ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING DEVICE

• US 20130193923A1
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kimura, Norihiko, Sugihara, Kenji, Terada, Tomohiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,227,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• 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: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/53 Bases or cases for heavy duty; Bases or cases for high voltage with means for preventing corona or arcing
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/635 by mechanical pressure, e.g. spring force
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

The purpose is to provide an electric vehicle charging device capable of preventing arc discharge when disconnecting a power supply connector and a vehicle-side connector. An electric vehicle charging device provided with: a power supply connector (3) for supplying electrical energy from outside the vehicle; a vehicle-side connector (2) for connecting to the power supply connector (3) and positioned in the vehicle; a spring (34) for generating repulsive force in the direction in which the power supply connector (3) and the vehicle-side connector (2) separate; and an engaging part (32) for detecting the disconnection of the power supply connector (3) and the vehicle-side connector (2); wherein the spring (34) generates repulsive force in the direction in which the power supply connector (3) and the vehicle-side connector (2) separate when the engaging part (32) detects that the power supply connector (3) and the vehicle-side connector (2) have disconnected.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charging apparatus comprising:

a feeder connector that connects with a vehicle-side connector of an electric vehicle from outside of the electric vehicle and supplies electric energy;

a repulsion force generation section that generates a repulsion force with such a directionality as to cause the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector to break off from each other;

a latch release section that detaches the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector by being pressed and

a disengagement detection section that detects disengagement between the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector when the latch release section is not in a pressed state, wherein

when the disengagement detection section detects disengagement between the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector, the repulsion force generation section causes the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector to break off from each other by means of the repulsion force.

2. The electric vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a shielding section that prevents a feeder-side electrode that the feeder connector comprises from being exposed after the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector have broken off from each other due to the repulsion force of the repulsion force generation section.

3. The electric vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feeder connector comprises the repulsion force generation section and the disengagement detection section.

4. The electric vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the repulsion force generation section generates the repulsion force by means of a spring force or hydraulics.

5. The electric vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the feeder connector comprises the disengagement detection section;

the disengagement detection section comprises a latch section, the latch section comprising a latch stop that mutually engages the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector; and

when the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector break off from each other, the engagement by the latch section becomes released, as a result of which disengagement between the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector is detected.

6. An electric vehicle charging apparatus comprising:

a feeder connector that connects with a vehicle-side connector of an electric vehicle from outside of the electric vehicle and supplies electric energy;

a repulsion force generation section that generates a magnetic repulsion force with such a directionality as to cause the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector to break off from each other; and

a disengagement detection section that effects control to detach the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector from each other, and that detects disengagement between the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector from each other when the control to detach is not being effected, wherein

when the disengagement detection section detects disengagement between the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector, the repulsion force generation section causes the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector to break off from each other by means of the repulsion force.

7. The electric vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a shielding section that prevents a feeder-side electrode that the feeder connector comprises from being exposed after the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector have broken off from each other due to the repulsion force of the repulsion force generation section.

8. The electric vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the repulsion force generation section comprises a permanent magnet and an electromagnet that the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector comprise.

9. The electric vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the disengagement detection section controls the electromagnet that the electric vehicle comprises based on vehicle information of the electric vehicle that has been obtained.

10. The electric vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the disengagement detection section acquires a travel speed of the electric vehicle as the vehicle information, and detects disengagement between the feeder connector and the vehicle-side connector when the travel speed changes from zero to a positive speed.