Portable electric vehicle charging device

• US 9,963,038 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Parra Ortiz, Jose Enrique, Muniz Elizondo, Jose Gerardo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nha
• Application Number:
  US14/774,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20160023562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/50 Charging stations characterised by energy-storage or power-generation means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• 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

Abstract

A portable, lightweight electric vehicle charging device includes a set of connector cables adapted to connect to battery terminals of first vehicle having an internal combustion engine and includes an EV cable adapted to connect via an EV power connector to a charging port of a second vehicle that is an electric vehicle. The charging device receives DC power from the battery terminals of the alternator, converts it to AC power using an inverter, conditions the output of the inverter, and outputs AC power of at least about 50 watts continuous to the electric vehicle charging port. In other aspects, higher levels out output power are provided, up to about 325 watts continuous, as is limited by the configuration of the charging device circuit and the power output of the first vehicle'"'"'s alternator.

Claims

1. A portable electric vehicle (EV) charging device comprising:

a housing;

a DC input having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;

an AC output;

an EV electrical connector comprising an EV cable having a first end connected to the AC output and having a second end bearing an EV connector; and

a circuit in the housing between the DC input and the AC output terminal, the circuit comprising an inverter rated for at least 500 watts continuous and configured to deliver AC power to the AC output,

wherein the portable electric vehicle charging device has physical dimensions and a weight sufficient for the portable electric vehicle charging device to be easily lifted from a storage area in a passenger vehicle and carried to a location permitting connection of the portable electric vehicle charging device to both an EV and an adjacently disposed internal combustion vehicle, and

wherein the portable electric vehicle charging device is in combination with a tangible medium bearing an indicia indicating that a user connect the positive terminal of the DC input to a positive terminal of a battery of an internal combustion engine vehicle and connect the negative terminal of the DC input to a negative terminal of the battery of the internal combustion engine vehicle, the indicia further indicating that the user connect the EV connector to an EV inlet located on an electric vehicle, wherein responsive to the DC input being connected to the battery of the internal combustion engine vehicle and the EV connector being connected to the EV inlet of the electric vehicle, the circuit causing the inverter to work to provide power to the EV inlet of the electric vehicle.

2. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 1, further comprising

a first battery connector cable having a first end connected to the negative terminal of the DC input and having a second end bearing a battery terminal connector;

and

a second battery connector cable having a first end connected to the positive terminal of the DC input terminal and having a second end bearing a battery terminal connector.

3. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 2,

wherein the first battery connector cable and the second battery connector cable comprise jumper cables integrated with the DC input,

wherein the first battery connector cable and the second battery connector cable are between #0 AWG and #8 AWG, and

wherein the EV connector comprises a J1772 connector.

4. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 2,

wherein the first battery connector cable and the second battery connector cable are each removably connected to respective terminals of the DC input and comprise clip on battery terminal connectors at each end,

wherein the first battery connector cable and the second battery connector cable are between #0 AWG and #8 AWG, and

wherein the EV connector comprises a J1772 connector.

5. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 1, wherein the housing defines a volume less than about 1000 in³.

6. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 5, wherein a weight of the portable electric vehicle charging device is less than about 15 pounds.

7. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 1, wherein the housing defines a cable management system configured to secure the first battery connector cable, the second battery connector cable, and the EV connector in a stowed condition.

8. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 1, wherein the inverter is rated for up to about 3250 watts continuous.

9. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 8, wherein the AC power output to the electric vehicle over a period of 15 minutes provides an estimated travel distance for the electric car of at least between about 1-2 miles.

10. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 8, wherein the AC power output to the electric vehicle over a period of 15 minutes provides an estimated travel distance for the electric car of at least between about 2-4 miles.

11. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 8, wherein the AC power output to the electric vehicle over a period of 15 minutes provides an estimated travel distance for the electric car of at least between about 4-6 miles.

12. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 1,

wherein the circuit further comprises a step-up transformer to increase an output voltage of the inverter,

wherein the circuit further comprises a voltage regulator to regulate an inverter DC input, and

wherein the circuit further comprises an RL filter to condition an output of the step-up transformer.

13. A portable electric vehicle charging device comprising:

a) positive and negative battery connector cables;

b) an EV cable comprising an EV power connector;

c) an inverter rated for at least 500 watts continuous; and

d) a housing integrating at least b) and c) into a single unit,

wherein the portable electric vehicle charging device is configured to be stowed within a passenger vehicle when not in use, and

wherein the portable electric vehicle charging device further comprises;

a tangible medium bearing an indicia indicating that a user connect the positive battery connector cable to a positive terminal of a battery of an internal combustion engine vehicle and connect the negative battery connector cable to a negative terminal of the battery of the internal combustion engine vehicle, the indicia further indicating that the user connect the EV power connector to an EV inlet located on an electric vehicle, wherein responsive to the positive and negative battery connector cables being connected to the battery of the internal combustion engine vehicle and the EV power connector being connected to the EV inlet of the electric vehicle, the inverter working to provide power to the EV inlet of the electric vehicle.

14. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 13, wherein the positive and negative battery connector cables comprise jumper cables having a gauge between #0 AWG and #8 AWG, and wherein the EV power connector comprises a J1772 connector.

15. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 13, wherein the portable electric vehicle charging device housing defines a volume less than about 1000 in³ and defines a cable management system configured to secure the battery connector cables, the EV cable, and the EV power connector in a stowed condition.

16. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 13, wherein a weight of the portable electric vehicle charging device is less than about 15 pounds.

17. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 16, wherein the inverter is configured to output AC power to an electric vehicle via the power EV power connector, over a period of about 15 minutes, sufficient to enable the electric vehicle to travel an estimated distance of at least between about 1-6 miles.

18. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 13, wherein the inverter is rated for between about 500 watts continuous and 3250 watts continuous.

19. The portable electric vehicle charging device of claim 13, further comprising:

a step-up transformer to increase an output voltage of the inverter;

a voltage regulator to regulate an inverter DC input, and

an RL filter to condition an output of the step-up transformer.