Charger and self-cleaning method thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to a charger and a self-cleaning method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of equipment cleaning. The self-cleaning method comprises the following steps: after the charger finishes charging, the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature are obtained; the charging module is arranged in a shell, and the ambient temperature is the temperature outside the shell; when the difference between the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature is less than or equal to a temperature setting value, the cleaning fan is controlled to be turned on, and the dustproof net on the air outlet side is controlled to be opened; the outside air quality index is detected, and when the outside air quality index is less than an air quality setting value, the dustproof net on the air inlet side is controlled to be opened; when the cleaning end condition is met, the cleaning fan and the dustproof nets are turned off; when the outside air quality index is greater than or equal to the air quality setting value, the cleaning end condition is met, and the cleaning fan and the dustproof nets are turned off. The self-cleaning of the charging module is carried out under the condition of ensuring the safety and cleaning effectiveness of the charging module, the dust on the charging module is reduced, and the failure rate of the charger is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a charger and its self-cleaning method, belonging to the field of charger protection technology. Background Technology

[0002] Given the zero-emission advantage of pure electric vehicles, their use is becoming increasingly widespread, leading to a greater demand for chargers. As the frequency of charger use increases and the need for high-power chargers grows, users are placing higher demands on charger reliability.

[0003] DC charging piles have power ratings of 60kW, 120kW, and 180kW, while the efficiency of the chargers is generally around 95%, with the remaining 5% primarily converted into heat loss. For outdoor chargers, this heat must be dissipated to prevent accelerated aging. Common cooling methods include natural cooling, forced air cooling, and liquid cooling. Due to cost, size, and reliability considerations, most chargers currently use forced air cooling. However, forced air cooling also has drawbacks. If the external environment is poor, dust can accumulate inside the charger during forced air cooling, leading to significant dust buildup over time and affecting its reliability.

[0004] Currently, to address the issue of dust entering the charger during air-cooling, the primary method is to add a dust filter to protect the charger. While the dust filter can prevent dust from entering the charging module to some extent, it has the following drawbacks:

[0005] 1. Dust filters can obstruct ventilation between the charging module and the outside environment, resulting in slow heat dissipation during charging.

[0006] 2. Even with a dust filter installed, customers still need to manually clean the charging module regularly. Since the charging socket uses a high voltage, manual cleaning increases the risk of electric shock. In addition, routine maintenance is often forgotten during normal use, causing dust to get into the dust filter. Dust then enters the charging module through the air, resulting in slow heat dissipation, increased operating temperature, reduced output power, and in severe cases, charger malfunction and inability to work.

[0007] Therefore, a technical solution for automatically cleaning the charging module is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this application is to provide a charger and its self-cleaning method, providing an effective technical solution for the automatic cleaning of charging modules.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, this application proposes a technical solution for a self-cleaning method for a charger, the self-cleaning method comprising the following steps:

[0010] 1) After the charger finishes charging, acquire the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature; the charging module is housed inside a casing, and the ambient temperature is the temperature outside the casing;

[0011] 2) When the difference between the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature is less than or equal to the set temperature, the cleaning fan is turned on, and the dust filter on the air outlet side is opened at the same time. The cleaning fan is installed inside the housing, which has an air inlet and an air outlet. The air outlet inside the housing has a dust filter on the air outlet side, and the air inlet inside the housing has a dust filter on the air inlet side. The air inlet and the dust filter on the air inlet side are slidably connected, and the dust filter on the air outlet side is slidably connected to the air outlet.

[0012] 3) Detect the outside air quality index. When the outside air quality index is less than the air quality set value, control the dust filter on the air inlet side to open and proceed to step 4); when the outside air quality index is greater than or equal to the air quality set value, proceed directly to step 4).

[0013] 4) When the cleaning conditions are met, turn off the cleaning fan and all dust filters.

[0014] In addition, this application also proposes a technical solution for a charger, which includes a charging module disposed within a housing. The housing has an air inlet and an air outlet forming a ventilation channel. An air inlet-side dustproof net is disposed at the air inlet inside the housing, and an air outlet-side dustproof net is disposed at the air outlet inside the housing. The air inlet and the air inlet-side dustproof net are slidably connected, and the air outlet-side dustproof net and the air outlet are slidably connected. The charger also includes a first temperature acquisition device for acquiring the ambient temperature outside the housing, a second temperature acquisition device for acquiring the temperature of the charging module, an air quality acquisition device for acquiring the air quality index outside the housing, a cleaning fan for cleaning, and a controller. The input end of the controller is connected to the first temperature acquisition device, the second temperature acquisition device, and the air quality acquisition device. The output end of the controller controls and connects to each dustproof net and the cleaning fan. The controller includes a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the self-cleaning method of the charger described above.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the charger and its self-cleaning method of the present invention are as follows: All dust filters in the charger are slidably installed. After charging is completed, the system determines whether to activate the cleaning fan based on the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature. Activating the cleaning fan when both temperatures are relatively low avoids condensation during cleaning, ensuring the safety of the charging module. Activating the cleaning fan opens the exhaust dust filter, increasing the airflow for cleaning the charging module. Furthermore, when air quality is good, the intake dust filter is opened to increase cleaning intensity. When air quality is poor, the intake dust filter remains closed to prevent airborne particles from falling onto the charging module, ensuring effective cleaning. This invention performs self-cleaning of the charging module while ensuring its safety and cleaning effectiveness, reducing dust accumulation on the charging module and lowering the charger's failure rate.

[0016] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned charger and its self-cleaning method, the condition for the end of cleaning is that the cleaning fan start-up time is greater than the cleaning time setting value.

[0017] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned charger and its self-cleaning method, in order to clean the charger reasonably, before obtaining the ambient temperature and charging module temperature in step 1), a step of determining the cleaning interval is also included:

[0018] When the time interval exceeds the set value since the last cleaning ended, the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature are obtained.

[0019] Furthermore, in the aforementioned charger, in order to reliably realize the opening and closing of each dustproof screen, the air outlet includes an air outlet ventilation grille, the air inlet includes an air inlet ventilation grille, and slide rails are fixed on both sides of the inner side of each ventilation grille. Each dustproof screen is fixedly connected to the corresponding slider, each slider is slidably connected to the corresponding slide rail, and each slider is connected to a drive motor. The drive motor is connected to the output end of the controller, and the drive motor drives each slider to slide.

[0020] Furthermore, in the aforementioned charger, to ensure the reliability of the dustproof net and the slider fixation, each dustproof net and the corresponding slider are fixedly connected by fixing bolts.

[0021] Furthermore, in the aforementioned charger, in order to improve the cleaning effect, the cleaning fan is disposed between the charging module and the dustproof net on the air outlet side, and the cleaning fan is fixedly connected to the ventilation grille of the air outlet.

[0022] Furthermore, in the aforementioned charger, the first temperature acquisition device and the second temperature acquisition device are temperature sensors.

[0023] Furthermore, in the aforementioned charger, the air quality acquisition device is an air quality sensor.

[0024] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned charger, in order to avoid overburdening the controller and improve cleaning efficiency, the controller includes a main controller, a drive motor controller, and a cleaning fan controller. The controllers are interconnected. The input terminal of the main controller is connected to a first temperature acquisition device, a second temperature acquisition device, and an air quality acquisition device. The drive motor controller controls and connects to the drive motor, and the cleaning fan controller controls and connects to the cleaning fan. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is an electrical connection block diagram of the self-cleaning system in the charger of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a structural block diagram of the self-cleaning system in the charger of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the dustproof net and ventilation grille of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the self-cleaning method for the charger of the present invention;

[0029] In the diagram: 1 is a dustproof net, 2 is a fixing bolt, 3 is a ventilation grille, 4 is a slider, 5 is a slide rail, 6 is a charging module, and 7 is a cleaning fan. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Charger Example:

[0031] The main concept of this invention is to address the various problems caused by existing manual cleaning methods by sliding the air inlet and the dust filter on the air inlet side, as well as the air outlet and the dust filter on the air outlet side. When cleaning is required and the ambient temperature and the temperature of the charging module are close enough to meet the cleaning conditions, the cleaning fan is turned on and the dust filter on the air outlet side is opened. When the outside air quality is good, the dust filter on the air inlet side is opened. This achieves self-cleaning of the charging module while ensuring the safety of the charging module and the cleaning effect.

[0032] chargers such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, it includes a charging module 6, which is disposed in a housing. Ventilation grilles 3 are arranged opposite each other on the housing to form a ventilation channel. A dustproof net 1 is provided on the inner side of each ventilation grille 3, and a cleaning fan 7 is provided in the housing for cleaning the charging module 6.

[0033] Specifically, the ventilation grille 3 includes an inlet ventilation grille and an outlet ventilation grille, and the dustproof net 1 includes an inlet-side dustproof net and an outlet-side dustproof net, such as Figure 3As shown, each ventilation grille 3 has a slide rail 5 fixed on both sides of its inner side. Each dustproof net 1 is fixedly connected to the corresponding slider 4 by fixing bolts 2. Each slider 4 and the corresponding slide rail 5 are slidably connected. Each slider 4 is connected to a drive motor. The drive motor drives each slider 4 to slide, thereby causing each dustproof net 1 to move up and down.

[0034] The cleaning fan 7 is positioned between the charging module 6 and the dust filter on the air outlet side, and is fixedly connected to the air outlet ventilation grille. To save space within the housing, the cleaning fan 7 uses the existing cooling fan installed inside the housing. Of course, a separate cleaning fan 7 can also be installed; this invention does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0035] The charger also includes a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, an air quality sensor, and a controller. The first temperature sensor is located on the outside of the housing and is used to collect the ambient temperature outside the housing; the second temperature sensor is located inside the housing near the charging module 6 and is used to collect the temperature of the charging module 6; the air quality sensor is located on the outside of the housing and is used to collect the air quality index outside the housing.

[0036] The controller includes a main controller, a drive motor controller, and a cleaning fan controller. These controllers are interconnected. The main controller's input terminals are connected to a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and an air quality sensor. The drive motor controller controls the drive motor, and the cleaning fan controller controls the cleaning fan. Each controller includes a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the charger's self-cleaning method.

[0037] Self-cleaning methods for chargers, such as Figure 4 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0038] 1) The charger starts charging and checks if charging is complete;

[0039] 2) When the charger finishes charging, the main controller records the charging end time and determines the time interval between the current charging end time and the previous cleaning end time;

[0040] 3) If the time interval between the end of this charging session and the end of the last cleaning session exceeds the set time interval, proceed to step 4); if the time interval between the end of this charging session and the end of the last cleaning session does not exceed the set time interval, no cleaning is required, and the charger is turned off.

[0041] 4) Collect the ambient temperature using the first temperature sensor and the charging module temperature using the second temperature sensor, and send the collected temperature information to the main controller;

[0042] 5) The main controller calculates the difference between the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature. When the difference between the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature is less than or equal to the temperature setpoint, it meets the conditions for the cleaning fan 7 to start. The main controller sends a command to the cleaning fan controller to control the cleaning fan 7 to start and run at maximum power. At the same time, the main controller sends a command to the drive motor controller to control the dust filter on the air outlet side to open (i.e., move upward) to increase the air volume. When the difference between the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature is greater than the temperature setpoint, it indicates that the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature are significantly different. If the cleaning fan 7 is turned on for cleaning at this time, condensation will occur inside the casing, affecting the safety of the charging module 6. Therefore, the charger is turned off in this case.

[0043] 6) The air quality sensor detects the outside air quality index and sends the detected outside air quality index to the main controller. The main controller judges the magnitude of the outside air quality index. When the outside air quality index is less than the air quality set value, it indicates that the air quality is good and sends a command to the drive motor controller to control the dust filter on the air inlet side to open. When the outside air quality index is greater than or equal to the air quality set value, it indicates that there are more particulate matter in the outside air. In order to prevent external particulate matter from falling on the charging module 6, the dust filter on the air inlet side will not be opened at this time.

[0044] 4) When the cleaning fan 7 starts for a longer period than the cleaning time setting, turn off the cleaning fan 7 and all dust filters 1 to complete the cleaning, record the cleaning completion time, and then turn off the charger.

[0045] In the above embodiments, in order to better protect the charging module 6, an air outlet ventilation grille and an air inlet ventilation grille are used to form a ventilation channel. As another implementation, an air outlet and an air inlet with larger pores can also be used to form a ventilation channel. The present invention does not limit the specific structure of the ventilation channel, as long as a ventilation channel can be formed.

[0046] In the above embodiments, in order to conform to the structural design of the charging module housing, the dustproof net 1 and the ventilation grille 3 adopt vertical slide rails 5, so that the dustproof net 1 can move up and down to open and close. As another embodiment, if the horizontal space of the housing is large enough, the slide rail 5 can also be horizontal, and the dustproof net 1 can move horizontally to open and close.

[0047] There are many ways to fix the dustproof net 1 and the sliding mechanism, such as pasting, clipping, etc., and this invention does not limit the methods.

[0048] In the above embodiments, in order to improve the cleaning effect, the cleaning fan 7 is disposed between the charging module 6 and the dustproof net on the air outlet side, and the cleaning fan 7 is fixedly connected to the ventilation grille of the air outlet. As other embodiments, the cleaning fan 7 can also be disposed between the charging module 6 and the dustproof net on the air inlet side, and the cleaning fan 7 can also be fixed on other components fixedly disposed on the housing. The present invention does not limit this.

[0049] In the above embodiments, different controllers are used to better control the drive motor and the cleaning fan 7. In other embodiments, a single controller can also be used, and the present invention does not limit this.

[0050] In the above embodiments, in order to reasonably perform self-cleaning of the charger and determine the cleaning interval, as another implementation method, the cleaning cycle can also be set by the number of charging cycles, for example: automatic cleaning after 20 charging cycles.

[0051] In the above embodiments, the condition for the end of cleaning is the setting of the cleaning fan start time. As another implementation method, the air quality inside the housing can also be detected, and cleaning can be stopped when the air quality meets the standard. The present invention does not limit the condition for the end of cleaning.

[0052] In the above embodiments, a temperature sensor is used as a temperature acquisition device, and an air quality sensor is used as an air quality acquisition device. In the prior art, there are many types of devices for temperature acquisition and air quality acquisition, and no limitation is made here.

[0053] This invention improves the air intake structure of the charger by making the dustproof net 1 and the ventilation grille 3 slidably connected, thus achieving self-cleaning of the charging module 6 in the charger: by analyzing the working status of the charger and considering the actual environment, the cleaning fan 7 is activated in a timely manner to clean the charging module 6. Since the existing dustproof net 1 affects the air intake volume and reduces the wind speed, when the charger starts cleaning, the dustproof net on the air intake side automatically rises according to the environmental conditions, increasing the air intake volume and wind speed. When cleaning is finished, the dustproof net 1 returns to its original position. This invention reasonably controls the cleaning fan 7 according to the charger's usage and environmental factors, regularly cleaning the charging module 6 and reducing the charger's failure rate.

[0054] Example of a self-cleaning method for chargers:

[0055] The specific implementation process of the charger's self-cleaning method has been described in the above charger embodiments and will not be repeated here.

Claims

1. A method for self-cleaning of a charger, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: 1) obtaining the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature after the charging of the charger is completed; the charging module is arranged in a shell, and the ambient temperature is the temperature outside the shell; 2) when the difference between the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature is less than or equal to a temperature setting value, the cleaning fan is controlled to be turned on, and the air outlet side dustproof screen is controlled to be opened; the cleaning fan is arranged in the shell, the shell is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, the air outlet side dustproof screen is arranged at the air outlet in the shell, and the air inlet side dustproof screen is arranged at the air inlet in the shell; the air inlet and the air inlet side dustproof screen are slidingly connected, and the air outlet side dustproof screen and the air outlet are slidingly connected; 3) detecting the outside air quality index; when the outside air quality index is less than an air quality setting value, the air inlet side dustproof screen is controlled to be opened, and step 4) is entered; when the outside air quality index is greater than or equal to the air quality setting value, step 4) is directly entered; 4) when the cleaning end condition is met, the cleaning fan and the dustproof screens are turned off.

2. The self-cleaning method of a charger according to claim 1, wherein, The cleaning end condition is that the starting time of the cleaning fan is greater than a cleaning time setting value.

3. The self-cleaning method of a charger according to claim 1, wherein, Before the step 1), the method further comprises the step of judging the cleaning interval: When the time interval between the current time and the last cleaning end time exceeds a time interval setting value, the ambient temperature and the charging module temperature are obtained.

4. A charger comprising a charging module, the charging module being arranged in a housing, the housing being provided with an air inlet and an air outlet to form an air passage, the housing being provided with an air inlet side dustproof screen at the air inlet inside the housing and an air outlet side dustproof screen at the air outlet inside the housing, characterized in that, The air inlet and the air inlet side dustproof screen are slidingly connected, the air outlet side dustproof screen and the air outlet are slidingly connected, and the method further comprises a first temperature acquisition device for acquiring the ambient temperature outside the shell, a second temperature acquisition device for acquiring the charging module temperature, an air quality acquisition device for acquiring the air quality index outside the shell, a cleaning fan for cleaning, and a controller; the input end of the controller is connected with the first temperature acquisition device, the second temperature acquisition device and the air quality acquisition device; the output end of the controller is connected with the dustproof screens and the cleaning fan; the controller comprises a processor, a memory and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor; when the processor executes the computer program, the self-cleaning method of the charger is realized as described in any one of claims 1-3.

5. The charger of claim 4, wherein, The air outlet comprises an air outlet ventilation grille, and the air inlet comprises an air inlet ventilation grille; both sides of the inner side of each ventilation grille are fixed with sliding rails; each dustproof screen is fixedly connected with a corresponding sliding block; each sliding block is slidingly connected with a corresponding sliding rail; each sliding block is connected with a driving motor; the driving motor is connected with the output end of the controller; each sliding block is driven to slide by the driving motor.

6. The charger of claim 5, wherein, Each dustproof screen is fixedly connected with a corresponding sliding block by a fixing bolt.

7. The charger of claim 4 wherein, The cleaning fan is arranged between the charging module and the air outlet side dustproof screen, and the cleaning fan is fixedly connected with the air outlet ventilation grille.

8. The charger of claim 4, wherein, The first temperature acquisition device and the second temperature acquisition device are temperature sensors.

9. The charger of claim 4, wherein, The air quality acquisition device is an air quality sensor.

10. The charger of claim 5, wherein, The controller comprises a main controller, a driving motor controller and a cleaning fan controller; the controllers are communicatively connected with each other; the input end of the main controller is connected with the first temperature acquisition device, the second temperature acquisition device and the air quality acquisition device; the driving motor controller is connected with the driving motor; and the cleaning fan controller is connected with the cleaning fan.

Images