Method and apparatus for electric powered vehicle recharging safety

• US 8,531,284 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2010
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Liu, Jinshui
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US12/822,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20100328057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 340/455, 340/636.1, 340/636.2, 340/568.3, 340/568.4, 340/693.1, 320/107, 320/108, 320/109, 320/152, 439/668, 439/891, 439/911, 439/924.1
• US Class Current: 340/455
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a charging pin in a recharging inlet of an electric powered vehicle (EPV) recharging inlet, a ground pin in the recharging inlet and substantially parallel to the charging pin, a safety pin in the recharging inlet and substantially parallel to the charging pin and the ground pin, an electric power source coupled to the safety pin, and a control circuit coupled to the electric power source and the safety pin, wherein the length of the safety pin extended in the recharging inlet is substantially shorter than the length of the ground pin and longer than the length of the charging pin.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a charging pin in a recharging inlet of an electric powered vehicle (EPV) recharging inlet;

a ground pin in the recharging inlet and substantially parallel to the charging pin;

a safety pin in the recharging inlet and substantially parallel to the charging pin and the ground pin;

an electric power source coupled to the safety pin; and

a control circuit coupled to the electric power source and the safety pin,

wherein a length of the safety pin extended in the recharging inlet is substantially shorter than a length of the ground pin and longer than a length of the charging pin.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a first coupling component in a housing cap for the EPV recharging inlet that matches the ground pin; and

a second coupling component in the housing cap in parallel to the first coupling component that matches the safety pin, wherein the first coupling component and the second coupling component are coupled on one side.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the charging contact, the ground contact, and the safety contact are pins, and wherein the first coupling component and the second coupling component are pin slots.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising any pins required for EPV recharging as defined in Society of Automotive Engineers Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J1772.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the ground pin, the safety pin, the first coupling component, and the second coupling component are configured to establish a closed loop circuit when the housing cap is properly mounted onto the EPV recharging inlet, and wherein the closed loop circuit grounds an output current of the current source.