JP7528732B2 - External electrical device connection device for mobile devices - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an external electrical device connection device for a mobile object.

In recent years, electrically-powered mobile objects that can move automatically and without tracks, such as automated guided vehicles, automatic cleaning robots, drones, etc., have become increasingly popular. Such mobile objects that use electricity as a power source often need to electrically connect electrical equipment built into the mobile object with electrical equipment installed outside. For example, the mobile object has a built-in rechargeable battery as an electrical device, and when charging, it is necessary to electrically connect a charging device, which is an externally installed electrical device, and a rechargeable battery, which is an electrical device built into the mobile object, to supply power.

Methods of connecting electrical equipment built into a mobile body to external electrical equipment can be broadly divided into manual methods, in which an external plug connected to an external electrical equipment is connected to a mobile body plug installed in the mobile body by hand, and automatic methods, in which the connection is automatically established by the movement of the mobile body without human intervention. However, in conventional configurations, the manual and automatic methods generally differ in the size and shape of the plugs used and the electrode specifications. Therefore, if one tries to adopt both the manual and automatic methods at the same time, it is necessary to prepare both an external plug and mobile body plug compatible with the manual method, and an external plug and mobile body plug compatible with the automatic method, which results in a complicated configuration.

In addition, if a connection method is to be compatible with both the manual and automatic methods, two types of plugs would have to be provided on the mobile unit: a mobile unit-side plug compatible with the manual method and a mobile unit-side plug compatible with the automatic method. In this case, if a user attempts to connect using the manual method, they may mistakenly try to insert the manual external plug into the automatic mobile unit-side plug, which could result in unexpected inconvenience.

JP 2005-149808 A

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an external electrical device connection device for a mobile body that can safely switch between a manual method and an automatic method with a simple configuration for electrically connecting an electrical device built into the mobile body to an external electrical device.

The external electrical device connection device (1) for a moving body of the embodiment is a device that electrically connects a moving body that can move without a track to an external electrical device (20). The external electrical device connection device includes a moving body side plug (30) that is provided on the moving body and electrically connected to an internal electrical device (15) built into the moving body, a manual external plug (602) that is electrically connected to the external electrical device and configured to be insertable and removable from the moving body side plug via a human hand and has a function of electrically connecting the moving body side plug to the external electrical device when inserted into the moving body side plug, and an automatic connector (40) that has an automatic external plug (602) that is electrically connected to the external electrical device and configured to have specifications compatible with the manual external plug, and receives the moving body side plug in an insertable and removable manner in response to the movement of the moving body without human intervention, and has a function of electrically connecting the moving body side plug to the external electrical device when the moving body side plug is inserted into the automatic external plug. The automatic connector further has a holding mechanism (50) that holds the automatic external plug, and when it receives an external force from the moving body due to the movement, moves the automatic external plug in a plane direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the moving body plug into the automatic external plug, and when the external force is released, returns the automatic external plug to its initial position on the plane. The moving body plug is configured to be able to selectively connect to the manual external plug and the automatic external plug.

FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a configuration of an external electrical device connection device for a mobile object according to an embodiment, in which a mobile object side plug is automatically connected to an automatic external plug; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a mobile-body-side plug in an external electrical device connection device for a mobile body according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an automatic connector for an external electrical device connection device for a mobile object according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of an automatic connector for an external electrical device connection device for a mobile object according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a rear view showing an example of an automatic connector for an external electrical device connection device for a mobile object according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X6-X6 in FIG. 4, showing an example of an automatic connector for an external electrical device connection device for a mobile object according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of an automatic connector for an external electrical device connection device for a mobile object according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view (part 1) showing an example of a mobile-use external electrical device connection device according to an embodiment when a mobile-use side plug is inserted into an automatic-use external plug of an automatic connector. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view (part 2) showing an example of a mobile-use external electrical device connection device according to an embodiment when a mobile-use side plug is inserted into an automatic-use external plug of an automatic connector; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view (part 3) showing an example of a mobile-use external electrical device connection device according to an embodiment when a mobile-use side plug is inserted into an automatic-use external plug of an automatic connector; FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a configuration of an external electrical device connection device for a mobile object according to an embodiment when a manual external plug is manually connected to a mobile object plug; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view (part 1) illustrating an example of a manual external plug being manually inserted into a mobile-body plug in an external electrical device connection device for a mobile body according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view (part 2) illustrating an example of a manual external plug being manually inserted into a mobile-body plug in the external electrical device connection device for a mobile body according to an embodiment;

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The external electric device connection device 1 for a moving body shown in Fig. 1 is a device for electrically connecting a moving body 10 and an external electric device 20. The moving body 10 is configured to be able to move without a track. The moving body 10 is assumed to be, for example, an unmanned vehicle that can move autonomously within the premises of a factory or a commercial facility, an air vehicle such as a drone, or an automatic cleaning robot used in the home, but is not limited to these.

In this embodiment, the mobile body 10 is assumed to be an unmanned transport vehicle used, for example, in a factory. The mobile body 10 is powered by electricity, and has a vehicle body 11, drive wheels 12, a drive device 13, a control device 14, and internal electrical equipment 15, as shown in FIG. 1 for example. The drive wheels 12 are wheels that rotate by the drive device 13, and have the function of moving the mobile body 10 two-dimensionally in the horizontal direction parallel to the ground, that is, forward/backward/left/right. The drive device 13 is composed of, for example, an electric motor that drives the drive wheels 12, and is driven under the control of the control device 14.

The control device 14 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a CPU (not shown) and storage areas such as ROM, RAM, and non-volatile memory. The internal electrical equipment 15 is an electrical equipment built into the mobile body 10, and can be composed of an electronic device capable of storing electricity, such as a rechargeable battery or a capacitor, for example. When the internal electrical equipment 15 is a rechargeable battery or a capacitor, the internal electrical equipment 15 has the function of storing electricity to drive electrical equipment other than the internal electrical equipment 15, such as the drive device 13 and control device 14 built into the mobile body 10.

The external electrical device 20 is an electrical device arranged outside the mobile body 10, and may be, for example, a charging device. In this case, the internal electrical device 15 is configured to be able to be charged by receiving power from the external electrical device 20. The internal electrical device 15 is electrically connected to the external electrical device 20 via the external electrical device connection device 1, and is thereby charged by receiving power from the external electrical device 20. When the external electrical device 20 is an external power supply device, the external electrical device 20 is connected to, for example, a commercial power source, although details are not shown, and has a rectifier circuit and a transformer circuit for converting the power of the commercial power source into power compatible with the internal electrical device 15, and a control device for controlling these rectifier circuits, transformer circuits, etc.

The internal electrical device 15 is not limited to being capable of storing electricity, such as the rechargeable battery or capacitor described above. For example, the internal electrical device 15 may be one that is powered by receiving power from the external electrical device 20 as a power supply device, or one that communicates with the external electrical device 20 as a communication device via a wire. Furthermore, the external electrical device 20 is not limited to being an external power supply device that supplies power to the internal electrical device 15. The external electrical device 20 may be one that is powered by receiving power from the internal electrical device 15 that can store electricity, or one that is charged.

The external electrical device connection device 1 functions as a combination of an automatic connector 40 having an automatic external plug 601 and a mobile body side plug 30 as shown in FIG. 1, or as a combination of a manual external plug 602 and a mobile body side plug 30 as shown in FIG. 11. That is, the external electrical device connection device 1 includes a mobile body side plug 30, an automatic connector 40 having an automatic external plug 601, and a manual external plug 602. The mobile body side plug 30 is configured to be able to selectively connect the automatic external plug 601 and the manual external plug 602.

The automatic external plug 601 and the manual external plug 602 are configured to have compatible specifications. Here, compatible specifications means that the automatic external plug 601 and the manual external plug 602 have the same outer diameter shape, etc., and are both configured to be connectable to the mobile body plug 30. In this embodiment, the automatic external plug 601 and the manual external plug 602 have the same configuration, and for example, commercially available products with the same model number can be used. The automatic external plug 601 and the manual external plug 602 are connected to the external electrical device 20 by cables 65, as shown in Figures 1 and 11, respectively.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 12, the automatic external plug 601 and the manual external plug 602 each have an external plug body 61, one or more external electrodes 62, an external suction member 63, electrical wiring 64, and a cable 65. The external plug body 61 is made of, for example, electrically insulating synthetic resin, and constitutes the outer shell of each of the external plugs 601, 602. Note that when the internal electrical device 15 is constituted by a rechargeable battery or the like capable of storing electricity, and the external electrical device 20 is constituted by an external power supply device, the automatic external plug 601 and the manual external plug 602 can be referred to as an automatic power supply plug and a manual external plug, respectively, for supplying power to the internal electrical device 15.

The external electrode 62 is, for example, a metal electrode, and is electrically connected to the external electrical device 20 via the electrical wiring 64. The external electrode 62 is configured to be electrically connectable to the mobile-body electrode 31 of the mobile-body plug 30. In this embodiment, the external electrode 62 is a female electrode that is cylindrically recessed inward from the tip surface portion 611 of the external plug body 61. In other words, the automatic external plug 601 and the manual external plug 602 are female plugs. In addition, the portion of the electrical wiring 64 that extends from the external plug body 61 passes through the cable 65 and is connected to the external electrical device 20.

The external attraction member 63 exerts an attraction force, such as a magnetic force, between the mobile body plug 30 and the external plugs 601 and 602, thereby guiding the external plugs 601 and 602 to an appropriate connection position with the mobile body plug 30 and maintaining the connection state. The external attraction member 63 is composed of, for example, a magnet or a ferromagnetic metal member.

The external attraction member 63 is provided around the external electrode 62, for example, on the tip surface portion 611 of the external plug body 61. In this case, the external attraction member 63 is exposed on the surface of the tip surface portion 611. Also, as shown in Figures 8 and 12, if the mobile body side attraction member 33 provided on the mobile body side plug 30 is a magnet, the external attraction member 63 can be composed of a magnet or a ferromagnetic metal plate, etc. Also, if the mobile body side attraction member 33 provided on the mobile body side plug 30 is a ferromagnetic metal plate, etc., the external attraction member 63 is composed of a magnet.

The mobile body side plug 30 is provided in the mobile body 10 and is electrically connected to the internal electrical device 15 built into the mobile body 10. In this case, the mobile body side plug 30 is a component of the external electrical device connection device 1 and also a component of the mobile body 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile body side plug 30 has one or more mobile body side electrodes 31, a socket 32, and a mobile body side adsorption member 33. Note that when the internal electrical device 15 is composed of a chargeable battery or the like and the external electrical device 20 is composed of an external power supply device, the mobile body side plug 30 can also be called a power receiving plug for receiving power from the external electrical device 20.

The mobile body side electrode 31 is, for example, a metal electrode, and is electrically connected to the internal electrical device 15 via the electrical wiring 34. The mobile body side electrode 31 is configured to be electrically connectable to the external electrode 62 of the external plugs 601, 602. In this embodiment, the mobile body side electrode 31 is a male electrode configured by protruding the core wire of the electrical wiring 34 or a metal rod-shaped member from the bottom surface portion 301 outward. In other words, the mobile body side plug 30 is a male plug.

The socket 32 is made of, for example, synthetic resin having electrical insulation properties, and is provided around the mobile body electrode 31 to surround the mobile body electrode 31. The socket 32 is provided in a state of protruding from the surface of the dolly body body 11. The socket 32 is formed in a container shape, in other words, a rectangular or circular cylinder shape, with an opening 321 that opens outward, that is, toward the protruding direction of the mobile body electrode 31. The socket 32 also has a guide portion 322. When the mobile body side plug 30 approaches the automobile external side plug 601 due to the movement of the mobile body 10, the guide portion 322 converts the force in the insertion direction that the mobile body side plug 30 applies to the automobile external side plug 601 into a force in a plane direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, and has the function of guiding the automobile external side plug 601 to an appropriate connection position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the guide portion 322 in this embodiment is formed in a tapered shape that is inclined so as to narrow from the opening 321 toward the bottom surface portion 301. In other words, the guide portion 322 is formed in a tapered shape that is inclined so as to widen from the bottom surface portion 301 toward the opening 321 side. That is, the guide portion 322 is inclined from the opening 321 side toward the mobile body side electrode 31 side. As shown in FIG. 8 to FIG. 10, when the mobile body side plug 30 is inserted into the mobile body external side plug 601 by the movement of the mobile body 10, the guide portion 322 comes into contact with the mobile body external side plug 601, thereby moving and guiding the mobile body external side plug 601 to the appropriate connection position.

The tip of the movable body electrode 31 is located inside the socket 32. That is, the tip of the movable body electrode 31 is located inside the opening 321 of the socket 32, that is, closer to the bottom surface 301 than the tip of the socket 32. In other words, the tip of the movable body electrode 31 does not protrude outward from the socket 32. In this case, the tip of the movable body electrode 31 is located closer to the bottom surface 301 than the guide portion 322.

The mobile body side attraction member 33 corresponds to the external side attraction member 63 and functions in pairs with the external side attraction member 63. That is, the mobile body side attraction member 33 exerts an attraction force by magnetic force or the like between the mobile body side plug 30 and the external side attraction member 63 provided on the external side plugs 601 and 602, thereby guiding the automatic external side plug 601 and the manual external side plug 602 to an appropriate connection position with the mobile body side plug 30 and maintaining the connection state. The mobile body side attraction member 33 is composed of, for example, a magnet or a ferromagnetic metal plate.

The mobile body side attraction member 33 is provided around the mobile body side electrode 31 on the bottom surface portion 301. In this case, the mobile body side attraction member 33 is exposed on the surface of the bottom surface portion 301. Also, as shown in Figures 8 and 12, if the external side attraction member 63 provided on the external side plugs 601 and 602 is a magnet, the mobile body side attraction member 33 can be composed of a magnet or a ferromagnetic metal plate, etc. Also, if the external side attraction member 63 provided on the external side plugs 601 and 602 is a ferromagnetic metal plate, etc., the mobile body side attraction member 33 is composed of a magnet.

The automatic connector 40 is electrically connected to the external electrical device 20 and has an automatic external plug 601. The automatic connector 40 receives the mobile body side plug 30 in an insertable and removable manner in response to the movement of the mobile body 10 without human intervention, and has the function of electrically connecting the mobile body side plug 30 to the external electrical device 20 when the mobile body side plug 30 is inserted into the automatic external plug 601.

As shown in FIG. 3, the automatic connector 40 has a base 41, a holding mechanism 50, and an automatic external plug 601. That is, the automatic external plug 601 constitutes the automatic connector 40 together with the holding mechanism 50. The base 41 is a base for the holding mechanism 50, and has the function of fixing the holding mechanism 50 in a fixed position. The base 41 is fixed to the installation surface, for example, by an anchor, or is set to a weight such that the automatic connector 40 does not move even if the mobile unit 10 moves and comes into contact with the holding mechanism 50.

In the following description, as shown in FIG. 3 etc., the insertion/removal direction of the mobile body side plug 30 with respect to the external plug for automobile use 601 is defined as the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, in the X-axis direction, the mobile body side plug 30 side with respect to the external plug for automobile use 601 is defined as the front side, and the opposite side of the mobile body side plug 30 is defined as the rear side. The horizontal direction on a plane perpendicular to the X-axis is defined as the Y-axis direction. And the up/down direction on a plane perpendicular to the X-axis is defined as the Z-axis direction.

The holding mechanism 50 is configured to be movable in the Y-Z plane direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the mobile body side plug 30 into the automatic external plug 601. The holding mechanism 50 also has the function of moving in the Y-Z plane direction when an external force is applied due to the movement of the mobile body 10, and holding the automatic external plug 601 in a state where it can return to its initial position on the Y-Z plane when the external force is released. In other words, when the mobile body side plug 30 comes into contact with the automatic external plug 601 due to the approach of the mobile body 10, and the automatic external plug 601 receives an external force in the X-axis direction from the mobile body side plug 30, the holding mechanism 50 moves the automatic external plug 601 on the Y-Z plane.

The holding mechanism 50 is configured to move the external plug 601 in the insertion direction, i.e., on the X-axis. The holding mechanism 50 further has the function of moving the external plug 601 backward in the insertion direction, i.e., in the X-axis direction, when an external force is applied in association with the movement of the moving body 10, and holding the external plug 601 in a state in which it can return to its initial position in the insertion direction, i.e., in the X-axis direction, when the external force from the moving body 10 is released.

The holding mechanism 50 further has the function of holding the auto-use external plug 601 in a state in which it can rotate left and right, i.e., in the Y-axis direction, when viewed from the insertion direction of the mobile body side plug 30 into the auto-use external plug 601. As a result, when the mobile body 10 approaches the auto-use external plug 601, the holding mechanism 50 absorbs the positional deviation of the mobile body side plug 30 in the Y-Z plane direction relative to the auto-use external plug 601, and absorbs the impact when the mobile body side plug 30 collides with the auto-use external plug 601, and as a result, the auto-use external plug 601 and the mobile body side plug 30 can be connected safely at the appropriate connection position.

As shown in Figures 3 to 7, the holding mechanism 50 has a first base portion 51, an X-axis movement mechanism 52, a second base portion 53, a Z-axis movement mechanism 54, a third base portion 55, a Y-axis movement mechanism 56, a fourth base portion 57, a rotation mechanism 58, and a plug attachment portion 59. The first base portion 51 is fixed to the pedestal portion 41.

The X-axis moving mechanism 52 is provided directly on the first base portion 51. The second base portion 53, the Z-axis moving mechanism 54, the third base portion 55, the Y-axis moving mechanism 56, the fourth base portion 57, the rotation mechanism 58, the plug mounting portion 59, and the automatic external plug 601 are provided on the first base portion 51 via the X-axis moving mechanism 52. The X-axis moving mechanism 52 has the function of moving the second base portion 53, the Z-axis moving mechanism 54, the third base portion 55, the Y-axis moving mechanism 56, the fourth base portion 57, the rotation mechanism 58, the plug mounting portion 59, and the automatic external plug 601 together along the X-axis.

The X-axis moving mechanism 52 has a function of absorbing the force being pushed in the X-axis direction when the moving body 10 moves and the moving body side plug 30 comes into contact with the automatic external plug 601 and receives a force pushing in the X-axis direction. In this case, the X-axis moving mechanism 52 has a function of moving the Z-axis moving mechanism 54, the third base portion 55, the Y-axis moving mechanism 56, the fourth base portion 57, the rotation mechanism 58, the plug mounting portion 59, and the automatic external plug 601 together with the second base portion 53 to the rear side of the X-axis as a whole when the moving body 10 moves and the moving body side plug 30 comes into contact with the automatic external plug 601 and receives a moving force of the moving body 10.

When the moving force received from the moving body 10 is released, the X-axis moving mechanism 52 has the function of moving the Z-axis moving mechanism 54, the third base portion 55, the Y-axis moving mechanism 56, the fourth base portion 57, the rotation mechanism 58, the plug mounting portion 59, and the automatic external plug 601 together with the second base portion 53 forward along the X-axis and returning them to their initial positions. In this embodiment, the initial position of the X-axis moving mechanism 52 is the front end position on the X-axis within the moving range of the second base portion 53. Therefore, even if an external force toward the front of the X-axis is applied, the second base portion 53 does not move forward from the initial position.

As shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, the X-axis movement mechanism 52 has two each of X-axis shafts 521, X-axis bushes 522, and X-axis coil springs 523. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the X-axis shafts 521, X-axis bushes 522, and X-axis coil springs 523 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The X-axis shafts 521 are, for example, the axis of a cylinder, and are arranged along the X-axis. In other words, the X-axis shafts 521 extend in the front-rear direction. Both ends of the X-axis shafts 521 are fixed to the first base portion 51.

The X-axis bush 522 is passed through the X-axis shaft 521 and is configured to be movable (in this case slidable) along the X-axis shaft 521. The X-axis coil spring 523 is passed through the X-axis shaft 521 and is positioned on the rear side of the X-axis bush 522. The X-axis coil spring 523 applies an elastic force to the X-axis bush 522 in the forward direction.

The second base portion 53 is fixed to the upper surface of the X-axis bushing 522 and is configured to be movable in the X-axis direction together with the X-axis bushing 522. The Z-axis movement mechanism 54 is provided directly on the second base portion 53. The third base portion 55, the Y-axis movement mechanism 56, the fourth base portion 57, the rotation mechanism 58, and the plug mounting portion 59 are provided on the second base portion 53 via the Z-axis movement mechanism 54. The Z-axis movement mechanism 54 has the function of moving the third base portion 55, the Y-axis movement mechanism 56, the fourth base portion 57, the rotation mechanism 58, and the plug mounting portion 59 together along the Z axis.

The Z-axis movement mechanism 54 has a function of absorbing the Z-axis positional deviation between the mobile unit plug 30 and the automatic external plug 601, that is, the vertical positional deviation, when the mobile unit plug 30 comes into contact with the automatic external plug 601 due to the movement of the mobile unit 10. In other words, when the mobile unit plug 30 comes into contact with the automatic external plug 601 due to the movement of the mobile unit 10 and the moving force that the automatic external plug 601 receives from the mobile unit plug 30 is converted into a Z-axis force by the guide unit 322, the Z-axis movement mechanism 54 has a function of moving the third base unit 55, the Y-axis movement mechanism 56, the fourth base unit 57, the rotation mechanism 58, the plug attachment unit 59, and the automatic external plug 601 together along the Z axis, thereby moving the automatic external plug 601 to an appropriate connection position.

The Z-axis moving mechanism 54 also has the function of returning the third base portion 55, the Y-axis moving mechanism 56, the fourth base portion 57, the rotation mechanism 58, the plug mounting portion 59, and the automatic external plug 601 to their initial positions on the Z-axis when the moving force received from the moving body 10 is released. In this embodiment, the initial position of the Z-axis moving mechanism 54 is the middle position on the Z-axis within the moving range of the third base portion 55.

As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the Z-axis movement mechanism 54 has two Z-axis shafts 541 and two Z-axis bushes 542, and also has two sets of Z-axis coil springs 543. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the Z-axis shafts 541, Z-axis bushes 542, and Z-axis coil springs 543 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The Z-axis shafts 541 are, for example, the axis of a cylinder, and are arranged along the Z-axis. In other words, the Z-axis shafts 541 extend in the up-down direction. Both ends of the Z-axis shafts 541 are fixed to the second base portion 53.

The Z-axis bushing 542 is passed through the Z-axis shaft 541 and is configured to be movable (in this case slidable) in the vertical direction along the Z-axis shaft 541. The Z-axis coil spring 543 is passed through the Z-axis shaft 541 and is arranged on both the top and bottom of the Z-axis bushing 542. The two Z-axis coil springs 543 arranged on the top and bottom apply elastic forces to the Z-axis bushing 542 toward the lower and upper sides of the Z-axis, respectively. In other words, the Z-axis bushing 542 receives elastic forces toward the center of the Z-axis shaft 541 from the two Z-axis coil springs 543 arranged on the top and bottom.

As shown in FIG. 5, the third base portion 55 is fixed to the rear surface of the Z-axis bush 542 and is configured to be movable in the Z-axis direction together with the Z-axis bush 542. The Y-axis movement mechanism 56 is provided directly on the third base portion 55. The third base portion 55, the Y-axis movement mechanism 56, the fourth base portion 57, the rotation mechanism 58, and the plug mounting portion 59 are provided on the third base portion 55 via the Y-axis movement mechanism 56. The Y-axis movement mechanism 56 has the function of moving the fourth base portion 57, the rotation mechanism 58, and the plug mounting portion 59 together along the Y axis.

The Y-axis movement mechanism 56 has a function of absorbing the positional deviation in the Y-axis direction, i.e., the left-right direction, between the mobile unit side plug 30 and the automatic external plug 601 when the mobile unit 10 moves and the mobile unit side plug 30 comes into contact with the automatic external plug 601. In other words, when the mobile unit 10 moves and the mobile unit side plug 30 comes into contact with the automatic external plug 601 and the external force that the automatic external plug 601 receives from the mobile unit side plug 30 is converted into a force in the Y-axis direction by the guide unit 322, the Y-axis movement mechanism 56 moves the fourth base unit 57, the rotation mechanism 58, the plug mounting unit 59, and the automatic external plug 601 together along the Y-axis, thereby moving the automatic external plug 601 to an appropriate connection position. In addition, the Y-axis movement mechanism 56 has a function of returning the fourth base portion 57, the rotation mechanism 58, the plug mounting portion 59, and the external plug 601 for automatic use to their initial positions on the Y-axis when the external force applied from the moving body 10 is released. In this embodiment, the initial position of the Y-axis movement mechanism 56 is the middle position on the Y-axis within the movement range of the fourth base portion 57.

As shown in Figs. 4 to 7, the Y-axis movement mechanism 56 has two Y-axis shafts 561 and two Y-axis bushes 562, and also has two Y-axis coil springs 563. As shown in Fig. 5, the Y-axis shafts 561, Y-axis bushes 562, and Y-axis coil springs 563 are arranged in a vertical line. The Y-axis shafts 561 are, for example, the axis of a cylinder, and are arranged along the Y-axis. In other words, the Y-axis shafts 561 extend in the left-right direction. In this case, the third base portion 55 has the shaft mounting portion 551 integrally therewith. And both ends of the Y-axis shafts 561 are fixed to the shaft mounting portions 551 of the second base portion 53.

The Y-axis bushing 562 is passed through the Y-axis shaft 561 and is configured to be movable (in this case slidable) along the Y-axis shaft 561. The Y-axis coil spring 563 is passed through the Y-axis shaft 561 and is arranged on both the left and right sides of the Y-axis bushing 562. The two Y-axis coil springs 563 arranged on the left and right sides apply elastic forces to the Y-axis bushing 562 toward the left and right sides of the Y-axis. In other words, the Y-axis bushing 562 receives elastic forces toward the center of the Y-axis shaft 561 from the two Y-axis coil springs 563 arranged on the left and right sides.

As shown in FIG. 6, the fourth base part 57 is fixed to the rear surface of the Y-axis bush 562 and is configured to be movable in the Y-axis direction together with the Y-axis bush 562. The fourth base part 57 extends forward from the Y-axis bush 562. The rotation mechanism 58 is provided at the front end of the fourth base part 57 and rotatably mounts the plug mounting part 59 to the fourth base part 57. The plug mounting part 59 is provided on the fourth base part 57 via the rotation mechanism 58 and has the function of holding the external plug 601 for automatic transmission. The rotation mechanism 58 has the function of yawing the plug mounting part 59 and the external plug 601 for automatic transmission relative to the fourth base part 57, that is, rotating them in the Y-axis direction around a rotation axis parallel to the Z-axis.

As shown in FIG. 7, the rotation mechanism 58 is provided at the front end portion of the fourth base portion 57, that is, at the front side of the holding mechanism 50. The rotation mechanism 58 has a function of absorbing the positional deviation in the yaw direction between the mobile body side plug 30 and the automatic external plug 601 when the mobile body side plug 30 comes into contact with the automatic external plug 601 due to the movement of the mobile body 10. In other words, when the mobile body side plug 30 of the mobile body 10 approaches the automatic external plug 601 from an oblique direction, the rotation mechanism 58 has a function of rotating the plug mounting portion 59 and the automatic external plug 601 to make the automatic external plug 601 and the mobile body side plug 30 face each other. In this case, facing each other means that the bottom surface portion 301 of the mobile body side plug 30 and the tip surface portion 611 of the automatic external plug 601 face each other so as to be parallel to each other.

The rotation mechanism 58 has two rotation shafts 581 and two bearings 582, and also has two sets of rotation springs 583. The rotation shaft 581 is a cylindrical shaft that extends in the Z-axis direction, that is, the vertical direction. The bearing 582 is provided on the plug mounting part 59 and rotatably holds one end of the rotation shaft 581. One end of the rotation shaft 581 is fixed to the fourth base part 57. This allows the plug mounting part 59 and the external plug for automobile use 601 to rotate around the rotation shaft 581 as a fulcrum.

The rotation spring 583 is, for example, a coil spring, and as shown in FIG. 7, one is provided on each of the left and right sides of one rotation shaft 581. One end of the rotation spring 583 is attached to a first spring mounting portion 571 provided on the fourth base portion 57. The first spring mounting portion 571 is provided on both the left and right sides of the fourth base portion 57. The other end of the rotation spring 583 is attached to a second spring mounting portion 591 provided on the plug mounting portion 59. The second spring mounting portion 591 is provided on both the left and right sides of the plug mounting portion 59.

In this case, the distance between the two pivot springs 583 provided on both the left and right sides of the rotation shaft 581 is set to become wider as it moves from the fourth base portion 57 toward the plug mounting portion 59. The pivot spring 583 exerts an elastic force in a direction that maintains the plug mounting portion 59 in a neutral position, that is, in an initial position in which the automatic external plug 601 faces forward. As a result, after the plug mounting portion 59 rotates around the rotation shaft 581, when the mobile body side plug 30 separates from the automatic external plug 601, the elastic force of the pivot spring 583 returns the plug mounting portion 59 and the automatic external plug 601 to their initial positions, that is, orientations.

As shown in FIG. 3 and other figures, the holding mechanism 50 further includes a cover member 501 and a protective member 502. The cover member 501 is formed, for example, by bending a thin steel plate or the like, and surrounds the periphery of the holding mechanism 50 to form the outer shell of the holding mechanism 50. The protective member 502 is formed, for example, of a rectangular thin steel plate or the like, and is provided on the front side of the plug mounting portion 59. The external plug 601 for automatic use penetrates the protective member 502 and is exposed on the front side. The protective member 502 has a function of preventing, for example, the user's hand from entering the inside of the holding mechanism 50.

In this configuration, the mobile body 10 can automatically connect the mobile body plug 30 and the automatic external plug 601 of the automatic connector 40 without human intervention by using the automatic connector 40 as shown in FIG. 1. In this case, the mobile body 10 approaches the automatic connector 40 by, for example, autonomous control. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the mobile body 10 approaches the automatic external plug 601 from the front of the automatic external plug 601 and inserts the mobile body plug 30 into the automatic external plug 601. At this time, the X-axis movement mechanism 52 of the holding mechanism 50 absorbs the impact when the mobile body plug 30 comes into contact with the automatic external plug 601 due to the approach of the mobile body 10.

In addition, if the position of the mobile body side plug 30 in the Y-Z plane direction relative to the automatic external plug 601 is misaligned when the mobile body 10 approaches the automatic connector 40, the Y-axis movement mechanism 56 and the Z-axis movement mechanism 54 of the holding mechanism 50 absorb and correct the misalignment in the Y-Z plane direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, if the position of the mobile body side plug 30 is misaligned on the Y-Z plane relative to the automatic external plug 601, the automatic external plug 601 comes into contact with the guide portion 322 of the socket 32, and the moving force in the direction in which the mobile body 10 approaches the automatic external plug 601 is converted into a moving force in the Y-Z plane direction by the guide portion 322. As a result, the automatic external plug 601 moves on the Y-Z plane and is guided to an appropriate connection position with the mobile body side plug 30, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10.

In addition, when the mobile unit 10 approaches the automatic connector 40, if the mobile unit plug 30 is not facing the automatic external plug 601 and the orientation of the mobile unit plug 30 is misaligned, that is, if the orientation of the mobile unit plug 30 is at an angle with respect to the X-axis, the rotation mechanism 58 of the holding mechanism 50 absorbs and corrects the misalignment of the orientation of the mobile unit plug 30. In other words, the rotation mechanism 58 of the holding mechanism 50 rotates the automatic external plug 601 around a rotation axis 581 parallel to the Z-axis, so that the automatic external plug 601 faces the mobile unit plug 30. This allows the automatic external plug 601 to be connected to the mobile unit plug 30 in an appropriate position.

According to the embodiment described above, the external electrical device connection device 1 for a moving body is a device that electrically connects a moving body 10 that can move without a track to an external electrical device 20. The external electrical device connection device 1 includes a moving body side plug 30, a manual external side plug 602, and an automatic connector 40. The moving body side plug 30 is provided on the moving body 10 and is electrically connected to an internal electrical device 15 built into the moving body 10. The manual external side plug 602 is electrically connected to the external electrical device 20 and is configured to be insertable and removable from the moving body side plug via a human hand, and has a function of electrically connecting the moving body side plug 30 to the external electrical device 20 when inserted into the moving body side plug 30.

The automatic connector 40 has an automatic external plug 601 that is electrically connected to the external electrical device 20 and is configured to have specifications compatible with the manual external plug 602. The automatic connector 40 receives the mobile body plug 30 in an insertable and removable manner in response to the movement of the mobile body 10 without human intervention, and has the function of electrically connecting the mobile body plug 30 to the external electrical device 20 when the mobile body plug 30 is inserted into the automatic external plug 601.

The automatic connector 40 further includes a holding mechanism 50. The holding mechanism 50 has a function of holding the automatic external plug 601. When the holding mechanism 50 receives an external force from the moving body 10 associated with the movement, it moves the automatic external plug 601 in a plane direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the moving body plug 30 into the automatic external plug 601, in this case the Y-Z plane direction, and when the external force is released, it returns the automatic external plug 601 to its initial position on the Y-Z plane. The moving body plug 30 provided on the moving body 10 is configured to be able to selectively connect the manual external plug 602 and the automatic external plug 601.

According to this, since the manual external plug 602 and the automatic external plug 601 are compatible, when the user electrically connects the internal electrical device 15 of the mobile body 10 to the external electrical device 20, for example, to charge the internal electrical device 15, the user can switch between the manual external plug 602 and the automatic external plug 601 to one mobile body plug 30. Therefore, with regard to the connection method of the mobile body 10, it is not necessary to provide the mobile body 10 with two types of mobile body side plugs, one for manual use and one for automatic use, so that it is possible to switch between manual and automatic with a simple configuration.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, there is no need to provide two types of mobile body side plugs, one for manual use and one for automatic use, on the mobile body 10, and the automatic external plug 601 and the manual external plug 602 can be connected to one mobile body side plug 30. Therefore, for example, when a user tries to manually connect to the mobile body 10, the user will not mistakenly connect the manual external plug 602 to a wrong destination, and the connection method of the mobile body 10 can be safely switched between the manual method and the automatic method. As a result, according to this embodiment, the connection method between the internal electrical device 15 and the external electrical device 20 of the mobile body 10 can be safely switched between the manual method and the automatic method with a simple configuration.

If the impact when the mobile body side plug 30 and the automatic external plug 601 come into contact is large, the mobile body side plug 30 and the automatic external plug 601 may be damaged. Therefore, the holding mechanism 50 of this embodiment has a function of moving the automatic external plug 601 in the insertion direction, i.e., the X-axis direction, when an external force accompanying the movement of the mobile body 10 is applied, and returning the automatic external plug 601 to its initial position in the insertion direction when the external force is released. As a result, the holding mechanism 50 can absorb the impact when the mobile body 10 approaches the automatic connector 40 and the mobile body side plug 30 collides with the automatic external plug 601. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the mobile body side plug 30 and the automatic external plug 601 from being damaged by the impact when the mobile body side plug 30 and the automatic external plug 601 come into contact, and as a result, according to this embodiment, the mobile body side plug 30 and the automatic external plug 601 can be automatically connected more safely.

When the moving body 10 approaches the automatic connector 40 in a diagonal direction deviating from the X-axis direction, there is a possibility that the moving body side plug 30 and the automatic external plug 601 may not be properly connected. Therefore, the holding mechanism 50 of this embodiment has a function of rotating the automatic external plug 601 in the insertion direction, i.e., in the left and right direction as viewed from the X-axis direction, when an external force accompanying the movement of the moving body 10 is applied, and releasing the rotation of the automatic external plug 601 and returning the automatic external plug 601 to its initial position in the rotation direction when the external force is released. According to this, even if the moving body 10 approaches the automatic connector 40 in a diagonal direction deviating from the X-axis direction, the automatic external plug 601 receives the moving force of the moving body 10 by contact with the moving body side plug 30 and rotates to face the moving body side plug 30. As a result, according to this embodiment, the moving body side plug 30 and the automatic external plug 601 can be automatically connected more reliably.

The mobile unit plug 30 has a mobile unit electrode 31 and a socket 32. The mobile unit electrode 31 is configured to be electrically connectable to the external electrodes 62 of the manual external plug 602 and the automatic external plug 601. The socket 32 is provided around the mobile unit electrode 31 and surrounds the mobile unit electrode 31. The socket 32 has a guide portion 322. The guide portion 322 converts the force in the insertion direction that the mobile unit plug 30 applies to the automatic external plug 601 when the mobile unit plug 30 approaches the automatic external plug 601 due to the movement of the mobile unit 10, that is, the force toward the rear side of the X axis, into a force in the Y-Z plane direction, and has the function of guiding the automatic external plug 601 to the connection position with the mobile unit plug 30. With this, when the mobile unit 10 approaches the automatic connector 40, the guide portion 322 can guide the automatic external plug 601 to the connection position with the mobile unit plug 30, so that the mobile unit plug 30 and the automatic external plug 601 can be more reliably connected.

Here, since the mobile body side electrode 31 is connected to the internal electrical device 15, if the internal electrical device 15 is configured as a rechargeable battery capable of storing high voltage, for example, there is a risk of electric shock if the user accidentally touches the mobile body side electrode 31. Therefore, in this embodiment, the tip of the mobile body side electrode 31 is located inside the socket 32. With this, even if the user's hand approaches the mobile body side electrode 31, the socket 32 can prevent the user's hand from touching the mobile body side electrode 31. As a result, this embodiment can improve safety for the user.

In addition, in this embodiment, the automatic external plug 601 and the manual external plug 602 are configured as so-called female plugs in which the external electrode 62 is recessed inward from the tip surface portion 611 of the external plug body 61. Therefore, the external plugs 601 and 602 are also configured so that the user's hands do not easily touch the external electrode 62. As a result, this embodiment can further improve safety for the user.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and can be modified, combined, or expanded in any manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The numerical values and the like shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting.
Although the present disclosure has been described based on the embodiment, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment or structure. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and forms, and other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and concept of the present disclosure.

1...External electrical device connection device, 10...Mobile body, 15...Internal electrical device, 20...External electrical device, 30...Mobile body side plug, 31...Mobile body side electrode, 311...Tip portion, 32...Socket, 322...Guide portion, 40...Automatic connector, 50...Retention mechanism, 601...Automatic external plug, 602...Manual external plug, 62...External electrode

Claims (3)

A device for electrically connecting a moving body capable of moving without a track to an external electric device disposed outside the moving body, comprising:
a mobile body-side plug that is provided in the mobile body and electrically connected to an internal electrical device built into the mobile body;
a manual external plug that is electrically connected to the external electric device, is configured to be manually insertable into and removable from the mobile body plug, and has a function of electrically connecting the mobile body plug to the external electric device when the manual external plug is inserted into the mobile body plug;
an automatic connector having an automatic external plug electrically connected to the external electrical device and configured to have specifications compatible with the manual external plug, receiving the mobile body side plug in and out of the automatic external plug in response to the movement of the mobile body without human intervention, and having a function of electrically connecting the mobile body side plug to the external electrical device when the mobile body side plug is inserted into the automatic external plug,
The moving body approaches the automatic connector and connects to the automatic external plug,
The automatic connector comprises:
a retaining mechanism that retains the automatic-use external plug, and that, when an external force is applied from the movable body due to the movement of the movable body, moves the automatic-use external plug in a plane perpendicular to the insertion direction of the movable body plug into the automatic-use external plug, and, when the external force is released, returns the automatic-use external plug to its initial position on the plane;
The holding mechanism includes:
a plug attachment portion for holding the external plug for an automobile;
a rotation mechanism having a function of rotating the plug attachment portion and the external plug for automatic use in a Y-axis direction around a rotation axis parallel to a Z-axis;
a Y-axis moving mechanism that moves the rotation mechanism and the plug attachment portion together along a Y axis;
a Z-axis movement mechanism that moves the Y-axis movement mechanism, the rotation mechanism, and the plug attachment portion integrally along a Z-axis;
an X-axis movement mechanism that moves the Z-axis movement mechanism, the Y-axis movement mechanism, the rotation mechanism, and the plug attachment portion together along an X-axis,
The mobile body side plug is configured to be selectively connectable to the manual external side plug and the automatic external side plug.
An external electrical device connection device for mobile devices. The moving body side plug is
a movable body side electrode electrically connectable to an external side electrode of the manual external plug and the automatic external plug;
a socket provided around the movable body electrode to surround the movable body electrode;
the socket has a guide portion which converts a force in the insertion direction applied by the mobile-body-side plug to the automobile-use external plug when the mobile-body-side plug approaches the automobile-use external plug due to the movement of the mobile body into a force in the planar direction and guides the automobile-use external plug to a connection position with the mobile-body-side plug,
2. The external electrical device connection device for a mobile object according to claim 1 . The moving body side plug is
a movable body side electrode electrically connected to an external electrode of the manual-use external plug and the automatic-use external plug; and a socket provided around the movable body side electrode to surround the movable body side electrode,
The tip of the movable body electrode is located inside the socket.
3. The external electrical device connection device for a mobile object according to claim 1 or 2 .

Images