EVSE handle with automatic thermal shut down by NTC to ground

• US 9,707,850 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Jefferies, Kevin M., Edwards, Benjamin W., White, Matthew L., Filippenko, Konstantin A., Weiler, Richard K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIGGUSH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US14/546,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20160137079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 320104, 320109, 320150, 307 101
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• 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 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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: H02H 3/023 by short-circuiting
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 5/04 responsive to abnormal temperature specially adapted for electric machines H02H7/0852
• 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 temperature sensor 120 automatically shuts down charging operations in response to a temperature increase in a charging handle 150 of an electric vehicle charging station 100. The temperature sensor is connected between a ground conductor and a high voltage conductor L1 in the charging handle. The charging handle includes a return conductor L2/N. The temperature sensor includes a thermistor R1-NTC that changes its resistance in response to an increase in temperature in the charging handle. A portion of current in the high voltage conductor is diverted to the ground conductor, instead of the return conductor, in response to the thermistor sensing a temperature increase, thereby causing a ground fault detector 160 to trip in the charging station.

Claims

1. A circuit for automatic shutdown of charging operations in response to a temperature increase in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

a temperature sensor connected between a ground conductor and a high voltage conductor in a charging handle that is connected by a charging cable to an electric vehicle charging station, the charging cable including the high voltage conductor and a return conductor, the charging handle including the return conductor, wherein when the temperature sensor is exposed to an increase in temperature in the charging handle, a portion of current in the high voltage conductor flows through the temperature sensor to the ground conductor, instead of the return conductor, thereby causing the ground fault detector to trip in the charging station.

2. The circuit for automatic shutdown of charging operations in response to a temperature increase in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, further comprising:

a thermistor in the temperature sensor, the thermistor being configured to change its resistance in response to an increase in temperature in the charging handle, thereby causing the portion of current in the high voltage conductor to flow to the ground conductor, instead of the return conductor.

3. The circuit for automatic shutdown of charging operations in response to a temperature increase in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, further comprising:

a thermistor and a resistor in the temperature sensor, the thermistor and resistor connected in series between the high voltage conductor and the ground conductor in the charging handle of the electric vehicle charging station, the thermistor being configured to reduce its resistance in response to an increase in temperature in the charging handle, thereby causing the portion of current in the high voltage conductor to flow through the thermistor and the resistor to the ground conductor, instead of the return conductor.

4. A circuit for automatic shutdown of charging operations in response to a temperature increase in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

a temperature sensor connected between a ground conductor and a high voltage conductor in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station, the charging handle including a return conductor, wherein when the temperature sensor is exposed to an increase in temperature in the charging handle, a portion of current in the high voltage conductor flows through the temperature sensor to the ground conductor, instead of the return conductor, thereby causing a ground fault detector to trip in the charging station;

a thermistor and a first resistor in the temperature sensor, the thermistor and first resistor connected in series between a control pilot conductor and the ground conductor in the charging handle of the electric vehicle charging station, the thermistor being configured to change its resistance in response to an increase in temperature in the charging handle, thereby causing a voltage to change at a node between the thermistor and the first resistor; and

a thyristor and a second resistor in the temperature sensor, the thyristor and second resistor connected in series between the high voltage conductor and the ground conductor in the charging handle of the electric vehicle charging station, the thyristor having a gate electrode connected to the node between the thermistor and the first resistor so that a voltage at the node between the thermistor and the first resistor is applied to the gate, the thyristor being configured to become conductive in response to a voltage on its gate reaching a threshold voltage, the thyristor thereby conducting the portion of current in the high voltage conductor to flow through the thyristor and second resistor to the ground conductor, instead of the return conductor, in response to the increase in temperature in the charging handle.

5. A circuit for automatic shutdown of charging operations in response to a temperature increase in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

a temperature sensor connected between a ground conductor and a high voltage conductor in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station, the charging handle including a return conductor, wherein when the temperature sensor is exposed to an increase in temperature in the charging handle, a portion of current in the high voltage conductor flows through the temperature sensor to the ground conductor, instead of the return conductor, thereby causing a ground fault detector to trip in the charging station;

a first thermistor, a first diode, and a first resistor in the temperature sensor, the first thermistor, first diode, and first resistor connected in series between the high voltage conductor and the ground conductor in the charging handle of the electric vehicle charging station, the first thermistor being configured to reduce its resistance in response to an increase in temperature in the charging handle, thereby causing the portion of current in the high voltage conductor to flow through the first thermistor, the first diode, and the first resistor to the ground conductor, instead of the return conductor, thereby causing a ground fault detector to trip in the charging station; and

a second thermistor, a second diode, and a second resistor in the temperature sensor, the second thermistor, second diode, and second resistor connected in series between the return conductor and the ground conductor in the charging handle of the electric vehicle charging station, the second thermistor being configured to reduce its resistance in response to an increase in temperature in the charging handle, thereby causing a portion of current in the return conductor to flow through the second thermistor, the second diode, and the second resistor to the ground conductor, instead of the high voltage conductor, thereby causing the ground fault detector to trip in the charging station.