Automobile charging apparatus

• US 9,054,550 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Akai, Naruaki, Kawase, Tomoyuki, Abe, Norio
• Primary Examiner(s): Memula, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US13/515,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20120293123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• 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 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: H02H 3/14 responsive to occurrence of voltage on parts normally at earth potential monitoring earth connection H02H5/105
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/16 responsive to fault current to earth, frame or mass with balanced or differential arrangement H02H3/26 ; monitoring earth connection H02H5/105
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• 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

There are provided a control device, a power-supply cord, and a charging cable to be connected to an automobile, wherein the control device includes an electric-leakage detection portion for detecting an electric leakage in the charging cable or the automobile, a connection detection portion for detecting the charging cable being connected to the automobile, and a power-supply interruption portion for controlling supply of electricity from the power-supply cord to the charging cable, and, further, the control device has a function of activating the electric-leakage detection portion in a predetermined case, in a state where the automobile charging apparatus is supplied with a commercial power supply.

Claims

1. An automobile charging apparatus comprising:

a control device,

a power-supply cord adapted to supply a commercial power to the control device, and

a charging cable adapted to connect between the control device and an automobile so that the automobile is supplied with the power,

wherein the control device includes;

an electric-leakage detection portion for detecting an electric leakage in the charging cable or the automobile on the basis of a state of currents flowing through power lines for supplying the power to the charging cable,

a connection detection portion for detecting the charging cable being connected to the automobile, and

a power-supply interruption portion adapted to interrupt supplying the commercial power to the power lines when the electric-leakage detection portion detects an electric leakage, and

the control device has an electric-leakage detection function for detecting the state of currents flowing through the power lines at predetermined time intervals before the charging cable is connected to the automobile, in a state where the control device is supplied with the commercial power.

2. The automobile charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the automobile charging apparatus is configured to be capable of generating a warning when the electric-leakage detection portion detects an electric leakage, before the charging cable is connected to the automobile.

3. The automobile charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric-leakage portion detects the state of balance between the currents flowing through the power lines at predetermined time intervals when the connection detection portion is detecting the charging cable as being unconnected to the automobile.

4. The automobile charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric-leakage detection portion detects the state of balance between the currents flowing through the power lines at predetermined time intervals when the connection detection portion is detecting the charging cable as being unconnected to the automobile.

5. The automobile charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electric-leakage detection function is activated at constant time intervals.

6. The automobile charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the electric-leakage detection function is activated at constant time intervals.

7. The automobile charging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the electric-leakage detection function is activated at constant time intervals.

8. The automobile charging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the electric-leakage detection function is activated at constant time intervals.