ROBOTIC DEVICE FOR INDUCTIVE CHARGING OF BATTERIES OF AN ELECTRIC OR HYBRID MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for charging traction batteries of electric or hybrid motor vehicles (V) equipped with a charging socket (C), said device comprising conductive means and induction means at least partially integrated into a mobile robot (R) and intended for the transfer of electrical energy, characterized in that said conductive means comprise a connector (11) intended to be plugged into the charging socket (C) and which is connected to an element providing the link with a power converter, and said induction means comprise, on the one hand, a first induction coil (20) forming a transmitter (2) carried by the mobile robot and, on the other hand, a second induction coil (10) connected to the power converter and forming, with said conductive means, a receiver (1) external to the vehicles. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: ROBOTIC DEVICE FOR INDUCTIVE CHARGING OF THE BATTERIES OF AN ELECTRIC OR HYBRID MOTOR VEHICLE

[0001] The invention relates, in general, to means intended for charging or recharging batteries equipping vehicles with electric or hybrid motors and is concerned, in particular, with a robotic induction charging device.

[0002] In order to compensate for the electrical consumption of the motorization of motor vehicles during the driving phase or the exhaustion of the electrical energy stored in the batteries, it has been considered to propose solutions for recharging by road or by means of robotic systems.

[0003] Inductive battery charging makes it possible to transfer electrical energy without physical contact, particularly for charging the traction batteries of electric or hybrid vehicles.

[0004] Inductive charging or recharging devices generally comprise an AC / AC converter, a primary coil electrically connected to the converter and a secondary coil on board the vehicle and electrically connected to the batteries by an AC / DC converter. The primary and secondary coils, forming an open transformer, must be magnetically coupled to ensure optimal transfer of electrical energy. To this end, they must be arranged opposite each other at a reduced, precise and controlled distance.

[0005] Today, whatever the charging means implemented, the latter tend to evolve towards the use of automatic and autonomous means allowing the connection and disconnection operations of these means to be carried out robotically. However, for all existing charging solutions, the installation of an inductive or conductive receiver is then necessary, unless a conventional charging socket is used which does not require the installation in the vehicle of an additional charging receiver (inductive secondary circuit or conductive connector).

[0006] However, for one-off and temporary charging operations likely to benefit from an automatic charging method, such as those to be carried out, for example, in the car parks of vehicle assembly plants or in the car parks for storing stocks of vehicles for sale, it is tedious, complex and therefore too expensive to install a charging receiver in each of these vehicles, especially since it would possibly have to be dismantled subsequently.

[0007] Patent application US20210316629A1 describes a method for determining the trajectory of a vehicle and guiding it during a parking maneuver relative to at the position of a primary induction charging circuit.

[0008] Patent application US20130088194A1 describes an aerial device for inductively charging a batch of vehicles. This device comprises a primary circuit provided with a moving coil which moves in line with each parked vehicle, aligning itself with a secondary coil embedded in each of the vehicles.

[0009] Patent FR3072339B1 describes an induction charging device comprising a robot supporting a primary coil and an optical system intended to capture a light signal emitted by a source arranged under the vehicle in order to control the movement of the robot relative to a secondary coil embedded in the vehicle.

[0010] However, these known or existing means of recharging require the installation in the vehicles of a secondary induction circuit and do not, moreover, offer great freedom in the organization of parking and in the arrangement of vehicles in a parking lot.

[0011] In this context, a technical solution was therefore sought to resolve the problems posed by current or known means of charging batteries by proposing a device capable of being, on the one hand, connected to the vehicle via its charging socket and, on the other hand, supplied with electrical energy by a mobile robot via inductive coupling.

[0012] This object is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a device for charging the traction batteries of motor vehicles with electric or hybrid motors equipped with a charging socket, said device comprising conductive means and induction means at least partially integrated into a mobile robot and intended for the transfer of electrical energy, characterized in that said conductive means comprise a connector intended to be plugged into the charging socket and which is connected to an element ensuring the connection with a power converter and said inductive means comprise, on the one hand, a first induction coil forming a transmitter carried by the mobile robot and, on the other hand, a second induction coil connected to the power converter and forming, with said conductive means, a receiver external to the vehicles.

[0013] According to an advantageous characteristic of the charging device of the invention, the external receiver is provided with means ensuring its location and identification by said mobile robot to couple the first coil to the second coil and charge the batteries.

[0014] According to another characteristic of the device of the invention, the connector is of a type chosen, in particular, from the group AC, DC, type 2, CCS, depending on the electrical characteristics of the vehicle and those of the external receiver.

[0015] According to an alternative embodiment of the charging device of the invention, the external receiver is mounted on a support providing a free space with the ground to allow the positioning of the mobile robot and the coupling of the two induction coils.

[0016] Preferably, the element providing the connection between the connector and the power converter is provided with protection and control means.

[0017] Another object of the invention is a method for charging the traction batteries of a fleet of stationary motor vehicles with electric or hybrid engines by means of the device as defined above, characterized in that external receivers are connected to the charging sockets of the vehicles and at least one mobile robot is moved from one vehicle to another by bringing it close to their respective external receivers so as to charge the batteries by induction.

[0018] According to a specific embodiment of the method of the invention, the movement of the robot and the control of the charging of the batteries are controlled by means of locating and identifying the vehicles.

[0019] Yet another object of the invention is a use of the method defined above for charging the batteries of motor vehicles with electric or hybrid motors in a parking or storage area.

[0020] Thanks to the combination between the receivers connected to the various vehicles and the transmitter carried by the mobile robot, the improved device according to the invention ensures an automatic and rapid charging mode of the batteries. The management of the charging of the vehicles in stock is thus significantly improved.

[0021] Furthermore, the charging mode is implemented according to the method of the invention with a large tolerance with respect to the position of the vehicles on the parking areas, whether at the factory exit or in parking lots and does not require any arrangement of these areas with the exception of a robot power supply system.

[0022] Furthermore, the charging device of the invention does away with the laborious and costly installation of specific components on vehicles, unlike previous devices. In fact, the latter were less reliable and slower to detect the location of vehicles and required the installation of an additional system intended to open the charging socket hatch. This device can therefore be easily removed once the required charge level is reached.

[0023] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the description which follows, with reference to the appended figures, for which:

[0024] [Fig. 1] is a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the charging device according to the invention applied to a vehicle.

[0025] [Fig.2] is a diagram illustrating the implementation of the charging method according to the invention by means of the device of [Fig.l].

[0026] For clarity, identical or similar elements are identified by identical reference signs in the description and in the figures.

[0027] Naturally, the embodiment of the charging device of the invention illustrated schematically by the figures presented above and described below, is given only as a non-limiting example. It is explicitly provided within the framework of the invention that different modes can be proposed and combined together to propose others.

[0028] The invention relates to the charging / recharging of traction batteries fitted to electrically powered motor vehicles which are provided with a charging socket. More specifically, the invention proposes means suitable and intended to ensure the charging of the batteries when these vehicles are stationary in parking areas.

[0029] This device generally comprises conductive means and induction means intended for the transfer of electrical energy between a power supply network and the batteries (not shown) of the vehicles V. These means are at least partially integrated into a mobile robot R powered directly or indirectly by the electrical network, as illustrated by [Fig.l].

[0030] According to the invention, the conductive means comprise a connector 11 intended to be connected to the charging socket C of a vehicle. This connector 11 is connected to an element 12, such as a cable harness, ensuring the connection with a power converter (not shown). Preferably, the connecting element 12 is provided with protection and control means (not shown).

[0031] The inductive means, for their part, comprise, on the one hand, a first induction coil 20 carried by the mobile robot R and forming an electric charge transmitter 2 and, on the other hand, a second induction coil 10 connected to the power converter and forming, with the conductive means 11, 12, an electric charge receiver 1 arranged outside the vehicles V.

[0032] The characteristics of the connector 11 are standard and are chosen from the group consisting, in particular, of the AC, DC, type 2, CCS, or other types, depending on the specific electrical characteristics of the vehicle's electrical equipment and those of the external receiver 1. The power converter, for its part, makes it possible to convert the high-frequency AC current, leaving the second coil 10 into DC current at the battery voltage. Suitable means for controlling the voltage and activating / deactivating the receiver 1 can also be integrated into the device.

[0033] Consequently, the mechanical and electrical connections between the vehicles and the charging device are only ensured by the temporary connection of the connector 11 to the electrical socket C already existing on the vehicle. The device of the invention is therefore completely external to the vehicle and therefore does not require the installation of an additional internal component.

[0034] The external receiver 1 is further provided with means ensuring its location and remote identification by the mobile robot R. Thus, the robot can recognize the different vehicles and move automatically and, where appropriate, in a autonomous to approach each of the vehicles up to a predetermined and / or programmed distance depending on the charge transfer capacities between the transmitter 2 and the receiver 1. Once the robot R is correctly positioned relative to the vehicle V, the first coil 20 of the transmitter 2 connects to the second coil 10 of the receiver 1 and the electrical transfer then ensures the progressive charging of the vehicle batteries by induction then conduction.

[0035] According to an alternative embodiment of the charging device of the invention, the external receiver 1 is mounted on a support 3 providing a free space with the ground to allow the positioning of the mobile robot R in the immediate vicinity and the coupling of the two induction coils 20, 10. Where appropriate, the support 3 comprises elements for wedging and supporting the ground or the body of the vehicle which provide freedom of movement for the robot without, however, creating an overhang.

[0036] As illustrated by [Fig.2], the invention also relates to a method intended to charge the traction batteries of a fleet of motor vehicles (VI, V2, ...) with electric or hybrid motors which are stationary in a storage or parking area. This method is implemented by means of the device as defined above and consists, first of all, in connecting external receivers 1 to the charging sockets C of the vehicles, after opening the hatch which closes and protects this socket. This operation is carried out manually by an operator working in the parking area.

[0037] The next step consists of moving at least one mobile robot R from an already charged vehicle VI to another vehicle V2 and so on so as to successively bring the transmitter 2 closer to the external receivers 1 of the different vehicles to charge all their batteries by induction.

[0038] According to a specific embodiment of the method of the invention, the movement of the robot R and the control of the battery charge are controlled by the vehicle location and identification means integrated into the external receiver 1.

Claims

Claims

1. Device for charging traction batteries of motor vehicles (V) with electric or hybrid motorization equipped with a charging socket (C), said device comprising conductive means and induction means at least partially integrated into a mobile robot (R) and intended for the transfer of electrical energy, characterized in that said conductive means comprise a connector (11) intended to be connected to the charging socket (C) and which is connected to an element ensuring the connection with a power converter and said inductive means comprise, on the one hand, a first induction coil (20) forming a transmitter (2) carried by the mobile robot and, on the other hand, a second induction coil (10) connected to the power converter and forming, with said conductive means, a receiver (1) external to the vehicles.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said external receiver (1) is provided with means ensuring its location and identification by said mobile robot (R) to couple the first coil (20) to the second coil (10) and charge the batteries.

3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said connector (11) is of a type chosen, in particular, from the group AC, DC, type 2, CCS, depending on the electrical characteristics of the vehicle and those of the external receiver (1).

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said external receiver (1) is mounted on a support (3) providing a free space with the ground to allow the positioning of the mobile robot (R) and the coupling of the two induction coils (20, 10).

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said element ensuring the connection between the connector (11) and the power converter is provided with protection and control means.

6. Method for charging the traction batteries of a fleet of motor vehicles (VI, V2, ...) with electric or hybrid motors when stationary by means of the device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that external receivers (1) are connected to the charging sockets (C) of the vehicles and at least one mobile robot (R) is moved from one vehicle to another by bringing it closer to their respective external receivers (1) so as to charge the batteries by induction.

7. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the movement of the robot (R) and the control of the charging of the batteries are controlled by means of locating and identifying the vehicles.

8. Use of the method according to one of claims 6 or 7 for charging the batteries of motor vehicles (V) with electric or hybrid motorization in a parking or storage area.

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