Conductive charging system with protected conductor as contact surface and electric vehicle comprising the

Abstract

The invention relates to a conductive charging system (1) for charging an electric vehicle, comprising a plate (2) having a plurality of recesses (3) in which electrically conductive contacts (4) are inserted, said contacts being designed to be in contact with mating contacts, a protective conductor being provided, the protective conductor is designed to be in contact with at least one mating protective conductor, and the plate (2) is designed to be electrically conductive and is connected to the protective conductor in an electrically conductive manner. The invention also relates to an electric vehicle comprising such a charging system (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a conductive charging system for charging electric vehicles, such as passenger cars, commercial vehicles such as trucks or other land motor vehicles, the charging system comprising a plate having a plurality of recesses into which conductive contacts are inserted, the conductive contacts being arranged to contact mating contacts, wherein there is a protective conductor arranged to contact at least one mating protective conductor. Background Art

[0002] Contact systems for establishing an electrical connection between a main device and an auxiliary device are already known from the prior art, such as EP 3 433 908 B1.

[0003] Therefore, the invention relates to the field of conductive charging of vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the invention is to provide an improved charging system, since the known solutions always have certain disadvantages.

[0005] In the case of the conductive charging system according to the invention, this object is achieved in that the plate is designed to be conductive and is conductively connected to the protective conductor.

[0006] In other words, the invention relates to a base unit in which a perforated plate serves as a single PE contact, thus serving as a protective conductor, i.e. a ground or protective contact, wherein the plate / perforated plate occupies the surface of the base part and has recesses for power contacts and information contacts. The perforated plate is made of a conductive but non-magnetizable material, such as stainless steel. The perforated plate is connected to the protective conductor at at least one location. In a preferred embodiment, the support element transfers the load from the vehicle or the like to the underside of the base unit particularly well.

[0007] It should be understood that when establishing a conductive connection for vehicle charging, for example, the protective (protective earth, PE) conductor should / must always be contacted in an appropriate manner. Ideally, this connection should be established first and disconnected last. In the case of longitudinally pluggable contacts, this is done via a guided contact. In the case of flat contact-type contacts, this is done on the one hand via an increased spring deflection of the contact and on the other hand due to the larger surface area (significant displacement) of the PE contact compared to the power contact.

[0008] With the proposed solution, the contact no longer needs to be permanently connected to the protective conductor, whereby in the normal state, the other contacts are also connected to the protective conductor via a switching device, but in the switched state, these contacts are connected to the current path.

[0009] This offers a number of advantages. This means that there is no longer a need to use a large number of individual contact parts, thus reducing the assembly work and costs. Although a large amount of space was previously required to contact the protective conductor, now a large amount of space is created below the surface. In addition, the penetration is reduced. The many perforations through which the contact parts pass through the housing surface always hide a potential leakage risk. This situation has now been eliminated. The disadvantages of the previous sensitive insulating material that surrounded the contact parts and included, for example, plastic can be avoided, especially in the case of casting. Of particular importance is that a much larger active protective conductor area can now be obtained.

[0010] Therefore, the solution to the problem according to the present invention includes replacing the individual PE contact parts with a perforated sheet, which now occupies the surface of the floor part and has recesses for power contact parts and information contact parts. The perforated plate is made of a conductive but non-magnetizable material, such as stainless steel. The perforated plate is connected to the protective conductor at at least one location. Since contact is no longer required, a support element can now be used instead of the previous PE pin-shaped contact part, and the support element can transfer the load from a vehicle or the like to the underside of the floor unit particularly well. This reduces the assembly work and the costs involved.

[0011] Such a conductive charging system is a unit that can be recessed into the floor or attached to the floor, and these units include a base unit having the said plate. If a vehicle drives over this charging system, the contact part attached to the vehicle can be lowered onto the charging system, or the corresponding contact part can move from the charging system towards the vehicle. This lowering or lifting movement can be automated. This enables automatic charging.

[0012] Specifically, the surface of the plate can be designed as a protective conductor surface, which includes recesses for power contact parts and other controlled contact parts. The power contact parts embedded / molded into the surface can be separated from the PE contact part surface by an insulating material. For example, the power contact parts can be connected to a printed circuit board. For example, the support element / supporting element can be made of a ferromagnetic material so that an external magnet can interact with it. If a support element is not required for structural reasons, a flatter implementation can also be used so that the magnetic force can be effectively absorbed. Such an implementation is understood as a plate.

[0013] In the base unit, the perforated plate serves as an individual PE contact part, i.e., a ground or protective contact part, which occupies one surface of the base part and has recesses for power contact parts and information contact parts. The perforated plate is made of a conductive but non-magnetizable material, such as stainless steel. The perforated plate is connected to the protective conductor at at least one location. The protective element / post transfers the load from a vehicle or the like to the underside of the floor unit / base unit particularly well.

[0014] Advantageous embodiments are claimed in the dependent claims and are explained in more detail below.

[0015] Thus, it is advantageous for there to be an electrical insulator between the contact element and the plate and / or for there to be a seal between the contact element and the plate. In this way, unwanted fault currents and / or corrosion damage can be avoided. The result here is higher and better durability.

[0016] It has proven successful when the insulator represents a seal and when the seal represents an insulator. This provides a special advantage if the insulator forms a seal or is designed such that the insulator acts as a seal against dirt, moisture and the like.

[0017] If the plate is made of metal and / or a non-magnetizable material or at least partly made of metal and / or a non-magnetizable material, a particularly robust design that is less susceptible to external influences can be achieved.

[0018] Advantageously, the plate is made of stainless steel or possibly plastic, as this enables a particularly aesthetically pleasing appearance to be achieved or costs to be reduced. This also makes the plate easy to clean.

[0019] An advantageous embodiment is also characterized by the fact that the contact element is preferably cast or embedded in the plate together with the respective insulator / seal. The result is a particularly durable and resilient embodiment.

[0020] In order to prevent sagging, in particular bending and curvature, when a load is applied, it is advantageous for the support element for the plate to be arranged / set adjacent to the contact element, for example between the contact elements or close to the contact element.

[0021] If the support element is designed as a column, beam, sleeve, pin or strut, options for ensuring force transmission can be particularly easily implemented. Of course, different support elements can be combined with one another such that different types of support elements are used. This can result in advantages in terms of installation space.

[0022] It has proven useful for the support element to be designed as a component separate from the plate and the contact element, and the support element is preferably made of plastic or a ferrous material. As already mentioned, the use of a ferrous material is particularly advantageous.

[0023] It is advantageous for the entire surface to be in contact with the PE conductor at only one point (rather than at each PE pin) and, additionally, the contact at the point of the previous PE pin is omitted and / or used for the support element or other components.

[0024] If the contact element is designed as a power contact and / or a control contact, automatic charging can be particularly easily implemented.

[0025] The invention also relates to an electric vehicle which is connected to a conductive charging system according to the invention, wherein the electric vehicle has a mating contact which is electrically connected to the contact of the conductive charging system, and then a charging process takes place during operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The invention will now be described in more detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings.

[0027] In the drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 A first embodiment of a conductive charging system according to the invention is shown in a top view, in which a floor unit with a protective PE conductor plate is used, the protective PE conductor plate comprising a hole pattern / aperture for an electrical contact surface, and a separate insulator being present around the contact portion, whereby a support / support element / support-type element which can optionally be enabled by magnetic force can be used below the PE plate.

[0029] Figure 2 In a cross-section taken along Figure 1 line II of Figure 1 a cross-section of the charging system passing through

[0030] Figure 3 as part of the floor unit of an automatic charging station is shown, and Figure 2 a cross-section from DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] The drawings are in essence only schematic and are only for understanding the invention. Identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0032] In Figure 1 a conductive charging system 1 according to the invention is shown. The conductive charging system is intended to be installed in or on a floor. Thus, the conductive charging system is a floor unit. The conductive charging system has a plate 2. The plate 2 contains a plurality of recesses 3. The recesses 3 are arranged to receive contacts 4. The contacts 4 are in turn surrounded by a seal 5 or an insulator / electrical insulator 6. In this embodiment, a single component forms both the seal 5 and the insulator 6.

[0033] The plate 2 is located in a housing 7 of the floor unit.

[0034] As Figures 1 to 3 can be seen, the contacts 4 are evenly distributed.

[0035] As Figure 3 shown, the reinforcement of the charging system 1 is accomplished by using support elements 8. The support elements 8 designed as columns 9 are seated in the housing 7 and support the plate 2 from below. Thus, the support elements are in direct contact with the plate 2.

[0036] As can be readily seen in Figure 2 and Figure 3 the contact member 4 is in electrical contact with the printed circuit board 10.

[0037] Neither a protective conductor, nor a mating contact, nor a mating protective conductor is shown in the figure.

[0038] List of reference numerals

[0039] 1 Charging system

[0040] 2 Plate

[0041] 3 Recess

[0042] 4 Contact member

[0043] 5 Seal

[0044] 6 Insulator / Electrical insulator

[0045] 7 Housing

[0046] 8 Support element

[0047] 9 Post

[0048] 10 Printed circuit board

Claims

1. A conductive charging system (1) for charging an electric vehicle, the charging system comprising a plate (2) having a plurality of recesses (3) into which conductive contacts (4) are inserted, the contacts being arranged to contact a mating contact, wherein, There is a protective conductor which is arranged to be in contact with at least one mating protective conductor, characterized in that the plate (2) is designed to be conductive and is conductively connected to the protective conductor.

2. The charging system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, There is an electrical insulator (6) between the contact (4) and the plate (2) and / or there is a seal (5) between the contact (4) and the plate (2).

3. The charging system (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The insulator (6) represents the seal (5).

4. The charging system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The plate (2) is made of a conductive metallic material and / or a conductive non-magnetizable material.

5. The charging system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The plate (2) is made of stainless steel.

6. The charging system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The contact (4) is cast or embedded in the plate (2).

7. The charging system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that A support element (8) for the plate (2) is provided adjacent to the contact (4).

8. The charging system (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The support element (8) is designed as a column (8), beam, sleeve, pin or strut.

9. The charging system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The contact (4) is designed as a power contact and / or a control contact.

10. An electric vehicle, the electric vehicle being connected to a conductive charging system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, The electric vehicle has a mating contact electrically connected to the contact (4) of the conductive charging system (1), and thus a charging process occurs during operation.

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