Battery-charging device for an electric vehicle

• US 5,523,666 A
• Filed: 12/27/1994
• Issued: 06/04/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Trost, Joachim, Hoelzl, Guenter, Eberhardt, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG E
• Application Number:
  US08/364,460
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 439/32, 439/34
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4538 Covers sliding or withdrawing in the direction of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/631 for engagement only
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• 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 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

Abstract

A battery-charging device for an electric vehicle contains on the vehicle side a transmitter for transmitting vehicle-specific data which contains an item of information about the instantaneous height position of a contact element on the vehicle side. The charging station has a receiver for receiving the transmitted data, a charge control unit connected to the receiver, as well as a height adjustment device for the charging station which can be controlled by the charge control unit. In this manner, the vehicle can be electrically coupled to the charging station in a reliable and automatic manner when driving the vehicle up to the charging station.

Claims

1. A battery-charging device for an electric vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle side contact element arranged on the electric vehicle;

a stationary charging station having a charging station contact element arranged so as to automatically make contact with said vehicle side contact element at a specific height above a ground level as a result of an approaching movement of the electric vehicle;

a vehicle side transmitter arranged on the electric vehicle for transmitting data containing an item of information about an instantaneous height position of said vehicle side contact element;

a charging station receiver arranged in said stationary charging station for receiving said data transmitted from said transmitter;

a height adjustment device arranged in said charging station; and

a charge control unit arranged in said charging station connected to said receiver and said height adjustment device, wherein said height adjustment device is driven by said charge control unit for adjusting the height of said charging station contact element by moving said charging station contact element.

2. Battery-charging device according to claim 1, wherein said charging station contact element comprises at least one substantially horizontally running contact rail extending transverse to a longitudinal axis through the vehicle;

and

further comprising a cover assigned to said at least one contact rail, said cover being movable under control of said charge control unit, between a cover position and an open position.

3. Battery-charging device according to claim 2, wherein said vehicle side contact element comprises at least one contact peg having a contact probe which is carried by an insulating body and tapers off in one of a convex and wedge-shaped manner, a contact surface of the contact rail, arranged in a rear region thereof and having a cross-sectional shape which envelopes the contact probe in a matching manner, interacts with the contact probe.

4. Battery-charging device according to claim 3, wherein said vehicle side contact element and said charging station contact element comprise two contact pegs and two contact rails, respectively, said two contact pegs lying vertically one above the other and said two contact rails lying vertically one above the other;

further comprising a rubber buffer which extends between the contact rails.

5. Battery-charging device according to claim 1, further comprising a control device arranged on the electric vehicle which controls the transmitter.

6. Battery-charging device according to claim 5, wherein the control device on the vehicle side collects data, specific to a charging operation, and conveys said data to the transmitter for transmission by which said charge control unit controls the charging operation.

7. Battery-charging device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a signal transmitter operable by a user and connected to the control device on the vehicle side, said signal transmitter being provided for requesting a charge;

wherein the vehicle side contact element is arranged so as to be movable, controlled by the control device on the vehicle side, between a charging position and a quiescent position; and

wherein the control device on the vehicle side, upon receiving a signal from the signal transmitter, directs the vehicle side contact element into the charging position and activates the transmitter.

8. Battery-charging device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a signal transmitter operable by a user and connected to the control device on the vehicle side, said signal transmitter being provided for requesting a charge;

wherein the vehicle side control element is arranged so as to be movable, controlled by the control device on the vehicle side, between a charging position and a quiescent position; and

wherein the control device on the vehicle side, upon receiving a signal from the signal transmitter, directs the vehicle side contact element into the charging position and activates the transmitter.

9. Battery-charging device according to claim 1, wherein the charging station contact element is mounted on an immovable charging-station wall so as to be resilient in the vertical direction.

10. Battery-charging device according to claim 6, wherein the charging station contact element is mounted on an immovable charging-station wall so as to be resilient in the vertical direction.

11. Battery-charging device according to claim 7, wherein the charging station contact element is mounted on an immovable charging-station wall so as to be resilient in the vertical direction.

12. A battery-charging device for an electric vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle side contact element arranged on the electric vehicle;

a stationary charging station having a charging station contact element arranged so as to automatically make contact with said vehicle side contact element at a specific height above a ground level as a result of an approaching movement of the electric vehicle;

a vehicle side transmitter arranged on the electric vehicle for transmitting data containing an item of information about an instantaneous height position of said vehicle side contact element;

a charging station receiver arranged in said stationary charging station for receiving said data transmitted from said transmitter;

means for adjusting the height of said charging station contact element; and

a charge control unit arranged in said charging station connected to said receiver and said height adjustment means, wherein said height adjustment means is driven by said charge control unit for moving said charging station contact element.