Automatic plugging of a charging plug for an electric vehicle

Abstract

Device (1) for plugging an electric charging plug (3) into a charging socket (59) of an electric vehicle (61), comprising: a parallel kinematic system (5) which allows three translational degrees of freedom (x,y,z) and one rotational degree of freedom (ψ); a charging plug (3) which is attached to the parallel kinematics system (3) in such a way, that the charging plug can be moved in the four degrees of freedom (x,y,z,ψ); a frame (7) which can be attached to a wall (9) and to which the parallel kinematics system (5) is attached, wherein the frame (5) allows a first rotational orientation (α) of the parallel kinematics system about a first axis (11) and a fixation of the parallel kinematics system aligned according to the first rotational orientation.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle, further relates to a method for mounting a device for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of a vehicle, and further relates to a method for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle.Electric vehicles use a battery or an accumulator for supplying energy to operate the electric drive motor. The battery must have stored a sufficient amount of energy to drive the electric motor over a desired travel distance. The battery can be charged, for example, in charging stations which are specifically provided for this purpose and are publicly accessible or in the private sector, for example in a garage. To charge the battery, electrical energy can be supplied to the battery via a cable or inductively. However, in inductive charging, relatively low charging powers are possible compared to charging via an electrical cable. Charging via an electrical cable may allow for example a charging power up to 150 kW and in future above 250 kW, while inductive charging may achieve a charging power below 5 kW. Also, an efficiency in charging via an electric cable may be higher than in inductive charging. Therefore, it is preferable to charge a battery of an electric vehicle via a charging cable. Automatic conductive charging is thus preferred to inductive charging, since higher charging powers are possible and short charging times can therefore be maintained even at high battery capacities.It is particularly convenient for a holder of the vehicle if the charging takes place within the private area, for example in a private garage. Systems for automatically plugging a charging cable into a charging socket of the electric vehicle are known from the prior art. For example, the automatic plugging of DC (direct current) charging cables into the public space within the e-SmartConnect research project has been presented. Such an industrial robot-based charging system is described, for example, in DE 10 2012 014 936 A1. Further, a snake arm robot for automatically plugging the charging plug has been disclosed.The devices and methods known from the prior art are not mature in all cases, however, and in part too few degrees of freedom of movement are provided for the application. This may result in the devices and methods not being applicable to any electric vehicle load cell position and orientation. Furthermore, devices in the prior art with relatively poor repeatability are used, whereby the robustness and reliability of the plugging process may not be guaranteed. Furthermore, known devices are complex, bulky and costly.It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle, a method for assembling an apparatus for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle, and a method for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle, thereby enabling reliable and secure plugging of a charging plug into a charging socket for a plurality of vehicle types and geometries, while further limiting the cost of the apparatus and having a simple structure.The object is achieved by the subject matters of the independent claims. The dependent claims specify particular embodiments of the present invention.With an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle is provided. The device has a parallel kinematic system which allows three translatory degrees of freedom of movement and one rotatory degree of freedom of movement, a charging plug which is attached to the parallel kinematic system in such a way that the charging plug can be moved in the four degrees of freedom of movement, and a frame which can be attached to a wall and to which the parallel kinematic system is attached. The frame allows a first rotational orientation of the parallel kinematic system about a first axis and a fixing of the parallel kinematic system oriented according to the first rotational orientation.The parallel kinematic system can have at least three rails, in particular four rails, on each of which at least one end of at least one rod can be guided rotatably and translationally. The other ends of the rods may be rotatably fixed to a platform, and the charging connector may be fixed to the platform. By displacing the respective ends of the rods along the rails, the charging plug can be moved in the three translatory degrees of freedom of movement and the one rotatory degree of freedom of movement. In particular, the parallel kinematic system can provide exactly one rotational degree of freedom of movement (i.e. no more than a single rotational degree of freedom). In particular, the parallel kinematic system can provide exactly four degrees of freedom of movement for the movement of the charging plug. The parallel kinematic system can thus have a simple structure and be very cost-effective.The parallel kinematic system may allow three translational degrees of freedom of motion to support different vehicle positions relative to the garage wall of the parked electric vehicle. One of the translational degrees of freedom of movement may allow movement of the charging plug substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, another translational degree of freedom of movement may allow movement of the charging plug substantially in a vertical direction (in order to support different loading states of the car). A third degree of translational freedom of movement may be oriented substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, thus assisting in various distances of the parked vehicle from the garage wall to which the plug-in device is attached. The one rotational degree of freedom may allow rotation about a substantially vertically oriented axis to assist in loading at various slopes (not parallel to the garage wall) of the vehicle.The frame can have, for example, at least three parts (in particular parts which can be rotated relative to one another, oriented and then fixed), of which one part can be attached to a wall. The further parts can be rotatable relative to the part attached to the wall and can thus be rotationally oriented, in particular about a first axis and furthermore about a second axis, which are perpendicular to one another. The first rotational alignment (and in particular also a second rotational alignment) of the parallel kinematic system can be carried out once and the parallel kinematic system can then be fixed, in particular on the frame, according to the first rotational alignment (and in particular also according to the second rotational alignment). The first axis may be oriented substantially horizontally and substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the parked car when the frame is mounted on the wall. The first rotational orientation may allow for an orientation (of a longitudinal axis) of the charging plug along a longitudinal axis of a charging socket, in particular if the charging socket does not run exactly horizontally (due to a geometry of the vehicle). If the charging socket of the electric vehicle has a longitudinal axis (approximately parallel to a plug-in direction), which is not aligned horizontally but is inclined by a tilt angle relative to a horizontal, the parallel kinematic system can be rotated or pivoted about the first axis exactly by the concatenation angle in order to achieve a first rotational alignment of the parallel kinematic system in such a way that a translatory degree of freedom of movement of the three translatory degrees of freedom of movement of the parallel kinematic system is aligned exactly along the longitudinal axis of the charging socket.Movement of the charging plug along this one translatory movement direction can then lead to the charging plug being plugged into the charging socket.The plugging of the charging plug into the charging socket can be carried out by activating the parallel kinematic system for moving the charging plug according to at least one of the four degrees of freedom of movement (in particular repeated several times), without having to rotate the parallel kinematic system as a whole about the first axis and / or about the second axis and thus have to be re-aligned. This allows a separation of the total of six possible freedom of movement in space via the frame (also referred to as a setup mechanism) to be achieved. The frame can allow two degrees of freedom of movement, in particular at least one degree of freedom of movement of a rotation about the first axis. Separated therefrom are the four degrees of freedom of movement which are provided by the parallel kinematic system. With the two degrees of freedom of the frame, the parallel kinematic system is rotated (specific to the vehicle) such that the four degrees of freedom of the parallel kinematic system allow the charging plug to be plugged into the specific vehicle. The four degrees of freedom may thus be dependent on the two degrees of freedom of the frame.The device can thus be designed in a simple and cost-effective manner. The parallel kinematic system can thus allow a task-adapted solution with cost-effective components. The parallel kinematic system can comprise in particular a conventionally available parallel kinematic system, so that the implementation of the device can be carried out by conventionally available components.The frame can be attachable to the wall by different fixation elements, for example a plurality of screws. The frame can be attached in particular to an inner wall of a garage or to a pillar or to a post inside the garage.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the frame further allows a second rotational orientation of the parallel kinematic system about a second axis oriented perpendicular to the first axis and a fixing of the parallel kinematic system oriented according to the second rotational orientation, in particular relative to the frame and / or relative to the wall, the post or the post to which the frame is attached. While a second rotational orientation of the parallel kinematic system is also enabled, plugging of the charging plug into charging sockets having different orientations (with respect to rotation about a longitudinal axis) may be facilitated.The charging socket (as well as the charging plug) can have a plurality of contacts, for example five or seven contacts, which can be highly current-capable and can support different charging voltages, and can also transmit control signals in part. In this case, the contacts cannot be arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the charging plug or charging socket. Plugging the charging plug into the charging socket thus requires a correct, i.e. matching, alignment of the contacts, i.e. a rotational alignment with respect to the longitudinal axis of the charging plug or the charging socket. For the correct relative rotational alignment of the charging plug with respect to the charging socket of the parked electric vehicle, the second rotational alignment of the parallel kinematic system can be carried out before the actual plugging operation (once for a given vehicle) and the parallel kinematic system aligned according to the second rotational alignment can be fixed. For the actual plugging of the charging plug into the charging socket, a rotation about the second axis and also a rotation about the first axis are thus no longer necessary, since the correct first rotational alignment and the correct second rotational alignment have already been completed.In other embodiments of the present invention, the rack allows only the first rotational orientation without allowing the second rotational orientation. In alternative embodiments, a corresponding rotational alignment can be achieved by a corresponding formation of a platform or a fastening mechanism of the charging plug on the parallel kinematic system. For example, the charging plug could be fixed in a rotationally aligned manner on a platform of the parallel kinematic system in such a way that it corresponds to the charging socket with respect to a rotation about the longitudinal axis of the charging socket.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the frame comprises a base which is attachable to the wall. Furthermore, the frame has a second part which can be fixed to the base in a rotationally alignable manner about the second axis relative to the base and aligned manner in order to carry out the second rotational alignment. The base may be attachable to the wall, a post, or a pillar by a plurality of screws, for example. The second axis can be aligned in particular perpendicular to a plane of the garage wall. The second part may be rotatably supported relative to the base to perform the second rotational alignment. After the desired rotation of the second part relative to the base, the second part can be fastened to the base and thus fixed, for example, with one or more screws. Thus, different orientations of a charging socket may be supported.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the frame has a first part which is rotationally alignable about the first axis relative to the second part and is fixable aligned to the second part in order to carry out the first rotational alignment. The first axis may lie in a plane of the garage wall. In particular, the first axis can lie substantially in a horizontal.The base may be fixed (non-movable) to the garage wall. The second part is rotatably supported on the base. The axis of rotation of the joint between the base and the second part is normal to the garage wall. The third part is rotatably mounted on the second part. The axis of rotation (first axis of rotation) of the joint between the second part and the third part is parallel to the garage wall and perpendicular to the second axis of rotation. The mechanism of three parts, which are connected in series via two rotary joints, permits movement in two degrees of freedom or the mechanism has a degree of freedom of two.According to one embodiment of the present invention, the parallel kinematic system has four linear actuators, which can be designed, for example, by spindles driven by motors, which are arranged and designed to effect a movement of the charging plug in the four degrees of freedom of movement. The device further comprises a camera with an evaluation system which is designed to determine a position of the charging plug relative to a charging socket of an electric vehicle. Furthermore, the device has a controller which is designed to actuate the four actuators on the basis of the position in such a way that the charging plug is guided into the charging socket. The camera can comprise a video camera which continuously records two-dimensional images of the charging plug, in particular together with the charging socket, during an intended plugging process. The evaluation system can comprise an image evaluation system and can identify the charging plug and also the charging socket by image processing. The position of the charging plug may include, for example, a center of mass of the charging plug and may be described or represented by three coordinates, for example. The evaluation system can furthermore be designed to also determine the orientation of the charging plug relative to the charging socket and also to actuate the four actuators on the basis of the orientation or relative orientation of the charging plug relative to the charging socket. The controller may be configured to first align the charging plug or the longitudinal axis of the charging plug parallel to the longitudinal axis of the charging socket and then to move the charging plug such that the longitudinal axis of the charging plug is brought into alignment with the longitudinal axis of the charging socket, wherein, however, the charging plug is arranged remote from the charging socket. Damage to components of the electric vehicle can thus be avoided. By displacing the charging plug along the longitudinal axis of the charging plug (which, according to the rotational orientation(s), can in particular run substantially parallel to one of the three translatory degrees of freedom of movement of the parallel kinematic system), the charging plug can be guided into the charging socket.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the parallel kinematic system further comprises a first horizontal rail, a second horizontal rail, a first horizontal rod system, a second horizontal rod system, a first vertical rail, a second vertical rail, a first vertical rod system, a second vertical rod system and a platform to which the charging plug is fastened. In this case, the first horizontal rail and the second horizontal rail are mounted parallel to one another and one behind the other on the first part of the frame, and the first vertical rail and the second vertical rail are mounted parallel to one another and next to one another on the first part of the frame.The horizontal rails and / or vertical rails can be manufactured from metal, for example. The horizontal rails and the vertical rails allow movement of the platform along the three translational degrees of freedom of movement and rotation according to the rotational degree of freedom of movement. When the vertical rails are mounted parallel to each other and side by side on the first part of the frame, the rotational freedom of movement of the parallel kinematic system can be provided by, for example, displacing ends of two vertical rod systems to different positions of the vertical rails. The parallel kinematic system can thus be constructed in a simple manner.The platform may have a rotation mechanism which allows the charging plug to be rotated through a desired angle and the rotated charging plug to be fixed. In this case, the frame need not allow the second rotational orientation.According to an embodiment of the invention, one end of the first horizontal rod system is slidably and rotatably attached to the first horizontal rail and another end of the first horizontal rod system is rotatably attached to the platform, and / or one end of the second horizontal rod system is slidably and rotatably attached to the second horizontal rail and another end of the second horizontal rod system is rotatably attached to the platform, and / or one end of the first vertical rod system is slidably and rotatably attached to the first vertical rail and another end of the first vertical rod system is rotatably attached to the platform, and / or one end of the second vertical rod system is slidably and rotatably attached to the second vertical rail and another end of the second vertical rod system is rotatably attached to the platform. A movement of the charging plug fastened on the platform according to the three translatory degrees of freedom of movement and the rotatory degree of freedom of movement can thus be carried out in a simple manner.According to one embodiment of the present invention, a ball joint and / or a universal joint is provided in each case for rotatably fastening at least one of the horizontal rod systems to the respective horizontal rail and / or for rotatably fastening at least one of the horizontal rod systems to the platform and / or for rotatably fastening at least one of the vertical rod systems to at least one of the vertical rails and / or for rotatably fastening at least one of the vertical rod systems to the platform. Thus, conventionally available and available components can be used and used for realizing the plug-in device. Thus, costs of the apparatus can be reduced.It is noted that features mentioned, described or provided individually or in any combination in connection with a device for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket may also be applied individually or in any combination to a method for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle or to a method for mounting a device for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle according to embodiments of the present invention.According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle is provided. In this case, the method comprises rotating, by means of a frame fastened to a wall, a parallel kinematic system which allows three translatory degrees of freedom of movement and one rotatory degree of freedom of movement about a first axis in order to achieve a first rotational orientation, fixing the parallel kinematic system oriented according to the first rotational orientation to the frame and moving a charging plug attached to the parallel kinematic system in at least one of the four degrees of freedom of movement for plugging into the charging socket.According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for assembling an apparatus for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle is provided. The method comprises attaching a frame to a wall, attaching a parallel kinematic system, which allows three translatory degrees of freedom of movement and one rotatory degree of freedom of movement, to the frame, wherein a charging plug is attached to the parallel kinematic system in such a way that the charging plug can be moved in the four degrees of freedom of movement, rotating, by means of the frame, the parallel kinematic system about a first axis in order to achieve a first rotational orientation and fixing the parallel kinematic system oriented according to the first rotational orientation.The actuators can be designed as linear drives. Alternatively, at least one of the actuators can also be used as a linear drive in combination with a cardan shaft with a rotary drive. Instead of four linear drives fixed to the frame, it is also possible to use four telescopic drives (one drive per parallelogram and one drive per rod each), which are connected to the frame via universal joints. According to a particular embodiment, four linear drives of identical construction are used, which can be configured in particular cost-effectively as spindle drives. The parallel kinematic system can thus be moved flat against the wall if no loading process is to be carried out. The plug-in device thus does not represent an obstacle for the driving-in of the electric vehicle. The use of a parallel kinematics can enable the use of cost-effective components with simultaneously sufficient freedom of movement and reproducibility. Installation in a narrow garage may thereby be made possible.The plug-in device according to an embodiment of the present invention can provide large driving forces for contacting and cable handling, good repeatability (starting of the load cell), high safety (avoiding risk of jamming / squeezing) and at least four degrees of freedom of movement.Embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention is not limited to the illustrated or described embodiments. FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective illustration of a device for plugging an electrical charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention in a retracted state; FIG. 2 shows the device illustrated in FIG. 1 in an extended state; FIG. 3 illustrates in a schematic perspective illustration a parallel kinematic system which, according to an embodiment of the present invention, can be comprised in the plug-in device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 ; FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the configuration and arrangement of a charging socket into which a charging plug can be inserted according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 6 illustrates in a schematic perspective illustration a frame which can be included in a plug-in device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 illustrates in a schematic perspective illustration the frame illustrated in FIG. 6 after two rotational alignments; FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for plugging an electrical charging plug into a charging socket according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 9 illustrates a flow chart of a method for assembling an apparatus for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate, in a schematic perspective illustration, a device 1 for plugging an electrical charging plug 3 into a charging socket of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention in a retracted or in an extended state. The device 1 has a parallel kinematic system 5 which allows three translatory degrees of freedom of movement x, y, z and one rotatory degree of freedom of movement, i.e. a rotation about the z-axis by the angle ψ. Furthermore, the device 1 has a charging plug 3 which is attached to the parallel kinematic system 5 in such a way that the charging plug 3 can be moved in the 4 degrees of freedom of movement x, y, z, ψ. Furthermore, the device 1 has a frame 7 which can be attached to a wall 9, for example a garage wall, and to which the parallel kinematic system 5 is attached. The frame 7 allows a first rotational orientation of the parallel kinematic system 5 about a first axis 11 and a fixing of the parallel kinematic system 5 oriented according to the first rotational orientation. The first axis 11 lies in a plane of the garage wall 9. The first rotational orientation allows the parallel kinematic system 5 to be pivoted or tilted relative to the garage wall 9. the frame 7 furthermore allows a second rotational orientation of the parallel kinematic system 5 about a second axis 13 oriented perpendicular to the first axis 11 and a fixing of the parallel kinematic system 5 oriented according to the second rotational orientation.The frame 7 has a base 15 which can be attached to the wall 9. Furthermore, the frame 7 has a second part 17 which is rotationally alignable (i.e. rotatable or pivotable) about the second axis 13 relative to the base 15 and is fixable aligned on the base 15 in order to carry out the second rotational alignment, i.e. setting of a desired angle β. The frame 7 further comprises a first part 19 which can be rotationally aligned (in particular rotatable or pivotable) about the first axis 11 relative to the second part 17 and can be fixed aligned on the second part 17 (and optionally also on the garage wall 9) in order to carry out the first rotational alignment, in particular setting of a desired angle α.FIG. 1 shows the plug device 1 in a retracted state, i.e. in a state in which the charging plug 3 is not inserted into a charging socket of an electric vehicle. FIG. 2, on the other hand, shows the plug device 1 in an extended state, in which the charging plug is inserted into a charging socket, not illustrated, for charging a battery of the electric vehicle. In order to bring the charging plug 3 into the position illustrated in FIG. 2, the parallel kinematic system 5 has four actuators, in particular linear drives, which are not illustrated and are arranged and designed to bring about a movement of the charging plug 3 in the four degrees of freedom of movement.For the purpose of triggering the target, the plug-in device 1 also has a camera 21 with an evaluation system which is designed to determine a position of the charging plug 3 relative to a charging socket of the electric vehicle. Furthermore, the plug-in device 1 has a controller 22, which is designed to actuate the four actuators on the basis of the position in such a way that the charging plug 3 is guided into the charging socket.In order to carry out the movement of the charging plug 3 according to the four degrees of freedom of movement, the parallel kinematic system 5 has a first horizontal rail 23, a second horizontal rail 25, a first horizontal rod system 27, a second horizontal rod system 29, a first vertical rail 31, a second vertical rail 33, a first vertical rod system 35 and a second vertical rod system 37 and a platform 39 to which the charging plug 3 is fastened. In this case, the first horizontal rail 23 and the second horizontal rail 25 are mounted and fixed parallel to one another and one behind the other on the first part 19 of the frame 7. The first vertical rail 31 and the second vertical rail 33 are mounted parallel to one another and next to one another on the first part 19, in particular a vertical arm of the first part 19. The first horizontal rail 23 is mounted on a first horizontal arm of the first part 19 and the second horizontal rail 25 is mounted on a second horizontal arm of the first part. The first part substantially forms a shape of a (inverted) "T".One end 41 of the first horizontal bar system 27 is slidably and rotatably fixed to the first horizontal rail 23, and another end 43 of the first horizontal bar system 27 is rotatably fixed to the platform 39. One end 45 of the second horizontal bar system 29 is slidably and rotatably mounted on the second horizontal rail 25 and another end 47 of the second horizontal bar system 29 is rotatably mounted on the platform 39. One end 49 of the first vertical rod system 35 is slidably and rotatably fixed to the first vertical rail 31 and another end 51 of the first vertical rod system 31 is rotatably fixed to the platform 39. One end 53 of the second vertical rod system 37 is slidably and rotatably fixed to the second vertical rail 33, and another end 55 of the second vertical rod system 37 is rotatably fixed to the platform 39.Sleeves 57 encompassing the rails 23, 25, 31, 33 are displaceable along respective longitudinal axes of the rails 23, 25, 31, 33 by the actuators, in particular linear motors. As a result, the position / orientation of the charging plug 3 can be changed in four degrees of freedom of movement. Ball joints 56 or universal joints 54 not shown in detail can be used for rotatably coupling the respective rod system ends 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55. The first horizontal rod system 27 is formed by two parallel rods and the second horizontal rod system 29 is also formed by two parallel rods. The frame may allow a first rotational orientation in an angular range of, for example, 0° to 90°. The rotational movement of the first part relative to the second part corresponds to a folding movement of the parallel kinematic system of 0° to 90°. The rack may allow the second rotational orientation in a range of, for example, -60° to +80°. Other values are possible.FIG. 3 illustrates the parallel kinematic system 5 in a schematic perspective illustration, as can be comprised in the plug-in system illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The parallel kinematic system 5 can be constructed, for example, similar or identical to the system "Kanuk" described by Luc Rolland. The parallel kinematic system allows exactly four degrees of freedom of movement and requires only four independently controllable drive elements, for example linear motors. The linear motors or actuators can be tuned for the application-related drive forces, for the repeatability and for the workspace volume. The drives can be provided fixed to the frame, can have a small moving mass and can provide a low risk potential with little material use. The parallel kinematic system can have many individual parts of identical or structurally identical design, whereby costs can be saved. The platform 39 can be configured with or without grippers. For example, a CCS DC connector type 2 or a CCS AC connector type 2 or other charging plugs 3 may be attached to the platform.FIG. 4 illustrates a charging socket 59 into which the charging plug 3 can be plugged using the plug device 1 according to embodiments of the present invention. The charging socket 59 has a specific orientation with respect to a longitudinal axis (along the plug-in direction) of the charging socket 59 which can be characterized by an angle β. The angle β may be between 0 and 180 degrees, for example. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the charging plug 3 is suitably oriented for the charging socket 59 by a second rotational orientation, in particular by a corresponding rotation about the second axis 13.FIG. 5 illustrates an electric vehicle 61 from behind, which has installed on the passenger side a charging socket whose longitudinal axis 63 deviates from a horizontal 65 by an angle α. In order to align a longitudinal axis 4 of the charging plug 3 along the longitudinal axis 63 of the charging socket, a first rotational alignment, i.e. a corresponding rotation about the first axis 11, can be carried out by means of the frame 7 in order to thus enable the charging plug to be plugged into the charging socket. The angle α may be between 10 degrees and 45 degrees, for example.FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate, in a schematic perspective illustration, a frame 5 which is not aligned or which has been aligned by pivoting about the first axis 11 and / or about the second axis 13 in order to be adapted to the arrangement and geometry of the charging socket 59 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. In particular, the two angles α and β may characterize the orientation of the charging socket 59. These two angles can be fixedly set by the first rotational orientation and the second rotational orientation of the plug-in device 1, since they do not change during the later plug-in operation.The plug-in of the charging plug into the charging socket can then be carried out by a movement according to only at most four degrees of freedom of movement.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electric vehicle 61 is driven into a garage by a driver and automatically parks. The plug-in device 1 mounted on the garage inner wall is then activated automatically or by the user. The connector 1 then automatically moves the charging plug 3 by suitably driving the parallel kinematic system and guides the charging plug into the charging socket 59.FIG. 8 shows a flow chart of a method 67 for plugging an electrical charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle. In a method step 69, a parallel kinematic system, which allows three translatory degrees of freedom of movement and one rotatory degree of freedom of movement, is rotated about a first axis by means of a frame fastened to a wall in order to achieve a first rotational orientation. In a method step 71, the parallel kinematic system aligned according to the first rotational orientation is fixed to the frame. In a method step 73, a charging plug attached to the parallel kinematic system is moved at least in one of the four degrees of freedom of movement for plugging into the charging socket.FIG. 9 illustrates a method 75 for assembling an apparatus for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. In a method step 77, a frame is attached to a wall or a post or a pillar. In a method step 79, a parallel kinematic system, which allows three translatory degrees of freedom of movement and one rotatory degree of freedom of movement, is attached to the frame, wherein a charging plug is attached to the parallel kinematic system in such a way that the charging plug can be moved in the four degrees of freedom of movement. In a method step 81, the parallel kinematic system is rotated by means of the frame about a first axis in order to achieve a first rotational alignment. In a method step 83, the parallel kinematic system aligned according to the first rotational orientation is fixed, in particular on the frame.List of reference characters1 Device for plugging an electrical charging plug into a charging socket 3 charging plug 4 longitudinal axis of the charging plug 5 parallel kinematic system 7 frame 9 wall 11 first axis 13 second axis 15 base 17 second part 19 first part x, y, z translational degrees of freedom of movement ψ rotational degree of freedom 21 camera 22 controller 23 first horizontal rail 25 second horizontal rail 27 first horizontal rod system 29 second horizontal rod system 31 first vertical rail 33 second vertical rail 35 first vertical rod system 37 second vertical rod system 39 platform 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55 rod ends 54 cardan joint 56 ball joint 57 sleeves 4 longitudinal axis of the charging plug 59 charging socket α, β Alignment angle 61 Electric vehicle 63 Longitudinal axis of charging socket 65 Horizontal 67 Plug-in method 69, 71, 73 Method step 75 Assembly method 77, 79, 81, 83 Method steps

Claims

Device (1) for plugging an electrical charging plug (3) into a charging socket (59) of an electric vehicle (61), comprising: a parallel kinematic system (5) which allows three translatory degrees of freedom of movement (x, y, z) and one rotatory degree of freedom of movement (ψ); a charging plug (3) which is attached to the parallel kinematic system (3) in such a way that the charging plug can be moved in the four degrees of freedom of movement (x,y,z,ψ); a frame (7) which can be attached to a wall (9) and to which the parallel kinematic system (5) is attached, wherein the frame (5) allows a first rotational orientation (α) of the parallel kinematic system about a first axis (11) and a fixing of the parallel kinematic system oriented according to the first rotational orientation.Device according to claim 1, wherein the frame further allows a second rotational orientation (β) of the parallel kinematic system about a second axis (13) oriented perpendicular to the first axis and a fixing of the parallel kinematic system (5) oriented according to the second rotational orientation.Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the frame comprises a base (15) attachable to the wall (9) and a second part (17) fixable to the base (15) in a rotationally alignable and aligned manner about the second axis (13) relative to the base (15) to perform the second rotational alignment.Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the frame (5) has a first part (19), which can be fixed to the second part in a rotationally alignable manner about the first axis (11) relative to the second part (17) and aligned manner in order to carry out the first rotational alignment.Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the parallel kinematic system has four actuators which are arranged and designed to bring about a movement of the charging plug in the four degrees of freedom of movement, wherein the device further has: a camera (21) with an evaluation system which is designed to determine a position of the charging plug relative to a charging socket of an electric vehicle; a controller (22) which is designed to actuate the four actuators on the basis of the position in such a way that the charging plug (3) is guided into the charging socket (59).The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the parallel kinematic system comprises: a first horizontal rail (23); a second horizontal rail (25); a first horizontal rod system (27); a second horizontal rod system (29); a first vertical rail (31); a second vertical rail (33); a first vertical rod system (35); a second vertical rod system (37); and a platform (39) to which the charging plug (3) is attached, wherein the first horizontal rail (23) and the second horizontal rail (25) are attached parallel to each other and one after the other on the first part (19) of the frame (7), wherein the first vertical rail (31) and the second vertical rail (33) are attached parallel to each other and one after the other on the first part (19) of the frame (7).The device according to the preceding claim, wherein one end (41) of the first horizontal rod system (27) is slidably and rotatably attached to the first horizontal rail (23) and another end (43) of the first horizontal rod system (27) is rotatably attached to the platform (39), and / or wherein one end (45) of the second horizontal rod system (29) is slidably and rotatably attached to the second horizontal rail (25) and another end (47) of the second horizontal rod system (29) is rotatably attached to the platform (39), and / or wherein one end (49) of the first vertical rod system (35) is slidably and rotatably attached to the first vertical rail (31) and another end (51) of the first vertical rod system (35) is rotatably attached to the platform (39), and / or wherein one end (53) of the second vertical rod system (37) is fastened displaceably and rotatably to the second vertical rail (33) and another end (55) of the second vertical rod system (33) is fastened rotatably to the platform (39).Device according to one of the preceding claims 6 or 7, wherein a ball joint (56) and / or a cardan joint (54) is provided in each case for the rotatable fastening of at least one of the horizontal rod systems (27, 29) to the respective horizontal rail (23, 25) and / or for the rotatable fastening of at least one of the horizontal rod systems (27, 29) to the platform (39) and / or for the rotatable fastening of at least one of the vertical rod systems (35, 37) to at least one of the vertical rails (31, 33) and / or for the rotatable fastening of at least one of the vertical rod systems (35, 37) to the platform (39).A method (67) for plugging an electric charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle, comprising: rotating (69), by means of a frame fastened to a wall, a parallel kinematic system which allows three translatory degrees of freedom of movement and one rotatory degree of freedom of movement about a first axis in order to achieve a first rotational orientation; fixing (71) the parallel kinematic system oriented according to the first rotational orientation to the frame; and moving (73) a charging plug attached to the parallel kinematic system in at least one of the four degrees of freedom of movement for plugging into the charging socket.A method (75) for mounting a device for plugging an electrical charging plug into a charging socket of an electric vehicle, comprising: attaching (77) a frame to a wall; attaching (79) a parallel kinematic system, which allows three translatory degrees of freedom of movement and one rotatory degree of freedom of movement, to the frame, wherein a charging plug is attached to the parallel kinematic system such that the charging plug can be moved in the four degrees of freedom of movement; rotating (81), by means of the frame, the parallel kinematic system about a first axis in order to achieve a first rotational orientation; fixing (83) the parallel kinematic system oriented according to the first rotational orientation.

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