A flexible connection device and a charging head

Abstract

This utility model discloses a flexible connection device and a charging head, comprising: a bearing mounting base with an internal shaft hole, wherein the bearing mounting base has multiple elastic protrusions on the outer periphery of the shaft hole, the elastic protrusions extending axially outward from the end face of the bearing mounting base for a certain length; and a connecting component, including a connecting shaft and a connecting plate, wherein the connecting shaft extends axially from the connecting plate and is mounted in the shaft hole via a spherical bearing, the back end face of the connecting plate is axially aligned with the end face of the bearing mounting base, and the elastic protrusions elastically abut against the back end face of the connecting plate. This utility model has a flexible compensation and limiting function that can simultaneously achieve linkage in two degrees of freedom: tilt (any direction) and rotation (clockwise and counterclockwise). At the application level, it eliminates the need for force control sensors and high-precision visual recognition, significantly reducing the overall cost of the automatic charging robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model is applicable to the field of charging equipment, and in particular relates to a flexible connection device and a charging head. Background Technology

[0002] In the new energy vehicle industry, unmanned automatic charging technology has always attracted much attention. As an automated device capable of completely replacing manual operation, charging robots have become one of the key directions driving the innovative development of the new energy vehicle industry. Currently, many leading companies in the industry have launched their own concept solutions, with mainstream designs often employing robots or collaborative robots, coupled with vision systems or force control sensors. Their typical workflow is as follows: the robotic arm first moves to a preset position, adjusts the charging gun posture using visual positioning technology, and then performs a linear push from the end effector to complete the charging action.

[0003] However, this solution still has certain hidden dangers. In real-world applications, uncertainties such as differences in ground height, abnormal tire pressure, or inaccurate vehicle parking positions can all lead to errors in visual recognition. If the robot continues to perform the charging gun insertion action in such cases, it is highly likely to damage the charging gun socket. Even if the system receives feedback through the force control sensor and stops the operation, retracting and attempting to insert the gun again may still face the risk of secondary failure.

[0004] In summary, the problems existing in the relevant technologies urgently need to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and to provide a flexible connection device and a charging head.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is: In a first aspect, a flexible connection device includes: A bearing mounting base has an internal shaft hole, and the bearing mounting base has multiple elastic protrusions on the outer periphery of the shaft hole. The elastic protrusions extend outward along the axial direction from the end face of the bearing mounting base for a certain length. The adapter includes a connecting shaft and an adapter plate. The connecting shaft extends axially from the adapter plate and is mounted in the shaft hole via a spherical bearing. The back end face of the adapter plate faces the end face of the bearing mounting seat axially, and the elastic post head elastically abuts against the back end face of the adapter plate.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the adapter component has a through axial inner hole.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect and the above-mentioned implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, the back end face of the adapter plate is provided with multiple recesses, and the elastic post abuts against the recesses.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect and the above-described implementations, in some implementations of the first aspect, the recess is provided with a conical or arcuate surface inclined toward the center of the recess.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect and the above-described implementations, in some implementations of the first aspect, the bearing mounting base is provided with a plurality of column head mounting holes on the outer periphery of the shaft hole, and the elastic column head includes a column head body and an elastic component, the column head body and the elastic component are disposed in the column head mounting holes, and the elastic component abuts against the column head body from the back side along the axial direction.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect and the above-mentioned implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, the column head mounting hole is a stepped hole, the head of the column head body extends outward along the axial direction from the front end of the stepped hole, the tail of the column head body is provided with a limiting boss that can be engaged with the stepped surface of the stepped hole, and the tail of the stepped hole is provided with an adjusting screw plug.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect and the above-described implementations, some implementations of the first aspect further include a protective sleeve, one end of which is connected to the bearing mounting base and the other end of which is connected to the adapter component. The protective sleeve covers the outside of the connection position between the bearing mounting base and the adapter component.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect and the above-described implementations, in some implementations of the first aspect, the inner ring of the spherical plain bearing is mounted on the connecting shaft, the outer ring of the spherical plain bearing is mounted on the bearing mounting seat, and the back side of the bearing mounting seat is provided with an end cap that limits the outer ring of the bearing, with an axial clearance between the end cap and the outer ring of the bearing.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect and the above-mentioned implementation methods, in some implementation methods of the first aspect, the bearing mounting seat is provided with a circumferential limiting groove at the edge of the shaft hole, and the adapter is provided with a circumferential limiting block that cooperates with the circumferential limiting groove after swinging at a certain angle.

[0015] Secondly, a charging adapter includes: The flexible connection device described in any of the implementations of the first aspect; The gun head is mounted on the adapter plate.

[0016] One of the above technical solutions has at least one of the following advantages or beneficial effects: In the technical solution of this utility model, the connecting shaft of the adapter component is installed in the shaft hole of the bearing mounting seat through a joint bearing. At the same time, the adapter plate of the adapter component is elastically supported axially by multiple adapter components distributed on the outer periphery of the shaft hole, so that the connecting device has a flexible compensation and limiting function that can achieve linkage in two degrees of freedom: tilt angle (any direction) and rotation (clockwise and counterclockwise). For example, when using the charging head with this flexible connecting device, during the insertion process, the gun head gradually approaches the charging seat with the help of the flexible connecting device. If the starting torque exceeds the preset range due to the positioning accuracy deviation, the flexible connecting device can adaptively compensate. As the insertion action progresses, the gun head can rotate synchronously around the joint bearing as a whole with the adapter plate until the charging head is fully inserted. When the gun is retracted, at the moment the charging head is disengaged from the charging seat, the elastic column head quickly rebounds and pushes the adapter component without external force, realizing the automatic return of the adapter component to center. This design eliminates the use of force control sensors and high-precision visual recognition at the application level, significantly reducing the overall cost of the automatic charging robot.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this utility model will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention where the recess is a conical surface; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of a section at point I; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention where the recess is an arc surface; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention in which an axial gap is left between the end cap and the outer ring of the bearing; Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-section at point AA; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adapter component of this utility model after it swings at a certain angle; Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Enlarged view of section II in the middle. Detailed Implementation

[0019] This section will describe in detail the specific embodiments of the present utility model. The preferred embodiments of the present utility model are shown in the accompanying drawings. The purpose of the drawings is to supplement the textual description with graphics, so that people can intuitively and vividly understand each technical feature and the overall technical solution of the present utility model, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0020] In this utility model, when directions (up, down, left, right, front, and back) are described, it is only for the purpose of describing the technical solution of this utility model, and does not indicate or imply that the technical features referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0021] In this utility model, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," "exceeding," etc. are understood to exclude the stated number; "above," "below," "within," etc. are understood to include the stated number. In the description of this utility model, if "first" or "second" is used, it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features or the order of the indicated technical features.

[0022] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrally formed connection; a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection capable of mutual communication; or the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0023] See Figure 1The present invention provides a flexible connection device, including a bearing mounting base 100 and a transition component 200. The bearing mounting base 100 has a shaft hole 101 inside, and a plurality of elastic columns 300 are provided on the outer periphery of the shaft hole 101. The elastic columns 300 are located outside the shaft hole 101 and distributed around the shaft hole 101. The elastic columns 300 extend outward along the axial direction from the end face of the bearing mounting base 100 for a certain length. The adapter component 200 includes a connecting shaft 201 and an adapter plate 202. The connecting shaft 201 and the adapter plate 202 can be integrally formed or connected as a whole. The connecting shaft 201 extends axially from the adapter plate 202 and is mounted in the shaft hole 101 via a spherical bearing 400. The spherical bearing 400 provides angular support in the tilt and rotation directions. The back end face of the adapter plate 202 faces the end face of the bearing mounting seat 100 axially, and the elastic protrusions 300 elastically abut against the back end face of the adapter plate 202. By forming multi-point support on the back end face of the adapter plate 202 with multiple elastic protrusions 300, the load distribution applied to the adapter component 200 by the elastic protrusions 300 is more uniform, the overall structure is more stable, and the resistance to eccentric loads is stronger.

[0024] Combination Figure 1 , Figure 6 In the technical solution of this utility model, the connecting shaft 201 of the adapter component 200 is installed in the shaft hole 101 of the bearing mounting seat 100 through the spherical bearing 400. At the same time, the adapter plate 202 of the adapter component 200 is elastically supported axially by multiple adapter components 200 distributed on the outer periphery of the shaft hole 101, so that the connecting device has a flexible compensation and limiting function that can achieve linkage in two degrees of freedom: tilt angle (any direction) and rotation (clockwise and reverse direction). For example, when a charging head using this flexible connecting device is inserted, the gun head gradually approaches the charging seat with the help of the flexible connecting device. If the starting torque exceeds the preset range due to the positioning accuracy deviation, the flexible connecting device can adaptively compensate. As the insertion action progresses, the gun head can rotate synchronously around the spherical bearing 400 as a whole with the adapter plate 202 until the charging head is fully inserted. When the charging head is retracted from the charging seat during the process of retracting the gun, the elastic column head 300 quickly rebounds and pushes the adapter component 200 without the action of external force, so that the adapter component 200 automatically returns to the center. This product employs a purely mechanical structure design, requiring no external electrical or hydraulic drive source, making it particularly suitable for charging robot applications. This design eliminates the need for force control sensors and high-precision visual recognition at the application level, significantly reducing the overall cost of the automated charging robot.

[0025] In some embodiments, see Figure 1The adapter component 200 has a through axial inner hole 203. In this embodiment, the adapter component 200 adopts a large hollow structure design, which facilitates internal wiring and allows the charging cable and control communication cable to pass directly through the center of the compensation device. This design not only hides the wiring harness and eliminates the need for additional fixing steps, but also effectively avoids interference caused by dragging. Especially at the robot joints, this structure can significantly reduce the potential impact on the robot's motion trajectory and reduce the risk of interference with peripheral equipment. While possessing composite floating compensation and limiting functions, this structure still maintains a large hollow layout, fully demonstrating its superior compactness. In addition, the large hollow design also facilitates integration into the charging robot system, significantly reducing the overall weight of the compensation device and lowering the motion torque requirement, thereby allowing the selection of robots or modules with lower load ratings and effectively saving overall costs.

[0026] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 The adapter plate 202 has multiple recesses 204 on its back side end face. The positions of the multiple recesses 204 correspond to the positions of multiple elastic posts 300, and the elastic posts 300 abut against the recesses 204. In this embodiment, multiple recesses 204 are provided on the back side end face of the adapter plate 202 corresponding to the elastic posts 300. The ends of the elastic posts 300 are dome-shaped and cooperate with the corresponding recesses 204 to achieve simultaneous linkage compensation in tilt and rotation directions.

[0027] Further, see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 The recess 204 has a conical or arc-shaped surface that slopes towards the center of the recess 204. With the help of the conical or arc-shaped surface, the recess 204 can guide the elastic pin 300 to align and return to its center, ensuring that the elastic pin 300 abuts against the adapter component 200 from the back side. This ensures that the multiple elastic pins 300 are always located at the center of the recess 204 of the adapter plate 202, maintaining a stable centered state, reducing contact stress, and improving alignment and assembly smoothness.

[0028] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 , Figure 3 The bearing mounting base 100 has multiple head mounting holes 102 on the outer periphery of the shaft hole 101. The elastic head 300 includes a head body 301 and an elastic component 302. The elastic component 302 can be a return spring or the like. The head body 301 and the elastic component 302 are disposed in the head mounting holes 102. The elastic component 302 abuts against the head body 301 axially from the back side. The elastic component 302 serves as the power source for the automatic reset of the head body 301 and is used to elastically abut against the back end face of the adapter plate 202.

[0029] The column head mounting hole 102 can be a cylindrical hole or a stepped hole; see [reference needed] in some embodiments. Figure 1 The column head mounting hole 102 is a stepped hole. The head of the column head body 301 extends outward along the axial direction from the front end of the stepped hole. The tail of the column head body 301 is provided with a limiting boss 303 that can be engaged with the stepped surface of the stepped hole. The limiting boss 303 is used to limit the extreme position of the column head body 301 in the column head mounting hole 102 and prevent the column head body 301 from coming out of the front end of the column head mounting hole 102.

[0030] Further, see Figure 1 , Figure 3 An adjusting plug 304 is provided at the tail of the stepped hole. The adjusting plug 304 blocks the elastic component 302 from the rear and can adjust the preload of the elastic component 302 by adjusting its position in the stepped hole, thus achieving adjustable compensation force. In this embodiment, by changing the magnitude of the compensation force, it can adapt to the damping requirements under different working conditions and achieve adaptive damping adjustment.

[0031] Specifically, the force adjustment function is mainly designed for situations where the robot is slow or difficult to reset at certain tilt angles in horizontal (lateral) and tilted postures. In the vertical position (whether upward or downward), it is sufficient to maintain a constant preload on the elastic component 302 to keep multiple elastic protrusions 300 in the same horizontal position. For example, during the insertion of the charging head using this flexible connection device, the end effector may experience slight vibration when the robot moves to the target position with high acceleration. By adjusting to a suitable preload value, the damping can be enhanced, effectively suppressing vibration and ensuring that multiple elastic protrusions 300 remain centered in the recess 204 of the adapter plate 202, maintaining a stable centered state. For horizontal (lateral) and tilted postures, the preload of the elastic component 302 of a particular elastic protrusion 300 can also be appropriately adjusted to counteract the effects of gravity, achieving a balanced force distribution among the elastic protrusions 300, thereby improving the reset response speed after retracting the gun.

[0032] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 The flexible connection device also includes a protective sleeve 500, which is a folded and compressed sleeve. The protective sleeve 500 can be made of materials such as plastic or rubber. One end of the protective sleeve 500 is connected to the bearing mounting seat 100, and the other end is connected to the adapter 200. The protective sleeve 500 covers the outside of the connection position between the bearing mounting seat 100 and the adapter 200, and plays a role in sealing and protecting.

[0033] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 , Figure 3The inner ring of the spherical plain bearing 400 is mounted on the connecting shaft 201 and fixed by the retaining ring 401. The outer ring of the spherical plain bearing 400 is mounted on the bearing mounting seat 100. The bearing mounting seat 100 has an end cap 600 for limiting the outer ring of the bearing. The structure is compact and easy to install and disassemble, while reducing an independent fixing part.

[0034] Among them, see Figure 4 An axial clearance s is left between the end cap 600 and the outer ring of the bearing. This allows the transition component 200 to move a certain displacement axially in the bearing mounting seat 100 when the flexible connection device is subjected to axial pressure, thereby increasing the number of compensation shafts and benefiting more complex applications.

[0035] In some embodiments, see Figures 5-7 The bearing mounting base 100 has a circumferential limiting groove 103 on the edge of the shaft hole 101, and the adapter component 200 has a circumferential limiting block 205 that engages with the circumferential limiting groove 103 after swinging at a certain angle. The circumferential limiting block 205 and the circumferential limiting groove 103 form a limiting structure. Specifically, the limiting structure adopts a four evenly distributed hard limiting design, which is achieved by the circumferential limiting block 205 on the adapter plate 202 engaging with the circumferential limiting groove 103 on the bearing mounting base 100. When subjected to external force, the system will trigger a compensation mechanism; when the movement reaches a set limit, this structure will play a limiting role. For example, during tilt angle compensation, if the floating tilt angle of the adapter plate 202 exceeds a certain range, its outer circle will contact the inner circle of the bearing mounting base 100, thereby achieving tilt angle limiting. If tilt and rotation compensation are triggered simultaneously, after reaching the angular limit position, the circumferential limiting block 205 of the adapter plate 202 and the left and right sides and outer wall of the circumferential limiting groove 103 of the bearing mounting seat 100 will simultaneously come into contact with each other, further restricting movement. When the external force is removed, the elastic component 302 rebounds and pushes the column head body 301 back to the center position along the inner wall of the recess 204, so that a certain gap is maintained between the circumferential limiting block 205 of the adapter plate 202 and the circumferential limiting groove 103 of the bearing mounting seat 100, and gradually returns to a stable state.

[0036] This utility model embodiment features a composite floating compensation mechanism, cleverly combining the abutment design of the elastic column head 300 and the adapter plate 202, achieving a unique advantage of comprehensive effect with a more streamlined structure; it has a linkage hard limit function, which can easily deal with the floating compensation prediction problem under abnormal positioning accuracy conditions. It features a large hollow structure design, facilitating internal wiring layout, effectively avoiding interference, significantly improving aesthetics, and reducing its own weight, ensuring lightweight characteristics. It has an adjustable force function; by adjusting the preload of the elastic component 302, the damping of the column head can be changed to adapt to different postures, effectively alleviating reset problems; at the same time, under high acceleration displacement conditions, it can resist vibration, ensuring the accuracy of the reset response.

[0037] See Figure 1 The present invention also provides a charging head, including a charging head 700 and the flexible connecting device in any of the above embodiments, wherein the charging head 700 is directly or indirectly mounted on the adapter plate 202. For example, in Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the adapter plate 202 forms a flange structure, and the gun head 700 is mounted on the flange structure of the adapter plate 202 through the gun head mounting seat 800. The gun head mounting seat 800 is hollow inside, which not only reduces the overall weight, but also facilitates the concealed arrangement of cables.

[0038] In this embodiment, the charging head uses a spherical bearing 400, which can deflect within a certain angle range around its center point. During the insertion process, even if the robot's positioning of the car charging dock via the vision system deviates to some extent, the charging gun can still be inserted smoothly. At this time, the gun head 700, the gun head mounting base 800, and the adapter plate 202 can tilt or rotate at a certain angle accordingly, thereby preventing damage to the charging dock caused by the robot forcibly inserting it. When retracting the gun, as the external force is removed, the restoring force generated by the elastic component 302 will drive the column head body 301 to automatically return to the center position of the conical surface. This design eliminates the need for force control sensors and high-precision visual recognition at the application level, significantly reducing the overall cost of the robot.

[0039] The charging head of this invention can be directly integrated into the end effector of a charging robot. A floating structure can be introduced at the robot's end effector to assist in the insertion action through flexible compensation, thereby significantly improving the insertion success rate. Therefore, adding a flexible floating device to the end effector of an unmanned charging robot for new energy vehicles is of significant practical importance for ensuring the reliability, safety, and overall efficiency of the charging process.

[0040] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "example," "embodiment," or "some embodiments" indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0041] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and these equivalent modifications or substitutions are all included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A flexible connection device, characterized in that include: A bearing mounting base has an internal shaft hole, and the bearing mounting base has multiple elastic protrusions on the outer periphery of the shaft hole. The elastic protrusions extend outward along the axial direction from the end face of the bearing mounting base for a certain length. The adapter includes a connecting shaft and an adapter plate. The connecting shaft extends axially from the adapter plate and is mounted in the shaft hole via a spherical bearing. The back end face of the adapter plate faces the end face of the bearing mounting seat axially, and the elastic post head elastically abuts against the back end face of the adapter plate.

2. The flexible connection device of claim 1, wherein, The adapter component has a through axial inner hole.

3. The flexible connection device of claim 1, wherein, The back side of the adapter plate is provided with multiple recesses, and the elastic post abuts against the recesses.

4. The flexible connection device of claim 3, wherein, The recess has a conical or arc-shaped surface that slopes toward the center of the recess.

5. The flexible connection device of claim 1, wherein, The bearing mounting base has multiple head mounting holes on the outer periphery of the shaft hole. The elastic head includes a head body and an elastic component. The head body and the elastic component are disposed in the head mounting holes. The elastic component abuts against the head body from the back side along the axial direction.

6. The flexible connection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The column head mounting hole is a stepped hole. The head of the column head body extends outward along the axial direction from the front end of the stepped hole. The tail of the column head body is provided with a limiting boss that can be engaged with the stepped surface of the stepped hole. The tail of the stepped hole is provided with an adjusting screw plug.

7. The flexible connection device of claim 1, wherein, It also includes a protective sleeve, one end of which is connected to the bearing mounting seat and the other end of which is connected to the adapter component. The protective sleeve covers the outside of the connection position between the bearing mounting seat and the adapter component.

8. The flexible connection device of claim 1, wherein, The inner ring of the spherical plain bearing is mounted on the connecting shaft, and the outer ring of the spherical plain bearing is mounted on the bearing mounting seat. The back side of the bearing mounting seat is provided with an end cap that limits the outer ring of the bearing, and an axial clearance is left between the end cap and the outer ring of the bearing.

9. The flexible connection device of claim 1, wherein, The bearing mounting base is provided with a circumferential limiting groove at the edge of the shaft hole, and the adapter is provided with a circumferential limiting block that engages with the circumferential limiting groove after swinging at a certain angle.

10. A charging head, characterized by include: The flexible connection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9; The gun head is mounted on the adapter plate.

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