Robot and robot system having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12017348-B2
Application number	US-202318117182-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2023
Priority date	Dec 6, 2019
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

A robot is provided with driving wheels, a battery, a charging terminal, a charging terminal mounter in which the charging terminal is disposed, a first spring elastically supporting the charging terminal in an outward direction, a switch switched by the charging terminal mounter when the charging terminal mounter retreats, and a processor for stopping the driving wheels when the switch is switched by the charging terminal mounter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot, comprising:
a battery;
a driving wheel;
a charging terminal for charging the battery;
a charging terminal mounter, the charging terminal being disposed in the charging terminal mounter;
a first spring configured to elastically support the charging terminal in an outward direction;
a switch configured to be closed by displacement of the charging terminal mounter when the charging terminal mounter retracts; and
a processor configured to stop the driving wheel when the switch is closed by the charging terminal mounter.

2. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the charging terminal protrudes outside of an outer circumferential surface of the robot due to the elastic support from the first spring.

3. The robot according to claim 1 , further comprising a lidar sensor,
wherein a height of the charging terminal is lower than a height of the lidar sensor.

4. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the charging terminal mounter includes:
a main mounter having an opening surrounding an outer circumference of the charging terminal; and
a push body extending from the main mounter and configured to press a switch terminal of the switch.

5. The robot according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a robot bracket, wherein the switch is attached to the robot bracket; and
a spring guide configured to support the first spring.

6. A robot system, comprising:
a robot including:
a driving wheel;
a battery;
a charging terminal mounter; and
a charging terminal disposed in the charging terminal mounter; and

a charging station including:
a supply terminal mounter;
a supply terminal configured to be connected with the charging terminal and disposed in the supply terminal mounter; and
a second spring configured to elastically support the supply terminal mounter in a rearward direction,

wherein the robot further includes:
a first spring configured to elastically support the charging terminal in a forward direction, the forward direction being opposite to the rearward direction;
a switch configured to be turned on by the charging terminal mounter when the charging terminal mounter retracts; and
a processor configured to stop the driving wheel when the switch is turned on by the charging terminal mounter.

7. The robot system according to claim 6 , wherein the second spring starts to compress after the first spring is maximally compressed.

8. The robot system according to claim 6 , wherein each of the first spring and the second spring is a coil spring, and
wherein a cross-sectional diameter of the first spring is less than a cross-sectional diameter of the second spring.

9. The robot system according to claim 6 , wherein the charging terminal protrudes outside of an outer circumferential surface of the robot due to the elastic support from the first spring.

10. The robot system according to claim 6 , wherein the robot further includes a lidar sensor, and
wherein a height of the charging terminal is lower than a height of the lidar sensor.

11. The robot system according to claim 6 , wherein the charging terminal mounter includes:
a main mounter having an opening surrounding an outer circumference of the charging terminal; and
a push body extending from the main mounter and configured to press a switch terminal of the switch.

12. The robot system according to claim 6 , wherein the robot further includes:
a robot bracket, wherein the switch is attached to the robot bracket; and
a spring guide configured to support the first spring.

13. The robot system according to claim 6 , wherein the supply terminal mounter and the supply terminal protrude to outside of an outer circumferential surface of the charging station due to the elastic support from the second spring.

14. The robot system according to claim 6 , wherein the charging station further includes:
a supply terminal shaft configured to guide movement of the supply terminal mounter; and
a station bracket connected to the supply terminal shaft to support the second spring.

15. The robot system according to claim 14 , wherein the supply terminal mounter includes a guide hole, and
wherein an outer circumference of the supply terminal shaft is guided along the guide hole of the supply terminal mounter.

16. A robot system, comprising:
a robot including:
a driving wheel;
a charging terminal mounter; and
a charging terminal disposed in the charging terminal mounter; and

a charging station including:
a supply terminal mounter;
a supply terminal configured to be connected with the charging terminal and disposed in the supply terminal mounter; and
a spring configured to elastically support the supply terminal mounter,
wherein the supply terminal protrudes outward from an outer circumferential surface of the charging station by the elastic support of the spring.

17. The robot system of claim 16 , wherein the supply terminal protrudes horizontally.

18. The robot system of claim 17 , wherein the supply terminal has a bar shape in a left-right direction.

19. The robot system of claim 17 , wherein a length of the supply terminal in a left-right direction is greater than a length of the charging terminal in the left-right direction.

20. The robot system according to claim 17 , wherein the robot further includes a lidar sensor, and
wherein the charging terminal is located lower than the lidar sensor.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kang Hoseong
• Lee Iljae
• Yang Sunho

Classifications

• B25J19/022

  using lasers · CPC title

• B25J11/009

  Nursing, e.g. carrying sick persons, pushing wheelchairs, distributing drugs · CPC title

• B25J9/161

  Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor · CPC title

• B25J9/12

  electric · CPC title

• B25J9/0009

  Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases · CPC title