Rail Sidewall Charging Contact for Movable Cart Terminals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing moving devices, such as cart POS systems, face challenges in ensuring reliable and efficient charging of secondary batteries due to the need for precise alignment during non-contact charging, which is often compromised when devices are stacked or used by multiple customers, leading to inconsistent charging levels.
Innovation Solution
A power feeding device with a rail and side walls that guide the movement of a wheel, incorporating a movable power receiving terminal and power transmitting terminals, allowing for easy and accurate power transfer without relying on precise handling skills, ensuring reliable charging of secondary batteries in moving devices like shopping carts and POS systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If non-contact charging is used for secondary batteries in moving devices, then charging can be performed without physical contact, but sufficient charging cannot be achieved unless precise facing position is maintained between transmitting and receiving facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces non-contact charging with a contact-based charging system. The power receiving terminal is provided to be movable along the width direction between a first position (accommodated in terminal accommodating portion) and a second position (separated from terminal accommodating portion), allowing it to contact with power transmitting terminals disposed on the side wall. This mechanical contact system eliminates the positioning precision requirements of non-contact charging while ensuring reliable power transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The power receiving terminal is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position. The terminal can move between being accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion and separated from it, enabling the system to adapt to different operational states (charging vs. non-charging) and ensuring reliable contact with power transmitting terminals during charging operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If shopping carts are stacked by multiple customers using last-in-first-out method, then customer convenience is improved, but the cart POS with sufficient charge is not always taken out in order, leading to inconsistent charging levels
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal accommodating portion is designed to be universally accessible from both the front and rear sides of the moving device. The power receiving terminal can be accommodated or separated regardless of which side faces the side wall, allowing the system to function reliably whether the device is stacked in LIFO order or any other configuration. This universal design ensures that any cart in the stack can achieve proper terminal contact for charging.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically achieves proper terminal alignment through the movable power receiving terminal that can contact the power transmitting terminals on the side wall without requiring precise manual positioning. When a cart is placed in the stacking facility, the terminal accommodating portion naturally aligns with the side wall, and the power receiving terminal makes contact with the power transmitting terminals, enabling automatic and consistent charging for all carts regardless of stacking order.
3Device complexity
If power receiving terminal is fixed in terminal accommodating portion, then structure is simple, but accurate power transfer cannot be achieved when device positioning varies
Solution Approach 1:
The power receiving terminal is designed to be movable along the width direction of the moving device, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position to achieve accurate contact with the power transmitting terminals. This dynamic capability compensates for positioning variations without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms, maintaining relatively simple overall structure while ensuring precise power transfer.
Data Source
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AI summary
A terminal accommodating portion is disposed on a front side or a rear side in a traveling direction of the wheel that travels between the pair of side walls of a rail, and is attached to the moving device. A power receiving terminal receives electric power to be fed to a secondary battery, and is provided to be movable along a width direction. A terminal receiving portion is groove-shaped and is provided in one side wall of the rail, and the power receiving terminal configured to move along the width direction of the moving device is inserted into the terminal receiving portion. A power transmitting terminal is disposed on a surface, inside the terminal receiving portion, on which the power receiving terminal slides during movement, is present over a longitudinal direction of the rail, and comes into contact with and transmit power to the power receiving terminal.