Charging system for legged mobile robot

• US 20070216347A1
• Filed: 02/14/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kaneko, Satoshi, Nakayama, Takashi, Makino, Hiroyuki, Muromachi, Masaaki, Okazaki, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,719,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/005 using batteries, e.g. as a back-up power source
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2421 using coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6315 allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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 charging system for a legged mobile robot that facilitates positioning of a robot to be charged and does not put a load on the robot is provided. The charging system includes a battery 2, a power receiving connector 4 and a movable shutter member 5 capable of being opened and closed on a rear cover 3, which are provided on a robot 1, and a holder 21, a power supplying connector 22, a slide mechanism 23, a base plate 25, a charging power supply 26 and the like, which are provided on a charging station 20. The robot 1 performs a predetermined positioning on the base plate 25 and then moves the center of gravity rearward to connect the power receiving connector 4 to the power supplying connector 22. In this step, when the rear cover 3 of the robot 1 is guided by a first guide section 21a of the holder 21, the slide mechanism 23 allows the holder 21 to move horizontally. Thus, even if the robot 1 and the charging station 20 are slightly misaligned with each other, the robot 1 can be easily positioned correctly.

Claims

1. A charging system for a legged mobile robot that charges a battery of the legged mobile robot,

comprising:

a charging station on which said robot is charged,

wherein said robot includes a power receiving connector having a power receiving terminal, and

said charging station includes a charging power supply that outputs a charging current to said battery, a power supplying connector designed to be connected to said power receiving connector, a power supplying terminal provided on said power supplying connector and designed to come into contact with said power receiving terminal, a guide means that guides said robot to reduce the misalignment between said power receiving connector and said power supplying connector in a predetermined direction when said robot comes close to said charging station for charging, and a moving means for moving said guide means in said predetermined direction by the force exerted on said guide means as said robot comes close to said charging station.

2. The charging system for a legged mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined direction is a horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the direction in which said robot comes close to said charging station for charging.

3. The charging system for a legged mobile robot according to claim 2, wherein said moving means includes a slide rail that is provided on said charging station and extends horizontally and a slide block capable of horizontally moving along said slide rail, and said power supplying connector is fixed to said slide block.

4. The charging system for a legged mobile robot according to claim 3, wherein said power supplying connector is fixed to said slide block via a rubber bush.

5. The charging system for a legged mobile robot according to claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism that locks said robot and said charging station to maintain the connection between said power receiving terminal and said power supplying terminal when said power receiving terminal and said power supplying terminal are connected to each other.

6. The charging system for a legged mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein said guide means includes a guide pin having a tapered tip and provided on one of said robot and said charging station, and a guide sleeve provided on the other of said robot and said charging station and having a widened opening to which said guide pin is to be inserted, and

said moving means is a floating member having resiliency that enables said guide pin or said guide sleeve to move in said predetermined direction.

7. The charging system for a legged mobile robot according to claim 6, wherein said guide means has a locking mechanism that prevents said guide pin from dropping from said guide sleeve, when said guide pin is inserted into said guide sleeve and said power receiving connector and said power supplying connector are connected to each other.

8. The charging system for a legged mobile robot according to claim 7, wherein said guide means has rotating means capable of rotating said guide pin,

said guide sleeve has a guide slit composed of a longitudinal slit extending in the axial direction toward the opening of said guide sleeve and an engaging slit extending in the circumferential direction of the guide sleeve from the root of said longitudinal slit,

said guide pin has an engaging protrusion that protrudes from the periphery thereof and is capable of being inserted into said guide slit, and

when said power receiving connector and said power supplying connector are connected to each other, said engaging protrusion is inserted into said longitudinal slit of said guide slit, and then inserted into said engaging slit of said guide slit by the action of said rotating means, and then held in that state.

9. The charging system for a legged mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein said power receiving connector is provided inside said robot and covered with a lid capable or being opened and closed, and said lid is closed when said power receiving connector and said power supplying connector are not connected to each other and opened when said power supplying connector comes close to the power receiving connector.

10. The charging system for a legged mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein said charging station includes a connection detection means for detecting whether said power receiving terminal and said power supplying terminal are connected to each other, and

a charging control means for making said charging power supply supply a charging current to said battery to charge said battery via said power supplying terminal and said power receiving terminal when said connection detection means detects that said power receiving terminal and said power supplying terminal are connected to each other.

11. The charging system for a legged mobile robot according to claim 10, wherein, when stopping charging of said battery, said charging control means stops the supply of the charging current from said charging power supply to said battery before disconnecting said power receiving terminal and said power supplying terminal.