EP3873767A1

EP3873767A1 - Device for conductive charging comprising improved contact elements

Info

Publication number: EP3873767A1
Application number: EP19797692.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco Weiss; Werner JÄGER; Bernhard Hoess; Manfred Holzmann; Alexander Ewald
Original assignee: Hirschmann Automotive GmbH; Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Current assignee: Hirschmann Automotive GmbH; Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Priority date: 2018-10-31
Filing date: 2019-10-31
Publication date: 2021-09-08
Also published as: EP3873766A1; DE102019129419A1; WO2020089390A1; CN113165542A; US11780340B2; CN113165543A; US20210323423A1; WO2020089381A1; CN113286722A; US20210331596A1; DE102019129439A1; CN113165542B; US20210387539A1; WO2020089392A1; DE102019129436A1; EP3873765A1

Abstract

A device (1) for conductive charging, having a vehicle unit (2) that is fixedly mounted on a vehicle, and a stationary, but moveably mounted robot unit (3), wherein: the vehicle unit (2) can be operatively connected to the robot unit (3) in order to carry out the charging process; the two units (2, 3) each have a housing (4, 10) in which associated contact elements (5, 11) are disposed; in the robot unit (3), the contact elements (5) are recessed in the housing (4) of the robot unit (3); and the contact elements (11) in the housing (10) of the vehicle unit (2) are fixed in place, characterised in that the at least one contact element (5) of the robot unit (3) has a base (7), from which a cylindrical portion (8) and a contact tab (6) project, and the at least one contact element (11) of the vehicle unit (2) has a base (18), from which at least one contact spring (20) and a contact tab (19) project.

Description

Conductive charging device with improved contacts

description

The invention relates to a device for conductive charging, in particular of electric vehicles at a fixed station, according to the features of the preamble of claim 1

From WO 2016/119001 A1, a plug connection for connecting in particular electrical lines is known for conductive charging, comprising at least one female connecting element and one male

Connecting element, the female connecting element receiving the male connecting element in a form-fitting manner and wherein the two connecting elements can be non-positively and releasably connected in the case of form-fitting contact, and wherein a connecting region of the male connecting element is formed coaxially tapering and comprises at least one displaceable contact body which is in a first position within and is arranged projecting from the male connecting element in a second position. With the device described in this international patent application, conductive charging, in particular of electric vehicles, is possible at a base station. One connecting element is arranged on the autonomously driving vehicle, whereas the other connecting element is arranged in a stationary manner, but can be moved there within certain limits. If the vehicle moves with its connecting element in the direction of the fixed connecting element, these two connecting elements are brought into operative connection by the respective contact bodies of the two for electrical contacting Connecting elements are brought into connection with one another so that the charging current can then flow.

In this prior art, however, the contact elements (contact body) of the male connecting element are arranged movably in this male connecting element. In a first position, they are arranged entirely within the male connecting element, so that this contact body is protected against contact and contamination. Only when the two connecting elements have been brought together does the contact body, which was previously located within the connecting element, move out of the male connecting element, so that these contact bodies can be contacted with the associated contact bodies of the female connecting element. The invention provides an improved device for conductive charging. Conductive charging means that the electrical contacts of a base station at which charging energy is made available are operatively connected to electrical contacts of an autonomously driving vehicle, so that they touch each other for charging. Compared to the well-known inductive charging, which takes place without contact, this conductive charging has the advantage of significantly higher energy transmission, so that autonomously driving vehicles are charged much faster and are ready for operation again.

A vehicle unit is provided for the entire device for conductive charging, which is arranged on the vehicle, in particular the electric vehicle. Independently and at any other point, a robot unit is provided which can be controlled by the vehicle for the purpose of charging. The robot unit is thus stationary, but within certain limits at the location, on which to load, movable. The purpose of this is that the vehicle with its vehicle unit does not have to control the robot unit 100 percent, but rather that the robot unit searches for the vehicle unit when the vehicle has been parked for charging.

Proceeding from this, the object of the invention is to improve the contacts both on the vehicle unit side and on the robot unit side of the device for conductive charging. This object is solved by the features of claim 1.

According to the invention, it is provided that the at least one contact of the robot unit has a base from which a cylinder section and a contact lug originates and the at least one contact of the vehicle unit has a base from which at least one contact spring and a contact lug originates. The base of the contact of the robot unit achieves a stiffness of this contact, which is additionally increased by the cylinder section protruding from the base. The cylinder section in turn forms a sufficiently large contact area for the at least one contact, preferably for the multiple contacts of the robot unit. This ensures robust contacting and high operational reliability. This is further increased by the fact that the at least one contact of the vehicle unit has the base from which at least one contact spring, again preferably a plurality of contact springs, originates. This eliminates the disadvantage of the prior art, in which the contacts of the male and female connecting elements come into contact all over the surface. This creates a high level of friction, which on the one hand makes contacting and on the other hand centering with each other more difficult. Through the system or the connection of the at least one contact spring of the contact of the one unit with one if possible Large contact area, which is formed by the cylinder section, the contacting is improved, in particular by a selective or small section-wise contact area, and moreover the friction during the bringing together of the robot unit and vehicle unit is minimized.

In addition, it goes without saying that each contact has at least one contact lug, preferably exactly one contact lug, with which this respective contact via downstream lines, optionally with the interposition of plug connections, with a control device and / or an energy source for charging and / or the like can be connected.

In a development of the invention, it is provided that the cylinder section has at least one recess, preferably a plurality of recesses arranged over the circumference of the cylinder section. The at least one recess or the plurality of recesses arranged over the circumference of the cylinder section have the advantage that the rigidity of the cylinder section is deliberately reduced somewhat in order to enable play compensation when the contact of the robot unit with the associated contact of the vehicle unit is brought together. It goes without saying that the contact, in particular a contact spring, of the vehicle unit is not guided into the area of a respective recess, but into an area of the cylinder section next to a respective recess and comes into contact there for the purpose of contacting.

In a further development of the invention, it is provided that the base of the contact is formed by a plurality of base sections arranged over the circumference, a contact spring projecting vertically between two base sections in each case. A geometrical embodiment of this contact is thus available, which can be automated very well and in large numbers and thus reduced in cost known stamping and bending process or a known stamping and rolling process or a combination of these two processes can be produced.

In a further development of the invention it is provided that the contact spring has an angled portion at its free end. On the one hand, the connection of the contact spring to the base of this contact brings about a certain flexibility, in order to compensate for tolerances and, above all, to facilitate centering when the vehicle unit and robot unit are brought together. This ease of centering and also the increase in the contact force is further improved in that the contact spring has an angled portion at its free end. This advantageous relief is achieved in particular when the angled end of the free end of the contact spring is at a distance, in particular at a plane-parallel distance, from the base section of the contact spring. Thus, a spring force is achieved not only by the contact spring projecting, preferably perpendicularly, from the base, but also by angling the end portion of the contact spring at its free end.

The contact elements of the robot unit are recessed in a housing and are therefore protected from external contact or contamination, but are accessible to the contact elements of the vehicle unit. The contact elements of the vehicle unit must also be protected against contact or contamination. For this purpose, according to the invention, the contact elements of the vehicle unit are covered by a gripping protection, so that the contact elements of the vehicle unit are not accessible as long as there is no charging and as long as the vehicle unit has not been brought into operative connection with the robot unit. Only when the robot unit is moved in the direction of the vehicle unit is this gripping protection moved by the robot unit relative to the housing of the vehicle unit, so that the contact elements of the vehicle unit, the are fixedly arranged in the housing of the vehicle unit, can be released and can intervene in the corresponding free spaces in the robot unit in order to touch and contact the contact elements of the robot unit located there. For this purpose, the gripping protection is supported on the housing of the vehicle unit by means of springs. This configuration has the essential advantage that the gripping protection is moved as a mechanical component in relation to the housing of the vehicle unit, whereas the contact elements of the vehicle unit are arranged in a fixed position in it, since in practice a movable mechanical component (without electrical function) is much better can be realized as an electrically conductive component, which in the case of the prior art not only serves for electrical contacting, but which also has to be moved at the same time As a result, the invention realizes a much simpler and safer construction of the device for conductive charging. The contacts are also arranged fixed in the housing of the robot unit. For example, the contacts in the robot unit and the vehicle unit are extrusion-coated in some areas for the purpose of their fixing in the respective housing, a portion of the contacts remaining free after the molding process for the purpose of contacting or connecting supply lines. An exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention and a method of how this device is operated are described below and explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13.

Figure 1 shows the basic structure of a device 1 according to the invention for conductive charging. A vehicle unit 2 is shown, which has a housing in which contact elements (not shown here) and, if appropriate, further functional components are arranged. This vehicle unit 2 is at a suitable location, in particular on an underbody, of an electric vehicle, which is preferably moves autonomously, arranged. Furthermore, there is a so-called robot unit 3, which likewise has a housing in which contact elements (also not shown here) and also, if appropriate, further functional components. These two units 2, 3 are brought into operative connection approximately overlapping when the vehicle has arrived at a charging station at which the robot unit 3 is present.

FIG. 1 shows that the robot unit 3 is already in engagement with the vehicle unit 2. Other means that are required for movement and position detection for the robot unit 3 or the vehicle unit 2 are present, but are not shown.

FIG. 2 shows the side of the robot unit 3 pointing in the direction of the vehicle unit 2. It can be seen that the robot unit 3 has a housing 4, preferably made of plastic. In this plastic housing 4 there is a conductor ring 5 (several conductor rings 5 are shown) which are connected to an energy source (not shown) for charging the vehicle. Each conductor ring 5 ends with a contact lug 6, which is present, for example, for contacting a connector, not shown.

A conductor ring 5 is shown in FIG. 3, for example. Such a conductor ring 5 is preferably realized as a deep-drawn sheet, which forwards the current to the vehicle and which is arranged in a suitable position and size in the housing 4 of the robot unit 3. In this embodiment, a plurality of conductor rings 5 are arranged concentrically one inside the other. Each conductor ring 5 has a base which is arranged at the circumferential end of a cylinder section 8 and protrudes therefrom. The conductor ring 5 can thus be arranged very well in the housing 4, in particular it can be fixed. This applies in particular if a partial area of the cylinder section 8 together with the base 7 is surrounded by a plastic material which forms the housing 4. At least one recess 9 is present over the circumference of the cylinder section 8. In this embodiment there are exactly three recesses 9.

FIG. 4 shows the vehicle unit 2, which is preferably arranged with its underside (when viewing FIG. 4) on an underside of the vehicle (not shown). The vehicle unit 2 also has a housing 10, preferably made of plastic. Facing the top (when viewing FIG. 4) of the vehicle unit 2 is a preferably plate-shaped gripping protection 12 which is arranged to be movable approximately plane-parallel to the top of the housing 10 of the vehicle unit 2. The contacts 11 in the vehicle unit 2, which are present but not yet fully recognizable here, are arranged in a fixed manner in the housing 10 of the vehicle unit 2. Cutouts are provided in the grip guard 12 for the corresponding contacts 11 in the vehicle unit 2, so that when the grip guard 12 is pressed together by the robot unit 3 in the direction of the upper side of the vehicle unit 2, the contacts 11 can penetrate these cutouts and are thus released. in order to be able to be applied to the contacts 5 in the robot unit 3. An exemplary embodiment of the flat gripping protection 12 with the corresponding cutouts for the contacts 11 (spring contacts) is shown in FIG. Such a gripping protection 12, like the housings 4, 10 of the two units 2, 3, can also be produced, for example, in a plastic injection molding process. It is essential that the gripping protection 12 can be moved relative to the vehicle unit 2 in order to either protect or release the contacts 11 in the housing 10 of the vehicle unit 2, the contacts 11 being arranged in a fixed manner in the housing 10 of the vehicle unit 2. It can also be seen and illustrated that the gripping protection 12 has a base 13 with a central opening 14. Around the center opening 14 there is an area that extends obliquely to the base 13, in which a plurality of recesses 15 are arranged all around and also beveled. The corresponding conductor springs 11 of the vehicle unit 2 are guided through these recesses 15 and released if charging is to be carried out, or arranged under these recesses 15 if no charging is to be carried out, so that overall the gripping protection 12 has the effect that the conductor springs 11 are covered in the latter case . In addition, the gripping guard 12 also has a plurality of recesses 16 all around, through which further elements can be carried out, for example in order to bring the vehicle unit 2 and the robot unit 3 to the correct position on top of one another. In order to be able to mount the gripping protection 12 in the correct position, a coding lug 17 (or possibly further elements or more than one coding lug) can also be present.

An exemplary embodiment of a contact 11 (conductor spring) of the vehicle unit 2 is shown in FIG. 6. This contact 11, which is shown as an example, is in turn a deep-drawn sheet, which likewise forwards the current to the vehicle. An outer ring can be seen as the base 18, from which a contact tab (again for the connection of a connector, not shown) protruding outwards and contacts 20 angled toward the inside extend upwards, these contacts 20 either being released by the gripping protection 12 or are covered for the purpose of protection against contact or contamination. If a plurality of such conductor springs 11 are arranged concentrically in the robot unit or here the vehicle unit 2, they vary in their diameters. FIG. 7 shows the method for operating the two units 2, 3 as described above and shown in FIGS. 1 to 6.

In the left-hand illustration of FIG. 7 it can be seen that although the vehicle unit 2 has already been brought into the area of the robot unit 3, no contact has yet been made. This means that the robot unit 3 still has to find and set its exact position in relation to the vehicle unit 2, for which purpose appropriate sensors and means for the movement of the robot unit 3 are present, but are not shown

The required coverage of the robot unit 3 with the vehicle unit 2, after it has been achieved, is shown in the middle representation in FIG. It can be seen here that the contact elements 11 in the vehicle unit are still arranged within the housing 10 of the vehicle unit 2 and are covered by the gripping protection 12. The gripping protection 12 is pressed against the spring force by the robot unit 3 in the direction of the housing 10, so that the contacts 11 in the vehicle unit 2 are thereby released by the gripping protection 12 so that they can come into contact with the contacts 5 of the robot unit 3 Bring active connection and thus the contacting of contacts 5, 11 of the two units can be seen in the right-hand illustration of FIG. 7, so that the charging process can now take place.

So that the vehicle unit 2 and the robot unit 3 can be brought together in a defined position, the housing 4 of the robot unit 3 has a dome 21, which is passed through the central opening 14 of the gripping protection 12. The dome 21 of the robot unit 3 is guided by a corresponding counter element on the part of the vehicle unit 2, which is used for this is designed and suitable to connect to the dome 21 and to guide the robot unit 3 during the movement towards the vehicle unit 2.

For the sake of clarity, the middle representation of FIG. 7 also shows that the gripping guard 12 can be moved in one direction 22 from its starting position 23 and vice versa. The starting position 23 of the gripping protection 12 is such a position in which the gripping protection 12 is spaced plane-parallel to a defined reference point (or reference surface) of the housing 10 of the vehicle unit 2. The distance in this starting position 23 between the gripping protection 12 and the housing 10 of the vehicle unit 2 is defined and is, for example, by a spring arranged between the gripping protection 12 and the housing 10 of the vehicle unit 2, preferably a plurality of springs, again preferably at each corner point of the preferably square trained gripping protection 12, realized. This at least one spring is compressed in the direction of movement 22 and the gripping guard 12 moves in the direction of the defined point on the housing 10 of the vehicle unit 2 when a defined point (or a defined area) of the housing 4 of the robot unit 3 moves towards the vehicle unit 2 becomes. With further movement of the robot unit 3 in the direction of movement 22 onto the vehicle unit 2, the gripping protection 12 is also moved further in the direction of the housing 10 of the vehicle unit 2 and the at least one spring is compressed, so that the contacts 11 of the vehicle unit 2 are released and in operative connection with them Contacts 5 of the robot unit 3 can be brought. This position of the vehicle unit 2 and the robot unit 3 relative to one another is, as already explained, shown in the lower right illustration of only 7.

It goes without saying that after the charging process is complete, the two units 2, 3 are separated from one another in the reverse procedure, the contacts 11 fixed in the housing 10 of the vehicle unit 2 are again covered by the gripping protection 12 after the robot unit 3 has been removed from the vehicle unit 2.

FIGS. 8 to 13 show particularly advantageous configurations of the contacts 5, in particular the vehicle unit 2, and the contacts 11, in particular the robot unit 3. If there are a plurality of contacts 5 or contacts 11, the coaxial arrangement is retained in this exemplary embodiment, although in general other arrangements are also conceivable . FIG. 8 shows that the at least one contact 5 of the robot unit 3 has a base 7, from which a cylinder section 8 and a contact lug 6 originate. It can also be seen that the cylinder section 8 has at least one recess 9, preferably a plurality of recesses 9 arranged over the circumference of the cylinder section 8. The cylinder section 8 increases the rigidity of this contact 5, in particular when the cylinder section 8 protrudes from the base 7 exactly perpendicular or approximately perpendicular. With the base 7, the respective contact 5 can be arranged very well in the housing 4, in particular on the bottom of the housing 4, of the robot unit 3. The base 7 is preferably fixed in the housing 4 if the housing 4 consists of plastic and is produced in a plastic injection molding process.

FIG. 9 shows that the at least one contact 11 of the vehicle unit 2 has a base 18 from which at least one contact spring 20 and a contact tab 19 originate. In the case of the contact 11 according to this exemplary embodiment, the base 18 of the contact 11 is composed of a plurality of base sections arranged over the circumference

24 is formed, a contact spring 20 protruding vertically between each two base sections 24. As an alternative or in addition, the base sections 24 can also be angled, preferably at exactly 90 degrees, aligned with the contact springs 20 are. It is also shown that the contact spring 20 has an angled portion (25) at its free end.

FIG. 10 shows how a respective contact 5 has been brought into operative connection with its associated contact 11 after the robot unit 3 has been connected to the

Vehicle unit 2 has been brought together by means of the corresponding centering process. Above all, it can be seen that the respective contact spring 20, in particular with its free end region, in which the bend 25 in particular is also located, of the contact 11 has been brought together with the cylinder section 8 of the contact 5. It should be pointed out here that the respective contact spring 20 has come into contact with the contact 5 in a region of the cylinder section 8 next to the recess 9.

With reference to FIG. 10, for example, it should also be pointed out that the base section 24 is produced in strip form in a stamping and bending process and separately the respective contact spring 20 is also produced in a stamping and bending process. After the contact spring 20 has been separately positioned, its end facing away from the bend 25 is fixed to the base sections 24 by a bending process, a caulking process or the like. This is preferably done by a frictional connection, but can alternatively or additionally by a positive connection (such as soldering, welding, gluing with an electrically conductive adhesive and the like).

Finally, FIGS. 11 to 13 once again show the coaxial arrangement of the contacts 5, 11, the centering means being arranged in the middle of this coaxial arrangement. Reference symbol list

1. Loading device

2. Vehicle unit

3. Robot unit

4. Housing

5. conductor ring (= contact or contact element)

6. Contact flag

7. Base

8. Cylinder section

9. Recess

10. Housing

11. Conductor springs (= contact or contact element)

12. Grip protection

13. Base

14. Center opening

15. Recess

16. Recess

17. Coding nose

18th base

19. Contact flag

20. Contact springs

21. Cathedral

22. Direction of movement

23. Starting position

24th base section

25. Angling

Claims

Conductive charging device with improved contacts

Claims

1. A device (1) for conductive charging, comprising a vehicle unit (2) fixedly arranged on a vehicle and a robot unit (3) arranged fixedly but movably there, the vehicle unit (2) being operatively connected to the robot unit (3) for charging can be brought, the two units (2, 3) each having a housing (4, 10) in which associated contacts (5, 11) are arranged, the contacts (5) being deepened in the robot unit (3) Housing (4) of the robot unit (3) are arranged and the contacts (11) are arranged fixed in the housing (10) of the vehicle unit (2), characterized in that the at least one contact (5) of the robot unit (3) is a base (7), from which a cylinder section (8) and a contact tab (6) extends and the at least one contact (11) of the vehicle unit (2) has a base (18), from which at least one contact spring (20) and a contact tab (19) goes out.

2. Device (1) for conductive charging according to claim 1, characterized in that the cylinder section (8) has at least one recess (9), preferably a plurality of recesses (9) arranged over the circumference of the cylinder section (8).

3. Device (1) for conductive charging according to claim 1, characterized in that the base (18) of the contact (11) of several over the Circumferentially arranged base sections (24) are formed, a contact spring (20) projecting vertically between each two base sections (24).

4. The device (1) for conductive charging according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the contact spring (20) has an angled portion at its free end

(25).

5. The device (1) for conductive charging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the vehicle unit (2) relative to the housing (10) of the vehicle unit (2) movable gripping protection (12) is provided, with which the contacts (11) the vehicle unit (2) are protected or released.

6. Device (1) for conductive charging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact elements (5)

Robot unit (3) sunk in the housing (4) protected from external contact or contamination, but accessible for the contact elements (11) of the vehicle unit (2). 7. Device (1) for conductive charging according to one of the preceding

Claims, characterized in that the gripping protection (12) is supported by springs on the housing (10) of the vehicle unit (2).

8. The device (1) for conductive charging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact elements (11)

Vehicle unit (2) are covered by the gripping protection (12), so that the contact elements (11) of the vehicle unit (2) are not accessible as long as there is no charging and as long as the vehicle unit (2) is not in contact with the robot unit (3) Has been brought into operative connection, and only when the robot unit (3) is moved in the direction of the vehicle unit (2) is this gripping protection (12) moved by the robot unit (3) relative to the housing (10) of the vehicle unit (2) , so that the contact elements (11) of the vehicle unit (2), which are fixed in the housing (10) of the vehicle unit (2), are released and can engage in corresponding free spaces in the robot unit (3) in order to contact the contact elements ( 5) touch the robot unit (3) and contact it. 9. The device (1) for conductive charging according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contacts (5) in the robot unit (3) and / or the contacts (11) of the vehicle unit (2) in some areas for the purpose of their determination in the respective Housing (4, 10) of the robot unit (3) and / or the vehicle unit (2) are overmolded with a plastic material.