MOTOR VEHICLE INCLUDING A TYPE 2 AND DOMESTIC CHARGING CABLE AS WELL AS A STORAGE SOCKET, AND PROCESSES ON THE BASIS OF SUCH A VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a traction battery, an on-board charger connected to the traction battery, and a charging cable connected to the on-board charger. The charging cable comprises a connector (C2) at one end, characterized in that the connector (C2) comprises a connector body (P) carrying a first connection piece (FD) of a first type, being one of a domestic plug and a type 2 plug, and in that the connector (C2) further comprises a second connection piece (F2) of a second type, being the other of said plugs, which is pluggable onto the first connection piece (FD). The motor vehicle further comprises a body (V) equipped with a socket of the second type receiving the second connection piece. The invention also relates to a cable and a method based on such a vehicle. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING A TYPE 2 AND DOMESTIC CHARGING CABLE AS WELL AS A STORAGE SOCKET, AND METHOD BASED ON SUCH A VEHICLE

[0001] The invention relates to the field of cables and connectors for charging electric vehicles on domestic sockets and charging stations. The invention further relates to the management of the storage of these cables.

[0002] Vehicle charging systems may vary depending on the charging sockets available to the user. For the purposes of this disclosure, examples are, for European vehicles, type 2 sockets and domestic sockets (type E or F).

[0003] The concept adopted for the applicant's vehicles is to have a cable integrated into the vehicle to avoid the user having to take the cable out of the trunk and then connect it to the vehicle and the terminal.

[0004] This principle already exists on the vehicle called Citroën™ Ami, but only with a domestic socket. In addition, this cable is not authorized for passenger vehicles while the aforementioned vehicle can do so because it is classified in the moped category.

[0005] Furthermore, for the use of charging cables integrated into the vehicle, it is also necessary to put in place a means which guarantees that the cable is no longer connected and / or properly stored to avoid any risk of injury or damage if the cable were free while driving.

[0006] In the case of the applicant's other vehicles, when charging in mode 2 or mode 3, the user must use his own charging cables. In order to be able to charge his vehicle in different locations, the charging cables must be available in the vehicle with different types of connectors, which are very often stored in the trunk of the vehicle.

[0007] The prior art has proposed a connector of the BOSCH™ brand, for an external charging cable which always remains non-attached to the vehicle, with two different sockets attached to their socket bodies, on the same cable. This concept requires having one of the connectors linked to the cable and the other completely free.

[0008] An objective of the present invention is to remedy the defects of the prior art, and in particular to propose a connector solution with different sockets having a more compact arrangement and a cable storage solution integral with the electric vehicle.

[0009] To achieve this objective, the invention provides a motor vehicle comprising a traction battery, an on-board charger connected to the traction battery, and a charging cable connected to the on-board charger, the charging cable comprising a connector at one end, characterized in that the connector comprises a connector body carrying a first connection part of a first type, being one of a domestic plug and a type 2 plug, making it possible to electrically connect the connector to a socket of the first type, and in that the connector further comprises a second connecting piece of a second type, being the other of a domestic plug and a type 2 plug, pluggable onto the first connecting piece so as to enable the connector to be electrically connected to a socket of the second type, the motor vehicle further comprising a body equipped with a socket of the second type receiving the second connection part.

[0010] Advantageously, the cable connector is more compact because there are not two bodies attached to two different plugs.

[0011] The invention makes it possible to have the two most commonly used connectors for mode 2 and mode 3 charging permanently on the cable connected to the vehicle. For this, the socket is composed of a first part with a domestic type interface and a second part of type 2, or vice versa. This connector is connected to the charging cable which is itself connected to the vehicle's on-board charger by the other end.

[0012] The second part clips onto the domestic interface to be compatible with a type 2 socket, or vice versa.

[0013] In addition, connecting the cable to the vehicle during the stowage phase will allow the vehicle to detect that the cable is properly stowed.

[0014] According to one variant, the motor vehicle comprises: - a first locking system for locking the second connecting part onto the first connecting part; and / or - a second locking system allowing the second connection part to be locked onto the body.

[0015] The first locking system makes it possible to lock the cable on the body and to prevent disconnections of the cable, in particular disconnections of the second connection part from the first connection part.

[0016] Similarly, the second locking system makes it possible to lock the cable to the body and to prevent disconnections of the cable, in particular disconnections of the second connection part from the vehicle body.

[0017] According to one variant, the body is in the form of a handle.

[0018] This improves the grip of the connector.

[0019] According to one variant, the body comprises an integrated control box.

[0020] This allows the load to be controlled to avoid overheating.

[0021] According to one variant, the body comprises at least one junction box.

[0022] A first junction box allows the control box to be used in do mode mestic and neutralize it in mode 3 (type 2 socket). A second junction box allows the connections to be connected after the control box.

[0023] According to one variant, the body comprises a human-machine interface equipped with a selection means for selecting the socket to be used and locking or unlocking the charging cable.

[0024] This makes it easy to control the selection of the type of socket to be used.

[0025] According to a variant, the motor vehicle comprises an activation and deactivation system for deactivating the vehicle when the charging cable is electrically disconnected from the body socket, and for activating the vehicle when the charging cable is electrically connected to the body socket.

[0026] This ensures that the cable is properly stored by detecting the electrical connection.

[0027] The invention further relates to a charging cable for a motor vehicle according to the invention, comprising a connector at one end, characterized in that the connector comprises a connector body carrying a first connection part of a first type, being one of a domestic plug and a type 2 plug, making it possible to electrically connect the connector to a socket of the first type, and in that the connector further comprises a second connecting piece of a second type, being the other of a domestic plug and a type 2 plug, pluggable onto the first connecting piece so as to enable the connector to be electrically connected to a socket of the second type.

[0028] Another subject of the invention relates to a method for charging a motor vehicle according to the invention, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - in the case of connection to a domestic socket, removing the second connection part in the form of a type 2 plug if applicable, and connecting the first connection part in the form of a domestic plug to the domestic socket; - if connecting to a type 2 socket, keep the second connection part in the form of a type 2 plug on the first connection part in the form of a domestic plug, and connect the second connection part to the type 2 socket.

[0029] According to a variant, the charging method comprises a deactivation step in which the motor vehicle is deactivated when the charging cable is disconnected. electrically connected to the body socket; and an activation step in which the vehicle is activated when the charging cable is electrically connected to the body socket.

[0030] The invention will be further detailed by the description of non-limiting embodiments, and on the basis of the appended figures illustrating variants of the invention, in which: - [Fig.l] schematically illustrates a side view of a charging cable connection in a vehicle body according to a first embodiment; - [Fig.2] illustrates a detailed diagram of the connection of [Fig.l]; - [Fig.3] illustrates a simplified diagram of a vehicle charging cable connection according to a second embodiment.

[0031] The invention relates to a motor vehicle having a particular charging cable.

[0032] The concept proposed here is a C2 connector which integrates two different interfaces, selectable by the user according to the charging interface, domestic socket or type 2.

[0033] The C2 connector used to connect to charging stations or domestic sockets will be connected to the vehicle at a socket in the body when it is stored. This electrical connection will allow the vehicle to identify whether the cable is correctly replaced in its housing.

[0034] The principle is to have the two most used connectors for charging in mode 2 and mode 3 permanently on the cable connected to the vehicle. For this, in the first embodiment illustrated in figures 1 and 2, the plug is composed of a first part with a domestic type interface (domestic plug FD). This plug is connected to the charging cable which is itself connected to the on-board charger of the vehicle by the other end.

[0035] Another part (type 2 plug) clips onto this domestic interface to be compatible with a type 2 socket.

[0036] In addition, connecting the cable to the V box socket during the storage phase will allow the vehicle to detect that the cable is properly stored if there is an electrical connection.

[0037] The main interest is to provide the user with the most common charging mode, the domestic type being used in 75% of cases, and to have a compatible interface for charging with a type 2 socket as a second solution in other cases.

[0038] For cases of recharging on external terminals or wall boxes (or "wallbox" in English), the interface is permanently in the vehicle and in a dedicated location, and fixed to the cable. The user no longer has to think about where to put his cable and his interface, if it is not present in the vehicle, the vehicle will not be able to not start.

[0039] The connection system is composed of: - a main connector: the FD domestic plug; - a secondary connector: the type 2 F2 plug; - an interface (socket) on the vehicle body V to accommodate the type 2 interface (plug F2); - a domestic socket locking system on the type 2 socket (first locking finger Dl); - a type 2 socket locking system on the body (second locking finger D2); - a P handle attached to the domestic connector.

[0040] The handle P comprises: - an ICCB cable control box (or “In-Cable Control Box” in English) which allows the load to be controlled to avoid overheating; - a first JB1 junction box with relays, which allows the ICCB control box to be used in domestic mode and to be neutralized in mode 3 (type 2 socket) because this control is carried out by the charging station; - a second JB2 junction box to connect the connections after the ICCB control box; - a human-machine interface (HMI) allowing you to select the type of socket and unlock the vehicle cable.

[0041] The locking fingers D1, D2 are preferably controlled by the human machine interface HMI.

[0042] Now concerning the operating mode carried out by the user, it is based on the following initial conditions: the cable is connected to the on-board charger of the vehicle on one side, and cannot be removed by the user. The main connector C2 is clipped with the domestic socket connector (FD plug). The assembly is locked onto the vehicle.

[0043] A first scenario 1 concerns the handling of the charging cable: the user opens the hatch; selects the type of connector required (mechanically or electronically by push button); then presses a push button to unlock the handle P.

[0044] The user removes the handle P. The unlocking of the handle P is detected by the vehicle which prohibits its use, for example prevents the engine from starting.

[0045] A second scenario concerns the replacement of the charging cable: the user replaces the handle P in the interface of the body V of the vehicle.

[0046] The locking finger D2 of the handle is re-engaged, the user can no longer pull out the handle without pressing the release button.

[0047] The vehicle detects the presence of the locking finger (and / or the electrical connection) and authorizes use of the vehicle.

[0048] In the domestic socket charging cable, the type E / F socket is separate from the vehicle. The interface with type 2 socket is integral with the vehicle.

[0049] Unlocking the E / F domestic socket with the type 2 socket switches relays so that the ICCB control box controls the current.

[0050] In the type 2 socket charging cable, in one variant, the standard is the use of single-phase.

[0051] Interlocking the household socket (type E / F) with the type 2 socket switches the relays so that the ICCB control box is not used.

[0052] The domestic interface is connected only to the earth, phase and neutral terminals for use in a domestic socket.

[0053] In the case of use in mode 3, with a type 2 interface, power management is managed by the terminal using a pin which allows communication between the terminal and the vehicle.

[0054] In the case of use in domestic mode, a corresponding signal is defined by the ICCB control box.

[0055] In a second embodiment, the charging cable is directly connected to the type 2 interface as illustrated in [Fig.3]. The interface with the V box is the domestic socket (receives the FD domestic plug).

[0056] In this case, the ICCB control box can be embedded in the P handle as defined in the previous version. The disadvantage is that the person using charging mode 3 (with a type 2 F2 plug) has a more bulky P handle when he does not need it.

[0057] The advantage is to have a very simple interface with the V box.

[0058] The integration of the ICCB control box in the handle allows for a smaller footprint because for a good grip, the handle will have a certain volume in which we could put the components.

[0059] The ICCB control box can also be embedded in the second connection part.

[0060] In a third embodiment, we start from the previous principle with an interface on the first type 2 connection part (F2 plug) according to the most frequent use. But in this case, we integrate the ICCB control box directly into the interface with the type E / F box (FD domestic plug), this makes it possible to create a simpler grip for the use of the type 2 plug.

Claims

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising a traction battery, an on-board charger connected to the traction battery, and a charging cable connected to the on-board charger, the charging cable comprising a connector (C2) at one end, characterized in that the connector (C2) comprises a connector body (P) carrying a first connection part (FD) of a first type, being one of a domestic plug and a type 2 plug, enabling the connector to be electrically connected to a socket of the first type, and in that the connector (C2) further comprises a second connection part (F2) of a second type, being the other of a domestic plug and a type 2 plug, pluggable onto the first connection part (FD) so as to enable the connector to be electrically connected to a socket of the second type, the motor vehicle further comprising a body (V) equipped with a socket of the second type receiving the second connection part.

2. Motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the connector (C2) comprises: - a first locking system (D1) making it possible to lock the second connection part (F2) on the first connection part (FD); and / or - a second locking system (D2) making it possible to lock the second connection part (F2) on the body (V).

3. Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the body (P) is in the form of a handle.

4. Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the body comprises an integrated control box (ICCB).

5. Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the body comprises at least one junction box (JB).

6. Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the body comprises a human-machine interface (HMI) equipped with a selection means for selecting the socket to be used and locking or unlocking the charging cable.

7. Motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises an activation and deactivation system for deactivating the vehicle when the charging cable is electrically disconnected from the body socket, and for activating the vehicle when the charging cable is electrically connected to the body socket.

8. A charging cable for a motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a connector (C2) at one end, characterized in that the connector (C2) comprises a connector body (P) carrying a first connection part (FD) of a first type, being one of a domestic plug and a type 2 plug, allowing the connector to be electrically connected to a socket of the first type, and in that the connector (C2) further comprises a second connection part (F2) of a second type, being the other of a domestic plug and a type 2 plug, pluggable onto the first connection part (FD) so as to allow the connector to be electrically connected to a socket of the second type.

9. Method for charging a motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - in the case of connection to a domestic socket, removing the second connection part (F2) in the form of a type 2 plug if applicable, and connecting the first connection part (FD) in the form of a domestic plug to the domestic socket; - in the case of connection to a type 2 socket, keeping the second connection part (F2) in the form of a type 2 plug on the first connection part (FD) in the form of a domestic plug, and connecting the second connection part (F2) to the type 2 socket.

10. Charging method according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises a deactivation step in which the motor vehicle is deactivated when the charging cable is electrically disconnected from the body socket; and an activation step in which the vehicle is activated when the charging cable is electrically connected to the body socket.

Images