Power Receiving Terminal Orientation for Moisture Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robot lawn mowers can establish electrical continuity between power receiving terminals through moisture, leading to improper charging and bimetallic corrosion due to water or rain adherence.
Innovation Solution
The power receiving terminals are strategically positioned and designed with downward-facing or laterally facing contact surfaces, and the charging station's plug unit features inclined surfaces to prevent moisture accumulation, ensuring proper electrical connection and avoiding corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If power receiving terminals are disposed close together to simplify the charging connection structure, then device complexity is reduced, but electrical continuity may be established through moisture causing harmful effects
Solution Approach 1:
The power receiving terminals are separated into different parts of the autonomous travel work machine. Specifically, the first power receiving terminal is disposed on the vehicle body while the second power receiving terminal is disposed on the vehicle body cover, which are separate components that can be independently positioned and managed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes spatial separation by disposing power receiving terminals in different dimensional locations. The terminals are positioned at different heights (one on the main vehicle body, one on the cover), different orientations, and different spatial coordinates, creating multiple dimensional separation to prevent moisture-induced electrical continuity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If power receiving terminals are disposed separately in different parts to prevent moisture-induced electrical continuity, then harmful factors are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body cover serves multiple functions: it covers the vehicle body for protection, and simultaneously serves as a mounting platform for the power receiving terminal. This multi-functionality allows the terminal to be disposed on a separate part (the cover) without significantly increasing overall device complexity, as the cover already exists as a necessary component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the power receiving terminal with the vehicle body cover structure. The terminal is integrated into the cover rather than being a completely separate component, which reduces the number of independent parts and simplifies the overall structure while still achieving the separation goal.
3Reliability
If contact surfaces are designed to face downward or laterally to prevent moisture accumulation, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of designing upward-facing contact surfaces that would naturally accumulate moisture, the patent inverts the orientation to face downward or laterally. This inversion prevents moisture accumulation by allowing water to drain away from the contact surfaces due to gravity, significantly improving reliability in outdoor environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the orientation parameter of the contact surfaces from upward-facing to downward-facing or laterally-facing. This parameter change fundamentally alters the interaction between moisture and the contact surfaces, preventing electrical continuity issues without requiring complex additional protective structures.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If inclined surfaces are added to the plug unit to drain water by gravity, then harmful factors are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of gravity (which causes water to accumulate on flat surfaces) into a beneficial effect by designing inclined surfaces. The same gravitational force that could cause harm is now utilized to actively drain water away from the contact surfaces, transforming a potential problem into a solution.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug unit incorporates inclined and curved surfaces instead of flat surfaces. These non-planar geometries facilitate water drainage by creating slopes that guide moisture away from critical contact areas, using geometric form to solve the moisture accumulation problem.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively suppresses electrical continuity through moisture, preventing bimetallic corrosion and ensuring proper charging by utilizing gravity to drain water and prevent terminal contact.
Implementation Method 1
the inclined surface draining water on the region out of the plug unit by utilizing at least gravity
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An object is to suppress the situation in which electrical continuity is established between a pair of power receiving terminals through moisture. The lawn mower 2 has at least a first structure in which a pair of power receiving terminals 35 and 36 are separately disposed in the vehicle body cover 21 and the vehicle body 11 that are different parts from among a plurality of parts constituting the lawn mower 2, or a second structure in which the power receiving terminal 35, which is one of the pair of power receiving terminals 35 and 36, has a downward-facing contact surface 35A that comes into contact with the charging station 6.