Interface module for charging and discharging electrochemical energy store

Abstract

The invention relates to an interface module (16) for charging and discharging an electrical consumer (14), in particular an electrochemical energy store (12) of an electrically driven vehicle (74), comprising a first interface (20) and at least one second interface (32) electrically connected to the first interface (20). According to the invention, the first interface (20) is designed in particular exclusively in such a way that the interface module (16) can be connected to a corresponding docking interface (20) of the electrochemical energy store (12), and the at least one second interface (32) is designed universally in such a way that the interface module (16) can be connected to a corresponding docking interface (20) of the electrochemical energy store (12). The interface module (16) is designed such that the interface module (16) can be connected to a respective docking interface (32) of an external constant voltage or current source (30) in order to charge the electrochemical energy store (12) and to a respective docking interface (32) of a further electrical consumer (44) in order to discharge the electrochemical energy store (12). The invention further relates to an adapter (102) having an interface module (16) according to the invention and to an electrically driven vehicle (74).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an interface module for charging and discharging an electrochemical energy store for an electrical consumer, as well as an adapter and an electrically driven vehicle having an interface module according to the invention. Background Art

[0002] Many electrical consumers are operated with rechargeable electrochemical energy stores, which are discharged by the electrical consumers and can be recharged again with the aid of a charger. Such energy stores usually consist of a plurality of energy store cells connected in series and / or in parallel to one another in order to achieve the required battery voltage or battery capacity. Very high power and energy densities can be achieved particularly advantageously if the energy store cells are designed, for example, as lithium-ion batteries (Li-Ion).

[0003] In particular, energy stores for high power density and energy density usually have to be charged with a dedicated charger. For this purpose, both the charger and the electrochemical energy store have dedicated high-power connections as electromechanical interfaces, which are often designed to be manufacturer-specific, i.e., dedicated, because in addition to the energy, the charging protocol and / or operating parameters, such as battery voltage, battery current, temperature measured in the energy store, dedicated coded signals, etc., are also transmitted from the energy store to the charger for monitoring the charging process. In this case, error-free coordination between the energy store and the charger and the application is very important, because errors can lead to safety-related problems or even fires in the energy store. This transmission can be carried out either via dedicated data or signal contacts of the electromechanical interface or as power line communication via energy contacts. In addition, the charger must have dedicated and therefore often costly charging electronics (AC / DC converter, isolating transformer, dedicated rectifier and power output stage, etc.).

[0004] Furthermore, adapters Bosch GAA 18V-24 and GAA 12V-21 are known for utilizing replaceable battery packs for power tools for other electrical consumers, such as smartphones, heating vests, etc. For this purpose, the adapter can be detachably pushed onto the replaceable battery pack without tools by means of a first dedicated electromechanical interface compatible with the replaceable battery pack, so that the electrical consumer can then be supplied with energy from the replaceable battery pack by means of a second universal USB-A interface. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an interface module which enables an electrochemical energy store, in particular an electrochemical high energy store, to be discharged and safely charged using an external energy source which can be designed in a simple manner and is therefore cost-effective.

[0006] To achieve this object, it is provided that: the first interface is designed in particular specifically so that the interface module can be connected to a corresponding docking interface of the electrochemical energy store, and at least one second interface is designed universally so that the interface module can be connected to a corresponding docking interface of an external constant voltage or current source for charging the electrochemical energy store and can be connected to a corresponding docking interface of another electrical consumer for discharging the electrochemical energy store.

[0007] It is particularly advantageous that the invention enables charging of electrochemical energy stores, in particular electrochemical high-power energy stores, with a standardized universal charger which can be designed as a low-cost constant voltage or current source without complex AC / DC conversion or specially designed rectification. Examples of this are USB plug power supplies, power banks or simple car charging adapters. Unlike chargers which are adjusted to a fixed battery voltage, for example by means of the CCCV charging method (Constant Current Constant Voltage), a constant voltage or current source only provides a certain maximum voltage or a certain maximum current.

[0008] In addition to the charging function, the discharging function of the electrochemical high-power energy store via the second universal interface also allows the electrochemical high-power energy store to be used as a mobile power source for operating one or more other electrical consumers, such as a laptop computer, for charging mobile phones, lamps, electric compressors or blowers or similar devices.

[0009] A dedicated interface is to be understood as an interface which is specific to a manufacturer or a closed consortium of manufacturers and which is therefore not generally available. In contrast, a general interface is to be understood as an interface which can be used by a large number of different manufacturers and which has in particular been established as a cross-manufacturer standard product.

[0010] The term "charging and discharging" is to be understood to mean that the interface module is suitable both for charging the electrochemical energy store, i.e. for transferring energy into the energy store, and for discharging the electrochemical energy store, i.e. for transferring energy from the energy store. In particular, this means that the interface module can be used to charge and discharge the electrochemical energy store connected to the interface module both simultaneously and also separately in time. For example, if, in parallel with the charger, further electrical consumers are connected to the universal interface of the interface module, this results in simultaneous charging and discharging.

[0011] The electrical consumer can be designed in particular as an electrically driven vehicle, for example as an electric bicycle (e.g. EPAC (Electrically Power Assisted Cycle), e-Bike, Pedelec, e-Lastenfahrrad, etc.), electric motorcycle, one-wheeled or two-wheeled electric scooter (e-Scooter), electric moped (e-Mofa) or similar vehicles. The invention can also be used in other applications in the field of micromobility applications, such as electric assisted scooters (e-kick-Scooter), unicycles (mono-wheels) or other non-type-approved vehicles with a fixed or replaceable battery pack installed in the vehicle. Therefore, an electrically driven vehicle is also to be understood as a vehicle with a drive unit for assisting the driver or with an electric partial drive.

[0012] In the context of the present invention, an electrical consumer can also be understood as a battery-driven machine tool for machining a workpiece by means of an electrically driven insert tool. Here, the machine tool can be configured as a handheld machine tool or as a fixed machine tool. In addition, the battery pack can be fixedly integrated in the machine tool or can be configured to be replaceable without tools. In this regard, typical power tools are handheld or vertical drills, screwdrivers, impact drills, drill hammers, planers, angle grinders, vibrating grinders, polishers, circular saws, table saws, miter saws and jigsaws or similar tools. However, battery-driven gardening tools and construction tools are also considered as electrical consumers, such as mowers, lawn mowers, branch saws, electric milling machines, groove milling machines, blowers, robot crushers and robot excavators or similar tools. In addition, the present invention can also be applied to battery-driven measuring tools, such as laser rangefinders or laser levels, wall scanners, etc., and to household appliances, such as vacuum cleaners, blenders and camping equipment, such as battery-driven refrigeration or heating appliances, coffee machines, etc. Furthermore, the invention can also be used in electrical loads which are supplied simultaneously with a large number of replaceable battery packs in order to achieve a long operating time and / or a high power.

[0013] The electrical consumer can have a brushless DC motor (EC motor or BLDC motor) for driving, which is controlled by means of a power output stage via pulse width modulation (PWM). Likewise, other types of electric motors, such as brushed DC motors or AC motors, as well as inductive, capacitive and / or resistive loads, which can be supplied with energy via an electrochemical energy store, are also conceivable without limiting the invention. This aspect is sufficiently known to a person skilled in the art and therefore will not be discussed in any further detail here.

[0014] The electrochemical energy storage device can be fixedly integrated in the electric consumer or constructed as a replaceable battery pack that can be removed without tools. In the case of a replaceable battery pack, it can also be provided that the replaceable battery pack can be charged not only in a state connected to the electric consumer, but also in a state separated from the electric consumer. Specifically, it is also possible to prohibit discharging through the application or using the application when charging the replaceable battery pack, such as in an electric drive / electric assist vehicle, according to the application. The battery voltage of a typical electrochemical energy storage device is usually a multiple of the voltage of a single energy storage cell of the energy storage device and is derived from the circuit connection (parallel and / or series) of a single energy storage cell. The energy storage cell is preferably constructed as a lithium-based energy storage cell, such as a lithium-ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, a lithium metal battery, a sodium-ion battery or a similar battery. However, the present invention can also be applied to electrochemical energy storage devices using nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries or other applicable battery types. In the case of a lithium-ion battery energy storage cell with a common cell voltage of 3.6V, the nominal battery voltage is, for example, 3.6V, 18V, 36V, 54V, etc. However, the present invention is not dependent on the type and structure of the energy storage cell and energy storage used, but can be applied to any electrochemical energy storage device and energy storage cell with a battery voltage of 36V, 48V, 52V, etc. For example, in addition to round cells, it can also be applied to soft-pack cells or similar cells.

[0015] In an extension of the present invention, it is provided that the interface module has an electronic unit that converts a universal charging or discharging protocol transmitted via at least one second universal interface into a charging or discharging protocol that is necessary, in particular a dedicated charging or discharging protocol, for a charging or discharging process of an electrochemical energy storage device connected to the first interface, and vice versa. Particularly advantageously, this allows the charging and discharging process to be started via the second universal interface. Otherwise, serious safety accidents may occur, which may cause significant damage to electrical consumers and / or energy storage devices. In this case, the transmission of the protocol is preferably carried out via the electrical data contacts or signal contacts of the first interface and the second interface.

[0016] Before the charging process of the electrochemical energy storage device, the electronic unit checks whether the DC voltage and / or the DC current flowing through the external constant voltage or current source applied to at least one second universal interface is greater than or equal to the maximum battery voltage and / or the maximum battery current for the electrochemical energy storage device. In this way, it can be ensured that the electrochemical energy storage device will not be overloaded during the charging process, because the electronic unit will only open the charging process when the maximum limit value is not exceeded. Accordingly, before starting the discharge process via at least one second universal interface, the electronic unit adjusts the battery voltage and / or the battery current according to the supply voltage and / or supply current of another electrical consumer connected to the at least one second universal interface in order to protect the connected electrical consumer from possible damage. The corresponding boundary values ​​are transmitted via the corresponding electrical data contacts or signal contacts of the first interface and the second interface in a manner similar to the charging and / or discharging protocol.

[0017] In addition, the interface module has a DC / DC converter which is controlled by the electronics unit in such a way that a DC voltage applied to the at least one second universal interface and / or a DC current flowing therethrough can be adapted to a battery voltage and / or a battery current of the electrochemical energy store or that a battery voltage and / or a battery current provided by the electrochemical energy store can be adapted to a supply voltage and / or a supply current of another electrical consumer connected to the at least one second universal interface. Regulation of the battery voltage or battery current is necessary in order to compensate for any deviations which may exist between the constant voltage or current source and the electrochemical energy store on the one hand and between the electrochemical energy store and another electrical consumer on the other hand.

[0018] In addition, it is provided that the electronic unit monitors the charging and / or discharging process by means of at least one operating parameter measured in the interface module, in the electrochemical energy storage device and / or in the electrical consumer. Preferably, at least one operating parameter is constructed as a measured actual voltage, a maximum battery voltage, a measured actual current, a current integral, a maximum battery current, an actual temperature, an upper and / or lower boundary temperature, information about a coding resistor or other values ​​for identifying an electrochemical energy storage device. In the case of using a plurality of operating parameters for monitoring, other contacts of the interface constructed as signal contacts or data contacts can be utilized. As mentioned at the beginning, alternatively, all data signals can also be transmitted via the electrical energy contacts of the interface in the sense of power line communication. The corresponding method for power line communication is known to professionals in the field and should not be further explained here.

[0019] In addition to the at least one second universal interface, further universal interfaces can also be provided for connection, in particular in parallel, to corresponding universal docking interfaces of further constant voltage or current sources and / or further electrical consumers. This is particularly advantageous in that, on the one hand, it enables charging with higher charging currents, for example for a fast charging function, and, on the other hand, it enables the simultaneous use of a plurality of different consumers, such as lamps, radios, power banks, smartphones or the like. Furthermore, it can be provided that a universal interface used for charging cannot be used for discharging and vice versa.

[0020] In order to prevent dangerous voltages from being applied to unused universal interfaces during the charging process or damage from accidental short circuits, the electronics unit blocks the unused universal interfaces when one or more of the universal interfaces are connected to an external constant voltage or current source, in particular for the discharging process.

[0021] It is particularly advantageous if at least one of the universal interfaces is designed as a USB-C interface. In particular, in conjunction with the "next generation USB-C", battery voltages of up to 48 V and charging currents of 4 to 5 A can be achieved via this universal interface, which is preferably used in high-power energy storage devices, such as some EPACs, electric bicycles or electric roller skates, resulting in a correspondingly fast charging process.

[0022] Additionally or alternatively, at least one of the universal interfaces is designed as a CHAdeMO-EPAC interface with two energy supply contacts and preferably three signal contacts or data contacts. It is particularly advantageous that high DC voltages and DC currents can be provided via the energy supply contacts of the CHAdeMO-EPAC interface, while the signal contacts or data contacts are used to transmit a plurality of the above-mentioned operating parameters and charging protocols in parallel.

[0023] Furthermore, it can be provided that at least one of the other universal interfaces is designed as a wireless, in particular inductive, interface with at least one primary coil for energy transmission, in particular according to the possibly further developed Qi or Ki standard or according to a protocol based on WPP and adapted for electric light vehicles. The transmission of charging or discharging protocols and / or operating parameters can then take place via near field communication (NFC) with the aid of a separate data coil. Since more and more smartphones can be charged according to the Qi standard, this allows the interface module to be very universally usable.

[0024] In order to wirelessly exchange data with external terminal devices such as smartphones, smart watches, tablets, personal computers, remote cloud servers or similar devices, the interface module has a communication interface. In this way, on the one hand, operating parameters can be monitored, and on the other hand, they can be set in the electronic unit according to different charging profiles or similar conditions. The communication interface preferably uses WLAN, Bluetooth, BLE, ZigBee, NFC or similar technologies for wireless transmission. In addition, in order to locally set and / or display different charging profiles and / or operating parameters, a human-machine interface (HMI) is also provided in the interface module. Here, the human-machine interface can be constructed, for example, as a touch display, as a display combined with hardware buttons, or as a simple LED display. It is also conceivable to set acoustic or tactile feedback for specific settings.

[0025] The present invention also relates to an adapter having an interface module according to the present invention, wherein the first interface of the interface module is configured as an electromechanical interface for being detachably connected to an electrochemical energy storage device or an electrical consumer, in particular an electrically driven vehicle, without tools. Here, the electromechanical interface can be implemented as a cable connection with an electromechanical plug, or as a guide rail with electrical contacts contained in the housing of the adapter. Since each dedicated interface is constructed very differently, this should not be discussed in detail below. Like the first interface, at least one second universal interface can also be configured as a cable connection or as a socket or plug integrated in the adapter. In addition, any hybrid form can also be conceived. It is particularly advantageous that the adapter can be attached to a public charging infrastructure, and in addition, it can be configured as a particularly compact travel charging adapter, which can be carried in a car seat bag, a handbag, a backpack or similar luggage, for example. "Connection that can be detached without tools" should be understood in particular as a connection that can be detached and established by hand. Since such electromechanical interfaces, in particular for replaceable batteries and electrical loads which can be operated with replaceable batteries, are sufficiently known to the person skilled in the art, they will not be discussed in greater detail here.

[0026] The invention further relates to an electrically driven vehicle having an interface module according to the invention, wherein the interface module is fixedly integrated in a frame part or a housing part of the electrically driven vehicle, in particular a drive unit of the electrically driven vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In the following Figures 1 to 6 The present invention is explained exemplarily, wherein the same reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same components having the same functions.

[0028] The accompanying drawings show:

[0029] Figure 1 : Block diagram of a system consisting of a charger, an electrochemical energy store and an interface module according to the invention in a first embodiment,

[0030] Figure 2 : A schematic diagram of an interface module of the present invention according to another embodiment,

[0031] Figure 3 : A schematic diagram of a system consisting of an electrical consumer in the form of an electric bicycle, an electrochemical energy store in the form of a replaceable battery, and an interface module according to the invention in a third embodiment,

[0032] FIG. 4: Perspective view of an energy storage device constructed as a replaceable battery pack, without ( Figure 4a ) and with ( Figure 4b ) an interface module according to a fourth embodiment of the invention, which is configured as an adapter,

[0033] Figure 5 : A perspective view of an electrical consumer in the form of an electric bicycle with a fixedly integrated interface module according to the invention in a fifth embodiment, and

[0034] Figure 6 : A perspective view of an electrochemical energy store in the form of a replaceable battery with a fixedly integrated interface module according to a sixth embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Figure 1A block diagram of a system is shown, which consists of a charger 10 commonly seen on the market, a rechargeable electrochemical energy storage device 12 commonly seen on the market for an electrical consumer 14, and an interface module 16 of the present invention in a first embodiment. The electrochemical energy storage device 12 can be either fixedly integrated in the electrical consumer 14 or constructed as a replaceable battery pack 18 that is detachably connected to the electrical consumer 14. Preferably, the replaceable battery pack 18 is connected to the electrical consumer 14 detachably without tools, that is, by hand, via a first electromechanical interface 20 and a docking interface corresponding thereto. For this purpose, the first electromechanical interface 20 has, in addition to electrical contacts for energy supply and for data or signal transmission, which are not shown in detail, possible mechanical codings, for example in the form of specific slide rails, contact arrangements, grooves, protrusions, etc., which only allow connection in combination with corresponding mechanical codings of the docking interface. Since these mechanical codings are often manufacturer-specific, the first interface 20 is designed to be dedicated. However, it should also be understood that the dedicated interface 20, in contrast to the universal interface, can only be used by a limited circle, such as a manufacturer consortium or a battery alliance. In this regard, it should be understood that the universal interface can be freely used across manufacturers. Since the dedicated interface may be configured very differently, its configuration will not be discussed in more detail below. Therefore, the person skilled in the art uses the corresponding dedicated first interface 20 depending on the application scenario and the manufacturer. Alternatively, it may be meaningful that the replaceable battery pack 18 can only be removed from the electrical consumer 14 with the help of a special tool or a mechanical wrench for reasons of anti-theft protection or other security measures. It can also be provided that the replaceable battery pack 18 is electrically secure in the electrical consumer 14.

[0036] The electrochemical energy store 12 has a plurality of energy store cells 22 which can be connected in series and / or in parallel, wherein the series connection defines the battery voltage U that drops at the energy supply contacts of the first electromechanical interface 20 of the electrochemical energy store 12 . Batt , and the parallel connection of individual energy storage battery cells 22 mainly increases the capacity of the electrochemical energy storage device 12. It is also possible to connect individual battery cell clusters (Zell-Cluster) composed of parallel-connected energy storage battery cells 22 in series in order to achieve a specific battery voltage U while increasing the capacity. Batt In the common case of a nominal battery cell voltage U of 3.6V, Cell In the case of a lithium-ion round energy storage cell 22, the battery voltage U Batt The drop is n·3.6 V, wherein n defines the number of energy storage cells 22 or cell clusters connected in series. In the case of other electrochemical energy storage cells 22, the nominal cell voltage UCell There may be deviations, so depending on the type and application scenario of the electrochemical energy storage device 12, the battery voltage may be 3.6V to 70V and may be higher. Depending on the number of energy storage battery cells 22 connected in parallel in the battery cell cluster, the capacity of the high-power energy storage devices 12 commonly found on the market can reach 14Ah and higher, so that, for example, more than 750Wh can be achieved in the field of electric bicycles. However, the present invention does not depend on the type, structural shape, voltage, current supply capacity, etc. of the energy storage battery cells 22 used, but can be applied to a large number of different energy storage devices 12.

[0037] In order to monitor the individual energy storage battery cells 22 or battery cell clusters connected in series of the energy storage 12, a not shown SCM (Single-Cell-Monitoring) front stage can be provided, which is controlled by the electronic unit 24 of the energy storage 12. The electronic unit 24 can be constructed as an integrated switching circuit in the form of a microprocessor, ASIC, DSP or the like. However, it is also conceivable that the electronic unit 24 consists of multiple microprocessors or at least partially consists of components with corresponding transistor logic. In addition, the electronic unit 24 can also have a memory for storing operating parameters of the energy storage 12, such as the battery voltage U Batt , Battery cell voltage U Cell , temperature T, battery current I or similar parameters. With the aid of a temperature sensor 26 arranged in the electrochemical energy store 12, preferably in the form of an NTC and in close thermal contact with at least one energy store cell 22, the temperature T of the energy store 12 or of the energy store cell 22 can be measured. In order to enable a charger (not shown) connected to the first interface 20 to identify the energy store 12 and, if necessary, to enable charging, the energy store 12 is provided with a coding resistor 28 having a fixed resistance value R C If the coding resistor 28 is configured to have a resistance value R of another operating parameter C If the values ​​stored in the charger are consistent, the charger starts the charging process and corresponds to the operating parameters stored in the lookup table, in particular the measured battery current I, the maximum battery current I Batt,max , the measured battery voltage U Batt , Maximum battery voltage U Batt,max, the measured temperature T, the permissible temperature range, etc., to charge the energy storage device 12. The electrical consumer 14 can open the discharge process of the energy storage device 12 in a similar manner via the coding resistor 28 or another coding resistor not shown. If the values ​​are inconsistent, the discharge process of the energy storage device 12 is stopped or not allowed, so that the electrical consumer 14 cannot be put into operation. In the case of consistency, the operator can put the electrical consumer 14 into operation. In addition, in order to identify or adapt the operating parameters, the corresponding charging or discharging protocol can also be transmitted via the first interface 20.

[0038] A charger that can be connected to the first interface 20 is usually used to charge the energy storage device 12. However, such a charger often has to be adapted or can be flexibly adapted to the specifications of the energy storage device 12 to be charged with it. In addition to the AC / DC conversion, this often requires a correspondingly expensive isolation transformer and a power stage, a rectifier stage, and a filter stage. The interface module 16 according to the present invention now presents an advantage in this regard, that is, a particularly simple and low-cost charger 10 can be used to charge the energy storage device 12 universally. For this purpose, the charger 10 has a constant voltage or current source 30 or is constructed as a constant voltage or current source, so that the AC / DC conversion, possible isolation transformers, and possibly expensive power stages, rectifier stages, and filter stages can be omitted. Such a universal charger 10 or a constant voltage or current source 30 is sufficiently known as a plug power supply component or a similar component and is available on the market, so it should not be discussed in depth here. They usually have a universal interface 32 in the form of a USB connector (e.g. USB-A, USB-C) or a similar connector, via the electrical contacts of which in addition to energy a specific charging protocol (PD, Power Delivery) for the connected electrical consumer or its energy storage device can be transmitted and this charging protocol can be evaluated in an electronic unit 34 integrated into the charger 10.

[0039] The interface module 16 according to the invention is intended to make it possible to use such a universal charger 10 for charging an electrochemical energy store 12. For this purpose, on the one hand, the interface module 16 has a first interface 20 for electrical connection to a corresponding dedicated docking interface 20 of the electrochemical energy store 12. On the other hand, at least one second universal interface 32 is provided, which is electrically connected to the first interface 20 in such a way that an external constant voltage or current source 30 connected to the at least one second universal interface 32 can charge the energy store 20.

[0040] For this purpose, the interface module 16 has an electronic unit 36, which can convert a universal charging or discharging protocol transmitted via at least one second universal interface 32 into a charging or discharging protocol that is necessary, in particular dedicated, for the charging or discharging process of the electrochemical energy storage device 12 connected to the first interface 20, and vice versa. This is necessary in order to avoid serious safety accidents that may cause adverse damage to the electrical consumer 14 and / or the energy storage device 12. For this purpose, the electronic unit 36 ​​controls the power electronic device 38 of the interface module 16 so that the charging or discharging process can be interrupted by means of corresponding switching devices (e.g. relays, transistors) when there are deviations or inconsistencies. In addition, the power electronic device 38 also has other filter devices for the necessary improvement of the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of the interface module 16 when necessary. In addition, it can also be provided that the electronic unit 36 ​​checks before the charging process of the electrochemical energy storage device 12 that the DC voltage U of the external constant voltage or current source 30 applied to the at least one second universal interface 32 is DC and / or the DC current I DC Is it greater than or equal to the maximum battery voltage U for the energy storage device 12? Batt,max and / or maximum battery current I Batt,max In this way it can be ensured that the energy store 12 is not overloaded during the charging process, since the electronics unit 36 ​​only enables the charging process if a maximum limit value is not exceeded.

[0041] Furthermore, the DC / DC converter 40 of the power electronics 38 is used to convert the DC voltage U provided by the constant voltage or current source 30 into a DC voltage U DC Or the DC current I DC The battery voltage U required to charge the energy storage device 12 Batt Or the battery current I Batt or the maximum battery voltage U permitted for charging the energy storage device 12 Batt,max Or the maximum battery current I Batt,max This regulation is necessary or advantageous because the external constant voltage or current source 30 can only provide a constant DC voltage U DC Or a constant DC current I DC , which are not always directly suitable for charging the energy store 12. In addition, the power electronics 38 can have a temperature sensor 42 for detecting the temperature T occurring in the interface module 16 or in the power electronics 38, so that the electronics unit 36 ​​interrupts or reduces the charging process if necessary when the temperature value is too high. Accordingly, the electronics unit 36 ​​can receive operating parameters stored in the energy store 12 and in the electronics unit 24 of the energy store via the first interface 20 and store and evaluate these operating parameters for regulating the charging process.

[0042] The first interface and the at least one second universal interface 20, 32 can be used not only for charging the energy store 12, but also for discharging. Therefore, not only is the data or signal transmission via the first interface and the second interface 20, 32 bidirectional, but also the energy transmission is bidirectional. For this reason, the arrow between the interfaces 20, 32 is shown as a double-headed arrow. If, instead of the charger 10, another electrical consumer 44 is connected to the at least one second universal interface 32 of the interface module 16 via its universal interface 32, then before starting the discharging process of the energy store 12, the electronic unit 36 ​​of the interface module 16 uses the DC / DC converter 40 according to the supply voltage U of the other electrical consumer 44, in particular the energy store 46 integrated into the other electrical consumer. Load and / or supply current I Load To adjust the battery voltage U Batt and / or battery current I Batt , in order to protect the connected electrical loads from possible damage. Accordingly, all protective measures for the charging process that can be performed by means of the power electronics 38 can also be used for the discharging process.

[0043] Optionally, the interface module 16 can have an additional universal interface 32, which is designed as a wireless, in particular inductive interface 48, which has at least one primary coil 50 for energy transmission, in particular according to the Qi standard, the Ki standard or a protocol further developed therefrom. The transmission of the charging or discharging protocol and the operating parameters can then be carried out via near field communication (NFC) with the aid of a separate data coil 52, which is preferably arranged concentrically within the primary coil 50. In this way, an energy storage device 46, which is designed as another electrical consumer 44 of a smartphone, can be inductively charged via the interface module 16, for example.

[0044] For wireless data exchange with an external terminal 54, such as a smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, PC, remote cloud server or similar device, the interface module 16 and the external terminal 54 each have a communication interface 56. In this way, on the one hand, operating parameters can be monitored via the app, and on the other hand, settings can be made in the electronic unit 36 ​​according to different charging profiles, timed charging or discharging, winter mode / transport mode / storage mode (energy storage device 12 is discharged to 50% / 30%) or similar conditions. The communication interface 56 preferably uses WLAN, Bluetooth, BLE, ZigBe, NFC or similar technologies for wireless transmission. The corresponding communication interface 56 can also be arranged in the energy storage device 12, in the electrical consumer 14 and / or in the other electrical consumer 44.

[0045] In order to locally set and / or display different charging profiles, operating parameters and / or charging states of the energy storage device 12, a human-machine interface (HMI) 58 is also provided in the interface module 16. Here, the human-machine interface 58 can be configured as a touch display, a display combined with hardware buttons, or also as a simple LED display. Acoustic or tactile feedback for specific settings is also conceivable.

[0046] Furthermore, the interface module 16 may also have additional functions 60 , for example in the form of a flashlight, an integrated radio, a local weather station (measuring ambient temperature, air humidity, brightness, etc.), a data center or the like.

[0047] Figure 2 An interface module in another embodiment is shown. It has a number of universal interfaces 32, six in total, for connection, in particular in parallel, to corresponding universal docking interfaces of further constant voltage or current sources 30 and / or further electrical consumers 44. This particularly advantageously makes it possible, on the one hand, to use a higher battery current I Batt Charging is carried out, for example, for a rapid charging function and, on the other hand, a plurality of different consumers 44 , such as lamps, radios, power banks, smartphones or the like, can be used simultaneously.

[0048] In order to prevent a voltage that is dangerous to people from being applied to unused universal interfaces 32 during the charging process or damage caused by an unexpected short circuit, when one or more of the universal interfaces 32 are connected to an external constant voltage or current source 30, the electronic unit 36 ​​uses the power electronics device 38 to block the unused universal interfaces, in particular for the discharging process.

[0049] Three of the six universal interfaces 32 are each designed as USB-C interfaces 62. In this way, in particular in conjunction with the "next generation USB-C", a battery voltage U of up to 48 V can be provided via the universal interface 32. Batt and a battery current I of 4 to 5A Batt This preferably enables a correspondingly fast charging process in an electrochemical energy store 32 designed as a high-power energy store, such as used in an EPAC or electric bicycle. The USB-C interface 62 can be used both to charge and discharge the energy store 12 connected to the first interface 20 via the cable 72.

[0050] The other two universal interfaces 32 of the interface module 16 are designed as USB-A interfaces 64. Since only limited electrical power can be transmitted via such universal interfaces 32, the USB-A interfaces 64 are preferably used only for discharging the energy store 32 and / or for data transmission to the corresponding electrical consumers 44. In this case, the interface module 16 can be used as a data center for the USB-C interface 62 and the USB-A interface 64, for example.

[0051] In order to also enable charging via a public charging point, one of the universal interfaces 32 is designed as a CHAdeMO-EPAC interface 66, which has two energy supply contacts 68 and preferably three signal contacts or data contacts 70. It is particularly advantageous that a high DC voltage U can be provided via the energy supply contacts 68 of the CHAdeMO-EPAC interface 66. DC and DC current I DC , while the signal contact or data contact 70 is used for parallel transmission of a plurality of the above-mentioned operating parameters and charging protocols. In addition to the universal interface 32 shown, other types of universal interfaces 32 for energy transmission and / or data transmission are also conceivable in the interface module 16 .

[0052] Figure 3 The schematic diagram of a system is shown, which consists of an electrical consumer 14 in the form of an electric bicycle 74, which has an electrochemical energy store 12 in the form of a replaceable battery pack 18, a charger 10, and an interface module 16 according to the invention. The electric bicycle 74 can be designed, for example, as a pedal electric bicycle, an electric bicycle or the like.

[0053] The electric bicycle 74 has a housing in the form of a frame 76, in which two wheels 78 are supported. In addition, a replaceable battery pack 18 is detachably connected to the frame 76 via a connecting device 80. In addition, the electric bicycle 74 also has a drive unit 82, which includes an electric motor 84 preferably configured as an EC or BLDC motor in the form of a mid-mounted motor. Alternatively, a hub motor can also be used in one wheel 78 instead of a mid-mounted motor. The electric bicycle 74, in particular its drive unit 82, is supplied with energy via the replaceable battery pack 18. The drive unit 82 includes an electronic unit (not shown) for controlling or regulating the electric bicycle 74, in particular the electric motor 84. The electronic unit is also connected to a sensor unit (not shown), which includes, for example, a plurality of sensor elements, such as a torque sensor, a motion sensor in the form of an acceleration sensor, and a magnetic sensor. The electric bicycle 74 also has a pedal crank 86 with a pedal crank shaft 88. The electronic unit, the drive unit 82 with the electric motor 84 and the pedal crankshaft 88 are arranged in a drive housing 90 which is connected to the frame 76 .

[0054] The driving motion of the electric motor 84 is preferably transmitted to the pedal crankshaft 88 via a transmission (not shown), wherein the intensity of the assistance provided by the drive unit 82 is controlled or adjusted by means of an electronic unit. The electronic unit is configured to control the drive unit 82 so that the driver of the electric bicycle 74 is assisted when pedaling. Preferably, the electronic unit is configured to be operable by the driver so that the driver can set the degree of assistance.

[0055] The electric bicycle 74, for example, also includes an onboard computer 92, which is arranged on the handlebars 94 of the electric bicycle 74. The onboard computer 92 is, for example, partially detachably constructed together with the electric bicycle 74. The onboard computer 92 includes a human-machine interface, which is used to display information and to control the onboard computer 92 and / or the electric bicycle 74 or the drive unit 82. The human-machine interface is, for example, constructed as a touch screen or the like. The onboard computer 92 is connected to the drive unit 82 for exchanging information and instructions. For example, the speed obtained by the electronic unit of the drive unit 82, the set power assist level of the electric motor 84, the route information of the navigation unit integrated in the onboard computer 92, or the charging state of the replaceable battery pack 18 can be displayed via the human-machine interface.

[0056] Corresponding to Figure 1 and 2 , the replaceable battery pack 18 can be charged by means of the constant voltage or current source 30 of the charger 10 and the interface module 16 according to the invention. To this end, the interface module 16 is connected to the charger 10 via at least one of the universal interfaces 32, for example, by means of a suitable USB-C cable 96, and is connected via the first dedicated interface 20 and the cable 72 fixedly connected to the interface unit 16.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows an electrochemical energy storage device 12 in the form of a replaceable battery 18 for an electrical consumer 14 in the form of an electric bicycle 74 in a perspective partial view. The replaceable battery 18 has a housing 98 which is composed of a plurality of housing parts, for example. A plurality of energy storage battery cells 22 (not shown) are arranged in the housing 98 by means of at least one battery cell holder (not shown). Furthermore, the housing 98 of the replaceable battery 18 contains a plurality of battery cells 22 (not shown). Figure 1 The electronic unit 24 for the battery management system (BMS) described in the embodiment and, if necessary, at least one of the temperature sensors 26, 28 and the communication interface 56 are provided. A human-machine interface 100 is provided on the first outer side of the housing 98 as a charging state and fault display. Figure 4aOn the other outer side of the housing 98, there is a dedicated electromechanical interface 20, through the electrical contacts of which the replaceable battery pack 18 can be charged by a dedicated charger on the one hand, and can be discharged by means of the electric bicycle 74 on the other hand. For this purpose, the dedicated charger and the electric bicycle 74 each have a corresponding docking interface 20. In addition, the other electrical contacts of the dedicated electromechanical interface 20 are arranged as data or signal contacts for transmitting operating parameters and corresponding charging and discharging protocols. These electrical contacts can be configured, for example, as spring contact elements in the form of tulip contacts, or as flat contacts in the form of contact tongues.

[0058] Figure 4b The interface module 16 plugged onto the dedicated interface 20 is shown, which is configured as an adapter 102 with a separate housing 104. The housing 104 can be constructed as a single piece or multiple pieces and completely surrounds all electronic components of the interface module 16 (see Figure 1 ) in order to protect them from moisture and contamination. The housing 104 is preferably made of plastic. However, other materials are also conceivable, such as metal, wood, ceramic composite materials or similar materials. A dedicated interface 20 (not visible) is provided on a first outer side of the housing 104 for detachably connecting to the dedicated interface 20 of the replaceable battery pack 18 without tools. In order to fix the adapter 102 on the replaceable battery pack 18, a locking device 106 is provided, which engages with corresponding fixing elements of the dedicated interface 20 of the replaceable battery pack 18 when the adapter 102 is inserted. In order to be able to remove the adapter 102 without tools, an operating button 108 is provided on the other outer side of the adapter 102, which releases the locking device 106 when it is correspondingly operated, so that the adapter 102 can be pulled out from the dedicated interface 20 of the replaceable battery pack 18.

[0059] Universal interfaces 32 are arranged on at least one third outer side of the housing 104 in such a way that they are freely accessible when the adapter 102 is plugged onto the replaceable battery pack 18. For example, two universal USB-C interfaces 62 and one universal CHAdeMO-EPAC interface 66 are provided. It is particularly advantageous that the adapter can be attached to a public charging infrastructure via the CHAdeMO-EPAC interface 66. Alternatively, charging via the USB-C interface 62 is also possible. In addition, these interfaces can also be used to make the replaceable battery pack 18 a mobile power source for further electrical consumers 44 (cf. Figure 1 ) discharge. The adapter 102 can be designed particularly compactly as a travel adapter so that it can be carried around, for example, in a vehicle seat bag, a handbag, a backpack or the like.

[0060] Furthermore, the adapter 102 can also be designed such that it can be connected directly to a corresponding docking interface 20 of the electric bicycle 74 via the dedicated interface 20 for supplying the electric bicycle with energy. This is particularly advantageous when the electric bicycle 74 has a permanently installed electrochemical energy store 12 .

[0061] Figure 5 Such an electric bicycle 74 is shown with a fixedly mounted electrochemical energy storage device 12. In contrast to the previous embodiments, the interface module 16 is now completely integrated into the frame 76 of the electric bicycle 74. In order to charge and discharge the energy storage device 12 via the interface module 16, the electric bicycle 74 now directly has two universal interfaces 32. These universal interfaces are configured, for example, as USB-C interfaces 62, wherein the first USB-C interface 62 is arranged in the frame 76 of the electric bicycle 74 and the second USB-C interface is arranged in the drive device housing 90 of the drive unit 82. Since both the energy storage device 12 and the interface module 16 are fixedly integrated in the frame 76 of the electric bicycle 74, a dedicated interface 20 can be omitted. Instead, the energy storage device 12 and the interface module 16 can be fixedly connected to each other. Nevertheless, the term "interface module" should still be used here, since a corresponding conversion of the charging and discharging protocols is always required for the universal interface 32. In other respects, according to Figure 5 The interface module 16 is functionally similar to Figure 1 The connection module 16 described up to FIG. 4 is designed in the same manner.

[0062] exist Figure 6 , another embodiment of the interface module 16 according to the invention is shown. In this case, it is directly integrated into the replaceable battery pack 18. In addition to the dedicated interface 20, the replaceable battery pack 18 now also has two universal interfaces 32, for example in the form of USB-C connectors 62. Therefore, the replaceable battery pack 18 can be selectively charged directly via the universal interface 32 with a suitable constant voltage or current source 30, or charged via the dedicated interface 20 with a suitable charger in the removed state. Therefore, unlike the dedicated interface 20, the universal interface 32 also allows charging in a state connected to the frame 76 of the electric bicycle 74. In addition, the universal interface 32 can also be used to discharge the replaceable battery pack 18 in the sense of a mobile power supply for at least one other electrical consumer 44.

[0063] Finally, it should be pointed out that the embodiments shown are not limited to Figures 1 to 6 , nor are they restricted to the values ​​mentioned and the dimensional ratios shown. For example, for better legibility, in particular the universal interface 32 is not shown to scale.

Claims

1. An interface module (16) for charging and discharging an electrochemical energy store (12) of an electrical consumer (14), in particular an electrically driven vehicle (74), the interface module having a first interface (20) and at least one second interface (32) electrically connected to the first interface (20), characterized in that The first interface (20) is designed in particular specifically so that the interface module (16) can be connected to a corresponding docking interface (20) of the electrochemical energy store (12), and the at least one second interface (32) is designed universally so that the interface module (16) can be connected to a corresponding docking interface (32) of an external constant voltage or current source (30) for charging the electrochemical energy store (12) and to a corresponding docking interface (32) of a further electrical consumer (44) for discharging the electrochemical energy store (12).

2. The interface module (16) according to claim 1, characterized in that The interface module (16) has an electronics unit (24) which converts a universal charging or discharging protocol transmitted via the at least one second universal interface (32) into a necessary, in particular specific, charging or discharging protocol for a charging or discharging process of an electrochemical energy store (12) connected to the first interface (20), and vice versa.

3. The interface module (16) according to claim 1, characterized in that The electronic unit (24) checks, before a charging process of the electrochemical energy store (12), whether a DC voltage (U DC ) and / or the DC current flowing (I DC ) is greater than or equal to the maximum battery voltage (U Batt,max ) and / or maximum battery current (I Batt,max ).

4. The interface module (16) according to claim 1, characterized in that In order to discharge the electrochemical energy store (12), the electronics unit (24) can discharge the electrochemical energy store (12) via the at least one second universal interface (32) as a function of the supply voltage (U) of a further electrical consumer (44) connected to the at least one second universal interface (32). Load ) and / or supply current (I Load ) to set the battery voltage (U Batt ) and / or battery current (I Batt ).

5. The interface module (16) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that The interface module (16) has a DC / DC converter (40) which is controlled by the electronic unit (24) in such a way that a DC voltage (U DC ) and / or the DC current flowing (I DC ) is adapted to the battery voltage (U Batt ) and / or battery current (I Batt ), or the battery voltage (U Batt ) and / or battery current (I Batt ) is adapted to a supply voltage (U ) of a further electrical consumer (44) connected to the at least one second universal interface (32) Load ) and / or supply current (I Load ).

6. The interface module (16) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The electronics unit (24) monitors a charging and / or discharging process using at least one operating parameter measured in the interface module (16), in the electrochemical energy store (12) and / or in the electrical consumer (14, 44).

7. The interface module (16) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that In addition to the at least one second universal interface (32), a further universal interface (32) is provided for connection, in particular in parallel, to corresponding universal docking interfaces (32) of further constant voltage or current sources (30) and / or further electrical consumers (44).

8. The interface module (16) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that When at least one of the universal interfaces (32) is connected to an external constant voltage or current source (30), the electronic unit (24) blocks all unused universal interfaces (32), in particular for discharge processes.

9. The interface module (16) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that At least one of the universal interfaces (32) is configured as a USB-C interface (62).

10. The interface module (16) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that At least one of the universal interfaces (32) is designed as a CHAdeMO-EPAC interface (66) having two energy supply contacts (68) and preferably three signal contacts or data contacts (70).

11. The interface module (16) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that At least one of the further universal interfaces (32) is designed as a wireless, in particular inductive, interface (48) having at least one primary coil (50) for energy transmission, in particular according to the Qi standard or the Ki standard.

12. The interface module (16) according to claim 11, characterized in that The transmission of the charging or discharging protocol and / or the operating parameters via the wireless, in particular inductive, interface (48) takes place by near field communication using a separate data coil (52).

13. The interface module (16) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The interface module (16) has a communication interface (56) for wirelessly exchanging signals or data with an external terminal (54).

14. The interface module (16) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The interface module (16) has a human-machine interface (58) for setting / displaying the operating parameters and / or different charging profiles of the electronic unit (24).

15. An adapter (102) having an interface module (16) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The first, in particular dedicated, interface (20) of the interface module (16) is designed as an electromechanical interface for detachable connection to a corresponding electromechanical interface (20) of an electrochemical energy store (12) or an electrical consumer (14), in particular an electrically driven vehicle (74), without tools.

16. An electrically driven vehicle (74) having an interface module (16) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 14, characterized in that The interface module (16) is fixedly integrated in a frame part or a housing part (76, 90) of the electrically driven vehicle (74), in particular a drive unit (82) of the electrically driven vehicle (74).

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