charging station

Abstract

To provide a charging station capable of effectively charging a mobile body without taking time and labor of a user of the mobile body, and to provide a charging method thereof.SOLUTION: An electric kick skater 10 comprises: a front wheel 15 and a rear wheel 16; and a drive motor and a drive unit 18 for driving the rear wheel 16. The electric kick skater 10 comprises: a board body 11 that connects the front wheel 15 and the rear wheel 16; and a power-receiving part that is attached to the board body 11 and receives power for driving the drive motor in a non-contact manner. A charging station 20 for transmitting power to the electric kick skater 10 comprises: a front opening 25 and a rear opening 26 that are fitted with respective lower end parts of the front wheel 15 and the rear wheel 16. The charging station 20 comprises a power-transmitting part arranged at a position opposed to the power-receiving part in a state where the front opening 25 is fitted with the front wheel 15. The charging station 20 comprises a control part configured to detect that the wheel 15 fits into the front opening 25 and enable starting supplying the power to the power-receiving part from the power-transmitting part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging station where a moving object such as an electric kick scooter is parked and charged. N Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, electric kick scooters have been attracting attention as a convenient means of transportation. The wheels of an electric kick scooter are driven by electricity. For this reason, electric kick scooters need to be charged according to the remaining battery power. Therefore, technology for easily charging the battery of an electric kick scooter has been studied (see Patent Document 1). The electric kick scooter described in this document includes front wheels, rear wheels, a main frame, a footboard, a battery, and a connector. The battery is the power source for driving at least one of the front and rear wheels. The connector is connected to a power supply line connected to a commercial power source when charging the battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3232835 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Recently, electric scooters have also become available for rental. In these rentals, the electric scooter is set up in an unmanned waiting station. When it is time to use it, the user rents a charged electric scooter and returns it to the waiting station after use. If the electric scooter is left uncharged when returned to the waiting station, there is a risk that the battery will be insufficient the next time it is used. Furthermore, if the waiting station has a complicated structure, charging the electric scooter while it is waiting can be cumbersome for the user and may not charge properly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A charging station that solves the above problem is a charging station that transmits power to a mobile body that has a plurality of wheels, a power mechanism that drives at least one of the wheels, a main body that connects the plurality of wheels, and a power receiving unit that is attached to the main body and receives power that drives the power mechanism in a contactless manner, and is equipped with a hole into which the grounding part of the mobile body fits, a power supply unit that is positioned opposite the power receiving unit when the grounding part is fitted into the hole, and a control unit that detects the fitting of the grounding part and enables the power supply unit to start supplying power to the power receiving unit.

[0006] In addition, a charging method that solves the above problem is a charging method for transmitting power to a mobile body that has a plurality of wheels, a power mechanism that drives at least one of the wheels, a main body that connects the plurality of wheels, and a power receiving unit that is attached to the main body and receives power that drives the power mechanism in a contactless manner, and when the engagement of the grounding part of the mobile body with the hole into which the grounding part fits is detected, the control unit starts supplying power to the power receiving part from a power supply unit located in a position opposite the power receiving part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently charge a mobile object without causing any trouble to the user of the mobile object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a charging station and a kick scooter according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the charging station according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of the charging station according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the electrical configuration of the charging station and the kick scooter according to the embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a kick scooter is parked at a charging station in an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a charging station according to a first modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a kick scooter is parked at a charging station in a first modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a kick scooter is parked at a charging station in a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Below, we will explain the charging station using Figures 1 to 5. N A specific embodiment will be described below, which is a charging station where an electric scooter, which is a mobile object to be charged, is parked and charged.

[0010] (Electric kick scooter configuration) 1, the electric scooter 10 of this embodiment includes a board body 11 in the shape of a plate extending in the front-to-rear direction, a handle shaft 12, and a connecting member 13. The connecting member 13 connects the front end of the board body 11 to the lower part of the handle shaft 12.

[0011] A handle portion 14 protruding to the left and right is fixed to the upper end of the handle shaft 12. Furthermore, an accelerator (not shown) and a brake handle are attached to the handle portion 14.

[0012] A bifurcated front fork 12f is provided at the lower end of the handle shaft 12. A front wheel 15 serving as a ground-contact part is rotatably attached to the end of this front fork 12f. Furthermore, a tire cover 12c is provided on the handle shaft 12 at a position that covers the upper part of the front wheel 15.

[0013] Meanwhile, a bifurcated back fork 11f and a tire cover 11c are provided at the rear of the board body 11. A rear wheel 16 is rotatably attached to this back fork 11f. The rear wheel 16 is aligned with the front wheel 15 on the center line of the board body 11. Therefore, the board body 11 functions as a main body that connects the front wheel 15 and the rear wheel 16. Furthermore, a drive unit 18 for driving the rear wheel 16 is built into the board body 11. Details of this drive unit 18 will be described later.

[0014] (Charging station configuration) As shown in FIG. 1, the charging station 20 for parking the electric scooter 10 is buried in the ground so that the upper surface is flush with the ground.

[0015] 2 and 3 are a top view and a front cross-sectional view of the charging station 20. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the charging station 20 has a box-shaped main body 21. A power supply unit 22 is provided at a longitudinally intermediate position of the main body 21. A front hole 25 and a rear hole 26 are provided near each longitudinal end of the main body 21, sandwiching the power supply unit 22. The power supply unit 22, the front hole 25, and the rear hole 26 are arranged on the central axis C1 of the charging station 20. The front hole 25 and the rear hole 26 are spaced apart so that the front wheel 15 and the rear wheel 16 of the electric scooter 10 can be placed therein simultaneously. The front hole 25 and the rear hole 26 are rectangular parallelepiped holes that are open at the top and large enough to fit the lower ends of the front wheel 15 and the rear wheel 16, respectively, and deep enough not to obstruct the passage of vehicles or pedestrians.

[0016] The upper surfaces of the front hole 25 and the rear hole 26 are covered by cover members 27 and 28, respectively. The cover members 27 and 28 have the same structure. Shafts 27a and 28a extending in the short direction penetrate the cover members 27 and 28. The shafts 27a and 28a are located in the middle of the cover members 27 and 28 in the longitudinal direction. The cover members 27 and 28 rotate around the shafts 27a and 28a as central axes.

[0017] Furthermore, contact portions 27b, 28b and weight portions 27w, 28w are fixed to the undersides of the cover members 27, 28. The contact portions 27b, 28b are provided on the power supply unit 22 side of the cover members 27, 28 and come into contact with the bottom surfaces of the holes (25, 26) when the wheels (15, 16) are fitted into the holes (25, 26). The distance from the contact portion 27b of the front hole 25 to the contact portion 28b of the rear hole 26 corresponds to the length of the front wheels 15 and rear wheels 16 of the electric scooter 10. The weight portions 27w, 28w are provided on the opposite side of the shafts 27a, 28a from the contact portions 27b, 28b. When the wheels (15, 16) are removed from the holes (25, 26), the weight balance is maintained so that the cover members 27, 28 return to a horizontal position.

[0018] Furthermore, a switch member 29a is provided on the bottom surface of front hole 25. Switch member 29a is provided at a position where contact portion 27b abuts against the bottom surface. Switch member 29a is connected to power supply unit 22 via electric wire 29b.

[0019] (Configuration of drive unit and power supply unit) FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the drive unit 18 of the electric scooter 10 and the power supply unit 22 of the charging station 20.

[0020] The drive unit 18 includes a power storage unit 180 that stores electricity, a power receiving unit 181, and a drive unit 185. The power receiving unit 181 acquires power supplied from the charging station 20 and supplies it to the power storage unit 180. The drive unit 185 uses the power of the power storage unit 180 to drive a drive motor M1. The drive motor M1 drives the rear wheel 16. In this embodiment, the power storage unit 180 and the drive motor M1 form a power mechanism.

[0021] Meanwhile, the power supply unit 22 of the charging station 20 includes a control unit 220 and a power transmission unit 221. The power transmission unit 221 is a power supply unit that supplies power to the drive unit 18, and is provided at the upper end of the power supply unit 22 so as to be close to the power receiving unit 181 of the electric scooter 10. The control unit 220 supplies power when it detects an ON signal from the switch member 29a.

[0022] (Charging method) When charging the electric scooter 10 using the charging station 20 configured as described above, first, the front wheel 15 and the rear wheel 16 of the electric scooter 10 are moved above the contact portions 27b, 28b of the cover members 27, 28. Since the distance from contact portion 27b to contact portion 28b corresponds to the distance from front wheel 15 to rear wheel 16, front wheel 15 and rear wheel 16 are simultaneously positioned in each hole (25, 26), respectively.

[0023] In this case, as shown in Figure 5, the cover members 27, 28 rotate about the shafts 27a, 28a, so that the lower ends of the front wheel 15 and the rear wheel 16 fit into the front hole 25 and the rear hole 26, respectively. When the wheels (15, 16) fit into the holes (25, 26), the power receiving part 181 of the drive unit 18 built into the board body 11 of the electric scooter 10 is positioned to face the power transmitting part 221 of the power supply unit 22 of the charging station 20. In this case, the stand 17 is used to allow the electric scooter 10 to stand on its own.

[0024] As cover member 27 rotates, contact portion 27b fixed to cover member 27 comes into contact with switch member 29a located on the bottom surface of front hole 25. When contact portion 27b comes into contact with switch member 29a, switch member 29a supplies an ON signal to control unit 220.

[0025] 4 starts wireless power feeding using power transmitting unit 221 when it receives an ON signal from switch member 29a. As a result, power receiving unit 181 opposite power transmitting unit 221 receives the supply of power. Then, power receiving unit 181 stores the acquired power in power storage unit 180. Note that if front wheel 15 moves out of front hole 25 during power feeding, contact portion 27b no longer abuts on switch member 29a, and control unit 220 no longer receives the ON signal. As a result, control unit 220 stops wireless power feeding.

[0026] Thereafter, when the control unit 220 determines that charging is complete based on the power supply state, it stops power supply. When using the electric scooter 10, the stand 17 is removed and the wheels (15, 16) are removed from the holes (25, 26). As a result, the cover members 27, 28 rotate around the shafts 27a, 28a due to the balance between the contact portions 27b, 28b and the weight portions 27w, 28w, and become horizontal, covering the upper surfaces of the holes (25, 26).

[0027] (action) In this embodiment, when the front wheel 15 of the electric scooter 10 is fitted into the front hole 25, the power transmission unit 221 of the charging station 20 is positioned opposite the power reception unit 181 of the drive unit 18. This allows the electric scooter 10 to be accurately positioned in a position suitable for receiving power and charging.

[0028] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) In this embodiment, the control unit 220 of the charging station 20 starts charging after detecting the contact of the contact portion 27b with the switch member 29a when the front wheel 15 of the electric scooter 10 is fitted into the front hole 25. As a result, charging begins after the front wheel 15 is securely fitted into the front hole 25, and charging can be performed with the power receiving portion 181 of the drive unit 18 positioned opposite the power supply unit 22. This allows for efficient power supply. Furthermore, because the lower ends of the wheels (15, 16) fit into the holes (25, 26) and are lowered from the ground, the power receiving portion 181 of the board body 11 of the electric scooter 10 can be brought closer to the power transmitting portion 221 of the charging station 20. This increases the efficiency of power transmission.

[0029] (2) In this embodiment, charging station 20 is buried in the ground so that its upper surface is flush with the ground. As a result, there are no protrusions on the upper surface of charging station 20, which reduces the risk of people tripping and contributes to a beautiful landscape.

[0030] (3) The charging station 20 of this embodiment has front holes 25 and rear holes 26 into which the front wheels 15 and rear wheels 16 of the electric scooter 10 fit, respectively. Therefore, by fitting the front wheels 15 and rear wheels 16 into the respective holes (25, 26), the positioning of the power receiving unit 181 can be performed with high precision.

[0031] (4) In this embodiment, cover members 27, 28 are provided on the upper surfaces of the holes (25, 26), respectively. When the wheels (15, 16) are not positioned above the holes (25, 26), the cover members 27, 28 are in a horizontal position to cover the holes (25, 26), respectively, thereby making it less likely for people to trip and improving the overall appearance.

[0032] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility. In the above embodiment, the power supply unit 22, which includes the power transmission unit 221 arranged opposite the power receiving unit 181 of the electric scooter 10, is fixed to the main body 21 of the charging station 20. In addition, a lifting mechanism may be provided to lift the power supply unit 22 so that the power transmission unit 221 approaches the power receiving unit 181 even more closely when the wheels (15, 16) of the electric scooter 10 are fitted into the holes (25, 26).

[0033] For example, similar to the charging station 20, the main body 41 of the charging station 40 shown in FIG. 6 has a front hole 45 and a rear hole 46 spaced apart, and the power supply unit 22 is disposed between the front hole 45 and the rear hole 46. Cover members 47 and 48 that rotate about shafts 47a and 48a are provided on the upper surfaces of the front hole 45 and the rear hole 46. A contact portion 47b and a support member 43 are provided on the underside of the cover member 47 (48). The support member 43 (44) is provided on the power supply unit 22 side of the shaft 47a (48a), and the contact portion 47b (48b) is provided on the opposite side (outside) of the power supply unit 22 from the shaft 47a (48a). The support members 43 and 44 are a lifting mechanism for the power supply unit 22 and are rotatably attached to the side of the power supply unit 22. Furthermore, a switch member 49a is disposed on the bottom surface of the front hole 45, against which the contact portion 47b comes into contact when the cover member 47 is rotated. The switch member 49a is connected to the power supply unit 22 via an electric wire 49b.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 7 , when the wheels (15, 16) of the electric scooter 10 are positioned above the contact portions 47b, 48b of the holes (45, 46), the contact portions 47b, 48b are pushed downward. This causes the cover members 47, 48 to rotate about the shafts 47a, 48a, tilting the support members 43, 44. This causes the power supply unit 22, to which the ends of the support members 43, 44 are attached, to rise. As a result, the power supply unit 22 can be moved closer to the power receiving portion 181 of the drive unit 18 of the electric scooter 10. When the wheels (15, 16) are released from the holes (45, 46), the cover members 47, 48 rotate to a horizontal position. In this case, the support members 43, 44 also rotate in conjunction with this, causing the power supply unit 22 to descend. Furthermore, the lifting mechanism that raises the power supply unit in conjunction with the wheel fitting into the hole and lowers the power supply unit in conjunction with the wheel disengaging from the hole is not limited to a mechanism that uses a cover member, but may also be a mechanism that raises and lowers the power supply unit using other members.

[0035] Furthermore, a position adjustment mechanism for adjusting the horizontal position of the power transmission unit of the power supply unit may be provided. For example, the control unit of the power supply unit stores position data for the horizontal position of the power receiving unit associated with the type of electric scooter. Here, the horizontal position of the power receiving unit is a two-dimensional coordinate based on the front wheel fitted into the front hole 45. Then, a position adjustment mechanism for moving the power supply unit within a horizontal plane (X direction and Y direction) is provided in the main body of the charging station. When the front wheel of the electric scooter is detected to be fitted, the control unit obtains type information from the electric scooter and identifies the horizontal position of the power receiving unit corresponding to this type from the position data. Then, the control unit controls the position adjustment mechanism so that the power transmission unit of the power supply unit is positioned directly below the identified horizontal position.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the holes (25, 26) in which the wheels (15, 16) are fitted in the charging station 20 are configured to have a rectangular parallelepiped shape. However, the holes (25, 26) are not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped shape and may have any shape that allows the wheels to be fitted in place so as to prevent the wheels from moving.

[0037] For example, as shown in Fig. 8, a front hole 55 and a rear hole 56 are provided at a distance from each other on the main body 51 of the charging station 50. In this case, the front hole 55 and the rear hole 56 are configured with inclined surfaces 55a, 56a that become wider as they extend upward on the sides facing the power supply unit 22. This allows for easy attachment and detachment of the wheels (15, 16). Furthermore, drainage holes of a size that does not affect the ease of attachment and detachment of the front hole 55 and rear hole 56 may be provided in the bottom portions of the front hole 55 and rear hole 56 .

[0038] In the above embodiment, the cover members 27, 28 are configured to rotate so that the wheels (15, 16) fit into the holes (25, 26). The cover members covering the upper surfaces of the holes may be configured to open. For example, the cover members may be configured to open like double doors when the wheels are positioned at the top.

[0039] 8, shafts 57a, 58a around which cover members 57, 58 covering the holes (55, 56) rotate may be provided on the outer ends of the cover members 57, 58 (opposite the power supply unit 22). In this case, contact portions 57b, 58b and springs 57s, 58s are provided on the lower surfaces of the cover members 57, 58. As a result, when the wheels (15, 16) are released from the holes (55, 56), the compressive forces of the springs 57s, 58s press the cover members 57, 58 upward, thereby covering the upper surfaces of the holes (55, 56).

[0040] In the above embodiment, the switch member 29a is provided in the front hole 25 into which the front wheel 15 fits. The member that detects that the position of the electric scooter 10 is fixed is not limited to a member that detects the fitment state of the wheel in the hole. For example, it is sufficient if it can detect the fitment state of the lower end (ground contact portion) of the electric scooter 10 that comes into contact with the ground in the hole. Specifically, an infrared sensor or the like may be used instead of the switch member 29a, which is a mechanical switch. Furthermore, instead of being limited to a configuration that detects that the front wheel 15 is fitted into the front hole, a switch member may be provided in the rear hole into which the rear wheel 16 is fitted. In this case, the control unit may start charging only when it detects that the front wheel 15 and the rear wheel 16 are fitted into the holes by contacting contact portions with the switch member from both the front wheel 15 and the rear wheel 16. Alternatively, charging may start only when it detects that the rear wheel 16 is fitted into the rear hole. Furthermore, the charging station may be provided with a hole into which the stand 17 of the electric scooter 10 fits. In this case, charging may start only when it is detected that the stand 17 as the grounding part is fitted into the hole, or when it is detected that the wheel (at least one of the front wheel 15 and the rear wheel 16) and the stand 17 are fitted into the hole.

[0041] In the above embodiment, the charging station 20 is provided with a switch member 29a in the front hole 25 into which the front wheel 15 fits. In addition, the charging station may be provided with an alarm device that notifies the driver of a parked state, a charging state, an on / off state of a switch, etc. For example, charging station 20 may be provided with a display unit that operates upon receiving an ON signal from a switch member. Specifically, an LED light may be provided that lights up when the switch member receives an ON signal and power is being supplied. Also, instead of an LED light, a liquid crystal monitor, a speaker that outputs sound or vibration, or the like may be provided to notify the status. If an alarm device is provided to notify the user of the stopped state with the wheels or the like fitted into the holes, the user can know that the electric scooter 10 has been stopped properly by the notification from the alarm device. Also, if an alarm device is provided to notify the charging state, the indicator may be displayed in red while charging, and may be displayed in a different color (e.g., green) or turned off when charging is complete.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the charging station 20 charges an electric scooter with one front wheel and one rear wheel. The moving object to be charged may be any moving object with at least one front wheel and one rear wheel, such as a three-wheel moving object with two front or two rear wheels, or a four-wheel moving object with two front and two rear wheels. In this case, charging may begin when it is detected that at least one wheel is fitted into a hole, or when it is detected that all wheels are fitted into a hole. Furthermore, a pair of wheels, one on each side of the moving object's body, such as a Segway (registered trademark), may be charged.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the charging station 20 charges the electric scooter 10. However, the mobile object that the charging station charges is not limited to an electric scooter, and may be any mobile object with a main body that drives wheels and connects the front and rear wheels, such as an electrically assisted skateboard or an electric scooter with a seat. In this case, it is preferable that the mobile object has a power receiving unit located near the power transmitting unit 221 of the charging station 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] C1...center axis, M1...driving motor, 10...electric kick scooter, 11...board body as main body, 11c, 12c...tire cover, 11f...back fork, 12...handle shaft, 12f...front fork, 13...connecting member, 14...handle portion, 15...front wheel as ground contact portion, 16...rear wheel, 17...stand, 18...driving unit, 20, 40, 50...charging station, 21, 41, 51...main body, 22...power supply unit, 25, 45, 55...front hole, 26, 46, 56...rear hole, 27, 28, 47, 48, 57, 58...cover member, 27a, 28a, 47a, 48a, 57a, 58a...shaft, 27b, 28b, 47b, 48b, 57b, 58b...contact portion, 27w, 28w...weight portion, 29a, 49a...switch member, 29b, 49b...electric wire, 43, 44...support member, 180...storage portion, 181...power receiving portion, 185...drive portion, 220...control portion, 221...power transmitting portion.

Claims

1. A charging station for transmitting electric power to a mobile object, the charging station including: a plurality of wheels; a power mechanism for driving at least one of the wheels; a main body for connecting the plurality of wheels; and a power receiving unit attached to the main body for contactlessly receiving electric power for driving the power mechanism, a hole into which a grounding portion of the moving body is fitted; a power supply unit disposed at a position facing the power receiving unit when the grounding portion is fitted into the hole; a control unit that detects the engagement of the grounding portion and enables the power supply unit to start supplying power to the power receiving unit; a cover member disposed above the hole and covering the hole, A charging station, characterized in that the wheels are fitted into the holes by placing the wheels on the cover member.

2. 2. The charging station according to claim 1, further comprising a lifting mechanism that lifts the power supply unit in conjunction with the wheel fitting into the hole and lowers the power supply unit in conjunction with the wheel disengaging from the hole.

3. A charging station for transmitting power to a mobile body having a plurality of wheels, a power mechanism for driving at least one of the wheels, a main body for connecting the plurality of wheels, and a power receiving unit attached to the main body for contactlessly receiving power for driving the power mechanism, a hole into which a grounding portion of the moving body is fitted; a power supply unit disposed at a position facing the power receiving unit when the grounding portion is fitted into the hole; a control unit that detects the engagement of the grounding portion and enables the power supply unit to start supplying power to the power receiving unit, The plurality of wheels are front wheels and rear wheels, The charging station is characterized in that the holes include a front hole into which the front wheels fit and a rear hole into which the rear wheels fit.

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