Charging module and charging cabinet

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of charging devices, and discloses a charging module and a charging cabinet, the charging module comprises a cabinet body, the cabinet body is provided with a charger cabin and a battery cabin, the charger cabin is provided with a power supply assembly, the battery cabin is used for placing a battery to be charged, and the power supply assembly is used for charging the battery; wherein a cooling module, a fire extinguisher, a temperature sensor and a smoke sensor are arranged in the battery compartment, the temperature sensor is used for monitoring the temperature of the battery, the cooling module is used for cooling the battery, the smoke sensor is used for monitoring smoke in the battery compartment, and the fire extinguisher is used for extinguishing fire when the battery is on fire. The charging module provided by the utility model aims to solve the technical problems of overheating, short circuit, even fire hazard and other potential risks when a battery is put into a charging device for charging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of charging devices, in particular to a charging module and a charging cabinet. Background Art

[0002] With rapid advancements and continuous innovations in power technology, modern robotic systems are moving toward more efficient and flexible operating modes. A significant technological innovation is the ability to hot-swap batteries without interrupting a robot's work tasks, significantly improving the continuity and productivity of robotic applications. However, this advancement also presents a new technical challenge: ensuring that hot-swapped batteries can safely and efficiently recharge while the robot continues to operate.

[0003] In related technologies, a newly replaced battery often retains some residual warmth. Directly placing the battery into a charging device for charging presents potential risks such as overheating, short circuits, and even fire. The battery also generates a significant amount of heat during charging, and heat accumulation can lead to safety incidents. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a charging module and a charging cabinet to solve the technical problem that there are potential risks such as overheating, short circuit, and even fire when placing a battery into a charging device for charging.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the utility model provides a charging module, which includes a cabinet, wherein the cabinet is provided with a charging compartment and a battery compartment, the charging compartment is provided with a power supply assembly, the battery compartment is used to place batteries to be charged, and the power supply assembly is used to charge the batteries;

[0006] Among them, the battery compartment is equipped with a cooling module, a fire extinguisher, a temperature sensor and a smoke sensor. The temperature sensor is used to monitor the temperature of the battery, the cooling module is used to cool the battery, the smoke sensor is used to monitor the smoke in the battery compartment, and the fire extinguisher is used to extinguish the fire when the battery catches fire.

[0007] In the charging module of the present application, the cooling module includes a first cooling fan, which is arranged on the inner wall of the battery compartment, and the cabinet door of the battery compartment and the inner wall of the battery compartment are both provided with ventilation holes.

[0008] In the charging module of the present application, a buffer column is provided on the inner wall of the battery compartment, the buffer column is spaced apart from the first cooling fan, the buffer column is used to abut against the battery, and the buffer column is elastic.

[0009] In the charging module of the present application, the bottom wall of the battery compartment is provided with a plurality of guide wheels, and the plurality of guide wheels are arranged at intervals from the cabinet door of the battery compartment to the inner wall of the battery compartment, and the guide wheels are used to guide the battery.

[0010] In the charging module of the present application, a first limiting member and a second limiting member are respectively provided on both sides of the plurality of guide wheels, and the first limiting member and the second limiting member are used to limit the sliding direction of the battery.

[0011] In the charging module of the present application, the charging compartment is provided with a second cooling fan, which is used to cool the power supply assembly.

[0012] In the charging module of the present application, the charging compartment is arranged on the top of the battery compartment, and a partition is provided between the charging compartment and the battery compartment.

[0013] In the charging module of the present application, a limit switch is provided in the battery compartment, and the limit switch is used to abut against the battery.

[0014] In a second aspect, the utility model provides a charging cabinet comprising a plurality of the charging modules, wherein the plurality of the charging modules are arranged in parallel.

[0015] In the charging cabinet of the present application, a display screen and an indicator light are provided on the charging cabinet. The display screen is used to display the charging status of each charging module, and the indicator light is used to display the real-time status of each power supply component.

[0016] The utility model provides a charging module, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] When in use, the charging module of this utility model places the battery replaced from the mobile robot in the battery compartment and activates the power supply component in the charging compartment to charge the battery. When the control system detects that a battery is charging in the battery compartment, it interlocks and activates the cooling module. When the temperature sensor monitors that the battery temperature reaches a preset temperature, it also interlocks and activates the cooling module to cool the battery in time to prevent overheating or short circuiting. If the battery catches fire, the smoke sensor detects smoke, and the control system interlocks and activates the fire extinguisher to put out the fire in time, preventing the fire from expanding or spreading, and avoiding safety accidents. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0019] Figure 1A schematic diagram of the structure of a charging cabinet provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Another perspective structural diagram;

[0021] Figure 3 Another structural schematic diagram of a charging cabinet provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 4 A front view of a charging cabinet provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0024] The following are marked in the figure:

[0025] 1. Cabinet; 2. Charging compartment; 3. Battery compartment; 4. Cooling module; 41. First cooling fan; 42. Ventilation hole; 5. Fire extinguisher; 6. Temperature sensor; 7. Smoke sensor; 8. Buffer column; 9. Guide wheel; 10. Charging port; 11. First limiter; 12. Second limiter; 100. Charging module; 200. Charging cabinet; 201. Display screen; 202. Indicator light. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "inside", "outside", etc. used in the present invention to indicate the orientation or positional relationship are based on the positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices and elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0028] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "first," "second," etc. are used to describe various types of information, but such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, "first" information may also be referred to as "second" information, and similarly, "second" information may also be referred to as "first" information without departing from the scope of this utility model.

[0029] First, as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a charging cabinet 200, comprising a plurality of charging modules 100, which are arranged in parallel.

[0030] Specifically, this embodiment arranges multiple charging modules 100 in parallel in the charging cabinet 200. Each charging module 100 can charge the battery independently. Therefore, multiple charging modules 100 working simultaneously can shorten the charging time, which is suitable for scenarios where a large number of batteries need to be charged at the same time.

[0031] It is understood that since each charging module 100 is independent of each other, when a charging module 100 fails, it can be repaired or replaced independently without affecting the normal operation of other modules. In actual applications, using a standardized charging module 100 design, the charging cabinet 200 can support charging of various types and specifications of batteries, improving the compatibility and versatility of the device.

[0032] Mobile robots employ dual batteries for continuous operation. Batteries that have been swapped out during hot swaps often retain some residual heat and charge. Placing these batteries in a charging device can pose potential risks such as overheating, short circuits, and even fire. Therefore, designing a charging device specifically tailored for these applications is crucial.

[0033] Based on this, the second aspect, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a charging module 100, which includes a cabinet 1, the cabinet 1 is provided with a charging compartment 2 and a battery compartment 3, the charging compartment 2 is provided with a power supply assembly, the battery compartment 3 is used to place batteries to be charged, and the power supply assembly is used to charge the batteries; wherein, a cooling module 4, a fire extinguisher 5, a temperature sensor 6 and a smoke sensor 7 are provided in the battery compartment 3, the temperature sensor 6 is used to monitor the temperature of the battery, the cooling module 4 is used to cool the battery, the smoke sensor 7 is used to monitor the smoke in the battery compartment 3, and the fire extinguisher 5 is used to extinguish the fire when the battery catches fire.

[0034] Based on the above technical solution, when using the charging module 100, the battery replaced from the mobile robot is placed in the battery compartment 3, and the power supply component of the charging compartment 2 is activated to charge the battery. When the control system detects that a battery is charging in the battery compartment 3, it interlocks and activates the cooling module 4. When the temperature sensor 6 detects that the battery temperature has reached a preset temperature, it also interlocks and activates the cooling module 4 to cool the battery in time to prevent the battery from overheating or short-circuiting. If the battery catches fire, the smoke sensor 7 detects smoke, and the control system interlocks and activates the fire extinguisher 5 to put out the fire in time to prevent the fire from expanding or spreading and avoiding safety accidents.

[0035] In this embodiment, multiple temperature sensors 6 can be strategically placed throughout the battery compartment 3 to ensure comprehensive coverage and accurate monitoring of battery temperature changes. Highly sensitive smoke sensors 7 can be selected and placed in key locations within the battery compartment 3, such as above the batteries, to enable early detection of smoke signals caused by battery fires.

[0036] The cooling module 4 can be operated in either air or water cooling mode. The control system automatically adjusts the operating state of the cooling module 4 based on data feedback from the temperature sensor 6. When the battery temperature exceeds a preset safety threshold, the cooling module 4 is immediately activated or enhanced, such as by increasing air circulation with a fan or activating the liquid cooling system, to ensure that the battery temperature remains within a safe range.

[0037] This embodiment can also establish a linkage mechanism between the smoke sensor 7, the fire extinguisher 5, and the alarm system. For example, once the smoke sensor 7 detects smoke, the alarm system is immediately triggered to sound and visual alarms, and the fire extinguisher 5 is simultaneously activated to quickly extinguish the fire source and prevent the fire from spreading. The fire extinguisher 5 is appropriately selected based on the battery type and potential fire characteristics, such as a dry powder fire extinguisher or a gas fire extinguishing system, and is strategically located within the battery compartment 3 to quickly cover the fire source.

[0038] In practical applications, safety devices such as temperature sensor 6, smoke sensor 7, cooling module 4, and fire extinguisher 5 are integrated into a unified monitoring system to achieve centralized data collection, processing, and analysis. Furthermore, through IoT technology, data from the monitoring system is transmitted in real time to a remote monitoring center or cloud platform. Operations and maintenance personnel can remotely monitor the operating status of charging module 100, promptly identify and address potential safety hazards, and improve response speed and disposal efficiency.

[0039] As an implementation method, Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, Figure 3 and Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the battery compartment 3 without its cabinet door. The cooling module 4 includes a first cooling fan 41. The first cooling fan 41 is arranged on the inner wall of the battery compartment 3. The cabinet door and the inner wall of the battery compartment 3 are both provided with ventilation holes 42.

[0040] Specifically, the forced convection of the first cooling fan 41 accelerates heat dissipation from the battery surface, preventing performance degradation or safety hazards caused by overheating. Ventilation holes 42 are provided on the door and inner wall of the battery compartment 3, forming air circulation paths (intake and exhaust vents) to allow air to enter the battery compartment 3 and be discharged smoothly, forming air convection, which helps to reduce battery temperature.

[0041] This embodiment uses air cooling, which is simpler and less expensive than liquid or direct cooling systems. It does not require a coolant circulation system or a complex refrigerant management system, reducing manufacturing costs and maintenance. Furthermore, air cooling systems are relatively easy to maintain. The power and number of first cooling fans 41 can be flexibly configured based on actual needs to meet different battery cooling requirements.

[0042] As an implementation method, Figures 3 to 5 As shown, a buffer column 8 is provided on the inner wall of the battery compartment 3 . The buffer column 8 is spaced apart from the first cooling fan 41 . The buffer column 8 is used to abut against the battery, and the buffer column 8 is elastic.

[0043] Specifically, the buffer column 8 can be an elastic rubber column, which is used to reduce the impact between the battery and the charging cabinet body when it is inserted. Due to its elasticity, the buffer column 8 can protect the battery from impact, thereby extending the battery life. In addition to its shock absorption function, the buffer column 8 can also stabilize the battery in a certain degree, preventing it from moving or shaking within the battery compartment 3.

[0044] As an implementation method, Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the bottom wall of the battery compartment 3 is provided with a plurality of guide wheels 9, and the plurality of guide wheels 9 are arranged at intervals from the cabinet door of the battery compartment 3 to the inner wall of the battery compartment 3, and the guide wheels 9 are used to guide the batteries.

[0045] Specifically, in this embodiment, a guide wheel 9 is provided on the bottom wall of the battery compartment 3. When charging is required, the battery can be gently pushed in or pulled out, and the guide wheel 9 can guide the battery to move smoothly, improving the efficiency of battery installation and replacement. In addition, the guide wheel 9 uses rolling friction to reduce the noise and dust generated during the movement of the battery, meeting the use requirements of a dust-free workshop. In actual application, the guide wheel 9 can also be a guide rod or a guide cylinder that can achieve rolling and pushing the battery in.

[0046] As an implementation method, Figure 4 As shown, a charging port 10 is provided in the battery compartment 3. The battery compartment 3 and the battery pack are electrically connected via the charging port 10. The charging port 10 contains 4 power pins and 10 signal pins. The 4 power pins are used for power transmission and can meet a charging current of 100A. The 10 signal pins include a long and short pin design. During the charging process, signal exchange is performed before turning on the power to charge, avoiding arcing, reducing safety risks, and extending the service life of the device. The signal pins are intelligently designed, and signals are transmitted through the signal pins to achieve the purpose of intelligent charging. Different batteries and different battery pack combinations can be identified for intelligent charging.

[0047] As an implementation method, Figure 5As shown, a first limiting member 11 and a second limiting member 12 are respectively provided on both sides of the plurality of guide wheels 9 , and the first limiting member 11 and the second limiting member 12 are used to limit the sliding direction of the battery.

[0048] Specifically, the first limit member 11 and the second limit member 12 can be stainless steel guide sheet metal, so that personnel can easily insert the battery for charging, ensure that the battery can move accurately along the predetermined direction during the sliding insertion process, avoid the battery from being offset or shaking, improve the accuracy and precision of the battery installation, and ensure that the battery can be correctly and stably installed in the battery compartment 3.

[0049] As an embodiment, the charging compartment 2 is provided with a second cooling fan (not shown in the drawings), which is used to cool the power supply assembly.

[0050] Specifically, the power supply assembly will also generate a certain amount of heat in the process of charging the battery. The second cooling fan is used to enhance the air flow in the charging compartment 2, thereby effectively reducing the heat generated by the power supply assembly and maintaining the temperature of the power supply assembly within a reasonable range, preventing performance degradation or damage due to overheating, reducing the safety risks of fire, explosion, etc. caused by overheating of the power supply assembly, and improving the safety performance of the charging equipment.

[0051] As an implementation method, Figure 3 As shown, the charging compartment 2 is arranged on the top of the battery compartment 3, and a partition is provided between the charging compartment 2 and the battery compartment 3.

[0052] During the charging process, both the battery and the power supply components generate heat. By separating the charger compartment 2 from the battery compartment 3 with a partition, the two compartments can be managed independently, preventing heat transfer between them. Placing the charger compartment 2 on top of the battery compartment 3 fully utilizes the vertical space, reducing the footprint of the charging cabinet 200 and improving space efficiency. The charger compartment 2 is located at the top, making it easier for the power supply components to connect to the control system; the battery compartment 3 is located at the bottom, facilitating battery installation and replacement.

[0053] As an embodiment, a limit switch (not shown in the drawings) is provided in the battery compartment 3 , and the limit switch is used to abut against the battery.

[0054] Specifically, when the battery contacts the limit switch, a corresponding signal is triggered, indicating that the battery is properly installed, thus avoiding performance issues or safety hazards caused by inaccurate installation. The limit switch can be configured with corresponding interlock control logic with the cooling module 4. When the battery in the battery compartment 3 is properly installed and contacts the limit switch, the control system interlocks and activates the cooling module 4 to dissipate heat and cool the battery.

[0055] As an implementation method, Figure 1As shown, the charging cabinet 200 is provided with a display screen 201 and an indicator light 202. The display screen 201 is used to display the charging status of each charging module 100, and the indicator light 202 is used to display the real-time status of each power supply component.

[0056] Specifically, the display screen 201 is used to display the charging status of each charging module 100 in real time, such as charging progress, remaining time, charging mode, etc. The user can quickly obtain the required information without opening the cabinet door or checking each charging module 100 one by one, which greatly improves the operational convenience and user experience. The indicator light 202 uses different colors or flashing modes to intuitively reflect the real-time status of the power supply component, such as normal operation, fault, standby, etc., so that the user can immediately understand the working status of the power supply component, quickly locate the problem and take corresponding treatment measures. Therefore, the setting of the display screen 201 and the indicator light 202 realizes the centralized monitoring of all charging modules 100 and power supply components in the charging cabinet 200. The management personnel can quickly understand the operation status of the entire charging system by observing the status of the display screen 201 and the indicator light 202, thereby more effectively managing and maintaining the equipment.

[0057] For example, when a power supply component or charging module fails, indicator light 202 will emit a corresponding signal, prompting management personnel to conduct repairs in a timely manner to prevent the failure from escalating or affecting the normal operation of other modules. At the same time, display screen 201 also displays specific fault information or error codes to help management personnel quickly locate the cause of the problem.

[0058] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this specification and the appended claims refers to any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, including these combinations. It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or system that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements that are not explicitly listed, or also includes elements that are inherent to such process, method, article or system. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "including a..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or system that includes the element.

[0059] The serial numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments. The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and such modifications or substitutions should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A charging module, characterized in that: The cabinet comprises a charging compartment and a battery compartment, the charging compartment is provided with a power supply assembly, the battery compartment is used to place batteries to be charged, and the power supply assembly is used to charge the batteries; Among them, the battery compartment is equipped with a cooling module, a fire extinguisher, a temperature sensor and a smoke sensor. The temperature sensor is used to monitor the temperature of the battery, the cooling module is used to cool the battery, the smoke sensor is used to monitor the smoke in the battery compartment, and the fire extinguisher is used to extinguish the fire when the battery catches fire.

2. The charging module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling module includes a first cooling fan, which is arranged on the inner wall of the battery compartment. The cabinet door of the battery compartment and the inner wall of the battery compartment are both provided with ventilation holes.

3. The charging module according to claim 2, characterized in that: A buffer column is provided on the inner wall of the battery compartment. The buffer column is spaced apart from the first cooling fan. The buffer column is used to abut against the battery, and the buffer column is elastic.

4. The charging module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom wall of the battery compartment is provided with a plurality of guide wheels, and the plurality of guide wheels are arranged at intervals from the cabinet door of the battery compartment to the inner wall of the battery compartment, and the guide wheels are used to guide the batteries.

5. The charging module according to claim 4, characterized in that: A first limiting member and a second limiting member are respectively provided on both sides of the plurality of guide wheels, and the first limiting member and the second limiting member are used to limit the sliding direction of the battery.

6. The charging module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The charging compartment is provided with a second cooling fan, which is used to cool the power supply component.

7. The charging module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The charging compartment is arranged on the top of the battery compartment, and a partition is provided between the charging compartment and the battery compartment.

8. The charging module according to claim 1, characterized in that: A limit switch is provided in the battery compartment, and the limit switch is used to abut against the battery.

9. A charging cabinet, characterized in that: The device comprises a plurality of charging modules according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the plurality of charging modules are arranged in parallel.

10. The charging cabinet according to claim 9, characterized in that: The charging cabinet is provided with a display screen and an indicator light. The display screen is used to display the charging status of each charging module, and the indicator light is used to display the real-time status of each power supply component.

Images