Charging cable for charging an electrical storage unit

Abstract

Charging cable (100) for carrying out a charging process of an electrical storage unit (110), with: at least one measuring unit (120) for measuring charging current during operation of the charging cable (100), wherein the measuring unit (120) is assigned a control unit (130) for controlling a light source (140), wherein the charging cable (100) includes the light source (140), and the light source (140) has light elements (142), wherein the light elements (142) are arranged along the entire length of the charging cable (100), wherein the light elements (142) are arranged circumferentially at least at the ends of the charging cable (100), and where the density of the light elements (142) per unit area is increased at the ends of the charging cable (100).

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging cable for carrying out a charging process of an electrical storage unit. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for indicating an operating mode of a charging process of an electrical storage unit using a charging cable. State of the art

[0002] In current technology, charging cables are used, for example, to charge electric vehicles. These vehicles are usually connected to charging stations specifically designed for electric vehicles. Charging stations can be publicly or privately accessible and, in their simplest form, consist of a socket to which the vehicle can be charged via a cable connection and a charger. A display on the charging station can indicate the charging process's operating mode. This display might show a completed charging process or indicate the current charge level of the electric vehicle as a percentage. Due to the varying designs of charging stations and their corresponding displays, monitoring the charging process is often confusing or at least takes some getting used to for users.From the user's perspective, there is therefore a need to make the charging process simpler and more intuitive.

[0003] German patent application DE 10 2014 224 119 A1 discloses a charging cable for an electric or hybrid vehicle with a charging line. German patent application DE 10 2013 210 549 A1 discloses a charging system for the electrical connection of a charging station to an electric car for the purpose of charging the latter. Description of the invention

[0004] The invention is therefore based on the objective of providing a charging cable for carrying out a charging process that at least partially eliminates the aforementioned problems and disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a charging cable that is as easy and intuitive to use as possible for the user.

[0005] The solution according to the invention consists in providing a charging cable for carrying out a charging process of an electrical storage unit, with at least one measuring unit for measuring charging current during operation of the charging cable, wherein a control unit for controlling a light source is assigned to the measuring unit.

[0006] The distinguishing part consists in the charging cable encompassing the light source, the light source having light elements, the light elements being arranged along the entire length of the charging cable, the light elements being arranged circumferentially at least at the ends of the charging cable, and the density of light elements per unit area being increased at the ends of the charging cable.

[0007] This achieves the technical advantage, for example, that the measuring unit can detect a charging current while the charging cable is in operation. This can then be signaled externally via the indicator light by the control unit. Thus, the charging current is detected by the measuring unit, and a user can, for example, determine whether the charging cable is in active charging mode via a visual signal.

[0008] For example, the measuring unit includes a Helmholtz coil, which can generate a voltage in the event of a continuous current shift during the charging process. A Helmholtz coil is defined as an arrangement of two short coils with a large radius R and the same number of turns, positioned parallel to each other at a distance R on the same axis and carrying current in the same direction. The measuring unit can also include several Helmholtz coils arranged along the charging cable. Preferably, the charging current is alternating current (AC).

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment, the charging cable includes the light source, and the light source has a first light source element and a second light source element.

[0011] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the first light element on the charging cable is arranged further away from the storage unit than the second light element. For example, the light source comprises several light elements arranged along the charging cable.

[0012] Alternatively or additionally, the lighting elements can also be arranged circumferentially along the charging cable. It would be conceivable to arrange the lighting elements circumferentially, at least at the ends of the charging cable. For example, the density of lighting elements per unit area could be increased at the ends of the charging cable. The end of the charging cable is understood to be, for example, the plug, which a user grasps and inserts into the corresponding socket to establish the connection between the charging station and the storage unit.

[0013] In a particular embodiment, the lighting elements are arranged along the entire length of the charging cable. This offers the technical advantage of enabling any number of operating modes. The control unit can thus control all lighting elements for different operating modes. For example, RGB modules or LED modules can be assigned to the lighting elements. The RGB modules and the LED modules can be controlled in different colors and in different sequences.

[0014] In another embodiment, the control unit is designed to activate the first and second lighting elements with a time delay when the measuring unit detects a charging current. For example, the control unit is designed to operate lighting elements arranged along the entire cable at different times and / or in different colors. For instance, communication can be established between the lighting elements or modules via an additional data line, creating a dynamic effect. This allows, for example, a pulsating on / off switching of the modules in conjunction with a time delay. This gives the user of the charging station or charging cable the subjective effect of being able to visually monitor the charging process.Additionally, the frequency of the time-shifted activation of the modules can be varied, allowing for a higher frequency at the beginning of the charging process and a lower frequency as the charging process progresses. This creates the subjective impression for the user of the charging station or charging cable that the charging speed is faster at the start.

[0015] According to another preferred embodiment, the measuring unit includes a battery for operating the light source. This offers the technical advantage, for example, that the control unit can continue to control the light source and send an external visual signal even when the charging current is absent. Thus, even after charging has completed and no more current is flowing through the charging cable, the control unit can still operate the light source using the battery. For instance, the color of the light source can be changed in such a case. This signals to the user of the charging station or charging cable that the charging process is complete and the storage unit is charged. The user then knows that the charging cable can be disconnected. The battery can, for example, be a lithium-ion battery.

[0016] Preferably, the battery is designed to be rechargeable during the charging process of an electrical storage unit using energy from the current flowing in the charging cable. This offers the technical advantage, for example, that the battery is automatically recharged without additional measures when the storage unit is being charged. Thus, the functionality of the light source can be ensured almost continuously, and an intuitive visual status indicator can be provided to the user in every operating mode of the charging cable.

[0017] Thus, according to a particularly preferred embodiment, the control unit is configured to control the light source depending on the charging current measured by the measuring unit. For this purpose, the charging cable has multiple measuring units for measuring the charging current. This allows, for example, the technical advantage of redundant measuring units. Consequently, the measurement of the charging current in the charging cable can continue even if one or more measuring units are defective. For example, a control unit can be connected to several measuring units, and the measurement results from these different units can be evaluated.

[0018] According to a further particularly preferred embodiment, each measuring unit for measuring charging current comprises a Helmholtz coil. For example, a measuring unit can also have several Helmholtz coils.

[0019] To protect the charging cable and the light source from dirt or external damage, the charging cable is at least partially enclosed by a transparent protective element that covers at least the light source. For example, the transparent protective element is designed as a clear corrugated tube. Alternatively, the entire charging cable can be encased in a clear corrugated tube. The clear corrugated tube is preferably made of transparent plastic, which increases the service life of the entire charging cable, including the measuring unit, the control unit, the battery, and the light source.

[0020] The aforementioned problem is also solved by a method for displaying an operating mode of a charging process of an electrical storage unit with a charging cable according to one of the preceding embodiments. The method according to the invention comprises the steps of measuring a charging current by means of the measuring unit, and controlling the light source by means of the control unit as a function of the charging current.

[0021] The advantages of the method according to the invention are comparable to the advantages of the subject matter according to the invention. Based on the technical advantage of the subject matter, according to which the measuring unit can detect a charging current during operation of the charging cable and this can be signaled externally via the light source by the control unit, the user is enabled to determine an operating mode via a visual signal. An additional advantage is that the method functions completely autonomously and independently of a central control unit at the charging station. In other words, the operating mode is determined solely on the basis of the measurements of the measuring unit and displayed directly to the user. The measuring unit and the light source can be arranged directly adjacent to each other, thus coinciding with the location of the measurement and the location of the signal display.

[0022] This method can also employ a Helmholtz coil in the measuring unit, which generates a voltage in the event of a continuous current shift during the charging process. A Helmholtz coil is defined as an arrangement of two short coils with a large radius R and the same number of turns, positioned parallel to each other on the same axis at a distance R and carrying current in the same direction. For example, the measuring unit can also include several Helmholtz coils arranged along the charging cable.

[0023] Advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0024] According to a preferred embodiment, the light source comprises a first light element and a second light element, wherein the control unit first activates the first light element and then the second light element. This achieves, for example, the technical advantage of creating a dynamic effect. If the light elements are arranged along the entire cable, a pulsating switching on and off of the modules in conjunction with a time delay can be achieved. This gives the user of the charging station or charging cable the subjective impression of being able to visually follow the charging process. In addition, the frequency of the time-delayed activation of the modules can be varied, allowing for a higher frequency at the beginning of the charging process and a lower frequency as the charging process progresses.The charging cable creates the subjective impression that a higher charging speed prevails at the beginning of the charging process.

[0025] Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description and the drawings.

[0026] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Further advantageous embodiments and combinations of features of the invention become apparent from the following description and the entirety of the claims. Identical or equivalently functioning parts are designated with the same reference numerals. Brief description of the drawings

[0027] The drawings used to explain the exemplary embodiments show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a charging cable according to the invention in operation, and Fig. 2 Another schematic representation of a charging cable. Ways to implement the invention

[0028] The Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a charging cable 100 according to the invention in operation. The charging cable 100 is in operation and enables the charging of an electrical storage unit 110 located in a vehicle 105. For this purpose, the storage unit 110 is connected to a charging station 200 via the charging cable 100. The charging station 200 includes a socket 207 for connecting the charging cable 100 to the charging station 200. For example, charging is carried out conductively and is described according to DIN EN 61851-1. Alternatively, it can also be a fast charging station or a supercharger charging station. The charging cable 100 itself has a plug 109 for connecting to the socket 107 on the vehicle 105 and a plug 209 for connecting to the socket 207 of the charging station 200.If the charging cable 100 is permanently connected at one end to the vehicle 105 or the charging station 200, the charging cable 100 only requires one connector 109, 209. The connectors 109, 209 are, for example, designed as so-called Type 2 connectors. The sockets 107, 209 are also designed, for example, according to the Type 2 standard.

[0029] The charging cable 100 comprises at least one measuring unit (not shown) for measuring the charging current during operation of the charging cable 100. The measuring unit further comprises a control unit (not shown) for controlling a light source 140. The light source 140 comprises a plurality of light elements 142-1, 142-2, ... which are arranged along the entire length of the charging cable 100. Preferably, the light elements 142-1, 142-2, ... comprise RGB modules or LED modules which can be controlled in different colors and in different sequences. In combination with an additional data line between the light elements 142-1, 142-2, ... communication can be established, thereby creating a dynamic effect. This achieves a pulsating switching on and off of the light elements 142-1, 142-2, ... in conjunction with a time delay over the entire length of the charging cable 100. Additionally, the colors of the lighting elements 142-1, 142-2, ... can be changed.and the frequency of the time-shifted control of the lighting elements 142-1, 142-2, ... can be varied depending on the operating mode.

[0030] The charging cable 100 provides a very intuitive method for displaying the prevailing operating mode while the electrical storage unit 110 is charging. This method operates independently of a central control unit at the charging station 200. The operating mode is determined solely based on measurements from the measuring unit, transmitted directly to the light source 140 via the control unit, and thus displayed directly to the user.

[0031] The Fig.Figure 2 shows another schematic representation of a charging cable 100. The charging cable 100 includes a measuring unit 120, which is designed to measure the charging current during operation of the charging cable 100. The measuring unit 120 includes a Helmholtz coil, which generates a voltage in the event of a continuous current shift during the charging process. The charging cable 100 includes a control unit 130, which is connected to the measuring unit 120 and is designed to control a light source 140. Thus, based on the measurement results of the measuring unit 120, the control unit 130 controls the light source 140 to provide a visual signal to a user. The light source 140 comprises any number of light elements 142-1, 142-2,... which are arranged on the charging cable 100 and visible to a user.

[0032] Additionally, a battery 150 is assigned to the measuring unit 120 to power the light source 140. This allows the control unit 130 to continue controlling the light source 140 even if the charging current in the charging cable 100 is interrupted. This occurs, for example, when the charging process is complete and the storage unit 110 is fully charged. In this case, no more charging current flows through the charging cable 100, and the measuring unit 120 no longer generates a voltage. Nevertheless, the light source 140 can still be operated using the battery 150.

[0033] During the charging process of the electrical storage unit 110, the battery 150 is automatically and continuously charged with energy from the current flowing in the charging cable 100, thus ensuring the function of the light source 140 and additionally providing an intuitive visual status message to a user in every operating mode of the charging cable 100. REFERENCE MARK LIST 100 charging cables 105 vehicles 107,207 socket 109,209 plugs 110 storage units 120 measuring units 130 control unit 140 light bulbs 142 lighting elements 150 battery 200 charging stations

Claims

Charging cable (100) for carrying out a charging process of an electrical storage unit (110), comprising: at least one measuring unit (120) for measuring charging current during operation of the charging cable (100), wherein the measuring unit (120) is associated with a control unit (130) for controlling a light source (140), wherein the charging cable (100) comprises the light source (140), and the light source (140) has light elements (142), wherein the light elements (142) are arranged along the entire length of the charging cable (100), wherein the light elements (142) are arranged circumferentially at least at the ends of the charging cable (100), and wherein the density of the light elements (142) per unit area is increased at the ends of the charging cable (100). Charging cable (100) according to claim 1, wherein a first light element (142-1) on the charging cable (100) is arranged further away from the storage unit (110) than a second light element (142-2). Charging cable (100) according to claim 2, wherein the control unit (130) is configured to control the first light element (142-1) and the second light element (142-2) at different times when the measuring unit (120) measures a charging current. Charging cable (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the measuring unit (120) comprises a battery (150) for operating the light source (140). Charging cable (100) according to claim 4, wherein the battery (150) is designed to be rechargeable with energy from the current flowing in the charging cable during the charging process of an electrical storage unit (110). Charging cable (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (130) is configured to control the light source (140) depending on the charging current measured by the measuring unit (120). Charging cable (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging cable (100) has a plurality of measuring units (120) for measuring charging current. Charging cable (100) according to claim 7, wherein each measuring unit (120) for measuring charging current comprises a Helmholtz coil. Charging cable (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging cable (100) is at least partially surrounded by a transparent protective element which covers at least the light source (140). Method for indicating an operating mode of a charging process of an electrical storage unit (110) with a charging cable (100) according to one of claims 1 to 9, comprising the steps: - measuring a charging current by means of the measuring unit (120), and - controlling the light source (140) by means of the control unit (130) depending on the charging current. Method according to claim 10, wherein the light source (140) comprises a first light element and a second light element, and wherein the control unit (130) first controls the first light element (142-1) and then the second light element (142-2).

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