VEHICLE CHARGING STATION

Abstract

Vehicle charging station (10), comprising: a lane (24, 26) configured to extend across a plurality of vehicle parking spaces (14); a mobile loading device (28, 30) carried by the track (24, 26) and displaceable along the track (24, 26) between the plurality of vehicle parking spaces (14); a first contact wire (1284) extending approximately parallel to the track (24, 26); a second contact wire (1384) extending approximately parallel to the track (24, 26); a first ladder mast (1282); and a second ladder mast (1382); characterized in that the first ladder mast (1282) is configured to couple the mobile charging device (28, 30) to the first contact wire (1284) at a plurality of locations along a width of the first contact wire (1284), wherein the first ladder mast (1282) is configured to move with the mobile charging device (28, 30); and that the second ladder mast (1382) is configured to couple the mobile charging device (28, 30) to the second contact wire (1384) at a plurality of locations along a width of the second contact wire (1384), the second ladder mast (1382) being configured to move with the mobile charging device (28, 30); wherein the second contact wire (1384) comprises a wire wrapped by an insulator (1274); and wherein the insulator (1274) includes a plurality of cutouts (1276) corresponding to each of the plurality of vehicle parking spaces (14), such that the second conductor pole (1382) is coupled to the first contact wire (1284) via one of the plurality of cutouts (1276).

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle charging station for a plurality of electric vehicles and in particular to a vehicle charging station according to the preamble of claim 1 or claim 6, as is essentially known from DE 10 2011 079 870 A1.

[0002] Furthermore, KR 10 1 075 944 B1 provides for a charging station with a mobile charging device and a track with an integrated contact wire for power consumption.

[0003] Various types of motor vehicles, such as electric vehicles (EVs), long-range electric vehicles (EREVs), and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), incorporate an energy storage system that requires periodic recharging. This energy storage system can typically be recharged by connecting it to a power source, such as an AC utility line. While it may be beneficial to recharge the vehicle's energy storage system before or after each use, it is sometimes desirable for the vehicle operator to recharge the vehicle's energy storage system in a public location.

[0004] It is therefore desirable to provide a charging solution that allows multiple vehicles to be connected to a single energy source. SUMMARY

[0005] According to the invention, a vehicle charging station is presented which is characterized by the features of claim 1 or those of claim 6.

[0006] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may be provided wherein the track is arranged on the ground.

[0007] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may be provided wherein the track is arranged above the ground such that the mobile charging device is located substantially between the ground and the track.

[0008] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may be provided wherein the mobile charging device comprises a charger coupled to a drive unit, the drive unit configured to move the mobile charging device along the track.

[0009] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may be provided wherein the drive unit comprises a motor configured to move the mobile loading device along the track.

[0010] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may include a second mobile charging device supported by the lane and displaceable along the lane between the plurality of vehicle parking spaces.

[0011] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may be provided wherein the metal wire is selected from a copper and an aluminum wire; and the insulator comprises rubber.

[0012] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may be provided wherein the first conductor pole comprises a pair of connection pads coupled to the conductor pole; and the first conductor pole is arranged to be connected and disconnected to the first contact wire via the connection pad.

[0013] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may be provided wherein: the pair of connection pads are configured to partially wrap around the contact wire in the connected position.

[0014] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may be provided wherein the pair of terminal pads is configured to move between the connected and disconnected states by vertical movement of the ladder mast.

[0015] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may be provided wherein the pair of connection pads is movable to the ladder mast via a mechanical coupling.

[0016] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may be provided wherein the pair of connection pads is movable to the conductor mast via an electromagnetic coupling.

[0017] In addition to one or more of the features described herein, further embodiments may be provided wherein the first conductor mast is configured to be movable along the width of the contact wire while in a disconnected state.

[0018] The above features and advantages, as well as other features and advantages, will be readily apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Other features, advantages and details appear only as examples in the following detailed description of the embodiments and the detailed description, which refers to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an electric vehicle charging station incorporating a ground-mounted mobile charging device; Fig. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of an electric vehicle charging station incorporating an overhead mobile charging device; Fig. Figure 3 is a schematic side view of a ground-mounted mobile charging device; Fig. Figure 4 is a schematic side view of an overhead mobile loading device; Fig. 5 is a front view of an exemplary overhead one-to-many charging station; Fig. 6 is an orthogonal view of an exemplary overhead charging station of one or more embodiments; Fig. 7A is a front view of an exemplary overhead charging station of one or more embodiments; Fig. 7B is a side view of an exemplary overhead charging station of one or more embodiments; Fig. 7C is a plan view of an exemplary overhead charging station of one or more embodiments; Fig. 8A is a side view illustrating the coupling of an overhead loading device to contact wires; Fig. 8B is a plan view illustrating the coupling of an overhead loading device to contact wires; Fig. 9A is a plan view of an exemplary floor-mounted charging station of one or more embodiments; Fig. 9B is a front view of an exemplary floor-mounted charging station of one or more embodiments; Fig. Figure 9C shows the front view in more detail; Fig. 10 is a front view of an exemplary overhead charging station of one or more embodiments; Fig. 11A is a front view of an exemplary overhead charging station of one or more embodiments; Fig. 11B is a detailed front view of a portion of a contact wire of another embodiment; Fig. Figure 11C is a detailed side view of a portion of a contact wire of another embodiment; Fig. 12A is a front view of a contact wire connecting device in the connected position; Fig. 12B is a front view of a contact wire connecting device in the disconnected position; and Fig. Figure 12C is a side view of a contact wire connecting device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following description is merely exemplary.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment, one or more embodiments of a power system for a one-to-many electric vehicle charging station are presented.

[0022] Many existing public electric vehicle charging facilities involve the use of a single charger for each electric vehicle parking space. Therefore, if a public charging facility wants three customers to be able to charge their electric vehicles, they must be able to provide three chargers. This can be disadvantageous for several reasons. For example, chargers can be very costly. In addition, chargers can consume a lot of power, potentially requiring an upgrade to a facility's electrical supply.

[0023] One system that solves these problems is a one-to-many system. In this system, a single charger can charge multiple electric vehicles.

[0024] With reference to the drawings Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an electric vehicle charging station 10 for charging or recharging the primary energy storage device of a plurality of electric vehicles 12. As used herein, an electric vehicle 12 may include any vehicle that has an electric motor as a power source for vehicle propulsion. While an automobile is used as an example vehicle for the purposes of this description, other vehicles may be similarly utilized. Some examples of electric vehicles include, but are not limited to, electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs). These vehicles may be passenger cars, crossover vehicles, SUVs, recreational vehicles, trucks, buses, commercial vehicles, etc.

[0025] An electric vehicle 12 may be operated by supplying electrical energy from an energy storage device, such as a vehicle battery, to power an electric motor during a period of use. After an extended period of energy depletion, the vehicle battery may require recharging before propulsion can be resumed. This recharging may occur by connecting the vehicle battery to a source of electrical power, either directly or through one or more intermediary components.

[0026] In general, the electric vehicle charging station 10 may be a stationary device located in a parking lot or other vehicle parking area and may include a plurality of parking spaces 14 (e.g., a parking garage, secured parking lots, a vehicle collection point, etc.). A parking space 14 is an area designated to accommodate a vehicle for a specific period of time. Parking spaces 14 may be demarcated by visual indicators 16 provided on the ground (e.g., in a parking lot) or by physical objects (such as at a conventional gas station, where a plurality of fuel pumps demarcate the respective parking spaces intended to receive a vehicle for fueling).

[0027] The Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 each illustrate a charging area including eight parking spaces 14, divided into two rows 18, 20 of four spaces 14 each. Each charging station 10 may include a corresponding lane 24, 26 extending over a plurality of the parking spaces 14 (e.g., along each row 18, 20) and allowing a mobile charging device 28, 30 to reach each of the vehicles 12 and facilitate selective charging of the vehicle batteries.

[0028] In general, the track 24, 26 may have two general configurations, namely a ground-level track 24 (as in Fig. 1) and an overhead track 26 (as shown in Fig. 2). Regardless of the specific configuration, each lane 24, 26 may support the corresponding mobile charging devices 28, 30 and allow the charging devices 28, 30 to traverse along the lane 24, 26 to access each vehicle 12 at the station 10. As described in more detail below, the charging device 28, 30 may be coupled to a power supply circuit 32 and a charging controller 34, each of which may be used by the charging device 28, 30 to charge a battery of one or more of the parked electric vehicles 12.

[0029] The Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 illustrate schematic examples of a ground-mounted track 24 and an overhead track 26 used to support the respective mobile loading device 28, 30. As in Fig. 3, the ground-mounted track 24 may be disposed at the floor 40 or substantially at the floor 40 such that the mobile loading device 28 is disposed generally above the track 24. The mobile loading apparatus 28 may be transferred along the track 24, for example, using one or more wheels 42 to travel thereon or within a portion of the track 24. The underlying track 24 may allow the loading apparatus 28 to be physically transferred between the respective vehicles 12, although it requires a minimum distance between the rows 18, 20 that corresponds proportionally to the width of the track 24 / loading apparatus 28.

[0030] With reference to Fig. 4, the overhead lane 26 may be disposed a distance 44 above the ground 40, for example, between 1.50 m and 3.65 m. The charging device 30 may generally hang from the lane 26 in such a manner that the charging device 30 is positioned generally between the lane 26 and the ground 40. While the overhead lane 26 may be advantageous from a floor space perspective by placing the rows 18, 20 closer together, the underhead lane 24 requires less infrastructure for deployment. In one configuration, the overhead lane 26 may be suspended from a plurality of existing light poles within the parking lot.

[0031] Regardless of the shape of the lane, the mobile charging device 28, 30 may generally include a base 50 slidably connected to the lane and having a gripping member 52 mechanically connected to the base 50. The gripping member 52 may be configured for electrical connection to one of the vehicles 12 located at an adjacent parking space 14. A description of various embodiments of a gripping member 52 is provided with reference to Fig. 9-15 included.

[0032] With continued reference to the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, in one configuration, the end effector 52 may be mechanically connected to the base 50 via a plurality of rigid arm members 54 that may be capable of articulating and / or translating relative to one another. However, in other configurations, the end effector 52 may be mechanically connected to the base 50 via a flexible electrical cable.

[0033] In a basic implementation of the current charging station 10, the end effector 52 can be manually positioned / manipulated into electrical communication with a vehicle 12 by a user. For example, if a user wishes to charge their vehicle 12, they can push the charging device 28, 30 into the area immediately adjacent to their vehicle 12 and manually bring the end effector into electrical connection with a mating charging plug on their vehicle, such that the charging plug corresponds to an electrical connection / plug on the vehicle and into electrical connection with an electrical storage device, such as a battery. In this implementation, any connections provided between the arm members 54 may be merely passive and may allow a user to freely apply the end effector 52.

[0034] In another configuration, the vehicle charging station 10 may be fully automated and configured to robotically charge a user's vehicle 12 with minimal user interaction. In one configuration, user involvement in the charging process may be limited to providing an indication of the desired charge and / or activating the charging device 28, 30 to access the charging plug.

[0035] In a robotic implementation, the position and orientation of the end effector 52 can be controlled by the robot at 5 or more degrees of freedom (for example, 3 degrees of transformation and 2 or more degrees of rotation) by selective acceleration from one or more accelerators located between one or more arm elements 54. The common actuators and the resulting movement of the end effector 52 can be controlled by a robot controller 56, as schematically shown in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. While the following description refers to a robotic implementation of the current system 10, certain aspects may be used in a manual version of the system 10 (particularly those implemented by the load controller 34).

[0036] Each of the robot controllers 56 and the load controller 34 may be represented as one or more digital computers or data processing devices and may include one or more microcontrollers or central processing units (CPUs), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a high-speed clock, an analog-to-digital (A / D) circuit, a digital-to-analog (D / A) circuit, input / output (I / O) circuit, and / or signal conditioning and buffering electronics. The robot controller 56 and the load controller 34 may be represented as distinct software modules within a single computer or as physically separate hardware modules.

[0037] The charging controller 34 may automatically execute one or more charging control algorithms to perform a charging procedure when the controller 34 determines that a vehicle has requested an electrical charge. Similarly, the robot controller 56 may be configured to automatically execute one or more motion control algorithms to control the resulting movement of the end effector 52 via one or more motors to make the charging process more effective. Each control / processing routine may be included as software or firmware and may be stored locally on the corresponding controller 56, 34 or accessible by the controller 56, 34.

[0038] One problem that may arise with such a charging system is that the power supply system should be flexible, long-range, low-resistance, and scalable. With reference to Fig. 5 is a side view of a charging system with an overhead charger (as shown in Fig. 2). In this view, the wiring of the vehicles is more clearly shown. A charging controller 634 is coupled to a charger 602 and a drive unit 604. The charging controller 634 controls the operation of the charger 602 and / or the drive unit 604. In some embodiments, a user interacts with the charging controller 634 to provide account and payment information or to select charging options (e.g., the amount of the requested charge). The drive unit 604 is mechanically coupled to the charger 602, whereby lateral movement of the drive unit 604 results in lateral movement of the charger 602. The drive unit 604 may include mechanisms that enable movement of both the drive unit 604 and the charger 602.The mechanisms may include a variety of motorized mechanisms that assist in the movement of the drive unit 604 and the charger 602 laterally along guide rails (also known as tracks) 608 to which the drive unit 604 is movably coupled. In this manner, the charger 602 and the drive unit 604 may be moved between the vehicles (e.g., vehicles 610, 620, 630, 640, 650, 660, 670, and 680).

[0039] A cable 688 may be used to connect an electric vehicle (e.g., vehicle 610) to the drive unit 604. A cable 606 is provided to connect the charger 602 to the charging controller 634. The charger 602 and the drive unit 604 are movably coupled to the guide rails 608 so that when the charger 602 and the drive unit 604 are moved from one vehicle to another, the cable 606 is also moved, bent, or otherwise displaced, otherwise the cable 606 will wear out.

[0040] Due to the large amounts of current flowing through cable 606, the cable 606 should be sufficiently large to transfer the power. An exemplary charger can deliver 500 volts of power at 125 amps. A cable sufficient for this power has a diameter of approximately 29 to 32 mm. The weight of such a cable can range from 1.46 to 1.57 kilograms per meter. A typical parking space is approximately 2.6 meters wide. Thus, a cable sufficient to reach eight parking spaces can be almost 21 meters long, which equates to a weight of up to 33 kilograms. The thicker the cables, the more cumbersome and inflexible they become. This problem can be exacerbated in cold weather.

[0041] One or more embodiments address the problem described above by using a power supply system that includes one or more contact wires connected to a charging device through the use of conductor poles. Such a system may include one of several different embodiments. For example, the contact wires may be installed above ground, at ground level, or underground. Furthermore, more than one charging device and / or drive unit may be coupled to the contact wires. Various types of coupling systems may be used to couple the contact wires to the conductor poles.

[0042] With reference to Fig. 6 shows an orthogonal view of an embodiment. As in Fig. 5, a charger 702 and a drive unit 704 are provided. A cable 788 is coupled to the drive unit 704, with which an electric vehicle is coupled to the drive unit 704 to start the charging process.

[0043] The charger 702 and the drive unit 704 are powered via contact wires 784. The charger 702 is coupled to the contact wires 784 through the use of conductor masts 782. The conductor masts 782 are arranged with the charger 702 and the drive unit 704 such that the conductor masts 782 can couple to contact wires 784 at various locations along a width of the contact wire, such as in the immediate vicinity of a vehicle parking space. In one or more embodiments, two contact wires are provided for power supply and return. The charger 702 and the drive unit 704 are movably coupled to the guide rails 786. Although in Fig. 7 two guide rails 786 are illustrated, it should be noted that a greater or lesser number of guide rails can be used. The guide rails 786 perform a similar function to those of track 26 in Fig. 2. Although in Fig. 6 shows a straight layout, other layouts are possible, such as circle, oval, U-shape, L-shape, square, rectangle or any other shape. In addition, while in Fig. 6 only a single charger 702 and drive unit 704 are shown, multiple sets of chargers and drive units may be present.

[0044] The Fig. 7A-7C provide additional views of the Fig. 6 illustrated embodiment. Fig. 7A is a front view, Fig. 7B is a side view, Fig. 7C is a top view. As in Fig. 5, a charger 802 and a drive unit 804 are provided. A cable 888 is coupled to the drive unit 804, with which an electric vehicle 810 to 880 is coupled to the drive unit 804 to start the charging process.

[0045] The charger 802 and the drive unit 804 are powered via contact wires 884. The charger 802 is coupled to the contact wires 884 through the use of conductor masts 882. In one or more embodiments, two contact wires are provided for power supply and return. The charger 802 and the drive unit 804 are movably coupled to the guide rails 886. Although in Fig. 7A, two guide rails 886 are illustrated, it should be noted that a greater or lesser number of guide rails can be used. The guide rails 886 perform a similar function to those of track 26 in Fig. 2. Although in the Fig. 7A-7C show a straight layout, other layouts are possible, such as circle, oval, U-shape, L-shape, square, rectangle, or any other shape. In addition, while in the Fig. 7A-7C only a single charger 802 and drive unit 804 are shown, multiple sets of chargers and drive units may be present.

[0046] Further configurations are possible for an overhead line system. With reference to the Fig. 8A-8B shows such a configuration. Fig. Figure 8A is a side view of the configuration.

[0047] The charger 902 and the drive unit 904 are powered via contact wires 984. The charger 902 is coupled to the contact wires 984 through the use of conductor masts 982. In one or more embodiments, two contact wires are provided for power supply and return. In the Fig. 8A-8B, the two contact wires 984 are aligned substantially vertically with respect to each other. The charger 902 and the drive unit 904 are movably coupled to the guide rails 986. Although in Fig. 8A, two guide rails 986 are illustrated, it should be noted that a greater or lesser number of guide rails can be used. The guide rails 986 perform a similar function to those of track 26 in Fig. 2.

[0048] With reference to the Fig. 9A, Fig. 9B and Fig. 9C, a ground-level charging system is presented. In some respects, this system is similar to the one used in Fig. 1 system shown. Fig. 9A shows a plan view and Fig. 9B shows a front view. Fig. 9C represents a section of Fig. 9B in more detail.

[0049] The charger 1002 and the drive unit 1004 are powered via contact wires 1084. The charger 1002 is coupled to the contact wires 1084 through the use of conductor masts 1082. In one or more embodiments, two contact wires are provided for power supply and return. The charger 1002 and the drive unit 1004 are movably coupled to the guide rails 1086. It should be noted that more or fewer guide rails may be used. The guide rails 1086 perform a similar function to those of track 24 in Fig. 1. It should be noted that the charger 1002 and drive unit 1004 can be positioned in front of the vehicles to be charged (e.g., vehicles 1010, 1020, 1030, 1040, 1050, 1060, or 1070) or behind the vehicle to be charged. It should be understood that in some embodiments, more than one charger and drive unit may be used.

[0050] With reference to Fig. 10 shows a front view of another embodiment. As in Fig. 7, a charger 1102 and a drive unit 1104 are provided. A cable 1188 is coupled to the drive unit 1104, with which an electric vehicle is connected to the charger 1102 to start the charging process.

[0051] The charger 1102 and the drive unit 1104 are powered via contact wires 1184. The charger 1102 is coupled to the contact wires 1184 through the use of conductor masts 1182. In one or more embodiments, two contact wires are provided for power supply and return. The charger 1102 and the drive unit 1104 are movably coupled to the guide rails 1186. Furthermore, a second charger 1112 and the drive unit 1114 are movably coupled to the guide rails 1186. Such a configuration allows two vehicles to be charged simultaneously. Although in Fig. 10 two guide rails 1186 are illustrated, it should be noted that a greater or lesser number of guide rails can be used. The guide rails 1186 perform a similar function to those of track 26 in Fig. 2. Although in Fig. 11 shows a straight layout, other layouts are possible, such as circle, oval, U-shape, L-shape, square, rectangle or any other shape.

[0052] The configuration of contact wires of various embodiments may take one of several forms. With reference to the Fig. 11A, Fig. 11B and Fig. 11C, one or more embodiments are shown. Fig. 11A is a front view of an embodiment illustrating a trolley wire configuration of one or more embodiments. Fig. Figure 11B is a front view of a contact wire in detail. Fig. 11C is a sectional view of the contact wire.

[0053] The charger 1202 and the drive unit 1204 are powered via contact wires 1284. The charger 1202 is coupled to the contact wires 1284 through the use of conductor masts 1282. In one or more embodiments, two contact wires are provided for power supply and return. The charger 1202 and the drive unit 1204 are movably coupled to the guide rails 1286. Although in Fig. 11A, two guide rails 1286 are illustrated, it should be noted that a greater or lesser number of guide rails may be used. The guide rails 1286 perform a similar function to those of track 26 in Fig. 2. Although in Fig. 11A shows a straight layout, other layouts are possible, such as a circle, oval, U-shape, L-shape, square, rectangle, or any other shape. Vehicles 1210, 1220, 1230, 1240, 1250, 1260, 1270, and 1280 can be charged via chargers 1202.

[0054] As in the Fig. 11B and Fig. 11C, the contact wire 1284 is surrounded by an insulator 1274. In some embodiments, the insulator 1274 may be formed from a rubber. Other insulating materials may also be used. Portions of the insulator are removed to form cutouts 1276. The cutouts may be positions corresponding to the parking positions of the vehicles 1210, 1220, 1230, 1240, 1250, 1260, 1270, and 1280. In this way, the contact wire 1284 is protected and also helps prevent accidental electric shocks. In some embodiments, the contact wire 1284 is a metal, such as copper or aluminum.

[0055] With reference to the Fig. 12A to 12C illustrate a contact wire connection device in more detail. A conductor pole (e.g., conductor pole 1382) may be coupled to a contact wire (e.g., contact wire 1384) in various ways. In one or more embodiments, a contact wire connection device is used. Fig. 12A illustrates a front view of the conductor mast 1382 in the connected state. The contact wire 1384 is similar to the contact wire 1284 and is used to carry current for use by a charger and a drive unit (not shown) via the conductor mast 1382. The coupling may be made in a cutout of the contact wire, such as cutout 1276 (of Fig. 11).

[0056] As in Fig. 12A, the connection pads 1352 close around the contact wire 1384 when the ladder mast moves upward (in the direction of arrow 1354) and serve to connect the ladder mast 1382 to the contact wire 1384. The connection pads may partially wrap around the contact wire 1384. As shown in Fig. 12B, when the ladder mast moves downward (in the direction indicated by arrow 1356), the terminal pads 1352 open around the contact wire 1384 and release the contact wire 1384 to decouple the ladder mast 1382 from the contact wire 1384. A side view of one embodiment is shown in Fig. 12C. The engagement and disengagement movement can be electromagnetic, mechanical, or via another system.

[0057] In addition to the concepts identified above, the presently described electric vehicle charging station may employ methods and systems disclosed in US patent application US 2013 / 0 076 902 A1 and US patent application US 2014 / 0 354 229 A1.

Claims

[1] Vehicle charging station (10), comprising: a lane (24, 26) configured to extend across a plurality of vehicle parking spaces (14); a mobile loading device (28, 30) carried by the track (24, 26) and displaceable along the track (24, 26) between the plurality of vehicle parking spaces (14); a first contact wire (1284) extending approximately parallel to the track (24, 26); a second contact wire (1384) extending approximately parallel to the track (24, 26); a first ladder mast (1282); and a second ladder mast (1382); characterized by , that the first ladder mast (1282) is configured to couple the mobile charging device (28, 30) to the first contact wire (1284) at a plurality of locations along a width of the first contact wire (1284), wherein the first ladder mast (1282) is configured to move with the mobile charging device (28, 30); and that the second ladder mast (1382) is configured to couple the mobile charging device (28, 30) to the second contact wire (1384) at a plurality of locations along a width of the second contact wire (1384), the second ladder mast (1382) being configured to move with the mobile charging device (28, 30); wherein the second contact wire (1384) comprises a wire wrapped by an insulator (1274); and wherein the insulator (1274) includes a plurality of cutouts (1276) corresponding to each of the plurality of vehicle parking spaces (14), such that the second conductor pole (1382) is coupled to the first contact wire (1284) via one of the plurality of cutouts (1276). [2] Vehicle charging station (10) according to claim 1, wherein the track (24, 26) is arranged either on the floor (40) or above the floor (40) such that the mobile charging device (28, 30) is located between the floor (40) and the track (24, 26). [3] The vehicle charging station (10) of claim 1, wherein the mobile charging device (28, 30) comprises a charger (1102, 1112) coupled to a drive unit (1104, 1114), the drive unit (1104, 1114) configured to move the mobile charging device (28, 30) along the track (24, 26). [4] The vehicle charging station (10) of claim 3, wherein the drive unit (1104, 1114) comprises a motor configured to move the movable charging device (28, 30) along the track (24, 26). [5] The vehicle charging station (10) of claim 1, further comprising a second mobile charging device (28, 30) supported by the track (24, 26) and movable along the track (24, 26) between the plurality of vehicle parking spaces (14). [6] Vehicle charging station (10), comprising: a lane (24, 26) configured to extend across a plurality of vehicle parking spaces (14); a mobile loading device (28, 30) carried by the track (24, 26) and displaceable along the track (24, 26) between the plurality of vehicle parking spaces (14); a first contact wire (1284) extending approximately parallel to the track (24, 26); and a first ladder mast (1282); characterized by , that the first ladder mast (1282) is configured to couple the mobile charging device (28, 30) to the first contact wire (1284) at a plurality of locations along a width of the first contact wire (1284), the first ladder mast (1282) being configured to move with the mobile charging device (28, 30); wherein the first contact wire (1284) comprises a metal wire wrapped by an insulator (1274); and wherein the insulator (1274) has a plurality of cutouts (1276) corresponding to each of the plurality of vehicle parking spaces (14), such that the first conductor pole (1282) is coupled to the first contact wire (1284) via one of the plurality of cutouts (1276). [7] Vehicle charging station (10) according to claim 6, wherein: the first ladder mast (1282) comprises a pair of connection pads (1352) coupled to the first ladder mast (1282); and the first conductor mast (1282) is arranged so that it is connected to and disconnected from the first contact wire (1284) via the connection pad (1352); the pair of connection pads (1352) are configured to partially wrap around the contact wire (1284) in the connected position; the pair of connection pads (1352) is configured to move between the connected and disconnected states by vertical movement of the first conductor mast (1282); and the two connection pads (1352) are movable either via a mechanical coupling to the first conductor mast (1282) or via an electromagnetic coupling to the first conductor mast (1282).

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