Electric charging system and electric vehicle

• US 8,896,266 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohtomo, Yosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Siek, Vuthe
• Application Number:
  US13/489,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20120319648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/109, 320/132, 320/134, 320/138, 320/160
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/527 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• 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

An electric vehicle includes a power receiving connector that is connected to a battery via a relay, and an electric charger includes a power supply connector that is connected to the power receiving connector. When a high voltage is applied to the power receiving connector due to a weld failure of the relay, a warning lamp flashes to notify an operator of the risk. Then the connection state is detected between the connectors. When the connectors are not connected to each other, a warning buzzer issues a warning sound. When the connectors are connected to each other, the warning buzzer is turned off. The power receiving connector is covered by the power supply connector in this manner, the operator is unlikely come in contact with the power receiving connector, and thus the output of a warning sound from the warning buzzer is stopped.

Claims

1. An electric charging system in which an electric vehicle is provided with a power receiving connector that is connected to an electric storage device via a relay unit, and the power receiving connector is connected to a power supply connector of an electric charger, whereby charging power is supplied to the electric storage device from the electric charger, the electric charging system comprising:

a information storage unit that stores information on a weld failure that occurs at the relay unit;

a connection detection unit that detects a connection state between the power receiving connector and the power supply connector;

a first warning unit that issues a sound-based warning when the power receiving connector is not connected to the power supply connector under a state where a weld failure occurs at the relay unit and does not issue a sound-based warning when the power receiving connector is connected to the power supply connector under a state where a weld failure occurs at the relay unit; and

a second warning unit that issues a light-based warning when a weld failure occurs at the relay unit, regardless of the connection sate of the power receiving connector and the power supply connector, wherein

the relay unit includes a first relay that is disposed at one of a pair of current carrying lines connecting the electric storage device and the power receiving connector and a second relay that is disposed at the other one of the pair of the current carrying lines;

a sound-based warning issued by the first warning unit when a weld failure occurs at both of the first relay and the second relay is different from a sound-based warning issued by the first warning unit when a weld failure occurs at either one of the first relay and the second relay; and

a light-based warning issued by the second warning unit when a weld failure occurs at both of the first relay and the second relay is different from a light-based warning issued by the second warning unit when a weld failure occurs at either one of the first relay and the second relay.

2. The electric charging system according to claim 1, wherein

a cover that covers the power receiving connector is provided, and

under a state in which a weld failure occurs at the relay unit and the power receiving connector is not covered by the cover, the first warning unit issues a sound-based warning when the power receiving connector is not connected to the power supply connector and does not issue a sound-based warning when the power receiving connector is connected to the power supply connector.

3. The electric charging system according to claim 1, wherein

a lock mechanism is provided that fixes the cover at a position for covering the power receiving connector when a weld failure occurs at both of the first relay and the second relay, and releases the fixing of the cover when a weld failure occurs at either one of the first relay and the second relay.

4. An electric vehicle in which a power receiving connector is provided that is connected to an electric storage device via a relay unit and is connected to a power supply connector of an electric charger when the electric storage device is charged, the electric vehicle comprising:

an information storage unit that stores information on a weld failure that occurs at the relay unit;

a connection detection unit that detects a connection state between the power receiving connector and the power supply connector;

a first warning unit that issues an sound-based warning when the power receiving connector is not connected to the power supply connector under a state where a weld failure occurs at the relay unit and does not issue a sound-based warning when the power receiving connector is connected to the power supply connector under a state where a weld failure occurs at the relay unit; and

a second warning unit that issues a light-based warning when a weld failure occurs at the relay unit, regardless of the connection sate of the power receiving connector and the power supply connector, wherein

the relay unit includes a first relay that is disposed at one of a pair of current carrying lines connecting the electric storage device and the power receiving connector and a second relay that is disposed at the other one of the pair of the current carrying lines;

a sound-based warning issued by the first warning unit when a weld failure occurs at both of the first relay and the second relay is different from a sound-based warning issued by the first warning unit when a weld failure occurs at either one of the first relay and the second relay; and

a light-based warning issued by the second warning unit when a weld failure occurs at both of the first relay and the second relay is different from a light-based warning issued by the second warning unit when a weld failure occurs at either one of the first relay and the second relay.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

a cover that covers the power receiving connector is provided, and

under a state where a weld failure occurs at the relay unit and the power receiving connector is not covered by the cover, the first warning unit issues a sound-based warning when the power receiving connector is not connected to the power supply connector and does not a sound-based warning when the power receiving connector is connected to the power supply connector.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 5, wherein a lock mechanism is provided that fixes the cover at a position for covering the power receiving connector when a weld failure occurs at both of the first relay and the second relay, and releases the fixing of the cover when a weld failure occurs at either one of the first relay and the second relay.