A dedicated end effector for automatic charging of robots

Abstract

This invention discloses a dedicated end effector for automatic charging of robots, comprising an end-effector housing. A positioning module is installed inside the end-effector housing for locating the vehicle's charging port. A gun-changing disc mounting base is installed on the top wall of the end-effector housing. A connecting base is installed at the bottom of the gun-changing disc mounting base. A forward extension base with an "L"-shaped structure is installed on the front of the connecting base. A 3D vision camera is installed on the top of the forward extension base for precisely locating the vehicle's charging port. A protective cover is installed on the top of the end-effector housing. An ultrasonic ranging sensor is also installed on the top of the end-effector housing. This invention improves recognition accuracy by incorporating a positioning module, a 3D vision camera, and an ultrasonic ranging sensor, using the cooperation of the ultrasonic sensor and the 3D vision camera to identify the location information of the vehicle, charging gun, and charging port.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of charging gun gripper technology, specifically a dedicated end effector for automatic charging of robots. Background Technology

[0002] Most existing automatic charging devices for robots integrate the charging gun into the end effector of the robot for automatic charging. This charging method has high development costs and poor compatibility. Existing automatic charging devices for robots have poor adaptability to the external environment and poor accuracy in recognizing the charging port, which are certain defects.

[0003] The existing gun grabbing devices have the following drawbacks:

[0004] 1. Patent document WO2018171358A1 discloses a charging gun, including a shell (10) with a receiving cavity (12), a plug component (30) inserted into the front end of the receiving cavity (12), a cable assembly (40) inserted into the rear end of the receiving cavity (12), a locking fastening component (20) movably assembled around the periphery of the shell (10), a circuit module (50) assembled in the receiving cavity (12), and a waterproof and breathable component (60), wherein the circuit module (50) is provided with a magnetic switch (53), and the periphery of the shell (10) is provided with a mounting groove (13) for installing the locking component (20), and the locking component (20) can rotate around the pivot in the mounting groove (13).

[0005] (131) Rotation, the locking member (20) is provided with a magnetic element (24), the magnetic element (24) rotates with the locking member (20) to change the relative distance with the magnetic switch (53), thereby controlling the state of the magnetic switch (53), the bottom surface of the mounting groove (13) is provided with a mounting hole (132) penetrating the receiving chamber (12), the waterproof and breathable component (60) is installed in the mounting hole (132) to exhaust the heat in the receiving chamber (12). The charging gun has good waterproof performance and is easy to dissipate heat, but the charging gun in the above-mentioned public documents mainly considers how to improve its own waterproof and heat dissipation performance, without considering the problem that the existing gun gripper has low position recognition accuracy when gripping the charging gun;

[0006] 2. Patent document WO2021174597A1 discloses a charging gun and a charging pile. The charging gun includes a charging gun head (10), a charging gun cable (20), and an insulating transfer connector. The transfer connector includes a first transfer member, and the charging gun cable (20) includes a first conductor (11) and a second conductor (21). The first conductor (11) is disposed in the charging gun head (10), and the first conductor (11) and the second conductor (21) are detachably connected to the first transfer member, so that when they are connected to the first transfer member, the first conductor (11) and the second conductor (21) are electrically connected to each other. This invention provides a charging gun with a transfer connector, and the first conductor (11) and the second conductor (21) are detachably connected to the first transfer member, thereby realizing the disassembly and assembly of the charging gun and the charging gun cable, and achieving the purpose of replacing the old charging gun head with a new charging gun head. However, the charging gun in the above-mentioned disclosure mainly considers how to improve the convenience of disassembly and assembly of the charging gun, and does not consider the problem of poor safety of the existing gun grabber during use.

[0007] 3. Patent document WO2022047816A1 discloses a new energy vehicle charging gun that is easy to place. The charging gun includes a charging gun body (3) and a magnetic attraction device (7). An elastic clamping base (8) is provided on the upper left side of the charging gun body (3); a pulling plate (6) is provided on the upper right side of the charging gun body (3); the magnetic attraction device (7) is arranged on the upper left side of the pulling plate (6); the magnetic attraction device (7) includes an electromagnet (71), a connecting device (72), a connecting base (73), a rotating ball (74), an elastic device (75), a fixed base (76), and a power connection device (77); the connecting device (72) is arranged in the middle of the right end of the electromagnet (71). After using the charging gun and then putting it back into the charging cabinet, the direction of the electromagnet (71) can be moved due to the action of the rotating ball (74), so that the electromagnet (71) can directly face the outer wall of the charging cabinet. Then, the power connection device (77) in the magnetic attraction device (7) is inserted into the charging port in the charging gun body, so that the electromagnet (71) can generate magnetic force and be attracted to the outer wall of the charging cabinet. The charging gun is not easy to fall off. However, the new energy vehicle charging gun that is easy to place in the above-mentioned public documents mainly considers how to improve the stability of the charging gun placement, but does not consider the problem of poor stability of the existing gun grabber when identifying the charging gun and position information.

[0008] 4. Patent document WO2018218989A1 provides a charging handle socket and a charging pile including the socket. This invention is used to solve the problem of excessive friction between the charging handle and the charging handle socket in existing charging piles. The charging handle socket includes a housing (1) and multiple guide structures (2). The housing (1) is a cylindrical structure, and the multiple guide structures (2) are disposed on the inner wall of the cylindrical structure. The multiple guide structures (2) form a guide cavity, and the charging handle can be inserted into the housing (1) along the axial direction of the cylindrical structure / pulled out of the housing (1) by means of the guide cavity. By setting a guide structure (2) on the inner wall of the outer shell (1), the surface friction between the outer edge of the charging handle and the inner wall of the outer shell (1) is transformed into linear friction during the process of inserting / removing the charging handle into the charging handle socket, which greatly reduces friction and makes the charging handle insertion and removal smooth, thus improving the user experience. However, the charging handle socket and the charging pile including the socket in the above-mentioned public documents mainly consider how to improve the smoothness of the charging handle insertion and removal, without considering that the existing gun gripper has a low degree of automation and is inconvenient to open the charging cover on the vehicle when holding the charging gun, resulting in low practicality. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dedicated end effector for automatic charging of robots, in order to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a robot automatic charging end effector, comprising an end clamping shell, wherein a positioning module is installed inside the end clamping shell, and the positioning module is used to position the vehicle charging port, wherein the positioning module includes a slot through the top of the end clamping shell;

[0011] The top wall of the end clamping shell is equipped with a gun changing disc mounting seat, and the longitudinal section of the gun changing disc mounting seat is an inverted "T" shape. The gun changing disc mounting seat is located inside the slot one. The bottom of the gun changing disc mounting seat is equipped with a connecting seat, and the connecting seat is an "I" shape. The front of the connecting seat is equipped with a front extension seat, and the front extension seat is an "L" shape. The top of the front extension seat is equipped with a 3D vision camera, and the 3D vision camera is used to accurately locate the vehicle charging port position information. The top of the end clamping shell is equipped with a protective cover.

[0012] An ultrasonic ranging sensor is mounted on the top of the end clamping housing, and the ultrasonic ranging sensor is used to coarsely locate the vehicle's stopping position.

[0013] Preferably, a safety protection module is installed on the outer surface of the end clamping shell, and the safety protection module is used to detect the safety of the surrounding environment during operation. The safety protection module includes slots two through the outer walls on both sides of the end clamping shell. A storage frame is fitted inside each of the two slots two. An infrared detection sensor is installed inside each of the two storage frames. An alarm unit is installed on each of the two storage frames, and the alarm unit is used to issue an alarm message and stop the automatic charging operation.

[0014] Preferably, the end clamping housing is equipped with a supplementary lighting module, which is used to ensure the stable light intensity required by the 3D vision camera. The supplementary lighting module includes a supplementary light lamp and a light intensity measuring instrument installed on the inner walls of both sides of the end clamping housing. The light intensity measuring instrument is located behind the supplementary light lamp and is used to measure the real-time light intensity parameters of the automatic charging area. The supplementary light lamp, the light intensity measuring instrument and the 3D vision camera are electrically connected.

[0015] Preferably, the bottom of the positioning module is equipped with a push rod mechanism, which is used to unlock the charging gun and open the car charging port cover. The push rod mechanism includes cylinder one and cylinder two installed at the bottom of the front extension seat, with cylinder one located on one side of cylinder two. A connecting rod is installed at the output end of cylinder one, and a push plate is installed at the output end of cylinder two.

[0016] Preferably, the protective cover is located outside the ultrasonic ranging sensor, in front of the slot one, and the upper surface of the gun changing plate mounting base is mounted on the robot.

[0017] The alarm unit includes an alarm light embedded in the outer wall of one side of the storage frame, and the alarm light is electrically connected to an infrared detection sensor;

[0018] The retractable charging cover opening button extends when opening is needed and retracts when not needed, allowing the grabber to use a cylinder to drive the connecting rod to open the vehicle's charging cover while the grabber is in the grabbing state.

[0019] Preferably, the end clamping housing is equipped with a clamping mechanism for clamping the charging gun. The clamping mechanism includes a jaw mounting base installed at the bottom of the connecting seat. A jaw electric cylinder is installed at the bottom of the jaw mounting base. The output end of the jaw electric cylinder is equipped with symmetrically arranged charging gun clamping parts. The charging gun clamping parts are located on the side and below the push rod mechanism. Clamping plastic parts are installed on the surfaces of the two sets of charging gun clamping parts that are close to each other.

[0020] Preferably, the top of the gripper mounting base is equipped with a gripper bevel, and the gripper bevel is located in front of the connecting base. One end of the gripper bevel is equipped with a beveled block, and the front of the beveled block is connected to the bottom of the front extension base and the back of the cylinder.

[0021] Preferably, the method of using this gun grabber is as follows:

[0022] S1. The location information of the vehicle and charging port is identified by the combination of ultrasonic ranging sensor and 3D vision camera.

[0023] S2. Improve the stability of 3D vision camera recognition by using a supplementary lighting module;

[0024] S3, the combination of the clamping mechanism and the push rod mechanism of the gun grabber allows the gun grabber to open the charging cover of the vehicle while holding the gun and insert the charging gun into the charging port.

[0025] S4. During the charging process, infrared detection sensors ensure that the surrounding environment is perceived during automatic charging operations.

[0026] Preferably, step S1 further includes the following steps:

[0027] S11. When using the gun grabber, first connect it to the robot through the gun changing plate mounting base, and then the robot can control the gun grabber to move. During the movement, the ultrasonic ranging sensor identifies the approximate position of the vehicle, and the 3D vision camera identifies the position of the charging gun on the charging pile and the specific position of the vehicle's charging port.

[0028] Step S2 further includes the following steps:

[0029] S21. When using a 3D vision camera, the real-time light intensity parameters of the automatic charging area are measured by a light intensity meter, so that the 3D vision camera can select an appropriate parameter threshold according to the light intensity parameters. At the same time, an auxiliary fill light is provided to ensure the stability of the 3D vision camera recognition.

[0030] Step S3 further includes the following steps:

[0031] S31. When the 3D vision camera recognizes the position of the charging gun, cylinder two is activated, which drives the push plate to extend and retract, thereby unlocking the charging gun. Then, the gripper cylinder is activated, which drives the two sets of charging gun clamping parts to move closer to each other, and then the charging gun can be clamped by the clamping plastic parts.

[0032] S32. After identifying the location of the vehicle's charging port, the robot moves the gripper and activates cylinder one to extend and retract the connecting rod. This allows the connecting rod to push the retractable charging cover opening button on the vehicle, enabling the connecting rod to open the cover. Then, the charger can be inserted into the vehicle's charging port for charging.

[0033] Step S4 further includes the following steps:

[0034] S41. During the automatic charging process of the entire grab gun, the infrared detection sensor in the storage frame detects the safety of the surrounding environment during operation. When personnel enter the working area of ​​the grab gun, the alarm unit promptly issues a warning message and stops the automatic charging operation to ensure the safety of the surroundings.

[0035] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0036] 1. This invention, by installing a positioning module, a gun-changing disc mounting base, a 3D vision camera, and an ultrasonic ranging sensor, allows the gun-grabbing device to be used. First, the upper surface of the gun-changing disc mounting base is connected to the robot. Then, the robot can control the movement of the gun-grabbing device. During the movement, the ultrasonic ranging sensor identifies the approximate position of the vehicle, and the 3D vision camera identifies the position of the charging gun on the charging pile and the specific position of the vehicle's charging port, thereby improving the accuracy of position information identification.

[0037] 2. This invention, by installing a safety protection module, a storage frame, an infrared detection sensor, and an alarm unit, can detect the safety of the surrounding environment during vehicle charging through the infrared detection sensor in the storage frame. When personnel enter the working area of ​​the grabber, the alarm unit will promptly issue a warning message and stop the automatic charging operation to ensure the safety of the surroundings. It can also detect the environment around the end effector, reducing the probability of collisions with surrounding objects during the robot's movement of the grabber.

[0038] 3. This invention is equipped with a supplementary lighting module, a supplementary light, and a light intensity measuring instrument. The 3D vision camera is equipped with a light intensity measuring instrument, which can measure the real-time light intensity parameters of the automatic charging area. This allows the 3D vision camera to select a suitable parameter threshold based on the detected light intensity parameters. At the same time, the supplementary light assists the 3D vision camera in performing recognition operations, thereby improving the stability of 3D vision camera recognition to a certain extent.

[0039] 4. This invention, by installing a push rod mechanism, cylinder one, cylinder two, a push plate, and a connecting rod, allows the grabber to operate by activating cylinder one, which in turn drives the connecting rod to extend and retract. This allows the connecting rod to press the open button on the retractable charging cover of the vehicle, enabling the grabber to open the charging cover while holding the gun. Then, the charging gun can be inserted into the charging port for charging, thereby improving the practicality of the grabber to a certain extent. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of cylinder two of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the safety protection module of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the forward extension and the 3D vision camera of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the gripper mounting base and the gripper electric cylinder of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 6 This is a plan view of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the structural components of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the process of the present invention.

[0048] In the diagram: 1. End clamping shell; 2. Positioning module; 3. Slot 1; 4. Gun changing disc mounting base; 5. Connecting base; 6. Extending base; 7. 3D vision camera; 8. Protective cover; 9. Ultrasonic ranging sensor; 10. Safety protection module; 11. Slot 2; 12. Storage frame; 13. Infrared detection sensor; 14. Alarm unit; 15. Supplemental lighting module; 16. Supplemental light; 17. Light intensity measuring instrument; 18. Push rod mechanism; 19. Cylinder 1; 20. Cylinder 2; 21. Push plate; 22. Connecting rod; 23. Gripper mounting base; 24. Gripper electric cylinder; 25. Charging gun clamping component; 26. Clamping plastic part; 27. Gripper inclined rest; 28. Inclined rest block. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0050] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "front end," "rear end," "both ends," "one end," and "the other end," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0051] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "equipped with," "connected," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0052] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 This invention provides an embodiment of a robot automatic charging end effector, comprising an end-gripping housing 1, a positioning module 2, and a supplementary lighting module 15. The positioning module 2 is installed inside the end-gripping housing 1 and is used to locate the vehicle charging port. The positioning module 2 includes a slot 3 penetrating through the top of the end-gripping housing 1. A gun-changing disc mounting base 4 is installed on the top wall of the end-gripping housing 1, and the longitudinal section of the gun-changing disc mounting base 4 is an inverted "T" shape. The gun-changing disc mounting base 4 is located inside the slot 3. A connecting seat 5 is installed at the bottom of the gun-changing disc mounting base 4, and the connecting seat 5 is an "I" shape. A forward extension seat 6 is installed on the front of the connecting seat 5, and the forward extension seat 6 is an "L" shape. A 3D vision camera 7 is installed on the top of the forward extension seat 6, and the 3D vision camera 7 is used for precise positioning of the vehicle charging port. The end-grip housing 1 has a protective cover 8 installed on its top. An ultrasonic ranging sensor 9 is also installed on the top of the end-grip housing 1. The ultrasonic ranging sensor 9 is used for coarse positioning of the vehicle's stopping position. The protective cover 8 is located outside the ultrasonic ranging sensor 9 and in front of the slot 3. The upper surface of the gun changing plate mounting base 4 is mounted on the robot. The end-grip housing 1 has a supplementary lighting module 15 installed inside. The supplementary lighting module 15 is used to ensure the stable light intensity required by the 3D vision camera 7. The supplementary lighting module 15 includes supplementary lights 16 and a light intensity measuring instrument 17 installed on the inner walls of both sides of the end-grip housing 1. The light intensity measuring instrument 17 is located behind the supplementary lights 16. The light intensity measuring instrument 17 is used to measure the real-time light intensity parameters of the automatic charging area. The supplementary lights 16, the light intensity measuring instrument 17, and the 3D vision camera 7 are electrically connected.

[0053] Furthermore, before using the gun grabber, the upper surface of the gun changing plate mounting base 4 is first connected to the robot. Then, the gun grabber can be connected to the robot, so that during the subsequent use of the gun grabber, the 3D vision camera 7 on the front extension base 6 can detect and identify the position of the charging gun on the charging pile and the specific position of the vehicle charging port. The ultrasonic ranging sensor 9 inside the protective cover 8 can roughly determine the vehicle's stopping position. The light intensity measuring instrument 17 inside the end clamping shell 1 can measure the real-time light intensity parameters of the automatic charging area. The 3D vision camera 7 can select an appropriate parameter threshold based on the light intensity parameters. At the same time, the supplementary light 16 can improve the accuracy and stability of the 3D vision camera 7 in identifying the position of the charging gun and the vehicle charging port.

[0054] Please see Figure 3 The present invention provides an embodiment of a robot automatic charging end effector, including a safety protection module 10. The safety protection module 10 is installed on the outer surface of the end clamping shell 1 and is used to detect the safety of the surrounding environment during operation. The safety protection module 10 includes slots 11 that penetrate the outer walls of both sides of the end clamping shell 1. A storage frame 12 is fitted inside each of the slots 11. An infrared detection sensor 13 is installed inside each of the storage frames 12. An alarm unit 14 is installed on each of the storage frames 12 and is used to issue an alarm message and stop the automatic charging operation. The alarm unit 14 includes an alarm light embedded in the outer wall of one side of the storage frame 12 and is electrically connected to the infrared detection sensor 13.

[0055] Furthermore, when using the grabber, the surrounding environment can be detected by the infrared detection sensor 13 inside the storage frame 12, thereby reducing the probability of collision with surrounding objects when the robot moves the grabber. During charging, the infrared detection sensor 13 detects the safety of the surrounding environment during operation. When personnel enter the working area of ​​the grabber, the alarm unit 14 promptly issues a warning message and the alarm light illuminates, while the automatic charging operation is stopped to ensure the safety of the surroundings.

[0056] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 5This invention provides an embodiment of a robot automatic charging end effector, comprising a push rod mechanism 18 and an inclined block 28. The push rod mechanism 18 is installed at the bottom of the positioning module 2 and is used to unlock the charging gun and open the car charging port cover. The push rod mechanism 18 includes a first cylinder 19 and a second cylinder 20 installed at the bottom of the front extension seat 6, with the first cylinder 19 located to one side of the second cylinder 20. A connecting rod 22 is installed at the output end of the first cylinder 19, and a push plate 21 is installed at the output end of the second cylinder 20. A telescopic charging cover opening button extends when opening the cover is needed and retracts when not opening the cover, allowing the end effector to use the first cylinder 19 to drive the connecting rod 22 to move the charging cover of the vehicle while holding the gun. During the opening operation, a clamping mechanism is installed inside the end clamping housing 1. The clamping mechanism is used to clamp the charging gun. The clamping mechanism includes a jaw mounting base 23 installed at the bottom of the connecting seat 5. A jaw electric cylinder 24 is installed at the bottom of the jaw mounting base 23. A symmetrically arranged charging gun clamping component 25 is installed at the output end of the jaw electric cylinder 24. The charging gun clamping component 25 is located on the side and below the push rod mechanism 18. Clamping plastic parts 26 are installed on the surfaces of the two sets of charging gun clamping components 25 that are close to each other. A jaw inclined abutment 27 is installed on the top of the jaw mounting base 23. The jaw inclined abutment 27 is located in front of the connecting seat 5. An inclined abutment block 28 is installed at one end of the jaw inclined abutment 27. The front of the inclined abutment block 28 is connected to the bottom of the front extension seat 6 and the back of the cylinder 19.

[0057] Furthermore, once the 3D vision camera 7 detects the location of the charging gun, cylinder 20 is activated, causing the push plate 21 to extend and retract, thereby unlocking the charging gun. Then, the gripper cylinder 24 is activated, causing the gripping plastic parts 26 on the two sets of charging gun grippers 25 to move closer together, allowing the gripping mechanism on the gun gripper to grasp the charging gun. Next, the 3D vision camera 7 continues to detect the location of the vehicle's charging port, and the gun gripper moves the charging gun. Since the vehicle is equipped with a retractable charging cover opening button, it extends when needed and retracts when not needed. Then, cylinder 19 is activated, causing the connecting rod 22 to push the retractable charging cover opening button on the vehicle, allowing the gun gripper to open the vehicle's charging cover while gripping the gun. Then, the charger can be inserted into the vehicle's charging port for charging, realizing unmanned car charging, ensuring operational safety during automatic charging, simplifying the robot's automatic charging process, and achieving rapid charging operations.

[0058] Furthermore, the method of using this gun grabber is as follows:

[0059] S1. The location information of the vehicle and charging port is identified by the cooperation of ultrasonic ranging sensor 9 and 3D vision camera 7.

[0060] S2. Improve the stability of 3D vision camera 7 during recognition by using supplementary lighting module 15;

[0061] S3, the combination of the clamping mechanism and the push rod mechanism 18 of the gun grabber enables the gun grabber to open the charging cover of the vehicle while holding the gun and insert the charging gun into the charging port.

[0062] S4. During the charging process, the infrared detection sensor 13 ensures the perception of the surrounding environment during automatic charging operations.

[0063] Step S1 also includes the following steps:

[0064] S11. When using the gun grabber, first connect it to the robot through the gun changing plate mounting base 4, and then the robot can control the gun grabber to move. During the movement, the ultrasonic ranging sensor 9 identifies the approximate position of the vehicle, and the 3D vision camera 7 identifies the position of the charging gun on the charging pile and the specific position of the vehicle's charging port.

[0065] Step S2 also includes the following steps:

[0066] S21. When using the 3D vision camera 7, the real-time light intensity parameters of the automatic charging area are measured by the light intensity measuring instrument 17, so that the 3D vision camera 7 can select an appropriate parameter threshold according to the light intensity parameters. At the same time, it is equipped with an auxiliary fill light 16 to ensure the stability of the 3D vision camera 7 in recognition.

[0067] Step S3 also includes the following steps:

[0068] S31. When the 3D vision camera 7 detects the position of the charging gun, cylinder 20 is activated, which drives the push plate 21 to extend and retract, thereby unlocking the charging gun. Then, the gripper cylinder 24 is activated, which drives the two sets of charging gun clamping parts 25 to move closer to each other, and then the charging gun can be clamped by the clamping plastic part 26.

[0069] S32. After identifying the location of the vehicle's charging port, the robot moves the gripper and activates cylinder 19, which in turn extends and retracts the connecting rod 22. This allows the connecting rod 22 to push the retractable charging cover opening button on the vehicle, enabling the connecting rod 22 to open the cover. Then, the charger can be inserted into the vehicle's charging port for charging.

[0070] Step S4 also includes the following steps:

[0071] S41. During the automatic charging process of the entire grab gun, the infrared detection sensor 13 in the storage frame 12 detects the safety of the surrounding environment during operation. When personnel enter the working area of ​​the grab gun, the alarm unit 14 issues a warning message in a timely manner and stops the automatic charging operation to ensure the safety of the surroundings.

[0072] Working principle: When using the gun grabber, first connect the upper surface of the gun changing plate mounting base 4 to the robot. Then, the robot can control the gun grabber to move. During the movement, the ultrasonic ranging sensor 9 identifies the approximate position of the vehicle. Then, the 3D vision camera 7 identifies the position of the charging gun on the charging pile and the specific position of the vehicle's charging port. Then, the light intensity measuring instrument 17 and the supplementary light 16 work together to improve the stability of the 3D vision camera 7's identification.

[0073] When the 3D vision camera 7 detects the position of the charging gun, cylinder 20 is activated, which drives the push plate 21 to extend and retract, thereby unlocking the charging gun. Then, the gripper cylinder 24 is activated, which drives the two sets of charging gun grippers 25 to move closer to each other, so that the gripping mechanism on the gun gripper can grip the charging gun.

[0074] Next, the 3D vision camera 7 is used to identify the location of the vehicle's charging port, and the charging gun is moved by the grabber. Then, cylinder 19 is activated, which drives the connecting rod 22 to push the retractable charging cover opening button on the vehicle, allowing the grabber to open the charging cover while holding the gun. Then, the charger can be inserted into the vehicle's charging port for charging. During the charging process, the infrared detection sensor 13 detects the safety of the surrounding environment. If personnel enter the grabber's working area, the alarm unit 14 will issue a warning message in time and stop the automatic charging operation to ensure the safety of the surroundings. It can also reduce the probability of the grabber colliding with surrounding objects during its movement to a certain extent.

[0075] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A robot automatic charging special end grabber, comprising an end gripping shell (1), characterized in that: The end clamping shell (1) is equipped with a positioning module (2), and the positioning module (2) is used to position the vehicle charging port. The positioning module (2) includes a slot (3) that passes through the top of the end clamping shell (1). The top wall of the end clamping shell (1) is equipped with a gun changing plate mounting seat (4), and the longitudinal section of the gun changing plate mounting seat (4) is an inverted "T" shape. The gun changing plate mounting seat (4) is located inside the slot one (3). The bottom of the gun changing plate mounting seat (4) is equipped with a connecting seat (5), and the connecting seat (5) is an "I" shape. The front of the connecting seat (5) is equipped with a front extension seat (6), and the front extension seat (6) is an "L" shape. The top of the front extension seat (6) is equipped with a 3D vision camera (7), and the 3D vision camera (7) is used to accurately locate the vehicle charging port position information. The top of the end clamping shell (1) is equipped with a protective cover (8). An ultrasonic ranging sensor (9) is installed on the top of the end clamping housing (1), and the ultrasonic ranging sensor (9) is used to coarsely locate the vehicle's stopping position. The outer surface of the end clamping shell (1) is equipped with a safety protection module (10), and the safety protection module (10) is used to detect the safety of the surrounding environment during operation. The safety protection module (10) includes slots (11) that penetrate the outer walls on both sides of the end clamping shell (1). A storage frame (12) is installed inside each of the two slots (11). An infrared detection sensor (13) is installed inside each of the two storage frames (12). An alarm unit (14) is installed on each of the two storage frames (12). The alarm unit (14) is used to issue an alarm message and stop the automatic charging operation. The end clamping shell (1) is equipped with a supplementary light module (15), which is used to ensure the light intensity required by the 3D vision camera (7) is stable. The supplementary light module (15) includes a supplementary light lamp (16) and a light intensity measuring instrument (17) installed on the inner walls of both sides of the end clamping shell (1). The light intensity measuring instrument (17) is located behind the supplementary light lamp (16). The light intensity measuring instrument (17) is used to measure the real-time light intensity parameters of the automatic charging area. The supplementary light lamp (16), the light intensity measuring instrument (17) and the 3D vision camera (7) are electrically connected. The bottom of the positioning module (2) is equipped with a push rod mechanism (18), and the push rod mechanism (18) is used to unlock the charging gun and open the car charging port cover. The push rod mechanism (18) includes cylinder one (19) and cylinder two (20) installed at the bottom of the front extension seat (6). Cylinder one (19) is located on one side of cylinder two (20). A connecting rod (22) is installed at the output end of cylinder one (19), and a push plate (21) is installed at the output end of cylinder two (20). The protective cover (8) is located outside the ultrasonic ranging sensor (9), and the protective cover (8) is located in front of the slot (3). The upper surface of the gun changing plate mounting base (4) is mounted on the robot. The alarm unit (14) includes an alarm light embedded in the outer wall of one side of the storage frame (12), and the alarm light is electrically connected to the infrared detection sensor (13); The telescopic charging cover opening button extends when opening is needed and retracts when not opening, allowing the gun grabber to use cylinder one (19) to drive the connecting rod (22) to open the charging cover of the vehicle while holding the gun. The end clamping housing (1) is equipped with a clamping mechanism, which is used to clamp the charging gun. The clamping mechanism includes a jaw mounting base (23) installed at the bottom of the connecting seat (5). A jaw electric cylinder (24) is installed at the bottom of the jaw mounting base (23). A symmetrically arranged charging gun clamping component (25) is installed at the output end of the jaw electric cylinder (24). The charging gun clamping component (25) is located on the side and below the push rod mechanism (18). Clamping plastic parts (26) are installed on the surfaces of the two sets of charging gun clamping components (25) that are close to each other. The top of the gripper mounting base (23) is equipped with a gripper bend (27), and the gripper bend (27) is located in front of the connecting base (5). One end of the gripper bend (27) is equipped with a bend block (28), and the front of the bend block (28) is connected to the bottom of the front extension base (6) and the back of the cylinder (19).

2. The method of using a robot automatic charging end gun grabber according to claim 1, wherein, The method of using this gun grabber is as follows: S1. The location information of the vehicle and charging port is identified by the cooperation of ultrasonic ranging sensor (9) and 3D vision camera (7). S2. Improve the stability of 3D vision camera (7) recognition by using supplementary lighting module (15); S3, The combination of the gripping mechanism and the push rod mechanism (18) of the gun grabber enables the gun grabber to open the charging cover of the vehicle while holding the gun and insert the charging gun into the charging port. S4. During the charging process, the infrared detection sensor (13) ensures the perception of the surrounding environment during automatic charging operations.

3. The method of using a robot automatic charging end effector gun according to claim 2, wherein, Step S1 further includes the following steps: S11. When using the gun grabber, first connect it to the robot through the gun changing plate mounting base (4), then the robot can control the gun grabber to move, and during the movement, the ultrasonic ranging sensor (9) identifies the approximate location of the vehicle, and then the 3D vision camera (7) identifies the location of the charging gun on the charging pile and the specific location of the vehicle charging port. Step S2 further includes the following steps: S21. When using the 3D vision camera (7), the real-time light intensity parameters of the automatic charging area are measured by the light intensity meter (17), so that the 3D vision camera (7) can select a suitable parameter threshold according to the light intensity parameters. At the same time, an auxiliary fill light (16) is provided to ensure the stability of the 3D vision camera (7) recognition. Step S3 further includes the following steps: S31. When the 3D vision camera (7) recognizes the position of the charging gun, cylinder two (20) is activated, which drives the push plate (21) to extend and retract, thereby unlocking the charging gun. Then, the gripper cylinder (24) is activated, which drives the two sets of charging gun clamping parts (25) to move closer to each other, and then the charging gun can be clamped by the clamping plastic part (26). S32. After identifying the location of the vehicle's charging port, the robot moves the gripper and starts cylinder 1 (19), which extends and retracts the connecting rod (22), allowing the connecting rod (22) to push the retractable charging cover opening button on the vehicle, enabling the connecting rod (22) to open the cover, and then the charger can be inserted into the vehicle's charging port for charging. Step S4 further includes the following steps: S41. During the automatic charging process of the entire grab gun, the infrared detection sensor (13) in the storage frame (12) detects the safety of the surrounding environment during the operation. When personnel enter the working area of ​​the grab gun, the alarm unit (14) issues a warning message in time and stops the automatic charging operation to ensure the safety of the surrounding area.

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