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Charging station for utility vehicle

  • US 10,454,287 B2
  • Filed: 03/29/2017
  • Issued: 10/22/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A charging station for a utility vehicle installed at a boundary of a working area for charging an onboard battery of the vehicle that detects a magnetic field generated during flow of electric current through a boundary wire laid around the working area and is driven by electric motors to run the working area based on the detected magnetic field, the charging station comprising:

  • a base plate that is installed at the working area to retain the vehicle;

    a pair of charging terminals connectable with battery charging terminals of the onboard battery of the vehicle;

    a charger connected to an electric power supply, and configured to apply a voltage to the charging terminals when the vehicle is at the charging station and the battery charging terminals of the onboard battery of the vehicle are connected to the charging terminals;

    a first wire that is installed at the base plate and is connected to the charger independently of the boundary wire, the first wire having a first loop that loops with a first loop diameter and first projecting segments that project from the first loop toward one end of the base plate symmetrically with respect to an axis connecting a midpoint of the pair of charging terminals and a center of the first loop; and

    a second wire that is installed at the base plate and is connected to the charger independently of the boundary wire and the first wire, the second wire having a second loop that loops with a second loop diameter that is larger than the first loop diameter and second projecting segments that project from the second loop toward the one end of the base plate symmetrically with the first projecting segments;

    wherein the charger is configured to supply an area signal to the second wire to delineate the charging station to the vehicle when the vehicle is remote from the charging station, and to supply an area signal to the first wire to guide the vehicle to a docking position for docking with the pair of charging terminals.

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