Charging cable plug for electric vehicles

• US 8,900,006 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: innogy SE (E.ON SE)
• Original Assignee: RWE AG
• Inventors: Gaul, Armin, Diefenbach, Ingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, TRAVIS SLOAN
• Application Number:
  US13/332,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20120135634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 439/488, 439/489, 439/352, 439/346, 439/315, 439/848
• US Class Current: 439/489
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/465 Identification means, e.g. labels, tags, markings H01R9/2475, H01R9/2683 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/665 with built-in electronic circuit H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence
• 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

Charging cable plug 1 for electric vehicles, with a housing 2 and electrical contacts 6, arranged in the housing 2, for connection to a charging station 4. For simple identification before a charging procedure, an identification means 8 is proposed, arranged in the housing 2 and communicating with the charging station 4 via the electrical contacts 6.

Claims

1. Charging cable plug for electric vehicles, comprising:

a housing;

electrical contacts, arranged in the housing, for connection to a charging station;

an identification circuit arranged in the housing and communicating with the charging station via the electrical contacts;

wherein the housing has a reading circuit configured to read a user identification, and in that the reading circuit is in operational connection with the identification circuit; and

wherein the reading circuit is formed for contact-free reading of a key emitting a user identification.

2. Charging cable plug for electric vehicles, comprising:

a housing;

electrical contacts, arranged in the housing, for connection to a charging station;

an identification circuit arranged in the housing and communicating with the charging station via the electrical contacts;

wherein the housing has a reading circuit configured to read a user identification, and in that the reading circuit is in operational connection with the identification circuit; and

wherein the reading circuit is a transponder reading device.

3. Charging cable with a charging cable plug of claim 2.

4. System with a charging cable of claim 3 and a charging station.

5. System of claim 4, wherein a key emitting a user identification is provided for communication with the reading circuit.

6. Charging cable plug for electric vehicles, comprising:

a housing;

electrical contacts, arranged in the housing, for connection to a charging station;

an identification circuit arranged in the housing and communicating with the charging station via the electrical contacts;

wherein the housing has a reading circuit configured to read a user identification, and in that the reading circuit is in operational connection with the identification circuit; and

wherein the reading circuit is formed to emit a signal to the identification circuit on receipt of the user identification.

7. Charging cable plug for electric vehicles, comprising:

a housing;

electrical contacts, arranged in the housing, for connection to a charging station;

an identification circuit arranged in the housing and communicating with the charging station via the electrical contacts;

wherein the housing has a reading circuit configured to read a user identification, and in that the reading circuit is in operational connection with the identification circuit; and

wherein the identification circuit, on receipt of the signal from the reading circuit, transmits a release signal to the charging station, at least deactivating a locking unit.

8. Charging cable plug of claim 7, wherein the release signal interrupts the supply of energy through the charging station.

9. System comprising a charging cable and a charging station, the charging cable having a charging cable plug, the charging cable plug comprising:

a housing;

electrical contacts, arranged in the housing, for connection to a charging station;

an identification circuit arranged in the housing and communicating with the charging station via the electrical contacts;

wherein the housing has a reading circuit configured to read a user identification from a data carrier at the reading circuit, and in that the reading circuit is in operational connection with the identification circuit; and

wherein the charging station has locking unit for locking the plug in the charging station after the receipt of an identification signal from the plug.

10. System of claim 9, wherein the charging station has energy release circuit for at least one of 1) releasing a supply of energy to the plug on receipt of an identification signal from the plug and/or 2) for interrupting the supply of energy on receipt of a release signal from the plug.