Electrical charging system for a robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840154-B2
Application number	US-201615088519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2016
Priority date	Apr 1, 2016
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

An electrical charging system including an electrical charger assembly with a charger base coupled to an electrical power source. There is a first male terminal member terminating in a first electrical contact with at least two curved external surfaces and one flat surface. There is a second male terminal member terminating in a second electrical contact with at least two curved external surfaces and one flat surface. There is a cavity formed between the first male terminal member and the second male terminal member having an opening between the first and second electrical contacts. The cavity is defined by the flat surface of the first male terminal member and the flat surface of the second male terminal member. The flat surface of the second male terminal member has a flared surface portion proximate the opening of the cavity and angled relative to the second axis.

First claim

Having described the invention, and a preferred embodiment thereof, what is claimed as new and secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An electrical charging system, comprising:
An electrical charger assembly, including:
A charger base coupled to an electrical power source;
A first male terminal member having a first base affixed to and extending orthogonally along a first axis from a first surface of the charger base and terminating in a first electrical contact, wherein the first male terminal member has a plurality of external surfaces at least two of which are curved from the first base to the first electrical contact and at least one flat surface;
A second male terminal member having a second base affixed to and extending orthogonally along a second axis from the first surface of the charger base and terminating in a second electrical contact, wherein the second male terminal member has a plurality of external surfaces at least two of which are curved from the second base to the second electrical contact and at least one flat surface; and
A cavity formed between the first male terminal member and the second male terminal member having an opening between the first and second electrical contacts, the cavity defined by the at least flat surface of the first male terminal member and the at least one flat surface of the second male terminal member, the at the least one flat surface of the second male terminal member having a flared surface portion proximate the opening of the cavity and angled relative to the second axis.

2. The electrical charging system of claim 1 wherein the at least one flat surface of the first male terminal member has a recessed surface portion proximate the opening of the cavity.

3. The electrical charging system of claim 2 further including an electrical charging port coupled to a battery of a device to be charged, the electrical charging port configured to receive the electrical charger assembly to electrically charge the battery of the device to be charged.

4. The electrical charging system of claim 3 wherein the electrical charging port comprises a first cavity and second cavity, which are configured to receive and engage with the first male terminal member and the second male terminal member, respectively, of electrical charging assembly.

5. The electrical charging system of claim 4 wherein the first cavity includes a first electrical contact comprising spring loaded pins configured to engage with the first electrical contact of the first male terminal member and the second cavity includes a second electrical contact comprising spring loaded pins configured to engage with the second electrical contact of the second male terminal member.

6. The electrical charging system of claim 5 wherein curved surfaces of the first male terminal member and the curved surfaces of the second male terminal member have a first radius of curvature.

7. The electrical charging system of claim 6 wherein the first cavity comprises curved surfaces having a second radius of curvature and the second cavity includes curved surfaces having the second radius of curvature; wherein the first radius of curvature is substantially equal to the second radius of curvature.

8. The electrical charging system of claim 5 wherein the first cavity has a width and length at its opening which is greater than a width and length of the first male terminal member proximate the first electrical contact and the second cavity has a width and length at its opening which is greater than a width and length of the second male terminal member proximate the second electrical contact.

9. The electrical charging system of claim 5 further including a divider disposed between the first cavity and the second cavity to separate the first cavity and the second cavity, the divider configured to be received in the cavity of electrical charging assembly when the electrical charging assembly and the electrical charging port are mated.

10. The electrical charging system of claim 9 wherein the divider includes a stop on a surface of the divider to prevent the electrical charger assembly from being improperly mated with the electrical charging port if the first male terminal member is being engaged with the second cavity and the second male terminal member is being engaged with the first cavity.

11. The electrical charging system of claim 10 wherein the stop includes an angled surface portion and flat surface portion configured to engage with the recessed surface portion within the cavity of the electrical charging assembly, thereby allowing proper mating of electrical charging assembly and the electrical charging port.

12. The electrical charging system of claim 3 wherein one of the electrical charging assembly and the electrical charging port includes a plurality of magnets and the other of the electrical charging assembly and the electrical charging port includes a corresponding plurality of metal contacts which engage when the electrical charging assembly and the electrical charging port are mated to secure them in place by way of magnetic force.

13. The electrical charging system of claim 12 further including a docking station having a frame to which the electrical charging assembly is affixed.

14. The electrical charging system of claim 13 wherein electrical charging assembly is disposed on a mount and the mount is secured to the frame by way of a plurality of compliant mounting members to allow movement of the electrical charging assembly in all six degrees of freedom.

15. The electrical charging system of claim 14 wherein the docking station includes a fiducial marker identifying the location of the docking station.

16. The electrical charging system of claim 14 wherein the docking station includes a charging unit electrically connected to electrical charging assembly to provide power for charging the device.

17. The electrical charging system of claim 16 wherein the docking station includes a restraining device interconnected to the frame of the docking station and the mount on which the electrical charging assembly is disposed to limit movement of the electrical charging assembly during the un-mating process.

18. The electrical charging system of claim 16 wherein the charging unit includes a transceiver and the electrical charging port includes a transceiver to enable communication between the charging unit and the device during the charging process.

19. The electrical charging system of claim 16 wherein the device being charged is a robot.

20. An electrical charging system for a robot, comprising:
An electrical charger assembly, including:
A charger base coupled to an electrical power source;
A first male terminal member having a first base affixed to and extending orthogonally along a first axis from a first surface of the charger base and terminating in a first electrical contact, wherein the first male terminal member has a plurality of external surfaces at least two of which are curved from the first base to the first electrical contact and at least one flat surface;
A second male terminal member having a second base affixed to and extending orthogonally along a second axis from the first surface of the charger base and terminating in a second electrical contact, wherein the second male terminal member has a plurality of external surfaces at least two of which are curved from the second base to the second electrical contact and at least one flat surface; and
A cavity formed between the first male terminal member and the second male terminal

Assignees

• Locus Robotics Corp

Inventors

• Kwa Hian Kai
• Fong Christina Nicole
• Sussman Michael

Classifications

• H02J2105/44

  Portable electronic devices · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/485

  with provisions for charging different types of batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/448

  using switches, contacts or markings, e.g. optical, magnetic or barcode · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title