Full-automatic charging device at bottom of electric vehicle and control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a full-automatic charging device at the bottom of an electric vehicle. A vehicle end interface with a downward opening is formed in the position of a chassis of the electric vehicle; a charging position is arranged at the position corresponding to a chassis of the electric vehicle, the charging position comprises a pit, a horizontal plane moving mechanism is arranged in the pit, a lifting mechanism is arranged at the moving end of the horizontal plane moving mechanism, a lifting platform is arranged at the lifting end of the lifting mechanism, and a pile end connector is arranged at the upper end of the lifting platform. The charging station further comprises a machine vision system and a driving control system, and the driving control system controls the horizontal plane moving mechanism and the lifting mechanism according to the position and posture information, recognized by the machine vision system, of the vehicle end interface, so that the pile end interface is in butt joint with the vehicle end interface. The charging mechanism is installed underground, the occupied space is small, and the charging interface can adopt larger size and weight to meet the requirement for larger charging power; the transmission mechanism only needs three-degree-of-freedom movement, the structure is simple, and the cost is low; the vehicle end interface is installed at the bottom of the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electric vehicle technology, and in particular to a fully automatic charging device and control method for the bottom of an electric vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, charging convenience has become a key factor affecting user experience. Currently, the mainstream electric vehicle charging methods mainly include the following two categories: Traditional charging stations require manual charging, which necessitates users getting out of the vehicle and manually inserting the charging gun into the charging port on the side or front of the vehicle. This operation is cumbersome, especially in inclement weather such as rain or snow, posing inconvenience and the risk of electric shock. Furthermore, it is even more difficult for users with mobility issues to manually plug and unplug the charging gun.

[0003] Wireless charging technology: Charging is achieved through electromagnetic induction between a ground coil and a coil on the bottom of the vehicle, without the need for physical connection. However, it has problems such as lower charging efficiency than contact charging, high requirements for parking position accuracy, high equipment cost and high maintenance difficulty, which makes it difficult to popularize on a large scale.

[0004] In addition, there are automatic charging solutions, which mostly use robotic arms carrying national standard interfaces for operation. These are designed for interfaces on the side of the vehicle and are greatly affected by the vehicle's parking posture, resulting in a low docking success rate (usually below 90%), which cannot meet the actual needs of "unattended, fully automatic charging". Since the opening method of the charging interface cover varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and vehicle model to vehicle model, this type of automatic charging solution cannot achieve universal adaptability when opening the charging interface cover. Currently, the location of the charging interface on different vehicle models also varies greatly, making it difficult for the robotic arm to meet the plugging and unplugging operations of the charging interface in all locations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Purpose of the invention: In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the first objective of this invention is to provide a fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle; The second objective is to provide a charging control method based on the aforementioned fully automatic charging device at the bottom of the electric vehicle.

[0006] Technical Solution: The fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle provided by this invention has a downward-facing vehicle-end interface at the chassis position of the electric vehicle; a charging position is set corresponding to the chassis position, the charging position includes a recess, a horizontal plane moving mechanism is provided in the recess, a lifting mechanism is provided at the moving end of the horizontal plane moving mechanism, a lifting platform is provided at the lifting end of the lifting mechanism, and a charging pile interface is provided at the upper end of the lifting platform; the charging position also includes a machine vision system and a drive control system, the drive control system controls the horizontal plane moving mechanism and the lifting mechanism according to the vehicle-end interface position and posture information identified by the machine vision system, to connect the charging pile interface with the vehicle-end interface.

[0007] Furthermore, a movable cover plate mechanism is provided at the opening of the recess.

[0008] Furthermore, the movable cover plate mechanism includes: a slide rail, which is respectively provided on both sides of the recess and extends out of the recess at one end; The cover plate body is mounted on a slide rail and can slide along the slide rail to cover or open the pit. The cover plate body is provided with a cover plate rack along the sliding direction. The motor, drive shaft, and drive rack are provided. The motor drives the drive shaft and drive rack, and the drive rack meshes with the cover plate rack to achieve drive. The cover plate body is higher than and covers the recessed opening, and the cover plate body is provided with a limiting stop edge corresponding to the slide rail.

[0009] Furthermore, the horizontal moving mechanism includes a two-dimensional moving platform formed by mutually orthogonal X-axis linear modules and Y-axis linear modules, and the lifting mechanism is fixed on the two-dimensional moving platform; both the X-axis linear module and the Y-axis linear module adopt ball screw structure, and the horizontal movement of the lifting mechanism is realized by motor drive.

[0010] Furthermore, the lifting mechanism is a screw-driven lifting structure, which is driven by a motor to move the lifting platform up and down.

[0011] Furthermore, the lifting platform is connected to the pile end interface via an elastic support member.

[0012] Furthermore, the vehicle-end interface and the pile-end interface adopt a disc-type interface form.

[0013] Furthermore, the machine vision system includes a camera and a laser rangefinder, both of which are mounted on the lifting platform.

[0014] Furthermore, the drive control system integrates a navigation and positioning controller and a drive unit, and is connected to the horizontal plane moving mechanism, the lifting mechanism and the machine vision system. The navigation and positioning controller uses the vehicle-end interface position and attitude information fed back by the machine vision system to coordinate the control of the horizontal plane moving mechanism and the lifting mechanism through the drive unit.

[0015] The fully automatic charging control method for the bottom of an electric vehicle based on the above-mentioned fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle includes the following steps: S1. The machine vision system identifies and locates the vehicle-side interface of the electric vehicle chassis; S2. The drive control system controls the movement of the horizontal plane moving mechanism and the lifting mechanism according to the position and posture information of the machine vision system, and controls the pile end interface to be located below the vehicle end interface and close to its height. S3. After the horizontal plane moving mechanism fine-tunes the position to the tolerance range, the lifting mechanism drives the pile end interface to insert into the vehicle end interface. After charging is completed, all devices are reset.

[0016] Beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, the significant advantages of this invention are: the charging mechanism is installed underground, occupying little space, and the charging interface can use a larger volume and weight to meet the greater charging power requirements; the transmission mechanism only requires three degrees of freedom of movement, with a simple structure and low cost; the vehicle-end interface is installed at the bottom of the vehicle, only needing to consider the slight tilt caused by the vehicle tire pressure, and installing the interface on the elastic support can eliminate the influence of the slight tilt on the insertion; the bottom charging has a large range of motion, and compared with wireless charging which is also chassis charging, the difficulty of parking and alignment is small. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the charging interface of the present invention after it has been plugged in; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention in its uncharged state; Figure 3 This is a top view of the invention in its uncharged state; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the movable cover plate mechanism of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a top view of the movable cover plate mechanism of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism, lifting platform, and pile end interface connection of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0019] like Figure 1-3 The electric vehicle shown has a fully automatic charging device at the bottom. The vehicle chassis has a downward-facing vehicle-end interface, which can be flexibly adjusted in position according to different vehicle models.

[0020] A charging position is set at the location corresponding to the chassis of the electric vehicle. The charging position includes a recess 1, and a movable cover mechanism is provided at the opening of the recess 1.

[0021] like Figure 4 and 5As shown, the movable cover mechanism includes: a slide rail 101, which is respectively provided on both sides of the recess 1 and extends out of the recess 1 at one end; a cover body 102, which is provided on the slide rail 101 and can slide along the slide rail 101 to cover or open the recess 1; the cover body 102 is provided with a cover rack 103 along the sliding direction; a motor, a drive shaft 104, and a drive rack 105; the motor drives the drive shaft 104 and the drive rack 105; the drive rack 105 meshes with the cover rack 103 to achieve drive; the cover body 102 is higher than and covers the opening of the recess 1; the cover body 102 is provided with a limiting stop 106 corresponding to the slide rail 101. When no vehicle needs to be charged, the cover body 102 is in the closed state. When a vehicle needs to be charged and is parked, the user can open it by swiping a card or scanning a code.

[0022] A horizontal plane moving mechanism 2 is provided in the pit 1. The moving end of the horizontal plane moving mechanism 2 is provided with a lifting mechanism 3. The lifting end of the lifting mechanism 3 is provided with a lifting platform 4. The upper end of the lifting platform 4 is provided with a pile end interface 5.

[0023] The horizontal moving mechanism 2 includes a two-dimensional moving platform formed by mutually orthogonally arranged X-axis linear modules 201 and Y-axis linear modules 202. The lifting mechanism 3 is fixed to the two-dimensional moving platform. Both the X-axis linear modules 201 and Y-axis linear modules 202 adopt ball screw structures, and the horizontal movement of the lifting mechanism 3 is achieved by motor drive. The lifting mechanism 3 is a screw lifting structure, and the vertical movement of the lifting platform 4 is achieved by motor drive. Figure 6 As shown, the lifting platform 4 and the pile end interface 5 are connected by an elastic support 401, which can be achieved by using multiple springs to eliminate the influence of small tilt angles on the connection. The lifting platform 4 is equipped with a machine vision system 6, including a camera and a laser rangefinder.

[0024] The charging station also includes a drive control system. Based on the vehicle-end interface position and attitude information identified by the machine vision system 6, the drive control system controls the horizontal plane movement mechanism 2 and the lifting mechanism 3 to connect the charging pile interface 5 to the vehicle-end interface. The drive control system integrates a navigation and positioning controller and a drive unit, connecting to the horizontal plane movement mechanism 2, the lifting mechanism 3, and the machine vision system 6. The navigation and positioning controller uses the vehicle-end interface position and attitude information fed back by the machine vision system 6 to coordinately control the horizontal plane movement mechanism 2 and the lifting mechanism 3 through the drive unit.

[0025] When the cover body 102 is opened, the navigation and positioning controller controls the camera to work, scan the vehicle chassis, find the vehicle interface, and locate the charging interface by matching the feature points of the charging interface and give its approximate location.

[0026] The navigation and positioning controller controls the drive mechanism to drive the horizontal plane moving mechanism 2 to move the pile end interface in the X and Y directions, gradually approaching the bottom position of the vehicle end interface. Then, the height of the vehicle end charging interface is measured by the laser range sensor, and the lifting mechanism 3 is controlled to carry the pile end interface to lift. During the lifting process, the position in the X and Y directions and the height in the Z direction are continuously corrected by the machine vision system and the laser range sensor until the pile end interface and the vehicle end interface are completely aligned and in contact. The guide positioning rod of the pile end interface enters the guide positioning hole of the vehicle end interface. Then, the lifting mechanism is controlled to increase the driving force to complete the interface insertion.

[0027] After the charging pile is plugged in, the charging interface terminals on both sides of the vehicle and the charging pile are connected, the vehicle and the charging pile establish communication and start the charging process. After charging is completed, the lifting mechanism lowers, the pile end interface is pulled out, all mechanisms return to the standby position, the cover body is closed, the navigation and positioning controller sends a signal that charging is complete and the vehicle can leave, notifying the vehicle to drive out of the charging parking space.

Claims

1. A fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle, characterized in that: The electric vehicle chassis has a downward-facing vehicle end interface; a charging position is set at the corresponding position of the electric vehicle chassis, the charging position includes a recess (1), a horizontal plane moving mechanism (2) is provided in the recess (1), the moving end of the horizontal plane moving mechanism (2) is provided with a lifting mechanism (3), the lifting end of the lifting mechanism (3) is provided with a lifting platform (4), and the upper end of the lifting platform (4) is provided with a pile end interface (5); the charging position also includes a machine vision system (6) and a drive control system, the drive control system controls the horizontal plane moving mechanism (2) and the lifting mechanism (3) according to the vehicle end interface position and posture information identified by the machine vision system (6) to connect the pile end interface (5) with the vehicle end interface.

2. The fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The opening of the recess (1) is provided with a movable cover plate mechanism.

3. The fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that, The movable cover plate mechanism includes: The slide rail (101) is provided on both sides of the recess (1) and extends out of the recess (1) to one end. The cover plate body (102) is mounted on the slide rail (101) and can slide along the slide rail (101) to cover or open the pit (1). The cover plate body (102) is provided with a cover plate rack (103) along the sliding direction. The motor, drive shaft (104) and drive rack (105) are provided. The motor drives the drive shaft (104) and drive rack (105) to drive the transmission. The drive rack (105) meshes with the cover plate rack (103) to achieve driving. The cover plate body (102) is higher than and covers the opening of the recess (1), and the cover plate body (102) is provided with a limiting stop (106) corresponding to the slide rail (101).

4. The fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The horizontal moving mechanism (2) includes a two-dimensional moving platform formed by mutually orthogonal X-direction linear modules (201) and Y-direction linear modules (202), and the lifting mechanism (3) is fixed on the two-dimensional moving platform; both the X-direction linear module (201) and the Y-direction linear module (202) adopt ball screw structure, and the lifting mechanism (3) is moved horizontally by motor drive.

5. The fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism (3) is a screw lifting structure, which is driven by a motor to move the lifting platform (4) up and down.

6. The fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting platform (4) is connected to the pile end interface (5) by an elastic support member (401).

7. The fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vehicle-end interface and the pile-end interface (5) adopt a disc-type interface form.

8. The fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The machine vision system (6) includes a camera and a laser rangefinder, both of which are mounted on the lifting platform (4).

9. The fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive control system integrates a navigation positioning controller and a drive unit, and is connected to the horizontal plane moving mechanism (2), the lifting mechanism (3) and the machine vision system (6). The navigation positioning controller uses the vehicle-end interface position and attitude information fed back by the machine vision system (6) to coordinate the control of the horizontal plane moving mechanism (2) and the lifting mechanism (3) through the drive unit.

10. A fully automatic charging control method for the bottom of an electric vehicle based on the fully automatic charging device for the bottom of an electric vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. The machine vision system (6) identifies and locates the vehicle-side interface of the electric vehicle chassis; S2. The drive control system controls the movement of the horizontal plane moving mechanism (2) and the lifting mechanism (3) according to the position and posture information of the machine vision system (6), and controls the pile end interface (5) to be located below the vehicle end interface and close to its height. S3. After the horizontal plane moving mechanism (2) finely adjusts the position to the tolerance range, the lifting mechanism (3) drives the pile end interface (5) to insert into the vehicle end interface. After charging is completed, all devices are reset.

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