Apparatus for charging a propulsion battery of an electrically powered vehicle

• US 5,661,391 A
• Filed: 06/21/1995
• Issued: 08/26/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Ito, Makoto, Minoshima, Norimoto, Hyogo, Takashi, Odachi, Yasuharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG E
• Application Number:
  US08/493,360
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 336/DIG. 2
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• 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: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• 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 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 336/02 Separable

Abstract

An apparatus for charging a battery of an electrically powered vehicle located at a charging station is provided. The apparatus comprises a pair of separate primary cores each of which has a primary coil and is disposed in a wheel stop block secured at the battery charging station, and a secondary coil which is carried by the vehicle. The apparatus further includes a first drive mechanism for retractably lowering the secondary coil linearly to its operative positions, and a second drive mechanism for retractably moving the primary cores inwardly toward each other linearly to their operative position where a closed magnetic circuit is formed thereby and the primary coil is inductively coupled with the secondary coil which is then placed in its operative position. Each primary core has a projection which is engageable with a counterpart of the other core, and the engaged projections of the cores are arranged to pass through an opening of a secondary coil case round which opening the secondary coil is wound.

Claims

1. An apparatus for charging a battery of an electrically powered vehicle, stopped at a stationary charging location, by electromagnetic induction, comprising:

a primary power device disposed at said charging location and including primary core means having a primary coil, said primary coil being connectable with a power source;

a secondary power device disposed in said vehicle and including secondary coil means;

first drive means for moving said secondary coil means along a first path between a retracted inoperative position and an operative position thereof;

second drive means for moving said primary core means along a second path other than said first path between a retracted inoperative position and an operative position thereof such that when said secondary coil and said primary core means are each in their operative postions, a closed magnetic circuit is formed by said primary core means, and said primary coil of said primary core means is inductively coupled with said secondary coil means, said first drive means being operable to cause downward movement of said secondary coil means along said first path to said operative position thereof, said primary core means having first and second separate primary cores, said second drive means being operable to cause closing inward movement of said first and second primary cores toward each other along said second path to said operative position of said primary core means, said first and second primary cores each having an β

-shape including a base portion having opposite edges and a center, two portions extending from said opposite edges of said base portion and a central portion extending from said center of said base portion, said two portions and said central portion of said first primary core extending towards said two portions and said central portion of said secondary primary core, each of said central portions having a primary coil wound therearound, and each of said central portions having a distal end, and said secondary coil means includes a secondary coil and a secondary core around which said secondary coil is wound, said two portions of said first primary core engaging said two portions of said second primary core and said distal ends of each of said central portions of said first and second primary cores engaging a surface of said secondary core adjacent to said central portion when said secondary coil means and said primary core means are both placed in the operative positions thereof.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first drive means causes said secondary coil means to move linearly in substantially vertical direction and said second drive means causes said first and second primary cores means to move linearly in a direction substantially perpendicular to said vertical direction and also to the longitudinal direction of said vehicle.