Electrical coupling system for an electrical charging device

• US 8,465,303 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conductix-Wampfler France
• Original Assignee: Delachaux SA (Delachaux Group SA)
• Inventors: Lacour, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSUKERMAN, LARISA Z
• Application Number:
  US13/141,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20110256737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 320106-108, 439131-137
• US Class Current: 439/131
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/42 for collecting current from individual contact pieces connected to the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/00 Power lines or rails specially adapted for electrically-propelled vehicles of special types, e.g. suspension tramway, ropeway, underground railway
• 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: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical coupling system for an electrical charging device having energy storage means of an electrically driven motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a support that can be plugged into a recess made in the floor, at least two electrically conducting plates in the support, the plates being electrically connected to the charging device, movement means, capable of moving the plates between a retracted position and an exposed position on the ground, and at least one protective element intended to cover the recess in which the plug-in support is housed when the plates have been retracted.

Claims

1. Electrical coupling system for coupling an electrical charging device with energy storage means of an electric drive vehicle, wherein the electrical coupling system comprises a support which can be positioned in a recess made in the ground, at least two electrically conductive plates in the support, the plates able to be electrically connected to a charging device, shifting means capable of shifting the plates between a retracted position and a position released from the ground, and at least one protection element intended to cover the recess in which the support is positioned when the plates are retracted, wherein the electrical coupling system further comprises mobile side protection panels arranged to prevent objects from falling into the support, the mobile side protection panels being connected to the protection element via rods so that the movements of the protection element and of the mobile side protection panels are synchronous.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for driving each plate, said means for driving each plate comprising at least one linear actuator comprising a fixed part and a mobile part.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the protection element is pivot-mounted on the mobile part of the actuator.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the protection element is connected to the mobile part of the actuator via rods.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the protection element is pivot-mounted on the mobile side protection panels.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising elastic means between the protection element and the mobile side protection panels, said elastic means exerting a force on a partition of the protection element which tends to move the protection element away from the plate.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising mobile side protection panels arranged to prevent objects from falling into the support, the movements of the protection element and of the mobile side protection panels being synchronous, and wherein the means for driving each plate comprise at least one linear actuator comprising a fixed part and a mobile part, and wherein the mobile side protection panels are secured to the end of the mobile part of the actuator.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plates are elongate and their major axes are arranged parallel to each other.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plates are laterally offset from one another.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plates have merging major axes.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plates are mobile by pivoting about at least one horizontal axis.

12. The system according to claim 11 further comprising means for detecting the presence of a vehicle above the plates.

13. An installation for recharging electric drive vehicles, comprising a vehicle parking area provided with a plurality of coupling systems for coupling an electrical charging device with energy storage means of an electric drive vehicle, wherein the electrical coupling system comprises a support which can be positioned in a recess made in the ground, at least two electrically conductive plates in the support, the plates able to be electrically connected to a charging device, shifting means capable of shifting the plates between a retracted position and a position released from the ground, and at least one protection element intended to cover the recess in which the support is positioned when the plate are retracted, wherein the electrical coupling system further comprises mobile side protection panels arranged to prevent objects from falling into the support, the mobile side protection panels being connected to the protection element via rods so that the movements of the protection element and of the mobile side protection panels are synchronous.

14. The installation according to claim 13, further comprising means for driving each plate, said means for driving each plate comprising at least one linear actuator comprising a fixed part and a mobile part.

15. The installation according to claim 13, wherein the protection element is connected to the mobile part of the actuator via rods.

16. The installation according to claim 13, wherein the protection element is pivot-mounted on the mobile side protection panels.

17. The installation according to claim 16 further comprising elastic means between the protection element and the mobile side protection panels, said elastic means exerting a force on a partition of the protection element which tends to move the protection element away from the plate.

18. The installation according to claim 14 wherein the protection element is pivot-mounted on the mobile part of the actuator.

19. The installation according to claim 13, further comprising mobile side protection panels arranged to prevent objects from falling into the support, the movements of the protection element and of the mobile side protection panels being synchronous, and wherein the means for driving each plate comprise at least one linear actuator comprising a fixed part and a mobile part, and wherein the mobile side protection panels are secured to the end of the mobile part of the actuator.

20. The installation according to claim 13, wherein the plates are elongate and their major axes are arranged parallel to each other.

21. The installation according to claim 13, wherein the plates are laterally offset from one another.

22. The installation according to claim 13, wherein the plates have merging major axes.

23. The installation according to claim 13, wherein the plates are mobile by pivoting about at least one horizontal axis.

24. The installation according to claim 23, which further comprises means for detecting the presence of a vehicle above the plates.