EP3662540A1

EP3662540A1 - Charging plug and charging plug/charging socket system for charging an electric vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP3662540A1
Application number: EP18738279.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Peter Hakenberg
Original assignee: Paxos Consulting and Engineering GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Paxos Consulting and Engineering GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2017-07-07
Filing date: 2018-07-04
Publication date: 2020-06-10
Also published as: US11285828B2; WO2019008051A1; US11724608B2; US20220176837A1; US20200269713A1; DE102017115224A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a charging plug (10) for transmitting a charging current to an electrically operatable vehicle, having multiple contact elements for electrically contacting the charging plug (10) with contact elements of a charging socket (20). According to the invention, the charging plug (10) has a conical or cylindrical plug body (11), on the outer face of which multiple contact paths (30; 31; 32; 33; 34) that run concentrically about the plug body (11) are formed in a distributed manner in the axial direction. The invention additionally relates to a charging plug/charging socket system comprising such a charging plug (10) and a charging socket (20) with a hollow socket body (21) into which the plug body (11) of the charging plug (10) can be inserted, wherein contact surfaces (50; 51; 52; 53; 54) which run concentrically in the socket body (21) are formed on the inner face of the socket body (21).

Description

Charging plug and charging plug charging socket system

for charging an electric vehicle

Description:

The invention relates to a charging plug according to the preamble of claim 1, comprising a plurality of contact elements for electrical contact of the charging plug with contact elements of a charging socket. The invention further relates to a charging plug charging socket system, comprising such a charging plug and a charging socket, in which the charging plug for producing an electrical contact between contact elements of the charging plug and contact elements of the charging socket is positively inserted. Charging plugs for electrically driven vehicles are known from the prior art, which are formed for connection to a corresponding socket. Such plug-socket connections can be designed in various ways and include, for example, insertion aids, locking mechanisms or other additional features. The electrical contact between the leads of a charging cable and a corresponding charging component of a vehicle is typically made by a plurality of contact elements, with the aim of normalizing their shape and arrangement. A standardized connector system is to be provided for this catfish. It is therefore widely used, for contact between plug and socket as contact elements to use a plurality of contact pins, which are inserted into corresponding contact openings. The contact elements are basically to be dimensioned so that they can transmit sufficiently large charging currents. The contact surface of a contact element must be made larger, the larger the charge current to be transmitted.

In order to realize a fast charging of an electric vehicle via such a plug-socket connection, high charging currents must be used. However, a scaling of the dimensions of the contact pins and contact sockets can not be made indefinitely, as this leads to a disadvantageous installation space. Magnification and thus leads to larger plugs. These are not only heavy and unwieldy, but also increase the cost of a charging station. There is therefore a need to transmit the highest possible charging currents with the smallest possible size plug-socket systems.

When charging an energy storage device of a motor vehicle further heats the designed as a power plug contact charging plug. The Aufhelzen the plug contact is limited to a certain temperature increase. In order to comply with such a limited increase in temperature, however, in the case of the largely standardized connector geometries, only charging currents can be used at a level which does not permit fast charging of a vehicle. To solve this problem, for example, from DE 10 2015 100 347 AI an electrical connection body is known, which has a cooling fluid channel for cooling the connecting body with a cooling fluid.

Since the acceptance and distribution of electric vehicles also depends on the loading tent, there is therefore a need for charging systems that allow the fastest possible charging without increasing the standardized dimensions. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is therefore to provide a charging connector charging socket system that allows increased charging currents even with small plug dimensions.

According to the invention this object is achieved by a charging plug according to the independent claim 1 geiöst. Advantageous developments of the charging plug will become apparent from the dependent claims 2-6. The object is further achieved by an associated charging plug charging socket system according to claim 7. Advantageous developments of the charging connector charging socket system result from the dependent claims 8-10.

It should be noted that the features listed individually in the claims can be combined with each other in any technically meaningful manner and show further embodiments of the invention. The description additionally characterizes and specifies the invention in particular in connection with the figures. The charging plug according to the invention can be used for transmitting a charging current to an electrically operable vehicle. In this case, the charging plug can be formed on the vehicle or on a charging cable with which the vehicle is connected when charging. The charging plug has a plurality of contact elements for making electrical contact with the charging plug with contact elements of a suitable charging socket. Depending on the design of the charging cable and the vehicle, this charging socket is also formed on the vehicle or on the charging cable. According to the charging plug has a conical or cylindrical

Plug body on the outside in the axial direction distributed a plurality of concentric extending around the plug body contact paths are formed. The contact tracks lie like rings around the plug body. About this contact tracks correspondingly shaped contacts of a charging socket can be contacted electrically. The plug body of the charging plug can be formed conical or cylindrical. A receptacle on an associated charging socket is adapted to this shape of the plug body, so that the plug body can be inserted as accurately as possible in this recording. The charging socket in turn has internal contact elements or contact surfaces, which contact the outer contact paths of the plug body electrically in a connection of charging plug and charging socket.

The invention thus turns away from conventional charging plugs with a plurality of contact pins, which are inserted into openings of a charging socket in order to contact contacts of the charging socket. To increase the transferable charging current for fast charging, the diameter of such pins would have to be increased so much that the dimensions of the charging plug would adversely increase. Instead, the invention uses large-area contact tracks on the outside of a plug-in body. On this catfish, the contact surface between the contact elements of the plug and socket with the same connector size can be advantageous increase, in particular even double.

Furthermore, the arrangement of contact paths on the outside of a plug-in body has the advantage that the interior of the plug-in body can be used for other functions. can be used. For this purpose, the plug-in body of the charging plug can, for example, have a cavity extending axially through the plug-in body, which cavity can be used to accommodate further radio-component components. In one embodiment of the invention runs in such a cavity a Kühleln- direction for carrying a Kühimedlums through the charging plug. This cooling device may also include one or more valves in addition to flow and return ports for the cooling medium. For example, can be used for the flow control of the cooling medium Doppelkugeiventll. In one embodiment of the invention, it is provided that such valve means in the charging plug only serve to return the cooling medium from an inlet hose back into the charging cable. In this catfish, the heating of the charging plug can be kept within prescribed limits even during fast charging. In another embodiment, it is provided that cooling medium can also be provided to the electric vehicle if necessary in order to cool lines and in particular an energy store within the vehicle. The valve means in the charging connector are then designed so that they can lead a cooling medium either back into the charging cable or to a vehicle. To a vehicle, the coolant is then passed through the charging plug and the charging socket of a vehicle. After passing through the corresponding components of the vehicle, the heated cooling medium is led back through the charging socket of the vehicle into the charging plug and the charging cable.

The connection of the cooling circuit of the charging cable to a vehicle is especially important for fast charging. But even if vehicles are in the sun or in an underground car park, the use of vehicle cooling can be advantageous because the vehicles in these situations can not release additional heat of cargo to the outside. As an alternative to cooling the vehicle, however, the charging station could also reduce the charging power.

Whether the vehicle is to be supplied with a cooling medium when charging via the charging cable, preferably decides a control unit of the vehicle. If, for example, the vehicle does not have any devices for cooling energy stores, the valve means of the charging plug would control the cooling medium. By default, only pass through the charging plug and back through the charging cable. On the other hand, if a vehicle has the option of cooling, it can request it if necessary. This is done via a control unit of the vehicle. In one embodiment of the invention, the valve means of the charging plug can, for example, be actuated by a control unit of the vehicle via a commutation connection. In particular, the valve means of the charging plug are actuated via a push rod.

The arrangement of contact paths on the outside of the plug body of a charging connector thus has various advantages. In addition to the possible increase in the contact area for electrical contacts, the invention also allows the advantageous placement of components of a cooling system within the charging connector. If necessary, the front side of the charging plug can be used completely for the function of the cooling system. On the front but also individual contacts for control lines can be provided with low voltage, since they do not require enlarged contact surfaces. On the outside of the plug body are then only the power contacts for the charge. In order to protect the outer contact paths on the charging plug against damage and / or contamination and to protect persons from contact with the contacts, a protective device is preferably provided. For example, the charging plug has a cover which covers the contact paths from the outside, wherein the cover is designed to be movable relative to the plug body. The cover may thus occupy a position "open" in which the contact tracks are exposed and a position "closed" in which the contact tracks are protectively covered In a simple form of the invention, the cover may be removed before plugging the charging plug into a charging socket After re-charging, they are re-attached to the charging plug, which makes it a kind of cover or protective sleeve, but this involves a considerable amount of manual effort and the risk of loss of coverage. Therefore, embodiments have proved to be more advantageous in which a cover is displaceably attached to the charging plug, so that the cover can be pushed out of the region of the contact tracks for charging. After loading, the cover is pushed back into its protective position. For example, in the case of a charging plug with a cylindrical plug-in body, a cover can be formed by a hollow-cylindrical protective tube, which is mounted coaxially movably on the plug-in body in the region of the contact tracks. In one embodiment of the invention, such a protective tube has on its inside an internal thread, which is in engagement with an external thread on the plug body. About the threaded connection thus formed the protective tube is mounted rotatably relative to the plug body. The protective tube can be driven manually or driven by a motor on the external thread of the plug body and thus moved axially. A motorized drive Is provided on the charging plug itself or on an associated charging socket.

Also included in the invention is a charging plug charging socket system, comprising a charging plug according to an embodiment of the invention and a charging socket into which the charging plug can be positively inserted in order to produce an electrical contact between contact elements of the charging plug and contact elements of the charging socket. In this case, the charging socket on a hollow socket body, in which the plug body of the charging plug can be introduced, wherein on the inside of the socket body concentric in the socket body extending contact surfaces are formed. These contact surfaces may also be annular contact paths. In another embodiment of the invention clamping contacts are used, which bring via a servomotor contact surfaces after the Knlehebelprlnzlp in contact with the outer contact paths of the charging plug. The contact paths of the charging plug are then spanned by the contact tracks of the charging socket, wherein each contact path of the charging socket spans a contact path of the charging plug.

In order to move the described cover of the charging plug, which covers the contact paths of the charging plug from the outside, the charging plug includes Charging socket system In one embodiment drive means for moving this cover. For example, the charging socket has a servomotor for moving a cover of the charging plug. The steep motor drives a gripper with which the cover is gripped and moved. In one embodiment of the invention, such a servomotor is not only used to move the cover but also to pull the charging plug into the charging socket. The drive means then engage the cover so that they pull the charger plug in the charging socket on a movement of the cover away from the charging socket. In this movement of the cover, not only the contact paths of the plug body are released, but also like the charging plug pulled into the charging socket. This has the advantage that charging plug and charging socket are securely connected together.

Further advantages, special features and expedient developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the figures.

From the pictures shows: Flg. 1 is a schematic front view of the terminal sockets of a prior art charging plug;

Fig. 2 is a schematic longitudinal section through a charging plug according to

Flg. 1;

Fig. 3 is a schematic front view of an embodiment of inventions to the invention charging plug;

Fig. 4 is a schematic Rare view of a charging plug according to Flg. 3 with closed cover;

Fig. 5 is a schematic rare view of a charging socket; Flg. FIG. 6 shows a schematic side view of a charging plug according to FIG. 3 with open cover; FIG. and

Flg. 7 a connected charging plug charging socket system.

The charging plug according to the invention is preferably part of a charging cable, which is attached to a charging station for electrically operable vehicles. "The charging station is in communication with an energy source from which power can be transmitted to a vehicle via the charging cable. For this purpose, the charging cable is temporarily connected to the vehicle, which takes place via a corresponding male-female connection. Mierfür usually male-female connections are used, as shown by way of example in Figures 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows a front view charging plug 60, on the connection side of which contacts for different individual lines are formed. The connecting body of the vehicle to be connected has corresponding contacts, which are brought into electrical contact upon connection of the two components. In the embodiment of Flg. 1, for example, several Lelstungsleltun- conditions for the charging current LI, L2, L3, a neutral line N and a protective line PE are provided. Furthermore, in the charging cable a Pllotslallungung CP (control pllot) for the transmission of Pllotslgnalen and a so-called plug-present

Leltung (PP) be present, with the help of an electric vehicle can indicate a charging station, whether a charging cable is plugged with a plug Is or not.

In order to contact these lines LI, L2, L3, N, PE, CP and PP, a plurality of contact pins 71, 72, 73 are provided on an associated charging socket 70 (FIG. 2). Contact pins 71 for the control units CP and PP have a smaller diameter than pins 72, 73 for the other lines LI, L2, L3, N and PE. These contact pins 71, 72, 73 of the charging plug 70 are pushed into corresponding openings in the charging socket 60 in order to establish an electrical contact there.

The invention is directed against such known plug-socket systems with the known problems and instead provides a charging plug as shown in Figures 3 and 4 is. Basically, the figures show it only schematically the relevant features of the invention. It is clear to the person skilled in the art that these can be supplemented by known features such as housings, guides, locking mechanisms, etc. Flg. 3 shows a top view of the charging plug 10 of the Flg. 4. The charging connector 10 has a cylinder-shaped plug-in body 11, which is preferably formed as a hollow cylinder and thus has a cavity 14. In this cavity 14 components of a cooling system can be accommodated (not shown).

On the outer side of the plug body 11 a plurality of concentric contact tracks 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 are provided, which are arranged in the axial direction next to each other. These contact tracks are in the Flg. 4 only shown schematically and isolated from each other. The contact tracks are also connected to lines of a charging cable, which may be lines LI, L2, L3, N, PE, CP and PP as in known charging plugs. In the embodiment of Flg. 4 are formed on the outside of the plug body 11, only five contact paths for the lines LI, L2, L3, N and PE. Circular contact paths for the control lines CP and PP, however, are formed on the front sill of the plug body 11. These are shown in Fig. 3 by concentric black circles of greater thickness.

In an area of the plug-in body 11, an external thread 41 is further formed. On this external thread 41, a protective tube 12 is screwed with a corresponding internal thread 40. Flg. 4 shows the protective tube 12 in the closed position, in which it covers the contact tracks 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 and thus shields them from external contact. Thread 41 and the plug body 11 are partially housed in a housing 13, from which the plug body 11 protrudes with the contact tracks 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34.

The protective tube 12 can be rotated or pushed by an unillustrated actuator into an open position. Fig. 6 shows this process by two arrows in the direction of the housing 13 again. The servomotor rotates the support raw r 12 on the external thread 41, so that it is displaced in the direction of the housing 13 and so the contact paths 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34 releases. A charging socket 20, as shown in the schematic representation of the Flg. 5 can now be found on the Plug body 11 of the charging plug 10 are pushed. For this purpose, the charging socket 20 essentially has a hollow-cylindrical socket body 21, on the inside of which a plurality of contacts are arranged. These contacts are shown in simplified form in FIG. 5 as annular contact paths 50, 51, 52, 53. Preferably clamping contacts are used, the contact surfaces can bring about a servomotor according to the toggle lever principle in contact with the outer contact paths of the charging connector 10. The contact tracks 30, 31, 32, 33 of the charging plug 10 are then spanned by the contact tracks 50, 51, 52, 53 of the charging socket 20, wherein each contact track of the charging socket spans a contact track of the charging plug. FIG. 7 shows a charging socket 20 after sliding onto the charging plug 10.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 charging plugs

11 plug body

12 cover, protection tube

13 housing

14 cavity

20 charging socket

21 socket body

30,31,32,33,34 contact track

40 internal thread

41 external thread

50,51,52,53,54 contact surface

60 Charging socket State of the art 70 Charging plug State of the art

71,72,73 contact pin

Claims

Claims: 1. Charging plug (10) for transmitting a charging current to an electrically operable vehicle, comprising a plurality of contact elements for electrical contact of the charging plug (10) with contact elements of a charging socket (20),

characterized in that the charging plug (10) has a conical or cylindrical plug-in body (11), on the outer side in the axial direction distributed a plurality of concentric around the plug body (11) extending contact paths (30; 31; 32; 33; 34) are formed ,

2. charging plug according to claim 1,

characterized in that the charging plug (10) has a cover (12) which covers the contact tracks (30; 31; 32; 33; 34) from the outside, the cover (12) being designed to be movable relative to the plug body (11).

3. charging plug according to claim 2,

characterized in that the charging plug (10) has a cylindrical plug-in body (11) and the cover (12) is a hollow-cylindrical protective tube which, in the region of the contact tracks (30; 31; 32; 33; 34), is coaxially movable on the plug-in body (10) is attached.

4. charging plug according to claim 3,

characterized in that on the inside of the protective tube (12) an internal thread (40) is formed which is in engagement with an external thread (41) on the plug body (11), and the protective tube (12) via the threaded connection (40; 41) is rotatably mounted relative to the plug body (11).

5. charging plug according to one or more of claims 1 to 4,

characterized in that the plug body (11) of the charging plug (10) has an axially through the plug body (11) extending cavity (14).

6. charging plug according to claim 5,

characterized in that in the cavity (14) extends a Kühlleinrlch- device for carrying a cooling medium through the charging plug (10).

7. charging plug charging socket system, comprising a charging plug (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and a charging socket (20), in which the charging plug (10) for establishing an electrical contact between contact elements of the charging plug (10) and contact elements of Charging socket (20) can be positively inserted,

characterized in that the charging socket (20) has a hollow socket body (21) into which the plug body (11) of the charging plug (10) can be introduced, wherein on the inside of the socket body (21) concentrically in the socket body (21) extending contact surfaces

(50; 51; 52; 53; 54) are formed.

8. charging plug charging socket system according to claim 7,

characterized in that it comprises drive means for moving a cover (12) of the charging plug (10), which covers the contact tracks (30; 31; 32; 33; 34) of the charging plug (10) from the outside.

9. charging plug charging socket system according to claim 8,

characterized in that the charging socket (20) has a servomotor for moving a cover (12) of the charging plug (10),

10. charging plug charging socket system according to one of claims 8 and 9,

characterized in that the drive means so on the cover (12) engage that they pull the charging plug (10) in the charging socket (20) on a movement of the cover (12) of the charging socket (20) away.