US 12,304,337 B2
Electric vehicle charging robot
Ki Hoon Nam, Whasung-si (KR); and Byung Ho Yoon, Whasung-si (KR)
Assigned to Hyundai Motor Company, Seoul (KR); and Kia Corporation, Seoul (KR)
Filed by Hyundai Motor Company, Seoul (KR); and Kia Corporation, Seoul (KR)
Filed on Nov. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/530,073.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2020-0156059 (KR), filed on Nov. 19, 2020; and application No. 10-2021-0127569 (KR), filed on Sep. 27, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0153157 A1, May 19, 2022
Int. Cl. B60L 53/35 (2019.01); B25J 11/00 (2006.01); B60L 53/16 (2019.01)
CPC B60L 53/35 (2019.02) [B25J 11/008 (2013.01); B60L 53/16 (2019.02)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electric vehicle charging robot apparatus having a charging connector engageable to a charging inlet of an electric vehicle to supply electric power to the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle charging robot apparatus comprising:
a body frame extending in a vertical direction and including a vertical support of which an upper end portion is movable upward and downward;
a multi-joint link unit coupled to an upper side of the body frame and including a plurality of link arms each of which is movable and rotatable in a horizontal direction; and
a flexible joint unit disposed between an end portion of the multi-joint link unit and the charging connector, and including at least one buffering structure that buffers and absorbs a disturbance or an external force to respond the distirbance or the external force during an electrically charging process, wherein the disturbance or the external force includes at least one of rolling, pitching, or yawing.