Flexible charging system for automatic charging of unmanned vehicle

Abstract

The utility model discloses a flexible charging system used for automatic charging of an unmanned vehicle, which comprises a charging interface device, a flexible charging plug used for supplying power and arranged in a self-adaptive floating manner, and a driving device used for driving the flexible charging plug to move towards the charging interface device, and is characterized in that the charging interface device is arranged on the unmanned vehicle; a guiding assembly used for guiding the flexible charging plug is arranged between the charging interface device and the flexible charging plug. According to the flexible charging system used for automatic charging of the unmanned vehicle, the flexible charging plug is arranged in a self-adaptive floating mode, the guiding assembly is arranged in a matched mode, and when the driving device drives the flexible charging plug to move towards the charging interface device, the flexible charging plug and the guiding assembly can be used for correcting positioning deviation; and the requirement on the positioning precision of the flexible charging plug is lower. Compared with a traditional six-axis mechanical arm and vision positioning mode, the equipment cost is obviously reduced, and the charging butt joint precision can be guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of electric vehicle charging, and in particular relates to an automatic charging system. Background Art

[0002] As the country announced the "dual carbon" goal, the photovoltaic industry in the new energy field has ushered in rapid development. The operation and maintenance problems of photovoltaic power stations have become increasingly serious. Problems such as untimely cleaning and poor cleaning effects of photovoltaic power stations will seriously affect the power generation efficiency of the power station and cause resource waste. Manual cleaning is inefficient, labor costs are high, and cleaning is not timely. As a result, unmanned cleaning and maintenance vehicles have appeared on the market. As long as the cleaning command is issued, the unmanned cleaning and maintenance vehicle can automatically walk along the specified track to start the cleaning task.

[0003] Most of the photovoltaic cleaning robots on the market are powered by electricity. When the battery of the unmanned vehicle is almost exhausted, the vehicle will automatically return to the charging station for automatic charging. When the unmanned vehicle automatically returns to the charging station, due to control accuracy issues, the position will deviate. Therefore, most of the automatic charging currently uses a six-axis robotic arm + vision for positioning, which is expensive. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies and defects mentioned in the above background technology and provide a low-cost, high-reliability flexible charging system for automatic charging of unmanned vehicles.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution proposed by the utility model is:

[0006] A flexible charging system for automatic charging of an unmanned vehicle comprises a charging interface device, a flexible charging plug for power supply and adaptively floating setting, and a driving device for driving the flexible charging plug to move toward the charging interface device. The charging interface device is arranged on the unmanned vehicle, and a guiding component for guiding the flexible charging plug is arranged between the charging interface device and the flexible charging plug.

[0007] In the utility model, the flexible charging plug with adaptive floating setting refers to a flexible charging plug that can automatically and freely adjust the angle and position after being subjected to external force. For example, after being subjected to external force, the flexible charging plug can be automatically adjusted to various angles such as upward and downward displacement, left and right displacement, forward and backward displacement, or lower left displacement.

[0008] In the above-mentioned flexible charging system, preferably, the flexible charging plug includes a first mounting base plate, a second mounting base plate, a charging gun assembly and a flexible floating assembly for realizing adaptive floating connection between the first mounting base plate and the second mounting base plate, the first mounting base plate is connected to the driving device via a bracket, and the charging gun assembly is fixedly mounted on the second mounting base plate. The above-mentioned bracket is used to realize the connection between the flexible charging plug and the driving device, and the specific structural form of the bracket is not limited. The above-mentioned flexible floating assembly can be used to make a small range adjustment to the position between the first mounting base plate and the second mounting base plate, so as to realize a small range of floating of the charging gun assembly, and cooperate with the guide assembly, even if there is a small deviation in the position between the charging gun assembly and the charging interface device, accurate docking can be achieved.

[0009] In the above-mentioned flexible charging system, preferably, the flexible floating component includes a plurality of groups of axial screws and springs, the springs are sleeved on the axial screws, a through hole for the axial screws to pass through is opened on the first mounting base plate, one end of the axial screw is fixed on the second mounting base plate, and the other end of the axial screw is movably arranged in the through hole of the first mounting base plate, the two ends of the spring are respectively connected to the first mounting base plate and the second mounting base plate (can be fixed), and the end of the movable end of the axial screw is provided with an enlarged head with an outer diameter larger than the through hole. The size of the above-mentioned through hole is generally required to be larger than the diameter of the axial screw (for example, 5-10mm larger), so that the axial screw can automatically move up and down, left and right, and forward and backward in the through hole. At this time, when the axial screw is fixed to the second mounting plate, the first mounting base plate can move freely relative to the second mounting base plate, so that the adaptive floating of the first mounting base plate and the second mounting base plate can be realized. The purpose of setting the spring is to support and reset the first mounting base plate and the second mounting base plate. During charging, if there is a position change between the first mounting base plate and the second mounting base plate, the spring will be compressed. When charging is completed, the first mounting base plate and the second mounting base plate can be reset due to the elastic force of the spring. The above-mentioned axial screw can be used to limit the spring so that the first mounting base plate and the second mounting base plate are better supported by the spring. The above-mentioned enlarged head is used to realize the clamping of the axial screw on the first mounting base plate, so that the first mounting base plate will not fall off the axial screw.

[0010] In the utility model, the flexible floating component can also be installed in the following manner, which is similar to the above situation, except that the fixed end and the movable end of the axial screw are switched between the first mounting base plate and the second mounting base plate. Specifically, the flexible floating component includes multiple groups of axial screws and springs, the spring is sleeved on the axial screw, and a through hole is opened on the second mounting base plate for the axial screw to pass through. One end of the axial screw is fixed on the first mounting base plate, and the other end of the axial screw is movably arranged in the through hole of the second mounting base plate. The two ends of the spring are respectively connected to the first mounting base plate and the second mounting base plate, and the end of the movable end of the axial screw is provided with an enlarged head with an outer diameter larger than that of the through hole.

[0011] In the above-mentioned flexible charging system, preferably, the charging gun assembly includes a charging gun fixing seat and a charging gun, wherein the charging gun fixing seat is fixedly mounted on the second mounting base plate, and the charging gun is arranged in the charging gun fixing seat. The charging gun fixing seat is used to fix the charging gun, and after the charging gun fixing seat is fixed to the second mounting base plate, the charging gun can be connected to the driving device, thereby achieving the purpose of driving the charging gun to move toward the charging seat through the driving device.

[0012] In the above-mentioned flexible charging system, preferably, the guide assembly includes a guide pin provided on the flexible charging plug and a guide hole provided on the charging interface device, and the guide pin and the guide hole cooperate with each other. More preferably, the opening of the guide hole is a conical enlarged opening. The above-mentioned guide pin may be a round rod, and the guide hole corresponds to a cylindrical hole. When the guide pin moves toward the guide hole, the guide pin can be inserted into the guide hole, thereby realizing the guided insertion of the charging gun. In particular, when the opening of the guide hole is a conical enlarged opening, even if the position of the guide pin and the guide hole is slightly deviated, the guide pin can enter the guide hole through the conical enlarged opening. During the process of the guide pin entering the guide hole, the flexible floating assembly will adaptively adjust the position of the flexible charging plug to achieve the effect of flexible insertion, avoid hard insertion, reduce the positioning accuracy requirements of the equipment, reduce costs, and also increase the service life of the equipment.

[0013] In the above-mentioned flexible charging system, preferably, the charging interface device includes a charging seat, and the guide pins and guide holes are each provided in a pair, and the guide holes are provided on both sides of the charging seat. The above-mentioned charging seat is used to cooperate with the charging gun to realize the charging of the unmanned vehicle. The guide pins and guide holes are each provided in a pair, and through two-point positioning, the effect of guiding insertion can be better achieved.

[0014] In the above-mentioned flexible charging system, preferably, the driving device is a three-axis robotic arm, and the three-axis robotic arm includes an X-direction track, a Y-direction track, and a Z-direction track for driving the flexible charging plug to move along the X, Y, and Z directions, respectively. The Y-direction track is mounted on the X-direction track, the Z-direction track is arranged on the Y-direction track, and the flexible charging plug is arranged on the Z-direction track. As a driving device, the utility model adopts a three-axis robotic arm at a lower cost. As a common device, the three-axis robotic arm has a low cost of use. The three-way track using a three-axis mechanism arm can ensure that the flexible charging plug can be adjusted along the X, Y, and Z directions, thereby increasing the adaptability of the flexible charging plug.

[0015] In the above-mentioned flexible charging system, various sensors or visual components can also be used to achieve the coarse positioning of the driving device, so that the charging gun is roughly located at the charging seat, and then the charging gun is inserted into the charging seat in an adaptive floating manner through the guide pins and guide holes. The above-mentioned sensors and visual components can adopt conventional solutions in the prior art, and the coordination of sensors and visual components with the driving device (such as a three-axis robotic arm) can also adopt conventional solutions in the prior art, which is not required by the present utility model. For example, a simplified board of a six-axis robotic arm + vision in the prior art can be directly purchased.

[0016] In the present invention, the flexible charging plug can float in a small range up and down, left and right, and cooperate with the guide assembly. When the driving device drives the flexible charging plug to move to the charging interface device, since the opening of the guide hole is a conical enlarged opening, even if the position of the flexible charging plug and the charging interface device are not aligned and there is a small range of deviation, the flexible charging plug and the charging interface device can be accurately docked through the correction of the guide assembly and the small range floating of the flexible charging plug, and the positioning accuracy requirements for the driving device will be significantly reduced. Compared with the six-axis robot arm + vision positioning in the prior art, the charging method adopted by the present invention will significantly reduce the cost and can be applied to outdoor environments.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the utility model are:

[0018] The utility model of the flexible charging system for automatic charging of unmanned vehicles has an adaptive floating setting for the flexible charging plug, and is equipped with a guide component. When the driving device drives the flexible charging plug to move toward the charging interface device, the flexible charging plug and the guide component can be used to correct the positioning deviation, and the positioning accuracy requirement for the flexible charging plug will be lower. Compared with the traditional six-axis robot arm + vision positioning, the equipment cost will be significantly reduced, and the charging docking accuracy and reliability can be guaranteed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the flexible charging plug and the bracket in the utility model.

[0021] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible charging plug and the driving device in the utility model after being combined.

[0022] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a charging interface device provided on an unmanned vehicle in the utility model.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the flexible charging system for automatic charging of an unmanned vehicle in the utility model when the unmanned vehicle is parked and ready for charging.

[0024] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the flexible charging system for automatic charging of unmanned vehicles in the utility model when the charging gun is ready to be inserted for charging.

[0025] Legend

[0026] 1. Three-axis robotic arm; 101. X-axis track; 102. Y-axis track; 103. Z-axis track; 3. Bracket; 4. First mounting base; 5. Second mounting base; 6. Axis screw; 7. Spring; 8. Charging gun fixing seat; 9. Charging gun; 10. Unmanned vehicle; 11. Guide pin; 12. Guide hole; 13. Charging seat. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described more comprehensively and carefully below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments of the specification, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following specific embodiments.

[0028] It should be noted that when an element is described as being "fixed, fixed, connected or connected to" another element, it can be directly fixed, fixed, connected or connected to the other element, or it can be indirectly fixed, fixed, connected or connected to the other element through other intermediate connectors.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all professional terms used below have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art. The professional terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0030] Unless otherwise specified, various raw materials, reagents, instruments and equipment used in the present invention can be purchased from the market or prepared by existing methods.

[0031] Example:

[0032] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the flexible charging system for automatic charging of an unmanned vehicle of this embodiment includes a charging interface device, a flexible charging plug for power supply and adaptively floating setting, and a driving device for driving the flexible charging plug to move toward the charging interface device. The charging interface device is arranged on the unmanned vehicle 10, and a guide component for guiding the flexible charging plug is provided between the charging interface device and the flexible charging plug.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the flexible charging plug includes a first mounting base plate 4, a second mounting base plate 5, a charging gun assembly and a flexible floating assembly for realizing an adaptive floating connection between the first mounting base plate 4 and the second mounting base plate 5. The first mounting base plate 4 is connected to the driving device through a bracket 3, and the charging gun assembly is fixed on the second mounting base plate 5.

[0034] In this embodiment, the flexible floating component includes multiple groups of axial screws 6 and springs 7. The springs 7 are sleeved on the axial screws 6. A through hole for the axial screws 6 to pass through is opened on the first mounting base plate 4. One end of the axial screw 6 is fixed on the second mounting base plate 5, and the other end of the axial screw 6 is movably set in the through hole of the first mounting base plate 4. The two ends of the spring 7 are respectively connected to the first mounting base plate 4 and the second mounting base plate 5. The end of the movable end of the axial screw 6 is provided with an enlarged head with an outer diameter larger than the through hole.

[0035] Of course, in other embodiments, the flexible floating component can also be adopted in the following manner: the flexible floating component includes multiple groups of axial screws 6 and springs 7, the springs 7 are sleeved on the axial screws 6, and the second mounting base plate 5 is provided with a through hole for the axial screws 6 to pass through. One end of the axial screw 6 is fixed on the first mounting base plate 4, and the other end of the axial screw 6 is movably provided in the through hole of the second mounting base plate 5. The two ends of the spring 7 are respectively connected to the first mounting base plate 4 and the second mounting base plate 5, and the end of the movable end of the axial screw 6 is provided with an enlarged head with an outer diameter larger than the through hole.

[0036] like Figure 3As shown, in this embodiment, the charging gun assembly includes a charging gun fixing seat 8 and a charging gun 9. The charging gun fixing seat 8 is fixed on the second mounting base plate 5, and the charging gun 9 is arranged in the charging gun fixing seat 8.

[0037] In this embodiment, the guide assembly includes a guide pin 11 provided on the flexible charging plug and a guide hole 12 provided on the charging interface device. The guide pin 11 and the guide hole 12 cooperate with each other, and the opening of the guide hole 12 is a conical enlarged opening.

[0038] In this embodiment, the charging interface device includes a charging seat 13 , and a pair of guide pins 11 and guide holes 12 are provided, and the guide holes 12 are provided on both sides of the charging seat 13 .

[0039] In this embodiment, the structure of the driving device is not limited. In this embodiment, the driving device is a three-axis robot arm 1 as an example. Figure 2 As shown, the three-axis robot 1 includes an X-axis track 101, a Y-axis track 102, and a Z-axis track 103, which are respectively used to drive the flexible charging plug to move along the X, Y, and Z directions. The Y-axis track 102 is mounted on the X-axis track 101, the Z-axis track 103 is arranged on the Y-axis track 102, and the flexible charging plug is arranged on the Z-axis track 103.

[0040] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the charging process of the flexible charging system for automatic charging of unmanned vehicles in this embodiment is briefly described as follows:

[0041] When the unmanned vehicle 10 needs to be charged, it automatically returns to the charging station and stops at the set parking point, and then issues a charging command. The driving device (such as the three-axis robot arm 1) drives the charging gun 9 to move to the charging seat 13. When it reaches the designated position (any positioning method in the prior art can be used for preliminary positioning, such as various positioning sensors or visual positioning components), the driving device continues to drive the charging gun 9 to move into the charging seat 13. During the movement, the guide pin 11 first contacts the guide hole 12. Under the guidance of the guide pin 11, the flexible charging plug will perform adaptive floating adjustment. During the insertion process, the spring 7 in the flexible floating component will be compressed, and the driving device will continue to move forward until the charging gun 9 is fully inserted into the charging seat 13, and the unmanned vehicle 10 starts charging. When fully charged, the driving device retracts backward, drives the charging gun 9 to move, and separates from the charging seat 13. The corresponding spring 7 will be released and restored to its original position, and the charging gun 9 returns to the waiting position, and the charging is completed.

[0042] During the above-mentioned charging process of the present embodiment, the flexible charging plug is adaptively floated and cooperates with a guide assembly. When the driving device drives the flexible charging plug to move toward the charging interface device, even if there is a small deviation between the positions of the two, the flexible charging plug and the guide assembly can be used to correct the positioning deviation to achieve the effect of precise docking. The positioning accuracy requirements for the flexible charging plug will be lower, which can greatly reduce the equipment cost.

[0043] The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the utility model, and is not intended to limit the utility model. For those skilled in the art, the utility model can have various modifications and changes. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the utility model shall be included in the protection scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A flexible charging system for automatic charging of unmanned vehicles, characterized in that: It comprises a charging interface device, a flexible charging plug for power supply and adaptively floating setting, and a driving device for driving the flexible charging plug to move toward the charging interface device, wherein the charging interface device is arranged on an unmanned vehicle (10), and a guiding component for guiding the flexible charging plug is arranged between the charging interface device and the flexible charging plug.

2. The flexible charging system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible charging plug comprises a first mounting base plate (4), a second mounting base plate (5), a charging gun assembly and a flexible floating assembly for realizing an adaptive floating connection between the first mounting base plate (4) and the second mounting base plate (5); the first mounting base plate (4) is connected to the driving device via a bracket (3); and the charging gun assembly is fixedly mounted on the second mounting base plate (5).

3. The flexible charging system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flexible floating component comprises a plurality of groups of axial screws (6) and springs (7), wherein the springs (7) are sleeved on the axial screws (6), and a through hole for the axial screws (6) to pass through is provided on the first mounting base plate (4). One end of the axial screw (6) is fixedly provided on the second mounting base plate (5), and the other end of the axial screw (6) is movably provided in the through hole of the first mounting base plate (4). The two ends of the spring (7) are respectively connected to the first mounting base plate (4) and the second mounting base plate (5), and the end of the movable end of the axial screw (6) is provided with an enlarged head having an outer diameter larger than that of the through hole.

4. The flexible charging system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flexible floating component comprises a plurality of groups of axial screws (6) and springs (7), wherein the springs (7) are sleeved on the axial screws (6), and a through hole for the axial screws (6) to pass through is opened on the second mounting base plate (5), one end of the axial screw (6) is fixedly mounted on the first mounting base plate (4), and the other end of the axial screw (6) is movably mounted in the through hole of the second mounting base plate (5), and the two ends of the spring (7) are respectively connected to the first mounting base plate (4) and the second mounting base plate (5), and the end of the movable end of the axial screw (6) is provided with an enlarged head having an outer diameter larger than that of the through hole.

5. The flexible charging system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The charging gun assembly comprises a charging gun fixing seat (8) and a charging gun (9); the charging gun fixing seat (8) is fixed on the second mounting base plate (5), and the charging gun (9) is arranged in the charging gun fixing seat (8).

6. The flexible charging system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide assembly comprises a guide pin (11) provided on the flexible charging plug and a guide hole (12) provided on the charging interface device, and the guide pin (11) and the guide hole (12) cooperate with each other.

7. The flexible charging system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The opening of the guide hole (12) is a conical enlarged opening.

8. The flexible charging system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The charging interface device comprises a charging seat (13), the guide pins (11) and the guide holes (12) are each provided in a pair, and the guide holes (12) are provided on both sides of the charging seat (13).

9. The flexible charging system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The driving device is a three-axis mechanical arm (1), and the three-axis mechanical arm (1) comprises an X-direction track (101), a Y-direction track (102), and a Z-direction track (103) respectively used to drive the flexible charging plug to move along the X, Y, and Z directions; the Y-direction track (102) is mounted on the X-direction track (101), the Z-direction track (103) is arranged on the Y-direction track (102), and the flexible charging plug is arranged on the Z-direction track (103).

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