Self-charging terminal and photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment having same

• US 10,050,582 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boson Robotics Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Boson Robotics Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Guanyu, Zhang, Jinggong, Qian, Zhihong
• Primary Examiner(s): Troy, Abigail E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnett, Devin K
• Application Number:
  US15/448,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20170331422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 15250001, 1525011, 15103, 15 521, 15 211, 15246, 134172, 134198, 134 56 R, 134 57 R, 136244, 136251, 320101, 307150, 307 82, 211 411, 521733
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/30 Brushes for cleaning or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/12 Brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/20 Cleaning of moving articles, e.g. of moving webs or of objects on a conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/34 rotating about an axis parallel to the surface
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/16 comprising worm and worm-wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 40/20 Cleaning; Removing snow
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/10 Cleaning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/40 Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A self-charging terminal, which includes a terminal fixing block, a sloped conductive member and a sloped conductive member mounting member is disclosed. The self-charging terminal is adapted for a photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment for facilitating recharging of battery power. The sloped conductive member is fixed on the sloped conductive member mounting member and the sloped conductive member mounting member is fixed on the terminal fixing block. The self-charging terminal is detachably mounted on the photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment and a shape of the sloped conductive member of the self-charging terminal is specifically matched with that of a telescopic charging member of photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment to facilitate wipe off an oxidization layer on the sloped conductive member, thereby prolonging service life of the self-charging terminal and extending repair cycle time. A photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment including the self-charging terminal mounted on a charging compartment thereof is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A self-charging terminal in combination with a photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment, the self-charging terminal comprising:

a terminal fixing block;

a sloped conductive member; and

a sloped conductive member mounting member,

wherein the sloped conductive member is fixed on the sloped conductive member mounting member and the sloped conductive member mounting member is fixed on the terminal fixing block, the self-charging terminal is detachably mounted on the photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment;

the photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment comprising a cleaning rack, the cleaning rack comprising;

a battery;

a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod, and a fourth connecting rod which are detachably connected to form a generally rectangular frame;

at least one rolling brush having a diameter, the at least one rolling brush being detachably mounted between the first connecting rod and the third connecting rod, the at least one rolling brush is configured to clean photovoltaic panels;

a sweeping member, the sweeping member being detachably mounted on the second connecting rod and the fourth connecting rod and used for sweeping the photovoltaic panels;

a plane walking unit comprising a first driving wheel, a second driving wheel, a first driving motor, and a second driving motor, a first driven wheel, and a second driven wheel;

wherein the plane walking unit drives the cleaning rack to move along top panel surfaces of the photovoltaic panels;

wherein the first driving wheel, the second driving wheel, the first driven wheel, and the second driven wheel each have a lower portion which is below the generally rectangular frame, an upper portion which is above the generally rectangular frame, and a diameter which is larger than the diameter of the at least one rolling brush;

a charging connector, wherein the charging connector comprises a plurality of telescopic conductive members;

wherein the charging connector engages the sloped conductive member of the self-charging terminal to facilitate wiping off an oxidization layer on the sloped conductive member and recharging of the battery.

2. The self-charging terminal in combination with the photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment according to claim 1, wherein a first mounting groove is arranged at a first end of the sloped conductive member mounting member and a second mounting groove is arranged at a second end of the sloped conductive member mounting member.

3. The self-charging terminal in combination with the photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment according to claim 2, wherein the two ends of the sloped conductive member are mounted in the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove, respectively.

4. The self-charging terminal in combination with the photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment according to claim 1, wherein the sloped conductive member is fabricated from copper.

5. A photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment adapted for cleaning photovoltaic panel arrays, comprising:

a battery;

a body, the body comprising;

a cleaning rack, the cleaning rack having a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod, and a fourth connecting rod which are connected;

a cleaning member, the cleaning member being detachably mounted between the first connecting rod and the third connecting rod and is used for stripping off adhesive materials on the photovoltaic panel arrays;

a charging compartment for supporting the body while the battery of the body is being charged;

a charging connector disposed in the body and comprising a plurality of telescopic conductive members; and

a self-charging terminal comprising a terminal fixing block, a sloped conductive member and a sloped conductive member mounting member, wherein the self-charging terminal is mounted on the charging compartment for recharging of battery power of the battery in the body, the sloped conductive member is fixed on the sloped conductive member mounting member and the sloped conductive member mounting member is fixed on the terminal fixing block;

wherein the charging connector engages the sloped conductive member of the self-charging terminal to facilitate wiping off an oxidization layer on the sloped conductive member and recharging of the battery;

wherein the photovoltaic panel cleaning equipment further comprises an obstacle crossing mechanism;

the body further comprises a telescopic mechanism and the telescopic mechanism cooperates with the obstacle crossing mechanism to facilitate moving the body from one photovoltaic panel array of said photovoltaic panel arrays to another photovoltaic panel array of said photovoltaic panel arrays; and

the obstacle crossing mechanism comprises a moving rack and a fixed rack, a locking device is arranged on the fixed rack, a limiting member is arranged on the moving rack and the locking device cooperates with the limiting member to lock the moving rack on the fixed rack;

the locking device comprises a bottom plate, a locking hook, a rotary force applying member, a restoring member, a first stand column, a second stand column, a third stand column, a fourth stand column and a pulling rope;

the bottom plate is fixed on the fixed rack;

a fixed column is arranged on the bottom plate and the locking hook is rotatably connected with the fixed column;

the rotary force applying member is connected with one end of the locking hook and an external force enables the rotary force applying member to move the locking hook from a locked position to an unlocked position to unlock the limiting member;

the restoring member is arranged at a junction between the rotary force applying member and the locking hook, and when the external force acting on the rotary force applying member disappears, the restoring member enables the locking hook to be restored to the locked position;

the first stand column and the fourth stand column are located at two ends of the bottom plate, and the second stand column and the third stand column are located between the first stand column and the fourth stand column;

two vertical pulleys which are respectively at an upper position and a lower position are arranged on each of the first stand column and the fourth stand column;

a horizontal pulley is arranged on each of the second stand column and the third stand column; and

the pulling rope is wound on the vertical pulleys and the horizontal pulleys and then is connected with the rotary force applying member.