Robot battery management system and battery management method

Abstract

The invention discloses a robot battery management system and method, and the system comprises a robot and a battery management device. The robot is provided with a battery compartment and a battery pack capable of being detached and replaced relative to the battery compartment. The battery management device can take out and load batteries in the battery cabin; the battery management device comprises a machine base, a first-stage push-pull mechanism, a second-stage push-pull mechanism and a lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism is located above the first-stage push-pull mechanism, and the second-stage push-pull mechanism is located on the rear side of the first-stage push-pull mechanism. The rear side of the secondary push-pull mechanism is provided with a charging rack with a charging contact, and the charging contact is connected with a charging management module. According to the battery management system and the battery management method, automatic disassembly of the old battery pack of the robot, automatic loading of the new battery pack and automatic charging of the old battery pack can be achieved, the battery pack replacement speed is high, the energy complementing time of the robot can be effectively shortened, and the working efficiency of the robot is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robots, and in particular to a robot battery management system and a battery management method. Background Art

[0002] In industrial automation and the service industry, traditional robots need to return to a designated charging station to recharge once they run out of power. This process often takes a long time, during which the robot cannot perform any tasks, which not only interrupts the continuous work process, but also directly affects the overall production efficiency. In contrast, robots designed with replaceable batteries can significantly reduce downtime, because when a battery pack is low on power, it can be quickly replaced by a fully charged backup battery, allowing the robot to continue working almost uninterruptedly. This approach theoretically provides higher flexibility and work efficiency, especially for those application scenarios that require high continuous operation.

[0003] However, the current battery replacement technology also faces some challenges. The battery mechanism is often complex and bulky, such as the prior art shown in patent CN 116176346 A, which not only increases the manufacturing cost but also takes up more space. Therefore, although the fast battery replacement solution provides a feasible path to improve the availability of robots, how to simplify the battery replacement process, reduce the size of related mechanisms and reduce costs is still one of the key directions of current research. Summary of the invention

[0004] Purpose of the invention: In order to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a robot battery management system and a battery management method that can efficiently manage the battery of a robot and has a compact structure.

[0005] Technical solution: To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the robot battery management system of the present invention comprises a robot and a battery management device; the robot has a battery compartment and a battery pack that can be replaced relative to the battery compartment; the battery management device can remove and load batteries from the battery compartment;

[0006] The battery management device includes a base, a primary push-pull mechanism, a secondary push-pull mechanism and a lifting mechanism;

[0007] The lifting mechanism is located above the primary push-pull mechanism, and the secondary push-pull mechanism is located at the rear side of the primary push-pull mechanism;

[0008] The rear side of the secondary push-pull mechanism is provided with a charging rack with charging contacts, and the charging contacts are connected to a charging management module.

[0009] During operation, the robot stops at the front side of the first-level push-pull mechanism. The battery pack has front contacts and rear contacts. The front contacts are used for discharging, and the rear contacts are used for charging. The rear contacts are used to dock with the charging contacts.

[0010] The battery pack can move between three positions in the battery management device, namely the lower front side position, the lower rear side position and the upper side position, and the upper side position is above the lower front side position; the first-level push-pull mechanism can pull the old battery pack in the battery pack out to the lower front side position, and can put the new battery pack in the lower front side position into the battery compartment; the second-level push-pull mechanism can transfer the battery pack between the lower front side position and the lower rear side position; the lifting mechanism can transfer the battery pack between the lower front side position and the upper side position. The old battery pack refers to a battery pack that is about to run out of power, and the new battery pack refers to a fully charged battery pack.

[0011] Furthermore, a battery tray capable of sliding relative to the battery compartment is installed in the battery compartment, and a first slide rail is installed between the battery tray and the battery compartment; the battery pack can be removed relative to the battery tray, so that the battery can be easily moved in and out.

[0012] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism includes an L-shaped bracket capable of lifting and lowering, and a second slide rail connected to the base is installed on the L-shaped bracket; a driving mechanism is also connected between the L-shaped bracket and the base; the driving mechanism includes a rack fixed to the L-shaped bracket and a first motor installed on the base, and a gear meshing with the rack is installed on the output shaft of the first motor. The battery tray has a clearance groove, and when the battery tray is placed in the lower front side position, a part of the L-shaped bracket can be placed on the lower side of the battery tray. When the L-shaped bracket is lifted or lowered, the clearance groove can make way for the L-shaped bracket, so that the L-shaped bracket can be lifted or lowered with the battery pack.

[0013] In this way, the L-shaped bracket is driven to move up and down by the first motor, so that the battery pack can be driven to move up and down between the upper side position and the lower front side position.

[0014] Furthermore, the front side of the battery tray has a pull rod; the primary push-pull mechanism includes a first linear actuator and a docking mechanism of the first linear actuator, and the docking mechanism includes a base plate connected to the first linear actuator; a telescopic plate capable of translational extension and retraction relative to the base plate is installed on the base plate, and the two are connected by a telescopic element; a rotating element and a first claw capable of being driven to rotate by the rotating element are installed on the telescopic plate. When the battery tray needs to be pulled out of the battery compartment, the telescopic plate is first translated forward by the telescopic element so that the first claw reaches the front side of the pull rod, and then the rotating element rotates the first claw 90°. The first claw is originally in a horizontal state, and after rotating 90°, it is in a vertical state. In this way, when the first linear actuator is pulled back, the first claw can pull the pull rod to pull the battery tray out.

[0015] In addition, a lever that can be lifted and lowered relative to the battery tray is installed on the rear side of the battery tray, and an elastic mechanism that applies an upward thrust to the lever. The other three sides of the battery tray have retaining edges. A guide plate is fixed to the base, and the guide plate has a guide groove, and the guide groove has a straight groove portion and an oblique groove portion. The lever was originally in a high position to prevent the battery pack from sliding out of the battery tray. During the process of the primary push-pull mechanism pulling out the battery tray, the end of the lever enters the straight groove portion of the guide groove. When the primary push-pull mechanism pulls the battery tray to the end of the stroke, the end of the lever enters the oblique groove portion and enters the bottom of the oblique groove portion along the oblique groove portion, so that the lever reaches a low position. At this time, the lever will not prevent the battery pack from moving horizontally in or out of the battery tray.

[0016] Furthermore, the secondary push-pull mechanism includes a translation seat, a rotating rod is mounted on the translation seat, a second claw is fixed on the rotating rod, and a second motor capable of driving the rotating rod to rotate relative to the translation seat is mounted on the translation seat; the secondary push-pull mechanism also includes a translation drive mechanism. Two second claws corresponding to the two sides of the battery pack are fixed on each rotating rod, so that the battery pack can be translated in both directions.

[0017] Furthermore, the translation drive mechanism includes a third motor, the third motor is connected to a lead screw, a lead screw nut matched with the lead screw is installed on the translation seat, and a guide rod slidably matched with the translation seat is fixed on the translation seat.

[0018] When driving the battery pack to translate, the third motor first operates to translate the translation seat until the rotating rod is directly above the battery pack to be translated. Then, the second motor operates to rotate the second claw 90°. The second claw was originally in a horizontal state, but after rotating 90°, it is in a vertical state. Finally, the third motor causes the translation seat to translate, which can translate the battery pack.

[0019] Furthermore, the charging management module is located above the rear side of the base, that is, above the lower rear side, so that the space in the base can be fully utilized.

[0020] A robot battery management method, based on the above robot battery management system, comprises the following steps:

[0021] Step S1, controlling the robot to move to the front of the battery management device and making the battery compartment face the battery management device;

[0022] Step S2, controlling the primary push-pull mechanism to pull out the battery tray together with the old battery pack; that is, pulling the old battery pack out to the lower front side position;

[0023] Specifically, the telescopic plate is first translated forward by the telescopic element so that the first claw reaches the front side of the pull rod, and then the rotating element rotates the first claw 90°. Finally, the first linear actuator pulls back to pull out the battery tray.

[0024] Step S3, controlling the lifting mechanism to operate and lifting the old battery pack upward to an upper side position;

[0025] Step S4, controlling the secondary push-pull mechanism to move the new battery pack located at the lower rear side to the battery tray;

[0026] Specifically, the rotating rod is first positioned directly above the new battery pack, then the second motor is operated to rotate the second claw 90°, and finally, the third motor translates the translation seat to enable the battery pack to translate forward onto the battery tray.

[0027] Step S5, controlling the primary push-pull mechanism to push the battery tray back into the battery compartment.

[0028] Through the above steps, the robot can be replaced with a new battery. After the battery pack is replaced, the robot moves away from the battery management device. The lifting mechanism lowers the old battery pack to the lower front side position, and the secondary push-pull mechanism moves the old battery pack backward to the lower rear side position, so that the old battery pack docks with the charging rack to charge the old battery pack.

[0029] Beneficial effects: The robot battery management system and battery management method of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0030] (1) The battery management system and battery management method of the present invention can realize the automatic removal of the old battery pack of the robot, the automatic installation of the new battery pack, and the automatic charging process of the old battery pack. The battery pack can be replaced quickly, which can effectively reduce the robot's energy replenishment time and improve the robot's work efficiency.

[0031] (2) The battery management system has a reasonable and compact structural layout and a simple structure. It can rotate new and old battery packs in a small volume, taking up less space and having low cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 This is the structural diagram of the robot battery management system;

[0033] Figure 2 This is the structural diagram of the battery compartment in the robot;

[0034] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The enlarged structure diagram of part A in the middle;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a combined structural diagram of the tray and the battery pack;

[0036] Figure 5 It is a side structural diagram of a battery management device;

[0037] Figure 6 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a battery management device;

[0038] Figure 7 for Figure 6 The enlarged structure diagram of part B;

[0039] Figure 8 The figure shows the battery tray after it is pulled out.

[0040] In the figure:

[0041] 1-battery compartment; 2-battery pack; 3-primary push-pull mechanism; 31-first linear actuator; 32-base plate; 33-telescopic plate; 34-telescopic element; 35-rotating element; 36-first claw; 4-secondary push-pull mechanism; 41-translation seat; 42-rotating rod; 43-second claw; 44-second motor; 45-third motor; 46-screw; 47-guide rod; 5-lifting mechanism; 51-L-shaped bracket; 52-second slide rail; 53-rack; 54-first motor; 55-gear; 6-charging rack; 7-charging management module; 8-battery tray; 81-gear lever; 82-elastic mechanism; 8a-gap slot; 8b-pull rod; 9-guide plate; 9a-guide slot; 10-base; A-robot; B-battery management device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0043] like Figure 1 The robot battery management system shown includes a robot A and a battery management device B; Figure 2 As shown, the robot A has a battery compartment 1 and a battery pack 2 that can be removed and replaced relative to the battery compartment 1; the battery management device B can perform battery removal and insertion operations on the battery compartment 1.

[0044] The battery management device B includes a base 10, a primary push-pull mechanism 3, a secondary push-pull mechanism 4 and a lifting mechanism 5; the lifting mechanism 5 is located above the primary push-pull mechanism 3, and the secondary push-pull mechanism 4 is located on the rear side of the primary push-pull mechanism 3; the rear side of the secondary push-pull mechanism 4 has a charging rack 6 with charging contacts, and the charging contacts are connected to a charging management module 7.

[0045] During operation, the robot A stops at the front side of the primary push-pull mechanism 3. The battery pack 2 has a front contact and a rear contact, the front contact is used for discharging, and the rear contact is used for charging. The rear contact is used to dock with the charging contact.

[0046] The battery pack 2 can move between three positions in the battery management device B, namely, the lower front side position, the lower rear side position and the upper side position, and the upper side position is above the lower front side position; the first-level push-pull mechanism 3 can pull the old battery pack 2 in the battery pack 2 out to the lower front side position, and can load the new battery pack 2 in the lower front side position into the battery compartment 1; the second-level push-pull mechanism 4 can transfer the battery pack 2 between the lower front side position and the lower rear side position; the lifting mechanism 5 can transfer the battery pack 2 between the lower front side position and the upper side position. The old battery pack 2 refers to the battery pack 2 that is about to run out of power, and the new battery pack 2 refers to the fully charged battery pack.

[0047] Preferably, a battery tray 8 capable of sliding relative to the battery compartment 1 is installed in the battery compartment 1, and a first slide rail is installed between the battery tray 8 and the battery compartment 1; the battery pack 2 can be disassembled relative to the battery tray 8. In this way, the battery can be conveniently moved in and out. The first slide rail has a position locking function, so that the battery tray 8 can be stably locked in the battery compartment 1, and the battery tray 8 can be unlocked by applying a sufficiently large pulling force.

[0048] Preferably, if Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the lifting mechanism 5 includes an L-shaped bracket 51 capable of lifting and lowering, and a second slide rail 52 connected to the base 10 is installed on the L-shaped bracket 51; a driving mechanism is also connected between the L-shaped bracket 51 and the base 10; the driving mechanism includes a rack 53 fixed to the L-shaped bracket 51 and a first motor 54 installed on the base 10, and a gear 55 meshing with the rack 53 is installed on the output shaft of the first motor 54. Figure 4 As shown, the battery tray 8 has a clearance groove 8a. When the battery tray 8 is placed in the lower front position, a part of the L-shaped bracket 51 can be placed on the lower side of the battery tray 8. When the L-shaped bracket 51 is raised or lowered, the clearance groove 8a can make way for the L-shaped bracket 51, so that the L-shaped bracket 51 can be raised or lowered with the battery pack 2.

[0049] In this way, the first motor 54 drives the L-shaped bracket 51 to move up and down, so that the battery pack 2 can be driven to move up and down between the upper side position and the lower front side position.

[0050] Preferably, the front side of the battery tray 8 has a pull rod 8b; Figure 7As shown, the primary push-pull mechanism 3 includes a first linear actuator 31 and a docking mechanism of the first linear actuator 31, wherein the docking mechanism includes a base plate 32 connected to the first linear actuator 31; a telescopic plate 33 capable of translational extension and retraction relative to the base plate 32 is mounted on the base plate 32, and the two are connected by a telescopic element 34; a rotating element 35 and a first claw 36 capable of being driven to rotate by the rotating element 35 are mounted on the telescopic plate 33. When the battery tray 8 needs to be pulled out of the battery compartment 1, the telescopic plate 33 is first translated forward by the telescopic element 34, so that the first claw 36 reaches the front side of the pull rod 8b, and then the rotating element 35 rotates the first claw 36 by 90°. The first claw 36 is originally in a horizontal state, and is in a vertical state after being rotated by 90°. In this way, when the first linear actuator 31 is pulled back, the first claw 36 can pull the pull rod 8b to pull the battery tray 8 out.

[0051] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown, a shift rod 81 capable of translationally moving and rising relative to the battery tray 8 is installed on the rear side of the battery tray 8, and it also has an elastic mechanism 82 for applying an upward thrust to the shift rod 81. The other three sides of the battery tray 8 have guard edges. A guide plate 9 is fixed to the base 10, and the guide plate 9 has a guide groove 9a, and the guide groove 9a has a straight groove portion and an oblique groove portion. The shift rod 81 was originally in a high position to prevent the battery pack 2 from sliding out of the battery tray 8. In the process of the primary push-pull mechanism 3 pulling out the battery tray 8, the end of the shift rod 81 enters the straight groove portion of the guide groove 9a. When the primary push-pull mechanism 3 pulls the battery tray 8 to the end of the stroke, the end of the shift rod 81 enters the oblique groove portion, and enters the bottom of the oblique groove portion along the oblique groove portion, so that the shift rod 81 reaches a low position (such as Figure 8 As shown), at this time, the lever 81 will not prevent the battery pack 2 from moving horizontally into or out of the battery tray 8.

[0052] Preferably, the secondary push-pull mechanism 4 includes a translation seat 41, a rotating rod 42 is mounted on the translation seat 41, a second claw 43 is fixed on the rotating rod 42, and a second motor 44 capable of driving the rotating rod 42 to rotate relative to the translation seat 41 is mounted on the translation seat 41; the secondary push-pull mechanism 4 also includes a translation drive mechanism. Two second claws 43 corresponding to the two sides of the battery pack 2 are fixed on each rotating rod 42, so that the battery pack 2 can be translated in both directions.

[0053] Preferably, the translation drive mechanism includes a third motor 45 , the third motor 45 is connected to a lead screw 46 , a lead screw nut cooperating with the lead screw 46 is mounted on the translation seat 41 , and a guide rod 47 slidably cooperating with the translation seat 41 is fixed on the translation seat 41 .

[0054] When driving the battery pack 2 to translate, the third motor 45 first operates to translate the translation seat 41 until the rotating rod 42 is located directly above the translated battery pack 2, and then the second motor 44 operates to rotate the second claw 43 90°. The second claw 43 is originally in a horizontal state, and is in a vertical state after rotating 90°. Finally, the third motor 45 causes the translation seat 41 to translate, thereby enabling the battery pack 2 to translate.

[0055] Preferably, the charging management module 7 is located above the rear side of the base 10 , that is, above the lower rear side, so that the space inside the base 10 can be fully utilized.

[0056] A robot battery management method, based on the above robot battery management system, comprises the following steps:

[0057] Step S1, controlling the robot A to move to the front of the battery management device B, and making the battery compartment 1 face the battery management device B;

[0058] Step S2, controlling the primary push-pull mechanism 3 to pull out the battery tray 8 together with the old battery pack 2; that is, pulling out the old battery pack 2 to the lower front side position;

[0059] Specifically, the telescopic plate 33 is first translated forward by the telescopic element 34 so that the first claw 36 reaches the front side of the pull rod 8b, and then the rotating element 35 rotates the first claw 36 90°. Finally, the first linear actuator 31 pulls back to pull out the battery tray 8.

[0060] Step S3, controlling the lifting mechanism 5 to operate and lifting the old battery pack 2 upward to the upper side position;

[0061] Step S4, controlling the secondary push-pull mechanism 4 to move the new battery pack 2 located at the lower rear side to the battery tray 8;

[0062] Specifically, the rotating rod 42 is first positioned directly above the new battery pack 2 , then the second motor 44 is operated to rotate the second claw 43 90°, and finally, the third motor 45 translates the translation seat 41 , enabling the battery pack 2 to translate forward onto the battery tray 8 .

[0063] Step S5 , controlling the primary push-pull mechanism 3 to push the battery tray 8 back into the battery compartment 1 .

[0064] Through the above steps, the battery replacement operation of the robot A can be realized. After the battery pack 2 is replaced, the robot A drives away from the battery management device B. The lifting mechanism 5 lowers the old battery pack 2 to the lower front side position, and the secondary push-pull mechanism 4 moves the old battery pack 2 backward to the lower rear side position, so that the old battery pack 2 is docked with the charging rack 6 to charge the old battery pack 2.

[0065] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot battery management system, comprising a robot (A) and a battery management device (B); the robot (A) has a battery compartment (1) and a battery pack (2) that can be removed from the battery compartment (1); the battery management device (B) can perform battery removal and insertion operations on the battery compartment (1); Features: The battery management device (B) comprises a base (10), a primary push-pull mechanism (3), a secondary push-pull mechanism (4) and a lifting mechanism (5); The lifting mechanism (5) is located above the primary push-pull mechanism (3), and the secondary push-pull mechanism (4) is located at the rear side of the primary push-pull mechanism (3); The rear side of the secondary push-pull mechanism (4) is provided with a charging rack (6) with charging contacts, and the charging contacts are connected to a charging management module (7).

2. The robot battery management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A battery tray (8) capable of sliding relative to the battery compartment (1) is installed in the battery compartment (1), and a first slide rail is installed between the battery tray (8) and the battery compartment (1); the battery pack (2) can be disassembled relative to the battery tray (8).

3. The robot battery management system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism (5) comprises an L-shaped bracket (51) capable of lifting movement, and a second slide rail (52) connected to the machine base (10) is installed on the L-shaped bracket (51); a driving mechanism is also connected between the L-shaped bracket (51) and the machine base (10); the driving mechanism comprises a rack (53) fixed on the L-shaped bracket (51) and a first motor (54) installed on the machine base (10), and a gear (55) meshing with the rack (53) is installed on the output shaft of the first motor (54).

4. The robot battery management system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The front side of the battery tray (8) has a pull rod (8b); the primary push-pull mechanism (3) includes a first linear actuator (31) and a docking mechanism of the first linear actuator (31), and the docking mechanism includes a base plate (32) connected to the first linear actuator (31); a telescopic plate (33) capable of translational extension and retraction relative to the base plate (32) is installed on the base plate (32), and the two are connected by a telescopic element (34); a rotating element (35) and a first claw (36) capable of being driven to rotate by the rotating element (35) are installed on the telescopic plate (33).

5. The robot battery management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The secondary push-pull mechanism (4) comprises a translation seat (41), a rotating rod (42) is mounted on the translation seat (41), a second clamping claw (43) is fixed on the rotating rod (42), and a second motor (44) capable of driving the rotating rod (42) to rotate relative to the translation seat (41) is mounted on the translation seat (41); the secondary push-pull mechanism (4) further comprises a translation driving mechanism.

6. The robot battery management system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The translation drive mechanism comprises a third motor (45), the third motor (45) is connected to a lead screw (46), a lead screw nut matched with the lead screw (46) is installed on the translation seat (41), and a guide rod (47) slidably matched with the translation seat (41) is fixed on the translation seat (41).

7. The robot battery management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The charging management module (7) is located above the rear side of the base (10).

8. A robot battery management method, based on the robot battery management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method comprises the following steps: Step S1, controlling the robot (A) to move to the front of the battery management device (B), and making the battery compartment (1) face the battery management device (B); Step S2, controlling the primary push-pull mechanism (3) to pull out the battery tray (8) together with the old battery pack (2); Step S3, controlling the lifting mechanism (5) to operate and lifting the old battery pack (2) upwards; Step S4, controlling the secondary push-pull mechanism (4) to move, and moving the new battery pack (2) onto the battery tray (8); Step S5, controlling the primary push-pull mechanism (3) to push the battery tray (8) back into the battery compartment (1).

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