Safety control method and safety protection system

Abstract

The invention discloses a safety control method and a safety protection system, and relates to the technical field of charging piles, and the safety control method comprises the following steps: a mechanical arm stretching step, a gun inserting step, a charging step, a gun retracting step and a mechanical arm retracting step. The safety control method further comprises the steps that in the extending and / or retracting step of the mechanical arm, position information detected by the position detection device is obtained, and the distance between the person and the mechanical arm is determined according to the position information; and the maximum operation speed of the mechanical arm is controlled according to the distance. According to the technical scheme, in the large-amplitude moving process of the mechanical arm, the distance between the mechanical arm and people around the mechanical arm is detected according to the first position detection device, so that the running speed of the mechanical arm is adjusted, potential safety hazards are reduced, and the technical effect of protecting people is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of charging piles, and in particular to a safety control method and a safety protection system. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of new energy vehicles, vehicle charging is gradually moving towards supercharging and intelligent automatic charging, bringing customers a better charging experience.

[0003] In the application process of automatic vehicle charging, the robotic arm is an indispensable part. The safety issues involved in automatic charging mainly come from the safety issues of the robotic arm. It is necessary to prevent the robotic arm from causing harm to vehicles and personnel, and at the same time, it is also necessary to reduce the damage that may be caused by the robotic arm itself.

[0004] In particular, ensuring user safety is the most pressing technical issue that needs to be addressed at present. Summary of the invention

[0005] The main purpose of the present invention is to propose a safety control method and a safety protection system, which aims to reduce the threat of the robotic arm to human safety when the vehicle needs to be automatically charged.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention proposes a safety control method, wherein the safety protection system comprises an automatic charging device, a first position detection device and a control device, wherein the automatic charging device comprises a mechanical arm and a charging gun provided on the mechanical arm, wherein the first position detection device is used to detect the position between the mechanical arm and the people around it, and the safety control method comprises the following steps:

[0007] Mechanical arm extending step: after receiving the vehicle arrival instruction, controlling the mechanical arm to move the charging gun to a plug-in position adjacent to the charging interface of the vehicle to be charged;

[0008] Gun insertion step: when the charging gun moves to the to-be-plugged position, the mechanical arm is controlled to move so as to insert the charging gun into the charging port of the vehicle to be charged;

[0009] Charging step: after the charging gun is connected to the charging interface of the vehicle to be charged, controlling the charging gun to start charging the vehicle to be charged;

[0010] Gun collection step: upon receiving the charging end instruction, controlling the charging gun to separate from the charging interface of the vehicle to be charged;

[0011] Mechanical arm retracting step: after the charging gun is unplugged from the charging interface of the vehicle to be charged, controlling the mechanical arm to move to an initial position;

[0012] The security control method further includes:

[0013] In the step of extending and / or retracting the robotic arm, obtaining position information detected by the position detection device, and determining the distance between the person and the robotic arm according to the position information;

[0014] According to the distance, the maximum operating speed of the robotic arm is controlled.

[0015] In one embodiment, in the step of controlling the maximum operating speed of the robot arm according to the distance, the distance is directly proportional to the maximum operating speed.

[0016] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the maximum operating speed of the robotic arm according to the distance comprises:

[0017] When the distance is greater than or equal to a first preset distance, controlling the robotic arm to operate at a speed lower than a first operating speed;

[0018] When the distance is greater than a second preset distance and less than the first preset distance, controlling the robot arm to operate at a speed lower than a second operating speed;

[0019] When the distance is less than the second preset distance, controlling the robotic arm to operate at a speed lower than a third operating speed;

[0020] Among them, the first preset distance is greater than the second preset distance, and the first running speed, the second running speed, and the third running speed decrease in sequence.

[0021] In one embodiment, the safety protection system further comprises an alarm device;

[0022] According to the distance, the step of controlling the maximum operating speed of the robotic arm comprises:

[0023] When the distance is greater than or equal to a first preset distance, controlling the robotic arm to operate at a speed lower than a first operating speed;

[0024] When the distance is greater than a second preset distance and less than the first preset distance, controlling the robot arm to operate at a speed lower than a second operating speed, and controlling the alarm device to send out a first alarm signal;

[0025] When the distance is less than the second preset distance, controlling the robot arm to operate at a speed lower than a third operating speed, and controlling the alarm device to send out a second alarm signal;

[0026] Among them, the first preset distance is greater than the second preset distance, and the first running speed, the second running speed, and the third running speed decrease in sequence.

[0027] In one embodiment, the automatic charging device further includes a pressure sensor, and the pressure sensor is used to detect the pressure applied to the charging gun;

[0028] The security control method further includes:

[0029] In the gun insertion step, the charging step, and / or the gun collection step, obtaining a detection pressure value of a pressure sensor;

[0030] According to the magnitude of the pressure value, the mechanical arm is controlled to adjust the position of the charging gun.

[0031] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the mechanical arm to adjust the position of the charging gun according to the pressure value includes:

[0032] When the pressure value is greater than a preset pressure value, obtaining the force direction;

[0033] The mechanical arm is controlled to drive the charging gun to move in the opposite direction of the force direction.

[0034] In one embodiment, the step of controlling the mechanical arm to adjust the position of the charging gun according to the pressure value further includes:

[0035] When the pressure value is less than or equal to a preset pressure value, the robotic arm is controlled to maintain a current posture.

[0036] The present invention also provides a safety protection system, which includes: an automatic charging device, a first position detection device and a control device, wherein the automatic charging device has a mechanical arm and a charging gun, and the charging gun is arranged at the end of the mechanical arm; the first position detection device is used to detect the position information of a person and the mechanical arm; the control device is electrically connected to the automatic charging device and the first position detection device respectively;

[0037] The control device includes: a memory, a processor, and a safety control program for the automatic charging device stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the safety control program for the automatic charging device is configured as a safety control method.

[0038] In one embodiment, the safety protection system further comprises:

[0039] a pressure sensor, disposed between the mechanical arm and the charging gun, for detecting a stress state of the charging gun, the pressure sensor being electrically connected to the control device; and / or,

[0040] a second position detection device, used for detecting vehicle position information, the second position detection device being electrically connected to the control device; and / or,

[0041] an alarm device, used to send out an alarm signal when an abnormal condition is triggered, the alarm device being electrically connected to the control device; and / or,

[0042] a timing device, used for timing, the timing device being electrically connected to the control device; and / or,

[0043] A signal receiving and sending device, the signal receiving and sending device is used to receive and / or send wireless signals, and the signal receiving and sending device is electrically connected to the control device.

[0044] In one embodiment, the first position detection device comprises a security camera; and / or,

[0045] The second position detection device includes a vehicle positioning camera and / or an ultrasonic radar.

[0046] The technical solution of the present invention reduces potential safety hazards and achieves a technical effect of protecting people by adjusting the operating speed of the robotic arm according to the distance between the person and the robotic arm during the large-scale movement of the robotic arm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0048] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a first embodiment of a safety control method provided by the present invention;

[0049] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of the second embodiment of the safety control method;

[0050] Figure 3 It is a flowchart of the third embodiment of the safety control method;

[0051] Figure 4 It is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of a safety control method;

[0052] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a fifth embodiment of a safety control method;

[0053] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of the sixth embodiment of the safety control method.

[0054] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0056] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0057] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features limited to "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, if "and / or" or "and / or" appears in the full text, its meaning includes three parallel solutions. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes solution A, solution B, or solutions that satisfy both A and B. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0058] In the process of automatic charging of vehicles, the robot arm is an indispensable part. The safety issues related to automatic charging mainly come from the safety issues of the robot arm. To prevent the robot arm from causing harm to vehicles and personnel, it is also necessary to reduce the damage that the robot arm itself may cause. In particular, ensuring user safety is the most urgent technical issue to be solved.

[0059] The invention provides a safety control method.

[0060] In one embodiment of the present invention, the safety control method, the safety protection system includes an automatic charging device, a first position detection device and a control device, the automatic charging device includes a robotic arm, and a charging gun provided on the robotic arm, and the first position detection device is used to detect the position between the robotic arm and people around it.

[0061] The safety control method comprises:

[0062] Mechanical arm extending step: after receiving the vehicle arrival instruction, controlling the mechanical arm to move the charging gun to a plugging and unplugging position adjacent to the charging interface of the vehicle to be charged;

[0063] Gun insertion step: when the charging gun moves to the to-be-plugged position, the mechanical arm is controlled to move so as to insert the charging gun into the charging port of the vehicle to be charged;

[0064] Charging step: after the charging gun is plugged into the charging interface of the vehicle to be charged, controlling the charging gun to start charging the vehicle to be charged;

[0065] Gun collection step: upon receiving the charging end instruction, controlling the charging gun to separate from the charging interface of the vehicle to be charged;

[0066] Mechanical arm retracting step: after the charging gun is unplugged from the charging interface of the vehicle to be charged, controlling the mechanical arm to move to an initial position;

[0067] Specific reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 It is a flowchart of a first embodiment of a safety control method of the present invention.

[0068] Wherein, the safety control method further includes:

[0069] Step S10: in the step of extending and / or retracting the robotic arm, obtaining position information detected by the position detection device, and determining the distance between the person and the robotic arm according to the position information;

[0070] Step S20: controlling the maximum operating speed of the robotic arm according to the distance.

[0071] When the robot arm extends from the cabinet of the automatic charging device to the plug-in position and retracts from the plug-in position into the cabinet of the automatic charging device, that is, when running steps S1 and S5, the robot arm has a wide range of motion and a large amplitude. If a person is near the plug-in position, he or she is likely to be hit by the robot arm. Therefore, when the person is close to the robot arm, it is necessary to stop the robot arm or reduce the operating speed of the robot arm. Therefore, the technical solution of the present invention detects the distance between the person and the robot arm during the large-scale movement of the robot arm, and adjusts the operating speed of the robot arm according to the distance between the person and the robot arm, thereby achieving the technical effect of reducing safety hazards.

[0072] In one embodiment, the operating speed of the robot arm and the distance between the person and the robot arm may satisfy a proportional relationship. In the step of controlling the maximum operating speed of the robot arm according to the distance, the distance is proportional to the maximum operating speed, and the operating speed of the robot arm changes in real time according to the distance between the two. While reducing safety risks, the operating efficiency of the robot arm is guaranteed. In another embodiment, the operating speed of the robot arm is set to multiple gears, and the distance between the person and the robot arm is set to multiple gears. The multiple gears of the distance between the two correspond to the multiple gears of the operating speed, which can reduce safety risks and facilitate control.

[0073] Specific reference Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flow chart of a second embodiment of a safety control method of the present invention.

[0074] Step S20 includes:

[0075] Step S21a: When the distance is greater than or equal to a first preset distance, controlling the robot arm to operate at a speed lower than a first operating speed;

[0076] Step S22a: When the distance is greater than a second preset distance and less than the first preset distance, controlling the robot arm to operate at a speed lower than a second operating speed;

[0077] Step S23a: When the distance is less than the second preset distance, controlling the robot arm to operate at a speed lower than a third operating speed;

[0078] Among them, the first preset distance is greater than the second preset distance, and the first running speed, the second running speed, and the third running speed decrease in sequence.

[0079] When the distance between the person and the robotic arm is greater than the first preset distance, it is a safe distance and the robotic arm can run at full speed; when the distance between the person and the robotic arm is greater than the second preset distance and less than the first preset distance, the person is close to the range of motion of the robotic arm and the running speed of the robotic arm is reduced. When the distance between the person and the robotic arm is less than the second preset distance, the person has entered the range of motion of the robotic arm and the robotic arm stops running or runs at a very low speed.

[0080] In order to remind people when they are relatively close to the robotic arm and make them aware of the danger and stay away from the robotic arm, in one embodiment, the safety protection system also includes an alarm device.

[0081] Specific reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 It is a flow chart of a third embodiment of a safety control method of the present invention.

[0082] Step S20 includes:

[0083] Step S21b: When the distance is greater than or equal to a first preset distance, controlling the robotic arm to operate at a speed lower than a first operating speed;

[0084] Step S22b: when the distance is greater than the second preset distance and less than the first preset distance, controlling the robot arm to operate at a speed lower than the second operating speed, and controlling the alarm device to send out a first alarm signal;

[0085] Step S23b: when the distance is less than the second preset distance, controlling the robot arm to operate at a speed lower than a third operating speed, and controlling the alarm device to send out a second alarm signal;

[0086] Among them, the first preset distance is greater than the second preset distance, and the first running speed, the second running speed, and the third running speed decrease in sequence.

[0087] When the distance between the person and the robotic arm is greater than the first preset distance, it is a safe distance and the robotic arm can run at full speed. When the distance between the person and the robotic arm is greater than the second preset distance and less than the first preset distance, the person is close to the range of motion of the robotic arm and it would be dangerous to continue to approach. At this time, the alarm device can send out a first alarm signal: "You are close to the range of motion of the robotic arm, please stay away." and reduce the running speed of the robotic arm. When the distance between the person and the robotic arm is less than the second preset distance, the person has entered the range of motion of the robotic arm. At this time, the robotic arm stops running or runs at a very low speed. The alarm device can send out a second alarm signal: "You have entered the range of motion of the robotic arm, please stay away."

[0088] During the process of inserting and removing the gun by the robot arm and charging, the charging gun and the charging port may be damaged due to large angle errors; during the charging process, the shaking of people getting on and off the vehicle may cause the charging gun and the charging port to be locally subjected to large forces. In order to reduce the damage to the charging gun and the charging port during the process of inserting and removing the gun and charging. In one embodiment, the automatic charging device also includes a pressure sensor, which is used to detect the pressure applied to the charging gun; refer to Figure 4 .

[0089] Figure 4 It is a flowchart diagram of a fourth embodiment of a safety control method of the present invention.

[0090] The security control method further includes:

[0091] Step S30: in the gun insertion step, the charging step, and / or the gun collection step, obtaining a detection pressure value of a pressure sensor;

[0092] Step S40: controlling the robotic arm to adjust the position of the charging gun according to the pressure value.

[0093] When it is detected that the pressure on the charging gun is too great, which may have a certain impact on the charging gun and the charging interface, the position and posture of the charging gun are adjusted to reduce the force between the two, thereby protecting both.

[0094] When it is detected that the pressure on the charging gun is too large, the position and posture of the charging gun need to be adjusted.

[0095] Figure 5 It is a flowchart diagram of a fifth embodiment of a safety control method of the present invention.

[0096] Step S40 includes:

[0097] Step S41: when the pressure value is greater than a preset pressure value, obtaining the force direction;

[0098] Step S42: controlling the mechanical arm to drive the charging gun to move in the opposite direction of the force direction.

[0099] By controlling the charging gun to move away from the charging port, the pressure between the two can be reduced.

[0100] When it is detected that the pressure on the charging gun is within a reasonable range, the charging gun can be kept in this posture.

[0101] Figure 6 It is a flowchart diagram of a sixth embodiment of a safety control method of the present invention.

[0102] Therefore, step S40 only needs to include:

[0103] Step S43: When the pressure value is less than or equal to a preset pressure value, the robotic arm is controlled to maintain the current posture.

[0104] The present invention also proposes a safety protection system, which includes an automatic charging device, a first position detection device and a control device. Since the control device includes: a memory, a processor and a safety control program of the automatic charging device stored in the memory and run on the processor, the safety control program of the automatic charging device is configured as a safety control method. The safety control method adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, and therefore has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0105] In order to prevent the robot arm from colliding with the vehicle after being extended due to inaccurate positioning of the vehicle body, causing damage to the vehicle, the safety protection system also includes: a second position detection device for detecting vehicle position information, and the robot arm accurately guides the charging gun to the charging port through the vehicle position information obtained by the second position detection device.

[0106] In one embodiment, in order to prevent the vehicle from staying in the charging area for a long time after charging is completed, which will affect the subsequent charging of the vehicle, the safety protection system also includes a timing device. When charging is completed, the timing device starts in time. After the set time is exceeded, the alarm device sends a reminder signal. The activation of the safety protection system can be achieved through a switch, or the safety protection system can include a signal receiving and sending device, and the user can scan the code or use the APP to start it.

[0107] In order to accurately locate the position information of the vehicle, in one embodiment, the first position detection device includes a security camera; in order to accurately locate the position information of the vehicle, the second position detection device includes a vehicle positioning camera and an ultrasonic radar. The vehicle position is locked simultaneously by two positioning devices to avoid inaccurate positioning of the vehicle body causing the robotic arm to collide with the vehicle after being extended.

[0108] The above description is only an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the technical concept of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A safety control method, characterized in that: The safety protection system includes an automatic charging device, a first position detection device and a control device. The automatic charging device includes a mechanical arm and a charging gun provided on the mechanical arm. The first position detection device is used to detect the position between the mechanical arm and the people around it. The safety control method includes the following steps: Mechanical arm extending step: after receiving the vehicle arrival instruction, controlling the mechanical arm to move the charging gun to a plugging and unplugging position adjacent to the charging interface of the vehicle to be charged; Gun insertion step: when the charging gun moves to the to-be-plugged position, the mechanical arm is controlled to move so as to insert the charging gun into the charging port of the vehicle to be charged; Charging step: after the charging gun is plugged into the charging interface of the vehicle to be charged, controlling the charging gun to start charging the vehicle to be charged; Gun collection step: upon receiving the charging end instruction, controlling the charging gun to separate from the charging interface of the vehicle to be charged; Mechanical arm retracting step: after the charging gun is unplugged from the charging interface of the vehicle to be charged, controlling the mechanical arm to move to an initial position; The safety control method further includes: In the step of extending and / or retracting the robotic arm, obtaining position information detected by the position detection device, and determining the distance between the person and the robotic arm according to the position information; According to the distance, the maximum operating speed of the robotic arm is controlled.

2. The safety control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step of controlling the maximum operating speed of the robot arm according to the distance, the distance is directly proportional to the maximum operating speed.

3. The safety control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: According to the distance, the step of controlling the maximum operating speed of the robotic arm comprises: When the distance is greater than or equal to a first preset distance, controlling the robotic arm to operate at a speed lower than a first operating speed; When the distance is greater than a second preset distance and less than the first preset distance, controlling the robot arm to operate at a speed lower than a second operating speed; When the distance is less than the second preset distance, controlling the robotic arm to operate at a speed lower than a third operating speed; Among them, the first preset distance is greater than the second preset distance, and the first running speed, the second running speed, and the third running speed decrease in sequence.

4. The safety control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The safety protection system also includes an alarm device; According to the distance, the step of controlling the maximum operating speed of the robotic arm comprises: When the distance is greater than or equal to a first preset distance, controlling the robotic arm to operate at a speed lower than a first operating speed; When the distance is greater than a second preset distance and less than the first preset distance, controlling the robot arm to operate at a speed lower than a second operating speed, and controlling the alarm device to send out a first alarm signal; When the distance is less than the second preset distance, controlling the robot arm to operate at a speed lower than a third operating speed, and controlling the alarm device to send out a second alarm signal; Among them, the first preset distance is greater than the second preset distance, and the first running speed, the second running speed, and the third running speed decrease in sequence.

5. The safety control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automatic charging device also includes a pressure sensor, which is used to detect the pressure applied to the charging gun; The safety control method further includes: In the gun insertion step, the charging step, and / or the gun collection step, obtaining a detection pressure value of a pressure sensor; According to the magnitude of the pressure value, the mechanical arm is controlled to adjust the position of the charging gun.

6. The safety control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The step of controlling the mechanical arm to adjust the position of the charging gun according to the pressure value includes: When the pressure value is greater than a preset pressure value, obtaining the force direction; The mechanical arm is controlled to drive the charging gun to move in the opposite direction of the force direction.

7. The safety control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The step of controlling the mechanical arm to adjust the position of the charging gun according to the pressure value further includes: When the pressure value is less than or equal to a preset pressure value, the robotic arm is controlled to maintain a current posture.

8. A safety protection system, characterized in that: The safety protection system comprises: An automatic charging device, comprising a mechanical arm and a charging gun, wherein the charging gun is arranged at the end of the mechanical arm; A first position detection device, used to detect position information of a person and the robotic arm; a control device, electrically connected to the automatic charging device and the first position detection device respectively; Wherein, the control device includes: a memory, a processor, and a safety control program of the automatic charging device stored in the memory and executable on the processor, and the safety control program of the automatic charging device is configured to implement the safety control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The safety protection system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The safety protection system also includes: a pressure sensor, disposed between the mechanical arm and the charging gun, for detecting a stress state of the charging gun, the pressure sensor being electrically connected to the control device; and / or, a second position detection device, used for detecting vehicle position information, the second position detection device being electrically connected to the control device; and / or, an alarm device, used to send out an alarm signal when an abnormal condition is triggered, the alarm device being electrically connected to the control device; and / or, a timing device, used for timing, the timing device being electrically connected to the control device; and / or, A signal receiving and sending device, the signal receiving and sending device is used to receive and / or send wireless signals, and the signal receiving and sending device is electrically connected to the control device.

10. The safety protection system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first position detection device comprises a security camera; and / or, The second position detection device includes a vehicle positioning camera and / or an ultrasonic radar.

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