Adjustable charging gun and adjustment method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses an adjustable charging gun and an adjusting method thereof, which adjusts the charging gun body by adopting a coarse adjustment device and a fine adjustment device in cooperation and combining an image recognition technology, first identifies the charging port position of an electric vehicle, then adjusts the charging gun body to the front of the charging port nearby area through the coarse adjustment device, collects the image of the charging connector in the charging port by using the image acquisition device installed at the front end of the charging gun body, analyzes the position and angle of the charging connector, finally adjusts the position of the charging gun body by the fine adjustment device so that the charging gun body is aligned with the charging connector in the charging port and connected, and after charging is completed, the coarse adjustment device and the fine adjustment device are reset, so that the charging gun is automatically pulled out; the application utilizes the image recognition technology, can realize automatic alignment and plug-pull of the charging gun, effectively improves charging convenience, and can conveniently maintain the compact structure by adjusting the pose of the charging gun body in the shell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automatic charging, and more particularly to an adjustable charging gun and its adjustment method. Background Technology

[0002] As the global automotive industry enters a comprehensive transition to transportation energy, new energy vehicles are entering a new phase of accelerated development. Electric vehicles, as a type of new energy vehicle, are accounting for an increasingly larger proportion of all vehicles on the road, and society's demand for the number and density of electric vehicle charging stations is also growing daily.

[0003] Electric vehicles use batteries as their energy source and require constant charging. When charging the vehicle, the vehicle is usually parked in a fixed parking space, and the charging gun is manually connected to the charging port of the electric vehicle to complete the charging preparation stage. After charging is completed, the charging on the vehicle ends, and the charging gun also needs to be manually removed, which is very inconvenient.

[0004] To address the issue of manually aligning the charging gun, some systems currently use robotic arms on charging stations. These robotic arms work in conjunction with image acquisition and analysis modules to automatically connect the charging gun. However, because the charging port locations and connector installation methods vary among different brands and models of electric vehicles, simply adjusting the charging gun's position based on the charging port location may result in connection failure due to variations in the connector's position and angle within the port. Conversely, directly identifying the position and angle of the connector within the charging port for automatic charging can be challenging due to potential obstructions, increasing the difficulty of identification. Furthermore, the angle of the connector may prevent the image acquisition device from initially capturing a complete image of the connector, leading to connection failure. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an adjustable charging gun and its adjustment method to solve the problem that existing charging guns are easily affected by the installation of the charging connector, resulting in automatic alignment failure.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides an adjustable charging gun, comprising a charging gun housing and a charging gun body installed within the charging gun housing; an image acquisition module is provided at the front end of the charging gun body; a guide port conformally fitting the charging gun body is provided at the front end of the charging gun housing; a fine-tuning device for finely adjusting the position and attitude of the charging gun body is provided within the charging gun housing; the charging gun housing is mounted on a charging gun carrier (such as a charging pile) via a coarse-tuning device for coarsely adjusting the position of the charging gun body; the fine-tuning device includes a first axial adjustment mechanism for driving the charging gun body to move along the axial direction of the charging gun housing, a rotation adjustment mechanism for driving the charging gun body to rotate along the axis, and an attitude adjustment mechanism for adjusting the attitude of the charging gun body; the image acquisition module, the first axial adjustment mechanism, the rotation adjustment mechanism, the attitude adjustment mechanism, and the coarse-tuning device are respectively connected to a charging controller.

[0007] Furthermore, the coarse adjustment device includes a height adjustment mechanism and a housing. The charging gun housing is installed inside the housing, and the front end of the charging gun housing extends from the front end of the housing to the outside of the housing. A second axial adjustment mechanism for driving the charging gun housing to move along the axial direction of the housing is provided between the charging gun housing and the housing. The housing is installed on the charging gun carrier through the height adjustment mechanism.

[0008] Furthermore, the first axial adjustment mechanism includes a first rack arranged along the axial direction of the charging gun body on the side wall of the charging gun body, a first gear installed inside the charging gun housing and cooperating with the first rack, and a first motor for driving the first gear.

[0009] Furthermore, the rotation adjustment mechanism includes a second rack arranged circumferentially around the charging gun body on the side wall of the charging gun body, a second gear installed inside the charging gun housing and cooperating with the second rack, and a second motor for driving the second gear.

[0010] Furthermore, the attitude adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of first elliptical wheels, a plurality of second elliptical wheels, and a plurality of third motors and a plurality of fourth motors for driving the plurality of first elliptical wheels and the plurality of second elliptical wheels respectively. The first elliptical wheels are evenly arranged in the middle of the inner side of the charging gun housing along the circumference of the charging gun body, and the first elliptical wheels are evenly arranged in the front end of the inner side of the charging gun housing along the circumference of the charging gun body.

[0011] Furthermore, the first axial adjustment mechanism includes a first rack arranged axially along the side wall of the charging gun body, a first gear installed inside the charging gun housing and cooperating with the first rack, and a first motor for driving the first gear; the rotation adjustment mechanism includes a second rack arranged circumferentially around the side wall of the charging gun body, a second gear installed inside the charging gun housing and cooperating with the second rack, and a second motor for driving the second gear; the attitude adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of first elliptical wheels, a plurality of second elliptical wheels, and a plurality of third motors and a plurality of fourth motors for driving the plurality of first elliptical wheels and the plurality of second elliptical wheels respectively. The first elliptical wheels are evenly arranged circumferentially along the middle part of the inner side of the charging gun housing, and the first elliptical wheels are evenly arranged circumferentially along the front end of the inner side of the charging gun housing; the first gear and the second gear are elastic gears, and the first elliptical wheel and the second elliptical wheel are both elastic elliptical wheels.

[0012] Furthermore, the elastic gear is an inflatable rubber gear, and the elastic elliptical wheel is an inflatable rubber elliptical wheel; the inflatable rubber gear and the inflatable rubber elliptical wheel are inflated by an air pump, and an air pump valve is connected between the air pump and the inflatable rubber wheel.

[0013] Furthermore, the outer casing includes a main sleeve and a telescopic sleeve; the telescopic sleeve is connected to the front end of the main sleeve, and the second axial adjustment mechanism includes a third gear fixed in the middle of the main sleeve, a third rack arranged along the axial direction of the charging gun housing on the side wall of the charging gun housing and cooperating with the third gear, and a fifth motor for driving the third gear.

[0014] Furthermore, the height adjustment mechanism includes a fourth rack mounted upright on the charging gun carrier, a fourth gear mounted on the main sleeve and cooperating with the fourth rack, and a sixth motor for driving the fourth gear.

[0015] The present invention also provides an automatic alignment method for the above-mentioned charging gun, comprising:

[0016] The charging port location identification method involves acquiring an image of the electric vehicle's charging port (which is in an open state) using an image acquisition module, and then identifying the charging port location based on the image using image recognition principles.

[0017] The charging gun body is coarsely adjusted by controlling the coarse adjustment device through the charging controller to adjust the position of the charging gun body, so that the charging gun body moves to the front of the charging port area.

[0018] The charging connector location identification method involves capturing an image of the charging connector inside the charging port of an electric vehicle using an image acquisition module, and then identifying the location of the charging connector based on the image using image recognition principles.

[0019] The charging gun body undergoes fine-tuning. The charging controller controls the fine-tuning device to adjust the position and posture of the charging gun body, aligning and connecting it with the charging connector.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By employing a combination of coarse and fine adjustment devices, combined with image recognition technology, the charging gun body is adjusted. First, the location of the electric vehicle's charging port is identified. Then, the coarse adjustment device adjusts the charging gun body to the front of the area near the charging port. Next, an image acquisition device installed at the front end of the charging gun body acquires an image of the charging connector inside the charging port and analyzes the position and angle of the charging connector. Finally, the fine adjustment device adjusts the position of the charging gun body to make it vector-move and align with the charging connector inside the charging port. After charging is completed, the charging gun can be automatically unplugged by resetting the coarse and fine adjustment devices. This application utilizes image recognition technology to achieve automatic alignment and plugging / unplugging of the charging gun, effectively improving charging convenience. Furthermore, by installing the fine adjustment device inside the charging gun housing, the position and posture of the charging gun body can be adjusted inside the housing, facilitating maintenance and resulting in a compact structure with minimal space occupation. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, use the same reference numerals to denote the same or similar parts. The illustrative embodiments of this application and their descriptions are used to explain this application and do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a charging gun structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a charging gun according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of an alignment method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] The components are: 1. Charging gun body; 11. First rack; 12. Second rack; 13. Camera; 2. Charging gun housing; 21. Third rack; 3. First gear; 4. Second gear; 5. First elliptical wheel; 51. Second elliptical wheel; 6. Third gear; 7. Outer shell; 8. Fourth gear; 9. Charging pile; 91. Fourth rack. Detailed Implementation

[0026] like Figure 1The adjustable charging gun shown includes a charging gun housing 2 and a charging gun body 1 installed inside the charging gun housing 2; the front end of the charging gun body 1 is provided with an image acquisition module; the front end of the charging gun housing 2 is provided with a guide port that conformally fits the charging gun body 1; the charging gun housing 2 is provided with a fine-tuning device for fine-tuning the position and attitude of the charging gun body 1; the charging gun housing 2 is mounted on a charging gun carrier (such as a charging pile 9) through a coarse-tuning device for coarse-tuning the position of the charging gun body 1; the fine-tuning device includes a first axial adjustment mechanism for driving the charging gun body 1 to move along the axial direction of the charging gun housing 2, a rotation adjustment mechanism for driving the charging gun body 1 to rotate along the axis, and an attitude adjustment mechanism for adjusting the attitude of the charging gun body 1; the image acquisition module, the first axial adjustment mechanism, the rotation adjustment mechanism, the attitude adjustment mechanism, and the coarse-tuning device are respectively connected to a charging controller (such as a charging pile 9). Figure 2 (As shown).

[0027] This invention employs a combination of coarse and fine adjustment devices, along with image recognition technology, to adjust the charging gun body. First, the location of the electric vehicle's charging port is identified. Then, the coarse adjustment device moves the charging gun body to the front of the area near the charging port. Next, an image acquisition device installed at the front of the charging gun body captures an image of the charging connector inside the charging port and analyzes its position and angle. Finally, the fine adjustment device adjusts the position of the charging gun body to align it with the charging connector inside the charging port. After charging is complete, the charging gun can be automatically unplugged by resetting the coarse and fine adjustment devices. This application utilizes image recognition technology to achieve automatic alignment and plugging / unplugging of the charging gun, effectively improving charging convenience. Furthermore, by installing the fine adjustment device inside the charging gun housing, the position and posture of the charging gun body can be adjusted within the housing, facilitating maintenance and resulting in a compact structure with minimal space requirements.

[0028] During fine-tuning, the main adjustments include fine-tuning the axial position of the charging gun body 1, fine-tuning the rotation angle of the charging gun body 1, and fine-tuning the attitude adjustment mechanism (i.e., tilt angle) of the charging gun body 1. After analyzing and obtaining the position and angle of the charging connector, the charging controller simultaneously controls the first axial adjustment mechanism, the rotation adjustment mechanism, and the attitude adjustment mechanism to make the charging gun body perform vector movement to complete the docking.

[0029] According to one embodiment of this application, the coarse adjustment device includes a height adjustment mechanism and a housing 7. The charging gun housing 2 is installed inside the housing 7, and the front end of the charging gun housing 2 extends from the front end of the housing 7 to the outside of the housing 7. A second axial adjustment mechanism for driving the charging gun housing 2 to move axially along the housing 7 is provided between the charging gun housing 2 and the housing 7. The housing 7 is mounted on the charging gun carrier through the height adjustment mechanism. The coarse adjustment device includes circumferential position adjustment and height adjustment of the charging gun body 1, which can adapt to vehicle charging ports of different heights.

[0030] According to one embodiment of this application, the first axial adjustment mechanism includes a first rack 11 arranged axially along the side wall of the charging gun body 1, a first gear 3 mounted inside the charging gun housing 2 and cooperating with the first rack 11, and a first motor for driving the first gear 3. When fine-tuning the axial position of the charging gun body 1, the first motor drives the first gear 3 to rotate, thereby causing the charging gun body 1 to slide axially along the charging gun housing 2, thus achieving horizontal distance adjustment between the charging gun body 1 and the charging connector inside the vehicle charging port.

[0031] According to one embodiment of this application, the rotation adjustment mechanism includes a second rack 12 arranged circumferentially around the side wall of the charging gun body 1, a second gear 4 installed inside the charging gun housing 2 and cooperating with the second rack 12, and a second motor for driving the second gear 4. When fine-tuning the rotation angle of the charging gun body 1, the second motor drives the second gear 4 to rotate, thereby causing the charging gun body 1 to rotate along its axis, thus achieving planar angle adjustment between the charging gun body 1 and the charging connector inside the vehicle's charging port.

[0032] According to one embodiment of this application, the attitude adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of first elliptical wheels 5, a plurality of second elliptical wheels 51, and a plurality of third motors and a plurality of fourth motors for driving the plurality of first elliptical wheels 5 and the plurality of second elliptical wheels 51 respectively. The first elliptical wheels 5 are evenly arranged in the middle of the inner side of the charging gun housing 2 along the circumference of the charging gun body 1, and the first elliptical wheels 5 are evenly arranged in the front end of the inner side of the charging gun housing 2 along the circumference of the charging gun body 1. When fine-tuning the attitude adjustment mechanism (i.e., tilt angle) of the charging gun body 1, the rotation angle of each first elliptical wheel 5 and second elliptical wheel 51 is adjusted by the third motors and the fourth motors respectively, so that the attitude of the charging gun body 1 matches the angle of the charging connector in the vehicle charging port.

[0033] According to one embodiment of this application, the first axial adjustment mechanism includes a first rack 11 arranged axially along the side wall of the charging gun body 1, a first gear 3 installed inside the charging gun housing 2 and cooperating with the first rack 11, and a first motor for driving the first gear 3; the rotation adjustment mechanism includes a second rack 12 arranged circumferentially around the side wall of the charging gun body 1, a second gear 4 installed inside the charging gun housing 2 and cooperating with the second rack 12, and a second motor for driving the second gear 4; the attitude adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of first elliptical wheels 5, a plurality of second elliptical wheels 51, and a plurality of third motors and a plurality of fourth motors for driving the plurality of first elliptical wheels 5 and the plurality of second elliptical wheels 51 respectively. The first elliptical wheels 5 are evenly arranged circumferentially along the middle part of the inner side of the charging gun housing 2, and the first elliptical wheels 5 are evenly arranged circumferentially along the front end of the inner side of the charging gun housing 2; the first gear 3 and the second gear 4 are elastic gears, and the first elliptical wheels 5 and the second elliptical wheels 51 are both elastic elliptical wheels. By using flexible gears and flexible elliptical wheels, jamming can be avoided.

[0034] According to one embodiment of this application, the elastic gear is a rubber gear or an inflatable rubber gear, and the elastic elliptical wheel is a rubber elliptical wheel or an inflatable rubber elliptical wheel. The inflatable rubber gear and the inflatable rubber elliptical wheel are inflated by an air pump, and an air pump valve is connected to the inflatable rubber wheel. By adjusting the air pressure of the inflatable rubber gear and the inflatable rubber elliptical wheel, the supporting force for the charging gun is met. The inflatable type is gentler, with relatively less wear, and has better misalignment tolerance between the gear and rack. Furthermore, the inflatable rubber gear and the inflatable rubber elliptical wheel are lightweight, and the inflatable rubber elliptical wheel occupies a small area, saving radial space.

[0035] According to one embodiment of this application, the outer casing 7 includes a main sleeve and a telescopic sleeve; the telescopic sleeve is connected to the front end of the main sleeve, and the telescopic sleeve includes at least two slidingly fitted movable sleeves, which can freely extend and retract as the main sleeve moves axially. The second axial adjustment mechanism includes a third gear 6 fixed in the middle of the main sleeve, a third rack 21 arranged along the axial direction of the charging gun housing on the side wall of the charging gun housing and cooperating with the third gear 6, and a fifth motor for driving the third gear 6. When coarsely adjusting the axial position of the charging gun body 1, the fifth motor drives the third gear 6 to rotate, thereby causing the charging gun body 1 to slide along the axial direction of the main sleeve. This allows for coarse adjustment of the horizontal distance between the charging gun body 1 and the charging connector in the vehicle charging port. The outer casing 7 can not only extend and retract with the adjustment, but also helps to maintain support for the charging gun.

[0036] According to one embodiment of this application, the height adjustment mechanism includes a fourth rack 91 erected on the charging gun carrier, a fourth gear 8 mounted on the main sleeve and cooperating with the fourth rack 91, and a sixth motor for driving the fourth gear 8. During coarse adjustment of the height position of the charging gun body 1, the sixth motor drives the fourth gear 8 to rotate, thereby causing the charging gun body 1 to move up and down along the rack, thus achieving coarse adjustment of the height fit between the charging gun body 1 and the charging connector inside the vehicle's charging port.

[0037] Each motor in this application is equipped with a zero-point limit function for easy reset; the travel and reset travel of each motor are opposite and require zero-point correction.

[0038] like Figure 3 The automatic alignment method for the charging gun shown includes:

[0039] The charging port location identification method involves acquiring an image of the electric vehicle's charging port (which is in an open state) using an image acquisition module, and then identifying the charging port location based on the image using image recognition principles.

[0040] The charging gun body 1 is coarsely adjusted by controlling the coarse adjustment device through the charging controller to adjust the position of the charging gun body 1, so that the charging gun body 1 moves to the front of the charging port area.

[0041] The charging connector location identification method involves capturing an image of the charging connector inside the charging port of an electric vehicle using an image acquisition module, and then identifying the location of the charging connector based on the image using image recognition principles.

[0042] The charging gun body 1 is finely adjusted by the fine-tuning device controlled by the charging controller to adjust the position and posture of the charging gun body 1 so that the charging gun body 1 is aligned and connected with the charging connector.

[0043] Using this method, the charging port can be quickly identified first. Then, the charging gun body 1 is adjusted to the front of the charging port area before the charging connector inside the charging port is identified. This not only enables automatic alignment but also improves the identification efficiency.

[0044] Finally, it should be noted that 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 preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An adjustable charging gun, characterized in that, The device includes a charging gun housing and a charging gun body installed within the housing. An image acquisition module is located at the front end of the charging gun body. A guide port conformally mates with the charging gun body at the front end of the charging gun housing. A fine-tuning device for adjusting the position and orientation of the charging gun body is located within the housing. The charging gun housing is mounted on a charging gun carrier via a coarse-tuning device for coarsely adjusting the position of the charging gun body. The fine-tuning device includes a first axial adjustment mechanism for driving the charging gun body to move along the axial direction of the housing, a rotation adjustment mechanism for driving the charging gun body to rotate along an axis, and an orientation adjustment mechanism for adjusting the orientation of the charging gun body. The image acquisition module, the first axial adjustment mechanism, the rotation adjustment mechanism, the orientation adjustment mechanism, and the coarse-tuning device are all connected to a charging controller. The first axial adjustment mechanism includes a first rack arranged axially along the side wall of the charging gun body, a first gear installed inside the charging gun housing and cooperating with the first rack, and a first motor for driving the first gear; the rotation adjustment mechanism includes a second rack arranged circumferentially around the side wall of the charging gun body, a second gear installed inside the charging gun housing and cooperating with the second rack, and a second motor for driving the second gear; the attitude adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of first elliptical wheels, a plurality of second elliptical wheels, and a plurality of third motors and a plurality of fourth motors for driving the plurality of first elliptical wheels and the plurality of second elliptical wheels respectively. The first elliptical wheels are evenly arranged circumferentially along the middle of the inner side of the charging gun housing, and the second elliptical wheels are evenly arranged circumferentially along the front end of the inner side of the charging gun housing; the first gear and the second gear are elastic gears, and the elastic gears are pneumatic rubber gears; the first elliptical wheel and the second elliptical wheel are both elastic elliptical wheels.

2. The adjustable charging gun according to claim 1, characterized in that, The coarse adjustment device includes a height adjustment mechanism and a housing. The charging gun housing is installed inside the housing, and the front end of the charging gun housing extends from the front end of the housing to the outside of the housing. A second axial adjustment mechanism for driving the charging gun housing to move along the axial direction of the housing is provided between the charging gun housing and the housing. The housing is installed on the charging gun carrier through the height adjustment mechanism.

3. The adjustable charging gun according to claim 2, characterized in that, The elastic elliptical wheel is an inflatable rubber elliptical wheel; the inflatable rubber gear and the inflatable rubber elliptical wheel are inflated by an air pump, and an air pump valve is connected between the air pump and the inflatable rubber gear and the inflatable rubber elliptical wheel.

4. The adjustable charging gun according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer casing includes a main sleeve and a telescopic sleeve; the telescopic sleeve is connected to the front end of the main sleeve, and the second axial adjustment mechanism includes a third gear fixed in the middle of the main sleeve, a third rack arranged along the axial direction of the charging gun housing on the side wall of the charging gun housing and cooperating with the third gear, and a fifth motor for driving the third gear.

5. The adjustable charging gun according to claim 4, characterized in that, The height adjustment mechanism includes a fourth rack erected on the charging gun carrier, a fourth gear mounted on the main sleeve and cooperating with the fourth rack, and a sixth motor for driving the fourth gear.

6. An automatic alignment method for a charging gun according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, include: Charging port location identification: The image acquisition module acquires an image of the electric vehicle's charging port, and then the image recognition principle is used to identify the location of the charging port based on the image. The charging gun body is coarsely adjusted by controlling the coarse adjustment device through the charging controller to adjust the position of the charging gun body, so that the charging gun body moves to the front of the charging port area. The charging connector location identification method involves acquiring an image of the charging connector inside the charging port of an electric vehicle using an image acquisition module, and then identifying the location of the charging connector based on the image using image recognition principles. The charging gun body is finely adjusted by the fine-tuning device controlled by the charging controller to adjust the position and posture of the charging gun body so that the charging gun body is aligned and connected with the charging connector.

Images