DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING A TEMPORARY CONNECTION BETWEEN TWO MOVABLE OBJECTS

• US 20170050526A1
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Published: 02/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Celective Source AB
• Inventors: SOMMARSTRM, Mats
• Granted Patent: US 10,093,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/089 Determining the position of the robot with reference to its environment
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/009 being mechanically linked with one another at their distal ends
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/28 Trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 27/34 using pipe-lines anchoring arrangements for special vessels with mooring turrets B63B21/507; buoys specially adapted for mooring a vessel and for transferring fluids, e.g. liquids B63B22/021
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 39/00 Refuelling during flight filling or emptying fuel tanks B64D37/14
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0403 Fuelling robots
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0401 arrangements for automatically fuelling vehicles, i.e. without human intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 9/02 using articulated pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40082 Docking, align object on end effector with target
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Device (100) for achieving a temporary connection between two objects (101,102) which are movable relative to each other, comprising • respective connecting means (114,154), being brought together in order to jointly establish said connection, • a movable robot (110), arranged to continuously displace the first connecting means relative to the first object, • a control means (120), arranged to control the movements of the robot relative to the first object, as well as • a sensor means (130), arranged to continuously read a relative position between the first connecting means and the second connecting means while the said objects move relative to each other. The invention is characterised in that the control means is arranged to, while the objects move relative to each other, continuously control the robot so that the first connecting means is displaced, relative to the first object and up to the second connecting means, and there connects to the second connecting means. The invention also relates to a method.

Claims

1. A method for providing a temporary connection between two objects that are movable in relation to each other, wherein the first of said objects comprises a first connecting means and the second of said objects comprises a second connecting means, said temporary connection is established by the two connecting means being brought together and connected to each other, a control means continuously controls the motions of a movable first robot so that the first connecting means is displaced relative to the first object, a sensor means continuously measures a relative position between the first object or the first connecting means and the second connecting means while the objects move relative to each other, and, while said first and second objects move relative to each other, the control means, based upon a signal from the sensor means, continuously controls the first robot so that the first connecting means is displaced relative to the first object and up to the second connecting means, and connects to the second connecting means so that said temporary connection is thus established, wherein the objects are brought together from a first separated position, in which the objects are located at such a distance from each other so that is it not possible to establish the connection, to a parked position, in which the objects are located so close to each other that the first robot can reach to achieve said connection and in which respective equilibrium positions or centers of motion about which the objects possibly move are immobile in relation to each other, and wherein the control means is caused to control the first robot so that the connection is established while the objects move so that they are brought together from the first separated position towards the parked position and before the objects have time to reach the parked position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein both objects move relative to each other across at least two, preferably three, dimensions of motion, and the control means controls the first robot in at least two, preferably three, dimensions of motion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the two objects is fixedly arranged while the other object is movable relative to the first object.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein one of the objects is fixedly installed at a quay and another of the objects is fixedly installed on a boat or a ship floating on a water surface by the quay, and the connection is a connection for delivering electrical power, fresh- or sewage water, and/or foodstuffs between the objects.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the fixedly installed object is fixedly installed by a boat- or ship sea-lock in which the water surface is movable in the height direction, the fixedly installed object comprises a height adjustment means on which the first robot is mounted, and the control means continuously controls the height position of the first robot, by controlling the height adjustment means, to correspond to the current water surface level.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein one of the objects is installed on a vessel which is movable on a support, and the other one of the objects is a permanently installed station for, using said connection, deliver electrical power, fresh- or sewage water and/or supplies between the objects, alternatively to collect and remove exhaust fumes from an exhaust system of the vessel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein both objects are movably arranged relative to a fixed coordinate system as well as to each other.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the control means controls the first robot so that the connection is broken while the objects move from the parked position to a second, separated, position, in which the objects again are arranged at a distance from each other, and after the objects have left the parked position.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein both of the two objects are movable relative to each other even after the connection has been established, and the control means actively and continuously controls the first robot so that a part of the first robot which is arranged to maneuver or maintain the first connecting means is immobile relative to the second connecting means.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the control means actively and continuously controls the first robot so that the first connecting means is immobile relative to the second connecting means.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first robot is caused to, after the connection has been established, release itself from the first connecting means so that the first connecting means thereafter is freely movable within at least a limited surface or volume relative to the first robot.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the device comprises at least one additional movable robot that cooperates with the first robot, so that one of them maintains the connection and to thereafter release itself from the first connecting means, while the other one of them breaks the connection.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a second movable robot, which displaces the second connecting means relative to the second object, a second sensor means which continuously measures a relative position between the second object or the second connecting means and the first connecting means while the objects move relative to each other, as well as a second control means, which controls the movements of the second robot and the displacement of the second connecting means relative to the first connecting means.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first robot is permanently mounted on a coarse adjustment device by means of which the first connecting means is displaceable along at least one direction relative to the first object, and the control means controls the position of the coarse adjustment means relative to the second object, and the control means also controls the movements of the first robot in order to fine-tune the position of the first connecting means relative to the second connecting means.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first robot comprises, apart from the first connecting means, an activating means, which activates the second connecting means, such as opening a door covering the second connecting means, and the control means controls the first robot to, in a first step and using the activating means, activating the second connecting means, and, in a second step, establish the connection.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the device establishes the connection only in case an amplitude and/or frequency of the relative movements of the objects relative to each other during a certain time period fall within an acceptable respective interval, and the control means, even before this condition is met, actively and continuously control the first robot so that the first connecting means is immobile relative to the second connecting means.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first object is permanently mounted on the ground, the second object is mounted on a flying vessel, and a counter force device is fastened to the vessel and applies a tension force between the vessel and the ground, counteracting a lifting force of the vessel while the connection is maintained.

13-14. -14. (canceled)

20. (canceled)