Vehicle charge robot

A vehicle charging apparatus comprising:

• a robot base having a plurality of motorized drive wheels located on an underside thereof, the motorized drive wheels being actuable to cause the robot base to move from a first position spaced apart from a vertical side of the vehicle to a second position nearer a vertical side of the vehicle;
• a robotic arm comprising a plurality of arm segments mounted to the robot base, each arm segment having a respective drive motor operable to position the respective arm segment wherein said plurality of arm segments comprise a first arm segment mounted at a lower end to a top surface of said robot base so as to pivot about a horizontal axis, a second arm segment mounted at a lower end to an upper end of said first arm segment so as to pivot about a horizontal axis, and a third arm segment mounted at a first end thereof to an upper end of said second arm segment so as to pivot about a horizontal axis;
• a first electrical charging connector configured to mate with a vehicle electrical charging socket, the electrical charging connector being attached to a slide component;
• a motor mounted on said third arm segment and coupled through a drive mechanism to drive the slide component and attached electrical charging connector linearly toward and away from said vehicle;
• and
• a latch arm having a back end pivotally mounted to said slide component, the latch arm having an indented hook formed on an underside thereof, the apparatus being configured such that the indented hook comes into an interlocking relationship with a catch positioned on the vehicle prior to establishment of electrical connection between said electrical charging connector and electrical charging socket and such that, after said indented hook interlocks with said catch, said motor and drive mechanism is operable to drive the slide component away from the vehicle, thereby applying a force which draws the electrical charging connector towards the electrical charging socket and into electrical connection therewith.

A vehicle charging robot comprising:

• a base having a plurality of motorized drive wheels located on an underside thereof, said motorized drive wheels being actuable to move the base across a surface;
• a robotic arm comprising a plurality of arm segments mounted to the base, a first arm segment being mounted at a lower end to a top surface of said base so as to pivot about a horizontal axis, a second arm segment being mounted at a lower end to an upper end of said first arm segment so as to pivot about a horizontal axis, and a third arm segment being mounted at a first end thereof to an upper end of said second arm segment so as to pivot about a horizontal axis;
• an electrical charging connector configured to plug into an electrical charging socket located behind a charging socket door of the vehicle;
• a slide component attached to the charging connector;
• a motor mounted on said third arm segment and coupled through a drive mechanism, the motor and drive mechanism being configured to drive said slide component and electrical charging connector linearly toward and away from said vehicle;
• an elongated latch arm having a back end pivotally mounted to said slide component, the elongated latch arm having a tip projecting vertically from a top surface of a front end thereof;
• a first ramp on the underside of said elongated latch arm angled downwardly from said tip;
• an indented hook formed on the underside of said latch arm and positioned adjacent a lower end of said first ramp, the indented hook being configured to come into an interlocking relationship with a catch positioned on the vehicle charging socket as the motor and drive mechanism drive the slide component towards the vehicle;
• said latch arm being spring biased downwardly;
• a stop positioned on a top edge of said electrical charging connector;
• a second ramp located on the underside of the front end of said elongated latch arm;
• the robot being configured to employ first and second robot arm drive motors to raise said tip to a level required to hook behind the charging door while employing a third robot arm drive motor to maintain said elongated latch arm at an angle selected to hook said tip behind said charging door, and to thereafter employ said first and second drive motors in pulling open the charging door;
• the robot further being configured such that after said indented hook interlocks with said catch, said motor and drive mechanism are operable to drive the slide component away from the vehicle, thereby causing said hook to apply a force to the catch which draws the electrical charging connector towards the electrical charging socket and into electrical connection therewith;
• the stop on the top edge of the electrical charging socket and the second ramp being configured such when the slide component is moved a selected distance away from the vehicle by the motor and drive mechanism, the second ramp runs onto the stop causing the latch arm to pivot upwardly, thereby allowing the indented hook to disengage from the catch on the electrical charging socket to thereby enable the electrical charging connector to be pulled away from the vehicle;
• a plurality of sensors and a plurality of video cameras configured to provide a plurality of control signals;
• and
• a controller responsive to the plurality of control signals to automatically cause performance of the tasks of (a) locating the vehicle, (b) controlling said motorized wheels so as to cause the apparatus to move from a first position from a vertical side of the vehicle to a second position nearer the vertical side of the vehicle, (c) opening the vehicle's charging socket door and plugging in the electrical charging connector, (d) disconnecting the electrical charging connector, (e) closing the charging socket door, and (f) controlling said motorized wheels to cause the robot to move away from the vehicle.