CN102934565A

CN102934565A - Mower and butt-joint charging system

Info

Publication number: CN102934565A
Application number: CN2012100114766A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 强尼·鲍瑞那图; 赵凤丽; 乔勇; 范功远; 赵立秋; 杨晓岗
Original assignee: Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd
Current assignee: Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd
Priority date: 2011-07-16
Filing date: 2012-01-13
Publication date: 2013-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 2032-01-13
Also published as: CN102948301A; CN102934565B; CN102948301B

Abstract

The invention discloses a mower which comprises a casing, wheels, cutting blades, a cutting motor and a power supplying module. A charging slot dented towards the inside of the casing is arranged on the casing, the power supplying module is provided with a charging terminal used for transmitting energy or signals, the charging terminal is arranged in the charging slot instead of exposed outside the casing, therefore the terminal cannot be corroded due to wetting out by rain, poor contact of the charging terminal is avoided, and deformation of the charging terminal caused by collision is prevented. The invention further provides a butt-joint charging system.

Description

Mower and butt-joint charging system

Technical Field

The invention relates to a mower and a butt joint charging system.

Background

With the continuous progress of computer technology and artificial intelligence technology, automatic working systems similar to intelligent robots have started to slowly move into people's lives. Samsung, irex, etc., have developed fully automatic cleaners and have been put on the market. The full-automatic dust collector is small in size, integrates an environment sensor, a self-driving system, a dust collection system, a battery and a charging system, can automatically return to a charging station when the energy is low without manual control, automatically cruises indoors, is butted and charged, and then continues crusing and dust collection. Meanwhile, companies such as hasskarna developed similar intelligent lawn mowers that can automatically mow and charge in a user's lawn without user intervention. The automatic working system is greatly popular because the user is freed from tedious and time-consuming housework such as cleaning, lawn maintenance and the like without being invested in energy management after being set once.

In the conventional lawn mower, the charging terminal is usually disposed on the top of the front end, and the charging terminal protrudes outward. When charging, the charging terminal upwards supports against the power supply terminal of the charging station, and the butt joint mode is simple. However, the externally exposed charging terminals are easily wetted by rain water or other liquids, and thus are corroded, so that the charging terminals are not well contacted and even short-circuited and burned. In addition, the charging terminal exposed to the outside is also easily deformed by the collision of the lawnmower with an external object. There is therefore a need for improvements to existing lawn mowers and charging stations.

Disclosure of Invention

Aiming at the defects in the prior art, the invention provides the mower with the charging terminal which is not easy to be wetted by rainwater and not easy to corrode.

The technical scheme of the invention is realized as follows: a lawn mower, comprising: a housing; a plurality of wheels arranged at the bottom of the shell; a cutting blade for performing a cutting operation; a cutting motor driving the cutting blade; the power supply module is arranged in the shell and used for supplying power to the cutting motor; the shell is provided with a charging groove which is sunken towards the inside of the shell, the power supply module is provided with a charging terminal used for transmitting energy or signals, and the charging terminal is arranged in the charging groove.

Preferably, the lawn mower is an automatic lawn mower, and the automatic lawn mower further comprises a traveling motor and a transmission mechanism which are arranged in the shell, wherein the transmission mechanism is connected with the traveling motor and the wheels.

Preferably, the width of the charging slot is gradually reduced from the opening of the charging slot to the end of the charging slot.

Preferably, the charging terminal includes a first terminal and a second terminal, and the first terminal and the second terminal are both rotatably connected to the side wall in the charging slot.

Further, the first and second terminals each include at least one primary and one secondary terminal that can be docked with an external power supply terminal, at least one of the primary and secondary terminals being docked with the external power supply terminal when the charging terminal is docked with the external power supply terminal.

Preferably, a dust-proof plate is further provided on the charging chute to selectively block at least a part of the opening of the charging chute.

Further, the dust guard is rotatably connected to a position, close to the opening, of the side wall in the charging slot.

Further, the distance between the charging terminal and the opening of the charging slot is larger than the distance between the dust-proof plate and the opening of the charging slot, when the charging terminal is in an initial state of not being butted with an external power supply terminal, the dust-proof plate at least partially blocks the opening of the charging slot and at least partially covers the charging terminal, and after the charging terminal is in a butted state with the external power supply terminal, the dust-proof plate and the charging terminal are both butted against the side surface of the external power supply terminal.

Further, the charging terminal is rotatably connected to the side wall in the charging slot, and the distance between the pivot of the charging terminal and the pivot of the dust-proof plate is larger than the rotating radius of the dust-proof plate.

Further, the rotation locus of the charging terminal does not intersect with the rotation locus of the dust-proof plate.

Further, the charging terminal and the dust guard are respectively disposed on two opposite side walls in the charging slot, and when the charging terminal is in a butt joint state with an external power supply terminal, the dust guard and the charging terminal are abutted against two opposite side surfaces of the external power supply terminal in opposite directions.

Further, the free ends of the charging terminal and the dust-proof plate are bent and extended in a rotating direction from an initial state to a butted state.

Furthermore, the top wall or the bottom wall on the inner side of the opening is provided with a connecting part, the dust guard comprises a baffle, a pivot and a spring, the baffle is connected with the connecting part through the pivot, the spring is sleeved on the pivot, a first supporting leg of the spring is connected with the connecting part, and a second supporting leg is abutted to the baffle.

Further, the dust-proof plate is made of an insulating material.

Further, the dust guard is made of a conductive material and is electrically connected with the power supply terminal.

Preferably, a flexible dust removing component is arranged at the opening of the charging slot, and the dust removing component at least partially blocks the opening of the charging slot.

The invention also provides a butt-joint charging system with the mower and a charging station, wherein the charging station comprises: a base; a power terminal fixedly or removably extendable from the base, the power terminal extending into a charging slot of the lawn mower and interfacing with the charging terminal when the charging station is performing energy or signal transfer to the lawn mower.

Preferably, the charging terminal includes at least a first terminal and a second terminal, the power supply terminal includes at least a third terminal and a fourth terminal, and when the charging station transmits energy or signals to the lawn mower, the third terminal and the fourth terminal are electrically connected to the first terminal and the second terminal, respectively.

Furthermore, the charging terminal at least comprises a first terminal and a second terminal, the power supply terminal at least comprises a third terminal and a fourth terminal, and when the charging station transfers energy or signals to the mower, the third terminal and the fourth terminal are respectively electrically connected with the first terminal and the second terminal.

The base further comprises a main body and a charging tongue connected with the main body, the height of the tail end of the charging tongue is flush with the height of a charging groove of the mower, the third terminal and the fourth terminal are arranged at the tail end of the charging tongue, and when the charging station transmits energy or signals to the mower, the charging tongue extends into the charging groove of the mower.

Furthermore, the first terminal and the second terminal are respectively arranged on two opposite inner walls in the charging slot, the third terminal and the fourth terminal are respectively arranged on two opposite outer walls of the charging tongue, and the horizontal distance from at least one part of the charging tongue to the main body is greater than the horizontal distance from the third terminal or the fourth terminal to the main body.

Furthermore, the first terminal and the second terminal are respectively connected with two inner walls of the charging slot in an elastic manner.

Furthermore, the third terminal and the fourth terminal are respectively connected with two outer walls of the charging tongue in an elastic manner.

Furthermore, the first terminal and the second terminal both include a thin plate perpendicular to the bottom wall of the charging slot and at least one protruding column disposed on the thin plate, a surface of the thin plate of the first terminal, on which the protruding column is disposed, is disposed opposite to a surface of the thin plate of the second terminal, on which the protruding column is disposed, and the thin plate or the protruding column is made of an elastic material.

Further, the charging slot is provided with a flat plate facing the bottom of the opening, and the first terminal and the second terminal are both arranged on the same surface of the flat plate and separated by an insulating block.

Further, the first terminal is parallel to the second terminal, the third terminal is parallel to the fourth terminal, when the charging terminal is in butt joint with the power supply terminal, the first terminal laterally presses against the third terminal, and the second terminal laterally presses against the fourth terminal.

Further, the free ends of the third and fourth terminals are provided with hook-shaped portions, when the charging terminal is butted with the power terminal, the first terminal laterally presses against the hook-shaped portion of the third terminal, and the second terminal laterally presses against the hook-shaped portion of the fourth terminal.

Further, the first terminal is parallel to the second terminal, the third terminal is parallel to the fourth terminal, when the charging terminal is in butt joint with the power supply terminal, the first terminal vertically presses against the third terminal, and the second terminal vertically presses against the fourth terminal.

Further, the first terminal and the second terminal are both rotatably connected to the inner wall of the charging slot.

Furthermore, the first terminal and the second terminal both comprise elastic sheets and springs, the top wall of the charging groove is provided with two protruding connecting portions, the elastic sheets of the first terminal and the second terminal are respectively rotatably connected with the two connecting portions, the springs are axially connected onto the connecting portions, the first support legs of the springs are fixedly connected with the connecting portions, and the second support legs of the springs are abutted to the elastic sheets.

Preferably, the charging station further comprises a shielding part, the shielding part extends out of the top of the base and is located above the power terminal, the shielding part completely shields the power terminal from the top, and the distance between the shielding part and the power terminal is larger than the vertical distance between the top of the housing of the mower and the charging slot.

Preferably, the charging station further comprises a base plate, the base is located on the base plate, and when the charging station transmits energy or signals to the mower, the mower is located on the base plate integrally.

Through set up sunken charging tank on the casing of lawn mower, charging terminal sets up in charging tank for charging terminal does not expose in the outside of casing, can not drenched by the rainwater and take place to corrode, has avoided charging terminal contact failure, has prevented that charging terminal from taking place deformation because of the collision.

Drawings

The invention is further illustrated by the following examples in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

fig. 1 is a side view of a docking charging system according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the robotic lawnmower of the first preferred embodiment of the invention prior to docking with a charging station.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the robotic lawnmower docked with the charging station in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a partial top view of a docking charging system according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line a-a of fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a partial top view of a third preferred embodiment of the docking charging system of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a partial top view of a docking charging system according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a partial top view of a fifth preferred embodiment of the docking charging system of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a partial top view of a docking charging system according to a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a partial top view of a seventh preferred embodiment of the docking charging system of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line F-F in fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a partial top view of an eighth preferred embodiment of the docking charging system of the present invention.

Fig. 17 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view taken along line G-G in fig. 16.

Wherein,

100. an automatic mower; 200. A charging station; 10. A housing;

20. a wheel; 30. A travel motor; 40. A power supply module;

41. a charging terminal; 42. A first circuit board; 43. A battery;

11. a top portion; 12. A bottom; 13. A front end;

14. a charging slot; 411. A first terminal; 412. A second terminal;

413. a first thin plate; 414. A convex column; 415. A second thin plate;

210. a base; 212. A main body; 220. A charging tongue;

230. a power line; 240. A shielding portion; 250. A base plate;

260. a power supply terminal; 261. A third terminal; 262. A fourth terminal;

211. a second circuit board; 50. A flat plate; 52. An insulating block;

54. 64, a spring; 60. A connecting portion; 62. A spring plate;

70. a hook portion; 411a, a first main terminal; 412a, a second main terminal;

412b, a second secondary terminal; 81. a first dust-proof plate; 82. A second dust-proof plate;

83. a baffle plate; 61. 84, a pivot; 65. A partition plate;

66. a brush; 661. A brush holder; 662. Brushing;

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1, a docking charging system includes a lawn mower and a charging station 200. The lawn mower travels within a limit and performs a mowing operation, and the charging station 200 is used for returning supplementary energy to the lawn mower when the energy is insufficient.

In the present embodiment, the lawnmower is an automatic lawnmower 100. The robotic lawnmower 100 includes a housing 10 extending in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of wheels 20 disposed on a bottom 12 of the housing 10, a travel motor 30 disposed within the housing 10, a transmission mechanism (not shown) connecting the travel motor 30 to the wheels 20, a power module 40 for powering the travel motor 30, a cutting blade (not shown) for performing cutting operations, and a cutting motor (not shown) for driving the cutting blade.

The power supply module 40 includes a charging terminal 41, a first circuit board 42 and a battery 43. The charging terminal 41 is used to contact and electrically connect with an external power supply terminal to transmit power or a signal. The battery 43 is used for receiving and storing energy or signals transmitted from the charging terminal 41 and the first circuit board 42. The first circuit board 42 controls the state of the travel motor 30 according to the connection state of the charging terminal 41 and the external power terminal, and if the charging terminal 41 is connected to the external power terminal, the first circuit board controls the travel motor 30 to stop operating.

Referring to fig. 2, a charging slot 14 recessed into the housing 10 is disposed in the middle of the front end 13 between the top 11 and the bottom 12 of the housing 10, and the charging slot 14 extends horizontally along the longitudinal direction. In the present embodiment, the front end 13 of the housing 10 is a smooth curved surface. In other embodiments, the front end 13 may be flat or have other suitable shapes.

The charging terminal 41 includes a first terminal 411 and a second terminal 412. The first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 are both disposed in the charging slot 14, so that the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 are not exposed outside the housing 10, the charging terminal 41 is not easily wetted by rainwater to be corroded, dust is prevented from being accumulated between the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412, the charging terminal 41 is prevented from being deformed due to the impact between the housing 10 and an external object, and the risk of short circuit of the charging terminal 41 is avoided.

The horizontal width of the charging slot 14 is gradually reduced from the opening of the charging slot 14 to the end of the charging slot 14, and is in a shape of a "figure eight". Even if the traveling direction of the robotic lawnmower 100 is not straight toward the external power terminal, as long as the external power terminal is at the wide opening of the charging chute 14, the external power terminal is moved into the charging chute 14 and butted against the charging terminal 41 by the guiding action of the inner wall of the "chevron" shape of the charging chute 14, increasing the chance of the charging terminal 41 being aligned with the external power terminal.

In the present embodiment, the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 are respectively provided protruding on the left and right inner walls facing each other in the charging slot 14, and are opposed to each other and abut against the external power supply terminal, thereby preventing the charging terminal 41 from being disengaged from the external power supply terminal due to slight rebound of the housing 10.

Referring again to fig. 1, the charging station 200, which is generally located beside or on the boundary, includes a base 210, a power cord 230 disposed on the base 210, a shade 240 extending from the top of the base 210 and located above the charging tongue 220, and a bottom plate 250 located below the base 210.

The base 210 includes a main body 212 and a charging tongue 220 connected to the main body 212. The charging tongue 220 is horizontally disposed with a height relative to the floor 250 that is level with the height of the charging slot 14 of the robotic lawnmower 100. In other embodiments, the charging tongue 220 may be obliquely connected to the main body 212, and in this case, the opening direction of the charging slot 14 is opposite to the extending direction of the charging tongue 220.

The shape of the end of the charging tongue 220 is adapted to the shape of the charging slot 14, i.e. the end of the charging tongue 220 is also shaped like an "eight". The end of the charging tongue 220 is provided with a power terminal 260. The power supply terminal 260 includes a third terminal 261 and a fourth terminal 262. The third terminal 261 and the fourth terminal 262 are disposed on two outer walls, such as the left and right outer walls, of the charging tongue 220 opposite to each other.

The horizontal distance of the end of the charging tongue 220 to the main body 212 is greater than the horizontal distance of the third terminal 261 or the fourth terminal 262 to the main body 212. When the tip of the charging tongue 220 is at the wide opening of the charging slot 14, the inner wall of the charging slot 14 may move relative to the outer wall of the charging tongue 220 until the charging terminal 41 of the charging slot 14 abuts against the power terminal 260 of the charging tongue 220.

Referring to fig. 3, when the charging station 200 transmits energy or signals to the robotic lawnmower 100, the end of the charging tongue 220 extends into the charging slot 14 of the robotic lawnmower 100, and the power terminal 260 is connected to the charging terminal 41, i.e., the third terminal 261 and the fourth terminal 262 are electrically connected to the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412, respectively.

Further, the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 are connected to corresponding inner walls of the charging slot 14 by elastic members, such as springs (not shown), which can extend and contract in a direction perpendicular to the inner walls. When the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 contact with the power terminal 260, the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 can abut against the power terminal 260 through the elastic element without easily disengaging, even if the housing 10 moves slightly in the longitudinal direction, the elastic element can automatically press against the power terminal without causing further movement. In other embodiments, the elastic element may also be disposed between the third terminal 261, the fourth terminal 262 and the outer wall of the charging tongue 220.

The power line 230 is electrically connected to the power terminal 260 of the charging tongue 220, and the power line 230 is used for connecting to an external power source. In this embodiment, the external power supply is commercial power.

The base 210 is further provided with a second circuit board 211 for changing electrical characteristics of the power or signal transmitted from the power line 230, such as AC-DC conversion.

The length of the shielding part 240 is greater than that of the charging tongue 220, and the shielding part 240 completely shields the charging tongue 220 or the power terminal 260 from above, so that the power terminal 260 of the charging tongue 220 is prevented from being wetted by rainwater and corroded. The vertical distance between the blocking portion 240 and the charging tongue 220 is greater than the vertical distance between the top 11 of the housing 10 of the robotic lawnmower 100 and the charging slot 14, ensuring that the robotic lawnmower 100 can enter the charging station 200.

The base 210 is positioned on the floor 250 such that when the charging station 200 is configured to transmit power or signals to the robotic lawnmower 100, the robotic lawnmower 100 is positioned entirely on the floor 250 to ensure a consistent height of the robotic lawnmower 100.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, in the second preferred embodiment of the butt joint charging system of the invention, the third terminal 261 and the fourth terminal 262 are disposed in parallel at the end of the charging tongue 220, the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 each include a first thin plate 413 perpendicular to the bottom wall of the charging slot 14 and a plurality of protruding columns 414 disposed on the first thin plate 413, and one surface of the first thin plate 413 of the first terminal 411, on which the protruding column 414 is disposed, is disposed in parallel with one surface of the first thin plate 413 of the second terminal 412, on which the protruding column 414 is disposed. The convex columns 414 on the first thin plate 413 of the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the bottom wall of the charging slot 14, and the outer surface of the convex column 414 is arc-shaped. The first thin plate 413 or the protruding column 414 is made of an elastic material, and when the power terminal 260 laterally presses against the protruding column 414, the first thin plate 413 or the protruding column 414 can be elastically deformed laterally to elastically abut against the power terminal 260.

When the charging terminal 41 is mated with the power terminal 260, the protruding columns 414 of the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 are abutted against the power terminal 260, so as to prevent the charging terminal 41 from being disengaged from the power terminal 260 due to slight rebound of the housing 10. Since the outer surface of the protruding pillar 414 is arc-shaped, the power terminal 260 can easily extend into the region between the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 to abut against all the protruding pillars 414.

The two ends of the first thin plate 413 of the first terminal 411 are further provided with second thin plates 415 extending in a direction away from the second terminal 412, and the two second thin plates 415 of the first terminal 411 are both fixedly connected with the bottom wall of the charging slot 14 to fix the first thin plate 413.

The two ends of the first thin plate 413 of the second terminal 412 are further provided with second thin plates 415 extending in a direction away from the first terminal 411, and both the second thin plates 415 of the second terminal 412 are fixedly connected with the bottom wall of the charging slot 14 to fix the first thin plate 413.

Referring to fig. 6 and 7, in a third preferred embodiment of the docking charging system of the present invention, a third terminal 261 and a fourth terminal 262 are disposed at the end of the charging tongue 220 in parallel, and a plate 50 is disposed at the end of the charging slot 14 facing the opening. The first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 are disposed on the same plane of the plate 50 and are separated by the insulating block 52, which greatly increases the chance of alignment of the charging terminal 41 with the power terminal 260. In the present embodiment, the power terminal 260 and the end of the charging tongue 220 are connected by the spring 54 to reduce the impact on the flat plate 50.

Referring to fig. 8 and 9, in the fourth preferred embodiment of the docking charging system of the present invention, the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 are disposed in parallel, the third terminal 261 and the fourth terminal 262 are disposed in parallel, when the charging terminal 41 is docked with the power terminal 260, the first terminal 411 presses the third terminal 261 laterally in a horizontal plane, the second terminal 412 presses the fourth terminal 262 laterally in a horizontal plane, and pressing directions of the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 are opposite, so that the contact between the charging terminal 41 and the power terminal 260 is more reliable.

Further, free ends of the third terminal 261 and the fourth terminal 262 extend back to form a hook 70 in a horizontal plane, and when the charging terminal 41 is mated with the power terminal 260, the first terminal 411 presses the hook 70 of the third terminal 261 from the outside, and the second terminal 412 presses the hook 70 of the fourth terminal 262 from the outside. In other embodiments, the free ends of the second terminal 261 and the fourth terminal 262 may extend out of the hook 70 in a horizontal plane.

Referring to fig. 10 and 11, in a fifth preferred embodiment of the docking charging system according to the present invention, the first terminal 411 includes a first main terminal 411a and a first sub-terminal (not shown in the figures for the sake of view), and the second terminal 412 includes a second main terminal 412a and a second sub-terminal 412 b. The first and second

main terminals

411a and 412a are elastically connected to the top wall of the charging slot 14, and the first and second sub-terminals 412b are elastically connected to the bottom wall of the charging slot 14. The third terminal 261 and the fourth terminal 262 are disposed in parallel at the end of the charging tongue 220. When the charging terminal 41 is mated with the power terminal 260, the first main terminal 411a presses the third terminal 261 downward in the vertical plane, the first sub-terminal presses the third terminal 261 upward in the vertical plane, the second main terminal 412a presses the fourth terminal 262 downward in the vertical plane, and the second sub-terminal 412b presses the fourth terminal 262 upward in the vertical plane. This increases the contact area between the charging terminal 41 and the power supply terminal 260, reduces the on-resistance, and makes the contact more secure.

Referring to fig. 12 and 13, in a sixth preferred embodiment of the docking charging system of the present invention, a protruding connection portion 60 is disposed on a top wall of the charging slot 14, the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 both include a spring sheet 62 and a spring 64, the spring sheet 62 is rotatably connected to the connection portion 60, the spring 64 is coupled to the connection portion 60, a first leg of the spring 64 is fixedly connected to the connection portion 60, and a second leg of the spring 64 is abutted to the spring sheet 62. In the initial state (shown by the dotted line in fig. 11), the end of the spring plate 62 is opened at a certain angle toward the opening of the charging slot 14 by the spring 64. When the charging terminal 41 is mated with the power terminal 260, the power terminal 260 protrudes into the charging slot 14 and presses the charging terminal 41, so that the charging terminal 41 is rotated to the vertical position.

Referring to fig. 14 and 15, in a seventh preferred embodiment of the docking charging system according to the present invention, a dust-proof plate is further disposed on the charging slot 14 for selectively at least partially blocking the opening of the charging slot 14. The dust-proof plate is used to prevent external dust, foreign matter, rainwater, and the like from entering the charging tank 14.

In the present embodiment, the dust-proof plate includes a first dust-proof plate 81 and a second dust-proof plate 82, and the first dust-proof plate 81 and the second dust-proof plate 82 are isolated from each other by an insulating partition plate 65.

The first dust-proof plate 81 and the second dust-proof plate 82 are rotatably connected to an inner sidewall of the charging slot 14, such as a top wall, a bottom wall, left and right sidewalls, and the like. In the present embodiment, each of the first dust-proof plate 81 and the second dust-proof plate 82 includes a baffle 83, a pivot 84, and a spring (not shown). The bottom wall of the charging slot 14 is provided with a connecting portion 60 at a position close to the opening, the end of the connecting portion 60 is connected to the pivot 84, the first end of the baffle 83 is rotatably connected to the pivot 84, a spring (not shown) is sleeved on the pivot 84, a first leg of the spring is connected to the connecting portion 60, and a second leg of the spring abuts against the baffle 83. In other embodiments, the first dust-proof plate 81 and the second dust-proof plate 82 may have other structures, and may be configured in other manners such as elastic fixation, without being limited to the rotation coupling manner.

In an initial state (shown by a dotted line in fig. 13), the second end of the shutter 83 abuts against the opening of the charging slot 14 from the inside by the spring, at least partially blocks the opening of the charging slot 14, and at least partially covers the charging terminal 41. Thus, when the robotic lawnmower 100 is used for mowing or idling, the baffles 83 of the first and second dust guard plates 81 and 82 effectively prevent external dust, debris, rain, and the like from entering the charging chute 14, and prevent the charging terminal 41 from corroding or clogging, or from accumulating debris or dirt on the electrical contact surface of the charging terminal 41.

In the present embodiment, the first dust-proof plate 81 and the second dust-proof plate 82 are both made of a conductive material, and the first terminal 411 as a part of the charging terminal 41 is branched to form two charging terminals, i.e., the first main terminal 411a and the first dust-proof plate 81, respectively, and the second terminal 412 is also branched to form two charging terminals, i.e., the second main terminal 412a and the second dust-proof plate 82, respectively. In another embodiment, the charging terminal 41 itself is also a dust-proof plate, that is, the first dust-proof plate 81 and the second dust-proof plate 82 are individually provided as the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412, respectively, and in this case, the dust-proof plates prevent dust and dirt from blocking the charging slot 14.

The first main terminal 411a and the second main terminal 412a each include a pivot 61, a spring plate 62 and a spring (not shown). The top wall of the charging chute 14 is also provided with a connecting portion 60 at a position close to the opening, and the end of the connecting portion 60 is connected to a pivot 61. The first end of the elastic sheet 62 is rotatably connected to the pivot 61, a spring (not shown) is sleeved on the pivot 61, a first leg of the spring is connected to the connecting portion 60, and a second leg of the spring is abutted to the elastic sheet 62.

The horizontal distance from the first main terminal 411a or the second main terminal 412a to the opening of the charging slot 14 is larger than the horizontal distance from the first dust-proof plate 81 or the second dust-proof plate 82 to the opening of the charging slot 14, that is, the dust-proof plates and the main terminals are arranged in front and behind in the charging slot 14. In this way, in the initial state, the dust-proof plate covers the charging terminal 41 while blocking the opening of the charging slot 14.

The distance between the pivot shaft 61 of the first main terminal 411a and the pivot shaft 84 of the first dust-proof plate 81 is larger than the turning radius of the first dust-proof plate 81, and the distance between the pivot shaft 61 of the second main terminal 412a and the pivot shaft 84 of the second dust-proof plate 82 is larger than the turning radius of the second dust-proof plate 82. This prevents the dust-proof plate from being stopped by the pivot 61 of the main terminal during the rotation to prevent the dust-proof plate from further rotating.

In an initial state (as shown by a dotted line in fig. 13), under the action of the spring, the free end of the first main terminal 411a or the second main terminal 412a does not intersect with the rotation track of the first dust-proof plate 81 or the second dust-proof plate 82, and when the power terminal 260 is subsequently abutted, the rotation track of the first main terminal 411a or the second main terminal 412a does not intersect with the rotation track of the first dust-proof plate 81 or the second dust-proof plate 82. The rotation of dust guard can not interfere with the main terminal all the time, and the abrasion caused by mutual friction between the dust guard and the main terminal is avoided, so that the service lives of the dust guard and the main terminal are prolonged.

When the charging terminal 41 and the power terminal 260 are in the butt-joint state from the initial state, the third terminal 261 and the fourth terminal 262 first press against the baffle 83 of the first dust-proof plate 81 and the second dust-proof plate 82, so that the baffle 83 rotates toward the end of the charging slot 14. The third terminal 261 and the fourth terminal 262 extend into the charging slot 14, and further press the elastic pieces 62 of the first main terminal 411a and the second main terminal 412a, so that the elastic pieces 62 also rotate toward the end of the charging slot 14.

When the charging terminal 41 and the power supply terminal 260 are in a butt-joint state, the baffles 83 of the first dust-proof plate 81 and the second dust-proof plate 82 are both in upward contact with the lower surfaces of the third terminal 261 and the fourth terminal 262, and the spring pieces 62 of the first main terminal 411a and the second main terminal 412a are both in downward contact with the upper surfaces of the third terminal 261 and the fourth terminal 262, that is, the dust-proof plates and the main terminals are in opposite contact with two opposite side surfaces of the power supply terminal 260. Thus, the contact area of the power supply terminal 260 and the charging terminal 41 is increased, the on-resistance is reduced, and the reliability of the contact of the power supply terminal 260 and the charging terminal 41 is ensured.

Further, the free ends of the first main terminal 411a and the second main terminal 412a are bent and extended a short distance in the rotation direction from the initial state to the mated state, and the free ends of the first dust-proof plate 81 and the second dust-proof plate 82 are also bent and extended a short distance in the rotation direction from the initial state to the mated state. In this way, the free ends of the main terminal and the dust-proof plate are smoothly curved, and a larger contact area can be obtained when the main terminal and the dust-proof plate are abutted against the third terminal 261 or the fourth terminal 262.

In this embodiment, the terminal of the power terminal 260 is a hemispherical surface, so that the main terminal and the dust-proof plate are not scratched when being abutted against each other. In other embodiments, the end of the power terminal 260 may have other smooth curved surfaces.

In other embodiments, the dust-proof plate may be made of an insulating material, and may not be a part of the first terminal 411 or the second terminal 412, and may be used to partially or completely block the opening of the charging slot 14.

In other embodiments, the power terminals 260 may also movably extend from the base 210. When the robotic lawnmower 100 is not docked for charging with the charging station 200, the power terminal 260 is hidden inside the base 210; when the robotic lawnmower 100 is returned to the charging station 200, the robotic lawnmower 100 first triggers a trigger (not shown) on the charging station 200, which directs the power terminal 260 from the interior of the base 210 to the exterior of the base 210, such that the power terminal 260 extends into the charging slot 14 of the robotic lawnmower 100 to interface with the charging terminal 41. Thus, when the charging stand 200 does not need to charge the robotic lawnmower 100, the power terminal 260 is not exposed to the outside, and is not easily wetted by rainwater and corroded.

Referring to fig. 16 and 17, in a seventh preferred embodiment of the docking charging system according to the present invention, a flexible dust-removing component is further disposed at the opening of the charging slot 14, and the dust-removing component at least partially blocks the opening of the charging slot 14. In this embodiment, the dust removing member is a brush 66, and when the charging terminal 41 is abutted to the power supply terminal 260, the brush 66 can automatically clean the surface of the power supply terminal 260. In other embodiments, the dust removing member may be a flexible rubber sheet or a plastic sheet.

The brush 66 includes a brush holder 661 fixed to a top portion outside the opening of the charging tank 14, and bristles 662 having one end fixed to the brush holder 661 and the other end at least partially covering the opening of the charging tank 14 in a vertical direction. In other embodiments, the brush holder 661 may be fixed to other portions of the opening of the charging chute 14, such as the bottom portion of the outside or inside of the opening, the left and right sides, or the like, as long as the brush 662 at least partially covers the opening of the charging chute 14.

When the charging terminal 41 is mated with the power terminal 260, the power terminal 260 is first brought into contact with the bristles 662, so that the bristles 662 are deformed. The brush 662 can clean the power terminal 260 from impurities, dust, etc., so that the charging terminal 41 and the power terminal 260 can be more reliably connected.

In the mower and the docking charging system of the embodiment, the concave charging slot 14 is formed in the housing 10 of the mower, the first terminal 411 and the second terminal 412 are both arranged in the charging slot 11, the charging terminal 41 is not exposed outside the housing 10, and is not wetted by rainwater to be corroded, so that poor contact of the charging terminal 41 is avoided, and deformation of the charging terminal 41 caused by collision is prevented.

The person skilled in the art can appreciate that the specific structure of the mower and the docking charging system of the present invention can be varied in many ways, but the main technical features of the solution adopted are the same as or similar to those of the present invention, and all of them are covered by the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lawn mower, comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of wheels arranged at the bottom of the shell;

a cutting blade for performing a cutting operation;

a cutting motor driving the cutting blade; and

the power supply module is arranged in the shell and used for supplying power to the cutting motor;

the shell is provided with a charging groove which is sunken towards the inside of the shell, the power supply module is provided with a charging terminal used for transmitting energy or signals, and the charging terminal is arranged in the charging groove.

2. The mower of claim 1, wherein: the mower is an automatic mower, and the automatic mower further comprises a traveling motor and a transmission mechanism which are arranged in the shell, wherein the transmission mechanism is connected with the traveling motor and the wheels.

3. The mower of claim 1, wherein: the width of the charging slot is gradually reduced from the opening of the charging slot to the tail end of the charging slot.

4. The mower of claim 1, wherein: the charging terminals comprise a first terminal and a second terminal, and the first terminal and the second terminal are both rotatably connected to the side wall in the charging groove.

5. The mower of claim 4, wherein: the first and second terminals each include at least one primary and one secondary terminal that can be docked with an external power supply terminal, at least one of the primary and secondary terminals being docked with the external power supply terminal when the charging terminal is docked with the external power supply terminal.

6. The mower of claim 1, wherein: and a dust-proof plate which can be selected to at least partially block the opening of the charging groove is arranged on the charging groove.

7. The mower of claim 6, wherein: the dustproof plate is rotatably connected to the position, close to the opening, of the side wall in the charging groove.

8. The mower of claim 7, wherein: the distance between the charging terminal and the opening of the charging groove is larger than the distance between the dust-proof plate and the opening of the charging groove, when the charging terminal is in an initial state of not being in butt joint with an external power supply terminal, the dust-proof plate at least partially blocks the opening of the charging groove and at least partially covers the charging terminal, and after the charging terminal is in a butt joint state with the external power supply terminal, the dust-proof plate and the charging terminal are both in butt joint with the side face of the external power supply terminal.

9. The mower of claim 8, wherein: the charging terminal is rotatably connected to the side wall in the charging groove, and the distance between the pivot of the charging terminal and the pivot of the dust-proof plate is larger than the rotating radius of the dust-proof plate.

10. The mower of claim 9, wherein: the rotation locus of the charging terminal does not intersect with the rotation locus of the dust-proof plate.

11. The mower of claim 8, wherein: the charging terminal and the dust-proof plate are respectively arranged on two opposite side walls in the charging groove, and when the charging terminal is in a butt joint state with an external power supply terminal, the dust-proof plate and the charging terminal are oppositely abutted against two opposite side surfaces of the external power supply terminal.

12. The mower of claim 8, wherein: the free ends of the charging terminal and the dust-proof plate are bent and extended in a rotating direction from an initial state to a butting state.

13. The mower of claim 7, wherein: the dustproof plate comprises a baffle, a pivot and a spring, the baffle is in shaft connection with the connecting portion through the pivot, the spring is sleeved on the pivot, a first supporting leg of the spring is connected with the connecting portion, and a second supporting leg of the spring is abutted to the baffle.

14. The mower of claim 7, wherein: the dust guard is made of an insulating material.

15. The mower of claim 7, wherein: the dust guard is made of conductive materials and is electrically connected with the power supply terminal.

16. The mower of claim 1, wherein: the opening of the charging groove is provided with a flexible dust removal component, and the dust removal component at least partially blocks the opening of the charging groove.

17. A docking charging system comprising a lawnmower as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16 and a charging station, the charging station comprising:

a base;

a power terminal fixedly or removably extendable from the base, the power terminal extending into a charging slot of the lawn mower and interfacing with the charging terminal when the charging station is performing energy or signal transfer to the lawn mower.

18. The docking charging system of claim 17, wherein: the charging terminal at least comprises a first terminal and a second terminal, the power supply terminal at least comprises a third terminal and a fourth terminal, and when the charging station transmits energy or signals to the mower, the third terminal and the fourth terminal are respectively and electrically connected with the first terminal and the second terminal.

19. The docking charging system of claim 18, wherein: the base comprises a main body and a charging tongue connected with the main body, the height of the tail end of the charging tongue is flush with the height of a charging groove of the mower, the third terminal and the fourth terminal are arranged at the tail end of the charging tongue, and when the charging station transmits energy or signals to the mower, the charging tongue extends into the charging groove of the mower.

20. The docking charging system of claim 19, wherein: the first terminal and the second terminal are respectively arranged on two opposite inner walls in the charging groove, the third terminal and the fourth terminal are respectively arranged on two opposite outer walls of the charging tongue, and the horizontal distance from at least one part of the charging tongue to the main body is greater than that from the third terminal or the fourth terminal to the main body.

21. The docking charging system of claim 20, wherein: the first terminal and the second terminal are respectively connected with the two inner walls of the charging groove in an elastic mode.

22. The docking charging system of claim 20, wherein: and the third terminal and the fourth terminal are respectively and elastically connected with two outer walls of the charging tongue.

23. The docking charging system of claim 18, wherein: the first terminal and the second terminal respectively comprise a thin plate vertical to the bottom wall of the charging groove and at least one convex column arranged on the thin plate, one surface of the thin plate of the first terminal, which is provided with the convex column, is opposite to one surface of the thin plate of the second terminal, which is provided with the convex column, and the thin plate or the convex column is made of elastic materials.

24. The docking charging system of claim 18, wherein: the charging slot is provided with a flat plate facing the bottom of the opening, and the first terminal and the second terminal are both arranged on the same surface of the flat plate and are separated by an insulating block.

25. The docking charging system of claim 18, wherein: the first terminal is parallel to the second terminal, the third terminal is parallel to the fourth terminal, when the charging terminal is in butt joint with the power supply terminal, the first terminal laterally presses against the third terminal, and the second terminal laterally presses against the fourth terminal.

26. The docking charging system of claim 25, wherein: the free ends of the third and fourth terminals are respectively provided with a hook-shaped part, when the charging terminal is butted with the power terminal, the first terminal laterally presses against the hook-shaped part of the third terminal, and the second terminal laterally presses against the hook-shaped part of the fourth terminal.

27. The docking charging system of claim 18, wherein: the first terminal is parallel to the second terminal, the third terminal is parallel to the fourth terminal, when the charging terminal is in butt joint with the power supply terminal, the first terminal vertically presses against the third terminal, and the second terminal vertically presses against the fourth terminal.

28. The docking charging system of claim 18, wherein: the first terminal and the second terminal are both rotatably connected to the inner wall of the charging groove.

29. The docking charging system of claim 28, wherein: the first terminal and the second terminal both comprise elastic pieces and springs, the top wall of the charging groove is provided with two protruding connecting portions, the elastic pieces of the first terminal and the second terminal are respectively rotatably connected with the two connecting portions, the springs are axially connected onto the connecting portions, the first supporting legs of the springs are fixedly connected with the connecting portions, and the second supporting legs of the springs are abutted to the elastic pieces.

30. The docking charging system of claim 17, wherein: the charging station further comprises a shielding part, the shielding part extends out of the top of the base and is located above the power terminal, the shielding part completely shields the power terminal from the top, and the distance between the shielding part and the power terminal is larger than the vertical distance between the top of the shell of the mower and the charging groove.

31. The docking charging system of claim 17, wherein: the charging station further comprises a base plate, the base is located on the base plate, and when the charging station conducts energy or signal transmission on the mower, the mower is located on the base plate integrally.