cavity housing the first snap-fit ​​member 50, the first snap-fit ​​member 50 being received within the cavity, and a guide groove being disposed on the inner wall of the cavity, with the end of the plug-in 30 embedded in the guide groove. The operation and principle of this embodiment are similar and will not be described again here.

[0047] The traction assembly is mounted on the base 10. After the snap-fit ​​assembly snaps into the charging plug 2, the electrode 70 of the traction base 10 aligns with the electrode of the charging plug 2 (not shown in the figure), forming a tight and reliable electrical connection. The traction assembly includes a connector 60 and a drive assembly. The connector 60 serves two purposes: firstly, it ensures a tight electrical connection between the electrode 70 of the traction base 10 and the electrode of the charging plug 2; secondly, during the traction docking, it can compensate for the displacement of the base 20, thereby maintaining the relative position between the charging plug 2 and the robotic arm 1 and preventing the charging plug 2 or the robotic arm 1 from moving.

[0048] Specifically, such asFigure 5 As shown, the connector 60 has a first threaded section 601 at one end and a second threaded section 602 at the other end. The connector 60 extends axially along the base 10. Its top end is threaded into the internal thread of the guide member 61 via the first threaded section 601, and its bottom end is threaded into the threaded hole 211 of the base 20 via the second threaded section 602. The first threaded section 601 and the second threaded section 602 at both ends of the connector 60 rotate in opposite directions, so that when the connector 60 rotates, it pulls the charging plug 2 via the threads, and the base 20 moves away from the charging plug 2. The middle part of the connector 60 passes through a through hole in the housing 80 and is rotatably connected to the housing 80. Specifically, the rotating surface of the connector 60 and the housing 80 can be connected by several bearings 63, so that the connector 60 can rotate and be supported by the housing 80. When the connector 60 rotates, the first threaded section 601 pulls the first snap-fit ​​50 to move axially, and the second threaded section 602 pulls the base 20 to move in the opposite direction (i.e., in the direction away from the base 10), thereby pulling the electrode 70 to move to achieve docking and compensate for the displacement of the base 20.

[0049] Please refer to it again. Figure 5 The drive assembly is connected to the connector 60 and is used to drive the connector 60 to rotate. Specifically, the drive assembly includes a motor 62, a driving gear 621, and a driven gear 622. The motor 62 is installed inside the cavity of the housing 80, and its output shaft is connected to the driving gear 621. Figure 5 As shown, the driving gear 621 meshes with the driven gear 622, and the driven gear 622 is coaxially connected to the connecting member 60, so that the connecting member 60 can be driven to rotate by the motor 62. In some other embodiments, the motor 62 may also be directly connected to the connecting member 60, and this application does not limit this.

[0050] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the connector 60 and the base 20. (See diagram below.) Figure 6 As shown, the base 20 includes a floating seat 21, a connecting seat 22, and a connecting rod 23. The floating seat 21 has one or more threaded holes 211 on its end face, which are threaded to the connecting member 60. The connecting seat 22 is used to connect the robotic arm 1. To improve the fault tolerance of the connection with the robotic arm 1, the connecting rod 23 is fitted with a spring 231, one end of which is engaged with the floating seat 21, and the other end is connected to the connecting seat 22. The spring 231 abuts against the floating seat 21 and the connecting seat 22, allowing the floating seat 21 to swing within a certain range relative to the connecting seat 22.

[0051] The following describes in detail the docking method implemented based on the charging plug docking device 3 described above. The charging plug 2 docking method is used to dock the robotic arm 1 and the charging plug 2, and includes the following steps.

[0052] First, after the vehicle is parked in the preset position, the charging plug 2 is manually inserted into the vehicle's charging port. The charging robot, carrying the charging battery pack, moves to the bottom of the vehicle, and the robotic arm 1 moves out from under the vehicle and upwards, ready to dock with the bottom of the charging plug 2.

[0053] When the robotic arm 1 moves to the position where the base 10 of the charging plug docking device 3 docks with the bottom end of the charging plug 2, the charging plug docking device 3 is in its initial state. The plug 30 is embedded in the end of the curved section 612 of the guide groove, and the first snap-fit ​​part 501 corresponds to the entry channel 512 of the second snap-fit ​​part 501 located at the bottom of the charging plug 2. The snap-fit ​​part 501 passes over the bearing surface of the bearing part 511 from the entry channel 512 to above the bearing surface of the bearing part 511 of the second snap-fit ​​part 51.

[0054] Then, the motor 62 of the drive assembly starts, driving the connector 60 to rotate, causing the connector 60 to pull the guide 61 to move axially away from the charging plug 2. At the same time, since the plug 30 is embedded in the curved section 612 of the guide groove, the guide 61 rotates under the guidance of the plug 30 while moving, thereby driving the first snap-fit ​​50 to rotate to the snap-fit ​​position of the charging plug 2. At this time, the length direction of the snap-fit ​​portion 501 of the first snap-fit ​​50 is perpendicular to the entry channel 512, and the plug 30 enters the guide section 611 from the curved section 612. Obviously, since the circumferential angle and axial distance of the curved segment 612 of the guide groove are fixed, the rotation and axial movement of the guide member 61 are in a controllable state. That is, the rotation position of the first latching member 50 can be determined according to the axial position of the plug 30 on the curved segment 612, so that the axial position and rotation position of the first latching member 50 can be determined more accurately, avoiding the first latching member 50 from jamming or going out of control.

[0055] Next, the connector 60 continues to rotate. Since the plug-in 30 is located within the guide section 611, it locks the guide 61, preventing it from rotating further and keeping the first latching member 50 in a latched state. Therefore, the connector 60 can rotate relative to the guide 61, and the guide 61 pulls the first latching member 50 back (moving away from the charging plug 2) until the latching portion 501 of the first latching member 50 abuts against the bearing surface of the bearing portion 511, i.e., hooked onto the bottom end of the charging plug 2.

[0056] However, the motor 62 drives the connector 60 to continue rotating, pulling the first locking part 501 to bring the charging plug 2 and the base 10 closer to each other until the electrode 70 of the base 10 is fully aligned with the electrode of the charging plug 2, thus completing the docking action with the charging plug 2.

[0057] On the other hand, since the rotating component rotates relative to the floating seat 21 of the base 20, the bottom of the connecting component 60 can be disengaged from the threaded hole 211 of the floating seat 21, thereby compensating for the positional displacement caused by pulling the charging plug 2 and approaching the charging plug 2. That is, from an overall perspective, the overall length of the charging plug docking device 3 increases during the docking of the charging plug 2 to compensate for the displacement of the base 10 near the charging plug 2, thereby improving the overall tension on the end of the robotic arm 1 and reducing the displacement of the end of the robotic arm 1.

[0058] After charging is complete, motor 62 rotates in the reverse direction, causing connector 60 to rotate in the reverse direction as well. At this time, plug 30 is embedded in guide section 611, locking guide 61 and preventing it from rotating. This allows connector 60 to rotate relative to guide 61, extending the first latching member 50 to a position away from the bearing surface. When guide 61 moves to the position where plug 30 is located on curved section 612, plug 30 guides guide 61 to rotate, causing the first latching member 50 to rotate to the unlocked position. At this time, latching part 501 is located at the position corresponding to entry channel 512. In this way, robotic arm 1 can move charging plug docking device 3, causing latching part 501 to disengage from charging plug 2 from entry channel 512.

[0059] The connector 60 of the charging plug docking device 3 and the method described above can be threaded to the charging plug 2 at one end and to the base 20 of the docking robot arm 1 at the other end. During the rotation of the connector 60, the connector 60 pulls the charging plug 2 to dock with the charging plug docking device 3, and at the same time pulls the base 20 to move away from the charging plug 2, compensating for the displacement caused by the movement of the charging plug 2, so that the relative position between the robot arm 1 and the charging plug 2 does not change, and preventing the position of the robot arm 1 and the charging plug 2 from shifting.

[0060] On the other hand, the aforementioned charging plug docking device 3 and method achieve electrical connection between the charging plug docking device 3 and the charging plug 2 by hooking the first latching member 50 onto the charging plug 2 and then rotating the connecting member 60 to pull the first latching member 50. This avoids the problems of existing docking methods that use a screw-on connection and improves the reliability of the charging plug docking device 3. Moreover, since the first latching member 50 is pulled by rotating the connecting member 60, the robotic arm 1 avoids applying external force to dock the charging plug 2, which also reduces the cost and power requirements of the robotic arm 1.

[0061] In the several specific embodiments provided, it should be understood that those skilled in the art are obviously not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of this disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects. Furthermore, it is obvious that the word "comprising" does not exclude other units or steps, and the singular does not exclude the plural. The words "first," "second," etc., are used to indicate names and do not indicate any particular order.

[0062] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions to the solutions disclosed herein should not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A charging plug docking device for docking a robotic arm and a charging plug, characterized in that, include: The base is used to connect the charging plug; A base for connecting the robotic arm; A traction assembly includes a connector and a drive assembly, the drive assembly being connected to the connector for driving the connector to rotate; It also includes a snap-fit ​​assembly, the snap-fit ​​assembly including a first snap-fit ​​member; It also includes a stop assembly, which includes a guide member connected to the first snap-fit ​​member. One end of the connector is provided with a first threaded section, and the other end is provided with a second threaded section. The first threaded section engages with the guide member, and the second threaded section is threadedly connected to the base. The first threaded section and the second threaded section have opposite directions of rotation. When the first snap-fit ​​connector engages with the charging plug, the connector rotates, and the threads drive the first snap-fit ​​connector to pull the base closer to the charging plug, while the base moves away from the charging plug.

2. The charging plug docking device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The stop assembly includes a connector; The guide member includes a guide groove extending along its length, and the end of the plug-in is embedded in the guide groove. The guide groove includes a guide section and a curved section. The guide section extends along the length of the guide member and is used to stop the first snap-fit ​​member from rotating. The curved section extends along both the length and circumferential directions of the guide member and is used to guide the plug-in member to rotate relative to the curved section of the guide groove when the connector rotates and pulls the first snap-fit ​​member to move along its length, thereby guiding the first snap-fit ​​member to rotate to the snap-fit ​​position or the unlocked position.

3. The charging plug docking device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The guide is coaxially connected to the first snap-fit ​​member and is used to stop the first snap-fit ​​member or guide the first snap-fit ​​member to rotate.

4. The charging plug docking device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The connector is connected to the base and embedded in the guide groove along the radial direction of the guide.

5. The charging plug docking device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The connector is connected to the first snap-fit ​​member in a radial direction. The guide member includes a cavity that houses the first snap-fit ​​member. The guide groove is disposed on the inner wall of the cavity. The end of the connector is embedded in the guide groove.

6. The charging plug docking device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The latching assembly includes a second latching member corresponding to the first latching member. The first latching member includes a locking rod and a latching portion, and the second latching member includes a supporting portion and an entry channel. Alternatively, the first latching member includes a supporting portion and an entry channel, and the second latching member includes a locking rod and a latching portion. The latching portion is connected to the locking rod and extends radially along the locking rod, and the guide member is connected to the locking rod. When the insert is embedded in the guide segment, the latching portion is located at a latching position that at least partially overlaps with the supporting surface of the supporting portion along the length direction of the locking rod. When the insert is embedded in the preset position of the curved segment, the latching portion is located at an unlocking position corresponding to the entry channel.

7. The charging plug docking device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The base includes a floating seat, a connecting seat, and a connecting rod. The floating seat is connected to the connecting member. The connecting seat is used to connect the robotic arm. The connecting rod is fitted with a spring, one end of which is engaged with the floating seat, and the other end is connected to the connecting seat. The spring abuts against the floating seat and the connecting seat.

8. The charging plug docking device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a motor, a drive gear, and a driven gear. The drive gear is connected to the motor, the driven gear is connected to the connector, the drive gear meshes with the driven gear, and the driven gear is connected to the connector.

9. A charging plug docking method for docking a robotic arm and a charging plug, characterized in that, The docking method is applied to the charging plug docking device according to claim 6, and includes the following steps: The connector is embedded in the curved segment of the guide groove, wherein the curved segment extends along the length direction and the circumferential direction of the guide; The drive component drives the connector to rotate, causing the connector to pull the first latching member to rotate to the latching position where it is latched onto the charging plug; The connector continues to rotate, pulling the charging plug through the first snap-fit ​​member, and the rotating member rotates relative to the base, causing the base to move away from the charging plug.

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