Charging stations for electric vehicles

• US 8,324,858 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proterra Operating Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Proterra AG
• Inventors: Hill, Dale, Walker, Michael, Goldman, Joshua, Horth, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): PELTON, NATHANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US12/496,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 191/23.A, 191/33.R, 191/41, 104/34
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/005 without mechanical contact between the collector and the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/42 for collecting current from individual contact pieces connected to the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• 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: B60M 7/003 for vehicles using stored power (e.g. charging stations)
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to systems and methods for charging a vehicle. A vehicle and charging station can be designed such that an electric or hybrid vehicle can operate in a fashion similar to a conventional vehicle by being opportunity charged throughout a known route.

Claims

1. A charging station for a vehicle comprising:

a charging chassis, including a pair of collector braces to charge the vehicle, each collector brace formed with spaced apart guiding strips with an electrically conductive surface, wherein the conductive surfaces of the pair of collector braces are for contact with a pair of electrodes of the vehicle, and mechanically connected to a charging mount and extending downward and away from the charging mount,

wherein the guiding strips provide the position and orientation of the pair of collector braces;

a post mechanically connected to the charging mount; and

a stand mechanically connected to the post and supporting the post and charging mount.

2. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the guiding strips of a collector brace form at least one pair of converging surfaces.

3. The charging station of claim 2, wherein each collector brace comprises a forcing component for providing a force to a guiding strip of the collector brace, wherein the force is directed toward another guiding strip of the collector brace.

4. The charging station of claim 3, wherein the forcing component includes at least one of the following:

a spring, an elastic component, a pneumatic device, a magnet, a weight, or a gear.

5. The charging station of claim 1, wherein an electrically conductive surface of a first collector brace is configured to contacts a positive electrode of the vehicle and an electrically conductive surface of a second collector brace is configured to contacts a negative electrode of the vehicle when the vehicle is engaged with the charging station.

6. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive surfaces have a surface area of 8 cm² or greater.

7. The charging station of claim 1, further comprising a spacing bar separating the pair of collector braces.

8. The charging station of claim 7, wherein the charging chassis is connected to a charging mount via a coupling.

9. The charging station of claim 8, wherein the charging chassis includes a positioning bar connected to the coupling, and at least one arm connected to the positioning bar and connected to a collector brace or the spacing bar.

10. The charging station of claim 1, further comprising a component selected from the group consisting of an energy storage device, a power converter, and a communication device.

11. A vehicle comprising:

a battery; and

a pair of elongated contact plates having a surface area for electrical contact and positioned on a top surface of the vehicle,

wherein the pair of contact plates are electrically connected to the battery,

wherein the pair of contact plates are raised extending from the top of the vehicle and are oriented relatively parallel to a direction of movement for the vehicle and are spaced apart along the top surface of the vehicle, and

wherein one contact plate is a positive electrode and another contact plate is a negative electrode for electrically connecting to a power source to charge the battery.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the contact plates are formed of vertical plates with a rounded top.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the contact plates are formed with a conductive material on both sides of the plates.

14. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the vehicle comprises a communication device.

15. A charging station comprising:

a charging overhang with rigid structural components that is mounted to a charging mount and extending downward and away from the charging mount,

wherein the charging overhang includes a pair of collector braces mounted to a crossbar, each collector brace of said pair formed with spaced apart guiding strips with an electrically conductive surface, and

wherein the crossbar is configured to expand or compress, thereby permitting the collector braces to be movable with respect to one another; and

a vertical support structure mechanically connected to the charging mount and supporting the charging mount and charging overhang.

16. The charging station of claim 15, wherein the collector braces move horizontally with respect to the crossbar.

17. The charging station of claim 15, wherein the charging overhang further includes a pair of arms connected to the collector braces, wherein the arms and the crossbar are formed of a rigid material.

18. The charging station of claim 15, wherein the charging overhang is mounted to a charging mount via a coupling.

19. The charging station of claim 18, wherein the coupling is flexible and enables the charging overhang to move vertically with respect to the charging mount.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the collector braces are mounted to the crossbar with a flexible connection such that the collector braces are movable with respect to the crossbar, and wherein the flexible connection includes at least one of the following:

a spring, an elastic component, a pneumatic device, a magnet, a weight, or a gear.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the collector braces are each formed with spaced apart guiding strips with an electrically conductive surface for contact with an electrode.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the guiding strips are configured to provide a squeezing force between the guiding strips, such that the guiding strips of a first collector brace are for providing a squeezing force to a positive electrode, and the guiding strips of a second collector brace are for providing a squeezing force to a negative electrode.

23. A method for charging a vehicle comprising:

moving the vehicle comprising two or more raised contact plates to a position below a charging mount,

wherein the charging mount is connected to two or more collector braces, each collector brace with a pair of guiding strips; and

establishing an electrical connection between a first collector brace and a first contact plate, and between a second collector brace and a second contact plate, wherein the electrical connection is established when the first contact plate is between the guiding strips of the first collector brace, and the second contact plate is between the guiding strips of the second collector brace.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein establishing the electrical connection comprises contacting an electrically conductive surface area of a guiding strip to an electrically conductive surface of a contact plate mounted on a top surface of the vehicle.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the contact plate is squeezed between at least two guiding strips, such that the electrically conductive surface area of a first guiding strip contacts a first side of the contact plate, and the electrically conductive surface area of a second guiding strip contacts a second side of the contact plate.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising monitoring a charge status of the vehicle.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising communicating the charge status of the vehicle to a central station, a charging station, or another vehicle.