Compact charging device for electric vehicle

• US 10,150,373 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Electronic Systems
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Electronic Systems
• Inventors: Biagini, Eric, Coste, Francois, Jean, Guillaume
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Arun C
• Application Number:
  US15/035,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20160272075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/34 Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a charging device (1) for an electric vehicle battery (28), this charging device (1) comprising a casing (5) containing electric current conversion means, the casing (5) being provided with a connector (3) making it possible to connect the charging device (1) directly to the electric vehicle so as to power the battery of the electric vehicle, and the charging device (1) being able to be powered by an input current from a power source (21), to convert, via the electric current conversion means, the input current into a direct output current, and to power the battery of the electric vehicle (28) with said direct output current.

The invention also relates to a charging method which can be implemented with this charging device.

Claims

1. A charging device (1) for an electric vehicle battery (28), the charging device (1) comprising a casing (5) containing an electric current converter, the casing having an outer surface, a connector (3) provided at the outer surface making it possible to connect the charging device (1) directly, without an intermediate power cable, to the electric vehicle so as to power the battery of the electric vehicle, and the charging device (1) being able to be powered by an input current from a power source (21), to convert, via the electric current converter, the input current into a direct output current, and to power the battery of the electric vehicle (28) with said direct output current.

2. The charging device (1) according to claim 1, which is a portable device.

3. The charging device (1) according to claim 1, which is capable of being connected to the power source (21) by a power cable.

4. The charging device (1) according to claim 1, including an operating mode in which the power source (21) is an alternating power source and wherein the input current is an alternating current.

5. The charging device (1) according to claim 1, including an operating mode in which the power source (21) is a direct power source, and wherein the input current is a direct current.

6. The charging device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the charging device (1) comprises a first stage (23) converting the input current into a direct intermediate current as well as a second stage (24, 25, 26) converting the intermediate current into an output current.

7. The charging device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the casing (5) is provided with an additional connector (4) making it possible to connect the charging device (1) directly to the vehicle.

8. The charging device (1) according to claim 1, including a control system (29) adapted for adjusting the parameters of the conversion of the input current into output current;

and adapted for exchanging information and instructions with the battery of the first electric vehicle (28) and/or with the power source (21).

9. The charging device (1) according to claim 8, wherein the control system (29) is provided with auxiliary power supply means (30).

10. The charging device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle is an electric automobile.

11. A method for charging an electric vehicle battery (28), comprising:

connecting a charging device (1) according to claim 1 to a power source (21);

connecting said charging device (1) to the electric vehicle by connecting the connector (3) of the charging device (1) directly on a corresponding connector of the electric vehicle;

supplying the charging device (1) with an input current from the power source (21);

converting the input current into a direct output current with the charging device (1);

supplying the battery of the electric vehicle (28) with the output current.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the output current has at least one of:

a voltage of 200 to 550 V, and

a power less than or equal to 20 kW.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the conversion of the input current into output current comprises a first step for converting the input current into a direct intermediate current, then a second step for converting the intermediate current into an output current.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the input current is an alternating current.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the input current is a direct current.

16. The method according to claim 11, also comprising connecting said charging device (1) to the electric vehicle by connecting the additional connector (4) of the charging device (1) directly on a connector of the electric vehicle.

17. The method according to claim 11, comprising adjusting parameters for the conversion of the input current into output current and exchanging information and instructions between the charging device (1) and the battery of the electric vehicle (28) and/or the power source (21).

18. The method according to claim 11, comprising a preliminary step for supplying power to the charging device (1) via an auxiliary power supply source (30).

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the electric vehicle is an electric automobile.