Cordless electrical connection with simple key

• US 8,038,478 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jorgen Olsson, Thomas Bjorling
• Original Assignee: Jorgen Olsson, Thomas Bjorling
• Inventors: Bjorling, Thomas, Olsson, Jorgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Tulsidas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, TRAVIS SLOAN
• Application Number:
  US12/600,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20100130066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 439/650, 439/374, 439136-141
• US Class Current: 439/650
• 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 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5219 Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/631 for engagement only
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A mechanical and earthed safety contact intended for both small and large withdrawals of power and may for instance be used for connecting a vehicle to the electrical power net includes a telescopic part with a key and a docking unit, which when in mechanical contact interacts with each other for transmission of electric current. The docking unit includes multiple spring pins, of which one is pushed in when the key reaches the front of the docking unit. Transmission of current between the docking unit and the key can take place only when this pin is pushed in far enough. Contact surfaces on the key are used for exchange of information in interaction with contact surfaces of canals containing the spring pins. The key may have a seal that tightens against such a canal to protect the transmission of energy and signal.

Claims

1. A cordless electrical connecting comprising:

A docking unit and a single key, which when in mechanical contact interacts with each other for transmission of electric current and/or energy,

wherein said pins can be pushed further into the docking unit,

wherein said pins are arranged for movement in the same direction,

wherein said pins are arranged in such a way that when the key is advanced towards the front of the docking unit, the key will come into mechanical contact with exactly one of the pins and push the contacted pin further into the docking unit, after which, when the contacted pin is pushed in far enough, electrical contact will be established between the key and the docking unit through conducting surfaces on the key and inside the docking unit, for transmission of electric current and/or electric energy,

the pins being arranged in a pattern with electrically isolating intermediate parts located between the pins, so that the intermediate parts form parallel canals in which the pins are displaceable,

the intermediate parts, at fee front surfaces, comprising guiding surfaces defining an exterior perimeter of each canal and guiding the key towards an adjacent pin of each canal so that the key enters exactly one of the canals and comes into mechanical contact with exactly one of the pins, and

the docking unit further comprising a spring actuated inelastic band,

wherein said inelastic band controls the pins so that when the one pin has been pushed in by the key, the remaining pins, in a row include the one pin pushed in by the key, are prevented from being pushed in.

2. The cordless electrical connection according to claim 1, characterized by electrical contact surfaces for signal exchange between the key and the docking unit.

3. The electrical connection according to claim 1, wherein the guiding surfaces of the intermediate parts are in the shape of ridges.

4. The electrical connection according to claim 1, wherein the guiding surfaces of the intermediate parts are in the shape of ridges having one of a pyramidal and a sub-pyramidal shape.

5. The electrical connection according to claim 1, wherein the pattern in which the pins are arranged defines a plural layer and plural column matrix with the electrically isolating intermediate parts located between the pins.

6. The electrical connection according to claim 1, characterized by the forward end of the key having a guiding surface, particularly in the shape of a sphere or part of a sphere, which at insertion of the key will guide the key towards an adjacent spring pin located inside a canal of the docking unit.

7. The cordless electrical connection according to claim 6, characterized by the guiding surface of the key involving a rotary ball.

8. A cordless electrical connection comprising:

a docking unit and a key, which when in mechanical contact interacts with each other for transmission of electric current and/or energy,

the docking unit comprising plural displaceable, resilient pretested pins arranged adjacent to each other,

wherein said pins can be pushed further into the docking unit;

wherein said pins are arranged for movement in the same direction;

wherein said pins are arranged in such a way that when the key is advanced towards the front of the docking unit the key will come into mechanical contact with one of these pins and push the contacted pin further into the docking unit, after which, when the contacted pin is pushed in far enough, electrical contact will be established between the key and the docking unit through conducting surfaces on the key and inside the docking unit, for transmission of electric current and/or electric energy,

the key, at its forward end, having a seal which tightens between the key and a canal of the pin to which the key is connected and thereby protects the connection against water and humidity, the seal of the key designed to expand inside the canal, or as a thicker, conical rear end.

9. A cordless electrical connection comprising:

a docking unit and a single key, which when in mechanical contact interacts with each other for transmission of electric current and/or energy,

the docking unit comprising a vertical receiving surface made up by anterior surfaces of elastically suspended, horizontally mobile spring pins and interjacent fixed frame parts, the pins and frame parts are arranged in a plural column and a plural row matrix arrangement within an outer surrounding frame,

every pin surrounded by the frame parts and the surrounding frame, and are free of mechanical and electrical contact with all of the other pins,

the frame parts and an outer surrounding frame being made of an electrically isolating material,

the frame parts and surrounding frame defining plural canals, one pin in each canal,

the frame parts and the surrounding frame comprising guiding surfaces sloped toward an adjacent one of the canals,

the pins arranged such that when the key is advanced towards the receiving surface of the docking unit, an anterior end of the key will hit one of i) an anterior surface of exactly one of the pins, and ii) the guiding surface of one of the frame parts and the surrounding frame, when the key hits the guiding surface the key is guided to the anterior surface of the adjacent pin within the adjacent canal so that the key will come into mechanical contact with exactly one of the pins and push the contacted pin further into the docking unit, after which, when the contacted pin is pushed in far enough, electrical contact will be established between the key and the docking unit through conducting surfaces on the key and inside the docking unit, for transmission of electric current and/or electric energy so that a single key pushing a single pin establishes the electrical contact.

10. The electrical connection of claim 9, further comprising:

a spring actuated inelastic band,

the inelastic band controlling the pins so that when the one pin has been pushed in by the key, the remaining pins are prevented from being pushed in.

11. The electrical connection of claim 10, further comprising:

an inelastic band controlling the pins,

ends of the band applied to a spring unit control by an electronics unit,

the band extending transverse all of the pins when the pins are in an inactivated state,

a wireless signal sent to the electronics unit releasing a hook in connection to the band and the spring, allowing a corresponding one of the pins to be pushed in by the key and, once the corresponding pin has been pushed in by the key, preventing any other pins from being pushed in.