Battery replacement device for unmanned sweeper

Abstract

The application discloses a battery replacement device for an unmanned cleaning vehicle, which comprises a robot, a tool disc, a conveying mechanism, and a robot head. The tool disc is installed with a plurality of tools that can be controlled by the robot head, and the robot can perform battery replacement work through the tools. The conveying mechanism comprises a first conveying belt, a second conveying belt, and a connecting conveying belt. The connecting conveying belt is arranged between the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt, and can convey an old battery to the first conveying belt or the second conveying belt. The first conveying belt or the second conveying belt can convey a new battery to the connecting conveying belt. The connecting conveying belt is arranged at a position where the robot can take and place the battery. The scheme can automatically replace the battery on the unmanned cleaning vehicle, and the replacement process does not need manual intervention, has high automation degree, can liberate manpower, and solves the problem of high labor intensity in the traditional manual battery replacement mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automation technology, and in particular to a battery swapping device for an unmanned sweeper. Background Technology

[0002] Unmanned cleaning vehicles can automatically cruise and clean along preset routes, returning to their parking spots after cleaning. The entire cleaning process requires no human intervention, significantly reducing the workload of cleaning staff. Each unmanned cleaning vehicle is equipped with an independent battery. To maintain continuous operation, when the battery is low, it needs to be removed and replaced with a new, fully charged battery. However, currently, battery replacement for unmanned cleaning vehicles is done manually, resulting in low automation and high labor intensity. This is especially problematic in scenarios requiring large-area cleaning, such as hotels and office buildings, where a large number of unmanned cleaning vehicles are used, making manual battery replacement even more labor-intensive. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a battery swapping device for unmanned sweeping vehicles, which can solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A battery swapping device for an unmanned cleaning vehicle includes:

[0006] The robot has an operating head;

[0007] The tool tray is equipped with several tools that can be controlled by the operating head, and the robot can use the tools to perform battery changing operations.

[0008] The conveying mechanism includes a first conveyor belt, a second conveyor belt, and a connecting conveyor belt. The connecting conveyor belt is disposed between the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt. The connecting conveyor belt can convey old batteries to the first conveyor belt or the second conveyor belt, and the first conveyor belt or the second conveyor belt can convey new batteries to the connecting conveyor belt. The connecting conveyor belt is disposed at a position where the robot can pick up and place batteries.

[0009] Optionally, the robot is equipped with a visual recognition system to identify the type of tool and the location of the battery.

[0010] Optionally, the tools provided on the tool tray include screwdrivers, terminal clamps, and suction cups.

[0011] Optionally, each of the tools is circumferentially distributed on the tool disk, and a rotary drive mechanism is installed at the bottom of the tool disk to drive the tool disk to rotate.

[0012] Optionally, the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt are arranged perpendicularly, and the connecting conveyor belt is arranged on the steering wheel. The steering wheel drives the connecting conveyor belt to turn, so that the connecting conveyor belt switches between connecting to the first conveyor belt and connecting to the second conveyor belt.

[0013] Optionally, battery cabinets are provided on the sides of the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt, and the battery cabinets are provided with a plurality of battery compartments. The openings of the battery compartments face the corresponding conveyor belts. Each battery compartment is provided with a telescopic arm, which can pull the battery into the battery compartment or push the battery out of the battery compartment through the opening.

[0014] Optionally, the inner corners of the vertically arranged first and second conveyor belts form a battery swapping area, and the robot and the tool tray are both located in the battery swapping area. The battery cabinet is located on the side of the first or second conveyor belt facing away from the battery swapping area.

[0015] Optionally, the battery compartment is equipped with a charging device that can connect to the battery in the battery compartment to charge the battery.

[0016] Optionally, the opening is a flared opening to guide the process of the battery entering the battery compartment.

[0017] Optionally, the telescopic arm is equipped with an electromagnet at its telescopic end, which can magnetically attract the battery.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: This invention provides a battery swapping device for unmanned sweepers, which can automatically replace the batteries on unmanned sweepers. The replacement process does not require manual intervention, has a high degree of automation, can free up manpower, and solves the problem of high labor intensity in traditional manual battery swapping methods. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a top view of the battery swapping device for the unmanned sweeper described in the embodiments of this application.

[0021] In the picture:

[0022] 1. Robot; 2. Tool tray; 21. Tool; 3. First conveyor belt; 4. Second conveyor belt; 5. Connecting conveyor belt; 6. Steering wheel; 7. Battery cabinet; 71. Battery compartment; 72. Compartment opening; 8. Telescopic arm. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the technical problems solved by this application, the technical solutions adopted, and the technical effects achieved clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application are further described in detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0025] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0026] The existing unmanned cleaning vehicles require manual battery replacement, which has a low degree of automation and high labor intensity. This is especially true in scenarios such as hotels and office buildings where large areas need to be cleaned, where a large number of unmanned cleaning vehicles are used, making manual battery replacement even more labor-intensive.

[0027] To overcome the above technical problems, such as Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a battery swapping device for an unmanned sweeper, including:

[0028] Robot 1, equipped with an operating head;

[0029] The tool tray 2 is equipped with several tools 21 that can be controlled by the operating head, and the robot 1 can perform battery replacement operations through the tools 21.

[0030] The conveying mechanism includes a first conveyor belt 3, a second conveyor belt 4, and a connecting conveyor belt 5. The connecting conveyor belt 5 is disposed between the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4. The connecting conveyor belt 5 can convey old batteries to the first conveyor belt 3 or the second conveyor belt 4, and the first conveyor belt 3 or the second conveyor belt 4 can convey new batteries to the connecting conveyor belt 5. The connecting conveyor belt 5 is disposed at a position where the robot 1 can pick up and place batteries.

[0031] Specifically, the battery replacement device for the unmanned sweeper provided in this embodiment provides a battery replacement function, which can automatically remove the depleted battery from the unmanned sweeper and reinstall the fully charged battery. For ease of explanation, this application defines the depleted battery that needs to be removed as the old battery and the fully charged battery that needs to be reinstalled as the new battery.

[0032] The battery swapping process for an unmanned cleaning vehicle generally includes removing the battery cover, disconnecting the power cord, removing the battery, installing a new battery, connecting the power cord, and reinstalling the battery cover. The robot 1's operating head can be equipped with different tools 21 to achieve different operational functions. For example, when installing a screwdriver, the robot 1 can screw in and out of the battery cover; when installing a terminal clamp, the robot 1 can disconnect or connect the power cord to the battery terminals; when installing a suction cup, the robot 1 can firmly grip the battery and then transfer it. In practical applications, those skilled in the art can set matching tools according to the battery installation structure of the unmanned cleaning vehicle to achieve automatic battery swapping. The automated robot 1 and the corresponding tools 21 are existing technologies, and those skilled in the art can directly combine them with existing technology to make the necessary settings.

[0033] To ensure the stability of Robot 1, Robot 1 is fixedly installed in this solution. However, the working stroke of the fixedly installed Robot 1 is fixed. To enable Robot 1 to place old batteries and retrieve new batteries at the same location, this solution includes a conveyor mechanism for battery transfer. Specifically, it includes a first conveyor belt 3, a second conveyor belt 4, and a connecting conveyor belt 5. The connecting conveyor belt 5 is positioned at a location where Robot 1 can place and retrieve batteries. Old batteries can be directly placed on the connecting conveyor belt 5. Activating the connecting conveyor belt 5 and the first / second conveyor belt 4 transfers the old batteries to the first / second conveyor belt 3. Then, activating the second / first conveyor belt 3 transfers the new batteries, originally placed on the second / first conveyor belt 4, to the connecting conveyor belt 5, where Robot 1 can easily retrieve the new batteries. Therefore, this solution achieves stable and fixed installation of Robot 1 while avoiding interference between old and new batteries.

[0034] In summary, the battery swapping device for the unmanned sweeper in this embodiment can automatically replace the battery on the unmanned sweeper. The replacement process does not require manual intervention, has a high degree of automation, can free up manpower, and solve the problem of high labor intensity in the traditional manual battery swapping method.

[0035] In one embodiment, the robot 1 is equipped with a visual recognition system, which identifies the type of the tool 21 and the location of the battery.

[0036] Specifically, the visual recognition system includes a camera mounted on the robotic arm of robot 1, which is electrically connected to the control center of robot 1. Through visual recognition, it accurately identifies the type of tool 21, the location of the battery, and the positions of screws and power cord terminals on the sweeper, enabling robot 1 to perform precise battery replacement operations. The visual recognition function is existing technology and can be directly applied to this solution by those skilled in the art.

[0037] In one embodiment, the tools 21 provided on the tool tray 2 include a screwdriver, a terminal clamp, and a suction cup.

[0038] Generally, after the battery of an unmanned sweeper is installed, it is sealed with a battery cover. A screwdriver, terminal clamp, and suction cup are provided. During battery replacement, robot 1 first assembles the screwdriver and uses it to loosen the screws on the battery cover. Then, it replaces the suction cup to open the battery cover. Next, it replaces the terminal clamp to disconnect the power cable from the battery terminals. Finally, it replaces the suction cup again to remove the old battery, completing the old battery removal. When replacing the new battery, robot 1 uses the suction cup to pick up the new battery and install it into the unmanned sweeper. Then, it replaces the terminal clamp to connect the power cable to the battery terminals. Finally, it closes the battery cover and tightens the screws. Therefore, this solution, with its various tools 21 as described above, can meet the automatic battery replacement needs of most unmanned sweepers.

[0039] In one embodiment, each of the tools 21 is circumferentially distributed on the tool disk 2, and a rotary drive mechanism is installed at the bottom of the tool disk 2 to drive the tool disk 2 to rotate.

[0040] The tool tray 2 is mounted on the rotary drive mechanism, which drives the tool tray 2 to rotate, thereby automatically rotating the required tools to the gripping position of the robot 1, making it convenient for the robot 1 to pick up and put down the tools 21.

[0041] In one embodiment, the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4 are arranged perpendicularly, and the connecting conveyor belt 5 is disposed on the steering wheel 6. The steering wheel 6 drives the connecting conveyor belt 5 to turn, so that the connecting conveyor belt 5 switches between connecting the first conveyor belt 3 and connecting the second conveyor belt 4.

[0042] The first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4 are set vertically, which can effectively shorten the length of the entire conveying mechanism and avoid the problems of excessive length, large installation space requirements, and difficult installation. However, the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4 have different conveying directions, and the fixed connecting conveyor belt 5 cannot connect the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4 at the same time. Therefore, in this solution, the connecting conveyor belt 5 is set on the steering wheel 6. The steering wheel 6 can adjust the direction of the connecting conveyor belt 5. For example, when the old battery is removed and placed on the connecting conveyor belt 5, the connecting conveyor belt 5 pushes the old battery onto the first conveyor belt 3. Then, the steering wheel 6 drives the connecting conveyor belt 5 to rotate 90°, so that the connecting conveyor belt 5 connects with the second conveyor belt 4. When the second conveyor belt 4 is started, the new battery on the second conveyor belt 4 can be smoothly pushed onto the connecting conveyor belt 5.

[0043] In one embodiment, battery cabinets 7 are respectively provided on the sides of the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4. Each battery cabinet 7 has a plurality of battery compartments 71. The openings 72 of each battery compartment 71 face the corresponding conveyor belt. Each battery compartment 71 is provided with a telescopic arm 8. The telescopic arm 8 can pull batteries into or push them out of the battery compartment 71 through the openings 72.

[0044] The battery compartment 71 with a telescopic arm 8 can be used to store batteries, effectively increasing the number of batteries that can be stored. For convenient control, a sensor is installed at the opening 72 of the battery compartment 71, which is linked to the conveyor belt for control. The sensor can help detect the position of the batteries on the conveyor belt, realizing the function of automatically controlling the extension of the telescopic arm 8 to pull the batteries into the battery compartment 71. When the sensor installed on the empty battery compartment 71 detects an old battery, the corresponding conveyor belt stops running. At this time, the telescopic arm 8 extends and sucks up the old battery, and then the telescopic arm 8 retracts to pull the old battery into the battery compartment 71.

[0045] In one embodiment, the inner corners of the vertically arranged first conveyor belt 3 and second conveyor belt 4 form a battery swapping area. The robot 1 and the tool tray 2 are both located in the battery swapping area, and the battery cabinet 7 is located on the side of the first conveyor belt 3 or the second conveyor belt 4 facing away from the battery swapping area.

[0046] This arrangement avoids interference between the battery cabinets 7 located on the sides of the first conveyor belt 3 and the second conveyor belt 4.

[0047] In one embodiment, the battery compartment 71 is provided with a charging device, which can connect to the battery in the battery compartment 71 to charge the battery.

[0048] A charging device is installed inside the battery compartment 71, which enables automatic charging of removed old batteries, achieving automatic battery swapping and charging functions, and truly realizing fully automatic, unmanned operation. It can be understood that the position of the charging device inside the battery compartment 71 should be configured so that after the battery is accurately pushed into the battery compartment 71, the charging device connects to the terminals on the battery.

[0049] In one embodiment, the opening 72 is a flared opening to guide the process of the battery entering the battery compartment 71.

[0050] Specifically, the opening 72 is designed as a flared opening, which allows for adjustment of the battery's orientation and prevents the battery from impacting the outer wall of the battery compartment 71.

[0051] In one embodiment, the telescopic end of the telescopic arm 8 is provided with an electromagnet, which can magnetically attract the battery.

[0052] Specifically, the battery needs to be fitted with an iron plate that can cooperate with the electromagnet. When the battery is pulled in from the conveyor belt, the electromagnet is energized to hold the battery in place, and the telescopic arm 8 retracts to pull the battery into the battery compartment 71. Afterward, the electromagnet is de-energized, and the magnetic force is removed. When the battery is pushed out, the electromagnet does not need to be energized. Importantly, this solution uses a magnetic attraction method, allowing the battery and the electromagnet to move relative to each other during the battery insertion process, thus meeting the need for adjusting the battery's position using the horn-shaped opening.

[0053] In the description herein, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and other orientations or positional relationships are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used merely for descriptive distinction and have no special meaning.

[0054] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0055] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style of the specification is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0056] The technical principles of this application have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. These descriptions are merely for explaining the principles of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application in any way. Based on this explanation, those skilled in the art can readily conceive of other specific embodiments of this application without inventive effort, and these embodiments will all fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A battery replacement device for an unmanned sweeper vehicle, characterized in that, include: Robot (1), with an operating head; The tool tray (2) is equipped with several tools (21) that can be controlled by the operating head, and the robot (1) can perform battery replacement operations through the tools (21); The conveying mechanism includes a first conveyor belt (3), a second conveyor belt (4), and a connecting conveyor belt (5). The connecting conveyor belt (5) is disposed between the first conveyor belt (3) and the second conveyor belt (4). The connecting conveyor belt (5) can convey old batteries to the first conveyor belt (3) or the second conveyor belt (4), and the first conveyor belt (3) or the second conveyor belt (4) can convey new batteries to the connecting conveyor belt (5). The connecting conveyor belt (5) is disposed at a position where the robot (1) can pick up and place batteries. The first conveyor belt (3) is perpendicular to the second conveyor belt (4), and the connecting conveyor belt (5) is mounted on the steering wheel (6). The connecting conveyor belt (5) is turned by the steering wheel (6) so that the connecting conveyor belt (5) switches between connecting the first conveyor belt (3) and connecting the second conveyor belt (4). Among them, the first conveyor belt (3) and the second conveyor belt (4) are respectively provided with battery cabinets (7), the battery cabinets (7) are provided with a plurality of battery compartments (71), the compartment openings (72) of the battery compartments (71) face the corresponding conveyor belts, and each battery compartment (71) is provided with a telescopic arm (8), which can pull the battery into the battery compartment (71) or push it out of the battery compartment (71) through the compartment openings (72); The inner corners of the vertically arranged first conveyor belt (3) and second conveyor belt (4) form a battery swapping area. The robot (1) and the tool tray (2) are both located in the battery swapping area. The battery cabinet (7) is located on the side of the first conveyor belt (3) or the second conveyor belt (4) facing away from the battery swapping area. A sensor is installed at the opening (72) of the battery compartment (71). When the sensor installed on the empty battery compartment (71) detects an old battery, the corresponding conveyor belt stops running. At this time, the telescopic arm (8) extends and sucks up the old battery. Then the telescopic arm (8) retracts to drag the old battery into the battery compartment (71).

2. The battery replacement device for the unmanned sweeper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robot (1) is equipped with a visual recognition system, which identifies the type of the tool (21) and the location of the battery.

3. The battery replacement device for the unmanned sweeper according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tools (21) provided on the tool tray (2) include screwdrivers, terminal clamps and suction cups.

4. The battery replacement device for the unmanned sweeper according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each of the tools (21) is circumferentially distributed on the tool disk (2). A rotary drive mechanism is installed at the bottom of the tool disk (2), which drives the tool disk (2) to rotate.

5. The battery replacement device for the unmanned sweeper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery compartment (71) is equipped with a charging device, which can connect to the battery in the battery compartment (71) to charge the battery.

6. The battery swapping device for the unmanned sweeper according to claim 5, characterized in that, The opening (72) is a flared opening to guide the process of the battery entering the battery compartment (71).

7. The battery replacement device for the unmanned sweeper according to claim 6, characterized in that, The telescopic arm (8) is equipped with an electromagnet at its telescopic end, and the electromagnet can attract the battery by magnetic force.

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