WO2020237536A1

WO2020237536A1 - Apparatus and method for charging electric vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2020237536A1
Application number: PCT/CN2019/089069
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jinsong Li
Original assignee: Abb Schweiz Ag
Priority date: 2019-05-29
Filing date: 2019-05-29
Publication date: 2020-12-03

Abstract

An electric vehicle, an apparatus and a method for charging the electric vehicle. The apparatus comprises a housing (11) comprising a first twisting lock member (110) configured to be rotatably locked onto a second twisting lock member (22) on the electric vehicle (200), the first twisting lock member (110) being provided with a first through hole (111); a movable bracket (12) configured to be slidable relative to the housing (11) upon being driven; a charging head (13) comprising a main part (131) configured to provide electrical power to the electric vehicle (200), the main part (131) being arranged in the housing (11) and supported by the movable bracket (12); and an actuator (14) configured to drive the movable bracket (12) to slide relative to the housing (11) when the first twisting lock member (110) is locked on the second twisting lock member (22), such that the main part (131) of the charging head (13) can be plugged into or unplugged from a charging port (21) on the electric vehicle (200) through the first through hole (111).

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CHARGING ELECTRIC VEHICLE

FIELD

Embodiments of present disclosure generally relate to charging of an electric vehicle, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for charging an electric vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Nowadays, electric vehicles (EVs) are more and more widely used due to their excellent power saving and environmental performance. The EV typically includes a battery and a charging port arranged on a body surface of the vehicle. In case the battery needs to be charged by an external power supply, an operator may catch a charging head and insert it into the charging port.

Since the battery typically has a limited capacity and needs a long time to be charged, the EV is typically not suitable for a long distance travel. High capacity battery and high power fast charging are some solutions to these issues. However, with increasing of the charging power (e.g., 350KW) , the charging head and its corresponding cable are getting much heavier and are difficult for the operator to handle their plugging/unplugging comfortably.

An automatic electromechanical device, e.g., a robot, may be used to facilitate the insertion of the charging head into the charging port. In a typical robot assisted EV charging system, the position of the charging port may be detected by means of various sensors. Then, the robot holds the charging head and inserts it into the charging port according to the detected position of the charging port. However, there are many challenges in this process.

A typical challenge is alignment accuracy between the charging head and the charging port. In EV charging system, the charging head and the charging port are designed in very tight tolerance. Thus, it requires both translational and rotational alignment between the charging head and the charging port so that the robot can start the insertion properly. Although various sensors may be employed to help this alignment, the alignment accuracy is still unsatisfied. In addition, the cost of the sensors is very high.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electric vehicle, and an apparatus and a method for charging the electric vehicle.

In a first aspect, an apparatus for charging an electric vehicle is provided. The apparatus comprises a housing comprising a first twisting lock member configured to be rotatably locked onto a second twisting lock member on the electric vehicle, the first twisting lock member being provided with a first through hole; a movable bracket configured to be slidable relative to the housing upon being driven; a charging head comprising a main part configured to provide electrical power to the electric vehicle, the main part being arranged in the housing and supported by the movable bracket; and an actuator configured to drive the movable bracket to slide relative to the housing when the first twisting lock member is locked on the second twisting lock member, such that the main part of the charging head can be plugged into or unplugged from a charging port on the electric vehicle through the first through hole.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, the first twisting lock member of the charging apparatus can be first brought into rough alignment with the second twisting lock member on the electric vehicle; then, through rotating the housing of the charging apparatus, the first twisting lock member may be stably locked onto the second twisting lock member. In this way, the charging head may be brought into precise alignment with the charging port and easily inserted into the charging port with the aid of the actuator. In addition, by omitting accurate positioning sensors, the cost of the charging apparatus can be significantly reduced.

In some embodiments, the housing further comprises a tubular sidewall comprising a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, wherein the first twisting lock member is arranged at the first end of the tubular sidewall; and a bottom plate arranged at the second end of the tubular sidewall, wherein the actuator is arranged on the bottom plate.

In some embodiments, the housing further comprises an opening arranged in the tubular sidewall along a direction from the second end to the first end; and the charging head further comprises a wire connecting part arranged in the opening and configured to be electrically connected to an external power source.

In some embodiments, the movable bracket comprises a supporting part extending in parallel with the tubular sidewall and at least partially arranged inside the housing to support the main part of the charging head; and a driving part coupled to the supporting part and configured to be driven by the actuator.

In some embodiments, the driving part of the movable bracket is arranged outside the housing; and the actuator is arranged on the bottom plate from outside of the housing.

In some embodiments, the bottom plate is provided with a plurality of mounting holes; and the supporting part of the movable bracket comprises a plurality of supporting bars extending into the housing through the respective mounting holes to support the main part of the charging head.

In some embodiments, the movable bracket further comprises a guiding part arranged inside the housing and coupled to the plurality of supporting bars.

In some embodiments, the guiding part is of a ring shape and the main part of the charging head extends through the guiding part.

In some embodiments, the first twisting lock member comprises a first end face; and at least one of a first protruding part protruding out of the first end face and a first slot recessed from the first end face.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a camera configured to capture an image of the charging port; and a robot configured to: determine a position of the charging port based on the image of the charging port; align the first twisting lock member with the second twisting lock member based on the determined position of the charging port; and rotate the housing to lock the first twisting lock member onto the second twisting lock member.

In a second aspect, an electric vehicle adapted to be charged by the apparatus according to the first aspect is provided. The electric vehicle comprises a second twisting lock member configured to rotatably lock the first twisting lock member and comprising a second through hole; and a charging port surrounded by the second through hole and configured to match with the charging head.

In some embodiments, the second twisting lock member comprises a second end face; and at least one of a second protruding part protruding out of the second end face and a second slot recessed from the second end face.

In a third aspect, a method for charging an electric vehicle using the apparatus according to the first aspect is provided. The method comprises causing the first twisting lock member to be generally aligned with the second twisting lock member; causing the housing to rotate to lock the first twisting lock member onto the second twisting lock member; causing the actuator to drive the movable bracket to slide towards the charging head such that the main part of the charging head is plugged into the charging port; and causing the actuator to drive the movable bracket to slide away from the charging head such that the main part of the charging head is unplugged from the charging port.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Drawings described herein are provided to further explain the present disclosure and constitute a part of the present disclosure. The example embodiments of the disclosure and the explanation thereof are used to explain the present disclosure, rather than to limit the present disclosure improperly.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an electric vehicle and an apparatus for charging the electric vehicle, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded diagram of an apparatus for charging the electric vehicle, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic cross sectional view of an apparatus for charging the electric vehicle, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a housing in an apparatus for charging the electric vehicle, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a second twisting lock member on the electric vehicle, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method for charging the electric vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference symbols are used to indicate the same or similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIEMTNS

Principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to several example embodiments shown in the drawings. Though example embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the drawings, it is to be understood that the embodiments are described only to facilitate those skilled in the art in better understanding and thereby achieving the present disclosure, rather than to limit the scope of the disclosure in any manner.

The term “comprises” or “includes” and its variants are to be read as open terms that mean “includes, but is not limited to. ” The term “or” is to be read as “and/or” unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “based on” is to be read as “based at least in part on. ” The term “being operable to” is to mean a function, an action, a motion or a state can be achieved by an operation induced by a user or an external mechanism. The term “one embodiment” and “an embodiment” are to be read as “at least one embodiment. ” The term “another embodiment” is to be read as “at least one other embodiment. ” The terms “first, ” “second, ” and the like may refer to different or same objects. Other definitions, explicit and implicit, may be included below. A definition of a term is consistent throughout the description unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted, ” “connected, ” “supported, ” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Furthermore, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. In the description below, like reference numerals and labels are used to describe the same, similar or corresponding parts in the figures. Other definitions, explicit and implicit, may be included below.

As discussed above, in the conventional EV charging system, the alignment accuracy between the charging head and the charging port is unsatisfied, and the cost of the sensors is high. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, twisting lock members are provided to facilitate the alignment process between the charging head and the charging port. The above idea may be implemented in various manners, as will be described in detail in the following paragraphs. Hereinafter, the principles of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1-6.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an electric vehicle 200 and an apparatus 100 for charging the electric vehicle 200. The electric vehicle 200 may be of various types, e.g., a battery electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle. The electric vehicle 200 includes a battery (not shown) for providing electrical power. When the battery is running low, it can be charged by the apparatus 100 via a charging port 21 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) on the electric vehicle 200. Example constitution and operation of the apparatus 100 for charging the electric vehicle 200 will be described hereafter with respect to FIGS. 2-5.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded diagram of an apparatus 100 for charging the electric vehicle 200, FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic cross sectional view of an apparatus 100 for charging the electric vehicle 200, FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a housing in an apparatus 100 for charging the electric vehicle 200, and FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a second twisting lock member on the electric vehicle 200. As shown, the apparatus 100 for charging the electric vehicle 200 generally includes a housing 11, a movable bracket 12, a charging head 13, and an actuator 14. The charging head 13 is matched with the charging port 21 on the electric vehicle 200. When charging the electric vehicle 200, the charging head 13 is to be plugged into the charging port 21.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figs. 2-4, the housing 11 includes a first twisting lock member 110 provided with a first through hole 111. The first through hole 111 is provided for the charging head 13 to pass through during charging. Accordingly, a second twisting lock member 22 is provided on the electric vehicle 200. The second twisting lock member 22 includes a second through hole 221 to be aligned with the first through hole 111. The charging port 21 on the electric vehicle 200 is surrounded by the second through hole 221. When the electric vehicle 200 needs be charged by the apparatus 100, the first twisting lock member 110 can be rotatably locked onto the second twisting lock member 22. In this way, a stable engagement between the first twisting lock member 110 and the second twisting lock member 22 can be achieved.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, the movable bracket 12 is provided for supporting the charging head 13. The movable bracket 12 is slidable relative to the housing 11 upon being driven by the actuator 14 so as to move the charging head 13. The charging head 13 includes a main part 131 for providing electrical power to the electric vehicle 200. The main part 131 of the charging head 13 is arranged in the housing 11 and supported by the movable bracket 12. To drive the movable bracket 12 to slide relative to the housing 11, the actuator 14 is coupled to the movable bracket 12. Through the driving of the actuator 14, the main part 131 of the charging head 13 can be plugged into or unplugged from the charging port 21 through the first through hole 111 when the first twisting lock member 110 is locked on the second twisting lock member 22.

With embodiments of the present disclosure, the first twisting lock member 110 of the charging apparatus 100 can be first brought into rough alignment with the second twisting lock member 22 on the electric vehicle 200. Then, through rotating the housing 11 of the charging apparatus 100, the first twisting lock member 110 may be stably locked onto the second twisting lock member 22. In this way, the charging head 13 may be brought into precise alignment with the charging port 21 and easily inserted into the charging port 21 with the aid of the actuator 14. In addition, by omitting accurate positioning sensors which are need for the alignment between the charging head and the charging port in the conventional charging apparatus, the cost of the charging apparatus 100 can be significantly reduced.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2-4, the housing 11 further includes a tubular sidewall 112 and a bottom plate 115. The tubular sidewall 112 includes a first end 113 and a second end 114 opposite to the first end 113. The first twisting lock member 110 is arranged at the first end 113 of the tubular sidewall 112. The bottom plate 115 is arranged at the second end 114 of the tubular sidewall 112. The actuator 14 is arranged on the bottom plate 115.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2-4, the housing 11 further includes an opening 116 arranged in the tubular sidewall 112 along a direction X from the second end 114 to the first end 113. The charging head 13 includes a wire connecting part 132 adapted to be electrically connected to an external power source. The wire connecting part 132 may be further adapted to be electrically connected to an external signal source. In case the main part 131 of the charging head 13 is supported by the movable bracket 12, the wire connecting part 132 protrudes out of the housing 11 via the opening 116. When the charging head 13 is driven by the actuator 14 to move towards or away from the charging port 21, the wire connecting part 132 moves along the opening 116. In other embodiments, the charging head 13 may be completely received in the housing 11. In this event, the tubular sidewall 112 may be not provided with the opening 116.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the movable bracket 12 includes a supporting part 121 and a driving part 122. The supporting part 121 extends in parallel with the tubular sidewall 112 and is partially arranged inside the housing 11 to support the main part 131 of the charging head 13. The driving part 122 is coupled to the supporting part 121 and driven by the actuator 14. The driving part 122 of the movable bracket 12 is arranged outside the housing 11. Accordingly, the actuator 14 is arranged on the bottom plate 115 from outside of the housing 11. For example, the actuator 14 may be mounted onto the bottom plate 115 by means of screws (not shown) through the holes 118.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bottom plate 115 is provided with a plurality of mounting holes 117. The supporting part 121 of the movable bracket 12 includes a plurality of supporting bars 123 extending into the housing 11 through the respective mounting holes 117 to support the main part 131 of the charging head 13.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the movable bracket 12 further includes a guiding part 124 to guide the movement of the movable bracket 12. The guiding part 124 is arranged inside the housing 11 and coupled to the plurality of supporting bars 123. The guiding part 124 is of a ring shape and the main part 131 of the charging head 13 extends through the guiding part 124. Generally, an outer radial dimension of the guiding part 124 may be slightly smaller than an inner radial dimension of the tubular sidewall 112. Upon being driven by the actuator 14, the movable bracket 12 may smoothly move towards or away from the charging port 21 under the guidance of the guiding part 124.

In other embodiments, the movable bracket 12 may be completely arranged in the housing 11. Accordingly, the actuator 14 may be arranged on the bottom plate 115 inside the housing 11.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the first twisting lock member 110 includes a first end face 1100. In order to mate with the second twisting lock member 22, the first twisting lock member 110 may be provided with at least one of protruding parts or slots. As an example, a pair of first protruding parts 1101 protrude out of the first end face 1100, and a pair of first slots 1102 are recessed from the first end face 1100. In other embodiments, more or less protruding parts or slots may be provided on the first twisting lock member 110.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5, the second twisting lock member 22 includes a second end face 2200. When the first twisting lock member 110 is locked onto the second twisting lock member 22, the second end face 2200 may contact the first end face 1100. In order to mate with the first twisting lock member 110, the second twisting lock member 22 may be provided with at least one of slots or protruding parts. As an example, a pair of second protruding parts 2201 corresponding to the first slots 1102 protrude out of the second end face 2200, and a pair of second slot 2202 corresponding to the first protruding parts 1101 are recessed from the second end face 2200 In other embodiments, more or less protruding parts or slots may be provided on the second twisting lock member 22. Generally, the second protruding parts 2201 and the first slots 1102 are arranged in pair, and the second slot 2202 and the first protruding parts 1101 are arranged in pair.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 further comprises a robot and a camera (not shown) . The camera may be used to capture an image of the charging port 21. Based on the captured image of the charging port 21, the robot may determine a position of the charging port 21 on the electric vehicle 200. Then, the robot move the housing 11 to roughly align the first twisting lock member 110 with the second twisting lock member 22. After the alignment is completed, the robot rotates the housing 11 to lock the first twisting lock member 110 onto the second twisting lock member 22.

In other embodiments, the charging apparatus 100 may be manually operated by an operator, rather than by the robot. Specifically, the operator may roughly align the first twisting lock member 110 with the second twisting lock member 22 and rotate the housing 11 to lock the first twisting lock member 110 onto the second twisting lock member 22. In this way, the charging head 13 may be brought into precise alignment with the charging port 21 and easily inserted into the charging port 21 with the aid of the actuator 14.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, the actuator 14 may be activated in various manners. As an example, the apparatus 100 may be provided with an additional sensor to detect whether the first twisting lock member 110 has been locked onto the second twisting lock member 22. Upon detecting the locking is completed, the actuator 14 may be activated to drive the charging head 13. As another example, a button may be provided on the apparatus 100. After the first twisting lock member 110 is locked onto the second twisting lock member 22, the operator may press the button so as to activate the actuator 14.

In embodiments of the present application, an electric vehicle 200 adapted to be charged by the apparatus 100 is provided. The electric vehicle 200 includes the second twisting lock member 22 and the charging port 21 as described above. Details of the second twisting lock member 22 and the charging port 21 will not be described here anymore.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method 600 for charging the electric vehicle 200. The method 600 may be implemented by the apparatus 100 as described above.

At 610, the apparatus 100 may cause the first twisting lock member 110 to be generally aligned with the second twisting lock member 22. As discussed above, the rough alignment between the first twisting lock member 110 and the second twisting lock member 22 may be achieved by means of the camera and the robot. Specifically, the camera may capture an image of the charging port 21. Based on the captured image of the charging port 21, the robot may determine a position of the charging port 21 on the electric vehicle 200. Then, the robot move the housing 11 to roughly align the first twisting lock member 110 with the second twisting lock member 22.

At 620, the apparatus 100 may cause the housing 11 to rotate to lock the first twisting lock member 110 onto the second twisting lock member 22. As discussed above, the rotation of the housing 11 may be achieved by the robot or even by manual operation.

At 630, the apparatus 100 may cause the actuator 14 to drive the movable bracket 12 to slide towards the charging head 13 such that the main part 131 of the charging head 13 is plugged into the charging port 21. After the charging head 13 is fully engaged with the charging port 21 to establish electrical connection, the robot may release the housing 11 during the rest of charging time.

At 640, upon the charging is completed, the apparatus 100 may cause the actuator 14 to drive the movable bracket 12 to slide away from the charging head 13 such that the main part 131 of the charging head 13 is unplugged from the charging port 21. Then, the robot may re-grip the housing 11 and un-twist the housing 11 of the charging apparatus 100 from the second twisting lock member 22 to finish the entire process.

Embodiments of the present disclosure propose a quick alignment approach by employing a mechanical interlock mechanism. Once the first twisting lock member 110 is locked onto the second twisting lock member 22, the charging head 13 and the charging port 21 are secured and well aligned for plugging. The robot can release the housing 11 after the proper insertion. In this way, even if the electric vehicle 200 suddenly moves, the normal operation of the robot would not be interrupted. Upon the charging is completed, the robot will grip the housing 11 again and move it away.

While several inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

An apparatus (100) for charging an electric vehicle (200) , comprising:

a housing (11) comprising a first twisting lock member (110) configured to be rotatably locked onto a second twisting lock member (22) on the electric vehicle (200) , the first twisting lock member (110) being provided with a first through hole (111) ;

a movable bracket (12) configured to be slidable relative to the housing (11) upon being driven;

a charging head (13) comprising a main part (131) configured to provide electrical power to the electric vehicle (200) , the main part (131) being arranged in the housing (11) and supported by the movable bracket (12) ; and

an actuator (14) configured to drive the movable bracket (12) to slide relative to the housing (11) when the first twisting lock member (110) is locked on the second twisting lock member (22) , such that the main part (131) of the charging head (13) can be plugged into or unplugged from a charging port (21) on the electric vehicle (200) through the first through hole (111) .
The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (11) further comprises:

a tubular sidewall (112) comprising a first end (113) and a second end (114) opposite to the first end (113) , wherein the first twisting lock member (110) is arranged at the first end (113) of the tubular sidewall (112) ; and

a bottom plate (115) arranged at the second end (114) of the tubular sidewall (112) , wherein the actuator (14) is arranged on the bottom plate (115) .
The apparatus (100) according to claim 2, wherein the housing (11) further comprises an opening (116) arranged in the tubular sidewall (112) along a direction (X) from the second end (114) to the first end (113) ; and

wherein the charging head (13) further comprises a wire connecting part (132) arranged in the opening (116) and configured to be electrically connected to an external power source.
The apparatus (100) according to claim 2, wherein the movable bracket (12) comprises:

a supporting part (121) extending in parallel with the tubular sidewall (112) and at least partially arranged inside the housing (11) to support the main part (131) of the charging head (13) ; and

a driving part (122) coupled to the supporting part (121) and configured to be driven by the actuator (14) .
The apparatus (100) according to claim 4, wherein the driving part (122) of the movable bracket (12) is arranged outside the housing (11) ; and

wherein the actuator (14) is arranged on the bottom plate (115) from outside of the housing (11) .
The apparatus (100) according to claim 5, wherein the bottom plate (115) is provided with a plurality of mounting holes (117) ; and

wherein the supporting part (121) of the movable bracket (12) comprises a plurality of supporting bars (123) extending into the housing (11) through the respective mounting holes (117) to support the main part (131) of the charging head (13) .
The apparatus (100) according to claim 6, wherein the movable bracket (12) further comprises:

a guiding part (124) arranged inside the housing (11) and coupled to the plurality of supporting bars (123) .
The apparatus (100) according to claim 7, wherein the guiding part (124) is of a ring shape and the main part (131) of the charging head (13) extends through the guiding part (124) .
The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first twisting lock member (110) comprises:

a first end face (1100) ; and

at least one of a first protruding part (1101) protruding out of the first end face (1100) and a first slot (1102) recessed from the first end face (1100) .
The apparatus (100) according to claim 1, further comprising:

a camera configured to capture an image of the charging port (21) ; and

a robot configured to:

determine a position of the charging port (21) based on the image of the charging port (21) ;

align the first twisting lock member (110) with the second twisting lock member (22) based on the determined position of the charging port (21) ; and

rotate the housing (11) to lock the first twisting lock member (110) onto the second twisting lock member (22) .
An electric vehicle (200) adapted to be charged by the apparatus (100) according to any of claims 1 to 10, comprising:

a second twisting lock member (22) configured to rotatably lock the first twisting lock member (110) and comprising a second through hole (221) ; and

a charging port (21) surrounded by the second through hole (221) and configured to match with the charging head (13) .
The electric vehicle (200) according to claim 11, wherein the second twisting lock member (22) comprises:

a second end face (2200) ; and

at least one of a second protruding part (2201) protruding out of the second end face (2200) and a second slot (2202) recessed from the second end face (2200) .
A method for charging an electric vehicle (200) using the apparatus (100) according to any of claims 1-10, comprising:

causing the first twisting lock member (110) to be generally aligned with the second twisting lock member (22) ;

causing the housing (11) to rotate to lock the first twisting lock member (110) onto the second twisting lock member (22) ;

causing the actuator (14) to drive the movable bracket (12) to slide towards the charging head (13) such that the main part (131) of the charging head (13) is plugged into the charging port (21) ; and

causing the actuator (14) to drive the movable bracket (12) to slide away from the charging head (13) such that the main part (131) of the charging head (13) is unplugged from the charging port (21) .