Battery charging apparatus and method for charging electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815377-B2
Application number	US-201514791874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2015
Priority date	Jul 6, 2015
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A battery charging apparatus for charging an electric vehicle is described. The battery charging apparatus includes a charging body, a robot arm, and a feeding coupler. The charging body defines a receiving portion. The robot arm is movably coupled to a sidewall of the receiving portion and received in receiving portion. The feeding coupler is coupled to the robot arm and used to supply electric power to the electric vehicle. The robot arm is capable of extending from the receiving portion for coupling the feeding coupler to an electric vehicle. A battery charging method for charging an electric vehicle having a receiving coupler is also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery charging apparatus for charging an electric vehicle, comprising:
a charging body defining a receiving portion;
a robot arm movably coupled to a sidewall of the receiving portion, and received in the receiving portion, wherein the robot arm comprises a first arm, a second arm, a third arm, and a fourth arm, a first end portion of the first arm is rotatably coupled with a sidewall of the receiving portion about a first axis, a first end portion of the second arm is rotatably coupled with a second end portion of the first arm about a second axis, the second axis is substantially parallel to the first axis, a first end portion of the third arm is rotatably coupled with a second end portion of the second arm about a third axis, and the third axis is substantially parallel to the first axis, a first end portion of the fourth arm is rotatably coupled with a second end portion of the third arm about a fourth axis, and the fourth axis is substantially vertical to the first axis; and
a feeding coupler coupled to the fourth arm and configured to supply electric power to the electric vehicle; and
wherein the robot arm is capable of extending from the receiving portion for coupling the feeding coupler to an electric vehicle.

2. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a protective door, wherein the protective door is movably coupled to the charging body and positioned adjacent to the receiving portion for closing the receiving portion.

3. The battery charging apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the protective door is configured to coil or roll up.

4. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the robot arm further comprises a fifth arm, a first end portion of the fifth arm is rotatably coupled with a second end portion of the fourth arm about a fifth axis, and the fifth axis is substantially vertical to the fourth axis.

5. The battery charging apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the robot arm further comprises a sixth arm, the sixth arm is fixedly coupled to a second portion of the fifth arm, the feeding coupler is positioned on an end portion of the sixth arm and positioned away from the fifth arm.

6. The battery charging apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the robot arm further comprises an elastic member, the elastic member is movably sleeved on the sixth arm and resist with the feeding coupler.

7. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the battery charging apparatus further comprises a controller for controlling the robot arm to couple the feeding coupler with a receiving coupler of the electric vehicle.

8. The battery charging apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the battery charging apparatus further comprises a camera unit coupled to the controller, the camera unit is positioned on an end surface of the feeding coupler and positioned away from the robot arm.

9. A battery charging apparatus for charging an electric vehicle comprising:
a charging body defining a receiving portion;
a robot arm movably coupled to a sidewall of the receiving portion, and received in the receiving portion, wherein the robot arm comprises a first arm, a second arm, a third arm, and a fourth arm, a first end portion of the first arm is rotatably coupled with a sidewall of the receiving portion about a first axis, a first end portion of the second arm is rotatably coupled with a second end portion of the first arm about a second axis, the second axis is substantially parallel to the first axis, a first end portion of the third arm is rotatably coupled with a second end portion of the second arm about a third axis, and the third axis is substantially parallel to the first axis, a first end portion of the fourth arm is rotatably coupled with a second end portion of the third arm about a fourth axis, and the fourth axis is substantially vertical to the first axis;
a feeding coupler coupled to the fourth arm and configured to supply electric power to the electric vehicle;
a protective door movably coupled to the charging body; and
a controller electrically coupled to the robot arm and the protective door; and
wherein the protective door is controlled by the controller for being opened or closed, and the robot arm is capable of extending from the receiving portion for coupling the feeding coupler to an electric vehicle.

10. The battery charging apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the protective door is configured to coil or roll up.

11. The battery charging apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the robot arm further comprises a fifth arm, a first end portion of the fifth arm is rotatably coupled with a second end portion of the fourth arm about a fifth axis, and the fifth axis is substantially vertical to the fourth axis.

12. The battery charging apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the robot arm further comprises a sixth arm, the sixth arm is fixedly coupled to a second portion of the fifth arm, the feeding coupler is positioned on an end portion of the sixth arm and positioned away from the fifth arm.

13. The battery charging apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the robot arm further comprises an elastic member, the elastic member is movably sleeved on the sixth arm and resist with the feeding coupler.

14. A battery charging method for charging an electric vehicle having a receiving coupler, comprising:
providing an electronic charging apparatus having a receiving portion and a protective door with a robot arm moveably within the receiving portion, the robot arm having a feeding coupler at an end of the robot arm configured to mate with the electrical power receiving coupler of the electric vehicle, the robot arm having a retracted position in which the robot arm is within the electronic charging apparatus, wherein the robot arm comprises a first arm, a second arm, a third arm, and a fourth arm, a first end portion of the first arm is rotatably coupled with a sidewall of the receiving portion about a first axis, a first end portion of the second arm is rotatably coupled with a second end portion of the first arm about a second axis, the second axis is substantially parallel to the first axis, a first end portion of the third arm is rotatably coupled with a second end portion of the second arm about a third axis, and the third axis is substantially parallel to the first axis, a first end portion of the fourth arm is rotatably coupled with a second end portion of the third arm about a fourth axis, and the fourth axis is substantially vertical to the first axis;
storing the robot arm in the receiving portion in the retracted position with the protective door closed;
in response to the electric vehicle moving into proximity to a charging station:
opening the protective door;
extending the robot arm from the retracted position to bring the feeding coupler to a position spaced from the receiving coupler of the electric vehicle;
recalling from a memory a location of the receiving coupler of the electric vehicle;
visually confirming that the feeding coupler can connect to the receiving coupler;
issuing a warning in response to lack of visual confirmation;
moving, in response to visual confirmation and based on the location recalled from the memory, the robot arm to bring the feeding coupler into engagement with the receiving coupler to power the electric vehicle; and

retracting the robot arm into the retracted position.

Assignees

• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wu E-In

Classifications

• B60L11/1827

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y02T90/163

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T10/7088

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T90/125

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60L11/1861

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic