Charging method and e-filling station for e-cars

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for charging e-cars or e-tanks with energy without using an electrical connection, and a corresponding charging device or e-filling station. The method is based on quickly replacing the empty rechargeable battery segments with some that are fully charged. The e-filling station has one or generally more e-charging devices. The e-car to be filled up drives, in a manner guided by channels, to such a charging device, where the rechargeable battery is then manually or automatically replaced. This contains two platform weighing devices that are used to laterally remove the rechargeable battery segments from the e-car and to plug them into the adjacent charge store having several hundred (usually approximately 900) rechargeable battery segments for electrical charging. The charge stores transfer the rechargeable battery segments to slots that are below one another in a similar manner to a lift and are placed beside one another in a plurality of regions. Operation using buttons makes it possible to change the slots in front of each operating window in the front panel of the charge store, wherein the exact information relating to the rechargeable batteries and the condition thereof is provided using electronic displays. Not only the remuneration for the energy content, but also a proportion as a rental fee for the rechargeable battery segments, since they do not directly belong to the e-car, are invoiced.

Description

[0001] Charging methods and e-charging stations for electric cars

[0002] The present invention relates to a method and a charging device or e-charging station for charging with energy electric cars (hereinafter e-cars).

[0003] The currently common method for charging electric cars involves connecting a charging support, connected by cable to an electric charging station, to the charging socket of the vehicle to be charged. After starting to charge, you have to wait until the electric car's battery is fully charged. Charging takes around 6 hours, unless you choose the fast charging option, where only 70-80% of the battery is charged, but in a shorter time, usually 30-60 minutes. This requires complex measuring and charging equipment housed in the charging station and charging supports. The following disadvantages can be identified with this system, among others: a- limited driving time with compulsory breaks of considerable length for battery charging b- difficulty in finding a battery station c- relatively low battery capacities usually between 60 and 100 kWh and therefore short range d- rapid wear of the battery with frequent quick charging (30 - 60 min.) e- Driving at high speed (over 160 km / h) is not possible due to the enormous increase in energy requirements (third power of the speed) f- Required replacement of the battery after a maximum of 8 years, which is very expensive.

[0004] The state of the art includes:

[0005] - US 2010 / 0 114 762 AT' Storage battery, storage battery accomodation device, storage battery charging device, and usage amount payment settlement device for storage battery“ uses box-shaped batteries under the car seats and a shelf for storing the batteries

[0006] - US 2019 / 0 118 782 A1 “Robotics for rotating energy cells in vehicles” enables manual or robotic battery replacement in electric cars

[0007] - US 2009 / 0 198 372 A1 “Battery charging and transfer system for electrically powered vehicles” uses a shelf to store battery blocks for transfer into electric vehicles

[0008] - US 2016 / 0 368 464 A1 “Robot assisted modular battery interchanging system” uses a mobile storage for battery packs, and mobile units that semi-automatically carry out the battery change on the electric car

[0009] - CN 1 03 241 111 A “Electric veicle with vehice bottom side connected with battery charging and battery taking and changing battery thereof” changes a battery pack on the underside of the electric vehicle using an auxiliary trolley with a lifting device.

[0010] The present invention aims to design the charging device or e-charging station in such a way that energy can be supplied to the electric vehicle without an electrical connection. The present invention discloses a method for charging e-vehicles or refueling e-vehicles without the use of an electrical connection, and a corresponding charging device or e-charging station. The method is based on the rapid replacement of empty battery segments with fully charged ones. The e-charging station has one or, as a rule, several e-charging devices. The e-vehicle to be refueled drives, guided by channels, to such a charging device, where the battery is then exchanged manually or automatically. There are two platform trolleys with which the battery segments are removed from the side of the e-vehicle and inserted into the adjacent charging storage unit containing several hundred (usually around 900) battery segments for electrical charging.The charging units accommodate the battery segments in elevator-like slots located next to each other in several areas. Buttons allow changing slots in front of a control panel on the front panel of the charging unit, with precise information about the batteries and their status provided by electronic displays. The fee is not only for the energy content, but also a portion of the rental fee for the battery segments, as these are not directly part of the electric car.

[0011] The embodiment of the charging device for electric cars according to the invention is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail below.

[0012] It shows

[0013] Fig. 1 - Cross section through the e-charging station

[0014] Fig. 2 Schematic and detailed representation of the charging device

[0015] The present invention relates to a method for charging electric vehicles, assuming that the electric vehicle 1 is equipped with a novel, standard, segmented rechargeable battery 11, whose battery segments 3 are oriented transversely to the vehicle axis; further, the device for this is described. The charging method comprises the following steps:

[0016] The electric car 1 is driven through grooves 19 in the roadway into the correct position for the battery change, which is visually marked.

[0017] The side protection flaps 2 are unlocked and folded up by the driver; the battery segments 3 to be replaced are marked by the driver on the dashboard using LEDs in the frame of the underbody of the electric car 1.

[0018] The removal unit—human or automated—precisely positions a platform 6 in front of the battery segment 3 marked with the LED. A carriage 10 is moved slightly on rollers 17. The height is also adjusted so that the platform 6, on the side facing the electric car, is at the same height as the underside of the channel 8 on the electric car. The other side of the carriage 10 is brought to the level of the lower edge of a receiving window 12, equipped with a fold-down outer panel. The removal unit pulls out the battery segment 3, which is inserted into a channel 8 in the underbody of the electric car 1, using a pliers-like tool and pushes it onto the platform 6. Handling is greatly facilitated by the rolling on rollers 9 located on the underside of each battery segment 3 and a lateral rolling aid 18.

[0019] The removal unit pushes the battery segment 3 further to the receiving window 12 of the charging memory 13, behind which an empty slot 14 is located; then the battery segment 3 is pushed in there, and a cover 15 with the contacts 24, 25 for electrical charging is attached to it - the battery segment 3 is immediately charged -; whereby, when the cover 15 is plugged in, the insulating sleeves 27, 28 are pushed into the body of the battery segment 3 against a spring force, and the contacts 24, 25 in the corresponding sockets of the cover 15 establish contact.

[0020] The removal unit actuates the control of the charging storage 13 such that the slot with the newly inserted battery segment 3 moves vertically by one position, whereby the battery segment 3 now appears in the receiving window 12 of the charging storage 13 and is fully charged. The removal unit pivots the cover 15 sideways and pulls the battery segment 3 out of the slot 14 by the sleeves 27, 28 and guides it towards the electric car 1; then, the removal unit grasps the battery segment 3 at the other end with the pliers-shaped tool and pushes the battery segment 3 into the channel 8 of the electric car 1.

[0021] The steps described so far are repeated until all battery segments 3 have been replaced; when all fully charged battery segments 3 from the vertical compartment 16 in the charging storage 13 have been installed in the electric car 1, the removal unit must always reposition the trolley 10 in order to take the full battery segments 3 from an adjacent compartment 16.

[0022] The same procedure is repeated for the other side of the electric car 1.

[0023] After lowering the side protection flaps 2, the electric car can continue driving. The electronic management of the charging storage 13 informs the cash register of the inventive e-charging station about the number of replaced battery segments 3, their energy content in kWh, as well as the original energy content of the replaced battery segments 3. The cash register then calculates the payment for the customer. In addition to the pure energy costs, a portion for the loan of the batteries, since these are not directly part of the e-car's equipment, plus the profit of the e-charging station, is also charged.

[0024] The e-charging station has at least one charging device that is equipped with:

[0025] - a roadway with at least one groove 19 to guide the electric car 1 into the correct position,

[0026] - two storage tanks 13, each on one side of the roadway

[0027] - two trolleys 10 for handling the battery segments 3

[0028] - two sufficiently wide road sections on both sides of the electric car parked in the charging station 1

[0029] - some pliers-shaped tools suitable for packing the battery segments 3 in their designated openings - a removal unit for handling the listed components

[0030] - a sufficiently powerful power supply for charging the battery segments 3 stored in the charging storage units 13.

[0031] Each charging storage 13 has a number "Hn" of parallel vertical compartments 16, which are constructed like an elevator, in that they have a number of "Vm" slots 14 on cables and rails 21 for the battery segments 3 to be charged, which are guided sequentially by a drive unit 20 to a receiving window 12, each provided with a fold-down outer plate, where the battery segments 3 can be inserted or removed.

[0032] The receiving windows 12 are located horizontally in such a way that the surface of the hinged outer plate is at the same height as the surface of the platform 6; these receiving windows 12 form the only access to the loading storage 13; the operating elements for the elevator-like structure are placed above the receiving window 12, namely:

[0033] - Button up

[0034] - Button down

[0035] - electronic display with the number of slot 14 - e.g. H=5, V=11, i.e., column 5, row 11 in the matrix of the charging memory 13 - and the charging status of the battery segment 3 contained therein: full, empty or unoccupied, and also the charging status of the battery segments 3 located below and above it; whereby, as a rule, the last slot 14 - i.e., top or bottom - must always be unoccupied so that a new, empty battery segment 3 taken over from the electric car 1 can come in.

[0036] In order to provide full functionality, about half of the charging storage 13 is located underground.

[0037] Each slot 14 has a cover 15, which can be opened laterally on a hinge 26 and contains the sockets of the electrical contact for the contacts 24, 25 of the battery segments 3; the electrical lines of the sockets are guided through these hinges 26 to supply power to the charging storage unit 13.

[0038] The trolley 10 has a platform 6, which stands on a central part, which allows it to be raised to compensate for the difference in height, with four rollers 17 being attached to the lower part; the trolley 10 has a rolling aid 18 on each side, which is pull-out and which also has at least two small rollers 22 on the edge.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Method for charging electric cars, provided that the electric car (1) is equipped with a novel, standard and segmented rechargeable battery (11), the battery segments (3) of which are oriented transversely to the vehicle axis, is characterized in that the following steps are observed: a. The electric car (1) is driven through grooves (19) in the roadway into the correct position for changing the battery, which is visually marked b. Side protection flaps (2) are unlocked and folded up by the car driver; the battery segments (3) to be replaced are marked by the driver on the dashboard using light-emitting diodes in the frame of the underbody of the electric car (1) c.Wherein the removal unit - human or machine - carries out a fine positioning of a platform (6) in front of the battery segment (3) marked with the LED; in the process, a carriage (10) is slightly displaced on rollers (17); in the process, a height adjustment is also carried out so that the platform (6), on the side facing the electric car, is at the same height as the underside of the channel (8) on the electric car; in the process, the other side of the carriage (10) is brought to the height of the lower edge of a receiving window (12) which is provided with a fold-down outer plate d. Wherein the removal unit pulls out the battery segment (3), which is inserted in a channel (8) in the underbody of the electric car (1), by means of a pliers-shaped tool (7) and pushes it onto the platform (6); Handling is made much easier by rolling on rollers (9), located on the underside of the respective battery segment (3), and a lateral rolling aid (18) e.The removal unit pushes the battery segment (3) further to the receiving window (12) of the charging memory (13), behind which an empty slot (14) is located; then the battery segment (3) is pushed in there and a cover (15) with contacts (24, 25) for electrical charging is attached to it - the battery segment (3) is immediately charged -. wherein when the cover (15) is plugged on, insulating sleeves (27, 28) are pushed into the body of the battery segment (3) against a spring force and the contacts (24, 25) in the corresponding sockets of the cover (15) make contact f. The removal unit actuates the control of the charging memory (13) in such a way that the socket with the newly plugged battery segment (3) moves vertically by one position, whereby the battery segment (3) now appears in the receiving window (12) of the charging memory (13) is fully charged and the removal unit pivots the cover (15). sideways and pulls the battery segment (3) out of the slot (14) by the sleeves (27, 28) and guides it towards the electric car (1); then the removal unit grabs the battery segment (3) at the other end with the pliers-like tool and pushes the battery segment (3) into the channel (8) of the electric car (1); g. Steps c - f are repeated until all battery segments (3) have been replaced; when all fully charged battery segments (3) from the vertical compartment (16) in the charging storage (13) in the electric car (1) have been installed, the removal unit must always reposition the carriage (10) in order to take the full battery segments (3) from an adjacent compartment (16) h. The procedure from c - g is also repeated for the other side of the electric car (1) i. After lowering the side protection flaps (2), the electric car can continue driving.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic management of the charging storage (13) informs the cash register of the e-charging station according to the invention about the number of replaced battery segments (3), their energy content in kWh, as well as the original energy content of the replaced battery segments (3), whereby the cash register calculates the payment for the customer, wherein in addition to the pure energy costs, a share for the loan of the batteries, because these are not directly part of the e-car equipment, plus the profit of the e-charging station is charged.

3. E-charging station for electric cars (1) for enabling the method according to claim 1, characterized in that a. it has at least one charging device which is equipped with: - a roadway with at least one groove (19) to guide the electric car (1) into the correct position, - two storage tanks (13), each on one side of the roadway - two trolleys (10) for handling the battery segments (3) - two sufficiently wide road sections on both sides of the electric car parked in the charging station (1) - some pliers-shaped tools suitable for packing the battery segments (3) in their designated openings - a withdrawal unit for handling the listed components - a sufficiently powerful power supply for charging the battery segments (3) stored in the charging storage units (13) b. wherein each charging storage unit (13) has a number “Hn” of parallel vertical compartments (16) which are constructed in a similar manner to an elevator, in that they have a number of “Vm” slots on ropes and rails (21) (14) for the battery segments (3) to be charged, which are guided sequentially by a drive unit (20) to a receiving window (12), each provided with a fold-down outer plate, where the battery segments (3) can be inserted or removed; c. wherein the receiving windows (12) are located horizontally, such that the surface of the fold-down outer plate is at the same height as the surface of the platform (6); these receiving windows (12) form the only means of access to the charging storage device (13); operating elements for the elevator-like structure are placed above the receiving window (12), namely: - Button up - Button down - electronic display with the number of the slot (14) - e.g. H=5, V=11, i.e. column 5, row 11 in the matrix of the charging storage (13) - and the charging status of the battery segment (3) contained therein: full, empty or unoccupied and also the charging status of the battery segments (3) located below and above it; whereby, as a rule, the last slot (14) - i.e. top or bottom - must always be unoccupied so that a new, empty battery segment (3) taken over from the electric car (1) can be inserted; whereby, in order to be able to offer full functionality, approximately half of the charging storage (13) is located underground; d. whereby each slot (14) has a cover (15) which can be opened laterally on a hinge (26) and contains the sockets for the electrical contact for the contacts (24, 25) of the battery segments (3); the electrical cables of the sockets are guided through these hinges (26) to supply power to the charging storage unit (13); e.wherein a trolley (10) has a platform (6) standing on a central part which allows it to be raised to compensate for the height difference, with four rollers (17) being attached to the lower part; wherein the trolley (10) comprises a rolling aid (18) on each side which is extractable and which also has at least two small rollers (22) on the edge.

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