Non-contact power supply device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate to a non-contact power supply device, and the non-contact power supply device of the embodiments includes: a placement portion on which a plurality of trolleys are placed in a state of being arranged side by side in one direction, the trolleys each including a device and a power receiving portion that receives power for supplying the device; a power feeding portion that feeds power to the power receiving portion by non-contact power supply, the power feeding portion being provided at each of placement positions at which the trolleys are placed by the placement portion; a lock portion that locks movement of the trolleys, the lock portion being provided at each of a first placement position at which a trolley located at the front in the one direction is placed and a second placement position at which a next trolley is placed among the placement positions; and a control portion that controls operation of the lock portion.

Description

[0001] This application is an application that entered the Chinese national phase of international application PCT / JP2021 / 025420 (international application date: July 6, 2021), and the aforementioned international application is cited in this specification. Furthermore, this application is based on Japanese patent application JP2020-127447 (application date: July 28, 2020) and claims priority to that application. The entire contents of that application are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to contactless power supply devices. Background Technology

[0003] In the past, shopping carts were used in supermarkets and other retail stores to make it easier for customers to carry their purchases. These carts are now equipped with devices such as product registration systems that read and identify product information, thereby improving convenience.

[0004] When a device is installed on a handcart, it is necessary to charge the power used by the device. One charging method is to charge it via contactless power supply. For example, a previously proposed technique involves installing a contactless power supply device at the handcart's parking location, thereby charging the handcart while it is parked. Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, in previous technologies, the trolley could not be removed from the parking area until charging was complete. For example, when multiple trolleys were parked, if a trolley that had finished charging was trapped between a trolley that had not finished charging, it might be impossible to remove the trolley even though it had finished charging, indicating room for improvement in terms of convenience.

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a contactless power supply device that can improve the charging convenience of handcarts.

[0007] A contactless power supply device according to an embodiment includes: a mounting section on which a plurality of handcarts are mounted side-by-side in one direction, each handcart having a device and a receiving section for receiving power supplied to the device; a power supply section that supplies power to the receiving section via contactless power supply, the power supply section being disposed at each mounting position of the handcarts mounted through the mounting section; a locking section that locks the movement of the handcarts, the locking section being disposed at each of the mounting positions at a first mounting position where the leading handcart in at least one direction is mounted and a second mounting position where the next handcart is mounted; and a control section that controls the operation of the locking section, the control section maintaining the locked state of the locking section disposed at the second mounting position and releasing the locked state of the locking section disposed at the first mounting position when receiving a supply instruction from the handcarts. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a perspective view illustrating an example of a contactless power supply system according to this embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional diagram representing an example of a handcart.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a commodity registration device.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a perspective view showing an example of a contactless power supply device.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a top view showing an example of a contactless power supply device.

[0013] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the cross-section of the positioning part of a non-contact power supply device.

[0014] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the stop section of a contactless power supply device.

[0015] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit of a contactless power supply device.

[0016] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the control unit of a contactless power supply device.

[0017] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing of the control unit in a contactless power supply device. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the contactless power supply device will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are one embodiment of the contactless power supply device and are not limited in their configuration, specifications, etc. The contactless power supply device of this embodiment is an example of a contactless power supply device applicable to supplying power to shopping carts equipped with merchandise registration devices in a sales store in a contactless manner.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing an example of a contactless power supply system according to this embodiment. The contactless power supply system 1 includes a handcart 10 and a contactless power supply device 20. Figure 1 This illustration shows a case where a non-contact power supply device 20 is installed on the floor of the area where the shopping carts 10 are placed in a sales shop. A metal frame F for arranging the shopping carts 10 is provided in the shopping cart placement area. In the following figures, the direction in which the shopping carts 10 enter the non-contact power supply device 20 is defined as the Y direction.

[0020] 10 handcarts Figure 1 It travels to the right in the Y direction and enters the non-contact power supply device 20. After the trolley 10 is placed in the non-contact power supply device 20, it is discharged in the Y direction as shown in the figure.

[0021] In addition, Figure 1 The contactless power supply device 20 carries four handcarts 10, but the number of handcarts 10 that can be carried in the contactless power supply device 20 is not limited to four. For example, the contactless power supply device 20 can be configured to carry five or more handcarts 10.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a perspective view illustrating an example of a shopping cart. In supermarkets and other retail stores, the shopping cart 10 carries goods collected by customers for their purchases. Furthermore, the shopping cart 10 is a delivery cart that is moved by the user's manual pressing.

[0023] The handcart 10 has a base 11 for movement. The base 11 includes a pair of front wheels 111 and 112 and a pair of rear wheels 113 and 114, which serve as the wheels of the handcart 10. The front wheels 111 and 112 are supported by a front wheel support FS in a freely rotatable manner. Furthermore, the rear wheels 113 and 114 are supported by a rear wheel support BS in a freely rotatable manner.

[0024] The gap between the front wheels 111 and 112 is smaller than the gap between the rear wheels 113 and 114. Furthermore, a mounting section 117 is disposed below the base section 11 for mounting a power receiving section that receives power via contactless power supply. The power receiving section 116 is configured to be approximately horizontal.

[0025] A basket-shaped storage section 12 with an open top is disposed above the base section 11. The storage section 12 is supported by a support column 13 extending from the base section 11. The rear surface 121 of the storage section 12 in the direction of entry of the trolley 10 can be opened and closed. Therefore, as Figure 1 As shown, by inserting the storage part 12 of the subsequent trolley 10 into the storage part 12 of the trolley 10, more trolleys 10 can be gathered in a narrow area.

[0026] It should be noted that the trolley 10 may not have a built-in storage section 12. For example, the trolley 10 may have a basket placement section for receiving and storing goods, with the basket placed section serving as the storage section 12.

[0027] In addition, a bracket 14 for storing a secondary battery (not shown) is provided below the storage section 12. The secondary battery is a battery that charges the power received by the power receiving section 116.

[0028] Furthermore, the support column 13 has a handle 15 for customers to hold and move the trolley 10. Additionally, the support column 13 is equipped with a support 17 that supports a merchandise registration device 16 for registering goods for sale.

[0029] The product registration device 16 is a device for registering products intended for sale. The product registration device 16 includes a scanner 165 and a display unit 166. The scanner 165 reads product information of the products intended for sale. For example, the scanner 165 reads a product code that identifies the product, such as a barcode.

[0030] The display unit 166 is, for example, a touch panel display. The display unit 166 displays, for example, the items read by the scanner 165. In addition, the item registration device 16 is powered by the power of a rechargeable battery housed in the bracket 14.

[0031] In addition, the product registration device 16 has a built-in card reader 167 (see reference). Figure 3 The card reader 167 is a reading device (reader / writer) that performs near-field communication (NFC) with contactless IC tags and the like.

[0032] When an object capable of short-range wireless communication (hereinafter referred to as a communicable object) is aligned with the upper part of the display unit 166, the card reader 167 interacts with the communicable object. Furthermore, the card reader 167 reads information stored in the communicable object.

[0033] The communicable device is, for example, an IC card (membership card) with an IC tag. The card reader 167 reads, for example, a pre-assigned membership number (hereinafter also referred to as membership identification information) for identifying shopping customers. The merchandise registration device 16 communicates with the customer via wireless communication I / F 168 (see reference). Figure 3 The server (not shown) connected via wireless communication sends the read identification information to the server.

[0034] The server refers to pre-registered member information (member identification information, etc.) to check if there is member information that matches the member identification information read by the card reader 167. If there is information that matches the member identification information read by the card reader 167, the server sends a notification indicating successful authentication of the user to the product registration device 16, which is the source of the member identification information.

[0035] The product registration device 16 sends a notification to the contactless power supply device 20 via wireless communication I / F 168, which includes information identifying the product registration device 16 to which the membership card is aligned (hereinafter also referred to as trolley identification information), indicating successful user authentication. It should be noted that the server may also send the notification to the contactless power supply device 20 with the trolley identification information.

[0036] Furthermore, when the merchandise registration device 16 receives a notification from the server indicating successful user authentication, the member identification information read by the card reader 167 is stored as associated information in the storage unit 164 of the merchandise registration device 16 (see reference 164). Figure 3 This information will be used during settlement, etc.

[0037] Next, the hardware configuration of the commodity registration device 16 will be explained. Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the commodity registration device 16.

[0038] The product registration device 16 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 161, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 162, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 163, a storage unit 164, a scanner 165, a display unit 166, a card reader 167, and a wireless communication I / F 168. The CPU 161 is connected to each component via a system bus 169. It should be noted that the scanner 165, display unit 166, and card reader 167 are omitted from the description.

[0039] CPU 161 performs various arithmetic operations to control the operation of the product registration device 16. ROM 162 stores the programs and settings executed by the product registration device 16. RAM 163 temporarily stores various data. RAM 163 serves as the working area of ​​CPU 161, where it expands the various programs and data stored in ROM 162 and storage unit 164.

[0040] Storage unit 164 is a storage device that retains its stored content even when the power is cut off. Storage unit 164 may be, for example, a flash memory. Storage unit 164 stores the operating procedures of the product registration device 16, various setting information, etc. Furthermore, storage unit 164 stores the aforementioned related information.

[0041] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the CPU 161 expands the operation program stored in the ROM 162 or the storage unit 164 into the working area of ​​the RAM 163 and executes it, thereby controlling each part.

[0042] The Wireless Communication I / F168 is a communication interface used for communication with external devices such as the contactless power supply device 20 and a server, in accordance with wireless communication protocols such as Wireless LAN (Local Area Network). Furthermore, the Wireless Communication I / F168 is also an interface used for signal communication using contactless power supply.

[0043] Next, the non-contact power supply device 20 will be described. Figure 4 This is a perspective view showing an example of a contactless power supply device 20. Figure 5 This is a top view showing an example of a contactless power supply device 20. The contactless power supply device 20 includes a mounting portion 24, a first inclined portion 231, and a second inclined portion 232.

[0044] The mounting section 24 is the area where the trolley 10, which has a merchandise registration device 16 and a power receiving section 116, is mounted. The power receiving section 116 receives power supplied to the merchandise registration device 16. The mounting section 24 also includes a power supply section 21. The power supply section 21 supplies power to the power receiving section 116 of the trolley 10 mounted in the mounting section 24 via contactless power supply.

[0045] The power supply unit 21 is positioned approximately horizontally opposite the power receiving unit 116 of the handcart 10 mounted on the mounting unit 24, generating a magnetic field in the vertical direction. Thus, the power supply unit 21 supplies power to the power receiving unit 116 of the handcart 10 via contactless power supply. Various methods, such as electromagnetic induction and magnetic field resonance, are known as contactless power supply methods, and various methods can be used.

[0046] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the term "non-contact" is used to refer to the case of power transmission via wireless means. Therefore, even if the power supply unit 21 and the power receiving unit 116 unintentionally come into contact during power supply for some reason, as long as power is transmitted wirelessly, it is considered as non-contact power supply.

[0047] Furthermore, the power supply unit 21 can communicate with the power receiving unit 116 of the handcart 10 using contactless power supply. Thus, the power supply unit 21 can, for example, obtain handcart identification information from the power receiving unit 116.

[0048] Furthermore, the mounting section 24 has a plate-shaped frame 22 and belt conveyors 281 and 282. Multiple power supply units 21 and drive units (not shown) of the belt conveyors 281 and 282 are housed within the frame 22. The rear wheels 113 of the handcart 10 are mounted on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 281, and the rear wheels 114 of the handcart 10 are mounted on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 282.

[0049] Belt conveyors 281 and 282 move the rear wheels 113 and 114 of the handcart 10, which is placed on the upper surface, in the Y direction by driving the drive unit, thereby moving the handcart 10 in the Y direction. Belt conveyors 281 and 282 are an example of a "transfer unit". It should be noted that the non-contact power supply device 20 may not include belt conveyors 281 and 282. In this case, the user manually removes the handcart 10 from the mounting section 24.

[0050] The contactless power supply device 20 has a light-emitting part 211 surrounding the power supply part 21. The light-emitting part 211 emits light when a power receiving part 116 is present at a position opposite to the power supply part 21. This allows managers of retail stores to identify whether charging is being performed via contactless power supply. It should be noted that... Figure 4 and Figure 5 A contactless power supply device 20 with four power supply units 21 and a light-emitting unit 211 is shown.

[0051] The number of power supply units 21 is the same as the number of handcarts 10 that can be placed on the contactless power supply device 20, so that one handcart 10 can be charged by one power supply unit 21. The number of light-emitting units 211 is also the same as the number of handcarts 10 that can be placed on the contactless power supply device 20, so that the power supply status of each power supply unit 21 can be checked individually.

[0052] In addition, in order to arrange the power supply unit 21 and the power receiving unit 116 in opposite positions, the handcart 10 first needs to be placed in an appropriate position in the width direction orthogonal to the entry direction of the handcart 10, that is, in the X-axis direction.

[0053] The contactless power supply device 20 includes a central wheel guide 25, a first side wheel guide 26, and a second side wheel guide 27. The central wheel guide 25 is a protrusion disposed approximately in the center of the contactless power supply device 20. Furthermore, the central wheel guide 25 extends from the entry side of the trolley 10 to the end of the mounting section 24 on which the trolley 10 is mounted. In addition, the width of the central wheel guide 25 increases as it enters the mounting section 24 from the entry side of the trolley 10.

[0054] Furthermore, the central wheel guide 25 has a width at the mounting portion 24 that is approximately the same as the width from the front wheels 111 to 112 of the handcart 10. This shape determines the position of the front wheels 111 and 112 of the handcart 10 in the width direction. That is, the central wheel guide 25 determines the position of the handcart 10 in the X-axis direction within the contactless power supply device 20.

[0055] The first side wheel guide 26 and the second side wheel guide 27 are protrusions disposed on the sides of the central wheel guide 25 relative to the entry direction of the trolley 10. Furthermore, the first side wheel guide 26 and the second side wheel guide 27 extend from the entry side of the trolley 10 to the end of the mounting section 24 on which the trolley 10 is mounted. Moreover, the width of the first side wheel guide 26 and the second side wheel guide 27 increases as the trolley 10 enters the mounting section 24 from the entry side.

[0056] Furthermore, the first side wheel guide 26 has a width at the mounting portion 24 that is approximately the same as the width from the front wheel 111 to the rear wheel 113 of the handcart 10. The second side wheel guide 27 has a width at the mounting portion 24 that is approximately the same as the width from the front wheel 112 to the rear wheel 114 of the handcart 10.

[0057] Furthermore, the distance from the inside of the first side wheel guide 26 to the central wheel guide 25 is approximately the same as the width of the front wheel 111. The distance from the inside of the second side wheel guide 27 to the central wheel guide 25 is approximately the same as the width of the front wheel 112.

[0058] Furthermore, the width from the outer side of the first side wheel guide 26 to the outer side of the second side wheel guide 27 is approximately the same as the width from the rear wheel 113 to the rear wheel 114 of the handcart 10. With this shape, the first side wheel guide 26 and the second side wheel guide 27 determine the position of the front wheels 111, 112 and the rear wheels 113, 114 of the handcart 10 in the width direction.

[0059] Therefore, when the trolley 10 is placed on the mounting section 24, the central wheel guide 25, the first side wheel guide 26, and the second side wheel guide 27 can determine the position of the trolley 10 in the width direction within the contactless power supply device 20. That is, the contactless power supply device 20 can determine the position of the trolley 10 in the X-axis direction.

[0060] The width of the gap between the central wheel guide 25 and the first side wheel guide 26 is approximately the same as the width of the front wheel 111. The front wheel 111, guided by the central wheel guide 25 and the first side wheel guide 26, travels within the gap between them. That is, the central wheel guide 25 and the first side wheel guide 26 form a first front wheel travel path 242 for the front wheel 111 of the handcart 10 to travel.

[0061] Similarly, the width of the gap between the central wheel guide 25 and the second side wheel guide 27 is approximately the same as the width of the front wheel 112. The front wheel 112, guided by the central wheel guide 25 and the second side wheel guide 27, travels within the gap between them. That is, the central wheel guide 25 and the second side wheel guide 27 form a second front wheel travel path 243 for the front wheel 112 of the handcart 10 to travel.

[0062] Furthermore, the width of the central wheel guide 25, the first side wheel guide 26, and the second side wheel guide 27 increases as they enter from the entry side mounting section 24 of the handcart 10.

[0063] In other words, the first front wheel travel path 242 and the second front wheel travel path 243 have a width at the mounting portion 24 that is approximately the same as the width of the front wheels 111 and 112, but the portions entering the first front wheel travel path 242 and the second front wheel travel path 243 are widened in the width direction. Furthermore, the central wheel guide portion 25, the first side wheel guide portion 26, and the second side wheel guide portion 27 have convex shapes.

[0064] That is, the mounting section 24 has a first front wheel travel path 242 and a second front wheel travel path 243, which narrow in width in a direction orthogonal to the entry direction as the trolley 10 enters from the entry side along the entry direction of the trolley 10. In addition, the mounting section 24 has an entry section 244 with the first front wheel travel path 242 and the second front wheel travel path 243.

[0065] Thus, the central wheel guide 25, the first side wheel guide 26, and the second side wheel guide 27 guide the front wheels 111 and 112 of the trolley 10. Therefore, by pushing the trolley 10 in from the access side of the non-contact power supply device 20, the user can easily make the trolley 10 travel on the first front wheel travel path 242 and the second front wheel travel path 243.

[0066] It should be noted that the first side wheel guide 26 and the second side wheel guide 27 protrude from the second inclined portion 232, which will be described later, by an amount approximately equivalent to the diameter of the rear wheels 113 and 114 of the handcart 10.

[0067] Positioning parts 241 are provided on the first front wheel travel path 242 and the second front wheel travel path 243 to determine the entry direction of the handcart 10. The positioning parts 241 lock the wheels of the handcart 10, namely the front wheels 111 and 112. Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the cross-section of the positioning part 241 of the non-contact power supply device 20.

[0068] like Figure 6 As shown, the positioning part 241 is, for example, a concave portion with a smooth curve. Thus, because the positioning part 241 has a concave shape, the front wheels 111 and 112 are positioned on the rolling bottom surface. Therefore, the positioning part 241 can determine the position of the front wheels 111 and 112. That is, the non-contact power supply device 20 can determine the position of the trolley 10 in the mounting section 24 in the direction of entry.

[0069] It should be noted that the power supply unit 21 and the light-emitting unit 211 are positioned based on the placement position of the handcart 10, which is positioned by the positioning unit 241.

[0070] Moreover, such as Figure 6 As shown, the positioning portion 241 has a smooth curve. Therefore, when the trolley 10 passes through the positioning portion 241, the load on the user pushing the trolley 10 can be reduced. It should be noted that the positioning portion 241 is not limited to a concave portion with a smooth curve, but may also be a simple concave portion without a curve. Moreover, the positioning portion 241 may be a convex portion with a smooth curve, or it may be a simple convex portion without a curve.

[0071] Moreover, such as Figure 1 As shown, for the trolley 10, by inserting the storage portion 12 of the subsequent trolley 10 into the storage portion 12 of the trolley 10, more trolleys 10 can be gathered in a narrow area. Therefore, the interval between the positioning portion 241 and the positioning portion 241 disposed behind the trolley 10 in the entry direction relative to the positioning portion 241 is shorter than the total length of the trolley 10 in the entry direction.

[0072] With the above configuration, the contactless power supply device 20 can easily position the trolley 10 so that the power receiving part 116 and the power supply part 21 are in opposite positions.

[0073] It should be noted that, preferably, the contactless power supply device 20 is configured so that the entrance of the sales store is located at... Figure 1 The left side, the exit is located Figure 1 To the right. This prevents the user from accidentally taking out the trolley 10, which has just been returned and has only been charging for a short time.

[0074] In addition, the contactless power supply device 20 has stop portions 291, 292, 301, and 302. Stop portions 291 and 301 are provided on the first side wheel guide portion 26. Stop portions 292 and 302 are provided on the second side wheel guide portion 27.

[0075] Stop 291 causes the column to protrude forward of the rear wheel support BS of the rear wheel 113 of the handcart 10, which is positioned at the beginning of the Y direction. Similarly, stop 292 causes the column to protrude forward of the rear wheel support BS of the rear wheel 114 of the handcart 10, which is positioned at the first placement position. Thus, stops 291 and 292 lock the movement of the handcart 10 at the first placement position.

[0076] Furthermore, stops 301 and 302 cause the column to protrude forward of the rear wheel support BS of the rear wheels 113 and 114 of the handcart 10 placed in the second placement position, which is the position where the next handcart 10 placed after the handcart 10 placed in the first placement position is placed, thus locking the forward movement of the handcart 10 in the second placement position. Stops 291, 292, 301, and 302 are examples of "locking parts".

[0077] Here, the stop parts 291, 292, 301, and 302 will be described in detail. Here, the stop part 291 will be used as an example for explanation. The stop parts 292, 301, and 302 have the same structure as the stop part 291.

[0078] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the stop portion 291 of the contactless power supply device 20. The stop portion 291 includes a column C. When the stop portion 291 is in the locked-out state, the column C is housed inside the stop portion 291.

[0079] Furthermore, when the stop portion 291 is locked under the control of the locking control unit 2003 described later, the column C protrudes from the inside of the stop portion 291 toward the outside (X direction) of the first side wheel guide portion 26.

[0080] When the column C protrudes outward from the first side wheel guide 26, the side of the column C contacts the front of the rear wheel support BS of the rear wheel 113 of the handcart 10 placed on the first mounting part. As a result, even if the rear wheel 113 rotates, it will be blocked by the column C and cannot move in the Y direction, thus locking the forward movement of the handcart 10.

[0081] This prevents the handcart 10, which should be placed in the first placement position, from being pushed out by the belt conveyors 281 and 282.

[0082] It should be noted that the shape of the column C can be made such that the rear wheel support BS is sandwiched between the front and rear. By making it in this shape, not only is the forward movement of the handcart 10 locked, but the backward movement is also locked. Furthermore, the above is one example of a method for locking the movement of the handcart 10 using the stops 291, 292, 301, and 302, and the method for locking the movement of the handcart 10 is not limited to the method described above.

[0083] It should be noted that the stops 291 and 292 are configured such that the power supply part 21 of the first placement position is opposite to the power receiving part 116 of the handcart 10 placed in the first placement position at the position where the side of the column C protruding from the stops 291 and 292 contacts the front of the rear wheel support part BS of the rear wheels 113 and 114 of the handcart 10 in the first placement position.

[0084] Therefore, the non-contact power supply device 20 can determine the position of the trolley 10 in the first placement position in the same way as the positioning part 241 in the first placement position. In addition, the stop parts 301 and 302 can similarly determine the position of the trolley 10 in the second placement position in the same way.

[0085] Furthermore, the handcarts 10 placed on the mounting section 24 at a position later than the second mounting position are also transported by belt conveyors 281 and 282 to a position where they cannot move forward due to the obstruction of the handcarts 10 placed at the previous mounting position. Thus, each power supply section 21 is positioned opposite the power receiving section 116 of the handcarts 10 placed at each mounting position.

[0086] Therefore, the contactless power supply device 20 can charge multiple handcarts 10 at appropriate locations without the positioning part 241.

[0087] Furthermore, the contactless power supply device 20 includes sensors 31 and 32. Sensor 31 is placed near the positioning part 241 at the first placement position of the mounting part 24 to detect if the trolley 10 is placed at the first placement position of the mounting part 24. Sensor 31 is, for example, an optical sensor with a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part.

[0088] In this embodiment, the light-emitting portion of sensor 31 is disposed inside the central wheel guide portion 25 near its terminal portion, in a state capable of emitting light outward. The light-receiving portion of sensor 32 is disposed opposite to the light-emitting portion of sensor 32, and receives light emitted from the light-emitting portion of sensor 32. It should be noted that, in this example, the light-receiving portion of sensor 32 is disposed inside the first side wheel guide portion 26 and the second side wheel guide portion 27, in a state capable of receiving light emitted from the light-emitting portion of sensor 31.

[0089] Here, we consider the case where the trolley 10 is placed at the first placement position of the placement section 24. In this case, the light emitted by the light-emitting part of the sensor 31 is blocked by the front wheels 111 or 112, and the light-receiving part cannot receive light.

[0090] Therefore, by detecting the situation where light is blocked, sensor 31 can detect whether a trolley 10 is placed at the first placement position of the placement section 24. It should be noted that sensor 31 is any sensor that can detect the placement of the trolley 10, and is not limited to an optical sensor.

[0091] Sensor 32 is located near the end of the first side wheel guide 26 and near the end of the second side wheel guide 27, and detects when the rear wheels 113 and 114 of the trolley 10, which is placed at the first placement position of the placement section 24, are pushed out of the placement section 24. In other words, sensor 32 detects the ejection of the trolley 10 placed at the first placement position of the placement section 24. Sensor 32 is, for example, the same optical sensor as sensor 31.

[0092] In this embodiment, the light-emitting portion of the sensor 32 is disposed near the end portion of the first side wheel guide portion 26 and inside the end portion of the second side wheel guide portion 27, in a state that allows it to emit light in an outward direction. The light-receiving portion of the sensor 32 is disposed opposite to the light-emitting portion of the sensor 32 and receives light emitted from the light-emitting portion of the sensor 32.

[0093] Furthermore, the light-receiving part of the sensor 32 is positioned at a location where the rear wheel 113 (rear wheel 114) of the handcart 10 can pass through the gap between the first side wheel guide 26 (second side wheel guide 27) and the light-receiving part of the sensor 32.

[0094] Here, we consider the case where the handcart 10 is discharged from the mounting section 24 via belt conveyors 281 and 282. In this case, the light emitted by the light-emitting part of the sensor 32 is blocked by the rear wheels 113 or 114 of the handcart 10.

[0095] Therefore, by detecting the situation where light is blocked, sensor 32 can detect that the trolley 10 placed at the first placement position of the placement section 24 has been discharged. It should be noted that sensor 32 is any sensor that can detect the discharge of the trolley 10 placed at the first placement position of the placement section 24, and is not limited to an optical sensor.

[0096] In addition, the contactless power supply device 20 includes a control unit 200 for controlling the overall operation of the contactless power supply device 20 (see reference). Figure 8 The control unit 200 will be discussed later.

[0097] Next, the first inclined section 231 will be described. In the non-contact power supply device 20, the power supply section 21 and the drive section of the belt conveyors 281 and 282 are built into the frame 22, and therefore have thickness.

[0098] Therefore, in order to place the trolley 10 on the mounting section 24 of the contactless power supply device 20 without lifting it, an incline is required from the ground where the contactless power supply device 20 is installed towards the mounting section 24 where the trolley 10 is placed. For this purpose, a first incline 231 is provided on the entry side of the trolley 10 entering the contactless power supply device 20. With this configuration, the trolley 10 can be smoothly entered into the contactless power supply device 20.

[0099] Next, the second tilting portion 232 will be described. As described above, the frame 22 has a thickness. If there is no tilt on the discharge side from which the trolley 10 is discharged, the trolley 10 will fall from the mounting portion 24 to the ground when it is discharged from the mounting portion 24. When the trolley 10 falls to the ground, there is a risk that the product registration device 16 of the trolley 10 may be damaged due to the impact.

[0100] Therefore, in order to mitigate the impact caused by the discharge of the trolley 10, it is necessary to tilt the trolley 10 from the mounting section 24 towards the ground where the non-contact power supply device 20 is located. For this purpose, a second tilting section 232 is provided on the discharge side of the trolley 10 where the non-contact power supply device 20 is discharged. With this configuration, the discharge of the trolley 10 from the non-contact power supply device 20 can be carried out smoothly.

[0101] Specifically, the handcart 10, pushed out from the loading section 24 by belt conveyors 281 and 282, descends along the second inclined section 232 and is supplied to the user.

[0102] Next, the hardware configuration of the control unit 200 of the contactless power supply device 20 will be explained. Figure 8This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit 200 of the contactless power supply device 20. The control unit 200 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, a storage unit 4, and a wireless communication I / F 205. The CPU 201 is connected to each component via a system bus 206.

[0103] CPU 201 performs various calculations to control the operation of the contactless power supply device 20. ROM 202 stores the programs and settings executed by the contactless power supply device 20.

[0104] RAM 203 serves as the working area for CPU 201. Storage unit 204 is a storage device that retains its contents even when the power supply is interrupted. For example, flash memory can be used as storage unit 204. Storage unit 204 stores the operating program of the contactless power supply device 20, various setting information, etc.

[0105] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the CPU 201 expands the operation program stored in the ROM 202 or the storage unit 204 into the working area of ​​the RAM 203 and executes it, thereby controlling each part.

[0106] The Wireless Communication I / F205 is a communication interface used for communication with external devices such as the Product Registration Device 16 and a server, according to wireless communication protocols such as wireless LAN. Furthermore, the Wireless Communication I / F205 is also an interface for signal communication using contactless power supply.

[0107] Next, the functional configuration of the control unit 200 of the contactless power supply device 20 will be explained. Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 200 of the contactless power supply device 20. The control unit 200 includes a communication unit 2001, a supply instruction unit 2002, a locking control unit 2003, and a conveying control unit 2004 as functional units.

[0108] The communication unit 2001 communicates with external devices such as the product registration device 16 and a server via the wireless communication I / F 205. For example, the communication unit 2001 receives a notification indicating successful user authentication from the product registration device 16. It should be noted that the communication unit 2001 can also receive such notifications from the server.

[0109] When the supply instruction unit 2002 receives a notification from an external device indicating successful user authentication, it instructs the supply of the trolley 10. In this embodiment, the supply instruction unit 2002 instructs the supply of the trolley 10 when it receives a notification from the product registration device 16 of the trolley 10 indicating successful user authentication. It should be noted that, as described above, the notification indicating successful user authentication includes information for identifying the product registration device 16 with the membership card.

[0110] In other words, the user instructs the contactless power supply device 20 to supply the trolley 10 by pointing their membership card at the display 166 of the merchandise registration device 16.

[0111] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the user issues a supply instruction for the trolley 10 to the contactless power supply device 20 by aligning their membership card with the product registration device 16. However, the method of issuing the supply instruction for the trolley 10 is not limited to this. For example, it can be configured such that a supply button for the trolley 10 is provided in the contactless power supply device 20, and when the user presses the supply button, the supply instruction unit 2002 issues a supply instruction for the trolley 10.

[0112] However, this also takes into account the case where the user aligns their membership card with the display unit 166 of the merchandise registration device 16 of the trolley 10 placed in the placement section 24 other than the first placement position. In this case, when the trolley 10 in the first placement position is ejected, the user can use the merchandise registration device 16, so it is necessary to align the membership card with the merchandise registration device 16 of the ejected trolley 10 again.

[0113] Furthermore, it may lead to the problem that the stroller identification information of the stroller 10 that the user does not use is associated with the user's membership identification information.

[0114] Therefore, the contactless power supply device 20 of this embodiment is configured to obtain trolley identification information by using signal communication that uses contactless power supply, and to store the trolley identification information and the placement position of the trolley 10 in the storage unit 204 in an associated manner, thereby avoiding the above-mentioned situation.

[0115] For example, when the communication unit 2001 receives a notification indicating successful user authentication, which includes trolley identification information different from the trolley identification information associated with the first placement location, it sends a notification via the wireless communication I / F 205 to the product registration device 16 that sent the notification indicating successful user authentication, indicating that the membership card is aligned with the trolley 10 placed outside the first placement location.

[0116] Upon receiving the notification, the product registration device 16 displays a message on the display unit 166 urging the user to align their membership card with the trolley 10 placed in the first placement position. In this case, the trolley identification information is not associated with the user's membership information.

[0117] Specifically, for example, the communication unit 2001 considers the case where a new trolley 10 is placed at a second placement position when the trolley 10 is already placed at the first placement position. In this case, when the power supply unit 21 at the second placement position starts supplying power to the power receiving unit 116 of the trolley 10, trolley identification information of the trolley 10 placed at the second placement position is obtained through contactless power supply signal communication. The obtained trolley identification information is stored in the storage unit 204 in association with the second placement position.

[0118] It should be noted that when the trolley 10 moves, the information associated with the placement position and the trolley identification information is updated. For example, if the first placement position is associated with the trolley identification information "123" and the second placement position is associated with the trolley identification information "124", when the trolley 10 placed at the first placement position is discharged, the trolley 10 equipped with the merchandise registration device 16 identified by "124" moves to the first placement position.

[0119] At this time, when the power supply unit 21 at the first placement position begins to supply power to the power receiving unit 116 of the trolley 10, it acquires the trolley identification information "124". The acquired trolley identification information "124" is stored in the storage unit 204 in association with the first placement position (the information associated with the trolley identification information "123" at the first placement position is overwritten). As a result, the information associated with the placement position and the trolley identification information is updated.

[0120] The locking control unit 2003 controls the operation of the stops 291, 292, 301, and 302. For example, when the locking control unit 2003 receives a supply instruction from the trolley 10, it maintains the locked state of the stops 301 and 302 located in the second placement position, while releasing the locked state of the stops 291 and 292 located in the first placement position. The locking control unit 2003 is an example of a "control unit".

[0121] Specifically, when the supply instruction unit 2002 issues a supply instruction for the trolley 10, the locking control unit 2003 maintains the state in which the column C of the stop portions 301 and 302 protrudes outward toward the first side wheel guide portion 26 and the second side wheel guide portion 27, while controlling the stop portions 291 and 292 to retract the column C inside the stop portions 291 and 292. Thus, the contactless power supply device 20 can provide the user with the trolley 10 placed only in the first placement position.

[0122] Furthermore, when the trolley 10 is discharged, the locking control unit 2003 controls the stops 291 and 292 at the first placement position to lock them, and controls the stops 301 and 302 at the second placement position to unlock them.

[0123] Specifically, when the sensor 31 detects the discharge of the trolley 10, the locking control unit 2003 controls the stops 291 and 292 at the first placement position to make the column C protrude outward toward the first side wheel guide 26 and the second side wheel guide 27 to enter a locked state.

[0124] Furthermore, when the sensor 31 detects the discharge of the trolley 10, the locking control unit 2003 controls the stops 301 and 302 at the second placement position, causing the column C to be housed inside the stops 301 and 302, thus releasing the lock. Therefore, the contactless power supply device 20 can move the trolley 10 placed at each placement position one by one to the previous placement position after the trolley 10 placed at the first placement position is discharged.

[0125] It should be noted that when a predetermined time has elapsed since the supply instruction issued by the supply instruction unit 2002, the locking control unit 2003 can be considered to have discharged the handcart 10 and perform the above-mentioned processing.

[0126] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the sensor 32 detects that the trolley 10 is placed in the first placement position, the locking control unit 2003 controls the stops 301 and 302 to cause the column C to protrude outward toward the first side wheel guide 26 and the second side wheel guide 27, thereby locking the stops 301 and 302 in the second placement position.

[0127] The transport control unit 2004 controls the drive of belt conveyors 281 and 282. For example, when the transport control unit 2004 receives a supply instruction for the handcart 10, it drives the drive units of belt conveyors 281 and 282 to discharge the handcart 10 from the loading section 24. The transport control unit 2004 is an example of a "control unit".

[0128] Furthermore, the conveying control unit 2004 stops the drive of belt conveyors 281 and 282 when the handcart 10 is placed in the first placement position. Specifically, when the sensor 32 detects that the handcart 10 is placed in the first placement position, the conveying control unit 2004 controls the drive unit of belt conveyors 281 and 282 to stop the conveying of the handcart 10. Therefore, it is unnecessary to continuously drive belt conveyors 281 and 282.

[0129] It should be noted that when a predetermined time has elapsed since the locking control unit 2003 made the stops 301 and 302 of the second placement position locked and released, the transport control unit 2004 can be regarded as having placed the trolley 10 in the first placement position and perform the above-mentioned processing.

[0130] Here is an example of the operation of the contactless power supply device 20. Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing of the control unit 200 of the contactless power supply device 20.

[0131] First, the communication unit 2001 receives a notification from the product registration device 16 indicating successful user authentication (step S101). The supply instruction unit 2002 issues a supply instruction for the trolley 10 (step S102). The locking control unit 2003 controls the stops 291 and 292 to house the column C inside the stops 291 and 292, releasing the locking state of the first mounting position (step S103).

[0132] At this time, the stop parts 301 and 302 maintain the locked state in which the column C protrudes outward in the direction of the first side wheel guide part 26 and the second side wheel guide part 27, and the movement of the handcart 10 placed in the second placement position in the Y direction is locked.

[0133] The transport control unit 2004 drives the belt conveyors 281 and 282 to transport the handcart 10 at the first placement position and push the handcart 10 out of the placement unit 24 to provide it to the user (step S104).

[0134] When sensor 31 detects that a handcart 10 is placed on the placement part 24 at the first placement position, the locking control unit 2003 controls the stop parts 291 and 292 to make the column C protrude outwards from the first side wheel guide part 26 and the second side wheel guide part 27 (step S105).

[0135] When sensor 32 detects the discharge of the trolley 10 placed at the first placement position of the placement part 24, the locking control unit 2003 controls the stop parts 301 and 302 to house the column C inside the stop parts 301 and 302 and release the locking state (step S106).

[0136] When sensor 31 detects that a handcart 10 is placed on the placement part 24 at the first placement position, the transport control unit 2004 controls the drive units of the belt conveyors 281 and 282 to stop the transport of the handcart 10 (step S107). Then, the locking control unit 2003 controls the stop parts 301 and 302 to cause the column C to protrude outwards from the first side wheel guide part 26 and the second side wheel guide part 27, thus ending the process (step S108).

[0137] As explained above, the contactless power supply device 20 of this embodiment includes: a mounting section 24 for mounting a plurality of trolleys 10 in a parallel arrangement along one direction, wherein each trolley 10 includes a merchandise registration device 16 and a power receiving section 116 for receiving power supplied to the merchandise registration device 16; a power supply section 21 for supplying power to the power receiving section 116 via contactless power supply, which is provided at each mounting position of the trolleys 10 at the mounting section 24; and a stop section 291 for locking the movement of the trolleys 10. 292, 301, 302, each of the following placement positions is provided in the placement position: the first placement position where the first handcart 10 is placed and the second placement position where the next handcart 10 is placed; the locking control unit 2003, upon receiving a supply instruction from the handcart 10, maintains the locked state of the stops 301, 302 provided in the second placement position and releases the locked state of the stops 291, 292 provided in the first placement position.

[0138] Therefore, if the user instructs for supply, the locking state of the trolley 10 in the first placement position is released, for example, even if the trolley 10 in the first placement position is not fully charged, the user can freely take out the trolley 10. Furthermore, the contactless power supply device 20 can realize the first-in-first-out of the trolley 10, and can prioritize supplying the user with the trolley 10 with a longer charging time.

[0139] Furthermore, the contactless power supply device 20 includes: belt conveyors 281 and 282, which are installed in the mounting section 24 to transport each handcart 10 placed in the mounting section 24 in one direction; and a transport control unit 2004, which, upon receiving a supply instruction for the handcart 10, drives the belt conveyors 281 and 282 to discharge the leading handcart from the mounting section 24. Thus, the user can retrieve the handcart 10 from the mounting section 24 without manually operating it, thereby improving convenience.

[0140] Furthermore, the locking control unit 2003 locks the stops 291 and 292 at the first placement position, and releases the locks on the stops 301 and 302 at the second placement position when the trolley 10 at the front is discharged. As a result, the trolley 10 at the second placement position is conveyed towards the first placement position via belt conveyors 281 and 282. Additionally, when the trolley 10 is placed on the placement section 24 at the first placement position, the stops 291 and 292 are locked, preventing the trolley 10 from being pushed out of the placement section 24.

[0141] Furthermore, when a trolley 10 is placed at the third position or later, the trolley 10 placed at the third position or later is transported together with the trolley 10 placed at the second position. Therefore, the user can automatically move the trolley 10 to the previous unit's placement section 24 without having to operate the trolley 10 himself.

[0142] Furthermore, when the trolley 10 is placed in the first placement position, the conveyor control unit 2004 stops the drive of the belt conveyors 281 and 282. As a result, the contactless power supply device 20 prevents the belt conveyors 281 and 282 from operating unnecessarily, thus achieving energy savings.

[0143] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plurality of power supply sections 21 of the contactless power supply device 20 are arranged substantially horizontally, such that when the stop sections 291 and 292 at the first placement position are in contact with the front of the rear wheel support section BS of the trolley 10 placed at the first placement position, they are respectively opposite to the power receiving section 116, and power is transmitted in the vertical direction. As a result, even without the positioning section 241, the contactless power supply device 20 can charge the merchandise registration device 16 of each trolley 10 placed on the placement section 24 in the optimal position.

[0144] Furthermore, the contactless power supply device 20 of this embodiment includes a supply instruction unit 2002 for instructing the supply of the trolley 10. When the supply instruction unit 2002 receives a notification from an external device indicating successful authentication of the user, it instructs the supply of the trolley 10. When the locking control unit 2003 receives the supply instruction for the trolley 10, it releases the stops 291 and 292 at the first placement position and locks the stops 301 and 302 at the second placement position. The belt conveyors 281 and 282 then transport the trolley 10 to supply it to the user.

[0145] Therefore, the contactless power supply device 20 of this embodiment supplies the trolley 10 to the user only when it receives a notification from an external device indicating that the user's authentication has been successful, thus preventing non-members from misusing or stealing the trolley 10.

[0146] The above describes several embodiments of the present invention, but these embodiments are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The new embodiments described above can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above embodiments and their variations are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and also within the scope of the claims and their equivalents.

[0147] For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the non-contact power supply device 20 is placed in the handcart placement area was described. However, the non-contact power supply device 20 can also be buried in the handcart placement area. When the non-contact power supply device 20 is buried in the handcart placement area, there is no difference in floor level between the non-contact power supply device 20 and the ground, so the non-contact power supply device 20 may not have the first inclined portion 231 and the second inclined portion 232.

[0148] Furthermore, for example, the contactless power supply device 20 can be embedded in the trolley placement area with the upper surface of the mounting portion 24 below ground level. In this case, the contactless power supply device 20 can have an inclined surface extending from the ground to the mounting portion 24. Thus, by having an inclined surface extending from the ground to the mounting portion 24, the contactless power supply device 20 allows the trolley 10 to be placed in the mounting portion 24 unless the user intends to pull it out.

[0149] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, it was described that the user manually stored the trolley 10 into the contactless power supply device 20 after finishing using it. However, the contactless power supply device 20 can be configured such that the extended belt conveyors 281, 282 extend to the ground in front of the first inclined section 231 and the contactless power supply device 20, and automatically transport and store the trolley 10 under the user's instruction.

[0150] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, a stop portion is described at the position of the rear wheels 113 and 114 of the brake trolley 10. However, the non-contact power supply device 20 may provide a stop portion at the position of the front wheels 111 and 112 of the brake trolley 10. Furthermore, the stop portion may not be located inside the side wheel guide portion, but rather at the top.

[0151] Alternatively, the device can be configured such that a stop is provided outside the non-contact power supply device 20 (e.g., an iron frame F for arranging the handcart 10), so that the column C protrudes toward the non-contact power supply device 20 to brake the rear wheels 113 and 114 of the handcart 10.

[0152] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the movement of the trolley 10 placed in the first and second placement positions is locked by using a stop. However, the stop can be provided at placement positions other than the first and second placement positions.

[0153] For example, a stop is provided at the third placement position where the last handcart 10 in the Y direction is placed. After a predetermined time has elapsed since the handcart 10 was placed at the third placement position, the column C protrudes behind the rear wheel support BS, thereby locking the rearward movement of the handcart 10 placed at the third placement position.

[0154] This configuration reliably prevents users from pulling out the trolley 10, which is at the very end and has insufficient charging time. Furthermore, it also prevents the trolley 10 from being stolen.

[0155] It should be noted that, in this case, when a new handcart 10 is added, the stop at the third placement position is unlocked, and the handcart 10 placed at the third placement position is moved to the previous placement position. This avoids the situation where the placement unit 24 is idle but unable to place the handcart 10.

Claims

1. A contactless power supply device, characterized in that, have: A mounting section in which multiple handcarts are arranged side by side in one direction, each handcart having a battery, a device powered by electricity charged by the battery, and a receiving section for receiving electricity to charge the battery. A power supply unit that supplies power to the power receiving unit via non-contact power supply, the power supply unit being disposed at each placement position where the handcart is placed via the placement unit; A locking unit, disposed at each of the following mounting positions in the mounting positions: a first mounting position where the trolley is mounted in at least one direction and a second mounting position where the next trolley is mounted, locks the movement of the trolley mounted at the first mounting position and the trolley mounted at the second mounting position; and The control unit controls the operation of the locking unit. When the control unit receives a supply instruction from the trolley placed at the first placement position, it maintains the locked state of the locking part located at the second placement position and releases the locked state of the locking part located at the first placement position.

2. The contactless power supply device according to claim 1, wherein, It also has: A conveying unit, located in the loading section, conveys the various handcarts loaded in the loading section in the stated one direction. When the control unit receives a supply instruction for the handcart placed at the first placement position, it drives the conveying unit to discharge the handcart placed at the first placement position from the placement unit.

3. The contactless power supply device according to claim 2, wherein, When the trolley placed in the first placement position is discharged, the control unit releases the locking state of the locking unit in the second placement position. When the trolley placed at the second placement position is placed at the first placement position, the drive of the conveying unit is stopped, and the locking unit at the first placement position is controlled to be in the locked state.

4. The contactless power supply device according to claim 1, wherein, The locking part is also located at the third placement position where the last handcart in the said one direction is placed. When the trolley is placed at the third placement position, the control unit controls the locking unit at the third placement position to lock the movement of the trolley placed at the third placement position after a predetermined time has elapsed.

5. The contactless power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The power supply units located at each of the aforementioned placement positions are arranged substantially horizontally, such that when the locking part at the first placement position is in contact with the trolley placed at the first placement position, each of the power supply units is opposite to the power receiving part, and power is transmitted in the vertical direction.

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