UNIVERSAL CHARGING DEVICE

• US 20110291616A1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanwha Co., Ltd. (Hanwha Corporation), Modern Tech Co., Ltd. (Y-Optics Manufacture Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hanwha Tech Company Limited, Modern Tech Co., Ltd. (Y-Optics Manufacture Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Young-Choon, Kim, Seong-Doo
• Granted Patent: US 8,890,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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: Y02P 90/60 : Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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

A universal charging device, the device comprising: a charging pack including at least one of an AC terminal for inputting an AC power, an AC/DC converter for rectifying the AC power to a DC power, a DC terminal for outputting a DC power of a first power value, and a charging pack switch for turning on/off an output of the DC power.

Claims

1. A universal charging device, the device comprising:

a charging pack including at least one of an AC terminal for inputting an AC power, an AC/DC converter for rectifying the AC power to a DC power, a DC terminal for outputting a DC power of a first power value, and a charging pack switch for turning on/off an output of the DC power, wherein a DC power of various power values in which the first power value increases or decreases can be outputted in response to increase/decrease in installation number of the charging packs and to whether each charging pack switch is turned on or off, and a charging speed of an electric vehicle can be adjusted in response to changes in power value of the DC power.

2. The universal charging device of claim 1, including a charging module in which a plurality of charging packs are connected in series or in parallel, wherein the charging module includes at least one of an AC input portion for commonly inputting the AC power to the AC terminal, a DC output portion for connecting the DC terminal in series or in parallel, and a charging module controller for data-communicating with the charging packs to individually control the charging packs in response to whether the charging pack switch is turned on or off.

3. The universal charging device of claim 2, including a charging unit formed with an AC bus bar commonly connected to the AC input portion or a DC bus bar connected in series or in parallel to the DC output portion, wherein a plurality of charging modules is connected in attachably and detachably in series or in parallel manners, and a power value of DC power outputted from the DC bus bar is variable in proportion to the number of charging modules installed at the charging unit.

4. The universal charging device of claim 1, wherein the universal charging device can vary an output voltage or an output current of the DC terminal outputting the first power value, and can apply power values distinguishable from each connector, output voltages distinguishable from each other, and output currents distinguishable from each other, when a plurality of connectors is provided that connects the DC terminal to the electric vehicle.

5. The universal charging device of claim 1, including a kiosk formed with a connector which is a charging interface, or a display portion for displaying a charged level, wherein the charging pack is separately provided from the kiosk and installed at a position different from that of the kiosk.

6. A universal charging device, comprising charging packs generating a DC power of the first power value, charging modules in which the charging packs are arranged in series or in parallel, or a charging unit in which the charging modules are arranged in attachably and detachably in series or in parallel manners.

7. The universal charging device of claim 6, including a kiosk formed with a connector which is a charging interface, or a display portion for displaying a charged level, and a main controller for distinguishably supplying per connector a DC power of various power values for increasing and/or decreasing the first power value of the charging packs in response to the number of installation or operation status of the charging packs received through data communication, the number of installation or operation status of the charging modules received through data communication, the number of installation or operation status of the charging unit received through data communication, the number of installation or operation status of the kiosk received through data communication.

8. The universal charging device of claim 6, wherein the charging pack includes at least one of an AC terminal into which an AC power is inputted, an AC/DC converter rectifying the AC power to the DC power, a DC terminal outputting the DC power, and a charging pack switch turning on/off the output of the DC power, wherein the charging module includes at least one of an AC input portion for commonly inputting the AC power to the AC terminal, a DC output portion for connecting the DC terminal in series or in parallel, and a charging module controller for data-communicating with the charging packs to individually control the charging packs in response to whether the charging pack switch is turned on or off, and the charging unit includes an AC bus bar commonly connected to the AC input portion or a DC bus bar commonly connecting the DC output portion in series or in parallel, and wherein the AC power is distributed to each charging module through the AC input portion after being inputted to the charging unit through the AC bus bar, and is commonly inputted to each charging pack through the AC terminal, and the DC power outputted as the first power value through the DC terminal is changed in its power value through the DC output portion or the DC bus bar.

9. A universal charging device, the device, comprising:

a charging pack generating a DC power of a first power value;

a charging module in which a plurality of charging packs is arranged in series or in parallel, wherein the charging pack includes a first charging pack to an nth charging pack, the charging module includes a first charging module to a kth charging module; and

a main controller turning on a particular charging pack by selecting the particular charging pack among the first charging pack to the nth charging pack, or turning on a particular charging module by selecting the particular charging module among the first charging module to the kth charging module.

10. A universal charging device, the device, comprising:

a kiosk provided with a plurality of connectors which is a charging interface of an electric vehicle, or a display portion for displaying a charged level; and

a charging pack supplying DC power to the kiosk, wherein the charging pack is separately provided from the kiosk, and installed at a position different from that of the kiosk.

11. The universal charging device of claim 10, wherein each connector is distinguishably applied with at least one of a power value of the DC power, an output voltage of AC power and an output current of the DC power.

12. A universal charging device, the device, comprising:

a charging pack formed with an AC/DC converter rectifying an inputted AC power where the charging pack is arranged in a singular manner or a plural manner to output a DC power of a first DC power value;

a plurality of connectors which is a charging interface; and

a mesh unit that connects the charging pack and the connector for adjusting at least one of a serial connection status of the charging pack, a parallel connection status of the charging pack, and an electrical connection status of each of the charging packs and the connectors, wherein a DC power of various power values increasing and/or decreasing the first power value for adjusting the charging speed is applied to each of the connectors through the mesh unit.

13. The universal charging device of claim 12, including a single charging module or a plurality of charging modules in which a plurality of charging packs is arranged, wherein the mesh unit includes a series/parallel set-up unit, and the series/parallel set-up unit mutually connects the plurality of charging packs or the plurality of charging modules in parallel to increase or decrease the first power value, or mutually connects the plurality of the charging packs or the plurality of charging modules in series, to thereby vary an output voltage.

14. The universal charging device of claim 12, wherein the mesh unit includes a power side mesh unit provided at a power side on which the charging packs or the charging modules are positioned, and a load side mesh unit provided at the kiosk, wherein the power side mesh unit makes a tree connection structure among the charging packs or the charging modules to a variable structure, and the load side mesh unit makes the power side mesh unit and a tree connection structure of each connector to a variable structure.

15. The universal charging device of claim 12, including a single charging module or a plurality of charging modules in which a plurality of charging packs is arranged, wherein the mesh unit connects the charging packs or the charging modules to each connector in a tree structure, and a power value or an output voltage applied to the connector is adjusted if the tree structure of the mesh unit is changed.

16. The universal charging device of claim 12, wherein r number of positive integers including a first connector to rth connector are installed at a kiosk, wherein the kiosk is arranged with q number of positive integers including a first kiosk to a qth kiosk, and wherein each of the first kiosk to the qth kiosk is connected to an output terminal of the charging pack or the charging module through a first power side relay to a qth power side relay, and wherein each of the first connector to the rth connector is connected to a first power side relay to the qth power side relay through a first load side relay to a rth load side relay, and wherein a power value outputted from any one connector among the first connector to the rth connector is adjusted from a reference power value outputted from the charging pack or the charging module to a zero, and the power value is adjusted with a value dividing the reference power value by r*q as a minimum unit in response to whether each of the relays is turned on or off.

17. A universal charging device, comprising:

an AC/DC conversion block receiving an AC power and converting the AC power to a DC power;

a plurality of DC/DC conversion blocks connected to an output terminal of the AC/DC conversion blocks and for converting a voltage or a current of the DC power outputted from the AC/DC conversion blocks;

a mesh unit connected to an output terminal of the DC/DC conversion blocks and for outputting various power values for increasing and/or decreasing a first power value outputted from the DC/DC conversion blocks; and

a connector connected to the mesh unit and functioning as a charging interface.

18. The universal charging device of claim 17, wherein the mesh unit includes at least one of a serial/parallel set-up unit connecting the plurality of DC/DC conversion blocks in series or in parallel to increase and/or decrease the first power value or vary an output voltage, a power side mesh unit making a tree connection structure among the DC/DC conversion blocks to a variable structure, and a load side mesh unit making the power side mesh unit and a tree connection structure of each connector to a variable structure.

19. The universal charging device of claim 17, wherein the mesh unit connects the DC/DC conversion blocks to each connector in a tree structure, and a power value or an output voltage applied to the connector is adjusted if the tree structure of the mesh unit is changed.

20. The universal charging device of claim 17, wherein r number of positive integers including a first connector to rth connector are installed at a kiosk, wherein the kiosk is arranged with q number of positive integers including a first kiosk to a qth kiosk, and wherein each of the first kiosk to the qth kiosk is connected to an output terminal of the DC/DC conversion blocks through a first power side relay to a qth power side relay, and wherein each of the first connector to the rth connector is connected to a first power side relay to the qth power side relay through a first load side relay to a rth load side relay, and wherein a power value outputted from any one connector among the first connector to the rth connector is adjusted from a reference power value outputted from the DC/DC conversion blocks to a zero, and the power value is adjusted with a value dividing the reference power value by r*q as a minimum unit in response to whether each of the relays is turned on or off.