Electric device having charging function

• US 20050232647A1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takenaka, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US11/107,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20050232647A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/27
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

For charging in a non-contact manner, a mobile work robot is placed on a charging unit provided with a unit-side terminal providing an energy for charging. The mobile work robot receives an energy for charging the battery from the unit-side terminal via a robot-side terminal. For the charging, the mobile work robot is placed on the charging unit such that a surface provided with the robot-side terminal is opposed to a surface provided with the unit-side terminal. The surface portion provided with the robot-side terminal and the surface portion provided with the unit-side terminal form a protection unit, which is a space for cutting off a region for energy transmission for charging from an external side.

Claims

1. An electric device comprising:

a charging unit having a unit surface provided with a unit-side terminal for outputting an energy for charging in a non-contact charging operation;

a body having a body surface provided with a body-side terminal receiving said energy from said unit-side terminal for charging a battery; and

a protection unit protecting a region transmitting said energy by cutting off said region from an external side, wherein

said protection unit includes a space formed when said body is located on said charging unit with said body surface opposed to said unit surface in said non-contact charging operation, and defined between a surface portion provided with said body-side terminal in said body surface and a surface portion provided with said unit-side terminal in said unit surface.

2. The electric device according to claim 1, wherein

the surface portion provided with said unit-side terminal in said unit surface is a unit-side concavity concaved with respect to its surrounding surface portion.

3. The electric device according to claim 2, wherein

said charging unit further has a terminal raising unit for raising said unit-side terminal in said unit-side concavity toward said body surface when said body is located on said charging unit.

4. The electric device according to claim 3, wherein

said terminal raising unit raises said unit-side terminal by utilizing a reaction to a weight of said body applied to said charging unit when said body is located on said charging unit.

5. The electric device according to claim 4, wherein

said charging unit further has:

a groove formed at said unit surface such that a portion of said body falls into said groove when said body is located on said charging unit, and

a lever having one end projected into said groove, provided at the other end side with said unit-side terminal, and being turnable around a fulcrum between said one and the other ends; and

when said portion of said body falls into said groove to come into contact with the one end of said lever, said lever turns around said fulcrum to raise said other end.

6. The electric device according to claim 5, wherein

said body further has a wheel for movement, and

said portion of said body is said wheel.

7. The electric device according to claim 6, wherein

said wheel is fitted into said groove when said body is located on said charging unit.

8. The electric device according to claim 4, wherein

a surface of the portion provided with said unit-side terminal in said unit surface is a unit-side concavity concaved with respect to its surrounding surface portion.

9. The electric device according to claim 8, wherein

a predetermined portion of said body and a predetermined portion of said charging unit are fitted with each other when said body is placed on said charging unit.

10. The electric device according to claim 9, wherein

said body and said charging unit are provided with alignment marks for locating said body on said charging unit.

11. The electric device according to claim 10, wherein

said body is a self-propelled robot.

12. The electric device according to claim 1, wherein

the surface portion provided with said unit-side terminal in said unit surface is substantially flush with its surrounding surface portion, and

the surface portion provided with said body-side terminal in said body surface is a body-side concavity concaved with respect to its surrounding surface portion.

13. The electric device according to claim 12, wherein

said charging unit has a wall formed at the surface portion provided with said unit-side terminal, and surrounding said unit-side terminal for protecting said unit-side terminal, and

said wall forms a part of said protection unit.

14. An electric device comprising:

a charging unit having a unit surface provided with a unit-side terminal for outputting an energy for charging in a non-contact charging operation;

a body having a body surface provided with a body-side terminal receiving said energy from said unit-side terminal for charging a battery; and

protection means for protecting a region transmitting said energy by cutting off said region from an external side, wherein

said protection means includes a space formed when said body is located on said charging unit with said body surface opposed to said unit surface in said non-contact charging operation, and defined between a surface portion provided with said body-side terminal in said body surface and a surface portion provided with said unit-side terminal in said unit surface.

15. An electric device comprising:

a groove formed at a predetermined surface of a casing; and

a lever having one end projected into said groove and the other end carrying a terminal for charging a target, and being turnable around a fulcrum located between said one and other ends, wherein

when a part of said target falls into said groove, and comes into contact with the one end of said lever, said lever turns around said fulcrum in response to said contact to lower said one end and to raise said other end.