Vehicle charging station

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of automotive engineering and concerns a vehicle charging station that allows electric vehicles to be charged, for example, in carports or garages. The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle charging station that is user-friendly, easy to install, and energy-efficient.The problem is solved by a vehicle charging station, which consists of at least a frame made of at least two vertically arranged supports, between which a charging box, at least one optical and / or ultrasonic sensor, at least one display and at least one stepper motor are arranged horizontally one above the other, wherein the charging box has at least one primary charging coil and an electrical connection and at least one magnetic field sensor, and wherein the position of the charging box between the two vertically arranged supports can be changed in its distance to the upper end of the frame via the stepper motor, and wherein at least the charging box is elastically attached to the frame.

Description

The invention relates to the fields of automotive engineering and mechanical engineering and concerns a vehicle charging station through which electric vehicles can be charged, for example, in carports or garages. There is a growing need for sustainable energy solutions, also to improve and promote electromobility. In this context, one goal is to develop innovative carport and garage systems that not only protect vehicles but also integrate photovoltaic systems, inductive charging stations, and advanced touch sensors. The challenge for conventional carports and garages lies particularly in meeting the increasing demands for environmentally friendly energy and modern charging infrastructure. Special attention is being paid to the integration of inductive charging stations, which not only enable electric vehicle charging but can also support autonomous driving through seamless energy supply. Solar carport systems are well-known and are usually implemented in the form of a roof for the vehicles, which is equipped with photovoltaic systems, thus utilizing solar energy and enabling various functions (www.sense4energy.com / tools / scs-solar-carport-system). The main function of a solar carport system is to convert sunlight into electricity. Photovoltaic modules on the carport roof capture sunlight and generate direct current (DC). This energy can be used for various purposes. For example, it can be used to charge electric vehicles, either directly via an inductive charging station or stored in a battery for later charging. An inductive charging station for electric vehicles enables wireless charging of the vehicle battery through magnetic induction. Instead of connecting the vehicle to a charging station via a charging cable, inductive charging transfers energy wirelessly from a coil in the charging station to a coil in the vehicle. An inductive charging station consists of two main components. A primary section, the charging coil, is embedded in the charging infrastructure, while a secondary section, the receiving coil, is installed in the electric vehicle. When current flows through the charging coil, a magnetic field is generated, which induces an electric current in the receiving coil in the vehicle. This current is then used to charge the vehicle's battery. The receiving coils in the vehicles can be installed in various positions, depending on where the charging coil is located in the carport or garage. Generally, if the charging coil is positioned on the ground, the receiving coil in the vehicle is also located in the ground area. However, it is also possible to install a charging coil on the walls of carports or garages. In this case, the receiving coil must also be installed on a vertical part of the vehicle's front (Fraunhofer, Inductive Charging System, brochure, www.iisb.fraunhofer.de). Mounting the receiving coil on a vertical vehicle front offers the particular advantage of a very small air gap between the charging and receiving coils. With a large air gap, such as when the charging coil is located on the ground and the vehicle is positioned above it, stray fields are created in the gap, leading to energy losses and thus reducing the efficiency of charging the vehicle. These energy losses can be minimized by keeping the air gap as small as possible. Another advantage of the small air gap between the charging and receiving coils is that no foreign object or human-detection devices are required in the area between the two coils. Furthermore, the small air gap can also be utilized in autonomous driving applications. A disadvantage of such a solution with a small air gap between the charging and receiving coils is that when parking manually, positioning the vehicle relative to the charging system can be difficult, and furthermore, the positioning of the receiving coil in the crash area of ​​a vehicle can cause additional problems in accidents, especially involving pedestrians. The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle charging station that is user-friendly in its application, easy to install and energy-efficient. The problem is solved by the invention specified in the claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims, and the invention also includes combinations of the individual claims in the sense of an AND conjunction, as long as they are not mutually exclusive. The vehicle charging station according to the invention consists of at least a frame made of at least two vertically arranged supports, between which a charging box, at least one optical and / or ultrasonic sensor, at least one display and at least one stepper motor are arranged horizontally one above the other in the following order, wherein the charging box has at least one primary charging coil and an electrical connection and at least one magnetic field sensor, and wherein the position of the charging box between the two vertically arranged supports can be changed in its distance to the upper end of the frame via the stepper motor, and wherein at least the charging box is elastically attached to the frame. Advantageously, the frame consists of metal tubes, preferably aluminum tubes. Furthermore, the frame is advantageously arranged vertically and is advantageously detachably attached at the upper end to a ceiling or a beam or another frame. It is also advantageous that the magnetic field sensor is a linear Hall sensor. And advantageously, the optical sensor is an IR sensor or a camera. It is also advantageous if the display emits visual and / or acoustic signals. It is also advantageous if the stepper motor is a linear stepper motor. It is also advantageous if the elastic attachment of the loading box to the frame is achieved using springs or rubber bands. It is also advantageous if at least one device for recording and / or processing the data determined by the sensors and / or for transmitting data and regulating and / or controlling the at least one display and / or the at least one stepper motor is arranged in the charging box and / or outside the vehicle charging station. The solution according to the invention makes it possible for the first time to specify a vehicle charging station that is user-friendly in its application, easy to install and energy-efficient. This is achieved by a vehicle charging station consisting of at least one frame with at least two vertically arranged supports. The frame can advantageously consist of two metal tubes, preferably aluminum tubes. The supports can also be telescopic. Alternatively, each support can have an additional inner support within its cavity, both of which are connected to the charging box and the linear motor. The two outer supports then remain fixed relative to the floor and / or ceiling, while the inner supports are moved up or down by the linear motor, thereby also changing the position of the charging box relative to the floor and ceiling. Furthermore, the frame can be positioned vertically on the floor or detachably attached at its upper end to a ceiling, a beam, or another frame. According to the invention, a charging box with at least one primary charging coil, an electrical connection, and at least one magnetic field sensor is arranged horizontally in the lower area between the at least two supports of the frame. Also according to the invention, at least the charging box is elastically attached to the frame. The charging box's height relative to the floor and ceiling, as well as its position within the frame, is adjustable. This adjustment is necessary to enable the charging box to function with the primary charging coil, which must make contact with the receiving coil on the vehicle to charge the battery of a vehicle with at least partial electric drive. Advantageously, the magnetic field sensor is a linear Hall sensor. It is also advantageous that the elastic attachment of the loading box to the frame is achieved using springs or rubber bands. According to the invention, at least one optical and / or ultrasonic sensor is arranged horizontally above the charging box on the frame. Advantageously, an IR sensor or a camera is available as an optical sensor. According to the invention, at least one display is arranged horizontally on the frame above the optical and / or ultrasonic sensor. Advantageously, visual and / or acoustic signals can be emitted via the display. Finally, according to the invention, at least one stepper motor is arranged horizontally above the display on the frame. According to the invention, the position of the charging box between the two vertically arranged supports, in terms of its distance from the upper end of the frame, can be changed via this at least one stepper motor. A stepper motor is a synchronous motor whose rotor is turned by a rotating electromagnetic field of the stator. High pole pair numbers and low power ratings are typical. The motor can be rotated in half steps or integer multiples of a half step. Stepper motors are also linear motors, which, unlike rotary motors, do not set the driven object in a rotating motion, but rather push the object along a straight or curved path (Wikipedia, entry: stepper motor and linear motor). Furthermore, it is advantageous that at least one device is present in the charging box and / or outside the vehicle charging station, which serves to record and / or process the data determined by the sensors and / or which serves to send data to the sensors, the display(s) and / or the stepper motor(s) and may also be present for regulating and / or controlling the at least one display and / or the at least one stepper motor. The function of the vehicle charging station according to the invention is as follows. The charging station according to the invention is, for example, arranged in an underground car park for several vehicles. The frame is fixed to the ceiling of the car park at a parking space, but is detachable. From bottom to top, at least one charging box, at least one optical and / or ultrasonic sensor, at least one display and at least one stepper motor are arranged horizontally between the vertically arranged supports of the frame. The charging box includes at least one primary charging coil, an electrical connection, and at least one magnetic field sensor. Furthermore, the charging box may contain a data processing unit, which can also be used to regulate and control the display(s) and / or the stepper motor(s). The charging box is also attached to the frame using elastic means, such as rubber bands. When a vehicle drives onto the parking space with the vehicle charging station according to the invention to charge its battery, this vehicle is detected by the optical and / or ultrasonic sensor and registered in the data processing unit. Furthermore, as the front of the vehicle approaches the charging box, the position of the vehicle's receiving coil, which is usually located near the front license plate, is detected by at least one magnetic field sensor. The height of the license plate varies depending on the vehicle type, from 45 cm for small cars to 75 cm for SUVs. The data from the magnetic field sensor is evaluated via the data processing unit. If the positions of the primary charging coil and the receiving coil are at least 80% aligned, the vehicle can drive up to the charging box until direct contact between the primary charging coil and the receiving coil is established. The primary charging coil is then energized via the electrical connection, and the charging process begins. If the position of the primary charging coil and the receiving coil does not match by at least 80%, the control and regulation of the stepper motor is activated via the data processing unit, and the charging box is raised or lowered until the positions of the primary charging coil and the receiving coil match by at least 80%. Since the receiving coil is generally located in the area of ​​the license plate of all types of vehicles, and the vehicles drive into a parking space, horizontal adjustment to the position of the two coils is not necessary. However, it is also not a problem to equip the elastic horizontal arrangement of the charging box on the frame with a stepper motor in order to compensate for significant lateral deviations in the position of the receiving coil on the vehicle with the vehicle charging station according to the invention. The optical and / or ultrasonic sensor can also be used to regulate the distance between the vehicle and the charging box. An IR sensor can be used for this purpose, continuously determining the distance between the primary charging coil and the receiving coil, as well as their relative positions. This information can be displayed to the driver, for example, via the screen or by acoustic signals, so that the driver receives information on how far forward and / or sideways they need to drive to achieve direct contact between the two coils. Thanks to the elastic mounting of the charging box, slight displacement of the entire charging box by the vehicle is not a problem and has no negative impact on the charging process. It is also possible for the driver to activate the charging process online when the vehicle charging station according to the invention informs them via the display that they can initiate the charging process.The charging process can also be deactivated online or will stop automatically when the battery is fully charged. If a camera is available as an optical sensor, the entire approach process can be monitored and documented. It is also possible to book a charging station for a vehicle online, using a camera to identify the vehicle's license plate and verify it against the booking. If the arriving vehicle is authorized to use the charging station, the current flow can be activated via the electrical connection when the primary charging coil and receiving coil make direct contact; this will not occur for unauthorized vehicles. Furthermore, the center of gravity of the vehicle charging station according to the invention is arranged vertically below the axis of rotation of the frame, due to the arrangement of the individual components and, in particular, the arrangement of the charging box within the frame. This ensures that the surface of the primary charging coil, which makes direct contact with the receiving coil, is always perpendicular to the ground, thus enabling direct contact between the coils. The vehicle charging station according to the invention not only realizes a technical innovation, but also the creation of future-oriented parking spaces for vehicles of all kinds, representing the interface between renewable energy, electromobility and advanced sensor technology. The invention will now be explained in more detail using an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 shows the basic structure of a vehicle charging station according to the invention. Example 1 A frame consisting of two vertically arranged supports 1 made of aluminum tubes, each 2.0 m long and 8 cm in diameter, spaced 70 cm apart, is suspended from the ceiling of a garage. The frame is not connected to the floor. Inside each support 1 are two steel tubes 2, each 2.1 m long and 6.5 cm in diameter. The steel tubes 2 extend 5 cm beyond the top and bottom of the aluminum tubes 1. The aluminium tubes 1 each have an elongated recess measuring 3 cm x 10 cm (width x length) in the lower area, 3 cm above the tube end, which is located in the mutually facing area of ​​the aluminium tubes 1. The cuboid charging box 3 is made of sheet steel and has external dimensions of 68 x 21 x 26 cm (length x width x height). A recess 4 measuring 60 x 10 cm (length x height) is provided in the steel sheet on the front surface of the charging box, which faces the vehicle. Inside the charging box 3, the primary charging coil is positioned so that one of its surfaces extends into the recess 4. A Hall sensor, acting as a magnetic field sensor, is also located within the charging box 3, positioned in the area of ​​the recess 4. The primary charging coil is electrically connected inside the charging box 3 via an electrical connection that leads to a socket on the outside. The loading box 3 is rigidly connected to the two steel tubes 2 in the two elongated recesses of the aluminum tubes 1 via an elastic bracket on its side surfaces. The elastic bracket 5 is implemented by a compression spring on each side of the loading box 3. The side bracket of the loading box 3 is positioned in the center of the side surface of the loading box 3, and the loading box 3, with its brackets 5, is positioned in the center of the elongated recess in the aluminum tubes 1 in its resting state. At a distance of 66 cm above the top surface of the loading box 3, a steel bridge, 3 cm high, 0.5 cm thick, and 70 cm long, is attached between the two aluminum tubes 1, with the higher side of the bridge oriented 3 cm in the direction of the vehicle. A camera 7 and an IR sensor 6 are positioned on this bridge. The camera 7 and the IR sensor 6 are equipped with an electrical connection and are connected to a device for recording and / or processing the data acquired by the sensors and / or for transmitting data and for regulation and / or control. 60 cm above the bridge with camera 7 and IR sensor 6, a steel bridge, 3 cm high, 0.5 cm thick, and 70 cm long, is attached between the two aluminum tubes 1, with the higher side of the bridge 3 cm facing the direction of travel. A display measuring 68 x 30 cm (length x height) is attached to this bridge. The display is electrically connected to the apparatus for recording and / or processing the data acquired by the sensors and / or for transmitting data and for regulation and / or control. A steel bridge, 3 cm high, 0.5 cm thick, and 70 cm long, is then attached between the two aluminum tubes 1, 15 cm above the bridge with the display. The flatter side of the bridge, 0.5 cm thick, faces the direction of travel. A linear stepper motor 8 and its stand are fixed in the center of this bridge. At the upper end of the two steel tubes 2 of the frame, another steel support, 3 cm high, 0.5 cm thick, and 73 cm long, is attached with its flat side (0.5 cm) facing the direction of travel. The linear stepper motor 8, with its rotor and housing, is fixedly positioned in the center of this support, with the rotor moving translationally and stepwise along the frame. The linear stepper motor 8 is electrically connected. When the linear stepper motor 8 receives signals via the apparatus for recording and / or processing the data determined by the sensors and / or for transmitting data and for regulation and / or control, the rotor of the linear stepper motor 8 moves along the stator and thus moves the two steel tubes 2, which are rigidly connected to the uppermost web, up or down within the aluminum tubes 1 of the frame. This also moves the charging box 3 up or down within the elongated recesses. The signals for the linear stepper motor 8 are received by the apparatus for recording and / or processing the data determined by the sensors and / or for transmitting data and for regulation and / or control from the Hall sensor. The Hall sensor determines the position of the receiving coil in the vehicle. If the position of the receiving coil does not correspond to the position of the primary charging coil by at least 80%, the linear stepper motor 8 receives a signal to move the steel tubes 2 of the frame up or down, thereby changing the position of the charging box 3 and the primary charging coil. If the positions of the primary charging coil and the receiving coil correspond by at least 80%, the linear stepper motor 8 is switched off. If the Hall sensor detects an excessive lateral deviation of the vehicle's receiving coil from the position of the primary charging coil, the driver can be informed via the display to change the vehicle's position. The IR sensor 6 continuously determines the distance to the vehicle during approach and can display this information on the screen for the driver. Camera 7 can read the vehicle's license plate and compare it with the registered data of the vehicle to be charged. If the data does not match, the vehicle will not be charged. The vehicle charging station according to the invention is a very user-friendly charging station that is easy to install in any parking space and is also very energy efficient, as it is only switched on when a vehicle approaches. Reference symbol list 1 Support 2 Jet tubes 3 Charging box 4 Recess 5 Elastic mount 6 IR sensor 7 Camera 8 Linear stepper motor

Claims

Vehicle charging station, comprising at least a frame of at least two vertically arranged supports, between which a charging box, at least one optical and / or ultrasonic sensor, at least one display and at least one stepper motor are arranged horizontally one above the other in the following order, wherein the charging box has at least one primary charging coil and one electrical connection and at least one magnetic field sensor, and wherein the position of the charging box between the two vertically arranged supports is variable in its distance to the upper end of the frame via the stepper motor, and wherein at least the charging box is elastically attached to the frame. Vehicle charging station according to claim 1, wherein the frame consists of metal tubes, advantageously of aluminium tubes. Vehicle charging station according to claim 1, wherein the frame is arranged vertically and is advantageously detachably attached at the upper end to a ceiling or a beam or another frame. Vehicle charging station according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field sensor is a linear Hall sensor. Vehicle charging station according to claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is an IR sensor or a camera. Vehicle charging station according to claim 1, wherein the display emits visual and / or acoustic signals. Vehicle charging station according to claim 1, wherein the stepper motor is a linear stepper motor. Vehicle charging station according to claim 1, wherein the elastic attachment of the charging box to the frame is realized via springs or rubber bands. Vehicle charging station according to claim 1, wherein at least one apparatus for receiving and / or processing the data determined by the sensors and / or for transmitting data and regulating and / or controlling the at least one display and / or the at least one stepper motor is arranged in the charging box and / or outside the vehicle charging station.

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