Automatic Charging Robot Cable Restraint to Prevent Vehicle Contact
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing charging systems risk the charging cable contacting the vehicle during plug-in and plug-out operations, which can cause damage or inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
An automatic charging robot equipped with an arm mechanism, control device, and optional holding or hooking members to manage the charging cable, along with a tensioning device to minimize slack, preventing cable contact with the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the arm mechanism operates to grip and move the charging connector, then the charging operation is automated, but the charging cable may contact the vehicle causing damage or inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
A holding member is introduced as an intermediary component between the charging cable and the vehicle. This holding member captures and restrains the charging cable, preventing it from contacting the vehicle during automated charging operations. The holding member acts as a mediator that manages the cable's position without interfering with the charging connection itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding member is positioned and configured in advance to capture the charging cable before it can contact the vehicle. By establishing the cable's restrained position beforehand, the system prevents potential harmful contact during the automated arm mechanism operation.
2Device complexity
If the charging cable is allowed to move freely during arm mechanism operation, then the cable management is simple, but the cable may create slack and contact the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The holding member serves as a simple intermediary structure that captures and holds the charging cable in a fixed position. This minimal intervention prevents cable slack and vehicle contact without requiring complex cable management systems, maintaining simplicity while solving the harmful effect.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a holding member is added to restrain the charging cable, then the cable contact with vehicle is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding member is designed as a simple, dedicated intermediary component that performs the specific function of cable restraint. By isolating this function into a separate, simple element rather than integrating it into the complex arm mechanism, the overall device complexity is minimized while still achieving the safety objective.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging robot system is segmented into distinct functional components: the arm mechanism for gripping and moving the connector, and the holding member for restraining the cable. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, keeping the cable management function simple and separate from the complex automated positioning system.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic charging robot includes: an arm mechanism for gripping a charging connector connected to a charging device with a charging cable; a control device for automatically performing control for operating the arm mechanism; and a holding member for holding the charging cable along an arm portion of the arm mechanism.