Power supply device for mobile equipment

Abstract

To provide a power feeder for a mobile device capable of easily implementing positional accuracy for feeding electric power without depending on a handling skill when electric power is fed to a secondary battery mounted on a device formed to be movable with wheels or the like.SOLUTION: A rail comprises a pair of side walls erected across a passageway through which a wheel of a mobile device passes. A terminal accommodating part is arranged on a front side or a rear side in a travel direction of the wheel traveling between the pair of side walls and is attached to the mobile device. A power receiving terminal receives electric power to be fed to a secondary battery installed in the mobile device, and is movably provided along a width direction of the mobile device between a position of being accommodated in the terminal accommodating part and a position of coming out from the terminal accommodating part. A terminal receiving part is groove-shaped, and is provided in one side wall of the rail, and the power receiving terminal that moves along the width direction of the mobile device is inserted into the terminal receiving part. A power-transmitting terminal is arranged on a surface where the power receiving terminal inside the terminal receiving part slides during movement thereof, that is present over a longitudinal direction of the rail, and comes into contact with and transmits power to the power receiving terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0006]

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a power supply device for a mobile device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, devices called cart POSs and the like have been used. A cart POS is a conventional shopping cart equipped with a tablet-type or smartphone-type portable terminal, and the portable terminal accepts operations such as product registration operations by customers. Since such devices as cart POSs require power for the operation of the portable terminal, they are equipped with a secondary battery. Charging of the secondary battery is performed when the device is stacked at a predetermined standby location.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for charging a secondary battery at a predetermined standby location by non-contact charging. However, in the case of non-contact charging, it is difficult to achieve sufficient charging unless the facing position between the equipment on the power transmission side and the power reception side is appropriate, and various devices are required to make the facing position appropriate.

[0004] In addition, shopping carts are stacked at a predetermined standby location and are provided so that an unspecified number of customers can freely use them. Also, they may be stacked in a last-in, first-out manner. Therefore, it is not always the case that customers take out the cart POSs in order from those with relatively sufficient charging.

[0005] In the above, the cart POS has been described as an example, but the same problems exist for any mobile body configured to be movable by wheels or the like and operating by power supply from a mounted secondary battery (mobile device). Examples of such devices include, in addition to the cart POS, for example, a self-propelled robot device and a handcart-type device equipped with a function (assist function) for assisting the force for movement.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a power supply device for mobile equipment that can easily achieve positional accuracy for power supply to a secondary battery mounted on a device configured to be movable by wheels or the like, regardless of the skill of handling the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The power supply device for mobile equipment according to this embodiment comprises a rail, a terminal storage section, a power receiving terminal, a terminal receiving section, and a power transmitting terminal. The rail has a passage for the wheels of the mobile equipment to pass through and a pair of side walls erected on either side of the passage. The terminal storage section is container-shaped and is attached to the mobile equipment, positioned on the front or rear side in the direction of travel of the wheels moving between the pair of side walls. The power receiving terminal receives power to a secondary battery mounted on the mobile equipment and is provided to be movable along the width direction of the mobile equipment between a position where it is stored in the terminal storage section and a position where it is removed from the terminal storage section. The terminal receiving section is groove-shaped and is provided on one of the side walls, into which the power receiving terminal, which has moved along the width direction of the mobile equipment, is inserted. One or more power transmitting terminals are arranged on the inside of the terminal receiving section, on the surface where the power receiving terminal slides when it moves, and are present along the longitudinal direction of the rail, contacting the power receiving terminal and transmitting power to it. Furthermore, the power receiving terminal is configured such that a positive terminal is positioned on one of the upper and lower surfaces of the arm portion that moves in and out of the terminal housing portion, and a negative terminal is positioned on the other surface. The power transmitting terminal is configured such that one of the negative terminal and the positive terminal is positioned on the upper surface of the terminal receiving portion, and the other is positioned on the lower surface of the terminal receiving portion. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance and structure of a mobile device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the external appearance and structure of a power supply device for mobile devices. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the structure on the power transmission side. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of the power receiving side. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the relative positional changes between the power receiving terminal, terminal housing, terminal receiving section, and power transmitting terminal. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the transition of the relative positions of the power receiving terminal, terminal housing, terminal receiving section, and power transmitting terminal. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating the relative positional changes between the power receiving terminal, terminal housing, terminal receiving section, and power transmitting terminal. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the relative positional changes between the power receiving terminal, the terminal housing, the terminal receiving section, and the power transmitting terminal. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view illustrating the relative positional changes between the power receiving terminal, terminal housing, terminal receiving section, and power transmission terminal. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the relative positional changes between the power receiving terminal, the terminal housing, the terminal receiving section, and the power transmission terminal. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between the wheel and the projection provided within the rail. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between the wheel and the projection provided within the rail. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] (First Embodiment) An embodiment of a power supply device for mobile devices will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance and structure of a mobile device according to the embodiment. The cart POS 100 is an example of a mobile device and consists of a cart 1, a self-service terminal 2, a handheld scanner 3, a secondary battery 4, and a power receiving unit 5.

[0010] Each diagram includes a three-dimensional coordinate system to aid in understanding the structure. The width of cart 1 is the X-axis direction, the front-to-back direction of cart 1 is the Y-axis direction, and the height of cart 1 is the Z-axis direction. The positive Y-axis is the forward direction of cart 1, and the negative Y-axis is the backward direction of cart 1. The positive X-axis is the direction from left to right for the customer operating cart 1. The positive Z-axis is the direction from bottom to top.

[0011] Cart 1 is a shopping cart that is moved by being pushed by an operator and is installed in retail stores such as supermarkets and shopping malls for customers to use to transport goods within the store. Cart 1 consists of a base 11, a holding part 12, a vertical frame 13, a holder 14, a handle part 15, and a support column 17. The side with the handle part 15 is the rear side of Cart 1.

[0012] The base unit 11 is equipped with wheels (a pair of front wheels 111 and 112 and a pair of rear wheels 113 and 114). The distance between front wheel 111 and front wheel 112 is narrower than the distance between rear wheels 113 and 114. The shaft of each wheel is supported by a fork having a swivel section. This allows each wheel to pivot by swiveling around an axis that is torsion of the shaft.

[0013] The base portion 11 comprises an outer frame portion 91, an inner frame portion 92, a contact portion 93, and a stopper 94.

[0014] The outer frame portion 91 has a roughly U-shape, with the bent portion at the front and the rear end open. The aforementioned wheels (a pair of front wheels 111, 112 and a pair of rear wheels 113, 114) are provided at the four corners of the outer frame portion 91.

[0015] The inner frame portion 92 is positioned within the outer frame portion 91 and, like the outer frame portion 91, has a roughly U-shape, with the bent portion at the front and the rear portion open. The bent portion of the inner frame portion 92 is folded to protrude upward and forms a contact portion 93. The inner frame portion 92 has dimensions in the front-to-back direction that are similar to the outer frame portion 91, but its width is narrower than the outer frame portion 91. The inner frame portion 92 is also formed to accommodate the bottom of a product basket for storing goods.

[0016] The outer frame 91 and inner frame 92 are designed so that their width increases from the front to the rear and their height from the floor increases. This allows the inner frame 92 of a subsequent cart 1 to be inserted into the inner frame 92, and the carts 1 can be stacked front to back.

[0017] When the contact part 93 presses the front end part of the product cage placed on the inner frame part 92 and interferes with the stopper 94 of the base part 11 of the front cart 1 in a state of abutting when a plurality of carts 1 are stacked, it has a function of regulating the interval between the carts 1.

[0018] The stopper 94 is the object against which the contact part 93 abuts. The position of the stopper 94 is set so as to make appropriate the distance between the front and rear carts.

[0019] The holding part 12 is a cage-shaped container provided above the base part 11 and having an open upper surface, and holds luggage (products that the customer plans to purchase). The holding part 12 includes, on the rear side, a back plate 121 whose upper side is held rotatably inside the cage-shaped holding part 12. The back plate 121 rotates when pushed from the back to the front and can be flipped up. Thereby, the subsequent cart 1 can insert the holding part 12 into the front holding part 12 by pushing the back plate 121 of the front cart at the front end part of the holding part 12. Further, the holding part 12 gradually becomes narrower in width and higher at the bottom from the rear side toward the front side. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 1, when the carts 1 are stacked one on top of the other in the front-rear direction, the front and rear holding parts 12 are in a nested state.

[0020] The vertical frame 13 connects the base part 11 and the holding part 12, supports the holding part 12, and is positioned above the base part 11.

[0021] Note that the cart 1 does not necessarily have a form in which it itself includes a cage-shaped container (holding part 12). For example, it may have a cage receiving part for receiving a product cage for storing products, and this cage receiving part and the product cage may function as the holding part 12.

[0022] [[ID=二十]] The holder 14 is located below the holding part 12 and houses the secondary battery 4. The secondary battery 4 is a battery that stores the power received by the power receiving part 5. The power stored in the secondary battery 4 is consumed to operate the self terminal 2.

[0023] The handle portion 15 is the part that customers grasp to move the cart 1 and is located on the upper part of the vertical frame 13. In this embodiment, the handle portion 15 is at the rear, and the direction in which the holding portion 12 protrudes from the handle portion 15 is forward.

[0024] Furthermore, the support column 17 is attached to the vertical frame 13 and supports the self-service terminal 2 for registering products to be sold, and is positioned above the handle portion 15.

[0025] Self-service terminal 2 is a tablet-type information processing device attached to cart 1 that displays information for the customer and accepts operations corresponding to the displayed content. Self-service terminal 2 also functions as a sales registration device, displaying and registering product information identified by product codes read via handheld scanner 3.

[0026] The handheld scanner 3 reads the product code and outputs it to the self-service terminal 2. The product code is information (identification information) that can identify (or specify) a product. The product code is shown on the surface of the product in the form of a barcode or the like. In this embodiment, product identification is not limited to barcode reading by the handheld scanner 3; products may also be identified by technology that identifies objects from the surface characteristics of objects (object recognition).

[0027] The self-service terminal 2 operates using power charged in the secondary battery 4 housed in the holder 14. The power receiving unit 5 receives power from the power transmitting unit 6 (see Figure 2, described later) and sends that power to the secondary battery 4.

[0028] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance and structure of a mobile power supply device 7. The mobile power supply device 7 consists of a rail 8, a power receiving unit 5, and a power transmitting unit 6. The rail 8 is installed in a location where the cart POS 100 will be stacked and holds the cart POS 100. In this embodiment, the direction of travel of the cart POS 100 held on the rail 8 is one-way, and the stacking is first-in, first-out. The rail 8 has a passage 81 for one of the rear wheels 113 of the cart POS 100 to pass through, and a pair of side walls 82, 83 erected on either side of the passage 81.

[0029] The side walls 82 and 83 of the rail 8 face each other, sandwiching the rear wheels 113 in the axial direction. The side walls 82 and 83 determine the direction of travel of the rear wheels 113, thereby setting the direction of travel of all wheels 111 to 114 to one direction, and the cart 1 moves along the direction (longitudinal direction) guided by the rail 8 without meandering.

[0030] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of the rail 8 and the power transmission unit 6. The side wall 82 of the rail 8 has an upper section 821 and a lower section 822. Similarly, the side wall 83 also has an upper section 831 and a lower section 832. The lower sections 822 and 832 are located below the upper sections 821 and 831. In other words, the rail 8 is divided into two sections: the upper sections 821 and 831 and the lower sections 822 and 832. The ends of the upper sections 821 and 831 are located above the lower sections 822 and 832, forming a stepped difference between them.

[0031] The lower sections 822 and 832 restrict the movement of the rear wheel 113 in the width direction (X-axis direction). The upper sections 821 and 831 restrict the movement of the terminal housing section 51 (see Figure 4, described later) which constitutes the power receiving section 5 in the width direction. The ends of the lower sections 822 and 832 protrude further along the longitudinal direction of the rail 8 than the ends of the upper sections 821 and 831.

[0032] The ends of the upper sections 821 and 831 are significantly chamfered to form a bevel 84. Similarly, the ends of the lower sections 822 and 832 are also significantly chamfered to form a bevel 85. The bevels 84 and 85 are inclined so that they are wider at the ends and narrower at the back. The bevel 84 guides the terminal housing section 51. The bevel 85 guides the wheel 113.

[0033] Furthermore, the rail 8 is equipped with an upward-projecting projection 86 at the entrance to the passage 81. The height of the projection 86 is less than the radius of the wheel 113.

[0034] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of the power receiving unit 5. The power receiving unit 5 comprises a terminal storage unit 51, a power receiving terminal 52, an arm portion 53, and a biasing member 54. The terminal storage unit 51 is a container-shaped member that houses the power receiving terminal 52, the arm portion 53, and the biasing member 54. The terminal storage unit 51 is positioned in front of the rear wheel 113 and attached to the cart POS 100. Here, "front side" refers to the front side of the cart 1 in the front-rear direction, and also to the front side in the direction of travel when the rear wheel 113 moves between a pair of side walls 82, 83.

[0035] In this embodiment, the terminal storage section 51 is located in front of the rear wheel 113. However, in practice, the power receiving section 5 can function similarly even if the terminal storage section 51 is located behind the rear wheel 113 instead of to the side (adjacent to the left and right). Nevertheless, it is considered that the power receiving section 5 is better protected and less prone to damage or other problems if it is located in front of the rear wheel 113 rather than behind.

[0036] The power receiving terminal 52 receives power supplied from the power transmission unit 6. The power received by the power receiving terminal 52 is stored in the secondary battery 4 mounted on the cart POS 100. The power receiving terminal 52 is attached to one end of the arm portion 53. In this embodiment, the power receiving terminal 52 has a positive terminal on the upper surface and a negative terminal on the lower surface of the arm portion 53 that moves in and out of the terminal storage portion 51, forming a pair of upper and lower terminals.

[0037] The arm portion 53 to which the power receiving terminal 52 is attached is provided so as to be movable along the width direction (X-axis direction) of the cart POS 100 between a position where it is stored in the terminal storage portion 51 and a position where the power receiving terminal 52 is removed from the terminal storage portion 51. The biasing member 54 is, for example, a coil spring, and biases the arm portion 53 in a direction that returns (pushes back) the power receiving terminal 52, which is in the position removed from the terminal storage portion 51, back into the terminal storage portion 51. A roller 531 is provided at the end of the arm portion 53 that is pulled by the biasing member 54 (i.e., the end opposite to the end on which the power receiving terminal 52 is provided).

[0038] Furthermore, the terminal storage section 51 is provided with a groove-shaped recess 511. The recess 511 is an example of an engaging part provided in the terminal storage section 51 that slidably engages with the upper edge of the side wall 83. When the rear wheels 113 of the cart 1 pass through the passage 81 of the rail 8, the upper part 831 of the side wall 83 slides into this recess 511. As a result, the terminal storage section 51 is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the rail 8, but immobile in the width direction of the rail 8.

[0039] Furthermore, the terminal storage section 51 is provided with an opening 512 through which the end of the arm section 53 to which the power receiving terminal 52 is attached enters and exits.

[0040] Next, returning to Figure 3, the power transmission unit 6 includes a terminal receiving section 61 and power transmission terminals 62 and 63. The terminal receiving section 61 is a groove-shaped portion provided on one side wall 83, into which the power receiving terminal 52, which moves along the width direction of the cart POS 100, is inserted.

[0041] The power transmission terminals 62 and 63 contact the power receiving terminal 52 to transmit power to the power receiving terminal 52. They are located on the inside of the terminal receiving portion 61, on the surface where the power receiving terminal 52 slides when it moves, and they extend over almost the entire length of the rail 8.

[0042] Furthermore, the power transmission terminals 62 and 63 are opposite each other vertically, with power transmission terminal 62 located on the lower surface of the terminal receiving portion 61 being the positive terminal, and power transmission terminal 63 located on the upper surface being the negative terminal. Note that the positive and negative poles of power transmission terminals 62 and 63 may be reversed. In that case, the positive and negative poles of the power receiving terminal 52 will also be reversed.

[0043] The power transmission terminals 62 and 63 may be continuous in the longitudinal direction of the rail 8, but in this embodiment, they are not, and multiple terminals of a predetermined length are arranged in the longitudinal direction and in parallel. Furthermore, adjacent power transmission terminals 62 and 63 are arranged in an alternating staggered pattern, so that the power receiving terminal 52 will always intersect (touch) one or more power transmission terminals 62 and 63 without being affected by the absence of power transmission terminals 62 (gaps). Note that the staggered arrangement of power transmission terminals 62 makes it easier to customize the length of the rail 8 compared to having them continuous in the longitudinal direction.

[0044] Figures 5 to 10 illustrate the transition of the relative positions of the power receiving terminal 52, the terminal housing 51, the terminal receiving portion 61, and the power transmitting terminals 62 and 63. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the first stage of transition, and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the first stage of transition. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the second stage of transition, and Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the second stage of transition. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the third stage of transition, and Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the third stage of transition.

[0045] As the wheel 113 moves forward along the passage 81 (in the positive direction of the Y-axis), the terminal storage section 51 approaches the upper section 831 of the side wall 83, and in the first stage shown in Figures 5 and 6, the roller 531 comes into contact with the slope 84. At this point, the tip of the upper section 831 is inserted into the recess 511.

[0046] Next, in the second stage shown in Figures 7 and 8, as the wheel 113 moves further forward, the terminal housing 51 moves, and consequently the roller 531 rolls along the slope 84, and the arm 53 moves in the negative direction of the X axis against the biasing force of the biasing member 54. As the roller 531 rolls along the slope 84, the power receiving terminal 52 is gradually inserted deeper into the terminal receiving portion 61.

[0047] Next, in the third stage shown in Figures 9 and 10, as the wheel 113 moves further forward and the terminal housing 51 moves, the roller 531 passes the slope 84 and rolls forward along the inner surface of the upper section 831 (the surface facing the upper section 821). At this stage, the power receiving terminal 52 provided at the opposite end of the arm section 53 is completely detached from the terminal housing 51 and fully inserted into the terminal receiving section 61. The pair of power receiving terminals 52 inserted into the terminal receiving section 61 are in contact with the power transmission terminals 62 and 63 on the lower and upper surfaces of the terminal receiving section 61.

[0048] Thus, according to this embodiment, by inserting the wheel 113 into the rail 8, the power transmission terminals 62, 63 and the power receiving terminal 52 can be brought into contact, thereby enabling power to be supplied from the power transmission unit 6 to the power receiving unit 5.

[0049] This type of power supply device 7 for mobile equipment makes it easy to achieve precise positional accuracy for power supply when supplying power to the secondary battery 4 mounted on the cart POS 100, which is movable on wheels 111-114, regardless of the operator's skill in handling the device. In other words, even if the operator of the cart 1 does not need to be aware of the relative positions of the power receiving terminal 52 and the power transmitting terminal 62, the power receiving terminal 52 and the power transmitting terminal 62, 63 can be reliably brought into contact by inserting the cart 1's wheels 113 into the rail 8. Therefore, while the cart POS 100 is held on the rail 8, the secondary battery 4 can be reliably charged without failures such as insufficient terminal opposition.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the contact direction (vertical direction) between the receiving terminal 52 and the transmitting terminals 62 and 63 is intersected with the movement direction (width direction) of the receiving terminal 52. With this structure, the positional accuracy required to make contact between the terminals can be relaxed compared to the case where the contact direction and the movement direction coincide (for example, both are in the width direction). Moreover, by making the receiving terminal 52 elastically flexible in the vertical direction, the contact state with the transmitting terminals 62 and 63 can be made more reliable. Therefore, according to the structure of this embodiment, the risk of poor terminal contact can be reduced and the reliability of charging can be increased compared to, for example, a structure in which the terminals are in contact in a butt-to-butt state.

[0051] Furthermore, since the ends of the lower sections 822 and 832 protrude more than the ends of the upper sections 821 and 831, the power receiving terminals 52 can be extended and retracted without the direction of travel of the wheel 113 wavering. This prevents problems such as the power receiving section 5 being damaged by hitting the rail 8.

[0052] Here, the rail 8 has projections 86 at the entrance and exit of the passage 81, so that the cart POS 100 is configured to be first-in, first-out. Figures 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views illustrating the relationship between the wheel 113 and the projections 86 provided in the rail 8.

[0053] First, as briefly mentioned in the description of wheels 111-114 above, the shaft 95 of wheel 113 is supported by a fork 97 having a swivel section 96. The axis of the swivel section 96 and the shaft 95 are in a torsional position. This allows wheel 113 to swivel.

[0054] The projection 86 protrudes upward from the entrance and exit of the passage 81. As mentioned above, the height of the projection 86 is less than the radius of the wheel 113. The projection 86 also has a slope 861 that gradually rises from the end of the rail 8 toward the back, and a step 863 that descends almost vertically from the top 862 toward the passage 81. Such a projection 86 functions as a mild wheel stopper, allowing the wheel 113 to move forward while making it difficult to move backward.

[0055] When wheel 113 enters rail 8 in the forward direction, wheel 113 ascends slope 861 and descends onto passage 81 after passing the top 862. During this process, wheel 113 has the swivel section 96 in front of it and the shaft 95 behind it, making it difficult for it to swing its head and allowing it to move forward smoothly.

[0056] Conversely, if the wheel 113 moves backward (towards the left in the figure) from the state shown in Figure 11, the swivel section 96 will be located behind the wheel 113 in the direction of travel, making it easier for the wheel 113 to swivel. If the wheel 113 swivels, or turns its head, it will hit the side wall 82 or 83, preventing it from smoothly dismounting from the rail 8. The projection 86 is provided to make it easier for the wheel 113 to swivel and to make it difficult for it to dismount from the rail 8 by moving backward.

[0057] Next, if the wheel 113 moves forward (to the right in the figure) from the state shown in Figure 12, the turning section 96 will be located ahead of the wheel 113 in the direction of travel, making it difficult for the wheel 113 to turn. If the wheel 113 has difficulty turning, it can easily overcome the step 863 and the top 862, descend the slope 861, and escape from the rail 8.

[0058] This structure makes it difficult for the cart POS100 to detach from rail 8 when moving backward, but easy when moving forward.

[0059] As the cart POS100 moves forward along the aisle 81 and disengages from the rail 8, the upper section 831 disengages from the recess 511 of the terminal storage section 51, followed by the wheels 113 disengaging from the lower section 832. The movement of the power receiving terminal 52 and the arm section 53 during this process is the reverse of the movement described above as the first to third stages. In other words, the arm section 53, pulled by the biasing member 54, moves in the positive direction of the X-axis as the roller 531 rolls along the slope 84 on the exit side of the upper section 831, and returns to the terminal storage section 51.

[0060] As described above, with the structure of this embodiment, the wheels 113 can easily move in and out of the rail 8 only in the forward direction, and it is difficult for them to move backward. Therefore, the cart POS 100 can be loaded onto the rail 8 in a first-in, first-out manner. Thus, the cart POS 100 that is first placed on the rail 8 will be used before the cart POS 100 that is placed on the rail 8 later. Therefore, a cart POS 100 that has been charged for a longer period of time can be made available for customer use.

[0061] Furthermore, since the ends of the lower sections 822 and 832 protrude more than the ends of the upper sections 821 and 831, when the wheel 113 moves up and down to cross the projection 86, the power receiving terminal 52 is housed in the terminal housing section 51, and the terminal housing section 51 does not interfere with the upper sections 821 and 831. Therefore, it is possible to prevent problems such as the power receiving section 5 being damaged by hitting the rail 8 due to the up and down movement of the cart POS 100 when the wheel 113 moves up and down to cross the projection 86.

[0062] (modified version) The above embodiments can be modified and implemented as appropriate by changing some of the configurations or functions of each of the devices described above. For example, in the above embodiments, the cart POS 100 was described as an example of a mobile device, but in implementation, the mobile device does not have to be the cart POS 100, but any mobile body configured to move with wheels or the like, and which operates on power supplied from the mounted secondary battery 4. Specific examples of mobile devices include self-propelled robot devices and pushcart-type devices equipped with a function to assist the force required for movement (assist function), which move on the floor surface by the rotation of wheels in contact with the floor surface.

[0063] Furthermore, although the arm portion 53 is equipped with a roller 531 in the above embodiment, in practice, the arm portion 53 may not be equipped with a roller 531, and the portion of the roller 531 may be made of a curved surface or the like that can slide smoothly with the inclined surface 84.

[0064] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, one rear wheel 113 is held by a single rail 8, but in implementation, there may be a rail that holds the other rear wheel 114. In that case, the power transmission unit 6 may be provided on only one rail 8, or both rails may be equipped with the power transmission unit 6. Moreover, if both rails are equipped with the power transmission unit 6, the positive and negative electrodes may be provided on different rails. Furthermore, in that case, the position where the power transmission terminals are provided on the terminal receiving portion 61 may be on either the upper or lower surface of the terminal receiving portion 61.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the operator of the cart POS 100, such as a customer, needs to operate the cart POS 100 so that the wheels 113 are held on the rails 8. To assist in maneuvering the cart POS 100 in this manner, it is considered preferable to provide some kind of guidance, such as drawing the outline of the cart 1 in plan view on the floor and indicating the direction of movement of the cart 1 with arrows or text.

[0066] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 100... Cart POS, 1... Cart, 11...base part, 91...outer frame part, 92...inner frame part, 93...contact part, 94...stopper, 111-114...Wheels (111, 112...Front wheels, 113, 114...Rear wheels) 12...Holding part, 121...Back plate, 13...Vertical frame, 14...Holder, 15...Handle section, 17...Support column, 2... Self-service terminal, 3... Handheld scanner, 4...Secondary battery, 5 ... Power receiving section, 51...Terminal storage section, 511...Recess, 512...Opening, 52... Power receiving terminal, 53...arm section, 531...roller, 54 ... Biasing member, 6...power transmission section, 61...terminal receiving section, 62, 63...power transmission terminals, 7. Power supply device for mobile equipment, 8...rail, 81...passageway, 82, 83... side walls, 821, 831... upper section, 822, 832... lower section, 84,85...Slope, 86...Protrusion. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0068] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-024705 [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2008-545204

Claims

1. A rail having a passage for the wheels of a mobile device to pass through and a pair of side walls erected on either side of the passage, A container-shaped terminal housing is attached to the mobile device and positioned on the front or rear side in the direction of travel of the wheel moving between a pair of side walls, A power receiving terminal is provided to receive power to a secondary battery mounted on the aforementioned mobile device, and is movable along the width direction of the mobile device between a position where it is housed in the terminal housing and a position where it is removed from the terminal housing. A groove-shaped terminal receiving portion is provided on one of the side walls, into which the power receiving terminal, which moves along the width direction of the mobile device, is inserted. One or more power transmission terminals are provided, located on the inner surface of the terminal receiving portion, on which the power receiving terminal slides during movement, extending along the longitudinal direction of the rail, and contacting the power receiving terminal to transmit power to the power receiving terminal. Equipped with, The power receiving terminal is configured such that a positive terminal is positioned on one of the upper and lower surfaces of the arm portion that moves in and out of the terminal housing portion, and a negative terminal is positioned on the other surface. The power transmission terminal has one of its terminals, a negative terminal or a positive terminal, positioned on the upper surface of the terminal receiving portion, and the other terminal positioned on the lower surface of the terminal receiving portion. Power supply device for mobile equipment.

2. A rail having a passage for the wheels of a mobile device to pass through and a pair of side walls erected on either side of the passage, A power receiving terminal that receives power to a secondary battery mounted on the aforementioned mobile device, A groove-shaped terminal receiving portion is provided on one of the side walls, into which the power receiving terminal is inserted as the mobile device moves along the width direction, One or more power transmission terminals are provided, located on the inner surface of the terminal receiving portion, on which the power receiving terminal slides during movement, extending along the longitudinal direction of the rail, and contacting the power receiving terminal to transmit power to the power receiving terminal. A container-shaped terminal housing is provided, which is positioned on the front or rear side in the direction of travel of the wheel moving between a pair of side walls and attached to the moving device, and is slidably connected to the other side wall along the longitudinal direction of the rail, An arm portion is provided such that the power receiving terminal is attached to one end and is movable between a position in which the power receiving terminal is housed in the terminal housing and a position in which it is disengaged from the terminal housing, the power receiving terminal is biased to return to the inside of the terminal housing, and when the engaging portion engages with the other side wall, the other end interferes with the other side wall, causing the power receiving terminal to move against the biasing force in a direction that disengages from the terminal housing, A power supply device for mobile equipment equipped with the following features.

3. The rail is provided with a projection that protrudes upward at the entrance to the passage, at a height less than the radius of the wheel. The power supply device for mobile equipment according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned side wall is An upper section that restricts the movement of the terminal housing section in the width direction, A lower section is located below the upper section, the end of which protrudes further along the longitudinal direction of the rail than the end of the upper section, and which restricts the movement of the wheel in the width direction, A power supply device for mobile equipment according to claim 1, having the following features.

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