Battery charger

• US 7,825,633 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Udono, Kenro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US11/889,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20080042620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 320/135, 320/137, 700/246, 700/259, 700/264, 318/568.12
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries

Abstract

An apparatus is capable of charging a battery mounted aboard a robot while avoiding an unstable posture of the robot caused by a power feeding connector coming into contact to a power receiving connector of the robot. A battery charger of the present invention performs control to move the power feeding connecter to connect with the power receiving connector of the robot in a standing posture, so that a moment generated about a target zero moment point (ZMP) of the robot falls within a range of the moment of floor reaction force generatable about the target ZMP.

Claims

1. A battery charger for charging a battery mounted aboard a legged moving robot by outputting power from a charging power supply, the battery charger comprising:

a power feeding connector connectable to a power receiving connector of the robot; and

a controller configured to move the power feeding connector to connect with the power receiving connector of the robot in a standing posture, so that a moment generated about a target zero moment point (ZMP) of the robot falls within a range of a moment of a floor reaction force generatable about the target ZMP.

2. The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to move the power feeding connector, so that a vertical component of a force applied to the robot becomes greater than a horizontal component thereof, wherein the force is caused by connecting the power feeding connector to the power receiving connector of the robot in the standing posture.

3. The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to move the power feeding connector to come into contact with a charging part of the robot in the standing posture from an upward direction or a downward direction.

4. The battery charger according to claim 1, further comprising:

a holding mechanism configured to movably hold the power feeding connector.

5. The battery charger according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first sensor configured to output a signal responsive to the power feeding connector stopping short of a reference connection position relative to the power receiving connector, and

an operation instructing section configured to output a signal to instruct the robot of a position and posture, or of a corrective action of the position and the posture responsive to an output signal from the first sensor.

6. The battery charger according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor configured to output a signal responsive to the power feeding connector moving beyond the reference connection position relative to the power receiving connector,

wherein the controller is further configured to move the power feeding connector in a direction away from the power receiving connector responsive to an output signal from the second sensor.

7. The battery charger according to claim 1, further comprising:

a buffer mechanism configured to buffer an external force that the power feeding connector receives.

8. The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to verify, in one or a plurality of steps, whether or not the standing position and the posture of the robot are in an appropriate condition such that the power feeding connector can be moved to connect to the power receiving connector, and

wherein providing that the controller verifies that the standing position and the posture of the robot are in the appropriate condition, the controller is further configured to move the power feeding connector in a direction in which the power feeding connector approaches the power receiving connector.

9. The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to verify whether or not the power feeding connector and the power receiving connector are connected, and

wherein providing that the controller verifies that the connectors are connected, the controller is further configured to output a charging current from the charging power supply.

10. The battery charger according to claim 1, further comprising:

an arm to the end of which the power feeding connector is attached,

wherein the controller is further configured to connect the power feeding connector to the power receiving connector by driving the arm in a given direction from an initial condition.

11. The battery charger according to claim 10, further comprising:

a base configured to house the power feeding connector and the arm.