Automatic charging system and docking method and docking device thereof

Abstract

An automatic charging system. A charging method comprises: controlling the axis of a charging bar (1) to be in a horizontal orientation to start docking with a power receiving end (2), and enabling the axis of the charging bar (1) to deviate from the axis of the power receiving end (2) by a first set distance; enabling a front end central point of a charging bar body to gradually descend by the first set distance in the docking process, and when the front end central point coincides with the axis of the power receiving end (2), controlling the charging bar (1) to stop docking; and obtaining the inclination angle of the charging bar (1), on the basis of the inclination angle, controlling a flexible mechanism (12) to descend along a Z-axis, and completing docking when the charging bar (1) is in a horizontal orientation. According to the charging system, when docking starts, the axis of the charging bar (1) is controlled to deviate from the axis of the power receiving end (2) by a certain distance for docking, and then closed-loop control of angle orientation adjustment is introduced so as to carry out final docking in the horizontal orientation, thereby avoiding docking jam caused by the charging bar (1) being blocked by gravity and a bottom gravity spring; and the axial length of the flexible mechanism (12) can be structurally designed to be shorter, thereby miniaturizing a flexible charging head. Also comprised are a docking method and a docking device.

Description

Automatic charging system and docking method and docking device thereof Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automatic charging, and in particular to a docking method for an automatic charging system, a docking device for an automatic charging system, and an automatic charging system. Background Art

[0002] The automatic side charging system for new energy special vehicles needs to be automatically docked first. Docking in place is an important prerequisite for normal charging operations.

[0003] Currently, most automatic charging systems utilize a two-stage cylindrical guide shaft arrangement, with the smaller-diameter cylindrical guide shaft positioned in front and the larger-diameter cylindrical guide shaft positioned in the back. Automatic docking relies purely on mechanical insertion into the guide hole. Because the guide hole is a rigid inner cylindrical surface, the cylindrical guide shaft presents a risk of jamming during insertion. Furthermore, the two-stage guide shaft design makes the charging rod longer and heavier. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention is to solve the above technical problems. The first purpose of the present invention is to provide a docking method for an automatic charging system.

[0005] A second object of the present invention is to provide a docking device for an automatic charging system.

[0006] The third object of the present invention is to provide an automatic charging system.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in the present invention is as follows:

[0008] An embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention proposes a docking method for an automatic charging system, wherein the automatic charging system includes a charging rod, wherein the charging rod includes: a charging rod body and a flexible mechanism, wherein the charging rod body can rotate around a rotation fulcrum O, and the method includes the following steps: controlling the axis of the charging rod to start docking with the receiving end in a horizontal posture, and the axis of the charging rod and the receiving end deviate by a first set distance; the front end center point of the charging rod body gradually descends by a first set distance during the docking process until it coincides with the axis of the receiving end, and at the same time, obtaining the inclination angle of the charging rod, and controlling the flexible mechanism to rise / fall along the Z axis according to the inclination angle until the axis of the charging rod body coincides with the axis of the receiving end, and completing the automatic charging position docking after controlling the charging rod body to reach the set docking position.

[0009] The above-mentioned automatic charging system docking method of the present invention may also have the following additional technical features:

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the flexible mechanism comprises a universal joint, and the universal joint is arranged at the extreme end of the flexible mechanism.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, laser switches are respectively provided above and below the universal joint of the flexible mechanism to obtain the tilt angle of the charging rod.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the above method also includes: obtaining the vertical position of the charging stick body, and when the charging stick body rises or falls to the extreme position, controlling the flexible mechanism to rise or fall along the Z axis until the charging stick body is horizontal.

[0013] An embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention proposes a docking device for an automatic charging system, wherein the automatic charging system includes a charging rod, wherein the charging rod includes: a charging rod body and a flexible mechanism, wherein the charging rod body can rotate around a rotation fulcrum O, and the device includes: a first control module, wherein the first control module is used to control the axis of the charging rod to start docking with the receiving end in a horizontal posture, and the axis of the charging rod and the receiving end deviates by a first set distance; a second control module, wherein the second control module is used to control the front end center point of the charging rod body to gradually descend a first set distance during the docking process until it coincides with the axis of the receiving end, and at the same time, obtain the inclination angle of the charging rod, and control the flexible mechanism to rise / descend along the Z axis according to the inclination angle until the axis of the charging rod body coincides with the axis of the receiving end, and control the charging rod body to reach the set docking position to complete the automatic charging position docking.

[0014] The docking device of the automatic charging system proposed in the present invention may also have the following additional technical features:

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the flexible mechanism comprises a universal joint, and the universal joint is arranged at the extreme end of the flexible mechanism.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the second control module obtains the tilt angle of the charging rod through upper and lower laser switches respectively provided on the universal joint of the flexible mechanism.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the second control module is used to obtain the vertical position of the charging stick body, and when the charging stick body rises or falls to the limit position, the flexible mechanism is controlled to rise or fall along the Z axis until the charging stick body is horizontal.

[0018] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0019] The present invention controls the axis deviation of the charging rod and the receiving end to a certain distance at the beginning of docking for docking, introduces closed-loop control of angle posture adjustment during the docking process, and performs final docking in a horizontal posture, thereby avoiding the charging rod being hindered by gravity and the bottom gravity spring, resulting in docking jam. Structurally, the axial length of the flexible mechanism can be designed to be shorter, and the guide shaft can adopt a single-stage design. It can not only adapt to a wide range of parking errors, but also miniaturize the flexible charging head, reduce manufacturing costs and improve maintainability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG1 is a flow chart of a method for docking an automatic charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of an automatic charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] 3 is a schematic diagram of docking at the beginning of the position guidance phase of the automatic charging system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG4 is a force analysis diagram of a charging rod during a position guidance phase of an automatic charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] 5 is a schematic diagram of docking at the end of the position guidance phase of the automatic charging system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of position guidance phase changes of an automatic charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] FIG7 is a force analysis diagram of the coaxial guide stage of the automatic charging system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the laser switch setting position according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG9 is a block diagram of a docking device of an automatic charging system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a docking method for an automatic charging system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic charging system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the automatic charging system includes a charging rod 1, which includes a charging rod body 11 and a flexible mechanism 12. The charging rod body 11 is capable of rotating about a rotation fulcrum O.

[0031] As shown in Figure 1, the automatic charging system docking includes the following steps:

[0032] S1, controlling the axis of the charging rod to be horizontally connected to the power receiving end, and the axis of the charging rod and the power receiving end deviate by a first set distance.

[0033] The first set distance is 10-50 mm, for example, 40 mm.

[0034] The axis of the charging rod 1 is docked with the receiving end 2 in a horizontal position, and the axis deviation distance can be 40 mm, as shown in Figure 3. In Figure 3, the charging rod 1 is docked above the axis of the receiving end 2 as an example. The charging rod 1 can also be docked 40 mm below the axis of the receiving end 2.

[0035] S2: The front end center point of the charging stick gradually drops a first set distance during the docking process until it coincides with the axis of the receiving end. At the same time, the inclination angle of the charging stick is obtained, and the flexible mechanism is controlled to rise / fall along the Z axis according to the inclination angle until the axis of the charging stick coincides with the axis of the receiving end. After the charging stick reaches the set docking position, the automatic charging position docking is completed.

[0036] Specifically, the axis of the charging rod 1 is docked with the receiving end 2 in a horizontal posture, and the axis deviation distance is 40mm. As shown in Figure 3, the charging rod begins to physically contact the receiving end 2 at point P. Since the charging rod is installed at the front end of the flexible mechanism, the resistance at the rotation fulcrum O is the smallest. Therefore, during the docking process, the charging rod 1 and the contact point P will rotate around the rotation fulcrum O. The front end center point Q of the charging rod body gradually drops 40mm from the horizontal position until the front end center point Q of the charging rod body falls on the axis of the receiving end and coincides with it. From the analysis of the force vector diagram of the charging head (Figure 4), it can be seen that: during the docking process, the charging rod is subjected to a total of five forces, namely: F applied to the contact point P by the trumpet-shaped guide surface; 支撑力 , friction force f along the trumpet-shaped guide surface and in the opposite direction of the docking 摩擦力 , horizontal thrust F 推 , spring force F applied by the universal joint 弹1 and the spring force F exerted by the vertical spring 弹2 The total resultant force is 0, and the docking is carried out at a uniform speed.

[0037] Take the sliding friction coefficient as 0.3, f摩擦力 =0.3×F 支撑力 , the two forces are perpendicular to each other, and the elastic force arm L of the vertical spring 弹性力臂 =65mm. F 支撑力 The force is biased downward, causing contact point P to gradually descend during docking. The charging rod 11 rotates around the pivot point O, and position guidance ends after descending 40mm. As shown in Figure 5, the 40mm vertical axis drop causes the charging rod to tilt at an angle of approximately 4.5°. Direct coaxial guidance at such a large angle would cause docking to become stuck.

[0038] Specifically, in the coaxial guidance stage, the force on the charging rod is shown in Figure 7, F 弹2 ×L2=F 弹3 ×L3;F 弹2 =1.17N / m×40mm×4=187N; 187×500=F 弹3 ×70;F 弹3 =1335N, where L2 is the elastic arm of the spring, and L3 is the elastic arm of the guide mechanism, L2=500mm, L3=70mm.

[0039] Since the charging rod body needs to overcome the spring force F when pressing down 弹2 , resulting in the required guide mechanism F 弹3 The elastic force is too large, which can easily cause docking jam. Therefore, it is necessary to dynamically adjust the tilt posture in the position guidance stage so that the docking can be carried out in a horizontal posture as much as possible during the coaxial guidance stage to ensure the coaxiality of the charging rod and the receiving base.

[0040] Therefore, the present invention also detects the tilt angle of the charging stick in real time during docking. Based on this tilt angle, the flexible mechanism is controlled to descend or ascend along the Z axis until the charging stick is horizontal, completing the automatic charging position docking. This process is referred to as the position guidance phase. After position guidance is completed, the charging stick is controlled to proceed to the coaxial guidance phase, controlling the charging pins of the charging stick to fully contact the receiving end, thereby completing the docking of the charging stick and the receiving end.

[0041] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the flexible mechanism 12 includes a universal joint 120, which is arranged at the end of the flexible mechanism 12, thereby reducing the force arm and enhancing the displacement flexibility of the charging rod.

[0042] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG6 , the tilt angle of the charging rod can be obtained by respectively setting laser switches 121 and 122 above and below the universal joint of the flexible mechanism 12 .

[0043] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, a closed-loop control system is employed. Two laser switches (a first laser switch 121 and a second laser switch 122) are positioned above and below the universal joint at the rear of the flexible mechanism 12. The laser switches measure the distance to the standard plate 123, sensing the deflection angle of the universal joint 120 and, therefore, the tilt angle of the charging rod body 11. Based on the tilt angle, the Z-axis motor is adjusted to control the flexible mechanism 12 to descend until the charging rod 12 is level, ensuring the coaxiality of the charging rod 1 and the receiving end 2, completing the final docking. The Z-axis refers to the Z-axis of the world coordinate system.

[0044] The docking state of the charging rod when it is docked below the axis of the receiving end is opposite to that when it is docked above the axis. The same principle can be applied and the details will not be repeated here.

[0045] As described above, at the beginning of docking, the axis deviation between the charging rod and the receiving end is controlled to be a certain distance for docking, and closed-loop control of angle posture adjustment is introduced during the docking process, and the final docking is performed in a horizontal posture, thereby avoiding the charging rod being hindered by gravity and the bottom gravity spring, resulting in docking jamming. Structurally, the axial length of the flexible mechanism can be designed to be shorter, and the guide shaft can adopt a single-stage design. It can not only adapt to a wide range of parking errors, but also miniaturize the flexible charging head, reduce manufacturing costs and improve maintainability.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, the docking method further includes: obtaining the vertical position of the charging stick body, and when the charging stick body rises or falls to the extreme position, controlling the flexible mechanism to rise or fall along the Z axis until the charging stick is horizontal.

[0047] Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, two laser switches (a third laser switch 124 and a fourth laser switch 125) are installed on the Z-axis of the flexible mechanism 12 to detect the distance between the laser switches and the slider detection surface 126 of the flexible mechanism 12. When the charging rod body 11 rises or falls to the limit position, the laser switches are triggered, controlling the Z-axis motor to rise or fall accordingly, making the charging rod posture horizontal. This allows the vehicle to charge while loading and unloading without damaging the charging equipment.

[0048] In summary, according to the docking method of the automatic charging system of the embodiment of the present invention, at the beginning of docking, the axis deviation between the charging rod and the receiving end is controlled to a certain distance for docking. During the docking process, closed-loop control of angle posture adjustment is introduced, and the final docking is performed in a horizontal posture, thereby preventing the charging rod from being blocked by gravity and the bottom gravity spring, and causing docking jam. In terms of structure, the axial length of the flexible mechanism can be designed to be shorter, and the guide shaft can adopt a single-stage design. It can not only adapt to a wide range of parking errors, but also miniaturize the flexible charging head, reduce manufacturing costs and improve maintainability. When the charging rod body rises or falls to the extreme position, the flexible mechanism is controlled to rise or fall along the Z axis until the charging rod posture is horizontal, so that the vehicle can be charged while loading and unloading.

[0049] Corresponding to the aforementioned automatic charging system docking method, the present invention also provides an automatic charging system docking device. Since the device embodiments of the present invention correspond to the aforementioned method embodiments, any details not disclosed in the device embodiments can be referred to the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be further described in this invention.

[0050] As shown in FIG2 , the automatic charging system includes a charging rod 1 , which includes a charging rod body 11 and a flexible mechanism 12 . The charging rod body 11 is capable of rotating around a rotation fulcrum O. As shown in FIG9 , the docking device of the automatic charging system includes a first control module 100 and a second control module 200 .

[0051] Among them, the first control module 100 is used to control the axis of the charging stick 1 to start docking with the receiving end in a horizontal posture, and the axis of the charging stick 1 and the receiving end 2 deviates by a first set distance; the second control module 200 is used to control the front end center point of the charging stick body to gradually descend a first set distance during the docking process until it coincides with the axis of the receiving end. At the same time, the inclination angle of the charging stick is obtained, and the flexible mechanism is controlled to rise / fall along the Z axis according to the inclination angle until the axis of the charging stick body coincides with the axis of the receiving end. After controlling the charging stick body to reach the set docking position, the automatic charging position docking is completed.

[0052] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first set distance is: 10-50 mm.

[0053] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the second control module 200 obtains the tilt angle of the charging rod through upper and lower laser switches respectively provided on the universal joint of the flexible mechanism.

[0054] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the second control module is used to obtain the vertical position of the charging stick body. When the charging stick body rises or falls to the extreme position, the flexible mechanism is controlled to rise or fall along the Z axis until the charging stick posture is horizontal.

[0055] In summary, according to the docking device of the automatic charging system of the embodiment of the present invention, at the beginning of docking, the axis deviation between the charging rod and the receiving end is controlled to a certain distance for docking. During the docking process, closed-loop control of angle posture adjustment is introduced, and the final docking is performed in a horizontal posture, thereby preventing the charging rod from being blocked by gravity and the bottom gravity spring, and causing docking jam. In terms of structure, the axial length of the flexible mechanism can be designed to be shorter, and the guide shaft can adopt a single-stage design. This not only can accommodate a wide range of parking errors, but also can miniaturize the flexible charging head, reduce manufacturing costs and improve maintainability. When the charging rod body rises or falls to the extreme position, the flexible mechanism is controlled to rise or fall along the Z axis until the charging rod is in a horizontal posture, so that the vehicle can be charged while loading and unloading.

[0056] In the description of the present invention, reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms are not necessarily for the same embodiment or example. Any process or method description in the flowchart or otherwise described herein can be understood to represent a module, fragment or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for implementing the steps of a custom logical function or process, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of the present invention includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed in a different order than shown or discussed, including in a substantially simultaneous manner or in reverse order depending on the functions involved, which should be understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments of the present invention belong.

[0057] The logic and / or steps represented in the flowcharts or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a sequenced list of executable instructions for implementing the logical functions, and can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (e.g., a computer-based system, a system including a processor, or other system that can fetch and execute instructions from an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device). For purposes of this specification, a "computer-readable medium" can be any device that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable media include the following: an electrical connection with one or more wires (electronic devices), a portable computer disk cartridge (magnetic device), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable and programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optic devices, and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM). Furthermore, the computer-readable medium may even be paper or other suitable medium on which the program is printed, since the program may be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other medium and then editing, interpreting or processing it in another suitable manner if necessary, and then storing it in a computer memory.

[0058] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps in the method of the above embodiment can be completed by instructing related hardware through a program, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiment.

[0059] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A docking method for an automatic charging system, characterized in that: The automatic charging system includes a charging rod, the charging rod includes a charging rod body and a flexible mechanism, the charging rod body can rotate around a rotation fulcrum O, and the method includes the following steps: Controlling the axis of the charging rod to dock with the power receiving end in a horizontal posture, and the axis of the charging rod and the power receiving end deviate by a first set distance; The front end center point of the charging stick body gradually drops a first set distance during the docking process until it coincides with the axis of the receiving end. At the same time, the inclination angle of the charging stick is obtained, and the flexible mechanism is controlled to rise / fall along the Z axis according to the inclination angle until the axis of the charging stick body coincides with the axis of the receiving end. After the charging stick body is controlled to reach the set docking position, the automatic charging position docking is completed.

2. The docking method of the automatic charging system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible mechanism includes a universal joint, and the universal joint is arranged at the extreme end of the flexible mechanism.

3. The docking method of the automatic charging system according to claim 2, characterized in that: Laser switches are respectively provided above and below the universal joint of the flexible mechanism to obtain the tilt angle of the charging rod.

4. The docking method of the automatic charging system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The vertical position of the charging stick is obtained. When the charging stick rises or falls to the limit position, the flexible mechanism is controlled to rise or fall along the Z axis until the charging stick is horizontal.

5. A docking device for an automatic charging system, characterized in that: The automatic charging system includes a charging rod, which includes a charging rod body and a flexible mechanism. The charging rod body can rotate around a rotation fulcrum O. The device includes: a first control module, configured to control the axis of the charging rod to be horizontally aligned with the power receiving end, with the axis of the charging rod and the power receiving end offset by a first set distance; The second control module is used to control the front end center point of the charging stick body to gradually descend a first set distance during the docking process until it coincides with the axis of the receiving end. At the same time, the inclination angle of the charging stick is obtained, and the flexible mechanism is controlled to rise / fall along the Z axis according to the inclination angle until the axis of the charging stick body coincides with the axis of the receiving end. After controlling the charging stick body to reach the set docking position, the automatic charging position docking is completed.

6. The docking device of the automatic charging system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The flexible mechanism includes a universal joint, and the universal joint is arranged at the extreme end of the flexible mechanism.

7. The docking device of the automatic charging system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second control module obtains the tilt angle of the charging rod through upper and lower laser switches respectively provided on the universal joint of the flexible mechanism.

8. The docking device of the automatic charging system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second control module is also used to obtain the vertical position of the charging stick body. When the charging stick body rises or falls to the extreme position, the flexible mechanism is controlled to rise or fall along the Z axis until the charging stick body is horizontal.

9. An automatic charging system, characterized in that: A docking device comprising the automatic charging system according to any one of claims 5-8.

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