Charging device and charging structure

• US 8,344,692 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakurai, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US12/795,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20100315040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• 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: 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

A charging device includes an air nozzle that prevents power-feeding-side terminals from becoming wet by blasting air, fitting switches operated when a power feeding connector is removed from a connector holding portion, and an ECU that activates an air compressor and a vacuum pump on the basis of operations of the fitting switches. The power-feeding-side terminals can be prevented from becoming wet while the power feeding connector is attached to a power receiving connector of an electric vehicle after being removed from the connector holding portion.

Claims

1. A charging device for charging a secondary battery installed in a vehicle via a power receiving connector provided in said vehicle, comprising:

a main body portion housing a power converter;

a current carrying cable, one end side of which is connected to said power converter;

a power feeding plug that is provided on the other end side of said current carrying cable and can be connected to a power receiving plug of said power receiving connector;

a power feeding connector that is provided on said other end side of said current carrying cable and can be connected to said power receiving connector;

an air duct provided in alignment with said current carrying cable such that air flows through an interior thereof;

an air nozzle that is provided in said power feeding connector and blasts said air flowing through said air duct to prevent said power feeding plug from becoming wet;

an air supply source provided on one end side of said air duct to supply said air to said air duct;

a connector holding portion provided in said main body portion to hold said power feeding connector removably;

an operation switch that is provided between said power feeding connector and said connector holding portion and operated when said power feeding connector is removed from said connector holding portion; and

a controller housed in said main body portion to activate said air supply source on the basis of an operation of said operation switch.

2. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein said air supply source is housed in said main body portion.

3. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein said air nozzle is provided between a plus terminal and a minus terminal forming said power feeding plug, and said air nozzle blasts said air radially in an orthogonal direction to an axial direction of said power feeding plug.

4. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one air nozzle is provided on an outer side of said power feeding plug, and said air nozzle forms an air curtain that covers said power feeding plug.

5. A charging structure that includes a power receiving plug connected to a secondary battery installed in a vehicle and a power feeding plug connected to a power converter of a charging device, and connects said power feeding plug to said power receiving plug in order to charge said secondary battery,

the structure comprising:

a power receiving connector that is provided in said vehicle and includes said power receiving plug;

a power feeding connector that is provided in said charging device and includes said power feeding plug;

an attachment port that is provided in said power receiving connector and guides attachment of said power feeding connector;

an air nozzle that is provided in said power feeding connector and blasts air to prevent said power feeding plug from becoming wet;

a reflux chamber provided in said power receiving connector to circulate said air blasted through said air nozzle toward said attachment port;

an air supply source provided in said charging device to supply said air to said air nozzle;

a controller provided in said charging device to control said air supply source; and

an operation switch that is provided in said power feeding connector and operated when said power feeding connector is attached to said power receiving connector,

wherein said controller controls said air supply source to halt supply of said air on the basis of an operation of said operation switch.

6. The charging structure according to claim 5, wherein said power receiving connector includes an operation wall that operates said operation switch during attachment of said power feeding connector.

7. The charging structure according to claim 5, wherein said power receiving connector includes, in addition to said attachment port, a communicating hole that connects said reflux chamber to the outside.

8. The charging structure according to claim 5, wherein said controller causes said air supply source to perform a suction operation after halting a blasting operation of said air supply source.

9. The charging structure according to claim 7, wherein said controller causes said air supply source to perform a suction operation after halting a blasting operation of said air supply source.