Charging batteries of electric vehicles
First Claim
1. A system for charging the batteries of electric vehicles, comprising:
- a charge station to which a vehicle may be presented to receive an electric charge, said charge station including a source of charging voltage and a first electric contact; and
a vehicle charging system disposed on an electric vehicle that has a battery for supplying motive energy to the vehicle, said vehicle charging system including charge control circuits and a second electric contact disposed to connect respectively with said first electric contact when said vehicle is presented to said station for a charge;
one of said contacts being disposed on a probe and the other of said contacts being disposed within a receptacle in a manner to connect with the contact of said probe when said probe is inserted in said receptacle;
wherein the improvement comprises;
means disposed in said vehicle to advise an operator thereof to cause said vehicle to creep forward so as to cause said probe to be inserted in said receptacle;
means to sense the magnitude of force applied between said probe contact and said receptacle contact as said probe is inserted in said receptacle; and
means responsive to force of a predetermined threshold magnitude to disable said vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electric vehicle having a computer for controlling the charging of its battery includes a probe adapted to connect with a receptacle on a charging station which has a computer for controlling the charging voltage provided over the connection to the vehicle. In response to the vehicle announcing its presence with a broadcast signal, the charge station receptacle may be raised until it senses a laser signal presented by the vehicle to indicate alignment of the receptacle with the vehicle probe. The vehicle and station communicate over a current loop to establish battery type and voltage, method of payment and credit card number, as well as the cost basis for the power. When communications are complete, the system switches over to utilize the same connections for the charging current. The computers include stop modes which they rest in, and to which they return if performance of vehicle and station diagnostics (respectively) indicate inoperability or if other faults occur. The vehicle charges the battery in a short program triggered by a AC voltage zero crossing interrupt, the background program of which determines when charging should cease because the battery is full, a switch has been operated, or because excessive voltage or current has been sensed. The charged voltage is adjusted by motor driven autotransfer in response to a computer servoprogram. Many probe, receptacle and operational details assure safe, easy, automated operation.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A system for charging the batteries of electric vehicles, comprising:
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a charge station to which a vehicle may be presented to receive an electric charge, said charge station including a source of charging voltage and a first electric contact; and a vehicle charging system disposed on an electric vehicle that has a battery for supplying motive energy to the vehicle, said vehicle charging system including charge control circuits and a second electric contact disposed to connect respectively with said first electric contact when said vehicle is presented to said station for a charge; one of said contacts being disposed on a probe and the other of said contacts being disposed within a receptacle in a manner to connect with the contact of said probe when said probe is inserted in said receptacle; wherein the improvement comprises; means disposed in said vehicle to advise an operator thereof to cause said vehicle to creep forward so as to cause said probe to be inserted in said receptacle; means to sense the magnitude of force applied between said probe contact and said receptacle contact as said probe is inserted in said receptacle; and means responsive to force of a predetermined threshold magnitude to disable said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A system for charging the batteries of electric vehicles, comprising:
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a charge station to which a vehicle may be presented to receive an electric charge, said charge station including a source of charging voltage and a first electric contact; a vehicle charging system disposed on an electric vehicle that has a battery for supplying motive energy to the vehicle, said vehicle charging system including charge control circuits and a second electric contact disposed to connect respectively with said first electric contact when said vehicle is presented to said station for a charge; one of said contacts being disposed on a probe and the other of said contacts being disposed within a receptacle in a manner to connect with the contact of said probe when said probe is inserted in said receptacle; wherein the improvement comprises; said vehicle including a sensible indicium for indicating the position of said vehicle contact with respect to a reference position; and said charge station including a head within which one of contacts is disposed, and means for moving said head to align said head contact with said vehicle contact in response to said indicium. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification