# US 12,214,685 B2 · Charging infrastructure with a hexapod charging station for a vehicle

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- Number: US 12,214,685 B2
- Document ID: US12214685B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/603,732
- Filed: 2020-04-29
- Published: 2022-06-23
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-29
- Assignees: Rocsys B.V.
- Applicants: Rocsys B. V
- Inventors: Johannes Oosten Van Der Weijde
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214685B2

## CPC

- B60L 53/31: Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
- B25J 9/0069: {with kinematics chains of the type universal-prismatic-universal}
- B25J 17/0216: {comprising a stewart mechanism}
- B60L 3/0007: {Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions}
- B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors}
- B60L 53/35: Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
- B60L 53/36: by positioning the vehicle
- B60L 53/37: using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
- B60L 53/68: Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
- H02J 7/70: characterised by the mechanical construction
- B25J 19/0091: {Shock absorbers (in general F16F)}
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A charging infrastructure including a charging station (1) for charging a vehicle (10) having a vehicle-side charging interface (20). The charging station (1) includes a robot (50) that carries a robot-side charging interface (100) for establishing a charging connection with the vehicle-side charging interface (20). The robot (50) includes a base frame (51), a movable carrier (60) carrying the robot-side charging interface (100), and at least three displacement assemblies (71-76) between the base frame (51) and the movable carrier (60) that form a mechanism to move the movable carrier (60) with at least three degrees of freedom with respect to the base frame (51). The displacement assemblies (71-76) include an actuator (80) and a compliance assembly (90) in series with the actuator (80) and the robot-side charging interface for resiliently absorbing or releasing a displacement between the actuator and the robot-side charging interface over a compliance stroke or displacement angle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Charging infrastructure comprising
a charging station for charging a vehicle having a vehicle-side charging interface, wherein the charging station comprises
a robot that carries a robot-side charging interface for establishing a charging connection with the vehicle-side charging interface, wherein the robot comprises
a base frame,
a moveable carrier carrying the robot-side charging interface,
characterized by
at least three displacement assemblies between the base frame and the moveable carrier that form a mechanism to move the moveable carrier with at least three degrees of freedom with respect to the base frame, wherein
each displacement assembly comprises an actuator that is configured for
imposing a displacement between the base frame and the moveable carrier over a displacement stroke or
imposing a rotation of the moveable carrier with respect to the base frame over a displacement angle,
and wherein the robot comprises
at least one compliance assembly in series with each actuator and the robot-side charging interface for facilitating a disengagement of the robot-side charging interface from the vehicle-side charging interface, when a position of the vehicle has changed during a charging process or for absorbing a motion as imposed by a rectilinear motion of the actuator or by a movement of the vehicle,
wherein the at least one compliance assembly is
configured for
absorbing or releasing a displacement between the actuator and the robot-side charging interface over a compliance stroke or for
absorbing or releasing a rotation of the moveable carrier with respect to the base frame over a compliance rotation,
wherein the length of the compliance stroke is at least 5 millimeter, or wherein the angle of the compliance rotation is at least 1 degree.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 1, wherein the robot comprises six displacement assemblies that form a hexapod mechanism between the base frame and the moveable carrier to move the moveable carrier with six degrees of freedom.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 1, wherein the displacement assemblies comprise the compliance assembly in series with the actuator between the robot-side charging interface and the moveable carrier.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 1, wherein the charging station comprises multiple compliance assemblies in series with the actuator and the robot-side charging interface, wherein these compliance assemblies have mutually different mechanical impedances that absorb or release the displacement between the actuator and the robot-side charging interface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 1, wherein the displacement assemblies are at one side connected with the base frame via a first coupling and wherein the displacement assemblies are at an opposite side connected with the moveable carrier via a second coupling, wherein the actuator is a rectilinear motion actuator in series with the compliance assembly.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 5, wherein the first coupling and/or the second coupling is a universal joint.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 1, wherein the length of the compliance stroke is at least 50% of the displacement stroke.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compliance assembly is biased to a defined position between the actuator and the robot-side charging interface.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compliance assembly is configured for absorbing the displacement over the compliance stroke after exceeding a threshold load between the actuator and the robot-side charging interface.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 1, wherein the robot-side charging interface and the vehicle-side charging interface are provided with a locking provision to lock and unlock an established charging connection.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 1, wherein the charging station comprises an electronic control system for controlling the operation of the charging station, wherein
the electronic control system comprises an electronic controller that is connected with the actuator,
the electronic controller is configured for controlling the displacement imposed by each actuator,
the electronic control system comprises a sensor that is connected with the electronic controller for determining a position or a movement of the actuator, for determining the compliance stroke, and/or for determining a force or load acting on the at least one compliance assembly.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 11, wherein the electronic controller is configured for detecting the compliance stroke and for controlling the displacement imposed by the actuator in response to the detection of the compliance stroke.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 11, wherein the electronic control system comprises an imaging detector that is connected with the electronic controller, wherein the electronic controller is configured for
determining a spatial position of the vehicle-side charging interface in the charging station, and for
controlling the displacement imposed by the actuator accordingly to move the robot-side charging interface towards the vehicle-side charging interface for establishing the charging connection.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 11, comprising a computer server remote from the charging station that is connected with the electronic control system for configuration, or remote control, of the electronic controller.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 11, wherein the electronic controller is configured for determining a collision of the robot-side charging interface based on the displacement stroke and the compliance stroke.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 11, wherein the electronic controller is configured for determining a physical contact between the robot-side charging interface and the vehicle-side charging interface based on the displacement stroke and the compliance stroke.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 11, wherein the electronic controller is configured for determining a misalignment between the robot-side charging interface and the vehicle-side charging interface based on the displacement stroke and the compliance stroke.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 17, wherein the electronic controller is configured for controlling the displacement imposed by the actuator in order to at least partly correct the misalignment.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

Charging infrastructure according to claim 11, wherein the electronic controller is configured for
determining a spatial position of the robot-side charging interface in the charging station, and for
controlling the displacement imposed by the actuator accordingly to move the robot-side charging interface towards the vehicle-side charging interface for establishing the charging connection.