VEHICLE

• US 20120256589A1
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 9,150,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/111
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle externally chargeable includes a power storage device, an AC/DC converter, an inlet, a first power line, at least one connector inserted in the first power line, and a second power line. To the inlet, a charging cable can be connected to transfer electric power from an external power source. The first power line is connected to the inlet and the AC/DC converter. The second power line is branched from a path that is located on the first power line and that connects the connector and the AC/DC converter to each other.

Claims

1. A vehicle externally chargeable using electric power from an external power source, comprising:

a power storage device that is chargeable;

a power converting device configured to convert electric power supplied from said external power source, into electric power for charging said power storage device device;

an inlet, which is provided at an external surface of said vehicle and to which a charging cable is connectable from outside said vehicle so as to transfer electric power from said external power source;

a first power line connected to said inlet and said power converting device;

at least one connector inserted in said first power line; and

a second power line branched from a path that is located on said first power line and that connects said connector and said power converting device to each other.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a power receiving cord for transferring electric power from a receptacle of said external power source to said vehicle, wherein

said power receiving cord has one end connected to said second power line and has the other end connected to a plug for connection to said receptacle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a cord reel for reeling said power receiving cord for storage.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said power receiving cord and said inlet are selectively used for the external charging.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

a switching unit for switching between supply and interrupt of electric power from said power receiving cord to said power converting device; and

a control device for controlling said switching unit;

wherein

when said external charging is performed using electric power supplied from said power receiving cord, said control device controls said switching unit to bring said switching unit into an electrically conductive state, and when said external charging is performed using electric power supplied from said inlet, said control device controls said switching unit to bring said switching unit into an electrically non-conductive state.

6. The vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

a first power receiving port provided with said inlet;

a first cover unit coupled to said first power receiving port and being opened when said inlet is used;

a second power receiving port provided with a pullout opening for said power receiving cord; and

a second cover unit coupled to said second power receiving port and being opened when said power receiving cord is used, wherein

when said first cover unit is opened, opening of said second cover unit is prohibited, and when said second cover unit is opened, opening of said first cover unit is prohibited.

7. The vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

a cord reel for reeling said power receiving cord for storage; and

a pullout prohibiting unit configured to prohibit pullout of said power receiving cord from said cord reel when said external charging is performed using electric power supplied from said inlet.