JP2011239538A - Charging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charging apparatus capable of housing a charging cable which is kept inserted in an electric outlet in a condition where safety is secured.SOLUTION: The charging apparatus comprises: an electric outlet 13 to be connected by one plug of a charging cable 40; a hook 16 as a plug holding means for holding a vehicle side plug 45 which is another plug of a charging cable 40; a housing chamber 14 housing the electric outlet 13, the hook 16 and the charging cable 40; and a housing 11 having a water proof means for water proofing the housing chamber 14.

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging device for charging a battery in a battery-powered automobile.

  In recent years, EVs and PHV-powered automobiles have attracted attention from the viewpoint of measures against global warming. In this automobile, a battery is used as a power source, and charging of the battery is an issue.

  Charging devices are required for battery charging, and devices that perform quick charging are installed at gas stations, etc. On the other hand, charging devices that require about 8 hours at 100V have also been developed at home. ing. Since this household charging device can be installed not only indoors but not outdoors, it is necessary to ensure safety such as waterproofing. In addition, the charging cable has an outlet side plug that is plugged into the outlet and a vehicle side plug that is connected to the connection terminal of the vehicle, but when using at home, connect the outlet side plug of the power receiving cable to the outlet. It is assumed that the product will be used continuously. However, if the plug on the outlet side is left plugged in, the charging cable that is energized will be left unattended, and if the charging device is installed outdoors, the plug will be removed early due to the influence of ultraviolet rays, etc. It may be deteriorated.

  As this type of charging device, a device in which an outlet, an outlet-side plug, a leakage breaker relay storage box, and the like are stored in a box is known (see Patent Document 1). However, no consideration is given to how to store the charging cable and the vehicle-side plug.

JP 2010-41779 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the current state of the above-described charging device, and the purpose thereof is a charging device that can ensure safety even when the charging cable is inserted into an outlet and the use is continued. Is to provide.

  The charging device according to the present invention includes: an outlet to which one plug of the charging cable is connected; a plug holding means for holding the other plug of the charging cable; and a storage chamber for storing the outlet, the plug holding means, and the charging cable. And a housing provided with waterproof means for waterproofing the storage chamber.

One plug of the charging cable allows a configuration that can be connected to, for example, a household 100V or 200V outlet.
The other plug of the charging cable has a plug shape that can be connected to the automobile side of the battery running. For example, various standardized methods can be used for the connecting portion on the vehicle side and the other plug of the charging cable. .
The holding means may be any holding means such as a structure for hooking the other plug, a structure for insertion, and a structure for clamping. The waterproofing unit does not necessarily need to waterproof the storage chamber in a watertight manner, but it needs to have a structure that prevents intrusion such as rain.

  The charging device according to the present invention detects the first detection means for detecting whether one plug of the charging cable is connected to the outlet; and detects whether the other plug is held by the plug holding means. A second detection unit; and a switch unit that turns on and off the power supply to the outlet according to the detection states of the first and second detection units.

  The switch means may determine the detection results of the individual detection means, and may collectively turn on / off the power supply to the outlet, or may turn on / off the power supply to the outlet for each detection result of each detection means. You may provide in several places. In other words, any mode can be used as long as the power supply to the outlet can be turned on and off according to the detection results of the plurality of detection means.

  The charging device according to the present invention includes an alarm output unit that outputs an alarm when a charging cable is connected to an outlet and the other plug is not held by the plug holding means for a predetermined time or longer; It is characterized by comprising.

  The alarm output unit can give an alarm by sound, light, or display. The alarm output unit is provided in the housing, but it may be provided in the house in addition to this.

  The charging device according to the present invention includes a charging state display means for detecting and displaying a charging state.

  The state of charge can be detected by current detection and a timer. Moreover, as a display state of the state of charge, the charging rate may be displayed by a number or may be displayed by a bar graph.

  Since the charging device according to the present invention stores the plug holding means and the outlet for holding the other plug of the charging cable in the storage chamber, the charging cable is connected with the one plug of the charging cable connected to the outlet. The charging cable can be housed in the housing room without exposing the other plug.

  The charging apparatus according to the present invention detects whether or not one plug of the charging cable is connected to the outlet, and whether or not the other plug is held by the plug holding means. And a switch means for turning on / off the power supply to the outlet according to the detection states of the first and second detection means, and accordingly depending on the connection state and the storage state of the charging cable. The power supply to the outlet can be controlled.

  Since the charging device according to the present invention outputs an alarm when one plug of the charging cable is connected to the outlet and the other plug is not held by the plug holding means, the charging cable is connected to the outlet. When it is left as it is, an alarm is output and safety can be ensured.

  Since the charging device according to the present invention detects and displays the state of charge, it is convenient to know the state of charge.

The block diagram which shows the Example of the charging device which concerns on this invention. The front view which shows the Example of the charging device which concerns on this invention. The perspective view which shows the charging cable used for the Example of the charging device which concerns on this invention. The block diagram which shows the control mechanism in the Example of the charging device which concerns on this invention. The flowchart which shows the operation | movement by the control mechanism in the Example of the charging device which concerns on this invention. The flowchart which shows the operation | movement by the control mechanism in the Example of the charging device which concerns on this invention.

  Embodiments of a charging device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted. In FIG. 1, the block diagram of embodiment in the charging device which concerns on this invention is shown. The charging device main body 10 is supplied with electric power via a home switch 41 from a dedicated circuit of the distribution board 30 provided in the home. Here, the distribution board 30 is provided with one main breaker 31 and a plurality of branch breakers 32, and a power line 33 extending from a dedicated circuit belonging to one branch breaker 32 among the plurality of branch breakers 32 is connected to the distribution line 30. A switch 41 is connected.

  The charging device body 10 is configured as a housing 11. The housing 11 has a storage chamber 14 for storing the charging cable 40 shown in FIG. A power line 42 connected to the in-home switch 41 is connected to a breaker 12 provided in the housing 11 of the charging apparatus body 10, and the breaker 12 is connected to an outlet 13. For example, AC 200V is supplied from the outlet 13.

  The breaker 12 and the outlet 13 are arranged so that a part thereof is exposed from the partition plate 15 of the housing 11 to the storage chamber 14. Further, a hook 16 as a holding means is stored in the storage chamber. The hook 16 is provided so that a base portion 16a protrudes from the partition plate 15, and a holding tip is formed in a U shape. The base portion 16a of the hook 16 is provided in a state of being urged upward by a spring in a long hole 16b that is long in the vertical direction, and is configured to move downward when a weight is applied. The hook 16 is provided with a hook state detection sensor (see FIG. 4) for detecting whether the hook 16 is above or below. The hook 16 is for holding a vehicle side plug 45 as the other plug of the charging cable 40.

  The partition plate 15 of the housing 11 is provided with studs 17 and 17 protruding from the hook 16 by an appropriate distance so as to protrude in the surface direction. The studs 17 and 17 are used for winding the charging cable 40, and stopper lumps 17 a and 17 a for preventing the wound charging cable 40 from coming off are provided at the ends of the studs 17 and 17.

  A door 20 is coupled to the housing 11 by a hinge 18 so that a charging cable 40 wound around the studs 17 and 17 can be stored. A packing 21 made of rubber, for example, is attached to the peripheral edge of the back surface of the door 20, and constitutes a waterproof means for waterproofing the storage chamber 14 when the door 20 is closed. And the housing | casing 11 provided with the waterproof means in the state which closed the door 20 accommodates the outlet 13, the hook 16, and the charging cable in the storage chamber 14. FIG.

  A semicircular through hole 22 for allowing the charging cable 40 to pass therethrough is formed at the lower end of the door 20. In the through-hole 22, two fan-shaped cover plates 23, 23 each having a semicircle further halved are implanted. When the charging cable 40 is not passed through the through hole 22, the boundary portions of the two cover plates 23 and 23 come into contact with each other to waterproof the storage chamber 14. Further, when the charging cable 40 extending from the vehicle-side plug 45 outside the casing 11 is passed through the through hole 22 during charging, the two cover plates 23 and 23 are respectively connected to the charging cable 40. When the door 20 is closed, the inside is waterproofed. Thus, the packing 21, the through hole 22, and the cover plates 23 and 23 function as a waterproof unit that waterproofs the storage chamber 14.

  The through hole 22 may be provided as a notch that communicates with the outside of the lower plate of the housing 11. Also in this case, the charging cable 40 can be easily disposed in the through-hole 22 and waterproofness can be ensured.

  In addition, a lock 24 is provided at the center of the side end of the door 20 that opens and closes, so that the door 20 can be closed and locked to avoid unnecessary operations by outsiders and children. Can do. As shown in FIG. 2, the surface of the door 20 is configured by an LCD, for example, and is provided with a display unit 25 that displays characters and the like, and an alarm output unit 26 such as a speaker that outputs an alarm. .

  FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the charging cable 40. In the charging cable 40, for example, a power supply side plug 44 as one plug is connected to one end of a cable line 43 of about 5 m, and a vehicle side plug 45 is connected to the other end of the cable line 43. From the end face of the power supply side plug 44, flat conductive terminals 46 and 46 and a pin-like ground terminal 47 are provided so as to protrude.

  The vehicle-side plug 45 has, for example, a gun-type shape called a charging gun, and has a configuration in which a male terminal 49 as a power terminal, a ground terminal, and a signal terminal protrudes from the opening 48. ing. The vehicle-side connector 60 has a lid 61 that opens and closes a power supply port 62 in the vehicle body. A female terminal 63 corresponding to the male terminal 49 is built in the opened and closed power supply port 62. The female terminal 63 is a terminal for power supply, grounding and signal, and is connected to an internal circuit of the automobile. The vehicle-side plug 45 can be engaged and fixed to the vehicle-side connector 60 with one touch, and the engagement state can be released with one touch to remove the vehicle-side plug 45 from the vehicle-side connector 60.

  A control mechanism of the charging device body 10 is shown in FIG. The main structure of the control mechanism is arranged in the housing 11 on the back side of the partition plate 15. In the control mechanism, for example, a control unit 50 configured by a CPU controls each unit. Connected to the control unit 50 are an outlet sensor 51 as a first detection means, a hook state detection sensor 52 as a second detection means, and a door open / close detection sensor 53 as a third detection means.

  The outlet sensor 51 is provided in the outlet 13 and detects whether or not the power supply side plug 44 is inserted into the outlet 13. The hook state detection sensor 52 is attached to the base portion 16a of the hook 16 and is in a state where the vehicle side plug 45 is set on the hook 16 and moved downward, or the vehicle side plug 45 is not set on the hook 16. It is detected whether the state is biased upward. A door opening / closing detection sensor 53 is provided on the lock 24 and detects whether the door 20 is closed and locked.

  The control unit 50 is provided with a timer 54, and a charge state detection unit 55 and a housing switch 56 are connected thereto. The charging state detection unit 55 detects a current in the charging path reaching the outlet 13 and gives a signal to the control unit 50. Thus, the control unit 50 can detect how much charging has progressed. Alternatively, the control unit 50 can detect the start of power supply based on a signal from the charge state detection unit 55 and can refer to the timer 54 to detect how much charging has progressed over time. Although one timer 54 is shown, it is configured as a set of a plurality of timers.

  The housing switch 56 is controlled to be opened and closed by the control unit 50 according to the detection states of the outlet sensor 51, the hook state detection sensor 52, and the door opening / closing detection sensor 53.

  That is, the control unit 50 determines that the outlet sensor 51 detects that the charging cable 40 is connected to the outlet 13, and determines that the outlet sensor 51 is OFF when the outlet sensor 51 detects that the charging cable 40 is connected. If it is detected that it is not locked to 16, it is determined to be on, and if it is detected to be locked, it is determined to be off. Then, only when the control unit 50 determines that all are on based on the detection states of the outlet sensor 51 and the hook state detection sensor 52, the casing switch 56 is controlled to be closed.

  On the other hand, if any one of them is determined to be off, the housing switch 56 is controlled to be in an open state. Thus, safety can be ensured by determining with a plurality of sensors. Further, the door opening / closing detection sensor 53 is determined to be on when detecting the door 20 closed and locked, and off when detecting the unlocked state, and the detection state of the door opening / closing detection sensor 53 is also considered. The control unit 50 performs opening / closing control of the housing switch 56. However, the opening / closing control of the housing switch 56 may not be performed depending on the detection state of the door opening / closing detection sensor 53, and only a predetermined alarm may be performed.

  In addition to the display unit 25 and the alarm output unit 26 described above, an alarm output unit 57 is connected to the control unit 50. The alarm output unit 57 is provided in the house, and includes at least one of a speaker and an LCD.

  The control unit 50 of the control mechanism configured as described above performs the operation shown in the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and the operation will be described based on this flowchart. With the in-home switch 41 turned on, power is supplied to the charging apparatus main body 10 to start operation, and the control unit 50 has the power plug 44 inserted into the outlet 13 and the hook 16 is raised (state) A) is detected (S11). If it is in this state A, it means that the vehicle-side plug 45 is coupled to the vehicle-side connector 60 and charging is possible immediately. Detection is performed based on signals from the outlet sensor 51 and the hook state detection sensor 52.

  In step S11, when it is detected that the state is A, the housing switch 56 is turned on to start the first timer of the timer 54 (S12). The first timer is for elapse of time for preventing a danger that the charged cable 40 in an energized state is unused and left unattended. Following step S12, it is detected whether or not the state A has been removed (S13), and further monitoring whether the vehicle side plug 45 is coupled to the vehicle side connector 60 and charging has been started based on the signal from the charge state detection unit 55 ( S14).

  When branching to NO in both steps S13 and S14, it is detected whether the first timer has timed out (S15), and if it is not timed out, the process returns to step S13 to continue the operation. On the other hand, when it is detected in step S15 that the time is over, the chassis switch 56 is turned OFF to stop the power supply to the charging cable (S16), and an alarm is output from the alarm output units 26 and 57 (S17). In this alarm output, it is preferable to display a solution such as “hang the vehicle side plug on the hook or remove the power source side plug from the outlet” on the display unit 25.

  Following the alarm output in step S17, it is detected whether the state A has been exited (S18). If the state A has not been exited, the alarm output is continued in step S17. If it is detected in step S18 that the state A has been exited, the alarm is stopped in step S19 and the process proceeds to step S20.

  In step S20, in addition to the case of proceeding from step S19, when the state is not in the state A from the beginning (when branched to NO in step S11) and when the state A is exited (when branched to YES in step S13), Each will proceed. In this step S20, since the vehicle side plug 45 has already been hooked on the hook 16 or the power source side plug 44 has been removed from the outlet 13, it is in a non-use state. (First, second) is reset (S20).

  Following step S20, based on the signal from the door open / close detection sensor 53, it is detected whether the door 20 is closed (S21), and if the door 20 is open, the alarm output units 26 and 57 request that the door be closed. An alarm is output (S22). If it is detected in step S21 that the door 20 is closed, the alarm is stopped (S23), and the process returns to step S11.

  In contrast, when the start of charging is detected in step S14, the process proceeds to step S31 in the flowchart of FIG. 6 to detect whether the door 20 is closed (S31). If the door 20 is open, an alarm output for requesting the door 20 to be closed is output from the alarm output units 26 and 57 (S32), the housing switch 56 is turned OFF, and the timers (first and second) are reset ( S33), it is detected whether the door 20 is closed (S34).

  In step S34, when it is detected that the door 20 is closed, the alarm is stopped and the housing switch 56 is turned on, and the process proceeds to step S36 (S35). In step S36, the state of charge is detected by the signal detected by the state of charge detection unit 55 and displayed on the display unit 25 (S36), and it is detected whether the battery is fully charged (charge complete) (S37).

  When it is detected in step S37 that the battery is not fully charged, the process returns to step S31 and waits for the progress of charging while monitoring that the battery has not left the state A (S38). If the vehicle side plug 45 is hooked on the hook 16 or the power supply side plug 44 is removed from the outlet 13 during charging, the process proceeds from step S38 to step S20.

  On the other hand, when full charge is detected in step S37, the second timer in the timer 54 is started (S39), and it is detected whether the state A has been exited (S40). This second timer is used when a predetermined time has elapsed without the vehicle side plug 45 being hooked on the hook 16 after full charge and without the power supply side plug 44 being removed from the outlet 13. It is a timer for taking safety measures. When the state A is exited in step S40, the process proceeds to step S20. When the state A is continued in step S40, the second timer is detected to be over (S41), and the process returns to step S40 to monitor whether the state A is continued until the time is over.

  When the second timer expires in step S41, the housing switch 56 is turned off and the timer is reset (S42). Whether the vehicle-side plug 45 is hooked on the hook 16 despite the completion of charging, or the outlet 13 An alarm indicating that the power supply side plug 44 has not been pulled out is output from the alarm output units 26 and 57 (S43), and if necessary, a display to that effect is displayed on the display unit 25.

  Then, it is detected whether or not the state A has been exited (S44). If the state A is not exited, steps S43 and S44 are looped. If it is detected in step S44 that the state A has been exited, the process returns to step S20 and the process continues.

  As described above, when the vehicle side plug 45 is hooked on the hook 16 or the power source side plug 44 is not pulled out from the outlet 13 even though the charging is completed, the housing switch 56 is turned off. At the same time, an alarm is output. For this reason, the user can avoid leaving the charging cable 40 connected to the charging device main body 10 while power is being supplied to the charging cable 40 for a long period of time after completion of charging.

  Further, even if the power supply side plug 44 is inserted into the outlet 13, the vehicle side plug 45 is attached to the hook 16 and the outlet 13 and the power supply side plug 44 are attached to the housing 11 provided with waterproof means if the door is closed. Since it is housed and is not exposed, the reliability of the electrical connection portion between the charging cable 40 and the charging device body 10 can be ensured for a long period of time.

  According to the charging device of the present embodiment, power supply is not performed simply by connecting the charging cable 40 to the outlet 13, and the charging cable 40 remains connected to the outlet 13 even though charging is not performed. In this case, since an alarm is output, the charging cable 40 can be prevented from being left undesired.

  That is, even if the charging cable 40 is connected to the outlet 13, the power supply to the outlet 13 is not supplied unless the door 20 is locked and closed, so that the storage chamber 14 is not exposed during charging. Also, theft can be prevented.

  Further, in a state where the power supply side plug 44 of the charging cable 40 is connected to the outlet 13, when the vehicle side plug 45 of the charging cable 40 is not stored in the storage room, the power supply is turned off when a predetermined time elapses without being charged. Since the alarm is output, it is possible to prevent the vehicle-side plug 45 from being exposed for a long period of time when the power is supplied to the charging cable 40.

  Further, even if the charging cable 40 is in a predetermined state (state A), an alarm is output if the door 20 is not locked, so that the user is urged to securely store and lock the charging cable 40. And can prevent theft.

  In addition, this embodiment is not limited to what was demonstrated above, Even if it does not have one part component requirement, it is permitted to implement combining each component requirement suitably.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Charging apparatus main body 11 Case 13 Outlet 16 Hook 20 Door 30 Distribution board 40 Charging cable 44 Power supply side plug 45 Vehicle side plug 50 Control part 51 Outlet sensor 52 Hook state detection sensor 53 Door open / close detection sensor 54 Timer 55 Charging state detection Part 56 housing switch 57 alarm output part 60 vehicle side connector

Claims (4)

An outlet to which one plug of the charging cable is connected;
Plug holding means for holding the other plug of the charging cable;
A housing having a storage room for storing an outlet, a plug holding means and a charging cable, and a waterproof means for waterproofing the storage room;
A charging device comprising: First detecting means for detecting whether one plug of the charging cable is connected to the outlet;
Second detecting means for detecting whether or not the other plug is held by the plug holding means;
Switch means for turning on and off the power supply to the outlet according to the detection states of the first and second detection means;
The charging device according to claim 1, further comprising: An alarm output unit that outputs an alarm when a state where the charging cable is connected to the outlet and the other plug is not held by the plug holding means continues for a predetermined time or longer;
The charging device according to claim 1, further comprising: The charging device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a charging state display unit that detects and displays a charging state.

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