Charging device for charging vehicle

Abstract

A charging device (1) for charging a vehicle (31) is proposed, the charging device (1) having a housing (2) with an open cover (7), a direct current charging cable (42) with a connection plug (45), a robot arm (4) which is designed to move the connection plug (45) from a storage position (43) into a charging position (41) and from the charging position (41) into the storage position (43), a charging interface (32) of the vehicle (31) is provided at the charging position (41), the opening cover (7) being designed to be able to hold the direct current charging cable (42) by means of a holding element (15) such that an upward movement of the opening cover (7) causes the direct current charging cable (42) to be at least partially raised and a downward movement of the opening cover (7) causes the direct current charging cable (42) to be at least partially lowered, the charging device (1) has a control device (20) which is designed to automatically control the movement of the opening cover plate (7) such that the weight of the direct current charging cable (42) is at least partially carried by the opening cover plate (7) when the robot arm (4) is moved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging device for charging a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the ongoing electrification of motorized personal transportation, charging devices for charging vehicles are increasingly being used in public and private transportation areas. This includes stationary charging devices and mobile charging devices.

[0003] In particular in the context of shortening the charging time, in recent years an increasing number of charging devices are equipped with a direct current charging function and an increasing number of vehicles are equipped with a corresponding direct current charging function. This in particular makes fast charging possible. DC stands for "direct current" or "direct current". Direct current charging cables are in particular designed for the case of high charging power (for example from 100 kW to 350 kW) and usually have a relatively large cross-sectional area and a relatively high weight per unit length.

[0004] Charging devices equipped with a robot arm for cable guidance are faced with the target conflict that, on the one hand (in particular in the case of mobile charging devices), a low weight of the charging device and the robot arm is desired in order to save energy when the robot arm is moved (and in the case of mobile charging devices, during movement or travel of the charging device). However, a heavier cable weight on the other hand requires a structurally robust robot arm (which is also equipped with powerful heavy-duty actuators) whose movements result in a high energy consumption. The structurally robust robot arm in turn increases the weight of the entire charging device, so that (in the case of mobile charging devices) the charging device consumes a lot of energy during movement. If, on the other hand, the robot arm is designed to be lightweight and less heavy, only a smaller movement radius can be achieved by the robot arm in order to avoid overloading the robot arm or subjecting it to a weight that exceeds the actuators used. SUMMARY

[0005] The technical problem addressed by the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned target conflict, i.e. to propose a charging device for charging a vehicle, which charging device

[0006] - is lightweight,

[0007] - requires less energy for movement of the robot arm,

[0008] - requires less energy for movement of the charging device, if a mobile charging device is involved,

[0009] - enables a larger movement radius of the robot arm when using a direct current charging cable.

[0010] The technical problem is solved by a charging device according to the application.

[0011] It is particularly proposed that the charging device is used for charging a vehicle,

[0012] The charging device has

[0013] - a housing having an opening flap which can be opened automatically and closed automatically,

[0014] - a DC charging cable with a connection plug,

[0015] - a robot arm which is designed to move the connection plug from a storage position to a charging position and from the charging position to the storage position, wherein a charging interface of the vehicle is provided at the charging position, wherein the storage position is located inside the housing,

[0016] wherein the opening flap is designed to hold the DC charging cable by means of a holding element, such that

[0017] - the DC charging cable is at least partially lifted when the opening flap is moved upwards, and

[0018] - the DC charging cable is at least partially lowered when the opening flap is moved downwards,

[0019] wherein the charging device has a control device which is designed to automatically control the movement of the opening flap such that the weight of the DC charging cable is at least partially carried by the opening flap when the robot arm is moved.

[0020] The term "at least one" has the same meaning as "one or more". The term "part" or "partially" or "at least partially" has the same meaning as "part or all", respectively. Features are sometimes described in the singular. This description alternatively or additionally includes the corresponding description of a plurality of such features, if present, and vice versa.

[0021] Furthermore, the opening flap can also be designed to be controlled by the control device such that the opening flap at least partially carries the weight of the DC charging cable when the opening flap and / or the robot arm are in a locked position. "Locked" can in particular mean "constant" and / or "fixedly held".

[0022] The vehicle can in particular be an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle having a partially electric drive. The charging interface can in particular be a DC charging interface. The charging interface can be designed to be opened, in particular automatically, by the charging device and / or to be accessible by the charging device. The DC charging cable can for example have a CSS connection plug or a hybrid connection plug.

[0023] The charging device can have an energy store, for example preferably a battery, for storing and providing electrical energy for the charging process. The charging device can additionally have a (for example fuel-driven) generator, for example for emergency situations, for generating electrical energy for the charging process.

[0024] The robot arm can comprise at least one inner section and at least one outer section. The at least one inner section and the at least one outer section can in particular be designed as support members. The outer section can be an outer end section, i.e. the outermost section. The outer section can be designed to be able to hold and move the connection plug. The outer section can have a holding device for the connection plug. The holding device can be designed to hold, in particular directly hold, the connection plug. The connection between the holding device and the connection plug can be releasable, in particular automatically releasable or manually releasable, for example by a user or a maintenance person of the charging device.

[0025] The holding of the connection plug by the holding device can in particular be achieved during a movement of the robot arm for moving the connection plug from a storage position to a charging position and / or into a charging interface of the vehicle and / or out of the charging interface and / or from the charging position to the storage position. The storage position can be a position in which the connection plug is located when no charging operation is being carried out. When the connection plug is in the storage position, the DC charging cable and / or the robot arm can be arranged at least partially or completely inside the housing, which is not accessible from the outside. Thereby, protection against external influences and damage can be achieved. Furthermore, a risk of injury, for example to children, can be avoided by making energized or movable components (when no charging process is being carried out) inaccessible from the outside.

[0026] If no charging operation is being carried out, the robot arm can be at least partially or completely located inside the housing. The charging position can be a position of the connection plug in which the connection plug is located (inserted) or can be brought to, for example by insertion by the robot arm, into the charging interface of the vehicle.

[0027] The robot arm can be designed such that the at least one outer section of the robot arm is movable at least along a translational degree of freedom and / or a rotational degree of freedom. The robot arm can be designed such that the at least one outer section of the robot arm is movable relative to the at least one inner section at least along a translational degree of freedom and / or a rotational degree of freedom.

[0028] The robot arm can be designed such that the outer end of the robot arm is movable at least along

[0029] - one rotational degree of freedom, or two, three or more rotational degrees of freedom, and / or

[0030] - one translational degree of freedom, or two, three or more translational degrees of freedom

[0031] The at least one inner section and the at least one outer section can be configured in series or in parallel to form the robot arm. The robot arm can be formed by two or more sections, i.e. one or more inner sections and / or one or more outer sections.

[0032] The robot arm can have at least one joint between the at least one inner section and the at least one outer section. The robot arm can alternatively or additionally have a linear displacement structure between the at least one inner section and the at least one outer section.

[0033] The robot arm can comprise a plurality of sections, e.g. two, three, four, five, six or more sections. Between the sections, e.g. a linear displacement structure and / or a joint can be arranged, respectively. Between the sections, at least one actuator, e.g. a motor and / or a hydraulic element and / or a pneumatic element, can be arranged, respectively, which is capable of performing a movement (of the subsequent section relative to the preceding section) about the joint and / or along the linear displacement structure.

[0034] The control device can have a computing unit, e.g. a computer, with a processor, an input device and / or an input interface, an output device and / or an output interface, a memory and a working memory. The control device can be designed to cause the opening cover to carry partially or completely the weight of the DC charging cable depending on the movement and / or position of the robot arm. The control device can also be designed to lock the opening cover such that the opening cover carries partially or completely the weight of the DC charging cable when the robot arm is in a fixed position, e.g. when the connection plug is in the charging position. On the holding element and / or the opening cover and / or an actuator for the opening cover (see below), a force sensor can be provided which is capable of measuring the weight of the DC charging cable. The force sensor can be connected to the control device. The control device can be designed to control the opening cover by means of the measurement values of the force sensor in order to maintain a certain minimum weight of the DC charging cable, in particular when the robot arm is moved and / or when the robot arm is in the locked position.

[0035] The control device can additionally be designed to control the robot arm. The charging device can be equipped with at least one sensor which is designed to identify the charging interface of the vehicle. The sensor can be, for example, an optical sensor and / or have a video camera and / or a 3D video camera. The control device can be connected to the at least one sensor. The control device can be designed to identify the charging position by means of the data received by the at least one sensor, for example by means of image recognition. The control device can be designed to carry out an image recognition process by means of the sensor, for example by means of artificial intelligence. The control device can be designed to control the robot arm such that it moves from the storage position to the charging position and / or introduces the charging interface. The control device can be designed to determine the coordinates of the charging position, in particular in a coordinate system which is fixedly defined with respect to the charging device and / or the environment, and to move the robot arm accordingly such that the connection plug reaches the charging position. The control device can be designed to control the robot arm such that it moves out of the charging interface and / or from the charging position to the storage position. The coordinates of the storage position can be stored in the control device for this purpose. The control device can be designed to move the robot arm accordingly.

[0036] The robot arm can be designed to be able to move autonomously and / or automatically, in particular the movement of the outer section and / or the connection plug.

[0037] The holding element can in particular be connected to and / or arranged on the outer end of the opening cover. The opening cover can be a planar and / or curved cover. The opening cover can correspond in terms of its appearance to the extension of the housing. The opening cover can be arranged on the top side of the housing. The opening cover can be connected to the housing by means of a joint. The housing can be and / or have the housing and / or the main body of the charging device. The housing can be constructed in multiple parts. If the charging device is a mobile charging device, wheels can be provided on the housing, which are in particular driven and / or steerable. The wheels can be connected directly or indirectly to the housing. The housing can be defined such that a cavity is provided within a load-bearing structure and / or a frame structure of the charging device, which is accessible by means of the opening cover and in which the storage position is located. The cavity can be provided within the load-bearing structure or the frame structure and can be outwardly delimited by other parts of the charging device. The cavity can but need not be outwardly closed on all sides.

[0038] At least one actuator can be provided at the opening cover and / or at least one actuator for the opening cover can be provided. The opening cover can be opened and closed automatically and moved by means of the actuator. The actuator can be designed to set a locking position, which can be a locked opening angle of the opening cover, and / or any possible (locked, i.e. constant over time) position or opening angle, and / or to automatically carry out any possible upward movement and / or downward movement of the opening cover.

[0039] The locking position, the upward movement and / or the downward movement of the opening flap can result in a desired holding and / or carrying, a desired lifting or a desired lowering of the DC charging cable.

[0040] An actuator at and / or for the opening flap can be connected with a control device. The control device can be designed to carry out a control process of the opening flap such that the robot arm is relieved in terms of the weight of the DC charging cable. The control device can in particular be designed such that, during a movement process and a holding process of the robot arm, i.e. when the connection plug is moved or held by the robot arm, the weight of at least a predetermined portion or the entire weight of the DC charging cable is taken up by the opening flap and the holding element. The control device can be designed such that the robot arm is relieved in terms of the weight of the DC charging cable, i.e. takes up only a percentage share of the weight of the DC charging cable or not at all, by the upward movement and / or the downward movement and / or when the opening flap has a locked opening angle and / or a locked position.

[0041] A weight sensor for detecting the held weight of the DC charging cable can be provided, for example, on the opening flap and / or on the robot arm. The measurement data received by the sensor can be used by the control device for controlling the movement of the opening flap and / or the robot arm. The opening flap can have a locking element which is designed to hold the opening flap in a locked opening angle and / or a locked position. The locking element can be, for example, a brake which is designed to hold the locked opening angle and / or the locked position of the opening flap. The locked opening angle and / or the locked position can in particular be set during a charging process of the vehicle, so that the robot arm is permanently relieved in terms of the weight of the DC charging cable.

[0042] The holding element can in particular be or have a rod and / or a support or a rope, a chain, a cable, a belt or a wire. The holding element can be or have a connection element or a joint element which enables a releasable or secure fixing of the DC charging cable, for example a holding ring. The DC charging cable can in particular be connected with the holding element on the underside of the holding element and be held and / or carried by the holding element.

[0043] Different design possibilities of the holding element are described below:

[0044] The holding element can be designed as a rod or a support or have a rod or a support. The rod or the support can be connected with the opening flap, for example, via a joint at the upper end. The rod or the support can be connected with the DC charging cable, for example, via a joint and / or a holding ring at the lower end. The rod or the support can be connected with the opening flap such that it can be folded away in the housing and / or below the opening flap.

[0045] The holding element can be or have a rope, chain, cable, band, wire or other flexible, long-streak-like element. The holding element can be connected with the opening flap, for example, at the lower end by means of a joint or a holding ring. The holding element can be connected with the opening flap in such a way that it can be lowered into or hidden in the housing and / or below the opening flap.

[0046] The holding element can alternatively also be a connecting device, for example a hook or a loop. In this case, the DC charging cable can be connected directly on or in the vicinity of the opening flap.

[0047] The holding element can preferably be connected with the opening flap, for example, at the outer end of the opening flap (the outer end can be an end region of the opening flap which has the greatest displacement in the opening or closing movement relative to all regions of the opening flap) or in the middle region of the opening flap, for example, by means of a joint, a screw connection or other releasable or fixed connection. Preferably, the holding element is connected with the opening flap in such a way that the holding element can be moved in at least one degree of freedom (for example pivoting about an axis) or in two degrees of freedom (for example pivoting about two axes) relative to the opening flap. At least one actuator can additionally be provided at and / or for the holding element, which actuator can bring about a rotational and / or translational movement of the holding element relative to the opening flap. The control device can be designed to control the actuator.

[0048] The opening flap can hold the DC charging cable by means of the holding element in such a way that

[0049] - the upward movement raises the DC charging cable in the section, and

[0050] - the downward movement lowers the DC charging cable in the section.

[0051] The raising and / or lowering of the DC charging cable can take place in a partial region of the movement range of the opening flap or over the entire movement range. The movement range describes the range of the opening flap between the closed state and the state of as great an opening as possible. When the opening flap is connected with the housing by means of a joint, the movement range can in particular be an angular interval with all possible opening angles of the opening flap.

[0052] The charging device can be designed to carry out the charging process of the vehicle completely autonomously. The charging device can be connected in a data-technological manner with a control device (for example a server) of a superior of the charging device which is external to the charging device, which control device can be designed, for example, to accept a charging desire of a driver of the vehicle. The control device of the superior can pass on the charging desire to the charging device and, if necessary, to the control device of the charging device to carry out the charging desire.

[0053] The charging device according to the application has the following advantages:

[0054] - the charging device can be designed to be lightweight, since the robot arm is relieved of weight in particular with respect to the DC charging cable, enabling the robot arm to be designed to be lighter and / or narrower,

[0055] - the lightweight design of the charging device and the robot arm enables the robot arm to be moved with less energy, and, if a mobile charging device is involved, the movement or displacement of the charging device requires less energy,

[0056] - since the robot arm is lighter, a larger radius of movement can be achieved with the DC charging cable without the robot arm becoming overloaded or the charging device becoming tilted. Furthermore, due to the weight relief achieved by the open cover, it is possible to use actuators in the robot arm which are less powerful and thus lighter.

[0057] The open cover has the advantageous dual function of defining a space within the housing in which the connection plug, in particular protected, can be placed when no charging operation is being carried out, and, if necessary, the DC charging cable and / or the robot arm; on the other hand, the open cover enables the load on the robot arm to be reduced, thus enabling the robot arm to be designed to be lightweight, thus producing the other described advantages. The lightweight design also enables sustainability, environmental friendliness and relatively low manufacturing and operating costs to be achieved, and since the charging device itself has a low energy consumption, the charging column has a longer service life without the energy stores, such as batteries, used to charge the vehicle having to be charged or recharged.

[0058] In an advantageous design of the charging device according to the application, the open cover has a plurality of elements which are connected to one another.

[0059] The elements can be, for example, at least partially planar components and / or supports and / or other parts of the open cover. The elements can together form the open cover. The connection can be achieved, for example, by means of joints and / or linear displacement structures. At least one actuator which enables automatic movement, in particular opening and closing, of the open cover can be present at each joint and / or linear displacement structure. The at least one actuator can be controlled by means of a control device. Reference is made to the above-described design for this. Holding elements can be provided in particular on the outermost elements. The holding elements can be provided on the outer edges of the outermost elements. The movement of each joint can be controlled individually. The position, for example the opening angle, of each element relative to the previous element or the housing can be adjusted individually.

[0060] In the design shown, the opening cover can cover in particular with its outermost elements a particularly large possible position space (in other words: a particularly large movement radius or movement limit). This enables the robot arm to be able to relieve loads at more positions, thus enabling a more lightweight design (with all the advantages associated therewith). Since the charging interface that can be used for the vehicle to be charged can be located at different positions and at different heights, the charging process of the electric vehicle can be carried out at a plurality of possible positions.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment of the charging device designed according to the application, the charging device is a mobile charging device.

[0062] The charging device can be in particular a vehicle or a part of a vehicle. The vehicle can be a road vehicle that is driven by a driver. The charging device can be a trailer or a semitrailer. The charging device can be a portable mobile charging device that is designed for setting up at different locations.

[0063] The charging device according to the application is particularly advantageous in a mobile design, since it is lightweight and has a low self-consumption, thus enabling a longer duration of use on the move.

[0064] In an advantageous embodiment of the charging device according to the application, the charging device is an autonomously driving vehicle.

[0065] The charging device can be in particular an autonomously driving road vehicle and / or an autonomously driving short-range vehicle (for example a mobile autonomous robot). The autonomously driving short-range vehicle can be for example a vehicle that is smaller compared to a passenger car, which can be used in a multi-storey car park and / or a parking lot. The footprint of the short-range vehicle can be for example approximately similar to that of a forklift or a supermarket truck.

[0066] The charging device according to the application is particularly advantageous in a mobile, autonomous design, since it is lightweight, has a low self-consumption, enables a longer duration of use on the move and autonomously, and thus does not require human intervention for a longer period of time.

[0067] In an advantageous design of the charging device according to the application, the charging device

[0068] is designed to be able to be connected wirelessly to a server, via which a charging task for a vehicle can be transmitted to the charging device.

[0069] The control device can be designed to exchange data with the server. To this end, the control device can have a wireless receiver and a wireless transmitter.

[0070] The charging device can be designed for example to obtain the following data from the server:

[0071] - information about the position of the charging interface on the vehicle to be charged,

[0072] - information about the position of the charging interface on the vehicle to be charged,

[0073] - identification features and / or security features of the vehicle to be charged, so that the charging interface of the vehicle can be opened and / or activated and, after the charging process, closed and / or deactivated again.

[0074] - information about the desired or required electrical energy or the maximum energy storage capacity of the vehicle to be charged,

[0075] - information about the desired charging time.

[0076] In the design, in particular when the charging device is designed as a brake-driven vehicle, the charging device can autonomously carry out charging processes for a plurality of vehicles in succession. Due to the lightweight design and the low own energy consumption, the charging device can carry out as many charging processes as possible in an advantageous manner without having to charge its own energy store, for example a battery.

[0077] In an advantageous design of the charging device according to the application, the holding element has an automatically changeable length between the opening cover and the DC charging cable.

[0078] The length of the holding element can in particular be changed in that

[0079] - if the holding element has a rod and / or a support, the rod or the support consists of at least two sections which can be moved relative to one another longitudinally, for example by means of a linear displacement structure, by an actuator, or

[0080] - if the holding element has a rope, a chain, a cable, a band, a wire or another flexible, long-stripped element, a roller is provided at the opening cover, wherein the holding element can roll on the roller, so that the length of the holding element between the opening cover and the DC charging cable changes.

[0081] By changing the length between the opening cover and the DC charging cable, a lifting or lowering of at least a part of the DC charging cable can be achieved independently of the opening cover. The variability of the length can constitute a further degree of freedom in addition to the position of the opening cover, which can be the opening angle. The change in length can be achieved by means of an actuator at the holding element and / or an actuator for the holding element. The actuator can be, for example, a motor with a roller which is designed to wind up and unwind the holding element.

[0082] This embodiment is particularly advantageous, since, in addition to the position of the opening flap, further degrees of freedom are present. For example, even if the opening flap is in a maximum position, for example a maximum possible opening angle, an upward movement or a downward movement can be carried out independently of the position of the opening flap. As a result, the load on the robot arm can be reduced more effectively, so that it can be designed more lightweight.

[0083] In an advantageous design of the charging device according to the application, a receiving space is provided in the housing, in which the DC charging cable can be received.

[0084] The receiving space can be located in the housing, for example. The receiving space can be a region in the housing, for example. The receiving space can be delimited by a wall of the housing and / or by a separate wall. The receiving space can have one or more open sides. The DC charging cable can be received into the receiving space, in particular by means of the holding element.

[0085] The receiving process can be a displacement of the DC charging cable into the receiving space by means of the holding element and / or a falling of the DC charging cable into the receiving space and / or a sliding of the DC charging cable into the receiving space. During the receiving process, the length of the holding element can be adjusted automatically, if the design permits, so that the displacement and / or the falling and / or the sliding of the DC charging cable can be made easier.

[0086] By means of the design described above, the DC charging cable and its connection plug can be protected in an advantageous manner from environmental influences and from damage when no charging process of the charging device is being carried out.

[0087] In an advantageous design of the charging device according to the application, the holding element can be a rope, a chain, a cable, a band and / or a wire.

[0088] The holding element described above is lightweight and can be received in the housing in a particularly simple and space-saving manner, for example by folding, rolling or winding. As a result, the charging device can be designed compactly and particularly lightweight. Furthermore, the holding element has flexibility, so that, during the movement of the robot arm and / or the opening flap, contact of the holding element with the robot arm is particularly easy to handle, since an entanglement of the holding element with the robot arm can be avoided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0089] The application is described below on the basis of embodiments. In the drawings:

[0090] Figure 1 : a charging device according to the application is shown schematically in a charging process,

[0091] Figure 2 is shown Figure 1 a schematic design of the charging device according to the application is shown, in which the charging interface is in a storage position. Detailed Implementation

[0092] Figure 1 A charging device according to the invention is schematically shown in the process of charging. The charging device has a housing 2. The housing 2 is also the load-bearing structure of the charging device 1. The charging device 1 is designed to be mobile and autonomous. The charging device is capable of performing the charging process of the vehicle 31 completely automatically and autonomously.

[0093] For movement, the charging device 1 has four wheels 3 (arranged on the bottom side of the housing 2), which at least partially have drive motors 13. The wheels 3 can be controlled in the desired direction at least at the axis by a steering device 14.

[0094] The robotic arm 4 is mounted on the outside of the housing 2 via a first support section 44. The robotic arm 4 has three movable sections 4a-4c. Joints 5a-5c are provided between the support section 44 and sections 4a-4c, each capable of controlled movement around three rotational degrees of freedom. Actuators 6a-6c (designed as electric motors) can execute the movement of the robotic arm 4 with each of the three rotational degrees of freedom according to control requirements. Designs with fewer or more degrees of freedom (including translational degrees of freedom) are also alternatively feasible. The outer section 4c of the robotic arm 4 can be manipulated to multiple positions around the housing 2 and holds the connector 45 of the DC charging cable 42 in various orientations, allowing the vehicle 31 to be charged via the charging interface 32 on the vehicle side.

[0095] An opening cover 7 with two planes, elements 7a and 7b, is disposed on the upper side of the housing 2. A joint 9a is provided between elements 7a and 7b, which allows the outer element 7b to rotate relative to the inner element 7a in one degree of rotational freedom (about the axis of rotation of joint 9a). The inner joint 7a is also connected to the housing 2 via joint 9b. Joint 9b also allows the inner element 7a to rotate relative to the housing 2 in one degree of rotational freedom (about the axis of rotation of joint 9b). Actuators 8a and 8b (designed as pneumatic components) enable elements 7a and 7b to move about their respective degrees of rotational freedom. A DC charging cable 42 is secured to the outer element 7b by a retaining element 15 designed as a wire rope, wherein the retaining element 15 is connected to the outer element 7b via joint 9c. The movement of elements 7a and 7b affects the DC charging cable 42 via the retaining element 15 such that the weight of the DC charging cable 42 is at least partially borne by the opening cover plate 7 when the robot arm 4 is moving and when the robot arm 4 is in a position where it cannot move.

[0096] A force sensor 10 is arranged at the outer end of the outer section 4c. The force sensor 10 is designed to measure the weight of the DC charging cable 42 acting on the outer section 4c.

[0097] An optical sensor 11 for optically capturing an image of the surroundings, in particular of the charging interface 32, is provided at the housing 2 above the support section 44. The optical sensor 11 is designed as a 3D camera. The optical sensor 11 is designed to be able to be lowered automatically in the housing 2 and to be lowered automatically for protection against damage or against environmental influences when the opening flap 7 is closed. Furthermore, a force sensor 12 is also provided at the holding element 15. The force sensor 12 is designed to measure the weight of the DC charging cable 42 acting on the holding element 15.

[0098] The DC charging cable 42 is connected at a battery 33 (see Figure 2 ) which is located in the housing 2. The battery 33 is used as an energy store for charging the vehicle 31.

[0099] A control device 20 is provided in the charging device 1, which control device has a computing unit. The control device 20 receives the following data via a wired and / or wireless data connection (for the sake of clarity, the view of the data connection is not shown in the figures):

[0100] - the measurement of the force sensor 10 (at the robot arm 4),

[0101] - the image data of the optical sensor 11,

[0102] - the measurement of the force sensor 12 (at the opening flap 7),

[0103] - data about the current state of the robot arm 4 (in particular the angles at the joints 5a-5c and the derived orientation data).

[0104] The control device 20 obtains data about the current state of the robot arm 4 via a separate control device 21 of the robot arm 4, which separate control device 21 is designed to determine the angles at the joints 5a-5c. The separate control device 21 of the robot arm 4 is also designed to implement movements of the robot arm 4.

[0105] The control device 20 is designed to determine the charging position 41 (identified by a cross) in a coordinate system fixed relative to the environment and / or a coordinate system fixedly arranged at the charging device 1 by means of the image data of the optical sensor 11. The charging interface 32 of the vehicle 31 is located at the charging position 41.

[0106] With the data acquired in the manner described above (and, if necessary, further data, for example the specific position of the vehicle 31 to be charged in the parking area), the control device 20 is able to control, by means of the robot arm 4 (by means of the separate control device 21 designed for controlling the actuators 6a-6c thereof), the movement of the connection plug 45 from the storage position 43 (see Fig. 1) within the housing 2 to the charging position 41. The control device is also able to control the movement of the connection plug 45 from the charging position 41 to the storage position 43. Figure 2

[0107] Furthermore, the control device 20 is able to control, inter alia, the weight of the DC charging cable 42 borne at least partially by the opening cover 7 by means of the measurement results of the force sensors 10, 12. To this end, the control device 20 is connected to the actuators 8a, 8b by means of a wired and / or wireless data connection.

[0108] The weight of the DC charging cable 42 is borne in particular by the opening cover 7 in the following cases:

[0109] - during the movement of the connection plug 45 from the storage position 43 to the charging position 41,

[0110] - during the movement of the connection plug 45 from the charging position 41 back to the storage position 43, and

[0111] - during the charging process when the connection plug 45 is located in the charging position 41,

[0112] The control device 20 is also able to autonomously plan and execute movements of the entire charging device 1, for example in order to bring the charging device 1 into a favourable position in order to reach the charging interface 32 and / or to charge a plurality of vehicles 31 in succession. To this end, the control device 20 is connected to the steering device 14 and to the drive motors 13 of the wheels 3 by means of a wired and / or wireless data connection.

[0113] The energy supply of all components of the charging device 1 that require electrical energy can be effected by means of the storage battery 33. To this end, lines (not shown) can be provided. The control device 20 can be connected in a data-technological manner (for example wirelessly) to a server by means of which a charging task for a vehicle 31 can be transmitted to the charging device 1. The control device 20 can also be designed to determine the end of a charging process and subsequently automatically terminate the charging process. The control device 20 can be designed to wirelessly open and / or close the charging interface 32, for example by means of transmitting a security feature to the vehicle 31.

[0114] Figure 2 ​​The charging device 1 is shown schematically with the charging interface 32 in the storage position 43 (indicated by a cross). This state is reached after the connection plug 45 has returned from the charging position 41 to the storage position 43. The opening flap 7 can be closed (automatically by the control device 20 controlling the actuators 8a, 8b). The storage position is protected within the housing 2. To reach the storage position 43, the robot arm 4 is moved as follows, it folds back into the housing 2 in the direction of the housing 2, so that the charging cable 42 slides into the housing 2 here together with the holding element 15.

[0115] List of reference signs

[0116] 1 charging device

[0117] 2 housing

[0118] 3 wheel

[0119] 4 robot arm

[0120] 4a-4c segment (of the robot arm)

[0121] 5a-5c joint (of the robot arm)

[0122] 6a-6c actuator (of the robot arm)

[0123] 7 opening flap

[0124] 7a, 7b element (of the opening flap)

[0125] 8a, 8b actuator (of the opening flap)

[0126] 9a, 9b joint (of the opening flap)

[0127] 9c joint (between the opening flap and the holding element)

[0128] 10 force sensor (of the robot arm)

[0129] 11 optical sensor

[0130] 12 force sensor (of the opening flap)

[0131] 13 drive motor

[0132] 14 steering device

[0133] 15 holding element

[0134] 20 control device

[0135] 21 separate control device (of the robot arm)

[0136] 31 vehicle

[0137] 32 charging interface

[0138] 33 battery

[0139] 41 charging position

[0140] 42 DC charging cable

[0141] 43 storage position

[0142] 44 support section (of the robot arm)

[0143] 45 connection plug

Claims

1. A charging device (1) for charging a vehicle (31), in, The charging device (1) has - Housing (2), the housing having an opening cover (7) that can open and close automatically, - A DC charging cable (42) with a connector (45), - A robotic arm (4) designed to move a connector (45) from a storage position (43) to a charging position (41) and from a charging position (41) to a storage position (43), wherein a charging interface (32) for the vehicle (31) is provided at the charging position (41), and wherein the storage position (43) is located inside the housing (2). The opening cover (7) is designed to hold the DC charging cable (42) by means of a holding element (15), thereby - The upward movement of the opening cover (7) causes the DC charging cable (42) to be at least partially raised, and - The downward movement of the opening cover (7) causes the DC charging cable (42) to be lowered at least partially. The charging device (1) has a control device (20) designed to automatically control the movement of the opening cover (7) so that the weight of the DC charging cable (42) is at least partially borne by the opening cover (7) when the robot arm (4) moves.

2. The charging device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening cover (7) has multiple interconnected elements (7a, 7b).

3. The charging device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The charging device (1) is a mobile charging device (1).

4. The charging device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The charging device (1) is an autonomous vehicle.

5. The charging device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The charging device (1) is designed to connect wirelessly to a server through which charging tasks for the vehicle (31) can be transmitted to the charging device (1).

6. The charging device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The retaining element (15) has an automatically adjustable length between the opening cover (7) and the DC charging cable (42).

7. The charging device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, A storage space is provided inside the housing (2), in which the DC charging cable (42) can be stored.

8. The charging device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The holding element (15) is designed as a rod, support, rope, chain, cable, belt and / or wire.

Images