Module system for a charging apparatus, charging apparatus and vehicle including a charging apparatus constructed from the module system

• US 10,179,517 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2013
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Toth, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Pelton, Nathaniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Dung V
• Application Number:
  US14/433,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20150224887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,942 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/514 composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/74 Means for mounting coupling parts in openings of a panel
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A module system is configured for establishing a plurality of variants of a charging device of a vehicle and includes a first module type with a first interface and a second interface; multiple variants of a second module type, each having a first interface and a second interface, wherein the variants have different second interfaces; multiple variants of a third module type, each having a first interface and a second interface, wherein the variants have different second interfaces; wherein the first interface of the second module type is configured for coupling with the first interface of the first module type, wherein the first interface of the third module type is configured for coupling with the second interface of the first module type, and wherein the charging socket can be constructed from a coupling of a variant of the second module type, the first module type, and a variant of the third module type.

Claims

1. A module system for constructing a charging socket of a charging device for charging an electrical storage device of a vehicle, wherein the charging socket has a female connector for receiving a male charging connector and a fastening flange for fastening the charging socket on the vehicle, said module system being configured for generating a plurality of variants of the charging device and comprises:

a first mounting-situation independent module type having a first interface and a second interface;

multiple variants of a second module type each having a first interface and a second interface, said variants having different second interfaces and matching first interfaces;

multiple variants of a third module type each having a first interface and a second interface, said variants having different second interfaces and matching first interfaces,

wherein the second module type is outwardly oriented and includes a design lid for pivoting, inserting or rotating, design molding and/or an LED, said design lid being arranged with a soft component, which soft component, radially sealing the design lid in the form of a tourniquet around lines or exposed surfaces,

wherein the third module type is inwardly oriented and includes a bushing, contacts as connections to a line and a line fastening or a line arrangement,

wherein the first interface of the second module type is configured for coupling with a first interface of a first module type,

wherein the first interface of the third module type is configured for coupling with a second interface of the first module type,

wherein the charging socket is constructible by coupling the one of the variants of the second module type, the first module type and the one of the variants of the third module type, so that, in a charging process, a charging current flows through each of the module types from which the charging socket is formed,

wherein the charging socket is constructible by a serial arrangement of the one of the variants of the second module type, the first module type and the one of the variants of the third module type.

2. The module system of claim 1, further comprising a charging socket holder on the charging device for mounting the charging socket on a body of the vehicle, said first module type being configured as a core module which is configured for an electric function of the charging device and is coupled with the charging socket holder.

3. The module system of claim 1, wherein the fastening flange is configured standardized for all of the plurality of variants of the charging device.

4. The module system of claim 3, wherein the fastening flange is configured standardized in that for all variants of the plurality of variants of the charging device fastening points are provided arranged in a single defined arrangement.

5. The module system of claim 4, wherein the fastening points are configured as through-bores arranged in a hole geometry.

6. The module system of claim 5, wherein the through-bores have respective internal threadings.

7. The module system of claim 2, wherein the charging socket holder is configured standardized for all of the plurality of variants of the charging device.

8. The module system of claim 2, wherein the charging socket holder is configured standardized in that fastening points preferably through bores, preferably with respective internal threadings, are provided arranged in a defined hole geometry.

9. The module system of claim 1, further comprising a charging flap module for closing a mounting recess of a vehicle body, wherein the charging socket is at least partially arrangeable in the mounting recess, wherein the charging socket on the first module type is configured with an outer geometry which is standardized for all variants of the charging device, and wherein the charging flap module has an interface which is standardized for all variants of the charging device, via which interface the charging flap module can be coupled with the charging socket via the outer geometry independent of a form of the male charging connector.

10. A charging device, comprising:

a charging socket made of a module system for constructing the charging socket of the charging device for charging an electrical storage device of a vehicle, wherein the charging socket has a female connector for receiving a male charging connector and a fastening flange for fastening the charging socket on the vehicle, said module system being configured for generating a plurality of variants of the charging device, said charging socket including,

a first mounting-situation independent module type having a first interface and a second interface;

multiple variants of a second module type each having a first interface and a second interface, said variants having different second interfaces and matching first interfaces;

multiple variants of a third module type each having a first interface and a second interface, said variants having different second interfaces and matching first interfaces,

wherein the second module type is outwardly oriented and includes a design lid for pivoting, inserting or rotating, design molding and/or an LED, said design lid being arranged with a soft component, which soft component, radially sealing the design lid in the form of a tourniquet around lines or exposed surfaces,

wherein the third module type is inwardly oriented and includes a bushing, contacts as connections to a line and a line fastening or a line arrangement,

wherein the first interface of the second module type is configured for coupling with a first interface of a first module type,

wherein the first interface of the third module type is configured for coupling with a second interface of the first module type,

wherein the charging socket is constructible by coupling the one of the variants of the second module type, the first module type and the one of the variants of the third module type, so that, in a charging process, a charging current flows through each of the module types from which the charging socket is formed,

wherein the charging socket is constructible by a serial arrangement of the one of the variants of the second module type, the first module type and the one of the variants of the third module type.

11. A vehicle, comprising:

a charging socket made from a module system for constructing the charging socket of a charging device for charging an electrical storage device of the vehicle, wherein the charging socket has a female connector for receiving a male charging connector and a fastening flange for fastening the charging socket on the vehicle, said module system being configured for generating a plurality of variants of the charging device, said charging socket including,

a first mounting-situation independent module type having a first interface and a second interface;

multiple variants of a second module type each having a first interface and a second interface, said variants having different second interfaces and matching first interfaces;

multiple variants of a third module type each having a first interface and a second interface, said variants having different second interfaces and matching first interfaces,

wherein the second module type is outwardly oriented and includes a design lid for pivoting, inserting or rotating, design molding and/or an LED, said design lid being arranged with a soft component, which soft component, radially sealing the design lid in the form of a tourniquet around lines or exposed surfaces,

wherein the third module type is inwardly oriented and includes a bushing, contacts as connections to a line and a line fastening or a line arrangement,

wherein the first interface of the second module type is configured for coupling with a first interface of a first module type,

wherein the first interface of the third module type is configured for coupling with a second interface of the first module type,

wherein the charging socket is constructible by coupling the one of the variants of the second module type, the first module type and the one of the variants of the third module type, so that, in a charging process, a charging current flows through each of the module types from which the charging socket is formed,

wherein the charging socket is constructible by a serial arrangement of the one of the variants of the second module type, the first module type and the one of the variants of the third module type; and

an accumulator for an electric drive of the vehicle, wherein the charging socket is made of a serial arrangement of at least the one of the variants of the second module type, the first module type and the one of the variants of the third module type, wherein the module of the first module type is arranged between the one of the variants of the second module type and the one of the variants of the third module type so that the one of the variants of the second module type and the one of the variants of the third module type are mountable after mounting of the module of the first module type and can be coupled to the module of the first module type after the mounting.