ROBOT BATTERY CHARGING STATION AND ROBOT FOR USE THEREWITH

• US 20090315501A1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: SIP, KIM-YEUNG, LI, XIONG
• Granted Patent: US 8,106,626 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/568.120
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/02 Docking stations; Docking operations
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/022 Recharging of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2831 Motor parameters, e.g. motor load or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/005 using batteries, e.g. as a back-up power source
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery charging station, for a robot, includes a base, two side-walls barriers, a stop, a supporting arm, a charging connector, and a transmitter. The side-walls barriers are separately mounted on the base. The stop is mounted on the back of the base to form a docking space together with the barriers and the base. The supporting arm is cantilever mounted on the stop by one free end thereof with the other end extending into the space over the docking space. The charging connector is mounted on the free end of the supporting arm and is configured for providing an electrical connection between the robot and a power source. The transmitter is positioned on the upper surface of the supporting arm and is configured for emitting signals for the robot to locate the re battery charging station.

Claims

1. A battery charging station comprising:

a base;

two barriers separately mounted on the base;

a stop mounted on the base against the barriers to form a docking space together with the barriers and the base for receiving a robot to be recharged therein;

a supporting arm cantilever mounted on the stop by one free end thereof with the other end extending into the space over the docking space;

a charging connector mounted on the free end of the supporting arm and configured for providing electrical connection between the robot and a power source; and

a transmitter positioned on the upper surface of the supporting arm which is configured for emitting signals for the robot to determine the location of itself with respect to the battery charging station and for the robot to navigate along a predetermined path and docking into the docking space of the battery charging station for recharging.

2. The battery charging station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base comprises an inclined portion and a docking portion joined with the inclined portion.

3. The battery charging station as claimed in claim 2, wherein the docking portion comprises a flat surface for docking the robot and the barriers and the stop are mounted on the flat surface.

4. The battery charging station as claimed in claim 2, wherein the each one of the two barriers comprises a guiding portion and a locating portion connected on an end of the guiding portion, the guiding portions of the barriers are inclined with respect to and facing away from the corresponding connected locating portion.

5. The battery charging station as claimed in claim 4, wherein the stop is against the barriers and away from the guiding portion of the barriers and the inclined portion of the base.

6. The battery charging station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distances between the charging connector with respect to the stop and each fence are equal.

7. A robot that can automatically dock into a battery charging station, the robot comprising:

a chassis including an upper surface and a lower surface;

three wheels mounted on the lower surface and configured for moving the robot;

three extendable legs protruding from the lower surface of the chassis and capable of extending to lift the robot;

a driving motor configured for driving the wheels to rotate and driving the extendable legs to extend or retract;

a detection sensor mounted on the robot and being configured for detecting and receiving signals emitted from the battery charging station;

a control device electrically coupled with the detection sensor and the driving motor, the control device being configured for receiving the signals detected by the detection sensor and determining the location of the robot with respect to the battery charging station according to the signals, and driving the robot to move towards the battery charging station, and controlling the legs to extend to lift the robot;

a shell mounted over the chassis and comprising an outer surface and an inner surface;

a power source mounted on the inner surface of the shell and electrically coupled to the control device;

a connector located on the outer surface of the shell and being electrically coupled to the power source and configured for electrically coupling with the battery charging station when the robot has been lifted.

8. The robot as claimed in claim 7, wherein the chassis is round-shaped and the shell is hemispherical.

9. The robot as claimed in claim 7, wherein the robot comprises a navigation system embedded in the control device to navigate the robot to move towards the battery charging station.

10. The robot as claimed in claim 9, wherein the robot comprises a drive system embedded in the control device which cooperates with the navigation system to move the robot into the battery charging station.

11. The robot as claimed in the claim 7, wherein the robot comprises a voltage sensor mounted on the inner surface of the shell which is electrically coupled to the power source and the control device, the voltage sensor being configured for detecting the voltage of the power source and sending the detected signal to the control device when the voltage of the power source is below a predetermined voltage or the power source has been fully recharged.

12. The robot as claimed in claim 7, wherein the robot comprises:

an extending device comprising;

a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the substrate being stacked on the upper surface of the chassis by the second surface, a through hole defined on the center portion of the substrate;

a driven portion mounted on the upper surface and protruding out from the substrate; and

a toothed bar formed on the side wall of the driven portion along the direction parallel to the axes of the driven portion;

a driving motor for driving the legs mounted on the first surface of the substrate which has a shaft and a gear connected on an end of the shaft, the gear of the driving motor being engaged with the toothed bar;

the extendable legs being separately formed on the second surface of the substrate and partially extends through the corresponding holes defined in the chassis.

13. The robot as claimed in claim 9, wherein the robot is programmed to dock to the battery charging station for recharging when 1) its operation has been complete (the operation is predefined);

2) its battery voltage reaches or drops to a predetermined threshold;

or

     3) a predetermined time for operation has expired.

14. The robot as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connector comprises an electrical conductive charging pad located on an outer surface of the shell;

and an electrode formed on the center portion of the charging pad, the charging pad and the electrode being electrically connected to the power source and being configured for charging the power source.

15. A robot comprising:

a driving system configured for moving the robot;

a charging element mounted on the top portion of the robot;

an extending device mounted on the robot and configured for automatic lifting of the robot to recharge a power source;

a power source electrically coupled to the charging elements; and

a control device electrically coupled to the driving system, the extending device, the charging elements and the power source;

the control device being configured for controlling the robot to automatically recharge the power source when the power source drops to a predefined power level.

16. The robot as claimed in claim 15, wherein the charging element includes an electrical conductive charging pad and an electrode formed on the center portion of the charging pad in isolation.

17. The robot as claimed in claim 16, wherein the robot further comprises a navigation system and a drive system embedded in the control device to move the robot into a battery charging station.

18. The robot as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a voltage sensor that is electrically coupled to the power source and the control device, the voltage sensor being configured for detecting the voltage of the power source and sending the detected signal to the control device.