CA2274370A1

CA2274370A1 - Charging stations for electric vehicles

Info

Publication number: CA2274370A1
Application number: CA002274370A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Glaucio Roberto De Paschoal
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-05-31
Filing date: 1999-05-31
Publication date: 2000-11-30

Abstract

The main reason of the lack of success of EV projects was the unability of the vehicle to get back in motion before those long hours of recharging after their batteries have drained out. This invention of mine is a modest try to encourage the auto makers to make a move towards building pollution free vehicles and gradually retire the internal combustion engine ones.

Description

SPECIFICATIONS:
A pillar-like electricity dispenser that electronically or coin operated controls the billing and other functions of the device. It can also replace the existing parking meters as it can also take care of this kind of metering and subsequent billing.
A manned, semi or fully automated stations for charging "power packs" where the vehicles will park at a loading bay, a conveyor shaft will approach taking along a supporting plate that has the rail attached that will guide the power pack out from the inside the body of the vehicle to the inside the compartment of the charging station, and vice versa. In case of automobiles a device will come up from the ground and grasp the front panel that also serve as entering steps, and move~'~out and ups out of the way of the moving power pack, and returns to its original position right after the freshly charged one are secured in place. This device doesn't function in case of other vehicles or trailers. The station will have also a mechanical device to take the pack out of the vehicle and deliver to the conveyor car that circulates Page 2 of 9 back and forth, up an down and collects and delivers packs to their compartments placed in many levels to save time of operation. Some or all the compartments could have a rack full of probe tubes that penetrates and service the batteries whenever in need distilled water, etc, as well as make the readings of their working status, reporting to a tag that could be scanned and monitored at any time.
Fig.l Is the pillar type electricity dispenser that, as the vehicle parks right besides, will move part (C) outwards penetrating the electric contacts (A) in the vehicle's take up contacts and dispense electricity as soon as the driver makes the proper commands in the other side's panel. This energy will travel from inner cables and through the flexible cables (B). Motor (D) drives wheels (E) that will drive the chain that will move the part (C) in and out. Motor (F) will drive the shaft (Fl) up and down in order to align the "nozzle" with the vehicle's take-up contacts. An inside sensor controls the height of the "nozzle" and one onboard controls the position of the vehicle and the charger making the "fine-tune" driving.
Fig.2 is the device that will take the front panel of the automobiles out of the way of the power packs and bring it back right after the freshly charged one is back. (A) is a tray that would come up from the underground making the sticks (D) penetrate the holes of the panel to make it firm to travel. Then the wheels (E) will roll away from the vehicle at the same time triggering the elevator (B) counteracting by the weights (C) moving together until find a proper place atop the next machine.
Fig.3 Is a conveyor that acted by chain system illustrated in (E) will make the shaft (C) move outwards making the plate (A) penetrate the female holders of the vehicle and activate the locking pin that penetrates the hole (B) and making the plates (D) to engage the power pack holders to the (C) shaft.
After this is done, the system of the wheels (E) will work the oposite way bringing the power pack out of the vehicle and move towards the charging station. After certain point the conveyor shaft will come to the end of the rope and the "pack" is still far away from the next stage. Then the conveyor shaft system will move upwards to the position (F) and the wheels (Fl), forced upwards by the springs (I) will come into action delivering the "pack" to the shaft of the conveyor car that will take care of the rest of the trip.
Fig.4 is an inside view of the charging station showing at the center the conveyor car that acted by the system (C) will penetrate the shaft (A) into the holders of the "pack", will release the plates (B) and will drag it from the previous stage its center, then will move forwards or backwards, straight or upwards to deliver the load to the charging compartments (Fl). This same, or other similar cars, if available, will make other pick-ups and deliveries in both Page 3 of 9 sides. Systems driven by wheels (I) and counter weighed by the pads (K) will make the rails (M) go up and down, thus elevating the power packs to desired level. Wheels (F) rolling on rails (G) will provide back and forth movement for the conveyor car, In case additional operation requires it to move sideways, locks (L) should be released and wheels (E) will make the car to move right or left. All these operations could be manned, semi or fully automated.
Fig. 5 is a probe tube that coming down from the ceiling area of the charging compartments, penetrates each battery cell stopping just above their plates. The battery solution will enter the vents (A) and sensor (E) will do the readings of the level of solution and conditions of the cell, transmitting the information to a tag located in some area of the "pack" easy to be scanned. Should the solution is low, the same tube will dispense necessary deistilled water or any other chemicals to the battery cell. The wire (D) is what connects the sensor (E) to the other side of the equipment.
Fig. 6 is the rack that will drive the above mentioned tubes, all at the same time (B) one for each cell, that in order to ensure perforation of all the battery caps at the same time, would have some heavy beams at the frame (A). (D) would be the cables or rods that will drive the whole rack up and down, and (C) are the tubes and wires that will make the possible the electronic readings as well as necessary fluid dispensing.
Fig. 7 is a bird's eye view of a charging station where the vehicles (E) will park, activate the pads (F) with a credit card, punching a code, etc., will make the loading bay (A) function and start the interchange session. (D) are the charge compartments and (B) the conveyor cars that will roll on rails (C).

Claims

CLAIMS:
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1) A pillar-like connector that optionally and automatically adjusts its height and depth that serves as an electricity dispenser for charging batteries of EVs. (electric vehicles), as well as parking meters for internal combustion motor vehicles. This device can also be spaced in rows to serve many vehicles at the same time in case of modular convoy system and could also be built in walls or any other surface.

2) A manned, semi or fully automated station for charging battery containers or "power packs" where the vehicles will park at a loading bay. in case of front gate automobiles, an equipment will come from out of the ground grasping the front panel and move it away and out of the way, then a conveyor shaft will approach penetrating and grasping the "pack's"

front handles, after the device is secured and locked inside the female holder of the vehicle and the rails aligned, will take the "pack" to the next stage.

3) A device that serves to transport the front panels of EVs. out of the way of the power packs to be interchanged to freshly charged ones and puts it back when session is finished.

4) A device that after docking firmly at the EV's chassis will grasp the handles of the "pack" and delivers it to the shafts of the conveyor car.

5) A conveyor car on two optional transverse rail systems plus elevator mechanism that can transport power packs to a and from the loading docks, to and from the charging compartments, up and down and in any necessary direction in both sides of the station.

6) The charging compartments will also have their mechanisms of holding the "packs" and electric connectors similar to the ones of the inner are of the vehicles they came from, and they could be built in many rows and levels to save space and time of operation. It is understood that the handles of pacts as well as the locksmith type plates to engage thereto could optionally be replaced by magnetic or electromagnetic pads, the same applying to the holding gadgets of all conveying shafts, onboard and inside charging compartments.

7) A rack of probe tubes could be installed at the ceiling of one, some or all the charging compartments that will come down, penetrates the battery caps and will stop just above the plates of each battery cell, will collect its solution, checking the level and dispensing distilled water or other necessary fluids as needed, and will check its working conditions with its sensor and reporting to whoever monitoring the data.

8) A tag placed in some area of the power pack easily to be scanned that collects information about any possible malfunction, age of the batteries, working status, etc.