Charging base station, charging method, and charging system

Abstract

This application relates to a charging base station, charging method, and charging system, belonging to the field of automatic charging equipment technology. The charging base station includes a support member, charging contacts, and a control unit; the support member has a downward-opening insertion cavity on its bottom surface; at least one pair of charging contacts are disposed inside the insertion cavity; the control unit is electrically connected to the charging contacts, keeping the charging contacts de-energized when a predetermined electrical safety criterion is not met, and enabling charging when the predetermined electrical safety criterion is met. This application can improve the problem that existing charging base stations may still accidentally energize and induce arcing, overheating, and other potential hazards in wet or loosely connected conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automatic charging equipment technology, and in particular to a charging base station, charging method and charging system. Background Technology

[0002] Mobile robots and other devices often automatically recharge via charging base stations. The charging base station has charging contacts, and the device to be charged has contact pads / points. Charging begins after the charging base station and the device are connected and make conductive contact.

[0003] The power-on conditions of existing charging base stations are mostly based on being in place, communicating, or being touched. However, they may still be accidentally powered on in wet or loose connection conditions, which may induce potential hazards such as arcing and overheating. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a charging base station, charging method, and charging system to address the problem that existing charging base stations may still be accidentally powered on and cause potential hazards such as arcing and overheating when in a wet or loose connection state.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a charging base station, comprising:

[0007] The support member has an insertion cavity with an opening facing downwards on its bottom surface, the insertion cavity being used to insert the docking part of the device to be charged;

[0008] At least one pair of charging contacts are disposed inside the insertion cavity; and

[0009] A control unit is electrically connected to the charging contacts. The control unit is used to keep the charging contacts de-energized when a predetermined electrical safety criterion is not met, and to enable charging when the predetermined electrical safety criterion is met.

[0010] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the predetermined electrical safety criterion includes at least one of an insulation condition criterion and a contact health criterion;

[0011] The insulation status criteria include at least: insulation resistance greater than or equal to a first threshold, and leakage current less than or equal to a second threshold and / or current to ground less than or equal to a third threshold;

[0012] The contact health criteria include at least the following: contact resistance is less than or equal to a fourth threshold and / or voltage drop is less than or equal to a fifth threshold, and the fluctuation of contact resistance and / or voltage drop within a preset time window is less than or equal to a sixth threshold.

[0013] In one embodiment of the first aspect,

[0014] Each pair of charging contacts includes a first contact and a second contact, with an insulating isolation portion provided between the first contact and the second contact. The insulating isolation portion is used to suppress the formation of a conductive bridge between the first contact and the second contact by the conductive medium.

[0015] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the insertion cavity includes a first cavity and a second cavity spaced apart, wherein the first contact and the second contact of each pair of charging contacts are respectively disposed inside the first cavity and inside the second cavity;

[0016] The portion of the support member located between the opening edges of the first cavity and the second cavity constitutes the insulating isolation portion; the shortest creepage path along the bottom surface of the support member between the opening edges of the first cavity and the second cavity is greater than a preset value.

[0017] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the opening edge of the first cavity and / or the second cavity is provided with a notch at the lowest point along the direction of gravity, the notch allowing liquid and / or particles to be discharged.

[0018] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the support member is provided with a flow guide located on the outer periphery of the insertion cavity and used to guide the liquid to flow in a direction away from the insertion cavity.

[0019] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the charging base station further includes a shielding member movably disposed on the support member, and having a closed state that shields the insertion cavity and an open state that exposes the insertion cavity.

[0020] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the control unit is connected to the shield and is used to control the shield to be in a closed state when a predetermined electrical safety criterion is not met.

[0021] In one embodiment of the first aspect, the charging base station further includes a base and a locking mechanism;

[0022] The support member is disposed on the base;

[0023] The locking mechanism has a locked state and an unlocked state; when the locking mechanism is in the locked state, the locking mechanism locks the docking part relative to the base in a predetermined posture; when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked state, the locking mechanism allows the docking part to separate from the base.

[0024] The control unit is electrically connected to the locking mechanism and is used to control the locking mechanism to switch between the locked state and the unlocked state.

[0025] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a charging method for a charging base station, applied to the charging base station described in any of the above embodiments, the method comprising:

[0026] The control unit determines whether predetermined electrical safety criteria are met;

[0027] If the conditions are met, then enable charging;

[0028] If the conditions are not met, the charging contacts are kept de-energized, and a retry control signal is sent to the device to be charged. Upon receiving the signal, the device to be charged performs the corresponding retry action. The retry control signal includes at least one of an insertion retry control signal, a fine-tuning parameter retry control signal, and a light-pressure retry signal. The retry action includes at least one of an insertion retry action, a fine-tuning retry action, and a light-pressure retry action.

[0029] In one embodiment of the second aspect, the method further includes:

[0030] Before sending a retry control signal to the device to be charged, it is determined whether the number of retries is greater than a preset number.

[0031] If so, then perform the protection action; otherwise, send a retry control signal to the device to be charged.

[0032] The protective actions include controlling the shielding element to cover the insertion cavity (110) and / or controlling the locking mechanism to switch to the unlocked state.

[0033] In one embodiment of the second aspect, the control unit determines whether a predetermined electrical safety criterion is met by:

[0034] The control unit determines whether the following conditions are met: insulation resistance is greater than or equal to the first threshold, and leakage current is less than or equal to the second threshold and / or current to ground is less than or equal to the third threshold.

[0035] In one embodiment of the second aspect, the control unit determines whether a predetermined electrical safety criterion is met by:

[0036] The control unit determines whether the following conditions are met: the contact resistance is less than or equal to the fourth threshold and / or the voltage drop is less than or equal to the fifth threshold, and the fluctuation of the contact resistance and / or voltage drop within a preset time window is less than or equal to the sixth threshold.

[0037] In one embodiment of the second aspect, the insertion retry action includes controlling the device to be charged to withdraw a preset distance away from the charging base station and then re-inserting it into the insertion cavity (110).

[0038] The fine-tuning retry action includes controlling the device to be charged to adjust the attitude angle and / or lateral position of the docking part and then re-inserting it into the insertion cavity (110).

[0039] The light pressure retest action includes increasing the insertion force and / or increasing the contact pressure under the condition that the main charging circuit is disconnected, in order to improve the contact resistance and / or voltage drop.

[0040] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide a charging system, including a device to be charged and a charging base station as described in any of the above embodiments;

[0041] The device to be charged includes a docking part, which is inserted into the insertion cavity and electrically connected to the charging contacts.

[0042] Compared to related technologies, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows: When charging via the aforementioned charging base station, the docking portion of the device to be charged is inserted into the insertion cavity on the bottom surface of the support member and contacts the charging contacts inside the insertion cavity. At this time, the control unit first determines whether the charging base station and the device to be charged meet a predetermined electrical safety criterion. If the predetermined electrical safety criterion is not met, the control unit keeps the charging contacts de-energized, preventing charging of the device to be charged through the docking portion. If the predetermined electrical safety criterion is met, the control unit enables charging, specifically by controlling the charging contacts to be energized, thereby charging the device to be charged through the docking portion. In this process, judging based on the predetermined electrical safety criterion can suppress abnormal power-on, arcing, and overheating caused by loose connections, vibration, or contamination, improving the success rate of first-time docking and long-term reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0043] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the charging base station in some embodiments of this application;

[0045] Figure 2 This is a bottom view of a charging base station in some embodiments of this application;

[0046] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the charging method of a charging base station in some embodiments of this application;

[0047] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the charging method for a charging base station in another embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the charging method for a charging base station in another embodiment of this application.

[0049] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0050] 100, Support component; 110, Insertion cavity; 111, First cavity; 112, Second cavity; 120, Guide wheel; 200, Base. Detailed Implementation

[0051] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0052] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0053] Furthermore, where the term "and / or" appears, "and / or" merely describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship. Where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first" or "second" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0054] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0055] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0056] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0057] Mobile robots and other devices often automatically recharge via charging base stations. The base station is equipped with charging contacts, and the device is equipped with contact plates / contacts. After docking, they make conductive contact for charging.

[0058] In related technologies, to improve the success rate of docking between charging base stations and devices to be charged, and to reduce the impact of accidental contact and pollution outdoors, charging base stations typically employ guiding or compensating mechanisms. Structurally, contacts can be placed within grooves / cavities and shielded by sliding covers, rain covers, or seals. Alternatively, the relative movement during the docking process can be used to wipe the contacts for self-cleaning. Control-wise, connection confirmation / authentication / enablement controls are often implemented, ensuring that contacts are energized only after predetermined conditions are met, and cutting off the circuit upon detection of abnormal current or temperature.

[0059] However, under humid and contaminated conditions, conductive media entering the contact area may still form water films or mud bridging, triggering creepage / conductive bridging paths and leading to leakage or short-circuit risks during charging. Simply relying on shielding or general sealing is insufficient to sustainably suppress these risks. Furthermore, current power-on conditions are mostly based on positioning, communication, or contact, lacking pre-power-on criteria that consider insulation status / leakage risk and contact health. In wet or loose connection conditions, accidental power-on may still occur, inducing arcing, overheating, and other hazards. In addition, failed connections often involve direct power-off, lacking avoidance / fine-tuning / retry and limited-attempt strategies. Continuous failures also lack shielding / locking linkage protection and alarm / fault code recording mechanisms.

[0060] Therefore, embodiments of this application provide a charging base station for charging devices that need to be charged. Please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 2 The charging base station includes a support 100, charging contacts (not shown in the figure), and a control unit (not shown in the figure).

[0061] The bottom surface of the support member 100 is provided with an insertion cavity 110 with an opening facing downwards, into which the docking part of the device to be charged can be inserted. At least one pair of charging contacts are provided and disposed inside the insertion cavity 110.

[0062] In addition, the control unit is electrically connected to the charging contacts. The control unit is used to keep the charging contacts de-energized when a predetermined electrical safety criterion is not met, and to enable charging when the predetermined electrical safety criterion is met.

[0063] The phrase "opening downwards" refers to the opening facing downwards in the direction of gravity, so that water droplets, mud, and sand can more easily be discharged from the opening under the action of gravity. It does not require the opening to be strictly vertically downwards. "Keeping uncharged" means that the main charging circuit is disconnected. "Enabling charging" means that the main charging circuit is turned on to enter the main charging, or that pre-charging is performed before entering the main charging.

[0064] When charging via the aforementioned charging base station, the docking portion of the device to be charged is inserted into the insertion cavity 110 on the bottom surface of the support member 100 and makes contact with the charging contacts inside the insertion cavity 110. At this time, the control unit determines whether the charging base station and the device to be charged meet a predetermined electrical safety criterion. If the predetermined electrical safety criterion is not met, the control unit keeps the charging contacts de-energized, and the device to be charged cannot be charged through the docking portion. If the predetermined electrical safety criterion is met, the control unit enables charging, specifically by controlling the charging contacts to be energized, thereby charging the device to be charged through the docking portion. In this process, judging based on the predetermined electrical safety criterion can suppress abnormal power-on, arcing, and overheating caused by loose connections, vibration, or contamination, thereby improving the success rate of first-time docking and long-term reliability.

[0065] In some embodiments, the predetermined electrical safety criterion includes at least one of the insulation status criterion and the contact health criterion.

[0066] For example, the predetermined electrical safety criteria include insulation condition criteria. Alternatively, the predetermined electrical safety criteria include exposure health criteria. Or, the predetermined electrical safety criteria include both insulation condition criteria and exposure health criteria.

[0067] Specifically, the insulation condition criteria include at least the following: insulation resistance is greater than or equal to a first threshold, and leakage current is less than or equal to a second threshold and / or current to ground is less than or equal to a third threshold.

[0068] The contact health criteria include at least the following: contact resistance is less than or equal to a fourth threshold and / or voltage drop is less than or equal to a fifth threshold, and the contact resistance and / or voltage drop fluctuate less than or equal to a sixth threshold within a preset time window.

[0069] The contact resistance and voltage drop are used to reflect the reliability of the contact between the mating part and the charging contact. The fluctuation of the contact resistance and voltage drop within a preset time window is used to identify loose connections and jitter. The fluctuation refers to the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the sampled values ​​within the preset time window; in other embodiments, the fluctuation can also be the standard deviation, variance, or maximum value of the difference between adjacent samples of the sampling sequence.

[0070] Therefore, the control unit determines whether the charging base station and the device to be charged meet the insulation status criteria and / or contact health criteria by judging whether electrical safety parameters such as insulation resistance, leakage current, ground current, contact resistance, voltage drop, and fluctuation of contact resistance and / or voltage drop within a preset time window meet the corresponding parameter threshold requirements, and then determines whether the charging base station and the device to be charged meet the predetermined electrical safety criteria.

[0071] It should be noted that the thresholds and time windows can be set according to the charging voltage, current level and safety requirements. This embodiment does not limit the specific values.

[0072] In some embodiments, the control unit includes a controller, a gating circuit, and a parameter acquisition circuit.

[0073] The controller is electrically connected to both the gating circuit and the parameter acquisition circuit, specifically to the control terminal of the gating circuit. The gating circuit is connected in series in the main charging circuit between the power supply and the charging contacts. The parameter acquisition circuit is electrically connected to the main charging circuit and / or the charging contacts.

[0074] First, the parameter acquisition circuit collects electrical safety parameters and sends the acquisition results to the controller.

[0075] The electrical safety parameters include insulation condition parameters and / or contact health parameters. Insulation condition parameters include insulation resistance, leakage current, and / or ground current. Contact health parameters include contact resistance and / or voltage drop, as well as the fluctuation of contact resistance and / or voltage drop within a preset time window.

[0076] Based on this, the controller receives the electrical safety parameters output by the parameter acquisition circuit and outputs an enable signal based on a predetermined electrical safety criterion.

[0077] Understandably, a low insulation resistance indicates poor insulation. Similarly, a high leakage current or high current to ground also indicates poor insulation. Both high contact resistance and high voltage drop indicate unreliable contact between the mating part and the charging contact. If the contact resistance and / or voltage drop fluctuate significantly within a preset time window, it indicates a loose connection or vibration between the charging contact and the mating part.

[0078] Finally, the gate circuit, controlled by the controller, disconnects the main charging circuit when the predetermined electrical safety criteria are not met, so that the charging contacts are not energized (allowing parameter detection by test signal mode), and turns on the main charging circuit when the predetermined electrical safety criteria are met, enabling charging.

[0079] Furthermore, in some embodiments, enabling charging includes two stages: pre-charging and main charging. Understandably, the charging power during pre-charging is less than the charging power during main charging.

[0080] When the predetermined electrical safety criteria are met, the control unit energizes the charging contacts and performs a pre-charging action to reduce the transient impact of power-on.

[0081] The pre-charging process lasts for a predetermined duration, or until a predetermined stability condition is met (e.g., parameters stably meet a threshold). During this process, the control unit continuously monitors electrical safety parameters to further verify the insulation status / contact health. If the control unit detects that the electrical safety parameters do not meet the corresponding parameter threshold requirements, it controls the charging contacts to disconnect and exits the main charging process. Conversely, if the electrical safety parameters meet the corresponding parameter threshold requirements throughout the entire pre-charging process, the control unit executes the main charging action after the pre-charging is completed, which means it normally charges the device to be charged.

[0082] Therefore, by performing pre-charge and re-verification tests, abnormal power-on, arcing and overheating caused by loose connections, jitter or contamination can also be suppressed, improving the success rate of first-time docking and long-term reliability.

[0083] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned charging base station further includes a base 200 and a locking mechanism.

[0084] The support member 100 is located on the base 200.

[0085] Furthermore, the locking mechanism has a locked state and an unlocked state. When the locking mechanism is in the locked state, it locks the mating part relative to the base 200 in a predetermined posture, and the mating part cannot move relative to the base 200. When the locking mechanism is in the unlocked state, it no longer locks the mating part, allowing the mating part to separate from the base 200, and the mating part can move relative to the base 200.

[0086] Correspondingly, the control unit is electrically connected to the locking mechanism and is used to control the locking mechanism to switch between the locked state and the unlocked state.

[0087] Specifically, the locking mechanism is configured to cooperate with the support member 100 and the docking part, and the docking part is locked by an actuator such as a pin, a latch, or a magnet. The driving component of the locking mechanism (such as an electromagnetic lock, a motor, etc.) drives the aforementioned actuator and is electrically connected to the controller in the control unit.

[0088] In use, the controller outputs a lock signal to cause the drive to perform a lock action when the predetermined electrical safety criteria are met, and outputs an unlock signal to cause the drive to perform an unlock action when exiting or in case of an abnormality.

[0089] Optionally, the locking mechanism may also include a position sensor, including but not limited to limit switches, Hall effect switches, photoelectric switches, etc. The position sensor is electrically connected to the controller and provides feedback on the status of the locking mechanism to the controller.

[0090] In some embodiments, the support 100 and the base 200 may be movable relative to each other to achieve adaptive alignment during docking.

[0091] Specifically, the support 100 may have translational and / or rotational degrees of freedom relative to the base 200, and may return to its initial position via an elastic reset member.

[0092] For example, the support member 100 is slidably mounted on the base 200 via a translation slider. The base 200 is also provided with a spring as a reset elastic element, which elastically abuts against the translation slider or the support member 100. When the support member 100 is subjected to an external force from the mating part, the support member 100 can adaptively slide to mate with the mating part. When the external force disappears, the reset elastic element drives the translation slider to reset the support member 100, or directly drives the support member 100 to reset.

[0093] For example, the support member 100 is rotatably mounted on the base 200 via a rotating shaft. The base 200 is also equipped with a torsion spring as a reset elastic element, which elastically abuts against the rotating shaft or the support member 100. When the support member 100 is subjected to an external force from the mating part, the support member 100 can adaptively rotate to mate with the mating part. When the external force disappears, the reset elastic element drives the rotating shaft to reset the support member 100, or directly drives the support member 100 to reset.

[0094] In some embodiments, each pair of charging contacts includes a first contact and a second contact. An insulating isolation portion is provided between the first contact and the second contact to suppress the formation of a conductive bridge between the first contact and the second contact by the conductive medium.

[0095] When in use, the insulating isolation part inhibits the formation of bridging or creepage paths between the first and second contacts by the conductive medium, which can effectively reduce the risk of leakage or short circuit during charging.

[0096] For example, the first contact is a positive contact and the second contact is a negative contact.

[0097] For example, the insulating isolation part can be any one or a combination of an isolation wall, an insulating rib, a drip edge, a labyrinth isolation section, etc., and its shape is not limited, as long as it can extend the creepage path or block the passage of conductive medium.

[0098] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the insertion cavity 110 includes a first cavity 111 and a second cavity 112 spaced apart. In each pair of charging contacts, the first contact and the second contact are respectively disposed inside the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 112.

[0099] Correspondingly, the portion of the support member 100 located between the opening edges of the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 112 constitutes an insulating isolation portion. The shortest creepage path along the bottom surface of the support member 100 between the opening edges of the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 112 is greater than a preset value.

[0100] Understandably, by setting two mutually spaced insertion cavities 110, the portion of the support member 100 located between the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 112 can be used for insulation isolation. The portion of the support member 100 located between the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 112 serves as an insulating isolation part, which can both block the conductive medium from crossing and extend the creepage path by maintaining a sufficient distance between the first cavity 111 and the second cavity 112. This reduces the risk of the conductive medium forming a continuous water film across the cavities on the bottom surface of the support member 100 and causing creepage, thereby effectively suppressing the formation of conductive bridging between the first contact and the second contact.

[0101] The preset value can be set according to safety standards or empirical values, or it can be achieved by combining the structural spacing and the water-blocking structure. This embodiment does not impose any specific limitations.

[0102] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the opening edges of the first cavity 111 and / or the second cavity 112 are provided with a notch at the lowest point along the direction of gravity, the notch allowing liquid and / or particles to be discharged.

[0103] Taking the first cavity 111 as an example, it is understandable that since the opening of the first cavity 111 faces downward and connects to the outside, liquid and sediment particles are prone to circumferentially accumulate at the edge of the opening of the first cavity 111, leading to the risk of water film adhering to the wall and bridging.

[0104] To address this, a notch is provided at the lowest point along the direction of gravity at the opening edge of the first cavity 111. When rainwater, muddy water, or particulate impurities enter the insertion cavity 110 or accumulate at the opening edge, the notch provides a priority drainage path, allowing liquid to drip out and particles to fall off naturally, thereby reducing the risk of water film adhering to the wall and bridging caused by circumferential accumulation at the opening edge.

[0105] For example, a notch can be manifested as a partial missing edge, a notch, a groove, or a partially concave structure at the edge of an opening, and its specific shape is not limited.

[0106] In some embodiments, the support member 100 is provided with a flow guide. The flow guide is located on the outer periphery of the insertion cavity 110 and is used to guide the liquid to flow in a direction away from the insertion cavity 110.

[0107] In use, the guide section directs the liquid away from the insertion cavity 110, which can suppress the formation of backflow film on the bottom surface of the support 100, thereby reducing the risk of bridging.

[0108] For example, the flow guide includes at least one of a flow guide slope and a flow guide rib. The flow guide slope is a partially inclined surface of the bottom surface of the support member 100, and the flow guide rib is a protrusion or groove extending in a predetermined direction. Both can form a guiding path for liquid flow on the bottom surface of the support member 100, so that the liquid does not stagnate near the insertion cavity 110 for a long time.

[0109] In some embodiments, the charging base station further includes a shielding member. The shielding member is movably disposed on the support member 100 and has a closed state that shields the insertion cavity 110 and an open state that exposes the insertion cavity 110.

[0110] When no charging is required, the shielding component is in a closed state, shielding the insertion cavity 110, thereby preventing conductive media such as rainwater, mud, and salt spray from entering the insertion cavity 110.

[0111] When the device to be charged needs to be charged, the shield is in the open state, exposing the insertion cavity 110 so that the docking part can be inserted into the insertion cavity 110.

[0112] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the control unit is connected to the shield and is used to control the shield to be in a closed state when a predetermined electrical safety criterion is not met.

[0113] Specifically, the support member 100 is equipped with an electromagnet or a micro motor as a driving element to move the shielding member, thereby switching the shielding member between a closed state and an open state. The driving element is electrically connected to the controller of the control unit, and the controller outputs an opening and closing control signal. In use, the control unit can automatically control the shielding member to open.

[0114] Of course, in other embodiments, the shielding member may also be passively opened by the resistance of the docking part when the docking part is inserted into the insertion cavity 110. The support member 100 is further provided with a reset elastic member to drive the shielding member to return to the closed state after the docking part is disengaged from the insertion cavity 110.

[0115] In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the support member 100 is provided with at least a pair of guide wheels 120 to guide the docking part to be smoothly inserted into the insertion cavity 110.

[0116] In summary, the aforementioned charging base station reduces the probability of bridging or creepage between positive and negative contacts by placing the charging contacts inside the downward-facing insertion cavity 110 and providing an insulating isolation part between each pair of contacts. At the same time, the control unit keeps the charging contacts unenergized until a predetermined electrical safety criterion is met, thus forming a dual protection of "structural isolation + electrical gating". This makes the charging process safer and effectively reduces the risk of leakage and short circuit.

[0117] In addition, the opening of the insertion cavity 110 in the above-mentioned charging base station faces downwards. Combined with the notch at the lowest point of the opening edge and the guide part, it makes it easier for water and mud to be discharged and kept away from the area of ​​the insertion cavity 110, reducing poor contact caused by dirt accumulation and film formation. This helps to maintain a low and stable contact resistance, effectively resisting pollution and improving stable charging capability.

[0118] Finally, the aforementioned charging base station uses insulation status parameters and contact health parameters as power-on criteria, and performs pre-charging actions and verification checks before main charging. This can suppress abnormal power-on, arcing, and overheating caused by loose connections, jitter, or contamination, thereby improving the success rate of first-time docking and long-term reliability.

[0119] In summary, the aforementioned charging base stations can suppress conductive bridging and reduce the risk of leakage in humid and polluted environments, and improve safety and success rate through pre-power-on criteria and controllable backoff strategies.

[0120] Embodiments of this application also provide a charging system, including a device to be charged and a charging base station as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0121] The device to be charged includes a docking part. The docking part is inserted into the insertion cavity 110 and is electrically connected to the charging contacts.

[0122] For example, the mating part is provided with a pair of contact points or contact pieces that mate with the charging contacts.

[0123] In some embodiments, the device to be charged may be a mobile robot, a lawnmower robot, or a yard work device.

[0124] In addition, the docking part may include a first insertion part corresponding to the first cavity 111 and a second insertion part corresponding to the second cavity 112, so as to be electrically connected to the positive and negative contacts respectively.

[0125] This embodiment has the charging base station of any of the above embodiments, and therefore has all the beneficial effects of the charging base station of any of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0126] The embodiments of this application also provide a charging method for a charging base station, which is applied to the charging base station in any of the above embodiments.

[0127] Please see Figure 3 The method includes the following steps:

[0128] S100: The control unit determines whether the predetermined electrical safety criteria are met; if they are met, S200 is executed; otherwise, S300 is executed.

[0129] Specifically, the control unit acquires electrical safety parameters and then compares these parameters with corresponding parameter threshold requirements to determine whether predetermined electrical safety criteria are met.

[0130] As mentioned above, the predetermined electrical safety criteria include at least one of the insulation condition criteria and the contact health criteria.

[0131] Accordingly, electrical safety parameters include at least one of insulation condition parameters and contact health parameters. Insulation condition parameters include insulation resistance, and also leakage current and / or current to ground. Contact health parameters include contact resistance and / or voltage drop, and also the fluctuation of contact resistance and / or voltage drop within a preset time window.

[0132] In some embodiments, the predetermined electrical safety criterion includes an insulation status criterion, and the electrical safety parameter includes an insulation status parameter.

[0133] Accordingly, the specific steps of step S100 are as follows:

[0134] The control unit determines whether the following conditions are met: insulation resistance is greater than or equal to the first threshold, and leakage current is less than or equal to the second threshold and / or current to ground is less than or equal to the third threshold.

[0135] In other embodiments, the predetermined electrical safety criteria include contact health criteria, and the electrical safety parameters include contact health parameters.

[0136] Accordingly, the specific steps of step S100 are as follows:

[0137] The control unit determines whether the following conditions are met: the contact resistance is less than or equal to the fourth threshold and / or the voltage drop is less than or equal to the fifth threshold, and the fluctuation of the contact resistance and / or voltage drop within a preset time window is less than or equal to the sixth threshold.

[0138] S200, enable charging.

[0139] Specifically, the controller controls the gate circuit to conduct the main charging circuit, energizing the charging contacts and thus enabling charging.

[0140] S300 keeps the charging contacts de-energized and sends a retry control signal to the device to be charged. Once the device to be charged receives the signal, it will perform the corresponding retry action.

[0141] The retry control signal includes at least one of the following: the insertion retry control signal, the fine-tuning parameter retry control signal, and the light pressure retry signal.

[0142] Accordingly, retry actions include at least one of insert retry actions, fine-tuning retry actions, and light pressure retry actions.

[0143] Specifically, the controller controls the gate circuit to disconnect the main charging circuit, so that the charging contacts are not energized.

[0144] In some embodiments, the insertion retry action includes controlling the device to be charged to withdraw a preset distance away from the charging base station and then re-inserting into the insertion cavity 110. The fine-tuning retry action includes controlling the device to be charged to adjust the attitude angle and / or lateral position of the docking portion and then re-inserting into the insertion cavity 110. The light pressure retry action includes increasing the insertion force and / or increasing the contact pressure under the condition that the main charging circuit is disconnected, so as to improve the contact resistance and / or voltage drop.

[0145] After performing the retry action, step S100 is executed again.

[0146] Please see Figure 4 In some embodiments, the step of enabling charging specifically includes:

[0147] S210, perform a pre-charging action and continuously monitor electrical safety parameters to determine whether the electrical safety parameters meet the corresponding parameter threshold requirements; if so, proceed to S220; otherwise, proceed to S230.

[0148] Specifically, the charging power of the pre-charge is less than that of the main charge, which can reduce the transient impact upon power-on.

[0149] S220 performs the main charging action after the pre-charging action is completed.

[0150] S230: Keep the charging contacts de-energized and send a retry control signal to the device to be charged. Once the device to be charged receives the signal, it will perform the corresponding retry action.

[0151] Understandably, if the electrical safety parameters meet the corresponding parameter threshold requirements throughout the pre-charging stage, it indicates that the docking part and the charging contact are in good contact and there are no abnormalities such as loose connection, vibration or contamination. Therefore, the main charging action can be performed and charging can proceed normally.

[0152] Conversely, if electrical safety parameters fail to meet the corresponding threshold requirements during pre-charging, it indicates an abnormality such as a loose connection, vibration, or contamination. The device to be charged needs to perform a retry until the docking part and the charging contact make good contact.

[0153] Therefore, by performing pre-charge and verification tests, abnormal power-on, arcing and overheating caused by loose connections, jitter or contamination can be suppressed, thereby improving the success rate of first-time docking and long-term reliability.

[0154] Please see Figure 5 Furthermore, in some embodiments, step S300 further includes the step of:

[0155] S310: Before sending a retry control signal to the device to be charged, determine whether the number of retries is greater than the preset number; if so, execute S320; otherwise, send a retry control signal to the device to be charged, and the device to be charged will execute the corresponding retry action after receiving it.

[0156] Specifically, a count is performed each time a retry action is executed.

[0157] S320, executes protective action.

[0158] The protective actions include controlling the shielding component to shield the insertion cavity 110 and / or controlling the locking mechanism to switch to the unlocked state.

[0159] In addition, while performing protection actions, alarm information and / or fault codes are output and / or recorded. Fault codes may include information such as parameter type, threshold deviation, and number of retries.

[0160] Understandably, if charging still fails after multiple retries, it indicates that the charging base station and the device to be charged may be faulty or damaged. In this case, charging of the device to be charged should be stopped, and staff should be notified to intervene.

[0161] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0162] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A charging base station, characterized by, include: The support member (100) has an insertion cavity (110) with an opening facing downward on its bottom surface. The insertion cavity (110) is for the docking part of the device to be charged to be inserted. At least one pair of charging contacts are disposed inside the insertion cavity (110); as well as A control unit is electrically connected to the charging contacts. The control unit is used to keep the charging contacts de-energized when a predetermined electrical safety criterion is not met, and to enable charging when the predetermined electrical safety criterion is met.

2. The charging base of claim 1, wherein, The predetermined electrical safety criteria include at least one of insulation status criteria and contact health criteria; The insulation status criteria include at least: insulation resistance greater than or equal to a first threshold, and leakage current less than or equal to a second threshold and / or current to ground less than or equal to a third threshold; The contact health criteria include at least the following: contact resistance is less than or equal to a fourth threshold and / or voltage drop is less than or equal to a fifth threshold, and the contact resistance and / or voltage drop fluctuate less than or equal to a sixth threshold within a preset time window.

3. The charging base station according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each pair of charging contacts includes a first contact and a second contact, with an insulating isolation portion provided between the first contact and the second contact. The insulating isolation portion is used to suppress the formation of a conductive bridge between the first contact and the second contact by the conductive medium.

4. The charging base of claim 3, wherein, The insertion cavity (110) includes a first cavity (111) and a second cavity (112) spaced apart, wherein the first contact and the second contact of each pair of charging contacts are respectively disposed inside the first cavity (111) and the second cavity (112); The portion of the support member (100) located between the opening edges of the first cavity (111) and the second cavity (112) constitutes the insulating isolation portion; the shortest creepage path along the bottom surface of the support member (100) between the opening edges of the first cavity (111) and the second cavity (112) is greater than a preset value.

5. The charging base of claim 4, wherein, The opening edge of the first cavity (111) and / or the second cavity (112) is provided with a notch at the lowest point along the direction of gravity, the notch allowing liquid and / or particles to be discharged.

6. The charging base station of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The support member (100) is provided with a flow guide, which is located on the outer periphery of the insertion cavity (110) and is used to guide the liquid to flow in a direction away from the insertion cavity (110).

7. The charging base station of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The charging base station also includes a shielding member, which is movably disposed on the support member (100) and has a closed state that shields the insertion cavity (110) and an open state that exposes the insertion cavity (110).

8. The charging base of claim 7, wherein, The control unit is connected to the shield and is used to control the shield to be in a closed state when a predetermined electrical safety criterion is not met.

9. The charging base station according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The charging base station also includes a base (200) and a locking mechanism; The support member (100) is disposed on the base (200); The locking mechanism has a locked state and an unlocked state; when the locking mechanism is in the locked state, the locking mechanism locks the docking part relative to the base (200) in a predetermined posture; when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked state, the locking mechanism allows the docking part to separate from the base (200); The control unit is electrically connected to the locking mechanism and is used to control the locking mechanism to switch between the locked state and the unlocked state.

10. A charging method of a charging base station, characterized by, The method, applied to a charging base station according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprises: The control unit determines whether predetermined electrical safety criteria are met; If the conditions are met, then enable charging; If the conditions are not met, the charging contacts are kept de-energized, and a retry control signal is sent to the device to be charged. Upon receiving the signal, the device to be charged performs the corresponding retry action. The retry control signal includes at least one of an insertion retry control signal, a fine-tuning retry control signal, and a light-pressure retry signal. The retry action includes at least one of an insertion retry action, a fine-tuning retry action, and a light-pressure retry action.

11. The charging method of the charging base station according to claim 10, wherein, The method further includes: Before sending a retry control signal to the device to be charged, it is determined whether the number of retries is greater than a preset number. If so, then perform the protection action; otherwise, send a retry control signal to the device to be charged. The protective actions include controlling the shielding element to cover the insertion cavity (110) and / or controlling the locking mechanism to switch to the unlocked state.

12. The charging method of the charging base station according to claim 10, wherein, The control unit determines whether the predetermined electrical safety criteria are met, including: The control unit determines whether the following conditions are met: insulation resistance is greater than or equal to the first threshold, and leakage current is less than or equal to the second threshold and / or current to ground is less than or equal to the third threshold.

13. The charging method for the charging base station according to claim 10, characterized in that, The control unit determines whether the predetermined electrical safety criteria are met, including: The control unit determines whether the following conditions are met: the contact resistance is less than or equal to the fourth threshold and / or the voltage drop is less than or equal to the fifth threshold, and the fluctuation of the contact resistance and / or voltage drop within a preset time window is less than or equal to the sixth threshold.

14. The charging method of the charging base station according to claim 10, wherein, The insertion retry action includes controlling the device to be charged to move away from the charging base station by a preset distance and then re-inserting it into the insertion cavity (110). The fine-tuning retry action includes controlling the device to be charged to adjust the attitude angle and / or lateral position of the docking part and then re-inserting it into the insertion cavity (110). The light pressure retest action includes increasing the insertion force and / or increasing the contact pressure under the condition that the main charging circuit is disconnected, in order to improve the contact resistance and / or voltage drop.

15. A charging system, characterized by Includes the device to be charged and the charging base station as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; The device to be charged includes a docking part, which is inserted into the insertion cavity (110) and electrically connected to the charging contacts.

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