HANDS-FREE CONDUCTIVE BATTERY CHARGER FOR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20180056799A1
• Filed: 08/23/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Namou, Andrew J., Cichy, Stephen M., Robert, Kevin M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,286,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• 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 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• 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 conductive charging system for use with an offboard AC or DC power supply and a plug-in vehicle includes a conductive armature, an electromagnetic relay, and a switch. The armature is connected directly to the power supply and deploys into electrical contact with the vehicle in response to the vehicle weight. The switch closes in response to the vehicle weight to connect an auxiliary power device to an inductive coil. The relay moves to a first position connecting the charge coupler to an AC-DC converter or the battery pack when the switch is open, and to a second position bypassing the charge coupler when the switch is closed. A vehicle includes the system, charge coupler, HV battery pack, auxiliary power device, and armature.

Claims

1. A conductive charging system for use with an offboard power supply and a vehicle having a charge coupler, an auxiliary power device, and a high-voltage direct current battery pack, the conductive charging system comprising:

a conductive armature having a charging end and a non-charging end, wherein the charging end is electrically connected to the offboard power supply and operable for deploying into direct electrical contact with a conductive pad located on the vehicle in response to a threshold force acting on the non-charging end;

an electromagnetic relay having an inductive coil; and

a first switch positioned between the auxiliary power device and the inductive coil, wherein the switch is operable for closing in response to the threshold force to thereby electrically connect the auxiliary power device to the inductive coil, thereby energizing the inductive coil;

wherein the electromagnetic relay has a second switch that is configured to connect the charge coupler to an AC-DC converter of the battery pack and thereby enable “

plug-in”

charging of the battery pack when the inductive coil is not energized, and to bypass the charge coupler and thereby enable “

hands-free”

charging of the battery pack when the inductive coil is energized.

2. The conductive charging system of claim 1, further comprising the AC-DC converter, wherein the offboard power supply is an AC power supply and the AC-DC converter is electrically connected between the charge coupler and the battery pack.

3. The conductive charging system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic relay is moved from the first position to the second position via a threshold inductance generated across the inductive coil.

4. The conductive charging system of claim 1, wherein the offboard power supply is a DC power supply, and wherein the first position of the binary switch connects the charge coupler to the battery pack

5. The conductive charging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a spring configured to bias the charging end away from the vehicle when a weight of the vehicle is removed from the non-charging end of the conductive armature.

6. The conductive charging system of claim 5, wherein the charging and non-charging ends of the conductive armature intersect along a pivot axis of the conductive armature, and wherein the conductive armature pivots about the pivot axis in response to the threshold force.

7. The conductive charging system of claim 1, wherein the switch is a spring-loaded switch.

8. The conductive charging system of claim 1, wherein the switch is a motorized switch.

9. The conductive charging system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic relay is a normally-closed, single-pole, double-throw switch.

10. The conductive charging system of claim 1, further comprising:

a current sensor positioned between the switch and the auxiliary power device, wherein the current sensor is operable for measuring an electrical current between the auxiliary power device and the inductive coil.

11. The conductive charging system of claim 10, further comprising:

a controller in communication with the current sensor, wherein the controller is programmed to execute a control action with respect to a charging operation of the vehicle using the measured electrical current.

12. The conductive charging system of claim 11, further comprising the AC-DC converter, wherein the controller is programmed to determine a requested park, reverse, neutral, drive, low (PRNDL) state of the vehicle, and wherein the control action includes selectively disabling the AC-DC converter when the measured current is non-zero and the requested PRNDL state is reverse or drive.

13. A vehicle for use with an offboard power supply, the vehicle comprising:

a charge coupler configured to receive power from the offboard power supply;

an auxiliary power device;

a high-voltage direct current battery pack; and

a conductive charging system having;

a conductive armature that includes a charging end and a non-charging end, wherein the charging end is electrically connected to the offboard power supply and is operable deploying into direct electrical contact with a conductive pad located on the vehicle in response to a threshold force acting on the non-charging end, and wherein the threshold force is provided by a weight of the vehicle;

a first switch positioned in electrical series with the battery pack and an inductive coil, wherein the first switch is operable for closing in response to the threshold force to thereby electrically connect the auxiliary power device to the inductive coil; and

an electromagnetic relay having the inductive coil, wherein the electromagnetic relay further includes a second switch configured to move to a first position connecting the charge coupler to an AC-DC converter or the battery pack to thereby enable “

plug-in”

charging of the battery pack when the inductive coil is not energized, and to a second position bypassing the charge coupler to enable “

hands-free”

charging of the battery pack when the inductive coil is energized, and wherein the second switch is moved from the first position to the second position by a threshold inductance generated across the inductive coil when the first switch is closed.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, further comprising:

a spring configured to bias the charging end of the conductive armature away from the vehicle when the threshold force is removed from the non-charging end of the conductive armature.

15. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the switch is a spring-loaded switch configured to close in response to the threshold force.

16. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the electromagnetic relay is a normally-closed, single-pole, double-throw switch.

17. The vehicle of claim 13, further comprising:

a current sensor positioned between the switch and the auxiliary power device, wherein the current sensor is operable for measuring an electrical current between the auxiliary power device and the inductive coil.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, further comprising:

a controller in communication with the current sensor, wherein the controller is programmed to execute a control action with respect to a charging operation of the vehicle using the measured electrical current.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, further comprising the AC-DC converter, wherein the controller is programmed to determine a requested park, reverse, neutral, drive, low (PRNDL) state of the vehicle, and wherein the control action includes selectively disabling the AC-DC converter when the measured current is non-zero and the requested PRNDL state is reverse or drive.

20. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the battery pack is a multi-cell lithium-ion battery module and the auxiliary power device is a 12 VDC auxiliary battery.