ENERGY SUPPLY UNIT, LAND VEHICLE, REPLACEMENT STATION AND METHOD FOR REPLACEMENT OF AN ENERGY SUPPLY UNIT CONTAINED IN A LAND VEHICLE

• US 20120181981A1
• Filed: 07/08/2010
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Conductix-Wampfler GmbH (Delachaux Group SA)
• Original Assignee: Conductix-Wampfler AG (Delachaux Group SA)
• Inventors: Wechlin, Mathias, Green, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/383,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20120181981A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0472 from below
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• 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: Y10T 29/4973 Replacing of defective part

Abstract

The invention relates to an energy supply unit (1; 21) for supplying an onboard electrical system (8) of a land vehicle (26), in particular a wheeled vehicle, with a rechargeable electric energy accumulator (3), a secondary coil (9) connected thereto for the inductive energy transmission between the secondary coil (9), and a primary coil (28) of a charging station, to a land vehicle comprising an onboard electrical system, to a replacement station, and to a method for replacing an energy supply unit contained in a land vehicle. The invention solves the problem of making it possible to achieve a space-saving arrangement of the electrical energy accumulator and secondary coil in the vehicle, charge the electric energy accumulator in the land vehicle and quickly replace the electric energy accumulator, by an energy supply unit (1; 21), which is designed as a replaceable overall unit having a connecting element (6; 23) for connecting to a mating connecting piece (7; 24) disposed on the land vehicle (26) for the energy transmission between the energy supply unit (1; 21) and the onboard system (8), and by a corresponding land vehicle, a corresponding replacement station, and a corresponding method for replacing an energy supply unit contained in a land vehicle.

Claims

1. Energy supply unit for supplying a vehicle electrical system of a land vehicle, in particular a wheeled vehicle, with a rechargeable electrical energy store and a secondary coil connected to the latter for inductive transmission of energy between the secondary coil and a primary coil of a charging station, wherein the energy supply unit takes the form of an exchangeable complete unit with a connecting element for connection with a counterpart connecting element arranged on the land vehicle for transmission of energy between the energy supply unit and the vehicle electrical system.

2. Energy supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the energy store is provided in and the secondary coil is provided in or on a housing.

3. Energy supply unit according to claim 1 wherein the energy supply unit exhibits at least one coupling element for rapid mechanical connection with at least one counterpart coupling element provided on the land vehicle.

4. Energy supply unit according to claim 3, wherein the coupling element is formed by a lug protruding from the housing and/or by a pin arranged in a recess in the housing in such a way that it can be embraced.

5. Energy supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the energy supply unit exhibits at least one positioning element for engagement in at least one counterpart positioning element arranged on the land vehicle.

6. Energy supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the energy store is connected with the secondary coil via a rectifier arranged in the housing.

7. Energy supply unit according to claim 1, wherein a control unit is provided for monitoring and/or controlling the secondary coil, the energy store, the charging and discharging operation of the energy store and/or other components provided in the energy supply.

8. Energy supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element is an electrically conducting connector for making contact with the counterpart connecting element in the form of an electrically conducting vehicle electrical system connector.

9. Energy supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element is a vehicle electrical system primary coil for inductive transmission of energy between the vehicle electrical system primary coil and the counterpart connecting element in the form of the vehicle electrical system secondary coil.

10. Energy supply unit according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle electrical system primary coil is connected with the energy store via an inverter.

11. Land vehicle, in particular wheeled vehicle, with a vehicle electrical system, wherein the land vehicle is designed to receive an energy supply unit according to claim 1 and exhibits a counterpart connecting element for connection with the connecting element of the energy supply unit.

12. Land vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the land vehicle exhibits at least one counterpart coupling element for rapid mechanical connection with at least one coupling element of the energy supply unit.

13. Land vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the counterpart coupling element can be actuated to automatically open and release the mechanical connection.

14. Land vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the land vehicle exhibits at least one counterpart positioning element for engagement in at least one positioning element of the energy supply unit.

15. Land vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the counterpart connecting element is an electrically conducting vehicle electrical system connector for making contact with the connecting element in the form of an electrically conducting connector.

16. Land vehicle according to claim 11 wherein the counterpart connecting element is a vehicle electrical system secondary coil for inductive transmission of energy between the vehicle electrical system secondary coil and the connecting element in the form of a vehicle electrical system primary coil.

17. Land vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the vehicle electrical system secondary coil is connected with the vehicle electrical system via a vehicle electrical system rectifier.

18. Replacement station for replacement of a first energy supply unit according to claim 1 contained in a land vehicle by a second energy supply unit held in a store of the replacement station, with a changing device arranged on the ground for extraction of the first energy supply unit from the land vehicle and for transferring the first energy supply unit to a transporting device for transporting the first energy supply unit into the store and the second energy supply unit from the store to the changing device.

19. Replacement station according to claim 18, wherein in the store there is at least one receptacle with a charging primary coil for inductive transmission of energy between the charging primary coil and the secondary coil of an energy supply unit stored in the receptacle.

20. Replacement station according to claim 18, wherein the changing device exhibits a lifting device which has a vertically travelling support for the energy supply unit and is arranged in a pit running between two tracks for a two-track land vehicle.

21. Replacement station according to claim 18, wherein a control device is provided for automatically changing an energy supply unit of a land vehicle in the replacement station.

22. Method for replacement of a first energy supply unit according to claim 1 contained in a land vehicle by a second energy supply unit, in particular in a replacement station, with the following steps:

a) positioning of the land vehicle in a changing area of a changing device,

b) connection of the first energy supply unit by the changing device,

c) opening of the mechanical connection between the first energy supply unit and the land vehicle,

d) extraction of the first energy supply unit from the land vehicle with the changing device,

e) transportation of the first energy supply unit out of the changing area, beforehand, at the same time or afterwards

f) loading of the changing device with the second energy supply unit,

g) fitting of the second energy supply unit with the changing device in the land vehicle, and at the same time or afterwards

h) production of the mechanical connection between the second energy supply unit and the land vehicle.

23. Method according to claim 22, wherein the energy store of the first energy supply unit is partly or fully discharged and the energy store of the second energy supply unit is fully charged.

24. Method according to claim 22 wherein at least steps b) to h) are automated.

25. Method according to claim 22, wherein the electrical or inductive connection between the first energy supply unit and the land vehicle is separated immediately before, during or immediately after step c).

26. Method according to claim 22, wherein the electrical or inductive connection between the second energy supply unit and the land vehicle is produced during or immediately after step h).