Arrangement for docking at automatic fuelling of vehicles

(54) (56) (57)

PATENT HOLDER Sten Corfitsen, Rådjursvägen 1 181 43 Lidingö SE

INVENTOR'S OFFICE NAME

Sten Corfitsen, Lidingö SE Noréns Patentbyrå AB

Docking device for automatic refueling of vehicles

CALLED PUBLICATIONS: - - SUMMARY:

Device for docking in automatic refueling of vehicles, mainly cars, where a robot is provided comprising a robotic head which is movable for positioning by means of a positioning system relative to an adapter (3) arranged to be attached to the upper orifice of a vehicle's tank tube (2).

According to the invention, the robot head comprises a substantially axial joint rear portion (13) and a front portion (14), where the rear portion (13) is fixed to the robot and the front portion (14) is supported by the rear portion (13). by means of a spring (15). The front part (14) can be displaced from the rest position towards the rear part (13) and angled relative to the rear part. The front portion (14) has an axially forward projecting flange (16) which is of such shape as to fit against the sheath surface (19) of the adapter (3; 39) at a lower portion (20) of the periphery (21) of the adapter. In a docking, the robot is arranged to move the rear part (13) in the direction of the adapter (3; 39), whereby the front part (14) is angled towards the power of said spring to an angle where the adapter and the front part abut each other. .

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The numbers in brackets indicate international identification code, INID code. Letters in clamps indicate international document code.

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The present invention relates to a device for docking in automatic refueling of vehicles.

Swedish Patent No. 8901674-5 discloses a device for automatic refueling of vehicles, mainly cars, where a robot comprising a robot head with a refueling gun or the like is arranged to automatically move the refueling gun from a rest position to the vehicle refueling point by means of a sensing and control device. the vehicle is placed in a predetermined position relative to the robot.

According to the patent, the refueling gun comprises a rigid first tubular element, preferably a metal tube, arranged to be guided by the robot against an adapter provided with a hole and attached to the upper mouth of the vehicle's fuel pipe. A flexible second tube, preferably of a plastic material, is slidably disposed within the first rigid tube from a first end position where the outer free end of the second tube is located within the first tube to a second end position where the second tube projects from the first tube. .

The adapter includes a pipe connection between said holes and the refueling pipe of the vehicle. The robot is arranged in a first step to move the free end of the first tube to abut against, or to a position in the immediate vicinity of, the adapter and in a second step to extend the free end of the second tube out of the first tube and down into said pipe connection. , or down into the vehicle's refueling pipe, and in a third stage pumping fuel through the second pipe down into the vehicle's tank.

When the fuel is completed, the robot is arranged to perform the two first steps in the reverse order.

A positioning system mentioned in said patent comprises a transmitter and receive unit located on the robot head,

503 221 which operates at microwave frequency, and a passive transponder placed on the vehicle in a relatively refueling tube predetermined position.

Swedish patent no. 9202549-3 also discloses a device for automatic refueling, where an adapter to be mounted on a vehicle's refueling tube is described. This adapter has a cone-shaped portion which is intended to cooperate with said first pipe but also with the free end of said second pipe when the second pipe is passed down through the adapter to the refueling pipe.

Since virtually all of the vehicle's refueling pipes form an angle to the vertical plane, with known robot heads, it is required that the cone-shaped portion lean less towards the vertical plane and preferably lies in the vertical plane, since the first and second pipes of the robot move horizontally towards the vehicle during docking between the robot and the vehicle.

The present invention solves the problem that the orifices of different vehicle tank pipes form different angles to the vertical plane through a special robot head and adapter.

The present invention thus relates to a device for docking in automatic refueling of vehicles, primarily cars, in which a robot is provided comprising a robot head, which is movable relative to the robot so that by means of a positioning system it can be positioned to a predetermined position relative to the vehicle's tank pipe, where the robot head in its free front end has a portion shaped like a truncated cone, which portion is intended to be docked during said positioning with a corresponding conical portion of an adapter arranged to be attached to the upper orifice of the tank tube and wherein the robot head comprises a tube whose free forward end after docking is arranged to be ejected through the robot head to a position down in the tank tube; after which fuel is replenished through the pipe and is marked by,

503 221 that the robot head comprises a substantially axially articulated rear portion and a front portion, wherein the rear portion is secured to the robot and the front portion is supported by the rear portion by a spring, which allows the front portion to be displaced from a rest position one piece towards the rear and *

is angled relative to the rear portion because the front portion has an axially projecting flange extending along a lower portion of the front portion of the flange having a shape such that it fits against the adapter surface of the adapter at a lower portion of the adapter; periphery of the cone-shaped portion of the adapter lying in the vertical plane or forming an angle to the vertical plane such that the portion is obliquely upwards in the condition mounted on and off the tank tube, that in a docking between the front part and the adapter, the robot is arranged to position the front part so that the flange abuts against the lower part of the adapter surface of the adapter and that the robot is then arranged to move the rear part in the direction towards the adapter, whereby the front part against the force of said spring is angled to an angle where the conical surfaces of the adapter and the front part abut against each other.

The invention will now be described in more detail, partly in connection with an embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows a side view of the front of the robot head

Figure 2 shows a side sectional view of the front part of the robot head

Figure 3 shows an axial cross-section through an adapter according to the invention

- Figure 4 shows the adapter seen from the left in Figure 3

Figure 5 shows the adapter according to Figure 3 seen from the side

- figure 6 shows the front part of the robot head seen from above in a first rotation position

Figure 7 shows the bottom view of Figure 6, ie the front part of the robot head straight from the front in a first pivot position

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- figure 8 shows the adapter seen from above

- Figure 9 shows the front of the robot head seen from above in a second rotation position and where it is docked with the adapter

Figure 10 shows the front of the robot head straight ahead in a second pivot position

- Figures 11a-11f show a docking sequence

Figures 12a - 12c show a docking sequence

Figure 13 is a sectional view of Figure 12a

Figure 14 shows a sectional view of Figure 12c.

Figures 1 and 2 show a side view of the front part of a robot head 1 in a position prior to docking with an adapter 2 attached to a vehicle's tank 42, see Figures 3-5. The robot head belongs to a not known suitable known robot. The robot head 1 is movable relative to the robot so that it can be positioned to a predetermined position relative to the tank tube 2 of the vehicle, or more specifically to the adapter 3.

The positioning is done by means of an electronic positioning system comprising a first part present at the robot head and a second part located at a predetermined location on the vehicle. Preferably, the positioning system is of the type mentioned in the introduction, the second part being a passive transponder mounted on the vehicle in the vicinity of, or on, the vehicle's refueling hatch. However, the electronic positioning system is not of importance to the present invention.

The robot head comprises a refueling gun, which in turn comprises an outer tube 4 in the form of a bellows and one inside it and out of this displaceable inner tube 5. The inner tube is shown by dashed lines in Figure 2. The outer tube 4 has at its free front end a portion 6 formed as a truncated cone, which portion is intended to be docked during said positioning with a corresponding conical portion 7, in the form of a truncated cone, belonging to said adapter 3 which is attached to the the upper mouth of the tank. The free front end 8 of the inner tube 5

503 221 after docking is arranged to be ejected to a position down in the tank tube, after which fuel is replenished through the inner tube.

Preferably, the adapter is provided with a cover 11 which is pivoted about a shaft 12. The cover in Figure 3 is in its open position. As the inner tube 5 is pushed out of the outer tube 4 and down into the tank tube 2, the lid is pressed against a spring force downwards in the tank tube 2.

According to the invention, the robot head comprises a substantially axial joint rear part 13 and a front part 14, where the rear part is fixed to the robot and where the front part 14 is supported by the rear part 13 by means of a spring 15 which permits the front part 14 from a rest position, a piece can be displaced in the direction of the rear part 13 and angled relative to the rear part 13. In Figure 1, dashed lines 14 'show such an angled position of the front part 14.

In a preferred embodiment, the spring 15 is a steel coil spring. However, it is conceivable to use one or more leaf springs or other springs that provide the same function instead.

The front portion 14 has a central through-hole for the inner tube 5, through which the inner tube protrudes during refueling. Conveniently, the rear portion also has a corresponding through hole.

The front portion 14 has an axially projecting flange 16, not shown in Figures 1 and 2, extending along a lower portion 17 of the periphery 18 of the front portion 14, see Figures 9 and 10. The flange 16 has a shape such that that it fits against the outer surface 19 of the adapter 3 at the lower part 20 of the periphery 21 of the adapter, see Figure 3-5.

The cone-shaped portion 7 of the adapter 3 lies in the vertical plane or forms an angle to the vertical plane such that the portion is obliquely upwards in the condition mounted on the tank tube, as illustrated in Figure 11, where the vertical plane is indicated by a dash

22.

In a docking between the front portion 14 and the adapter 3, the robot is arranged to position the front portion 14 so that the flange 16 abuts against the lower portion 20 of the adapter surface 21. This position is illustrated in Fig. 11a and lib. In Fig. 11b, the front portion is abut against the adapter so that the bottom edge of the flange 16 is abut against the adapter surface 21 of the adapter. This is done by moving the robot head 1 under control with the said positioning system towards the adapter and at the end of the movement moves substantially horizontally in the direction towards and up to the adapter 3.

The robot is then arranged to move the rear part 13 in the direction of the adapter 3, whereby the front part 14 against the force of said spring 15 is angled to an angle where the tapered surfaces of the adapter and the front part come into contact with each other. Figure 11 illustrates such a completed docking. In Figures 11a to 11f, a docking operation is illustrated in steps. It can be seen that the front part 14 is gradually angled or rotated over the adapter to the final docking position by the flange abutting the bottom of the adapter.

According to a preferred embodiment, said front portion in its rest position is slightly upwardly directed, preferably such that its logitudinal axis in rest position forms an angle of 5 to degrees towards the horizontal plane. This position is shown in Figure 11a, but not in Figure 1. The horizontal plane is indicated by line 23. This embodiment permits a slightly better function at the initial stage of docking, especially when the cone-shaped portion of the adapter is close to or in the vertical plane as illustrated in Figure 5.

According to a preferred embodiment of the latter features are available

503 221 a wire 24 or equivalent running between the rear portion 13 and the upper portion 25 of the front portion 14, see Figure 2. The wire 24 is of such length that, under the action of the spring force, the front portion 14 becomes slightly upright.

The sheet 26 has no function to support the front part 14, but belongs to a safety device.

Thus, the device described so far allows the cone-shaped portion of the adapter to form a substantially arbitrary angle to the vertical plane. Experiments have shown that the cone-shaped portion of the adapter can form an angle from 0 degrees, see Figure 5 up to an angle of about 75 degrees to the vertical plane without the docking operation failing.

The present invention thus solves the problem mentioned at the outset, which in turn means that virtually all cars can be fitted with one and the same adapter, although the inclination of the vehicle's tank pipes towards the horizontal plane varies greatly from vehicle to vehicle.

Although the device can handle the aforementioned wide angle range, it is not preferable to use one and the same adapter for cars whose angle of tank pipe varies greatly between cars. Figures 11a - 11f show an adapter that is completely straight, ie where its upper opening lies in a plane parallel to its lower opening. This adapter is intended for an angular range where the axis of the tank tube forms an angle to the horizontal plane within a range between 0 degrees and about 45 degrees. When the tank tube forms a larger angle to the horizontal plane as in the case of Figures 12a-12c, an adapter 39 is preferably used which is designed so that its lower opening 40 plane forms an angle with the plane of its upper opening 41, see Figure. 13, in order to reduce the angle of the upper opening to the vertical plane. Such an adapter 39 can be used in an angular region where the axis of the tank tube forms an angle to the horizontal plane within a range of about 30 degrees to about 75 degrees.

However, the front portion 14 is not positioned in the rotational direction by the hitherto described embodiment. There is, in some cases, a need to position the front part in an exact position relative to the adapter, where also the front part has the correct rotational position about its longitudinal axis relative to the adapter. This need exists when sensors 27, 28, see Figure 7, are present at the cone-shaped portion of the adapter and corresponding parts of the sensors on the front part.

These sensors, which may, for example, be of inductive type, may contain information about the type of fuel to be refilled, which it transmits to the sensor part in the front part 14. The sensors also confirm a correct docking.

According to a preferred embodiment, therefore, said flange 16 has a beveled portion 29, 30 formed at both ends thereof, see Figures 6, 7 and 11b. These guide surfaces are arranged to cooperate with guide pins or guide rails 31, 32 projecting on the adapter 3, see Figure 4, 11b and Ile. The guide strips are positioned so that when docking has taken place, the guide strips 31, 32 run perpendicular to the flange 16 and are located at the transition 33 between the beveled portions and the forward-facing surface of the front part or slightly beside said transition, see Figures 7 and 11f.

If the front portion is rotated relative to the adapter, as illustrated in Figure 7, while Figure 10 shows the correct rotation position, one of the guide surfaces 29, 30 will come into contact with one of the guide strips 31, 32 as illustrated in Figure 1b. As the front portion 14 is pressed forward against the adapter, the front portion will then rotate as a result of the guide surface on one side of it sliding relative to a guide strip 32. This is illustrated by a comparison between figure 1d and 1e.

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In Figure 11 f it is shown that a further twist has occurred since the guide rail 32 came to abut the transition 33. This further rotation has not occurred under the influence of the control surfaces and the guide strips.

The further twist from the guide rail 32 abutting the transition 33 to the position shown in Figure 11f is performed according to a preferred embodiment of the front part 14 and the adapter 3 described below.

According to this embodiment, in the surface of the cone-shaped portion 7 of the adapter 3, there is substantially a v-shaped recess 34, see Figures 3, 4 and 8. This recess is arranged to cooperate with a projecting means 35 projecting from the front part 14, see Figures 6, 7. , 9 and 10. This member is preferably a steel stick. The member 35 is positioned so that upon complete docking, see Figure 9, the tip of the member is in the tip-shaped bottom 36 of the v-shaped recess.

Thus, once a certain turning has been effected by said guide surfaces and guide strips, the tip of the member 35 comes into contact with the recess 34, the tip of the member striking the recess walls, for example at a point 37 in Figures 6, 7, and slides against the recess walls while the front the portion 14 is rotated until the tip of the member 35 reaches the bottom of the depression, as illustrated in Figure 9.

In the latter position, an exact twisting of the front part has taken place so that it has the correct rotation position in relation to the adapter.

Of course, only control surfaces and guide strips can be used, and thus not the member 35 and the recess 34, or alternatively only the member 35 and the recess 34, depending on how precisely the twisting is required and how accurately the rotational position of the front part 14 is at the initial phase of the docking.

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Depending on need, said flange may extend along a shorter or longer portion of the length of the front portion. According to a preferred embodiment, said flange 16 extends along the periphery of the front portion as a circular arc with a circular arc angle which is in a range between 45 and 270 degrees along the periphery.

Examples of embodiments are given above. Of course, the front part 14 as well as the detailed design of the parts can be varied without departing from the intended functions of these parts. For example, the flange can be modified so that it is not unbroken without being replaced by a number of flange sections extending adjacent to each other with spaces between adjacent flange sections.

Therefore, the present invention is not to be considered limited to the above embodiments, but may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

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