Automatic battery replacement system and method for transfer robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12502791-B2
Application number	US-202418966975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2024
Priority date	Dec 6, 2023
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed are an automatic battery replacement system of a transfer robot which includes a transfer robot which autonomously moves and includes a lifting module which supports and lifts a cargo, a battery which is detachably mounted on the transfer robot and is provided as a power source to supply a power required for an operation of the transfer robot, and a battery replacement robot which sucks and handles the battery and performs an operation of sucking the battery previously mounted on the transfer robot to be removed or mounting a new fully-charged battery on the transfer robot and an automatic battery replacement method of a transfer robot using the same.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An automatic battery replacement system of a transfer robot, comprising:
a transfer robot which autonomously moves and includes a lifting module which supports and lifts a cargo; a battery which is detachably mounted on the transfer robot and is provided as a power source to supply a power required for an operation of the transfer robot; and a battery replacement robot which sucks and handles the battery and performs an operation of sucking the battery previously mounted on the transfer robot to be removed or mounting a new fully-charged battery on the transfer robot, wherein the battery replacement robot is mounted on an autonomously movable robot and moves to the transfer robot which needs to replace the battery to perform a battery replacement task.

2 . The automatic battery replacement system according to claim 1 , wherein a mounting space in which the battery is mounted is formed in a vehicle body of the transfer robot and the battery is mounted to be exposed on a surface of the vehicle body.

3 . The automatic battery replacement system according to claim 1 , wherein the battery replacement robot sucks the battery using a magnet gripper provided as an electromagnet.

4 . The automatic battery replacement system according to claim 3 , wherein the battery includes a metal case embedded with a battery pack.

5 . An automatic battery replacement system of a transfer robot, comprising:
a transfer robot which autonomously moves and includes a lifting module which supports and lifts a cargo; a battery which is detachably mounted on the transfer robot and is provided as a power source to supply a power required for an operation of the transfer robot; and a battery replacement robot which sucks and handles the battery and performs an operation of sucking the battery previously mounted on the transfer robot to be removed or mounting a new fully-charged battery on the transfer robot, wherein the battery replacement robot sucks the battery using a magnet gripper provided as an electromagnet, wherein the battery replacement robot includes: a girder installed in a horizontal direction; and an extendable/retractable member which is slidably coupled onto the girder and is provided to be stretchable in a vertical direction, and wherein the magnet gripper is installed on an end of the extendable/retractable member.

6 . An automatic battery replacement method of replacing a battery of a transfer robot which autonomously moves and includes a lifting module which supports and lifts a cargo and detachably mounts the battery used as a power source, comprising:
a collecting step of collecting information about a remaining capacity of the battery mounted on the transfer robot; a command step of issuing a battery replacement command to the transfer robot when it is determined that it is necessary to replace the battery mounted on the transfer robot; a moving step of moving the battery replacement robot, which is mounted on an autonomously movable robot, to the transfer robot which needs to replace the battery to perform a battery replacement task; a removing step of allowing a battery replacement robot to suck and remove the battery mounted on the transfer robot using a magnet gripper; and a mounting step of allowing the battery replacement robot to suck a fully-charged battery using the magnet gripper to be mounted on the transfer robot.

7 . The automatic battery replacement method according to claim 6 , wherein the removing step and the mounting step are sequentially performed by the battery replacement robot.

8 . The automatic battery replacement method according to claim 6 , wherein the battery replacement robot includes:
a girder installed in a horizontal direction and an extendable/retractable member which is slidably coupled onto the girder and is provided to be stretchable in a vertical direction and the magnet gripper is installed on an end of the extendable/retractable member.

Assignees

• Hl Mando Corp

Inventors

• Kwon Oseok
• Park Jeongjae
• Kim Dongseon
• Choi Seongho
• Song Joonkyu

Classifications

• B25J9/043

  double selective compliance articulated robot arms [SCARA] · CPC title

• B25J19/005

  using batteries, e.g. as a back-up power source · CPC title

• B25J18/04

  rotatable · CPC title

• B25J11/008

  Manipulators for service tasks · CPC title

• E04H6/36

  characterised by use of freely-movable dollies · CPC title