Vehicle charging system

• US 9,908,423 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bell, Christopher W., Kallio, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Pacheco, Alexis
• Application Number:
  US14/189,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20150239352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 320108, 320109, 320107, 320101, 320104, 320114, 320132, 320113, 320115, 320137, 320167, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• 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 system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a slidable bar, a connecting bar attached to the slidable bar and a charging device carried by the connecting bar and movable with the slidable bar.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a slidable bar;

a connecting bar attached to said slidable bar; and

a charging device carried by said connecting bar and movable with said slidable bar, said charging device spaced a first distance longitudinally apart from said slidable bar, wherein a positioning of said charging device is fixed relative to said connecting bar.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said slidable bar is movable relative to at least one slide rail.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one slide rail is mounted to a wheel plate assembly.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein said wheel plate assembly includes a first wheel plate, a second wheel plate and a base that connects between said first wheel plate and said second wheel plate.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, comprising at least one wheel guide mounted to said slidable bar.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein said at least one wheel guide includes a first wheel guide mounted to a first side of said slidable bar and a second wheel guide mounted to a second side of said slidable bar.

7. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein said at least one wheel guide is curved in a direction toward said connecting bar.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, comprising at least one wheel stop mounted to said slidable bar.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said charging device includes a coil pad that houses a transmitting coil.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, comprising a visual target positioned in front of said slidable bar.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said charging device is movable in unison with said slidable bar to a position relative to a receiving device mounted to an electrified vehicle.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said charging device is movable between a first position in which a transmitting coil of said charging device is offset from a receiving coil of said receiving device and a second position in which said transmitting coil is aligned with said receiving coil.

13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said slidable bar is connected at a first end of said connecting bar and said charging device is connected at a second, opposite end of said connecting bar.

14. The system as recited in claim 1, comprising a first curved wheel guide mounted at a first location of said slidable bar and a second curved wheel guide mounted at a second location of said slidable bar.

15. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said system is pivotable about a locking pivot.

16. The system as recited in claim 1, comprising a communication system adapted to obtain vehicle data and automatically alter said first distance based on said vehicle data.

17. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said slidable bar is movable laterally left or right but is immovable longitudinally forward or backward.

18. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein both said connecting bar and said charging device move in unison with said slidable bar.

19. The system as recited in claim 1, comprising a wheel plate assembly including a base extending between a first wheel plate and a second wheel plate, and at least two stationary slide rails mounted to said base, wherein movement of said slidable bar is guided by said at least two stationary slide rails.

24. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein, when a vehicle is positioned over the system, the connecting bar extends in parallel with a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the slidable bar is transverse to the longitudinal axis.

20. A system, comprising:

a wheel plate assembly;

a slidable bar mounted to said wheel plate assembly;

a connecting bar attached to said slidable bar;

a charging device carried by said connecting bar at a location that is spaced longitudinally apart from said slidable bar; and

a wheel guide mounted to said slidable bar, said wheel guide curved in a direction toward said connecting bar.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein a positioning of said charging device is fixed relative to said connecting bar.

22. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein said slidable bar is connected at a first end of said connecting bar and said charging device is fixedly connected at a second, opposite end of said connecting bar.

23. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein, when a vehicle is positioned over the system, the connecting bar extends in parallel with a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the slidable bar is transverse to the longitudinal axis.