Battery replacement system for robot

Abstract

According to the robot-oriented battery replacement system provided by the invention, when the electric quantity of a second standard battery in the robot is insufficient and the robot goes to an intelligent battery replacement station for battery replacement, a first docking mechanism can be docked and locked with a second docking mechanism, and a moving assembly can extend out of a battery replacement station main body to pull out the second standard battery in the robot; the moving assembly can move the second standard battery into the first battery jar of the battery swap station body and charge the second standard battery, and the moving assembly can also pull out the first standard battery in the first battery jar, move the first standard battery and install the first standard battery into the second battery jar of the robot so that the first standard battery can supply power to the robot. The intelligent battery changing station changes the battery for the robot and charges the battery of the robot, the battery changing time is short, the occupied space is small, and the operation efficiency of the robot is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robot battery swapping, and particularly to a battery swapping system for robots.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, mobile robots, service robots, AGV robots, bionic robots, etc. all adopt built-in large-capacity batteries and are equipped with dedicated charging piles. When the battery of the robot is about to run out after working for several hours, it returns to the charging pile for power replenishment. The charging time often takes 2 - 3 hours, accounting for about 30% of the working time, seriously reducing the effective working time and working efficiency of the robot. Moreover, as Figure 1 shown, the working site needs to be equipped with charging piles equal in number to the robots, and each charging pile occupies about 0.5 m2 of space, seriously occupying the site space. That is, most traditional mobile service robots adopt the charging method. When many robots charge simultaneously, the floor area is large and the operation efficiency of the robots is low.

[0003] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a new battery swapping system for robots to overcome the above defects.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a battery swapping system for robots, which realizes that the intelligent battery swapping station swaps the battery for the robot and charges the battery of the robot. The battery swapping time is short, the occupied space is small, and the operation efficiency of the robot is improved.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a battery swapping system for a robot, including an intelligent battery swapping station and a robot; the intelligent battery swapping station includes a battery swapping station main body, the battery swapping station main body is provided with a first docking mechanism for docking with the robot, a moving component and a plurality of first battery slots are arranged in the battery swapping station main body, the first battery slots are used for accommodating first standard batteries and can charge the first standard batteries, and the moving component can move in the battery swapping station main body and grab the first standard batteries in the first battery slots; the robot is provided with a second docking mechanism, the robot is provided with a second battery slot identical to the first battery slot, the second battery slot accommodates a second standard battery identical to the first standard battery, and the second standard battery can supply power to the robot; when the second standard battery in the robot is out of power and the robot goes to the intelligent battery swapping station for battery swapping, the first docking mechanism is used for docking and locking with the second docking mechanism, the moving component is used for extending out of the battery swapping station main body and pulling out the second standard battery in the robot, the moving component moves the second standard battery into the first battery slot of the battery swapping station main body and charges the second standard battery; the moving component is also used for pulling out the first standard battery in the first battery slot of the battery swapping station main body, and the moving component moves and installs the first standard battery into the second battery slot of the robot to enable the first standard battery to supply power to the robot.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the moving component includes a frame, a sliding member, a robotic arm and a clamping member. The frame is fixed in the battery swapping station main body, the sliding member is slidably arranged on the frame, one end of the robotic arm is connected to the sliding member, and the other end of the robotic arm is connected to the clamping member. The clamping member is used for clamping the first standard battery or the second standard battery.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the clamping member includes a fixing portion connected to the robotic arm and a clamping portion connected to the fixing portion. An induction member is arranged on the surface of the fixing portion close to the clamping portion, and a locking member is arranged on the clamping portion. The induction member is used for sensing whether the first standard battery or the second standard battery is in place, and the locking member is used for automatically locking when the first standard battery or the second standard battery is in place.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the first docking mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the battery swapping station main body, and the second docking mechanism is arranged on the chassis of the robot. When the robot is in place in the battery swapping area, the first docking mechanism can extend out of the battery swapping station main body and insert into the second docking mechanism and then automatically lock.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the first docking mechanism and the second docking mechanism are provided with corresponding electrical contacts. After the first docking mechanism is locked with the second docking mechanism, the intelligent battery swapping station can supply power to the robot through the electrical contacts.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, it further includes a cloud that communicates with the intelligent battery swapping station and the robot. The cloud is used to monitor the electrical parameters of the first standard battery in the intelligent battery swapping station and the electrical parameters of the second standard battery in the robot.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, an isolation cabin that is spatially isolated from the battery swapping station main body is provided above the battery swapping station main body. The moving component is used to move the first standard battery with abnormal electrical parameters to the isolation cabin.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, a detachable fixing member is provided on one side of the battery swapping station main body. The battery swapping station main body is fixed to the building wall through the fixing member.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, a fire extinguishing cabin is provided on the side of the battery swapping station main body adjacent to the building wall. The fire extinguishing cabin houses fire-fighting equipment; an air-conditioning cabin is also provided on the side of the battery swapping station main body adjacent to the building wall. The air-conditioning cabin houses refrigeration equipment.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, a battery swapping window is provided on the side of the battery swapping station main body away from the building wall. The battery swapping window is used to open after the first docking mechanism is locked with the second docking mechanism to enable the moving component to extend through the battery swapping window.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, for the battery swapping system for robots provided by the present invention, a first docking mechanism for docking with a robot is provided on the main body of the intelligent battery swapping station. A moving component and several first battery slots are arranged inside the main body of the battery swapping station. The first battery slots can accommodate first standard batteries and can charge the first standard batteries. The moving component can move inside the main body of the battery swapping station and grab the first standard batteries in the first battery slots. The robot is provided with a second docking mechanism, and the robot is provided with a second battery slot identical to the first battery slot. The second battery slot houses a second standard battery identical to the first standard battery, and the second standard battery can supply power to the robot. When the second standard battery in the robot runs out of power and the robot goes to the intelligent battery swapping station for battery swapping, the first docking mechanism can be docked and locked with the second docking mechanism. The moving component can extend out of the main body of the battery swapping station to extract the second standard battery in the robot, and move the second standard battery into the first battery slot in the main body of the battery swapping station and charge the second standard battery. The moving component can also extract the first standard battery in the first battery slot, and move and install the first standard battery into the second battery slot of the robot to enable the first standard battery to supply power to the robot, realizing that the intelligent battery swapping station swaps the battery for the robot and charges the battery of the robot, with short battery swapping time, small occupied space, and improved operation efficiency of the robot.

Description of the Drawings

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention, and thus should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0017] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a traditional robot and a charging pile;

[0018] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the battery swapping system for robots provided by the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the intelligent battery swapping station in the battery swapping system for robots provided by the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the docking between the intelligent battery swapping station and the robot in the battery swapping system for robots provided by the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the docking between the first docking mechanism and the second docking mechanism in the battery swapping system for robots provided by the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6Schematic diagram of the clamping member clamping the first standard battery / second standard battery in the battery swapping system for robots provided by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 Principle block diagram of the safety guarantee system in the battery swapping system for robots provided by the present invention;

[0024] Figure 8 Principle block diagram of the safety guarantee method in the battery swapping system for robots provided by the present invention;

[0025] Figure 9 Principle block diagram of the control module of the cloud in the battery swapping system for robots provided by the present invention.

Specific Embodiment

[0026] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Usually, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention claimed, but only represents the selected embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] Please refer to Figure 2 , which is a schematic diagram of the battery swapping system for robots provided by the present invention. The battery swapping system 100 for robots provided by the present invention includes an intelligent battery swapping station 10 and a robot 20.

[0028] Please refer to together Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the intelligent battery swapping station 10 includes a battery swapping station main body 11, the battery swapping station main body 11 is provided with a first docking mechanism 12 for docking with the robot 20, a moving component 13 and a plurality of first battery slots 14 are arranged in the battery swapping station main body 11, the first battery slots 14 are used for accommodating the first standard battery 141 and can charge the first standard battery 141, and the moving component 13 can move in the battery swapping station main body 11 and grab the first standard battery 141 in the first battery slot 14. The robot 20 is provided with a second docking mechanism 21, the robot 20 is provided with a second battery slot 22 identical to the first battery slot 14, the second battery slot 22 accommodates a second standard battery 221 identical to the first standard battery 141, and the second standard battery 221 can supply power to the robot 20.

[0029] Specifically, when the power of the second standard battery 221 in the robot 20 is insufficient and the robot 20 travels to the intelligent power exchange station 10 for power exchange, the first docking mechanism 12 is used to dock and lock with the second docking mechanism 21, and the moving component 13 is used to extend out of the power exchange station main body 11 and extract the second standard battery 221 in the robot 20. The moving component 13 can move the second standard battery 221 to the first battery slot 14 of the power exchange station main body 11 and charge the second standard battery 221. The moving component 13 is also used to extract the first standard battery 141 in the first battery slot 14 of the power exchange station main body 11, and the moving component 13 can move and install the first standard battery 141 into the second battery slot 22 of the robot 20 to supply power to the robot 20 with the first standard battery 141.

[0030] It can be understood that the mobile robot is equipped with a detachable power battery, that is, the second standard battery 221, to supply power for the operation of the robot. When the robot 20 monitors that its own power is insufficient, it can autonomously run to the intelligent power exchange station 10 and automatically dock with the intelligent power exchange station for power exchange. Specifically, it docks and locks through the first docking mechanism 12 and the second docking mechanism 21. The intelligent power exchange station 10 can charge the battery inside it and stores fully charged batteries. The moving component 13 in the station extracts the battery to be replaced in the robot 20 and places it in the first battery slot 14 in the power exchange station main body 11 for charging. Then, the moving component 13 extracts the fully charged battery (i.e., the first standard battery 141) in the station and puts it back into the second battery slot 22 of the robot 20 to supply power to the robot. After the power exchange is completed, the robot can continue to perform the task before the power exchange.

[0031] Therefore, for the battery swapping system 100 for robots provided by the present invention, the swapping station main body 11 of the intelligent swapping station 10 is provided with a first docking mechanism 12 for docking with the robot 20. A moving component 13 and a number of first battery slots 14 are arranged in the swapping station main body 11. The first battery slots 14 can accommodate first standard batteries 141 and can charge the first standard batteries 141. The moving component 13 can move within the swapping station main body 11 and grab the first standard batteries 141 in the first battery slots 14. The robot 20 is provided with a second docking mechanism 21. The robot 20 is provided with a second battery slot 22 identical to the first battery slot 14. The second battery slot 22 houses a second standard battery 221 identical to the first standard battery 141. The second standard battery 221 can supply power to the robot 20. When the power of the second standard battery 221 in the robot 20 is insufficient and the robot 20 goes to the intelligent swapping station 10 for battery swapping, the first docking mechanism 12 can be docked and locked with the second docking mechanism 21. The moving component 13 can extend out of the swapping station main body 11 to extract the second standard battery 221 in the robot 20, move the second standard battery 221 into the first battery slot 14 of the swapping station main body 11 and charge the second standard battery 221. The moving component 13 can also extract the first standard battery 141 in the first battery slot 14, move and install the first standard battery 141 into the second battery slot 22 of the robot 20 to enable the first standard battery 141 to supply power to the robot 20, realizing that the intelligent swapping station swaps the battery for the robot and charges the battery of the robot. The battery swapping takes a short time, occupies a small space, and improves the operation efficiency of the robot.

[0032] The overall intelligent swapping station 20 is designed in a modular manner, including a swapping station main body 11, an isolation cabin 15, a fire extinguishing cabin 16, and an air-conditioning cabin 17. The intelligent swapping station 20 can be hermetically sealed as a whole under normal charging and non-battery swapping conditions.

[0033] The swapping station main body 11 is arranged with charging slots for batteries, namely the first battery slots 14. The number of the first battery slots 14 can be 10 - 12, and 10 - 12 batteries can be accommodated. The main body frame is made of a steel-aluminum hybrid material, which is convenient for recycling. Specifically, reflective warning signs are set on the surface of the swapping station body, including "High Voltage", "Do Not Touch", etc., to prevent unauthorized personnel from misoperating and ensure the safety of the intelligent swapping station.

[0034] The swapping station main body 11 is docked with the first standard battery 141 through a unified battery slot (i.e., the first battery slot 14). The form of the first battery slot 14 is the same as that of the slot at the robot end. The battery is docked with the swapping station, enabling the intelligent swapping station to charge the battery. The first standard battery 141 and the intelligent swapping station 10 can be connected through RS485 or CAN.

[0035] The robot 20 is docked with the second standard battery 221 through a unified battery slot (i.e., the second battery slot 22). The second battery slot 22 has the same form as the slot at the battery swapping station end. The docking of the battery with the robot can enable the battery to supply power to the robot. The second standard battery 221 and the robot can be connected through RS485 and CAN. Specifically, the intelligent battery swapping station can be connected to the public power grid for overall power supply. The intelligent battery swapping station 10 and the robot 20 adopt standard batteries with unified models. Specifically, a 24V battery can be used as the standard battery unit for battery swapping, which can provide general battery swapping services for different robots, covering 24V, 48V, and 72V. For different robots, the power supply voltage can be changed by series connection and the power can be changed by parallel connection to adapt to different models of robots.

[0036] The first standard battery 141 and the second standard battery 221 use specific dimensions. For example, they are square box-shaped battery modules that conform to the design of taking and placing the moving components of the intelligent battery swapping station. The exposed charging / discharging electrodes, communication electrodes, etc. on the battery module are docked with the robot and the intelligent battery swapping station. High-rate power batteries are used to provide strong power for the robot to cope with various power usage environments. The battery module adopts a perfect BMS management system, which can realize functions such as power, voltage, current, and temperature detection, single-cell protection, and fault code uploading to ensure its performance and safety. Each group of batteries adopts intelligent charging management, including CC-CV mode, overcharge management, and thermal management to ensure charging safety.

[0037] In some embodiments, universal moving wheels are provided on the bottom surface of the battery swapping station main body. When needed, the position of the battery swapping station can be changed and redeployed, and the casters can be self-locked to ensure stability. A detachable fixing member 111 is provided on one side of the battery swapping station main body 11. The battery swapping station main body 11 is fixed to the building wall through the fixing member 111. The fixing member 111 can be a movable lock. The battery swapping station is fixed to the infrastructure to improve the position stability of the intelligent battery swapping station. Specifically, 4 movable lock catches for combining with the wall are designed on the back of the battery swapping station main body 11, which are combined with the self-locking casters on the bottom surface to ensure docking stability and easy disassembly and assembly.

[0038] The smart power swap station 10 and the robot 20 are docked through the first docking mechanism 12 and the second docking mechanism 21. The first docking mechanism 12 is arranged at the bottom of the power swap station body 11, and the second docking mechanism 21 is arranged on the chassis 23 of the robot 20. When the robot is located in the power swap area, the first docking mechanism 12 can be extended from the power swap station body 11 and inserted into the second docking mechanism 21 and then automatically locked. The first docking mechanism can be a convex structure, and the second docking mechanism can be a concave structure. Through the cooperation of the convex structure and the concave structure, the two docking mechanisms are locked. Specifically, the power swap station and the robot chassis are docked and locked to prepare for reliable power swap. The smart power swap station 10 and the robot 20 are docked in an off-station docking manner. When docking, the robot does not need to enter the power swap station body, which greatly saves the volume of the power swap station. When preparing for docking, the first docking mechanism 12 is extended from the power swap station body. The first docking mechanism 12 and the second docking mechanism 21 are mechatronic docking devices. The docking mechanism has a mechanical guidance function to ensure that the docking tolerance and accuracy of the robot and the smart power swap station meet the requirements. When docking, it is automatically locked mechanically and needs to be unlocked electronically.

[0039] In this embodiment, the smart battery swap station and the robot can communicate in the near field, and the first docking mechanism 12 has its own sensor feedback docking status, and can feedback to the robot through near field communication, for example, using 2.4G or Bluetooth.

[0040] A power exchange window 112 is provided on the side of the power exchange station body 11 away from the building wall, and the power exchange window 112 is used to open after the first docking mechanism 12 and the second docking mechanism 21 are locked so that the mobile component 13 can extend through the power exchange window 112. That is, the power exchange station body also includes an automatically opened and closed power exchange window, which is only opened when the power is exchanged to ensure the safety of the power exchange and the sealing of the body. The main frame is made of a steel-aluminum mixed material for easy recycling.

[0041] This system is a unified battery module unit for robots of all models in the same place, and is charged in a centralized explosion-proof cabinet. The system automatically replaces the batteries for robots with exhausted batteries in turn, and it only takes 2 minutes to fully charge the battery. This greatly improves the operation efficiency of the robot. It adopts a vertical explosion-proof cabinet, which occupies an area of less than 2 square meters and arranges a total of 16 groups of battery charging, which greatly saves space. The cabinet adopts explosion-proof shell and internal constant temperature control, which fully guarantees the safety of charging. The cabinet uses metal materials that meet the safety fire protection device, which can ensure the safety of the external space even in the event of a fire inside.

[0042] Furthermore, during the battery replacement process, it is also necessary to ensure that the robot control system does not lose power, that is, battery replacement redundancy. That is, when the battery in the robot is pulled out by the mobile component, the robot's own control system needs to be able to maintain power without losing task logic and state logic, and continue to perform the tasks before the battery replacement after the battery replacement is completed.Figure 5 As shown, the first docking mechanism 12 and the second docking mechanism 21 are provided with corresponding electrical contacts. When the first docking mechanism is locked with the second docking mechanism, the intelligent battery swapping station can supply power to the robot through the electrical contacts. With such a design, when the robot docks with the battery swapping station, the docking mechanism on the battery swapping station side not only provides mechanical guidance and locking, but also has a pair of electrical contacts with adjustable voltage. When the docking is completed, the electrical contacts come into contact with the power receiving contacts on the robot chassis side. At this time, the robot is powered by the battery swapping station. In this way, even if all the batteries inside the robot are removed by the robotic arm, the robot can still remain powered on, ensuring the operation efficiency of the robot.

[0043] In other embodiments, the battery swapping redundancy can also be designed on the robot side. For example, the robot is internally equipped with two battery slots. During normal operation, the two batteries supply power simultaneously or sequentially. When swapping batteries, the two batteries are replaced sequentially, that is, the robotic arm removes the battery with depleted power in one slot of the robot and inserts the fully charged battery into this slot, and then replaces the battery in the other slot. In this way, at least one of the two battery slots always has a battery, thus ensuring that the robot remains powered on. A small battery can also be set inside the robot, and the battery swapping redundancy is ensured by the robot itself, that is, there is a small-capacity backup battery inside the robot. During normal operation, the robot is powered by the main power battery (the battery to be swapped), and the main power battery charges the small battery. When swapping batteries, when the main battery is removed, the control system of the robot is powered by this small battery to ensure that the operation logic of the robot is not lost.

[0044] The moving assembly 13 includes a frame 131, a sliding member 132, a robotic arm 133, and a clamping member 134. The frame 131 is fixed inside the battery swapping station main body 11. The sliding member 132 is slidably disposed on the frame 131. One end of the robotic arm 133 is connected to the sliding member 132, and the other end of the robotic arm 133 is connected to the clamping member 134. The clamping member 134 is used to clamp the first standard battery 141 or the second standard battery 221. Specifically, the inner layer of the battery swapping station main body houses the moving frame of the robotic arm, enabling the robotic arm to move in three directions of X - Y - Z to achieve the selection, pushing, and pulling actions of the battery, and the clamping member can clamp the battery.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 6, the clamping member 134 includes a fixing portion 135 connected to the robotic arm 133 and a clamping portion 136 connected to the fixing portion 135. A sensing member 137 is provided on the surface of the fixing portion 135 close to the clamping portion 136. The clamping portion 136 is provided with a locking member 138. The sensing member 137 is used to sense whether the first standard battery 141 or the second standard battery 221 is in place, and the locking member 138 is used to automatically lock when the first standard battery 141 or the second standard battery 221 is in place.

[0046] Understandably, the fixing portion 135 and the clamping portion 136 together form a clamping cavity for clamping the battery. The fixing portion 135 is the bottom surface of the clamping cavity, and the clamping portion 136 is the side surface of the clamping cavity. The first standard battery 141 or the second standard battery 221 is received in the clamping cavity and abuts against the fixing portion 135 and the clamping portion 136. The sensing member 137 is provided on the bottom surface of the clamping cavity and can sense whether the battery is in place. The locking member is provided on the side surface of the clamping cavity and can lock the battery more firmly. In this embodiment, the docking of the robotic arm, the clamping member and the battery adopts multi-degree-of-freedom adaptive clamping. A passive adaptive degree of freedom (such as an elastic mechanism) can be designed for the clamping member, and the clamping tolerance and accuracy can be met through mechanical guidance. After the clamping member contacts the battery, it is locked mechanically and requires electronic unlocking. And based on the structural characteristics of the battery, it cooperates with the sensing member of the clamping member to realize the sensing of the clamping state, ensure tight clamping, and can realize the loosening alarm.

[0047] The isolation chamber 15 is arranged above the main body 11 of the battery swapping station and is spatially isolated from the main body 11 of the battery swapping station. The moving assembly 13 can move the first standard battery 141 with abnormal electrical parameters to the isolation chamber 15. Placing the isolation chamber on the top of the main body is convenient for maintenance personnel to operate. The cabin body is made of explosion-proof and flame-retardant materials and is specially used for storing faulty batteries. Maintenance personnel can open the isolation chamber after scanning the code for confirmation of rights and take out the faulty battery.

[0048] The fire extinguishing chamber 16 is arranged on the side of the main body 11 of the battery swapping station adjacent to the building wall. The fire extinguishing chamber 16 houses fire-fighting equipment and can make timely remedies in case of an accident. The modularized fire extinguishing medium is housed in the fire extinguishing chamber, which is convenient for taking out, replacing and refilling the fire-fighting equipment from the battery swapping station.

[0049] The air-conditioning chamber 17 is also arranged on the side of the main body of the battery swapping station adjacent to the building wall. The air-conditioning chamber 17 houses refrigeration equipment. The air-conditioning chamber 17 is communicated with the main body 11 of the battery swapping station. The refrigeration equipment can refrigerate when the temperature of the main body of the battery swapping station is too high, ensuring the safety of the battery swapping station. The refrigeration equipment can specifically be an air conditioner. The modularized air conditioner can be removed when not needed, which is more convenient for disassembly and maintenance.

[0050] Understandably, the battery swapping system for robots will be deployed in living spaces, so ensuring its safety is the top priority. As Figure 7 shown, to ensure its safe operation, the present invention considers from two aspects of passive safety measures and active safety measures to form a double insurance for safety guarantee.

[0051] The passive safety measures specifically include: isolation cabin: The isolation cabin is an independent sealed space made of explosion-proof materials, equipped with a pressure relief valve and a fire sprinkler, which is used to safely store faulty batteries. Batteries with abnormal states will be unloaded by the robotic arm and placed in the isolation cabin; human factor safety: The fastening of the battery swapping station to the wall / ground and the warning signs on the exterior of the battery swapping station are all human factor safety measures to prevent unauthorized personnel from damaging or misoperating the battery swapping station; emergency stop switch: An anti-misoperation emergency stop switch is designed outside the battery swapping station, which can be triggered to cut off the power supply emergently when maintenance personnel detect potential risks during inspections.

[0052] The active safety ability is an important manifestation of the intelligence of the security system of the battery swapping station, which is jointly realized by the environmental control system, the emergency power-off system, the fire extinguishing system and the internal vision system. It mainly involves environmental monitoring and thermal runaway handling, including: real-time monitoring: The real-time monitoring system includes infrared temperature sensors, humidity sensors, gas composition sensors (which can monitor thermal runaway gases, including CO, H2, etc.), and dust particle sensors. The real-time monitoring system, in cooperation with the air conditioning and smoke exhaust systems, always controls the internal environment of the battery swapping station under suitable charging conditions. When abnormal conditions are detected inside the station, it can give early warnings of risks; emergency power-off: The emergency power-off system closely monitors the BMS information of all batteries. When the voltage, current or temperature of any battery is abnormal, the system will cut off the charging circuit of its charger. In case of extreme situations (such as thermal runaway), the battery swapping station can independently cut off all high-voltage power supplies while retaining low-voltage and control functions; fire extinguishing: The fire extinguishing system is the last line of defense for the safety of the battery swapping station. When the temperature inside the station reaches the fire standard or thermal runaway gases are detected, the fire extinguishing program will be automatically started, and the fire extinguishing medium will be sprayed throughout the interior of the battery swapping station. In this way, when any battery experiences thermal runaway and a fire breaks out, it can be quickly controlled; smoke exhaust: The smoke exhaust system is used to create negative pressure. When there is a thermal runaway of a battery, the battery swapping station can quickly discharge harmful gases through a dedicated pipeline; internal camera: After any battery malfunctions, the alarm information will be pushed to the energy management platform. Managers can observe the internal situation in real time through the cameras inside the battery swapping station to handle potential hazards early. The cameras can also be used for fire recognition.

[0053] Together with the emergency isolation system, the environmental control system, the fire extinguishing system, the emergency power-off system and the internal cameras, a smart safety guarantee system is formed, which can realize functions such as pre-event detection, in-event warning, and in-event automatic fire extinguishing.

[0054] As Figure 8As shown in the figure, the pre - detection specifically includes: current detection: line current overload alarm, line power consumption month - on - month early warning, multi - line power - off alarm, line short - circuit alarm; wire temperature detection (intelligent air switch, wire temperature sensor, infrared thermal imaging): line temperature prediction model, line temperature month - on - month early warning, internal infrared imaging of the battery swapping station; volatile detection of over - high wire temperature (measuring pyrolysis particle type electrical fire detector): pyrolysis particle concentration early warning.

[0055] The mid - event early warning specifically includes: detecting battery open fire through a visual camera; battery high - temperature detection: thermal imaging high - temperature (200 degrees) alarm, line high - temperature (200 degrees) alarm; thermal runaway smoke detection, visual smoke recognition alarm through traditional smoke detectors, wireless smoke concentration detectors, particle sensors, multi - area smoke concentration alarm, multi - area smoke high - temperature alarm; flame infrared detection, flame sensor alarm through flame sensors and infrared thermal imaging, thermal imaging high - temperature (200 degrees) alarm.

[0056] Mid - event fire extinguishing includes starting the automatic fire - extinguishing system and sending out an alarm for manual joint fire - extinguishing.

[0057] The battery swapping system 100 for robots provided by the present invention further includes a cloud 30 communicating with the intelligent battery swapping station 10 and the robot 20. The intelligent battery swapping station and the robot can communicate with the cloud through 4G or WIFI. The cloud 30 is used to monitor the electrical parameters of the first standard battery 141 in the intelligent battery swapping station 10 and the electrical parameters of the second standard battery 221 in the robot 20. Specifically, an energy management platform is deployed on the cloud 30. The cloud 30 can be a public cloud or a private cloud, including three major modules: control, scheduling, and configuration.

[0058] As Figure 9As shown in the figure, the configuration module is responsible for configuring the behavior parameters of the battery swapping system and the platform itself, such as the moving speed, acceleration of the robotic arm in the battery swapping station, various alarm thresholds, various timeout times, user role permissions, and storage allocation, etc., and supports the uploading and loading of configuration files. After any robot sends a battery swapping request, the scheduling module is responsible for analyzing the battery storage situation in all current battery swapping stations, the battery swapping queuing situation of each battery swapping station, and the distance information between the robot and each battery swapping station, selecting the optimal station for the robot, and taking into account the load balancing of each station. The control module is responsible for issuing actual battery swapping instructions, receiving the status feedback of the robot and the battery swapping station during the battery swapping process, and making logical decisions when abnormalities occur during the battery swapping process. In case of necessity, maintenance personnel need to intervene. In addition, the control module is also responsible for the opening and status monitoring of the isolation cabin of the battery swapping station. After the maintenance personnel scan the code for confirmation of rights, the confirmation information is transmitted to the control module. This module remotely issues an isolation cabin unlocking instruction to open the isolation cabin. After the maintenance personnel take out the faulty battery, if the isolation cabin is not closed for a long time, this module will push a notification to intelligent terminals such as the mobile phones and tablets of the maintenance personnel. Specialized APPs can be installed on the intelligent terminals for management operations, specifically through Bluetooth and 4G communication. It can be understood that to ensure the information security during the battery swapping of the robot, some information before the robot's battery swapping can be temporarily stored in the cloud server for temporary storage and downloading.

[0059] The battery swap system 100 for robots provided by the present invention, when actually used, when the robot is running low on power, it sends a request for battery swap to the energy management platform. After receiving the request, the energy management platform comprehensively evaluates the battery swap load, battery storage status, and distance of the battery swap station, and pushes the optimal target battery swap station information to the robot. After receiving the information, the robot goes to the battery swap station (the robot presets the location of the smart battery swap station in the navigation map so that it can be accurately found when battery swap is needed), and initiates a request to the battery swap station in the waiting area. After receiving the request, the battery swap station determines the queue status of the current station. If queueing is required, the robot is ordered to continue waiting. If queueing is not required, the robot is notified that it can enter the battery swap preparation area (near field communication). After receiving the notification, the robot enters the battery swap preparation area, and when ready, it notifies the battery swap station that the battery swap process can be started. The battery swap station receives the ready signal, prepares the docking mechanism, such as extending the docking device, and notifies the robot that docking can begin. After receiving the docking signal, the robot moves to the docking device and performs the docking movement. At this time, the battery swap station determines whether the docking is successful. If the docking fails, the retry process is started, and the robot returns to the battery swap preparation area to re-execute the docking. If it still fails after three retries, the battery swap station pushes the docking failure message to the energy management platform, and the platform pushes the maintenance information to the maintenance system to notify the relevant maintenance personnel to manually swap the battery. At this time, the robot is separated from the battery swap station and enters the waiting area. If the docking is successful after the retry, the robotic arm in the battery swap station begins to work with the robot to perform the battery replacement operation. At this time, the robot determines whether the battery swap is successful based on its own power-on status and the slot lock status. If the battery swap fails, the retry process is started, and the robotic arm re-executes the battery swap operation. If it still fails after three retries, the battery swap station pushes the battery swap failure message to the energy management platform, and the platform pushes the maintenance information to the maintenance system to notify the relevant maintenance personnel to manually swap the battery. At this time, the robot is separated from the battery swap station and enters the waiting area. If the battery swap is successful after retrying, the robot and the battery swap station will upload the latest status of themselves and the replaced batteries to the energy management platform, and execute the action of disengaging the docking mechanism. The robot leaves the battery swap station and continues to perform the task before the battery swap, thus realizing the battery swap operation between the robot and the battery swap station. The battery swap efficiency is high, which can improve the operation efficiency of the robot.

[0060] In the present invention, the mobile robot is equipped with a detachable power battery to supply power for the operation of the robot. When the robot detects that its own power is insufficient, it can autonomously run to the battery swapping station and automatically dock with the battery swapping station for battery swapping. The battery swapping station can charge the batteries inside it and stores fully charged batteries. The robotic arm in the station extracts the battery to be replaced in the robot and places it in the battery swapping station for charging; then the robotic arm extracts the fully charged battery in the station and puts it back to the robot side. After the battery swapping is completed, the robot can continue to execute the task before the battery swapping. The battery swapping station integrates an environmental control system, a fire extinguishing system and an isolation cabin inside, which can closely monitor the environment inside the station, including temperature, humidity, gas composition, etc. And when any battery has a thermal runaway, it can quickly extinguish the fire to ensure the overall safety of the battery swapping station. When the battery swapping station detects that the state of any battery is abnormal, the robotic arm in the station can quickly pull out the abnormal battery from the charging slot and place it in the isolation cabin. After the authorized maintenance personnel confirm the right, the isolation cabin can be opened and the abnormal battery can be taken out for repair. The mobile robot and the battery swapping station upload their own information to the energy management platform in real time. This system includes control, scheduling and configuration functions, which can overall manage the battery states in each battery swapping station and robot. When a specific robot sends a battery swapping request, it schedules the robot to an appropriate battery swapping station to perform the battery swapping operation.

[0061] Understandably, at present, the vast majority of mobile service robots use the charging method. When many robots charge at the same time, it requires a large floor area, the overall system efficiency of the robots is low, and more robots are needed to achieve uninterrupted operation. The battery swapping system 100 for robots provided by the present invention significantly improves the group efficiency of the robots and greatly reduces the floor area required for the charging facilities. Standardized batteries such as 24V are adopted, and multiple batteries can be replaced at one time, which can serve robots with different power supply requirements. For example, by series connection, it can serve robots with 48 / 72V power supply, and by parallel connection, the total battery capacity and discharge power can be increased. In the future, the present invention can be used as the standard infrastructure for robot battery swapping. Compared with general battery swapping systems, the battery swapping station described in the present invention integrates charging equipment, battery swapping motion equipment and a safety guarantee system in a cabinet, and adopts a modular design, with a more compact volume, a small floor area, and is convenient for transportation and deployment. All batteries are used as standard assets and are uniformly managed by the energy management platform in the cloud, including use, storage and maintenance.

[0062] The battery swapping system 100 for robots provided by the present invention uses a 24V battery as the standard battery unit for battery swapping, and can provide general battery swapping services for different robots, covering 24V, 48V, and 72V. The corresponding robots can change the power supply voltage by series connection and change the power supply power by parallel connection. The emergency isolation system, environmental control system, and fire extinguishing system are modularly integrated in the battery swapping station. While reducing the volume and floor area of the battery swapping station, each module is convenient for maintenance and replacement. The emergency isolation system, environmental control system, and fire extinguishing system, together with the emergency power-off system and internal cameras, form an intelligent safety guarantee system, which can realize pre-event detection, in-event early warning, and in-event automatic fire extinguishing functions. The isolation cabin of the emergency isolation system is specifically used to store abnormal or faulty batteries, and can be opened after being confirmed by maintenance personnel. The system adopts the off-station battery swapping method, and the robot does not need to enter the interior of the battery swapping station, further saving the floor area of the battery swapping station. The robot can adopt the method of dual main battery redundancy and sequential replacement to ensure that the robot is not powered off during the battery swapping process. The robot can adopt the method of internal small battery redundancy to ensure that the robot is not powered off during the battery swapping process. The docking mechanism of the battery swapping station can supply power to the robot and is connected after docking with the robot to ensure that the robot is not powered off during the battery swapping process. The cloud energy management platform monitors and manages the battery swapping station and batteries as standard assets, and integrates the functions of the maintenance management system, and can realize multi-robot battery swapping scheduling among a large number of robots and multiple battery swapping stations, improving the operation efficiency of the robots.

[0063] The above are only the embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention accordingly. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made by using the content of the specification and drawings of the present invention, or directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields, shall be equally included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery swapping system for robots, characterized in that, It includes an intelligent battery swapping station and a robot; the intelligent battery swapping station includes a battery swapping station main body, the battery swapping station main body is provided with a first docking mechanism for docking with the robot, a moving component and a plurality of first battery slots are arranged in the battery swapping station main body, the first battery slots are used for accommodating first standard batteries and can charge the first standard batteries, and the moving component can move in the battery swapping station main body and grab the first standard batteries in the first battery slots; the robot is provided with a second docking mechanism, the robot is provided with a second battery slot identical to the first battery slot, the second battery slot accommodates a second standard battery identical to the first standard battery, and the second standard battery can supply power to the robot. When the second standard battery in the robot runs out of power and the robot goes to the intelligent battery swapping station for battery swapping, the first docking mechanism is used to dock and lock with the second docking mechanism, the moving component is used to extend out of the battery swapping station main body and extract the second standard battery in the robot, the moving component moves the second standard battery to the first battery slot in the battery swapping station main body and charges the second standard battery; the moving component is also used to extract the first standard battery in the first battery slot of the battery swapping station main body, and the moving component moves and installs the first standard battery into the second battery slot of the robot to enable the first standard battery to supply power to the robot.

2. The robot-oriented battery swapping system according to claim 1, wherein The moving component includes a frame, a sliding member, a robotic arm and a clamping member, the frame is fixed in the battery swapping station main body, the sliding member is slidably arranged on the frame, one end of the robotic arm is connected to the sliding member, the other end of the robotic arm is connected to the clamping member, and the clamping member is used to clamp the first standard battery or the second standard battery.

3. The battery swapping system for robots according to claim 2, characterized in that, The clamping member includes a fixing portion connected to the robotic arm and a clamping portion connected to the fixing portion, an induction member is arranged on the surface of the fixing portion close to the clamping portion, a locking member is arranged on the clamping portion, the induction member is used to sense whether the first standard battery or the second standard battery is in place, and the locking member is used to automatically lock when the first standard battery or the second standard battery is in place.

4. The robot-oriented battery swapping system according to claim 1, wherein The first docking mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the battery swapping station main body, the second docking mechanism is arranged on the chassis of the robot, when the robot is in place in the battery swapping area, the first docking mechanism can extend out of the battery swapping station main body and insert into the second docking mechanism and then automatically lock.

5. The battery swapping system for robots according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first docking mechanism and the second docking mechanism are provided with corresponding electrical contacts, when the first docking mechanism is locked with the second docking mechanism, the intelligent battery swapping station can supply power to the robot through the electrical contacts.

6. The robot-oriented battery swapping system according to claim 1, wherein, It also includes a cloud in communication with the intelligent battery swapping station and the robot, and the cloud is used to monitor the electrical parameters of the first standard batteries in the intelligent battery swapping station and the electrical parameters of the second standard batteries in the robot.

7. The robot-oriented battery swapping system according to claim 6, characterized in that An isolation cabin spatially isolated from the battery swapping station main body is arranged above the battery swapping station main body, and the moving component is used to move the first standard battery with abnormal electrical parameters to the isolation cabin.

8. The robot-oriented battery swapping system according to claim 1, wherein One side of the main body of the battery swapping station is provided with a detachable fixing member, and the main body of the battery swapping station is fixed to the building wall through the fixing member.

9. The robot-oriented battery swapping system according to claim 8, wherein, A fire extinguishing cabin is arranged on one side of the main body of the battery swapping station adjacent to the building wall, and fire fighting equipment is accommodated in the fire extinguishing cabin; an air-conditioning cabin is also arranged on one side of the main body of the battery swapping station adjacent to the building wall, and refrigeration equipment is accommodated in the air-conditioning cabin.

10. The robot-oriented battery swapping system according to claim 8, wherein, A battery swapping window is arranged on one side of the main body of the battery swapping station away from the building wall. The battery swapping window is used to open after the first docking mechanism and the second docking mechanism are locked so that the moving component can extend out through the battery swapping window.

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