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US 11,590,856 B2Granted
Robotic car charger attachment apparatus
OwnerWesley Zhouinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An attachment module constructed to enable a vehicle charging robot to attach to a vehicle and to thereafter insert its charging connector into the vehicle's charging socket. Once the vehicle is charged and the charging connector is disconnected from the charging socket, the attachment module is further constructed to enable the robot to detach from the vehicle.
Claims29
An apparatus comprising:
- an arm mountable to a vehicle charging apparatus;
- and
- an attachment module attached to an end of said arm and comprising:
- (a) a flexible body having a flexible outer sleeve constructed to enable vacuum attachment of the flexible body to a vehicle;
- (b) an electromagnet mounted within the flexible body and actuatable to enable attachment of the flexible body to a vehicle;
- and (c) a protective pad mounted on said electromagnet;
- wherein the apparatus is further constructed to enable a vacuum to be applied to said attachment module to cause it to attach by suction to a vehicle.
4 more elements
The apparatus of claim lwherein said arm is mountable on a ball joint positioned on said vehicle charging apparatus.
An apparatus comprising:
- a hollow curved arm mountable to a vehicle charging apparatus and having a flange positioned at an opposite end thereof;
- an attachment module attached to said flange and comprising:
- (a) a flexible body having a flexible circular outer sleeve constructed to enable vacuum attachment of the flexible body to a vehicle;
- (b) an electromagnet mounted within the flexible body and actuatable to enable attachment of the flexible body to a vehicle surface;
- and (c) a protective pad mounted around said electromagnet and having a front protective surface positioned to contact a surface of a vehicle;
- the attachment module further comprising a plurality of mechanical fasteners each inserted through said mounting plate, through one of a respective one of a plurality of apertures in a back surface of said flexible body, and threaded into a respective one of a plurality of apertures in said electromagnet.
3 more elements
Apparatus comprising:
- a robot comprising a vehicle charging connector configured to establish an electrical connection with a charging port of a vehicle;
- the robot further comprising an attachment module positioned adjacent to and spaced apart from the vehicle charging connector, the attachment module comprising a flexible body having a flexible outer sleeve constructed to enable vacuum attachment of the module to a vehicle;
- and
- the robot further being constructed to apply a vacuum to the attachment module to attach the module to a vehicle.
1 more element
Apparatus comprising:
- a robot comprising a vehicle charging connector configured to establish an electrical connection with a charging port of a vehicle;
- the robot further comprising an attachment module positioned adjacent to and spaced apart from the vehicle charging connector, the attachment module comprising a flexible body having a flexible outer sleeve;
- and
- an electromagnet mounted within the flexible body and actuatable to enable attachment of the flexible body to a vehicle surface.
1 more element
A method of constructing a robot to charge an electric vehicle comprising:
- constructing the robot to include an attachment module actuatable to attach to a surface of the vehicle prior to insertion by the robot of an electrical charging connector into engagement with a charging port of the vehicle and such that the attachment module enables said insertion;
- further constructing the robot such that, after the attachment module is attached to the vehicle, the robot proceeds to insert the electrical charging connector into the charging port of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.