Granted Patent B2

US 12,522,302 · App. 17/634,248 · Granted Jan 13, 2026

Inventors: Van Cuong Bui (Jönköping, SE); Wanghao Li (Changzhou, CN); Jin Cao (Changzhou, CN); Jie Gao (Changzhou, CN)

Assignee: Globe (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.

B62D27/06A01D34/008A01D34/81A01D34/82F16C11/0671F16C11/069A01D75/185A01D2101/00F16C11/0638

Abstract

Claims (37)

1 . A connecting device, comprising

a connecting seat, and

a connecting rod ( 30 ), a top of the connecting rod ( 30 ) being provided with a connecting head ( 300 ), wherein

the connecting seat comprises a locking component ( 32 ), the locking component ( 32 ) is provided with a column ( 324 ), a plurality of elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) located in the column ( 324 ), there are gaps between adjacent elastic connecting walls ( 323 ), so that the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) have elasticity and are capable of deforming outwardly, an annular cavity ( 320 ) located between the column ( 324 ) and the plurality of elastic connecting walls ( 323 ), an inner wall of the column ( 324 ) is provided with an internal thread ( 321 ), the plurality of elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) jointly defines a sunken cavity ( 322 ) to house the connecting head; when the locking component ( 32 ) is in a release position, the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) is outwardly deformable to allow the connecting head ( 300 ) to be removed from the sunken cavity ( 322 ); when the locking component ( 32 ) is in a locking position, the elastic connecting wall ( 323 ) is capable of being slightly expanded and deformed outward but insufficient to enable the connecting head ( 300 ) to be removed from the sunken cavity ( 322 ), so the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) are restricted from deforming outwards to keep the connecting head ( 300 ) in the sunken cavity ( 322 ) and in the locking position the connecting head ( 300 ) is movably arranged in the connecting seat to allow the connecting seat to be displaced relative to connecting rod ( 30 ) in all directions which is detectable by a collision detection component;

wherein, the connecting head ( 300 ) is spherical, and the sunken cavity ( 322 ) is a spherical cavity, the plurality elastic connecting ( 323 ) walls of the sunken cavity ( 322 ) is in a surface contact with the connecting head ( 300 ) in the locking position;

wherein, the connecting seat comprises a bottom plate ( 33 ), the bottom plate ( 33 ) is provided with a protruding column ( 331 ) and an adjustment cavity ( 333 ), the adjustment cavity ( 333 ) is defined in the protruding column ( 331 ), an external thread ( 332 ) coupled with the internal thread ( 321 ) is arranged on an outer surface of the protruding column ( 331 ), the external thread ( 332 ) of the protruding column extends into the annular cavity ( 320 ) and is connected with the internal thread ( 321 ) of the column ( 324 ), so that the locking component ( 32 ) moves up and down relative to the bottom plate ( 33 ) when the locking component ( 32 ) rotates,

wherein, there is a gap between an inner wall surface of the adjustment cavity ( 333 ) and an outside surface of the elastic connecting wall ( 323 ) which allows the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) to deform outwards so as to enable the connecting head ( 300 ) to be separated from the sunken cavity ( 322 ).

2 . The connecting device according to claim 1 , wherein

the connecting head passes through the bottom plate ( 33 ) and is housed in the sunken cavity ( 322 ), when the locking component ( 32 ) is in the locking position, the elastic connecting walls are located inside the adjustment cavity ( 333 ), and the adjustment cavity ( 333 ) limits an outward deformation of the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ).

3 . The connecting device according to claim 2 , wherein

the adjustment cavity ( 333 ) is provided with an upper inner wall ( 336 ) and a lower inner wall ( 337 ), an outer diameter of the elastic connecting wall ( 323 ) is smaller than an inner diameter of the upper inner wall ( 336 ) and equals to an inner diameter of the lower inner wall ( 337 ), the locking component ( 32 ) is capable of moving up and down relative to the bottom plate ( 33 ), when the locking component ( 32 ) is in the release position, the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) are aligned with the upper inner wall ( 336 ) and staggered with the lower inner wall ( 337 ), when the locking component ( 32 ) is in the locking position, the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) are at least partially aligned with the lower inner wall ( 337 ).

4 . The connecting device according to claim 3 , wherein

the adjustment cavity ( 333 ) is further provided with a stop step ( 338 ) below the lower inner wall ( 337 ), when the locking component ( 32 ) is in the locking position, a bottom surface of the elastic connecting wall ( 323 ) abuts against the stop step ( 338 ).

5 . The connecting device according to claim 2 , wherein

the connecting device ( 3 ) further comprises a mounting base ( 31 ), the mounting base ( 31 ) comprises a top wall ( 311 ) and an annular side wall ( 312 ) extending downward from the top wall ( 311 ), the annular side wall ( 312 ) and the top wall ( 311 ) jointly define a cavity ( 310 ), the bottom plate ( 33 ) is mounted on a bottom surface of the annular side wall ( 312 ), and the locking component ( 32 ) is housed in the cavity ( 310 ).

6 . The connecting device according to claim 5 , wherein

the bottom plate ( 33 ) is fixed to the mounting base ( 31 ) by screws, or the bottom plate ( 33 ) and the mounting base ( 31 ) are integrally arranged.

7 . The connecting device according to claim 5 , wherein

the locking component ( 32 ) further comprises a positioning component ( 327 ), a protruding part ( 328 ) is arranged on an outer side wall of the positioning component ( 327 ), an inner wall of the cavity ( 310 ) is provided with two positioning grooves ( 316 ), when the locking component ( 32 ) is located in the release position or the locking position, the protruding part ( 328 ) is respectively engaged with the corresponding positioning groove ( 316 ).

8 . The connecting device according to claim 5 , wherein

the locking component ( 32 ) comprises an operating part ( 325 ) located on a top of the column ( 324 ), the column ( 324 ) is located in the cavity ( 310 ), the top wall of the mounting base ( 31 ) is provided with a through hole ( 313 ), and the operating part ( 325 ) is exposed from the through hole ( 313 ).

9 . The connecting device according to claim 8 , wherein

the operating part ( 325 ) comprises a groove ( 326 ), the groove ( 326 ) is located on a top of the operating part ( 325 ), when the locking component ( 32 ) is to be rotated, a screwdriver or other tool is capable of being inserted into the groove ( 326 ) to rotate.

10 . The connecting device according to claim 8 , wherein

the mounting base ( 31 ) is further provided with an indicator mark ( 317 ) around the through hole ( 313 ), the operating part ( 325 ) is correspondingly provided with an arrow, when the locking component ( 32 ) is respectively located in the release position and/or the locking position, the arrow points to the indication mark ( 317 ).

11 . The connecting device according to claim 1 , wherein a bottom of the locking component ( 32 ) extends downwardly to form two layers of annular walls, the two layers of annular walls is concentrically disposed, a gap between the two layers of annular walls being the annular cavity ( 320 ), a first layer of the annular walls located outside is the column ( 324 ) having the internal thread ( 321 ) provided on an inner wall surface of the column ( 324 ), and a second layer of the annular walls located inside the first layer is the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) having a spherical wall on an inner wall surface of the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) to define the sunken cavity ( 322 ).

12 . A robotic tool, comprising a body ( 1 ) and an upper cover ( 2 ), wherein

the robotic tool further comprises a connecting device ( 3 ), the connecting device ( 3 ) comprising

a connecting seat, and

a connecting rod ( 30 ), a top of the connecting rod ( 30 ) being provided with a connecting head ( 300 ); wherein

the connecting seat comprises a locking component ( 32 ), the locking component ( 32 ) is provided with a column ( 324 ), a plurality of elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) located in the column ( 324 ), there are gaps between adjacent elastic connecting walls ( 323 ), so that the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) have elasticity and are capable of deforming outwardly, an annular cavity ( 320 ) located between the column ( 324 ) and the plurality of elastic connecting walls ( 323 ), an inner wall of the column ( 324 ) is provided with an internal thread ( 321 ), the plurality of elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) jointly defines a sunken cavity ( 322 ) to house the connecting head; when the locking component ( 32 ) is in a release position, the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) is outwardly deformable to allow the connecting head ( 300 ) to be removed from the sunken cavity ( 322 ); when the locking component ( 32 ) is in a locking position, the elastic connecting wall ( 323 ) is capable of being slightly expanded and deformed outward but insufficient to enable the connecting head ( 300 ) to be removed from the sunken cavity ( 322 ), so the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) are restricted from deforming outwards to keep the connecting head ( 300 ) in the sunken cavity ( 322 ) and in the locking position the connecting head ( 300 ) is movably arranged in the connecting seat to allow the connecting seat to be displaced relative to connecting rod ( 30 ) in all directions which is detectable by a collision detection component;

wherein, the connecting head ( 300 ) is spherical, and the sunken cavity ( 322 ) is a spherical cavity, the plurality elastic connecting ( 323 ) walls is in a surface contact with the connecting head ( 300 );

wherein the connecting seat is fixed on the upper cover, the locking component is exposed from the upper cover, and the connecting rod ( 30 ) is fixed on the body;

wherein, the connecting seat comprises a bottom plate ( 33 ), the bottom plate ( 33 ) is provided with a protruding column ( 331 ) and an adjustment cavity ( 333 ), the adjustment cavity ( 333 ) is defined in the protruding column ( 331 ), an external thread ( 332 ) coupled with the internal thread ( 321 ) is arranged on an outer surface of the protruding column ( 331 ), the external thread ( 332 ) of the protruding column extends into the annular cavity ( 320 ) and is connected with the internal thread ( 321 ) of the column ( 324 ), so that the locking component ( 32 ) moves up and down relative to the bottom plate ( 33 ) when the locking component ( 32 ) rotates;

wherein, there is a gap between an inner wall surface of the adjustment cavity ( 333 ) and an outside surface of the elastic connecting wall ( 323 ) which allows the elastic connecting walls ( 323 ) to deform outwards so as to enable the connecting head ( 300 ) to be separated from the sunken cavity ( 322 ).

13 . The robotic tool according to claim 12 , wherein

the robotic tool is a robotic mower.

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (18)