JPH0837705A - Electrically driven moving body and charger therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent overheating of a rechargeable battery incorporated in a moving body which is driven by the electric power from the battery when the battery is quickly recharged. CONSTITUTION:Connectors 40a and 40b for receiving cold air are provided to a moving body 2 and airways are formed between the connectors 4Oa and 4Ob and exhaust ports 44a and 44b through the periphery of a battery. Connectors 46a and 46b for blowing cold air are provided to a head 20. When the head 20 is brought nearer to the moving body, connectors 2a and 24b for feeding charging electricity are respectively connected to connectors 14a and 14b for receiving electricity and the connectors 46a and 46b for blowing cold air are respectively communicated with the connectors 40a and 40b for receiving cold air. Cold air is introduced to a battery housing chamber 6 and the battery is charged while the battery is forcibly cooled with the cold air.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric vehicle for accommodating a rechargeable battery and moving by using the electric power of the rechargeable battery, such as an electric guided vehicle. The present invention relates to a charging device that charges a rechargeable battery of a moving body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 shows a conventional electric vehicle and its charging device. The electric vehicle 2 accommodates the rechargeable battery 4 inside, and the electric power of the battery 4 rotates the traveling motor, and the traveling motor rotates the drive wheels 8 to move. In the figure, 10 is a guide wire, and the moving body 2 runs unattended along the dielectric wire 10 while detecting the dielectric wire.
In the figure, reference numeral 12 is a stop marker, and when the moving body 2 detects this marker 12, it pauses. Rechargeable battery 4
Are housed in the battery housing chamber 6.

A charging device 3 is provided near the stop marker 12.
4 are installed. As shown by the arrow 22, the charging device 34 has the head 20 that moves toward and away from the moving body 2. The head 20 includes a pair of charging electric power supply connectors 2
4a, 24b and a pair of guide pins 26a, 26b are provided.

On the other hand, a pair of guide holes 16a, 16 for receiving a pair of charging / electricity receiving connectors 14a, 14b and guide pins 26a, 26b on the surface of the moving body 2, in this case the side surface.
b is formed. Charging electricity receiving connector 14a,
14b is electrically connected to each battery 4. When the moving body 2 detects the stop marker 12 and stops, and the head 20 moves as shown by the arrow 22 and approaches the moving body 2, first, the pair of guide pins 26a, 26b are first guided by the guide holes 16a ,. 16b, the relative positional relationship between the head 20 and the moving body 2 is accurately adjusted, and then the pair of charging electric power feeding connectors 24a, 24b are brought into contact with the pair of charging electric power receiving connectors 14a, 14b. In this way, the rechargeable battery 4 is charged.

Reference numeral 32 in the figure denotes a power supply device for charging electricity,
30 is a fixed block. The fixed block 30 and the head 20 are connected by a cable bear 28 in order to maintain the electrical connection while allowing the movement of the head 20.

[0006]

The rechargeable battery 4 generates heat during charging. This heat generation increases as the charging current increases.
The conventional charging device charges with a relatively low current, and the influence of heat generation is not a serious problem. In recent years, it has been required to increase the charging current and charge the battery rapidly in a short time. In response to this demand, if a large current is passed through the conventional charging device, heat generation of the rechargeable battery becomes a serious problem.
The first problem is that the internal temperature of the battery rises too much and the battery deteriorates to shorten the battery life significantly. The second problem is that the pressure inside the battery rises too much and the battery is more likely to be damaged. Furthermore, it is unavoidable that the effects of temperature rise will appear unevenly among multiple batteries, and while some batteries lack charging current,
Overcurrent may flow to other batteries. Further, the conventional charging device 34 uses the cable bear 28. The cable track 28 cannot be bent to a small radius, and a large ground space is required. Also, the cable connecting the fixed block 30 and the head 20 must be long.

An object of the present invention is to propose a technique for dealing with the problem of heat generation that occurs when a rechargeable battery is rapidly charged, and to enable rapid charging without causing serious problems. Another object of the present invention is to propose a technique that can eliminate the need for a cable bear from a charging device, and thus to reduce the installation space of the charging device and reduce the installation cost.

[0008]

The first invention of the present application is
The present invention relates to an electric vehicle itself, which houses a rechargeable battery and moves by the electric power of the rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery is electrically connected to a charging electricity receiving connector provided on the surface of the electric vehicle, and further includes cooling means for cooling the accommodated battery during charging. The second invention in the present application is
The present invention relates to a charging device, which has a head that approaches and separates from the electric vehicle, and the head is provided with a pair of charging electric power supply connectors and a cool air blowing connector. When the electric vehicle approaches the electric vehicle, the charging electric power receiving connector on the moving body side contacts the charging electric power feeding connector on the head side, and the cold air receiving connector on the moving body side cools air blowing connector on the head side. Communicate with. A third invention of the present application relates to a charging device which also corresponds to the second object, and has a head for approaching / leaving the electric vehicle and a fixed block, and the head has a pair of heads. Are provided with a charging electric power feeding connector, a cold air blowing connector, a pair of charging electric power receiving connector and a cold air receiving connector, and the fixed block has a pair of charging electric power feeding connector and a cold air blowing connector. When the head approaches the electric vehicle, the charging electric power feeding connector on the head side contacts the charging electric power receiving connector on the moving body side, and the charging electric power receiving connector on the head side is fixed. The block side charging electric power supply connector is contacted, the head side cool air blowing connector communicates with the moving body side cold air receiving connector, and the head side cold air receiving connector is fixed block. It is characterized by communicating to the side of the cool air Deyo connector.

[0009]

In the case of the electric vehicle according to the first aspect of the invention, the battery is efficiently cooled during charging, and the battery is not overheated and adversely affected even if it is rapidly charged. In the charging device according to the second aspect of the invention, when the head approaches the moving body, the charging electric power feeding connector on the head side comes into contact with the charging electric power receiving connector on the moving body side, and the cold air blowing connector on the head side. Communicates with the cold air receiving connector on the moving body side, and charging electricity and cold air are simultaneously sent from the head side to the moving body. In the charging device according to the third invention,
Despite the movement of the head, there is no need to use a cabel bear, and the installation space and installation cost can be reduced.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, one embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, in FIG.
The same numbers are used for the same members as those of the conventional technique shown in FIG. Only the differences will be described below. This moving body 2 has a cold air receiving connector 40.
a and 40b are added. Further, walls 42 surrounding the battery 4 are provided inside the battery storage chamber 6 in a grid pattern. Openings 42a are provided in the wall 42 to ensure ventilation between the lattice-shaped spaces. Wall 42 and battery 4
A gap is formed between them, and the four circumferences of the battery 4 can be ventilated. The upstream side of the ventilation path around the battery 4 on four sides communicates with the cool air receiving ducts 40a and 40b, and the downstream side communicates with the exhaust holes 44a and 44b. In this embodiment, a pair of cold air receiving ducts and a pair of exhaust holes are provided, but there is no particular restriction on the number.

The head 20 has a conventional pair of guide pins 26a and 26b and power supply connectors 24a and 24.
In addition to b, cold air blowing connectors 46a and 46b are provided. The cool air blowing connectors 46a and 46b are the head 2
It communicates with the cold air ducts 50a and 50b extending to the rear of 0. The power supply connectors 24a and 24b are also connected to the cables 48a and 48b extending to the rear of the head 20.
The cold air ducts 50a, 50b and the cables 48a, 48b are folded back in a U shape and connected to the cold air receiving connectors 54a, 54b and the power receiving connectors 52a, 52b that extend forward in the lower side of the head 20. The cold air receiving connector 54b and the power receiving connector 52b are hidden in the figure.

A fixed block 30 is fixed to the lower side and the front side of the head 20. On the back of the fixed block 30,
Cold air blowing connectors 58a, 58b and power feeding connector 5
6a and 56b are provided. Connector 5 for blowing cold air
8a and 58b are connected to the cooling device 84, and power supply connectors 56a and 56b are connected to the power supply device 32.

When the head 20 approaches the moving body 2, the charging electric power feeding connectors 24a, 24b on the head 20 side contact the charging electric power receiving connectors 14a, 14b on the moving body 2 side, and the charging electric power receiving on the head 20 side is received. Connector 52a,
52b contacts the charging electric power feeding connectors 56a and 56b on the fixed block 30 side, the cold air blowing connectors 46a and 46b on the head 20 side communicate with the cold air receiving connectors 40a and 40b on the moving body 2 side, and the head 20 side. The cold-air receiving connectors 54a, 54b communicate with the cold-air blowing connectors 58a, 58b on the fixed block 30 side. When the moving body 2 stops at the stop marker 12, the head 20 moves forward and the connectors are connected, then the charging current is supplied from the power source 32, and the cooling device 84 sends out cool air.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the charging device 60 in some detail. It should be noted that this drawing shows a portion related to cold air, and the flow path of the charging current is omitted in the drawing. In the figure, 30 indicates a fixed block installed on the ground,
A rail 30a extends to the moving body 2 side on the upper surface thereof. The cylinder 62 is fixed to the fixed block 30. The head member 20 is attached to the cylinder rod 62a of the cylinder 62.
Is installed. The head member 20 includes a head frame 20a, a floating support unit 20b, and a head plate 20c, and the head plate 20c can change its position with respect to the head frame 20a within a predetermined range by the floating support unit 20b. Cold air blowing connectors 46a and 46b are fixed to the head plate 20c.

A guide bar 6 is provided behind the fixed block 30.
The rear plate 30d is slidable in the front-back direction by 6. A spring 64 is set around the guide bar 66, and the rear plate 30d is biased rearward.
A cold air blowing connector 58b is provided on the rear plate 30d.

When the moving body 2 stops at the stop marker 12, the cylinder 62 causes the cylinder piston 62a to move as described above and sends the head plate 20c to the moving body 2 side. At this time, the guide pin 26, the guide hole 16, and the floating support unit 20b adjust the relative relationship between the head plate 20c and the moving body 2 to be a predetermined one. The positions of the moving bodies 2 in the left-right direction on the paper surface are not completely the same.
The guide bar 66 and the spring 64 are for compensating for this, and even if the position of the moving body 2 in the left-right direction on the paper surface is slightly displaced, the flexure of the spring 64 ensures the connection between the connectors.

In the electric vehicle of this embodiment, since cold air can be introduced into the battery chamber to charge the battery in a state where the battery is forcibly cooled, the battery does not overheat even if a large current is passed to perform rapid charging. It is possible to prevent shortening of life and occurrence of damage. It is also possible to prevent an overcurrent from flowing to a specific battery.

[0018]

According to the charging device of the present invention, by bringing the head closer to the moving body, the charging terminal and the cold air terminal are connected to each other, so that the rechargeable battery can be charged while being cooled. . Further, it is possible to eliminate the need to provide a cooling device for each moving body. Furthermore the third
According to the charging device of the present invention, in addition to the above effects, the effect that the cable bear can be eliminated can be obtained, and the installation space and cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric vehicle and a charging device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the charging device of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional electric vehicle and a charging device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Electric type moving body 4 Rechargeable battery 6 Battery accommodating chamber 14 Moving body side charging electric power receiving connector 20 Head 24 Head side charging electric power feeding connector 40 Moving body side cold air receiving connector 42 Wall 44 Exhaust hole 46 Head side cold air blowing connector 52 Head-side charging electric power receiving connector 54 Head-side cold air receiving connector 56 Fixed block-side charging electric power feeding connector 58 Fixed block-side cold air blowing connector

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An electric vehicle for accommodating a rechargeable battery and moving by the electric power of the rechargeable battery, wherein a pair of charging electric power receiving connector, cold air receiving connector and exhaust hole are formed on the surface thereof. The electric vehicle is characterized in that the accommodating chamber of the rechargeable battery communicates with the cold air receiving connector and the exhaust hole. 2. The charging device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a head for approaching / leaving the electric vehicle, wherein the head has a pair of charging electric power supply connectors and cold air blowing. A connector for charging is provided, and when the head approaches the electric vehicle, the connector for charging electric power reception on the moving body contacts the connector for charging electric power feeding on the head side to receive cold air on the moving body side. The charging device is characterized in that the connector for communication communicates with the cool air blowing connector on the head side. 3. The charging device for the electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a head that moves toward and away from the electric vehicle, and a fixed block, wherein the head has a pair of charging electric power feeds. A connector for cooling, a connector for blowing cold air, a pair of connectors for receiving electric power for charging and a connector for receiving cold air are provided, and the fixed block is provided with a pair of connectors for feeding electric power for charging and a connector for blowing cold air. When the head approaches the electric vehicle, the charging electric power feeding connector on the head side contacts the charging electric power receiving connector on the moving body, and the charging electric power receiving connector on the head side moves to the fixed block side. Contact the charging electric power supply connector, connect the cool air blowing connector on the head side to the cool air receiving connector on the moving body side, and connect the cool air receiving connector on the head side to the cool block on the fixed block side. A charging device characterized by communicating with a wind blowing connector.