ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND METHOD OF USE

• US 20170136882A1
• Filed: 08/25/2016
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIO Technology Company Limited (Shanghai Anbin Technology Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NextEV USA, Inc.
• Inventors: Ricci, Christopher P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,071,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0015 Prevention of collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/06 Structure of the rollers or their carrying means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/08 Structure of the sliding shoes or their carrying means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/16 Devices for lifting and resetting the collector B60L5/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/18 using bow-type collectors in contact with trolley wire
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/32 by charging in short intervals along the itinerary, e.g. during short stops
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 : dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 : Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/30 : using light, e.g. lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 : Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 : with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/806 : Arrangements for feeding power
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/807 : Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal
• 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

A system for charging an electrical storage unit of an electrical vehicle through a contact device, the system comprising: a contact device interconnected to the electrical storage unit of an electrical vehicle and configured to receive an electrical charge from an external power source; a contact arm interconnected to the contact device, the contact arm configured to position the contact device at a first position relative to the external power source; and a contact device controller interconnected to the contact arm and configured to control the contact arm wherein the first position is maintained; wherein the contact device receives the electrical charge from the external power source; wherein the electrical storage unit of the electrical vehicle is charged.

Claims

1. A system for charging an electrical storage unit of an electrical vehicle through a contact device, the system comprising:

a contact device interconnected to the electrical storage unit of an electrical vehicle and configured to receive an electrical charge from an external power source;

a contact arm interconnected to the contact device, the contact arm configured to position the contact device at a first position relative to the external power source; and

a contact device controller interconnected to the contact arm and configured to control the contact arm wherein the first position is maintained;

wherein the contact device receives the electrical charge from the external power source;

wherein the electrical storage unit of the electrical vehicle is charged.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the contact device engages the external power source through physical contact.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the contact device comprises a contact wheel, contact brush, and pantograph.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the contact device controller maintains the first position through feedback control.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the external power source is embedded in a roadway surface.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising a vertical distance measurement sensor configured to output a distance measurement of the distance between contact device and the external power source.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the vertical distance measurement sensor is disposed on at least one of the contact device, actuator and contact arm.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the contact device controller receives the distance measurement to enable feedback control.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an actuator interconnected to at least one of the contact device and the contact arm.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the position of the contact device relative to the external power source is presented to a user of the electrical vehicle on a graphical user interface.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the graphical user interface is disposed on a mobile device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first position is selected from a vehicle database comprising desired contact device separation distance with respect to external power source types.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the electrical vehicle is moving relative to the external power source.

14. A method for charging an electrical storage unit of an electrical vehicle through a contact device, the method comprising:

determining the electrical storage unit of the electric vehicle requires charging;

positioning, by a microprocessor, a contact device at a first position relative to an external power source, the contact device interconnected to the electrical storage unit of an electrical vehicle and configured to receive an electrical charge from the external power source;

receiving, through the contact device, the electrical charge from the external power source;

wherein the electrical storage unit of the electrical vehicle is charged.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising a contact arm interconnected to the contact device, the contact arm configured to position the contact device at the first position relative to the external power source.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of measuring, by a sensor, a vertical distance measurement between the contact device and the external power source, wherein the vertical distance measurement is received by the microprocessor to position the contact device relative to the external power source.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the contact device engages the external power source through physical contact.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the contact device comprises a contact wheel, contact brush, and pantograph.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the external power source is embedded in a roadway surface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first position is selected from a vehicle database comprising desired contact device separation distance with respect to external power source types.