Supply device from supplying a mobile device with a material and mobile device

Abstract

A supply device for supplying a device that can be moved on a driving surface with a material supplied through a supply line. The supply device has a plug with an electric plug contact element that extends along a plug axis and is coupled to a plug receptacle of the mobile device by a linear joining movement, and a supply line with a valve, and detects a coupled state of the plug with the plug receptacle by an electric plug contact element. In the coupled state the valve is actuated. The supply device has a nozzle arranged on the supply line and is coupled to an inlet port of the mobile device. A feeding holder keeps the nozzle and the plug in a defined position and orientation relative to each other so that when coupling the plug to the plug receptacle the nozzle couples to the inlet port. The movement device makes the feeding holder with the plug and nozzle at least height adjustable and movable in the direction of the joining movement along a joining axis. The detection system determines a position of the plug receptacle. The supply device couples the plug to the plug receptacle and thereby the nozzle to the inlet port by a linear joining movement along the joining axis based on the determined position.

Claims

1. A supply device (1) for supplying a mobile device (2) that can be moved on a driving surface with a material, the supply device comprising: a plug (4) with at least one electric plug contact element (9), which extends towards a free end of the plug along a plug axis (10) and which is adapted to be coupled to a plug receptacle (20) of the mobile device (2) by a linear joining movement (16); a supply line (3) with a valve; a nozzle (5) arranged on the supply line (3) that extends towards a free nozzle end along a nozzle axis (12) and is couplable to an inlet port (22) of the mobile device (2); a feeding holder (6) holds the nozzle (5) and the plug (4) in a defined position and orientation relative to each other so that during coupling of the plug (4) to the plug receptacle (20), the nozzle (5) couples to the inlet port (22); a movement device (7) that makes the feeding holder (6) with the plug (4) and nozzle (5) at least height adjustable (9) and movable along a joining axis (17) in a direction of the joining movement (16); a detection system (8) configured to detect a position and orientation of the plug receptacle (20) based on recognition features (28) of the plug receptacle (20); the supply device (1) is configured based on a determined position and orientation of the plug receptacle (20) to couple the plug (4) to the plug receptacle (20) by the linear joining movement (16) along the joining axis (17) and thereby to couple the nozzle (5) to the inlet port (22); and wherein the supply device (1) is configured to detect a coupled state of the plug (4) with the plug receptacle by the electric plug contact element and based thereon makes the valve of the supply line (3) actuatable.

2. The supply device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feeding holder (6) holds the nozzle (5) and the plug (4) with parallel alignment of the nozzle axis (12) to the plug axis (10).

3. The supply device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joining axis (17) is inclined to a driving surface (18) of the mobile device (2) in a direction of the joining movement (16).

4. The supply device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supply device (1) is configured to determine the joining axis (17) based on a determined position and orientation of the plug receptacle (20) and the movement device (7) is configured to make the feeding holder (6) with the plug (4) and the nozzle (5) movable along the determined joining axis (17).

5. The supply device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the free ends of the plug (4) and the nozzle (5) are arranged with an offset to each other in a direction of the joining axis (17), and the offset corresponds to an offset in the direction of the joining axis (17) between the free ends of the plug receptacle (20) and the inlet port (22) on the mobile device (2).

6. The supply device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a locking device is arranged on the plug for electromechanical locking of a coupled state of the plug (4) with the plug receptacle (20), and the supply device (1) makes the valve of the supply line (3) actuatable when the plug is locked.

7. The supply device according to claim 1, wherein the movement device (7) is configured to make the feeding holder (6) with the plug (4) and the nozzle (5) partially or fully automatically movable in a limited motion mode and an unlimited motion mode, and the supply device (1) is configured to couple the plug (4) to the plug receptacle (20) by a movement of the plug (4) into a preposition relative to the plug receptacle (20) in the limited motion mode and a linear joining motion (16) of the plug (4) in the unlimited motion mode.

8. The supply device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the movement device (7) has a joining device (15) with a linear drive, the feeding holder (6) is connected to the joining device (15), and the supply device (1) is configured to couple the plug (4) to the plug receptacle (20) and the nozzle (5) to the inlet port (22) based on a movement caused by the linear drive in the unlimited motion mode.

9. The supply device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection system (8) is arranged on the movement device (7) and includes a camera and configured to recognize the position and orientation of the plug receptacle (20) as a recognition feature (28) using an image recognition and evaluation algorithm based on at least two electric plug receptacle contact elements (27) of the plug receptacle (20).

10. The supply device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joining axis (17) is inclined to the driving surface (18) of the mobile device (2) at an inclination angle (19) in the range from 12° to 32°.

11. A mobile device (2) configured to be supplied by a supply device (1) with a material that can be fed through a supply line (3), the mobile device comprising: a plug receptacle (20) that extends from a free plug receptacle end along a plug receptacle axis (21) that is configured to be coupled to a plug (4) of the supply device (1) by a linear joining movement (16) of the plug (4) along a joining axis (17), and has at least one electric plug receptacle contact element and at least one recognition feature for a detection system of the supply device (1); an inlet port (22) with an inlet opening which extends from the inlet port along an inlet port axis (23) and which is configured to be connected to a nozzle (5) of the supply device (1); an inlet holder (24), which holds the plug receptacle (20) and the inlet port (22) in a defined position and orientation relative to each other such that during coupling of the plug receptacle (20) to the plug (4), the inlet port (22) is adapted to be coupled to the nozzle (5); and the inlet holder is arranged on the mobile device (2) so that the joining axis (17) is inclined in a direction of the joining movement (16) to a driving surface (18) on which the mobile device stands; wherein the mobile device (2) is configured to detect a coupled state of the plug receptacle (20) with the plug (4) by an electric plug receptacle contact element and based on this, a valve of a supply line (3) of the supply device (1) is adapted to be actuated by the mobile device (2).

12. The mobile device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the inlet holder (24) holds the plug receptacle (20) and the inlet port (22) with parallel alignment of the plug receptacle axis (21) to the inlet port axis (23).

13. The mobile device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the free ends of the plug receptacle (20) and the inlet port (22) are arranged with an offset to each other in the direction of the joining axis (17), and the offset corresponds to an offset in the direction of the joining axis (17) between the free ends of the plug (4) and the nozzle (5) on the supply device (1).

14. The mobile device as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one locking element for a locking device of the plug (4) of the supply device (1) is arranged on the plug receptacle (20) for locking a coupled state of the plug receptacle (20) with the plug (4) and the valve of the supply line (3) is actuable by the mobile device (2) when the plug is locked.

15. The mobile device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the mobile device (2) is a floor treatment robot.

16. The mobile device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the joining axis (17) is inclined to the driving surface (18) of the mobile device (2) at an inclination angle (19) in the range from 12° to 32°.

17. A system comprising: a supply device (1) as claimed in claim 1; and a mobile device (2) including, a plug receptacle (20) that extends from a free plug receptacle end along a plug receptacle axis (21) that is configured to be coupled to the plug (4) of the supply device (1) by a linear joining movement (16) of the plug (4) along the joining axis (17), and has at least one electric plug receptacle contact element and at least one recognition feature for a detection system of the supply device (1), an inlet port (22) with an inlet opening which extends from the inlet opening along an inlet port axis (23) and which is configured to be connected to the nozzle (5) of the supply device (1), an inlet holder (24), which holds the plug receptacle (20) and the inlet port (22) in a defined position and orientation relative to each other such that during coupling of the plug receptacle (20) to the plug (4), the inlet port (22) is adapted to be coupled to the nozzle (5), and the inlet holder is arranged on the mobile device (2) so that the joining axis (17) is inclined in a direction of the joining movement (16) to a driving surface (18) on which the mobile device stands, wherein the mobile device (2) is configured to detect a coupled state of the plug receptacle (20) with the plug (4) by an electric plug receptacle contact element and based on this the valve of the supply line (3) of the supply device (1) is adapted to be actuated by the mobile device (2); wherein the mobile device (2) is supplyable by the supply device (1) with the material that is feedable through the supply line (3) and has a level sensor that provides at least one piece of level information of the feedable material, wherein with the provided level information in a predetermined range the mobile device (2) is autonomously movable to the supply device (1), where the plug (4) of the supply device (1) is moved to the plug receptacle (20) of the mobile device (2), by coupling the plug (4) to the plug receptacle (20) the nozzle (5) is coupled to the inlet port (22), and the valve of the supply line (3) is caused to be actuated by the mobile device (2) based on a detection of the coupled state of the plug receptacle (20) with the plug (4).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Purely by way of example, preferred embodiments of the supply device, the mobile device and the system are described below with reference to the listed figures. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective representation of a system with a supply device and a mobile device in the form of a cleaning robot;

(3) FIG. 2 shows in an excerpt from FIG. 1 an enlarged perspective representation of a part of the supply device and the mobile device;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective representation of a plug with a holder;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a frontal view of the plug with the holder of FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a side view of the plug with the holder of FIG. 2 or 3 with a supply line and a nozzle;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a side view of the system of FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 7 shows in an excerpt from FIG. 6 an enlarged side view of a coupled state of a plug, plug receptacle, nozzle and inlet port with a joining device and a detection system; and

(9) FIG. 8 shows a frontal view of a plug receptacle, an inlet port, and an inlet holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) FIG. 1 shows as an example a system with a supply device 1 for supplying a mobile device 2 in the form of a floor treatment robot, which is designed to clean the floor with a cleaning liquid and to soak up the cleaning liquid applied to it. The floor treatment robot 2 has two drive wheels 31, two pivoting support wheels, a drive device with one motor per drive wheel 31 and a controller 36 with a display and input device 34 in the form of a touch screen. The floor treatment robot 2 comprises two interchangeable cleaning brushes 35 or pads rotatable around laterally offset vertical axes. The brushes 35 are rotated by a brush drive. With a cleaning liquid supply that is not shown, cleaning fluid is supplied from a first tank in the area of the brushes by a pump. Cleaning agent can be introduced into the cleaning liquid from a second tank. After the floor treatment by the brushes 35, the cleaning fluid left on the floor is sucked up by a suction arrangement 30 and delivered to the first tank. The electrical energy of all electrically operated components comes from at least one rechargeable battery 26, which can be supplied with electric current via the plug receptacle 20 and the plug 4. The suction arrangement 30 is preferably arranged on the chassis so as to be slightly pivotable by a tracking connection, so that the suction arrangement 30 is always assigned to the damp floor area even during cornering. Because the brushes 35 are slightly offset to one side with respect to a central axis in the direction of travel of the floor treatment robot, the cleaning on this side is essentially carried out up to the area with the drive wheel 31. In order to ensure that the drive effect of the drive wheel 31 is not affected by the cleaning fluid, a scraper deflects the cleaning fluid towards the center of the floor treatment robot. In order to detect obstacles or boundaries, sensors for obstacle detection are preferably used. In the embodiment shown, multiple ultrasonic sensors 33 are arranged in the front area of the housing, wherein the arrangement of the ultrasonic sensors at two different heights ensures good detection of obstacles. Obstacles in the floor, in particular steps, are detected with two infrared sensors 32 arranged on the side at the front and directed towards the floor. For obstacle detection, at least one contact sensor in the form of a deflection sensor is also provided, which is arranged between the chassis and a housing area which is in front in the direction of travel. Now, when an obstacle comes into contact with the front housing area, the housing area is deflected relative to the chassis by the obstacle, which the deflection sensor detects.

(11) The movement device 7 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a fixed installable base plate 14, which can be mounted, for example, on a wall or as shown on a column profile construction 29. The base plate 14 has guide rails 9 in which a first swivel joint is guided height-adjustably. By this first swivel joint, a first arm segment 7a of the movement device is connected to the base plate in such a way that the arm segment 7a is height-adjustable and can be pivoted in a horizontal plane around the axis of rotation of the swivel joint. On the first arm segment 7a, a further arm segment 7b of the movement device is attached via a second swivel joint, wherein the second arm segment 7b is again pivotable in a horizontal plane around the axis of rotation of the second swivel joint. At the free extremity of the second arm segment 7b there is a third swivel joint by which the feeding holder 6 is connected to the movement device. The third swivel joint provides at least a tiltability of the feeding holder 6 towards the driving surface 18 of the mobile device 2. The embodiment of the movement device 7 shown in FIG. 1 has a joining device 15 with a linear drive. In this case, the plug 4 is connected to the joining device 15 by the feeding holder 6. The detection system 8 is attached to the joining device 15, wherein the detection field of view 41 of the detection system is oriented in the direction of the joining motion 16. The supply device also has a controller which is connected to drive units of the movement devices. In this case, the drive units of the movement device provide the mobility of the feeding holder and thus of the plug and the nozzle. The controller is also connected to the detection system 8, so that the coupling of the plug 4 to a plug receptacle 20 of a mobile device can be carried out automatically.

(12) FIG. 2 shows an excerpt from FIG. 1 in an enlarged view. At the free end 37 of the second arm segment 7b, the joining device 15 with linear drive is connected to the movement device 7 via the third swivel joint. The feeding holder 6 is connected to the joining device and holds the plug 4 and the nozzle 5 in a defined position and orientation relative to each other. Due to the movement device, the feeding holder 6 can be tilted towards the floor. The plug 4 is connected to a power source via an electric cable 38.

(13) FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show an embodiment of the plug 4, the nozzle 5 and the feeding holder 6. The plug 4 has at least one electric plug contact element 9 and extends to the free plug end along a plug axis 10. The electrical contact element is typically pin-shaped and can additionally be surrounded by a sleeve-shaped protective device which is open to the free end of the plug. The linear joining movement 16 for coupling the plug to the plug receptacle is also determined by the guide wall 39 of the plug. Arranged on the guide wall 39, the plug has 4 locking elements 11 for a locking device of the plug, which allow locking of a coupled state. The nozzle 5 extends to the free nozzle end along a nozzle axis 12. The feeding holder 6 is designed to hold the nozzle 5 and the plug 4 in a defined position and orientation relative to each other. The embodiment of the feeding holder shown in FIG. 2 holds the plug and the nozzle in a plane perpendicular to the plug axis and spaced apart from each other and so that the plug axis 10 runs parallel to the nozzle axis 12. The holder shown comprises a first holding part 6a, which can be connected to the joining device 15 and which holds the plug 4, a second holding part 6c, which is pipe-shaped and is used to accept the nozzle, which is arranged on the supply line, and a third holding part 6b, which forms a connecting bar, which connects the first and the second holding parts to each other so that the plug and the nozzle are held in a defined position and orientation relative to each other. The distance 13 is matched to the dimensioning of the plug receptacle corresponding to the plug and the inlet port. There is no offset between the free plug end and the free nozzle end in the direction of the joining axis. Preferably, the valve of the supply line is arranged in the area of the second holding part 6c and is connected to the controller of the movement device via a control line that passes through the third holding part 6b.

(14) FIG. 6 shows a device 2 which can be moved on a driving surface 18 in the form of a floor treatment robot, which is supplied by a supply device 1 according to the invention with a material that can be fed through a supply line 3. In this case, the mobile device has a plug receptacle 20, which extends from the free plug receptacle end along the plug receptacle axis 21 and which can be coupled to the plug 4 by a linear joining motion 16 of the plug 4 along a joining axis 17. The plug receptacle 20 of the embodiment of the mobile device 2 shown in FIG. 6 is connected via a charging cable 25 to the rechargeable battery 26 of the mobile device. Likewise, the plug receptacle 20 is connected to the controller of the mobile device. The mobile device has an inlet port 22 with an inlet opening which extends from the inlet opening along an inlet port axis 23 and which can be coupled to the nozzle 6. The inlet port is connected to a tank for fresh floor treatment liquid via a hose-shaped or a tubular connection 40. The embodiment of the inlet holder 24 shown in FIG. 6 holds the plug receptacle 20 and the inlet port 22 in a plane perpendicular to the plug receptacle axis 21 and spaced apart from each other and so that the plug receptacle axis 21 runs parallel to the inlet port axis 23. In this case, the inlet holder 24 is arranged on the mobile device so that the joining axis 17 is inclined to the driving surface 18 at an inclination angle 19 of around 22°. A detection system 8 is arranged on the joining device 15. The detection system has a camera with a detection field of view 41 that is oriented in the direction of the joining motion.

(15) FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the plug receptacle 20, the filling nozzle 22 and the inlet holder 24. The plug receptacle has at least one electric plug receptacle contact element 27. Likewise, the plug receptacle has at least two recognition features 28 for the detection system 8 of the supply device 1. If the plug receptacle contact element 27 is used as a recognition feature 28, then the edges of the hole of the plug receptacle contact element make orientation of the plug receptacle recognizable for the detection system 8.