WO2023181044A1

WO2023181044A1 - Charging assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2023181044A1
Application number: PCT/IN2022/050416
Authority: WO
Inventors: Milind S Nimgulkar; Girish Balwant Kamble; Rajendra Suryawanshi; Sujit Barhate; Kulajit NATH; Aishwarya Kadam; Lingaraj E Bandiwad; Pravin Pawase; Devendra Jagtap; Sadeesh Ramachandran; Sumit Bamane; Homeshkumar Dave
Original assignee: Uno Minda Limited
Priority date: 2022-03-21
Filing date: 2022-05-03
Publication date: 2023-09-28

Abstract

A charging assembly (100, 1200) for an electrically powered vehicles is disclosed that includes a housing (102, 1202) having a plurality of heat-dissipating fins (116, 1216). The charging assembly (100, 1200) also includes a power inlet (106, 1206) to receive input electrical power for charging the electrically powered vehicle and a power outlet (108, 1208) installed on the housing (102, 1202) adapted to supply output electrical power at a predefined voltage and current. In addition, the charging assembly (100, 1200) includes a charging module (112, 1212) adapted to convert the input electrical power to the output electrical power. The charging assembly (100, 1200) includes a surge protection device (114, 1214) detachably installed on the housing (102, 1202) and electrically coupled to the charging module (112, 1212) and is adapted to protect the charging module (112, 1212) from an electric surge.

Description

CHARGING ASSEMBLY

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a charging unit for an electrically powered vehicle.

BACKGROUND

An electrically powered vehicle is a category of automobile that uses electrical energy to power the vehicle. One type of electrically powered vehicle is an electric vehicle or EV that entirely relies on energy stored in a battery pack to power the EV. Another type of electrically powered vehicle is hybrid-electric vehicle or HEV that uses electric power as well another source of fuel, such as an internal combustion engine. In either type, the electrically powered vehicle has a battery pack that needs to be recharged to power the electrically powered vehicle. Accordingly, a battery charger is needed to charge the vehicle. The battery charger, either an onboard charger installed in the electrically powered vehicle or an off-board charger installed in a charging station external to the electrically powered vehicle is adapted to provide the electric charge at a rated voltage and ampere to charge the battery pack.

There are various limitations with the current charging unit. For instance, the chargers are susceptible to damage due to current surges that can damage the charger. The conventional chargers include a surge protection device installed within the charger that is adapted to mitigate the surge and, in some cases, sacrifice itself to protect the electrical circuitry inside the charger. However, the surge protection device may malfunction due to various reasons, such as seepage of water in the charger, vibration generated during the running of the vehicle. Any damage to the surge protection device, either by sacrifice or malfunction renders the charger inoperable thereby preventing the recharging of the electrically powered vehicle’s battery pack. In some scenarios, the failure of an on-board charger of an electrically powered vehicle with a drained battery pack renders the vehicle inoperable leaving its driver and occupant stranded. Similarly, failure of the off-board charger makes the complete charging station inoperable to charge the vehicle. Furthermore, failure of the surge protection device warrants to repair or replacement of the charger which is time-consuming and labour-intensive process. One such on-board charger is explained in a Korean patent KR 102170413B1 which relates to a thermal runaway prevention device having a fuse, a nonlinear resistance element, and a logic element in front of an on-board charger, so that it is possible to accurately determine fuse burnout due to surge. Further, the thermal runaway preventing device is separately provided at the front end of the on-board charger, only the fuse or the thermal runaway preventing device needs to be replaced when the fuse or the thermal runaway preventing device is damaged, thereby reducing maintenance costs. However, while the thermal runaway device is installed outside the on-board charger, the surge protection device is installed within the on-board charger. However, the surge protection device is installed inside the on-board charger and thus, failure of surge protection device renders the on-board charger unusable. Moreover, the positioning of the thermal runaway device also reduces the surface area for heat dissipation.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that are further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention and nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.

The present disclosure relates to a charging assembly for an electrically powered vehicle. The charging assembly has an easily serviceable surge protection device installed outside the charging assembly which can be easily replaced in case of failure. Further, the internals of the surge protection device is designed to prevent surges from reaching an electric circuitry in the charging assembly.

In an embodiment, a charging assembly for one of the electrically powered vehicles is disclosed. The charging assembly includes a casing having a plurality of heat-dissipating fins on the outer surface of the casing. The charging assembly also includes a power inlet installed on the casing and adapted to receive input electrical power for charging the electrically powered vehicle, a power outlet installed on the casing and adapted to supply output electrical power at a predefined voltage and current to a battery pack of the electrically powered vehicle. In addition, the charging assembly includes a charging module housed in the casing and electrically coupled to the power inlet and the power outlet, such that the charging module converts the input electrical power to the output electrical power. Finally, the charging assembly includes a surge protection device electrically coupled to the charging module and adapted to protect the charging module from an electric surge, wherein the surge protection device is detachably installed on the casing.

According to the present disclosure, installing the surge protection device makes the replacement of the surge protection device easy thereby making the charging assembly easily serviceable. Moreover, the externally installed surge protection device does away with a need to dismantle the charging assembly making the repair of the electrically powered vehicle easy. In addition, the heat-dissipating fins of the casing efficiently dissipate the heat even in the reduction of the surface of the dissipating the heat due to the installation of the surge protection device on the casing. Thus, the charging assembly ensures that the maximum charging efficiency is achieved and the battery pack is efficiently charged while at the same time the charging assembly is easily serviceable.

To further clarify advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which is illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a top perspective view of a charging assembly having a surge protection device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 2 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the charging assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3 illustrates a top view of the charging assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 4 illustrates a front view of the charging assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 5 illustrates a side view of the charging assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 6 illustrates an exploded view of the charging assembly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 7 shows an assembled bottom view (A) and a partially assembly bottom view (B), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 8 shows an exploded view of the SPD 114, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 9 illustrates a schematic of the SPD, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 10 illustrates a blind connector for the SPD, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 11 illustrates a sequence of assembling the charging assembly of Figure 1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 12 illustrate different views of another type of a charging assembly with the SPD and a cooling unit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 13 illustrates an exploded view of the charging assembly of Figure 11 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Figure 14 shows an assembled view (A) and an exploded view (B) of a power outlet, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and Figure 15 illustrates a sequence of assembling the charging assembly of Figure 11, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skilled in the art to which invention belongs. The system and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

For example, the term “some” as used herein may be understood as “none” or “one” or “more than one” or “all.” Therefore, the terms “none,” “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would fall under the definition of “some.” It should be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the terminology and structure employed herein is for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and therefore, should not be construed to limit, restrict or reduce the spirit and scope of the present disclosure in any way.

For example, any terms used herein such as, “includes,” “comprises,” “has,” “consists,” and similar grammatical variants do not specify an exact limitation or restriction, and certainly do not exclude the possible addition of one or more features or elements, unless otherwise stated. Further, such terms must not be taken to exclude the possible removal of one or more of the listed features and elements, unless otherwise stated, for example, by using the limiting language including, but not limited to, “must comprise” or “needs to include.”

Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element do not preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language including, but not limited to, “there needs to be one or more...” or “one or more elements is required.”

Unless otherwise defined, all terms and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person ordinarily skilled in the art.

Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements of the present disclosure. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of explaining one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the proposed disclosure fulfil the requirements of uniqueness, utility, and non-obviousness.

Use of the phrases and/or terms including, but not limited to, “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or other variants thereof do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and/or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and/or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or in the context of more than one embodiment, or in the context of all embodiments, the features and/or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and/or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment. Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should not necessarily be taken as limiting factors to the proposed disclosure.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

For the sake of clarity, the first digit of a reference numeral of each component of the present disclosure is indicative of the Figure number, in which the corresponding component is shown. For example, reference numerals starting with digit “1” are shown at least in Figure 1. Similarly, reference numerals starting with digit “2” are shown at least in Figure 2.

Figures 1 to 6 illustrate a charging assembly 100 for a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Figure 1 illustrates a top perspective view of the charging assembly 100 while Figure 2 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the charging assembly 100. Further, Figure 3 illustrates a top view of the charging assembly 100 and Figure 4 illustrates a front view of the charging assembly 100. Furthermore, Figure 5 illustrates a side view of the charging assembly 100 while Figure 6 illustrates an exploded view of the charging assembly 100.

The charging assembly 100 is configured to provide electric energy to charge a battery pack of an electrically powered vehicle, such as an electric vehicle (EV) or a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). The charging assembly 100 is designed in such a way that the charging assembly 100 charges the battery pack when the vehicle is parked in the case of the EV or when the vehicle is moving in the case of the HEV. In either case, the charging assembly 100 charges the battery pack. Moreover, the charging assembly 100 is designed in such a way that the charging assembly 100 is easily serviceable. The charging assembly 100 may include, but is not limited to, a housing 102, a base plate 104, a power inlet 106, a power outlet 108, a CAN-bus port 110, a charging module 112, and a surge protection device 114.

In one example, the housing 102 forms a major portion of the charging assembly 100. The housing 102 can be made of a metal/alloy and is adapted to protect the components housed in the housing 102 from external factors, such as dust and heat. Moreover, the housing 102 is adapted to remove the heat from the components inside the housing 102. Accordingly, the housing 102 may include a plurality of heat dissipating fins 116. The plurality of heat dissipating fins 116 are formed on top and sides of the outer surface of the housing 102 to dissipate the heat. Further, a set of plurality of heat dissipating fins 116 is parallel to each other. The heat dissipating fins 116 are designed to dissipate heat by natural convection. Moreover, the heat dissipating fins 116 are designed to induce airflow between adjacent heat dissipating fins 116 to maximise the heat dissipation. The heat dissipating fins 116 may be made of Aluminium and can be cast with the housing 102. Alternatively, the heat dissipating fins 116 may be attached to an outer surface of the housing 102 to absorb the heat from the housing 102 and dissipate the heat to the air. The heat dissipating fins 116 are formed in a predefined configuration. For instance, each heat dissipating fins 116 may include a plurality of pillars 118 installed at predetermined length to reinforce the heat dissipating fins 116.

In one example, a set of heat dissipating fins 116 are designed in such a way that the different sections of the heat dissipating fins 116 are aligned in a predefined configuration with respect to each other. For example, the heat dissipating fins 116 has a first section 120A that extends along a portion of the width of the housing 102. The heat dissipating fins 116 also includes a second section 120B that extends from one end of the first section 120A at a first predefined angle with respect to the first section 120A. Furthermore, the heat dissipating fins 116 includes a third section 120C that extends from one end of the second section 120B at a second predefined angle with respect to the second section 120B. In one example, the first predefined angle and the second predefined angle is set in such a way that the first section 120A is parallel to the third section 120C. The relative orientations of the first section 120A, the second section 120B, and the third section 120C enable effective heat dissipation.

As shown in Figure 2 clearly, the base plate 104 is installed at the bottom of the housing 102. The base plate 104 acts as a bottom cover for the components installed inside the housing 102. The base plate 104 may have a vent 124 which is a one-way valve. The vent 124 is adapted to release the moisture build-up inside the housing 102 thereby protecting the components from short circuits. In one example, the base plate 104 is fastened to the housing 102 using multiple fasteners 122. Further, the base plate 104 is secured to the housing 102, such that the base plate 104 does not obstruct the mounting holes 126 on the corners of the housing 102. Further, the base plate 104 has a profile on its surface. The base plate 104 and the housing 102 may have a watertight seal 128 therebetween. In one example, the watertight seal 128 makes the charger assembly 100 rated for IP67 rated protection.

In one example, the power inlet 106 is adapted to receive input electric power. The power inlet 106 can be a socket that can receive an alternating current plug. Alternatively, the power inlet 106 can have a direct current (DC) socket. The power inlet 106 is designed to supply power to the charging module 112. Although not visible, the power inlet 106 is connected to the charging module via a set of connectors. On the other hand, the power outlet 108 is designed to provide electric power at a predefined voltage and current. The power outlet 108 can be a socket that has terminals to connect to the battery pack. The power outlet 108, in one example, can be a DC power outlet. Further, both the power outlet 108 and the power inlet 106 are modular in nature and are easily replaceable. Moreover, the power outlet 108 and the power inlet 106 are of standard design and are adapted to couple to standard sockets.

While the power outlet 108 and the power inlet 106 supply and deliver the electric power, the CAN-bus port 110 is adapted to establish communication between the charging module 112 and a controller via a vehicle communication network. The controller can either be inside a charging station or can be an electric control unit (ECU) of the electrically powered vehicle. The CAN-bus port 110 can be an 8-pin connector that receives an 8-pin CAN connector. The CAN- bus port 110 is also positioned orthogonal to the power outlet 108 and the power inlet 106, such that the connector CAN connector is not impeded by the power plugs to the power outlet 108 and the power inlet 106. The CAN-bus port 110 enables a tight coupling between the charging module 112 with the vehicle communication network. The CAN-bus port 110 enables the transmission of signal between the controller to the charging module 112. In addition, the CAN- bus port 110 also allow communication between the charging module 112 and various components peripheral to the charging assembly 100, such as, but is not limited to Battery Management System (BMS) or a microcontroller for diagnosis. This information can be useful for monitoring of the charging operation, BMS, diagnostics, among other examples.

In one example, the power outlet 108, the power inlet 106, and the CAN-bus port 110 are attached to the housing 102 by fasteners 122. For instance, the power outlet 108 and the CAN- bus port 110 are secured to the housing 102 using two fasteners 122 while the power inlet 106 is secured to the housing 102 using four fasteners 122.

As shown in Figure 6, the charging module 112 is installed inside the housing 102. The charging module 112 is the component of the housing 102 that is configured to receive input electric power and provide output electric power to charge the battery pack. The charging module 112 is designed to deliver the electric output power at the predefined voltage and current so that the charging module 112 can charge the battery pack. The charging module 112 may include, but is not limited to, a bridge rectifier, a flyback converter, a power factor corrector, and a phase-shifted full-bridge (PSFB) converter with zero voltage switching (ZVS) based topology. Such a topology allows the charging module 112 to achieve power conversion efficiency of above 90%. Higher efficiency by the charging module 112 enables the charging assembly 100 to have compact size while providing greater power output. The charging module 112 is designed to operate at high frequency.

The charging module 112 is installed in such a way that the charging module can provide sustained output electrical power without any effect on its performance. The charging module 112 is also provided with potting material 130, such as resin to protect the charging module 112 from vibrations and foreign elements, such as dust, or chemicals. The charging module 112 is also protected from heat by thermal pads 132 disposed in between the potting material 130 and inner surfaces of the housing 102 to transfer the heat of the charging module 112 to the housing 102 for dissipation. The thermal pads 132 are placed at predefined locations within the housing 102 to extract heat from the charging module 112 for heat dissipation.

The charging module 112 is also connected to the CAN-bus port 110 via some wires. During the operation, the charging module 112 may experience anomalies in the power supply, for instance, a sharp rise in electric current/ voltage. Such anomalies or power surges may damage the charging module 112. In order to protect the charging module 112 from power surges, the SPD 114 is electrically connected to the charging module 112. The SPD 114 is designed in such a way that the SPD 114 may protect the charging module 112 by directing additional current to the ground or earthing. Moreover, the SPD 114 is configured to incur damage when the power surge is not displaceable and thus protects the charging module 112. The SPD 114 owing to its property to protect the charging module 112 and sacrifice itself to protect the charging module 112, the SPD 114 is installed on the outer surface of the housing 102. The SPD 114 is installed on the housing 102 in such a way that the SPD 114 can be replaced easily without affecting the components installed inside the housing 102. As a result, any power surge may affect the SPD 114 and not the complete charging assembly 100. Moreover, since the SPD 114 is installed on the housing 102 as opposed to inside the housing in conventional design, the SPD 114, the replacement of the SPD 114 can be carried out without an experienced person thereby enabling roadside repair of the charging assembly 100.

Details of the SPD 114 are provided with respect to Figure 6 in conjunction with Figures 7, 8, and 9 which shows the detailed schematics of the SPD 114. Specifically, Figure 7 shows an assembled bottom view (A) and a partially assembly bottom view (B) while Figure 8 shows an exploded view of the SPD 114. Further, Figure 9 illustrates an electric circuit of the SPD 114. The SPD 114 has a casing 902 which houses all the components of the SPD 114. The casing 902 has holes 922 to receive the fasteners as shown in Figure 6.

Referring back to Figure 7, The SPD also includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 904, on which the components of the SPD 114 are installed. The SPD may include a fuse 906, a first gas discharge tube (GDT1) 908, a second gas discharge tube (GDT2) 910, a first varistor (VR1), 912, a second varistor (VR2) 914, and a third varistor (VR3) 916. The SPD 114 also includes a potting material 918 poured on the PCB 904 to protect the aforementioned components of the SPD 114. The SPD 114 also includes an 8-pin socket 920 installed on the PCB 904 and is adapted to connect the SPD 114 to the charging module 112.

Referring now to Figure 10, the charging module 112 includes a blind connector 136 that connects the socket 920 to the charging module 112. The blind connector 136 has an 8-pin connector which has 8-pin header 1002 and three connector pins 1004 which are coupled to each other via a live wire 1006, a neutral wire 1008, and an earth wire 1010. The 8-pin header 1002 has metal contacts ranging from 1 to 10. Further, the live wire 1006 is electrically coupled to the pins 1, 6, and the neutral wire 1008 is electrically coupled to the pins 3, 8. Furthermore, the ground wire 1010 is electrically coupled to the pins 5, 10. Such pins supply current to the SPD 114. Referring back to Figure 9, the fuse 906, GDT1 908, GDT2 910, VR1 912, VR2 914, and VR3 916 are detachably installed in a pre-defined topology of the PCB 904. For instance, the live pin 1 is serially connected to one terminal of the fuse 906. Further, the other terminal of the fuse 906 is serially connected to a terminal of the GDT1 908. The same terminal to connect to a terminal of the VR3 916 and live pin 6. The other terminal of the GDT1 908 is serially connected to the neutral pin 3 and to a terminal of VR2 914. The other terminal of the VR2 914 is serially connected to a terminal of the GDT2 910. Further, the same terminal of the GDT2 910 is serially connected to the VR2 914 and VR3 916. The other terminal of the GDT2 910 is connected to the ground pin 5. On the other hand, the terminals of the VR3 916 form a parallel connection with the GDT1 908, VR1 912, and VR2914.

During the operation, the GDT1 908, GDT2 910, VR1 912, VR2 914, and VR3 916 prevents any power surge from the live pins 1 , 6 and discharge the additional power from pins 1 , 6 to the ground pins 6, 10. Moreover, in case the power surge is more than a rated capacity of either of the aforementioned components causing damage to them, then such component can be easily replaced thereby making the repair of the SPD 114 an easy process.

Referring now to Figure 11 which shows the process of assembly of the charging assembly 100. The assembly process 1100 begins at step (A) at which the power inlet 106, the power outlet 108, and the CAN-bus port 110 to the housing 102 using fasteners 122. While installing the power inlet 106, the power outlet 108, and the CAN-bus port 110 are electrically connected to the charging module 112 by soldering the connections to the charging module 112. Thereafter, at step (B), the SPD 114 is assembled. For example, the casing 902 is turned over and the PCB 904 is installed inside the casing 902. Further, at step (C), the SPD 114 by pouring the potting material 918 to complete the assembly of the SPD 114. At step (D), the blind connector 136 is installed in the seat 138 therein and is electrically connected to the charging module 112. At step (E), the SPD 114 is installed in the seat 138 along with watertight seal 128 between the seat 138 and the SPD 114 to seal the junction between the seat 138 and the SPD 114 to form a watertight sealing. Further, at step (F), thermal pads 132 inside the housing 102 so that the thermal pads 132 abut the inner surface of the housing 102. At step (G), the potting material 130 may be poured and at step (H), the charging module 112 is installed while the potting material is getting cured. Once the charging module 112 is installed and secured to the housing 102, at step (I), the housing 102 is turned upside down and the base plate 104, the seal 128, and an additional sealant are installed to close the housing 102. Finally, at step (J), labels, such as brand name, safety/hazard labels, are attached to the housing 102 to complete the assembly of the charging assembly 100.

According to the present disclosure, the charging assembly may have a different design for heat dissipation. An exemplary design of the charging assembly is shown in Figures 12 and 13. Specifically, Figure 12 illustrates different views of an assembled charging assembly 1200 while Figure 13 shows an exploded view of the charging assembly 1200. The charging assembly 1200 may have most of the components similar to the charging assembly 120 shown in Figures 1 to 6. However, while the components may be the same but may have a different internal configuration to make the charging assembly 1200 have a higher power rating. For example, the charging assembly 1200 is rated for either 1500W or 2000W. Accordingly, the charging assembly 1200 may include a housing 1202, a base plate 1204, a power inlet 1206, a power outlet 1208, a CAN-bus port 1210, a charging module 1212, a surge protection device 1214, heat dissipating fins 1216, multiple fasteners 1222, a vent 1224, a watertight seal 1228, a potting material 1230, and thermal pads 1232. Furthermore, the aforementioned components have similar functional attributes as their corresponding components of the charging assembly 100 shown in Figure 6 and hence are not discussed for the sake of brevity.

The charging assembly 1200 may also include a cooling unit 1234 installed on the housing 102 over the heat dissipating fins 1216. The cooling unit 1234 is adapted to dissipate the heat from the heat dissipating fins 1216 using forced cooling method. The forced cooling method enables greater amount of heat dissipation than natural convection heat dissipation which further enhances the efficiency of the charging module 1214. The cooling unit 1234 includes a cover 1236 that is installed over the heat dissipating fins 1216. The cooling unit 1234 also includes a fan 1238 installed inside the cover 1236. In one example, the fan 1238 is installed at the centre of the cover 1236. Further, the cover 1234 has an opening 1240 that allows the pumping of the air by the fan 1238. The fan 1236, in one example, may be installed at the opening 1240. The fan 1236 is configured to create and maintain a predetermined flow rate around the heat dissipating fins 1216 so that the heat dissipating fins 1216 discharge the heat to the air. Further, the fan 1236 removes the heated air from the heat dissipating fins 1216 to allow fresh air to enter underneath the cooling unit 1234. During the operation, the fan 1236 may be connected to the charging module 1214 that may switch ON/OFF the fan 1236 when the charging module 1214 is charging or not charging the battery pack.

In one example, the power outlet 1208 is designed to output more power than the power outlet 108 shown in Figure 6. An exemplary design of the power outlet 1208 is shown in Figure 14. The power outlet 1208 includes a body 1402 that is installed on the housing 102. The power outlet 1208 also includes a first terminal 1404 and the second terminal 1406 that are installed inside the body 1402. The first terminal 1404 and the second terminal 1406 are installed in the body, such that the portions of the terminals are electrically insulated. Further, each of the first terminal 1404 and the second terminal 1406 includes a base 1408 which connects to a terminal of the battery pack and a header 1410 which is electrically coupled to an output wire of the charging module 1214 (shown in Figure 13). The output wire may be connected to threads of the base 1408. Further, the power outlet 1208 includes a pair of seal rings 1412 around each terminal to prevent liquid seepage or entry of dust into the body 1402. Further, the first terminal 1404 and the second terminal 1406 may be secured to the body 1402 using nuts 1408 and anti-rotation clips 1416. In one example, the first terminal 1404 and the second terminal 1406 may have different heights to prevent reverse a scenario of coupling the terminals of the battery pack incorrectly.

Figure 15 illustrates a process 1500 of assembling the charging assembly 1200 of Figure 12. The process 1500 begins at step (A), the power inlet 1206 and the CAN-bus port 1210 are fastened to the housing 1202. Thereafter, at step (B), the SPD 1214 is assembled. For example, the casing 902 is turned over and the PCB 904 is installed inside the casing 902. Further, at step (C), the SPD 1214 by pouring the potting material 918 to complete the assembly of the SPD 1214. At step (D), the blind connector 136 is installed in the seat 138 and is electrically connected to the charging module 1214. At step (E), the SPD 1214 is installed in the seat 138 along with seal 128 to seal the junction between the seat 138 and the SPD 1214 to form a watertight sealing. At step (F), the power outlet 1208 is installed in the housing 102. Further, at step (G), the fan 1438 is fastened at the centre of and is surrounded by the heat dissipating fins 1216. Further, Further, the step (H), thermal pads 1232 inside the housing 1202 so that the thermal pads 1232 abut the inner surface of the housing 102. At step (I), the potting material 130 may be poured and at step (J), the charging module 112 is installed while the potting material is getting cured. Once the charging module 112 is installed and secured to the housing 102, at step (K), the housing 102 is turned upside down and the base plate 104, the seal 128, and an additional sealant are installed to close the housing 102. Finally, at step (L), the cover 1236 is installed over the heat dissipating fins 1216.

According to the present disclosure, the charging assembly 100, 1200 are designed to provide power output and different ratings with the convenience of easy repair owing to the external installation of the SPD 114, 1214. Moreover, the SPD 114, 1214 also ensures the power surges are mitigated thereby reducing the instances of repair of the charging assembly 100, 1200.

While specific language has been used to describe the present disclosure, any limitations arising on account thereto, are not intended. As would be apparent to a person in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein. The drawings and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A charging assembly (100, 1200) for an electrically powered vehicle, the charging assembly (100, 1200) comprising: a housing (102, 1202) having a plurality of heat dissipating fins (116, 1216) formed on an outer surface of the housing (102, 1202); a power inlet (106, 1206) installed on the housing (102, 1202) and adapted to receive input electrical power; a power outlet (108, 1208) installed on the housing (102, 1202) and adapted to supply output electrical power at a predefined voltage and current to a battery pack of the electrically powered vehicle; a charging module (112, 1212) housed in the housing (102, 1202) and electrically coupled to the power inlet (106, 1206) and the power outlet (108, 1208), wherein the charging module (112, 1212) changes the input electrical power to the output electrical power at the predefined voltage and current; and a surge protection device (114, 1214) electrically coupled to the charging module (112, 1212) and adapted to protect the charging module (112, 1212) from an electric surge, wherein the surge protection device (114, 1214) is detachably installed on the housing (102, 1202).

2. The charging assembly (100, 1200) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a blind connector (136) adapted to electrically couple the surge protection device (114, 1214) to the charging module (112, 1212).

3. The charging assembly (100, 1200) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the surge protection device (114, 1214) including: a Printed Circuit Board (PCB (904)) (904) having a predefined electric circuit; a fuse (906) installed on the PCB (904) to be serially connected to an input pin of the blind connector (136); a first Gas Discharge Tube (GDT1) (908) installed on the PCB (904) to be serially connected to the fuse (906); a first varistor (VR1) (912) installed on the PCB (904) to be serially connected to the GDT1 (918); a second varistor (VR2) (914) installed on the PCB (904) to be serially connected to the VR1 (912); a third varistor (VR3) (916) installed on the PCB (904) to be parallelly connected to the GDT1 (908), VR1 (912), and VR2 (914); and a second Gas Discharge Tube (GDT2) (910) installed on the PCB (904) to be serially connected to the VR2 (914) and VR3 (916), wherein each of the VR1 (912), VR2 (914), VR3 (916), GDT1 (908), and GDT2 (910) is detachably installed on the PCB (904).

4. The charging assembly (100, 1200) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the blind connector (136) is an 8-pin connector.

5. The charging assembly (100, 1200) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a cooling unit (1234) installed over the plurality of heat dissipating fins (116, 1216) to dissipate the heat from the heat dissipating fins (116, 1216) using forced cooling method.

6. The charging assembly (100, 1200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a set of the heat dissipating fins (116, 1216) amongst the plurality of heat dissipating fins (116, 1216) comprising: a first section (120A) extending along a width of the housing (102, 1202); a second section (120B) extending from an end of the first section (120 A) at a first predefined angle (Al); and a third section (120C) extending from an end of the second section at a second predefined angle (A2), wherein the third section (120C) is parallel to the first section (120A).

7. The charging assembly (100, 1200) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the heat dissipating fins (116, 1216) in the set are parallel to each other. The charging assembly (100, 1200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charging assembly (100, 1200) is an on-board charger installed in the electrically powered vehicle. The charging assembly (100, 1200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charging assembly (100, 1200) is a charging station external to the electrically powered vehicle. The charging assembly (100, 1200) as claimed in claim 1, comprising: a seat (138) on the housing (102, 1202) to install the surge protection device (114, 1214) therein; and a watertight seal (128) between the surge protection device (114, 1214) and the seat

(138).