Positioning system for electric charging

• US 9,550,428 B1
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proterra Operating Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Proterra AG
• Inventors: Ertel, Kevin William
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US15/088,359
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/32 by charging in short intervals along the itinerary, e.g. during short stops
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/36 Single contact pieces along the line for power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• 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

A charging station for an electric vehicle having a charging blade may include a charge head configured to electrically connect with a charging blade of a vehicle to charge the vehicle, the charge head extending from a front end to a rear end along a longitudinal axis that extends along a direction of travel of the vehicle. The charge head may include a first housing and a second housing, wherein the first and second housings are (a) symmetrically positioned about the longitudinal axis and (b) separated by a channel that extends from the front end to the rear end of the charge head, the channel being dimensioned to position the charging blade therein. The charge head may further include one or more charging brushes located in each of the first housing and the second housing, wherein each of the one or more charging brushes in each housing is configured to extend into the channel towards the other housing to contact the charging blade positioned in the channel. The charge head may also include one or more sensors located in at least one of the first housing or the second housing, wherein the one or more sensors is configured to detect a presence of the charging blade in the channel.

Claims

1. A charging station for an electric vehicle having a charging blade, comprising:

a charge head configured to electrically connect with a charging blade of a vehicle to charge the vehicle, the charge head extending from a front end to a rear end along a longitudinal axis that extends along a direction of travel of the vehicle, the charge head including;

a first housing and a second housing, wherein the first and second housings are (a) symmetrically positioned about the longitudinal axis and (b) separated by a channel that extends from the front end to the rear end of the charge head, the channel being dimensioned to position the charging blade therein;

one or more charging brushes located in each of the first housing and the second housing, wherein each of the one or more charging brushes in each housing is configured to extend into the channel towards the other housing to contact the charging blade positioned in the channel; and

a first sensor located in at least one of the first housing or the second housing proximate the rear end of the charge head, and a second sensor located in at least one of the first housing or the second housing proximate the front end of the charge head, wherein the first sensor is configured to detect entry of the charging blade into the channel, and the second sensor is configured to detect that the charging blade is positioned between the one or more charging brushes of the first housing and the second housing.

2. The system of claim 1, further including a control system adapted to receive a first signal from the first sensor indicating entry of the charging blade into the channel and a second signal from the second sensor indicating that the charging blade is positioned between the one or more charging brushes of the first housing and the second housing.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the control system is located either on the electric vehicle or at a remote vehicle control center.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second sensors are fully recessed in at least one of the first housing or the second housing.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor each includes:

an emitter and a receiver located in one of the first housing or the second housing; and

a reflector located across the channel in the opposite housing,

wherein each of the first and second sensors is configured to emit a sensor beam from the emitter to the reflector, receive a reflected beam at the receiver, and send a signal to a control system when the path of the sensor beam from the emitter to the reflector is interrupted.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the charge head is configured to be movable relative to the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the charge head further includes one or more switches located on the underside of at least one of the first housing and the second housing.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more switches are configured to be actuated upon the charge head contacting a surface of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the channel is wider at the front end than at the rear end.

10. A method of charging an electric vehicle at a charging station, the electric vehicle including a charging blade projecting outwards from an external surface of the vehicle and extending along a direction of travel of the vehicle, and the charging station including a charge head that extends from a front end to a rear end of the charge head along a longitudinal axis and includes a first housing and a second housing, wherein the first and second housings are (a) symmetrically positioned about the longitudinal axis and (b) separated by a channel that extends from the front end to the rear end of the charge head along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first housing and the second housing each include one or more charging brushes that are configured to contact and direct power to the charging blade, the method comprising:

positioning the vehicle proximate to the charging station;

moving the charge head to land on the external surface of the vehicle;

advancing the vehicle such that the charging blade enters the channel from the rear end of the charge head;

receiving a first signal from a first sensor indicating that the charging blade has entered the channel, wherein the first sensor is coupled to at least one of the first housing or the second housing and is positioned at a location proximate the rear end of the charge head;

receiving a second signal from a second sensor indicating that the charging blade is positioned between the charging brushes of the first housing and the second housing;

stopping the vehicle in response to receiving of the second signal;

extending the charging brushes from the first housing and the second housing of the charge head to contact the charging blade; and

activating a current flow from the charge head to the vehicle to charge the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the external surface of the vehicle is a roof of the vehicle, and moving the charge head includes lowering the charge head to land on the roof.

12. The method of claim 10, further including advancing the vehicle further by a predetermined distance in response to receiving the first signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein advancing the vehicle further by a predetermined distance comprises advancing the vehicle such that a wheel of the vehicle completes a predetermined number of rotations.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are fully recessed in at least one of the first housing or the second housing.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor include an emitter positioned on one of the first housing or the second housing and a reflector positioned on the opposite housing across the channel.

15. A charging system for an electric vehicle, comprising:

an electric vehicle having a charging interface positioned on a roof of the vehicle, the charging interface comprising a charging blade projecting from the roof and extending along a direction of travel of the vehicle, the charging blade including a plurality of electrodes;

a charging station comprising a charge head extending from a front end to a rear end along a longitudinal axis, the charge head including;

a first housing and a second housing symmetrically positioned about the longitudinal axis and separated from each other by a channel that extends from the front end to the rear end of the charge head along the longitudinal axis, wherein the channel is dimensioned to position the charging blade therein;

one or more charging brushes located in each of the first housing and the second housing, wherein the one or more charging brushes in each housing is extendable towards the other housing and into the channel;

a first sensor located in the first and second housings proximate the rear end of the charge head; and

a second sensor located in the first and second housings proximate the front end of the charge head,

wherein the first sensor is configured to detect entry of the charging blade into the channel, the second sensor is configured to detect that the charging blade is positioned between the one or more charging brushes of the first housing and the second housing, and each of the first and second sensors includes an emitter positioned on one of the first housing or the second housing and a reflector positioned on the opposite housing across the channel.

16. The system of claim 15, further including a control system adapted to receive a first signal from the first sensor indicating entry of the charging blade into the channel and a second signal from the second sensor indicating that the charging blade is positioned between the one or more charging brushes of the first housing and the second housing.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and second sensors are fully recessed in the first and second housings.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the electric vehicle is a bus, and the charge head is configured to descend and land on the roof of the bus to engage with the charging blade.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the control system is located on the electric vehicle, and wherein the control system is further adapted to display an indicator that the electric vehicle should decelerate upon receipt of the first signal, and display an indicator that the electric vehicle should stop upon receipt of the second signal.