A marine charging device with an automatically adjustable charging head.

Abstract

This application relates to the technical field of ship charging, and in particular to a ship charging device with an automatically adjusting charging head. The device includes a retractable bracket controlled by a hydraulic cylinder, a charging cable, and a positioning sensor installed in the ship's charging area. The charging cable includes a charging head for connecting to a charging port on the ship. A connecting frame controlled by a rotating motor is movably connected to the end of the bracket. The connecting frame includes an opening facing the ship. The charging head is slidably connected within the connecting frame and faces the opening. A positioning probe for detecting the positioning sensor is provided at the end of the connecting frame. The positioning probe is electrically connected to the hydraulic cylinder and the rotating motor via a controller. An electromagnet for attracting the charging head to the ship is also provided at the end of the connecting frame. The positioning probe and the positioning sensor work together to adjust the position of the connecting frame, thereby improving the accuracy of the charging head's connection to the charging port and facilitating the insertion of the charging head.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of ship charging, and in particular to a ship charging device with an automatically adjustable charging head. Background Technology

[0002] Port service vessels are a general term for ships that specialize in port operations. Currently, in order to save port costs and reduce pollution from harmful substances, many port service vessels have changed from refueling to generate electricity after docking to charging via onshore charging devices.

[0003] For related technologies, please refer to Chinese Patent No. CN119160020A, which discloses a shore-based mobile charging pile for pure electric cargo ships and its usage method, including a support base, a charging pile body for pure electric cargo ships on the top of the support base, and charging cables installed on both sides of the charging pile body for pure electric cargo ships.

[0004] When a ship is anchored in water, it will sway with the current. To charge, the charging plug needs to be inserted into the ship's charging area, which has a charging port for connecting the charging head. However, the ship's constant swaying can cause misalignment of the charging plug when plugged in, affecting the accuracy of the connection. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To improve the accuracy of the charging plug connection to the ship, this application provides a marine charging device with an automatically adjusting charging head.

[0006] The marine charging device with an automatically adjusting charging head provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A marine charging device with an automatically adjustable charging head includes a retractable bracket controlled by a hydraulic cylinder, a charging cable, and a positioning sensor installed in the charging area of ​​the ship. The charging cable includes a charging head for connecting to a charging port on the ship. The end of the bracket is movably connected to a connecting frame powered by a rotating motor. The connecting frame includes an opening facing the ship. The charging head is slidably connected within the connecting frame and faces the opening. The end of the connecting frame is provided with a positioning probe for detecting the positioning sensor. The positioning probe is electrically connected to the hydraulic cylinder and the rotating motor via a controller. The end of the connecting frame is provided with an electromagnet for attracting the ship.

[0008] By employing the above technical solution, the bracket transports the connecting frame to the vicinity of the ship's charging area. The positioning probe detects the position of the positioning sensor and, based on the detected sensor position, sends commands to the hydraulic cylinder and rotary motor to adjust the position of the bracket and connecting frame, ensuring the connecting frame is aligned with the ship. The bracket drives the connecting frame closer to the ship until it is in contact with the charging area, at which point the electromagnet on the connecting frame is energized and attracts it to the ship. The positioning probe and positioning sensor work together to adjust the position of the connecting frame, thereby improving the accuracy of the charging head and charging port connection, facilitating the insertion of the charging head.

[0009] Preferably, a charging rack is movably connected inside the connecting frame, and the connecting frame and the charging rack are connected by a vertically arranged lifting push rod. A charging plate is horizontally slidably connected to the charging rack, and the charging head is mounted on the charging plate.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the charging rack can move up and down along the connecting frame, and the charging plate can slide horizontally along the charging rack. The two work together to adjust the position of the charging head, thereby improving the accuracy of the charging head when it is connected to the ship.

[0011] Preferably, a horizontal lead screw is rotatably connected to the charging rack, a sliding nut is provided on the horizontal lead screw, the charging plate is fixedly connected to the sliding nut, and a control motor for controlling the rotation of the horizontal lead screw is installed on the charging rack.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the motor is started, and the horizontal lead screw rotates to drive the charging plate to slide, thereby adjusting the position of the charging plate.

[0013] Preferably, a charging sensor is installed at the ship's charging port, and a charging probe for detecting the charging sensor is provided on the charging plate. The charging probe is electrically connected to the control motor and the lifting push rod through a controller.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the connecting frame is attached to the charging area of ​​the ship. However, the ship will constantly sway in the water, and some deviation is inevitable when the connecting frame is attached to the ship. After the connecting frame is attached to the ship, in order to ensure the positional accuracy of the charging head and the charging port, the charging probe detects the position of the charging sensor and sends instructions to the control motor and the lifting push rod through the controller based on the detection results, thereby adjusting the position of the charging head so that the charging head is directly aligned with the charging port.

[0015] Preferably, the charging board is equipped with a camera located at the charging probe for capturing the position of the charging sensor. The camera is electrically connected to the controller, which contains a database, a comparison module, and an instruction module. The database stores images taken by the camera when the charging board is facing the ship's charging area. The comparison module compares the real-time images captured by the camera with the images in the ship's database and sends the position difference parameter of the charging sensor in the real-time image and the image to the instruction module. The instruction module sends parameter instructions to the control motor and the lifting push rod.

[0016] By employing the above technical solution, the camera captures images of the ship's charging port and sends the images to the controller. The controller compares the captured real-time images with corresponding images in the database, primarily comparing the positions of the charging sensors in the two images to determine the current position of the charging head. If the positions are inconsistent, the position of the charging sensor in the corresponding image is used as a reference position. The controller then identifies and analyzes the real-time position of the charging sensor in the real-time image, analyzing the difference between the real-time position and the reference position, mainly the horizontal and vertical differences. This difference is then sent as parameter commands to the control motor and lifting push rod via the instruction module. Upon receiving the commands, both motors move the charging head to align it with the charging port for charging.

[0017] Preferably, the controller further includes a judgment module, which receives real-time photos taken by the camera and analyzes whether a charging probe is present in the photos. If a charging probe is present, the judgment module sends the real-time photos to the comparison module for comparison. If no charging probe is present, the instruction module sends random and non-repeating instructions to the control motor and the lifting push rod.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, when the position of the charging head deviates significantly from the position of the charging port, resulting in the charging probe not appearing in the real-time image captured by the camera, the comparison module cannot compare and analyze the real-time image and the image taken directly at the camera. Therefore, the judgment module pre-judgments the position of the charging head. If the position deviation of the charging head is large, the instruction module sends a random command to the control motor and the lifting push rod to change the position of the charging head. If the changed position still deviates significantly, the instruction module sends another random command, different from the previous one, to change the position of the charging head again, repeating the above steps until the charging probe is captured in the image taken by the camera. This judgment module allows the charging head to be positioned in various situations, improving its usability.

[0019] Preferably, a fixed frame facing the opening is slidably connected to the charging plate, the charging head is installed in the fixed frame, a charging push rod is installed on the charging plate, one end of the charging push rod is connected to the charging plate, the other end is connected to the fixed frame, and the charging push rod is electrically connected to the controller.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the charging push rod pushes the fixing frame to slide, so that the charging head extends and is inserted into the charging port for charging.

[0021] Preferably, the end of the fixing frame is provided with a positioning groove, and a positioning block protruding from the end of the charging head is slidably connected in the positioning groove. A positioning notch is provided in the ship charging area, which is directly opposite to the positioning block. The positioning groove and the positioning block are connected by a positioning spring. A misalignment switch electrically connected to the controller is provided at the bottom of the positioning groove. When the positioning spring is in its natural state, there is a gap between the positioning block and the misalignment switch.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, when the charging pusher pushes the fixing frame and the charging head to extend for insertion, if the charging head and the charging port are aligned, the positioning block and the positioning notch are aligned, and the charging head is inserted into the charging port, while the positioning block is inserted into the positioning notch. If the charging head and the charging port are misaligned, the positioning block and the positioning notch are misaligned. In this case, as the charging head moves forward, the positioning block contacts the vessel first. As the fixing frame continues to advance, the positioning block is gradually pressed into the positioning groove until it contacts the misalignment switch. The misalignment switch sends a signal to the controller, which controls the fixing frame to stop moving forward to prevent forced insertion that could damage the charging head.

[0023] In summary, this application includes the following beneficial technical effects:

[0024] The positioning probe and positioning sensor work together to adjust the position of the connector, thereby improving the accuracy of the charging head and the charging port, and facilitating the insertion of the charging head. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in the embodiment where the bracket faces the ship's charging area;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting frame used to demonstrate the charging rack in the embodiment;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the positioning groove in the embodiment;

[0028] Figure 4 This is the controller logic diagram of the control system in the embodiment.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0030] 1. Hydraulic cylinder; 2. Bracket; 21. Rotary motor; 3. Charging cable; 31. Charging head; 4. Connecting frame; 41. Opening; 42. Positioning probe; 43. Lifting push rod; 5. Charging rack; 51. Horizontal lead screw; 52. Control motor; 6. Charging plate; 61. Charging push rod; 7. Fixing frame; 71. Positioning groove; 72. Positioning block; 73. Positioning spring; 74. Misalignment switch; 75. Charging probe; 76. Camera; 8. Ship charging area; 81. Charging port; 82. Positioning notch; 83. Positioning sensor; 84. Charging sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to all accompanying drawings.

[0032] Example

[0033] This application discloses a marine charging device with an automatically adjusting charging head, referring to... Figures 1 to 3 The system includes a hardware structure and a control system. The hardware structure includes a retractable support frame 2 and a charging cable 3. The support frame 2 is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder 1 for controlling its extension and retraction, and a connecting frame 4 controlled by a rotating motor 21 is hinged to its end. The charging cable 3 includes a charging head 31 for connecting to a charging port 81 on the ship, and a connector for connecting to a charging pile. The charging head 31 is located on the connecting frame 4. When the support frame 2 extends or retracts, it brings the connecting frame 4 closer to the ship's charging area 8, and the charging head 31 is inserted into the ship's charging port 81 to charge the ship.

[0034] The connecting frame 4 includes an opening 41 facing the ship, and the connecting frame 4 is provided with an electromagnet at the opening 41 for adsorbing onto the ship. The bracket 2 transports the connecting frame 4 to the ship, the electromagnet is energized, and the connecting frame 4 is adsorbed onto the ship.

[0035] A charging rack 5 is vertically and slidably connected within the connecting frame 4. The charging rack 5 and the connecting frame 4 are connected by a vertical lifting push rod 43. A horizontal lead screw 51 driven by a control motor 52 is horizontally rotatably connected to the charging rack 5. The horizontal lead screw 51 is perpendicular to the direction of the opening 41. A sliding nut is provided on the horizontal lead screw 51, and a charging plate 6 slidably connected to the charging rack 5 is fixed on the sliding nut.

[0036] A charging push rod 61, perpendicular to the horizontal lead screw 51, is mounted on the charging plate 6. One end of the charging push rod 61 is connected to the charging plate 6, and the other end is fixed with a fixing bracket 7 that slides towards the opening 41. The charging head 31 is installed inside the fixing bracket 7. The lifting push rod 43 and the control motor 52 cooperate to adjust the position of the fixing bracket 7 and the charging head 31 so that the charging head 31 is aligned with the charging port 81. When the charging push rod 61 is activated, the fixing bracket 7 and the charging head 31 extend from the opening 41 and insert into the charging port 81.

[0037] The end of the mounting bracket 7 facing the opening 41 has a positioning groove 71 that is aligned with the sliding direction of the mounting bracket 7. A positioning block 72 protruding from the end of the charging head 31 is slidably connected in the positioning groove 71. The positioning groove 71 and the positioning block 72 are connected by a positioning spring 73. A positioning notch 82 is provided at the ship's charging port 81, which is directly opposite the positioning block 72.

[0038] When the charging push rod 61 pushes the fixing frame 7 and the charging head 31 to extend for insertion, if the charging head 31 is aligned with the charging port 81, then the positioning block 72 is aligned with the positioning notch 82, the charging head 31 is inserted into the charging port 81, and the positioning block 72 is inserted into the positioning notch 82. If the charging head 31 is misaligned with the charging port 81, then the positioning block 72 is misaligned with the positioning notch 82. In this case, as the charging head 31 moves forward, the positioning block 72 contacts the ship first. As the fixing frame 7 continues to advance, the positioning block 72 is gradually pressed into the positioning groove 71, buffering the forward movement of the charging head 31.

[0039] The control system includes a controller, which is electrically connected to a positioning sensor 83, a positioning probe 42, a charging sensor 84, a charging probe 75, a camera 76, and a misalignment switch 74. The controller is electrically connected to and controls the start and stop of the hydraulic cylinder 1, the rotary motor 21, the control motor 52, the lifting push rod 43, and the charging push rod 61.

[0040] A positioning sensor 83 is installed at the ship's charging area 8, and a positioning probe 42 is installed at the end of the connecting frame 4 to detect the position of the positioning sensor 83. The positioning probe 42 detects the position of the positioning sensor 83 and then drives the hydraulic cylinder 1 and the rotating motor 21 through the controller, thereby adjusting the position of the connecting frame 4 so that the connecting frame 4 is aligned with the ship's charging area 8, making it easy for the connecting frame 4 to be attached to the ship's charging area.

[0041] Because the ship will be constantly rocking in the water, in order to improve the accurate connection between the charging head 31 and the charging port 81, the connecting bracket 4 is first magnetically attached to the charging area 8 of the ship for the first step of pre-positioning. After the connecting bracket 4 is attached to the ship, the charging head 31 and the ship are relatively stationary, which facilitates the subsequent positioning and connection.

[0042] A charging sensor 84 is installed at the ship's charging port 81, and a charging probe 75 is installed on the mounting bracket 7 to detect the position of the charging sensor 84. A camera 76 is installed on the mounting bracket 7 to capture images of the charging sensor 84's position.

[0043] The controller contains a database, a judgment module, a comparison module, and an instruction module. The database stores images taken by camera 76 when the charging plate 6 is directly facing the ship's charging port 81. These images, taken by camera 76, are real-time images and are sent to the judgment module. The judgment module analyzes these real-time images to determine whether a charging probe 75 is present.

[0044] If the charging probe 75 is not present, the instruction module sends random and non-repeating instructions to the control motor 52 and the lifting push rod 43. The judgment module pre-determines the position of the charging head 31. If the position of the charging head 31 deviates significantly, the charging probe 75 will not be visible in the real-time image. In this case, the instruction module sends random instructions to the control motor 52 and the lifting push rod 43 to randomly change the position of the charging head 31. If the changed position still deviates significantly, the instruction module sends another random instruction, different from the previous one, to change the position of the charging head 31 again. This process is repeated until the charging probe 75 is captured in the image taken by the camera 76, and then the random instructions are refreshed. Refreshing the random instructions means clearing all previous random instructions and re-recording them.

[0045] If a charging probe 75 is present, a real-time photo will be sent to the comparison module for comparison.

[0046] The comparison module compares the position of the charging sensor 84 in the real-time image and the image facing forward. It takes the position of the charging sensor 84 in the image facing forward as the reference position and the position of the charging sensor 84 in the real-time image as the real-time position. It records the difference parameters of the horizontal and vertical coordinates between the real-time position and the reference position and sends the difference parameters to the judgment module to determine whether the difference is zero.

[0047] If the difference parameter is not zero, it is sent to the instruction module. The difference parameter mainly includes the vertical parameter in the vertical direction and the horizontal parameter in the horizontal direction. The instruction module sends the difference parameter to the control motor 52 and the lifting push rod 43 through parameter commands, with the vertical parameter sent to the push rod and the horizontal parameter sent to the control motor 52. This adjusts the position of the charging head 31 so that it is directly aligned with the charging port 81.

[0048] If the difference parameter is zero, the instruction module sends a charging instruction to the charging push rod 61. The charging push rod 61 is activated to push out the fixing frame 7 and the charging head 31. The charging head 31 is then inserted into the charging port 81 for charging.

[0049] The misalignment switch 74 is installed at the bottom of the positioning groove 71. When the positioning spring 73 is in its natural state, there is a gap between the positioning block 72 and the misalignment switch 74. The charging head 31 is misaligned with the charging port 81, and the positioning block 72 is misaligned with the positioning notch 82. The positioning block 72 contacts the ship first. As the fixing frame 7 continues to advance, the positioning block 72 is gradually pressed into the positioning groove 71 until it contacts the misalignment switch 74.

[0050] The misalignment switch 74 sends a misalignment signal to the instruction module, which then sends a pull-out command to the charging push rod 61. The charging push rod 61 pulls out the fixing bracket 7 and the charging head 31, and restarts the camera 76 to take real-time pictures. The process is repeated until the charging head 31 is inserted into the charging port 81 for charging.

[0051] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A marine charging device with an automatically adjustable charging head, comprising a retractable bracket (2) controlled by a hydraulic cylinder (1), a charging cable (3), and a positioning sensor (83) installed in a marine charging area (8), wherein the charging cable (3) includes a charging head (31) for connecting to a charging port (81) on the ship, characterized in that: The end of the bracket (2) is movably connected to a connecting frame (4) driven by a rotating motor (21). The connecting frame (4) includes an opening (41) facing the ship. The charging head (31) is slidably connected inside the connecting frame (4) and faces the opening (41). The end of the connecting frame (4) is provided with a positioning probe (42) for detecting the positioning sensor (83). The positioning probe (42) is electrically connected to the hydraulic cylinder (1) and the rotating motor (21) through a controller. The end of the connecting frame (4) is provided with an electromagnet for adsorbing onto the ship. The connecting frame (4) is movably connected to the charging frame (5). The connecting frame (4) and the charging frame (5) are connected by a vertically arranged lifting push rod (43). The charging frame (5) is horizontally slidably connected to the charging plate (6). The charging head (31) is installed on the charging plate (6). A horizontal lead screw (51) is rotatably connected to the charging rack (5), and a sliding nut is provided on the horizontal lead screw (51). The charging plate (6) is fixedly connected to the sliding nut. A control motor (52) for controlling the rotation of the horizontal lead screw (51) is installed on the charging rack (5). A charging sensor (84) is installed at the charging port (81), and a charging probe (75) for detecting the charging sensor (84) is provided on the charging plate (6). The charging probe (75) is electrically connected to the control motor (52) and the lifting push rod (43) through the controller. The charging plate (6) is equipped with a camera (76) located at the charging probe (75) for taking pictures of the position of the charging sensor (84). The camera (76) is electrically connected to the controller. The controller has a database, a comparison module and an instruction module. The database contains photos taken by the camera (76) when the charging plate (6) is facing the ship charging area (8). The comparison module compares the photos taken by the camera (76) in real time with the photos in the database and sends the position difference parameter of the charging sensor (84) in the real time photo and the facing photo to the instruction module. The instruction module sends parameter instructions to the control motor (52) and the lifting push rod (43). The controller also includes a judgment module, which is used to receive real-time photos taken by the camera (76) and analyze whether there is a charging probe (75) in the photos. If there is a charging probe (75), the judgment module sends the real-time photos to the comparison module for comparison. If there is no charging probe (75), the instruction module sends random and non-repeating instructions to the control motor (52) and the lifting push rod (43).

2. The marine charging device with an automatically adjusting charging head according to claim 1, characterized in that: A mounting bracket (7) facing the opening (41) is slidably connected to the charging plate (6). The charging head (31) is installed in the mounting bracket (7). A charging push rod (61) is installed on the charging plate (6). One end of the charging push rod (61) is connected to the charging plate (6), and the other end is connected to the mounting bracket (7). The charging push rod (61) is electrically connected to the controller.

3. A marine charging device with an automatically adjusting charging head according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fixed frame (7) has a positioning groove (71) at its end. A positioning block (72) protruding from the end of the charging head (31) is slidably connected in the positioning groove (71). A positioning notch (82) opposite to the positioning block (72) is provided in the ship charging area (8). The positioning groove (71) and the positioning block (72) are connected by a positioning spring (73). A misalignment switch (74) electrically connected to the controller is provided at the bottom of the positioning groove (71). When the positioning spring (73) is in its natural state, there is a gap between the positioning block (72) and the misalignment switch (74).

Images