Charging apparatus for electric vehicle

• US 10,759,296 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2018
• Issued: 09/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avertronics Inc., Department Of Electrical Engineering, National Changhua University Of Education
• Original Assignee: Avertronics Inc., Department Of Electrical Engineering, National Changhua University Of Education
• Inventors: Chang, Chih-Yuan, Chen, Tsair-Rong, Chen, Po-Hsuan, Lai, Bing-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pacheco, Alexis B
• Application Number:
  US16/039,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20200023743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/34 Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• 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 90/167 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

A charging apparatus for electric vehicle may comprise a charging apparatus and an electric vehicle. The charging apparatus has a rectifier and a mobile connector, and the connector covered by a plastic cover has a primary coil electrically connected to the rectifier. The cover comprises a vertical first plane, and a plurality of first engaging portions formed at an outer periphery of the cover. The electric vehicle has a converter, a battery pack and a charge port, and the charge port covered by a plastic shell comprises a secondary coil electrically connected to the converter. The charge port has a vertical second plane and at least a second engaging portion. When the first plane of the connector is coupled to the second plane of the charge port, the primary coil and the secondary coil are spaced apart by a fixed distance, thereby achieving the effect of safe charging.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus for electric vehicle comprising a charging apparatus and an electric vehicle,

wherein the charging apparatus has an AC converting unit and a mobile connector, and the connector covered by a plastic cover has a primary coil which is electrically connected to the AC converting unit;

the cover comprises a vertical first plane, and a plurality of first engaging portions formed at an outer periphery of the cover;

each of the first engaging portions has two ends, and a hook portion is formed at an end of the first engaging portion which horizontally protrudes from the first plane, and the other end of the first engaging portion has a metal shank, and the connector comprises an electromagnet positioned close to the shank; and

wherein the electric vehicle has a converter, a battery pack and a charge port, and the converter is electrically connected to the battery pack;

the charge port covered by a plastic shell comprises a secondary coil which is electrically connected to the converter;

the charge port has a vertical second plane and at least a second engaging portion;

when the first plane of the connector is coupled to the second plane of the charge port, the hooks are configured to engage on the second engaging portion, and the primary coil and the secondary coil are spaced apart by a fixed distance;

wherein the AC converting unit of the charging apparatus is electrically connected to a processor which is adapted to control the primary coil to generate a first instant magnetic force, and the converter of the electric vehicle is electrically connected to a controller which is configured to control the secondary coil to generate a second instant magnetic force;

when the connector is coupled with the charge port, the processor and the controller are configured to generate mutual attraction of the first instant magnetic force and the second instant magnetic force;

when the connector is detached from the charge port, the processor and the controller are configured to generate mutual repulsion of the first instant magnetic force and the second instant magnetic force;

wherein the processor is connected to a first communicator while the controller is connected to a second communicator, and the first communicator and the second communicator are configured to communicate with each other so as to determine whether to start charging;

wherein the AC converting unit of the charging apparatus is adapted to provide alternating current (AC) to the primary coil, and the inductive coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil is configured to induce voltage in the secondary coil, and the generated AC is adapted to be converted through the converter to direct current (DC) and saved in the battery pack;

wherein when the connector detaches from the charge port, the electromagnet is configured to attract and hold the shanks of the first engaging portions, and the hooks are adapted to detach from the second engaging portion so as to detach the connector from the charge port,

wherein the charging apparatus is electrically connected to the sensor which is adapted to start the charging apparatus and connect to the first communicator and the second communicator, and the sensor is adapted to identify a plate number of the electric vehicle, thereby verifying the identity of user,

wherein the charging apparatus is cooperated with a parking space, and the sensor has video image detection technology (VID) to detect whether the electric vehicle is completely parked in the parking space and to obtain the information of relative position between the electric vehicle and the parking space;

according to the information of the electric vehicle including length width, height, and the position of the charge port, the processor is configured to calculate the relative three-dimensional coordinates of the charge port and the parking space and move and connect the connector to the charge port of the electric vehicle,

wherein the connector is connected to the charging apparatus through a robotic arm, and the robotic arm comprises a rotating apparatus, a first pivot, a second pivot and a telescopic rod which are connected in sequence, and the connector is installed on the telescopic rod;

the rotating apparatus is adapted to control the horizontal movements of the connector while the first pivot and the second pivot are configured to control the vertical movements of the connector, and the telescopic rod is used to adjust the length of the robotic arm.

2. The charging apparatus for electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second communicator is configured to send the information of the electric vehicle including identity, battery specification, total electric capacity and residual electric capacity to the first communicator, and the first communicator is adapted to upload the information to the cloud so as to process the identification and the calculation of charging efficiency and to enable the electric vehicle to be charged at any charging station.

3. The charging apparatus for electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second communicator is configured to send the setting values set by a user to the first communicator, and the processor of the charging apparatus is adapted to perform the designated charging mode such as immediate quick charging, normal charging, or to schedule a start charging time such as starting charging at off-peak power time.

4. The charging apparatus for electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the charging apparatus is electrically connected to a sensor which is adapted to start the charging apparatus and connect to the first communicator and the second communicator, and each electric vehicle has a corresponding electronic tag having information of user and a corresponding stored-value account, and the sensor is configured to identify the electronic tag through RFID technology so as to verify the identity of user and to access the user'"'"'s stored-value account, thereby enabling the user to reload the stored-value account balance or pay for services from the stored-value account.

5. The charging apparatus for electric vehicle of claim 4, wherein an elastic flex tube is connected between the telescopic rod and the connector to enable the connecting angle between the connector and the charge port to be slightly adjusted and corrected when the first instant magnetic force and the second instant magnetic force, which are respectively generated by the primary coil and the secondary coil, are mutually attractive.