Charging system

Abstract

To provide a charging system comprising a charging device not requiring countermeasure and the like against environment in which a vehicle is to be arranged and having a simple configuration while being stably usable.SOLUTION: A charging system 10 includes a plurality of chambers 20 in each of which a vehicle 100 can be arranged, a charging device 30 that is arranged outside the chambers 20 and supplies power to the vehicle 100, a connector 40 that is provided in each of the chambers 20 and is to be a supply port of power supplied directly or indirectly from the charging device 30, and a switching device 50 for switching a connector 40 to be supplied with power from the charging device 30. On the condition that a vehicle 100 arranged in a chamber 20 and a connector 40 provided in the chamber 20 in which the vehicle 100 is arranged are connected via a charging cable 70, power supply from the charging device 30 to the vehicle 100 to which the charging cable 70 is connected is permitted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging system for charging a battery mounted on a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a charging system as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below has been provided. This charging system includes a plurality of chargers that make up a charger group. In this charging system, when the charging request from an electric vehicle connected to the charging port of one charger exceeds the outputtable power of the charging unit, a request regarding the output of auxiliary power to a power sharing cable is transmitted to another charger based on information about the other charger that has been received in advance via communication means.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, generally, vehicle evaluation tests are conducted in extremely low - temperature test environments such as minus several tens of degrees Celsius or in high - temperature test environments exceeding 40°C. Therefore, for vehicles equipped with secondary batteries such as battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug - in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), etc., evaluation tests are also conducted in the above - mentioned low - temperature test environments and high - temperature test environments.

[0005] On the other hand, a charging device for charging a secondary battery mounted on a vehicle is often not guaranteed to be used in the above-described low-temperature test environment temperature or high-temperature test environment temperature. If it is placed as it is in the test environment of the vehicle, there are concerns such as damage or inability to use stably. Therefore, in the prior art, it was necessary to take measures such as separately providing a heat-insulating case or a cooling device in order to keep the charging device warm or cool. As a result, the charging system of the prior art had a problem that the device configuration was complicated.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a charging system with a simple configuration that can be stably used without taking measures such as measures to withstand the environment in which the vehicle is placed for the charging device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] (1) The charging system of the present invention is for charging a battery mounted on a vehicle, and includes a plurality of rooms in which the vehicle can be arranged, a charging device arranged outside the rooms and supplying power to the vehicle, a connector provided in each of the rooms and serving as a power supply port for power directly or indirectly supplied from the charging device, and a switching device for switching the connector that receives power supply from the charging device. On the condition that the vehicle arranged in the room and the connector provided in the room in which the vehicle is arranged are connected via a charging cable, power supply from the charging device to the vehicle to which the charging cable is connected is permitted.

[0008] In the charging system of the present invention, the charging device is arranged outside the room where the vehicle is placed. Further, in the charging system of the present invention, each room is provided with a connector that receives power supply from the charging device. Thereby, in the charging system of the present invention, no matter in which room the vehicle is placed, by connecting the vehicle to the connector provided in the room where the vehicle is placed via a charging cable, power can be supplied from the charging device to the vehicle. Therefore, the charging system of the present invention can be stably used without taking measures such as measures to withstand the environment where the vehicle is placed for the charging device, and can have a simple configuration.

[0009] Furthermore, in the charging system of the present invention, on the condition that the connector is connected to the vehicle via a charging cable, power supply from the charging device to the vehicle connected to the charging cable is permitted. Thereby, the charging system of the present invention can be made highly safe and can suppress power supply when there is no connection of the connector to the connector.

[0010] (2) In the charging system of the present invention, at least Room R1 and Room R2 are provided as a plurality of the rooms, and as the connector, at least a connector C1 provided in the room R1 and a connector C2 provided in the room R2 are provided. It is preferable that when the connector C1 is connected to the vehicle V1 placed in the room R1 and the connector C2 is connected to the vehicle V2 placed in the room R2, power supply to the vehicle V2 is prohibited on the condition that power supply from the charging device to the vehicle V1 is permitted.

[0011] By adopting the configuration according to the above (2), even if an operation is performed to switch the power supply connector from connector C1 to connector C2 by the switching device during the power supply to vehicle V1 arranged in room R1, the power supply destination will not be switched to vehicle V2. Therefore, even if the switching device malfunctions or the like during the power supply to vehicle V1, the charging system of the present invention will not supply power to vehicle V2. Therefore, by adopting the configuration according to the above (2), the charging system of the present invention can further improve safety.

[0012] (3) It is preferable that the charging system of the present invention is configured such that when the vehicle is connected to each of two or more of the plurality of connectors via the charging cable, power supply to one of the two or more connectors is permitted and power supply to the other connectors is prohibited.

[0013] By adopting the configuration as described in the above (3), the charging system of the present invention can suppress power supply to a plurality of vehicles simultaneously. Therefore, by adopting the configuration according to the above (3), the charging system of the present invention can enhance the stability, uniformity, and reproducibility of the power supply state compared to the case where power supply to a plurality of vehicles is permitted simultaneously. Therefore, by adopting the configuration according to the above (3), the charging system of the present invention can be suitably used in vehicle evaluation tests and the like.

[0014] (4) It is preferable that the charging system of the present invention has a locking portion that locks the charging cable connected to the connector in a non-removable manner, and includes the locking of the charging cable by the locking portion as a permission condition for power supply.

[0015] By adopting the configuration according to (4) above, the charging system of the present invention can suppress power supply to the vehicle when the charging cable is not locked by the locking portion. Therefore, according to the charging system of the present invention, the safety when supplying power to the vehicle can be further improved.

[0016] (5) The charging system of the present invention has a locking portion that irreversibly locks the charging cable connected to the connector, and the vehicle includes a control device having a lock state detection function for detecting the locked state of the charging cable by the locking portion. It is preferable that the switching device can switch the lock state detection function to an off state by communicating with the control device.

[0017] By adopting the configuration according to (5) above, the charging system of the present invention can be suitably used, for example, when conducting tests assuming a case where the charging cable is disconnected from the vehicle during power supply to the vehicle. That is, by adopting the configuration according to (5) above, the charging system of the present invention can conduct the above-described tests without performing operations such as cutting the wiring through which the signal for detecting the locked state provided in the charging cable or the like flows.

Effects of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, a charging system that solves the above-described problems can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiment for Carrying out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, the charging system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, first, the configuration of the charging system 10 will be described, and then the usage procedure of the charging system 10 will be described. Note that each figure is schematically shown for easy understanding, and it should be noted that it may be different from the actual shape, size, and arrangement of components.

[0021] ≪Configuration of Charging System 10≫ The charging system 10 is for charging the battery 120 of a vehicle 100 equipped with a battery 120 such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The charging system 10 of the present embodiment is used when conducting an evaluation test on the vehicle 100 in an extremely low-temperature test environment such as minus several tens of degrees Celsius or in a high-temperature test environment exceeding 40°C. As shown in FIG. 1, the charging system 10 includes a room 20, a charging device 30, a connector 40, and a switching device 50.

[0022] The charging system 10 includes a plurality of rooms 20. In the illustrated example, the charging system 10 is provided with a plurality of rooms 20 including a first room 22, a second room 24, and a third room 26. The room 20 has a size capable of accommodating the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the room 20 can adjust environmental conditions such as temperature conditions to conditions suitable for the evaluation test of the vehicle 100.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the charging device 30 is a device for charging the battery 120 provided in the vehicle 100 by supplying power to the vehicle 100. The charging device 30 is disposed outside each of the above-described rooms 20. In the present embodiment, the charging device 30 is disposed in a management room 80 provided separately from the room 20. Since the charging device 30 is provided outside the room 20, it is disposed without being exposed to the indoor environment of the room 20. In the present embodiment, since the charging device 30 is disposed in the management room 80, by adjusting the indoor environment of the management room 80, it can be disposed in an environment suitable for the operation of the charging device 30 and the like.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of connectors 40 are provided in each of the plurality of rooms 20. In the charging system 10 of the present embodiment, a plurality of connectors 40 including a first connector 42 provided in the first room 22, a second connector 44 provided in the second room 24, and a third connector 46 provided in the third room 26 are provided.

[0025] The connector 40 serves as a power supply port for power supplied directly or indirectly from the charging device 30. In the present embodiment, the connector 40 serves as a power supply port for power supplied from the charging device 30 via a switching device 50 to be described in detail later. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the connector 40 is provided with a connector-side communication terminal 40b in addition to a connector-side power terminal 40a for power. The connector-side power terminal 40a and the connector-side communication terminal 40b are electrically connected to the charging device 30 side (the switching device 50 in the present embodiment), respectively. Thereby, the connector 40 can supply power via the connector-side power terminal 40a and can perform information communication with the charging device 30 side (the switching device 50 in the present embodiment) via the connector-side communication terminal 40b. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector 40 can be electrically connected to the vehicle 100 via a charging cable 70 provided with terminals adapted to the connector-side power terminal 40a and the connector-side communication terminal 40b.

[0026] Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle-side connector 110 provided in the vehicle 100 has a vehicle-side power terminal 110a for power and a vehicle-side communication terminal 110b for information communication, similar to the connector 40 described above. Therefore, by connecting a charging cable 70 having terminals adapted to the vehicle-side power terminal 110a and the vehicle-side communication terminal 110b to the vehicle-side connector 110, power can be supplied between the connector-side power terminal 40a and the vehicle-side power terminal 110a via the charging cable 70, and information communication can be performed between the connector-side communication terminal 40b and the vehicle-side communication terminal 110b.

[0027] In addition to the connector-side power terminal 40a and the connector-side communication terminal 40b, the connector 40 includes a lock portion 40c and a lock state detection portion 40d. The lock portion 40c locks the charging cable 70 connected to the connector-side power terminal 40a of the connector 40 so that it cannot be removed. In the present embodiment, the lock portion 40c is of a lever type. The lock state detection portion 40d is for detecting whether or not the charging cable 70 is locked by the lock portion 40c. In the present embodiment, the lock state detection portion 40d is configured by something that can detect whether or not the lever forming the lock portion 40c exists at the location where the lever exists when the lock portion 40c is in the locked state. The lock state detection portion 40d can be configured by, for example, an optical sensor such as a non-contact laser displacement meter, various other sensors, switches, etc.

[0028] The switching device 50 is a device that switches the connector 40 that receives power supply from the charging device 30. The switching device 50 can be installed at an appropriate location as long as it can switch the connector 40 that is the power supply destination. In this embodiment, the switching device 50 is provided between the charging device 30 and a plurality of connectors 40. Also, the switching device 50 is provided outside the room 20. Therefore, the switching device 50 is arranged without being exposed to the indoor environment of the room 20. In this embodiment, the switching device 50 is arranged in the management room 80 in the same manner as the charging device 30. Therefore, the switching device 50 can be arranged in an environment suitable for the operation of the switching device 50 by adjusting the indoor environment of the management room 80. The switching device 50 includes a power receiving unit 52, a power supply unit 54, an operation unit 56, a status display unit 58, and a control unit 60.

[0029] The power receiving unit 52 is a part where power is supplied from the charging device 30 by being electrically connected to the charging device 30. The first connection cable 72 that electrically connects the charging device 30 and the switching device 50 is connected to the power receiving unit 52.

[0030] The power supply unit 54 is a part that outputs the power received from the charging device 30 in the power receiving unit 52. A second connection cable 74 is connected to the power supply unit 54. The second connection cable 74 branches in the middle and is connected to each of the plurality of connectors 40.

[0031] The operation unit 56 is a part that receives an operation by a user of the charging system 10 to select one for performing power supply (charging) from a plurality of connectors 40 to the vehicle 100. The operation unit 56 can be, for example, a physical one composed of various switches, buttons, levers, etc., or a touch panel type one, etc. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the operation unit 56 is made operable by push-type buttons. The operation unit 56 is provided with a plurality of buttons corresponding to a plurality of rooms 20 (a plurality of connectors 40). Specifically, the operation unit 56 includes a first button 56a corresponding to the first room 22 (the first connector 42), a second button 56b corresponding to the second room 24 (the second connector 44), and a third button 56c corresponding to the third room 26 (the third connector 46).

[0032] The status display unit 58 is for displaying the status of the switching device 50 and a plurality of connectors 40 connected thereto, etc. The status display unit 58 can be configured by a light-emitting diode, a segment display, a liquid crystal panel, etc., or can be made to serve as the above-described operation unit 56 by being configured by a touch panel. In the present embodiment, the status display unit 58 is configured by light-emitting diodes.

[0033] The status display unit 58 has a power supply display unit 58a, a charging display unit 58b, a selection status display unit 58c, and a connector lock status display unit 58d. The power supply display unit 58a is for displaying whether the power supply of the switching device 50 is in the on state or not. The charging display unit 58b is for displaying whether charging of the vehicle 100 by the charging system 10 is being performed or not. The selection status display unit 58c is for displaying the selection status of the connector 40 by the operation unit 56. The connector lock status display unit 58d is for displaying whether the lock portion 40c of each connector 40 is in the locked state or not.

[0034] The control unit 60 controls the operation of the charging system 10. The control unit 60 is constituted by, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or the like. The control unit 60 selects the connector 40 that is the power supply destination of the power supplied from the charging device 30, and performs control (power supply control) for supplying power. Specifically, the control unit 60 permits power supply (charging) to the vehicle 100 via the connector 40 and the charging cable 70 on the condition that the vehicle 100 arranged in the room 20 and the connector 40 provided in the room 20 where the vehicle 100 is arranged are connected via the charging cable 70. Further, in the control unit 60 of the present embodiment, the locking of the charging cable 70 by the locking unit 40c is one of the permission conditions for permitting power supply (charging) to the vehicle 100. Therefore, the control unit 60 performs power supply control with the connection of the vehicle 100 to the connector 40 selected by the operation of the operation unit 56 and the locking of the charging cable 70 by the locking unit 40c as the permission conditions for power supply (charging).

[0035] Here, in the charging system 10, it is assumed that the vehicle 100 is connected to each of two or more connectors 40. In such a case, the control unit 60 permits power supply (charging) to the vehicle 100 only at one connector 40 selected from the two or more connectors 40, and performs control to prohibit power supply (charging) even if the vehicle 100 is connected via the charging cable 70 at the other connectors 40. Specifically, for example, in a state where the first connector 42 is connected to the vehicle 100 (first vehicle 102) arranged in the first room 22 and the second connector 44 is connected to the vehicle 100 (second vehicle 104) arranged in the second room 24, power supply to the second vehicle 104 is prohibited on the condition that power supply to the first vehicle 102 from the charging device 30 is permitted. Also, power supply is prohibited for the other connectors 40 to which the vehicle 100 is not connected. In the illustrated example, for the vehicle (third vehicle 106) arranged in the third room 26, since it is not connected to the third connector 46, power supply to the third connector 46 is prohibited.

[0036] <<Procedure for Using Charging System 10>> Subsequently, the procedure for using the charging system 10 described above will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart according to FIG. 5.

[0037] (Step 1) When using the charging system 10, first, in step 1, the charging device 30 and the switching device 50 are activated. When the switching device 50 is activated, the control unit 60 is turned on. As a result, under the control of the control unit 60, control related to power supply from the charging device 30 to the vehicle 100 (power supply control) can be performed.

[0038] (Step 2) After the charging device 30 and the switching device 50 are activated in step 1 described above, in step 2, the charging device 30 and the switching device 50 are electrically connected via the first connection cable 72. As a result, a state in which power can be supplied from the charging device 30 to the switching device 50 is achieved.

[0039] (Step 3) Thereafter, in step 3, in the room 20 where the vehicle 100 to be charged is placed, the charging cable 70 connected to the vehicle 100 is connected to the connector 40. As a result, the charging cable 70 is connected to the connector-side power terminal 40a and the connector-side communication terminal 40b of the connector 40. Further, when the charging cable 70 is connected, the charging cable 70 is locked by the lock portion 40c. As a result, the charging cable 70 is connected to the connector 40 in a non-removable state.

[0040] When the charging cable 70 is completely locked by the locking part 40c, the locking state detection part 40d detects that the charging cable 70 is in the locked state, and a signal (lock detection signal) indicating this is transmitted. The lock detection signal is transmitted to the switching device 50 via the connector-side communication terminal 40b of the connector 40. Accordingly, in the control unit 60, it is recognized which of the plurality of connectors 40 the charging cable 70 is connected to. In addition, the connector 40 to which the charging cable 70 is connected and is in the locked state is recognized by the control unit 60 as being selectable for charging the vehicle 100.

[0041] (Step 4) After the charging cable 70 is connected to the connector 40 as described above, in step 4, an operation of selecting the connector 40 to be used for charging is performed by operating the operation unit 56. In the present embodiment, among the first button 56a to the third button 56c provided on the operation unit 56, a button provided in association with the connector 40 in the room 20 where the vehicle 100 to be charged is arranged among the plurality of connectors 40 is selected and operated. Specifically, for example, when the vehicle 100 (the first vehicle 102) to be charged is arranged in the first room 22, the first button 56a provided in association with the first connector 42 provided in the first room 22 is selected and operated.

[0042] (Step 5) In step 5, the control unit 60 determines whether the connector 40 selected in step 4 is allowed to supply power for charging. Specifically, the control unit 60 checks whether the connector 40 selected by operating the operation unit 56 satisfies the start conditions for power supply, such as being connected to the vehicle 100 via the charging cable 70 and the charging cable 70 being locked. When the charging cable 70 is connected to only a single connector 40 among the plurality of connectors 40, a determination is made to permit power supply on the condition that the above-described start conditions are satisfied.

[0043] In addition, when the vehicle 100 is connected to two or more connectors 40 and each charging cable 70 is in a locked state, it is confirmed which button among the first button 56a to the third button 56c is the one corresponding to which connector 40. For the connector 40 (hereinafter also referred to as "selected connector 40x") corresponding to the button operated among the first button 56a to the third button 56c (hereinafter also referred to as "operated button 56x"), when the above-described start conditions are satisfied, a determination is made to permit power supply to the selected connector 40x and prohibit power supply to other connectors 40. Further, for the selected connector 40x, when the above-described start conditions are not satisfied, a determination is made to prohibit power supply in any of the connectors 40. As a result of making the determination to permit power supply to the selected connector 40x in this way, when the power supply to the selected connector 40x is permitted, the flow proceeds to step 6 described later. On the other hand, when the determination to prohibit power supply to the selected connector 40x is made, the flow is returned to step 3.

[0044] (Step 6) When the power supply to the selected connector 40x is permitted in step 5 described above, the control unit 60 enables the power supplied from the charging device 30 to the switching device 50 to be supplied to the selected connector 40x. Specifically, the control unit 60 connects a relay provided in the switching device 50 or the like to conduct the power receiving unit 52 and the power feeding unit 54. Thereby, the control unit 60 makes the power supplied from the charging device 30 be in a state where it can be supplied toward the selected connector 40x.

[0045] (Step 7) As described above, when the selected connector 40x and the charging cable 70 connected thereto are in a state of being conductive to the charging device 30, in step 7, the charging cable 70 is connected to the vehicle-side connector 110 of the vehicle 100. In this state, when the charging start button 32 provided in the charging device 30 is turned on, the power supply from the charging device 30 to the vehicle 100 is started. Thereby, the charging of the battery 120 of the vehicle 100 is started.

[0046] <<Function and Effect>> The charging system 10 according to the above-described embodiment has the characteristic configurations shown in the following (a) to (d), and thus the effects peculiar to the present invention can be obtained.

[0047] (a) The charging system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention described above is for charging the battery 120 mounted on the vehicle 100, and includes a plurality of rooms 20 in which the vehicle 100 can be arranged, a charging device 30 arranged outside the room 20 and supplying power to the vehicle 100, a connector 40 provided in each of the rooms 20 and serving as a power supply port for power directly or indirectly supplied from the charging device 30, and a switching device 50 for switching the connector 40 that receives power supply from the charging device 30. On the condition that the vehicle 100 arranged in the room 20 and the connector 40 provided in the room 20 in which the vehicle 100 is arranged are connected via the charging cable 70, power supply from the charging device 30 to the vehicle 100 to which the charging cable 70 is connected is permitted.

[0048] In the charging system 10, the charging device 30 is arranged outside the room 20 in which the vehicle 100 is arranged. Further, the charging system 10 is provided with a connector 40 that receives power supply from the charging device 30 in each of the rooms 20. Thereby, the charging system 10 can supply power from the charging device 30 to the vehicle 100 by connecting the vehicle 100 to the connector 40 provided in the room 20 in which the vehicle 100 is arranged via the charging cable 70, regardless of in which room 20 the vehicle 100 is arranged. Therefore, the charging system 10 can be stably used without taking measures such as measures for withstanding the environment in which the vehicle 100 is arranged against the charging device 30, and can have a simple configuration.

[0049] Furthermore, the charging system 10 is configured to permit power supply from the charging device 30 to the vehicle 100 to which the charging cable 70 is connected, on the condition that the connector 40 is connected to the vehicle 100 via the charging cable 70. Thereby, the charging system 10 can be made highly safe and can suppress power supply when the connector 40 is not connected to the connector 40.

[0050] (b) As described above, the charging system 10 is provided with at least the room R1 and the room R2 as a plurality of rooms 20, and includes at least the connector C1 provided in the room R1 and the connector C2 provided in the room R2 as the connector 40. When the connector C1 is connected to the vehicle V1 arranged in the room R1 and the connector C2 is connected to the vehicle V2 arranged in the room R2, it is preferable that the power supply to the vehicle V2 is prohibited on the condition that the power supply from the charging device 30 to the vehicle V1 is permitted.

[0051] By adopting the configuration according to the above (b), the charging system 10 maintains the power supply destination as the vehicle V1 and does not switch to the vehicle V2 even if an operation of switching the connector 40 that supplies power from the connector C1 to the connector C2 is performed by the switching device 50 during the power supply to the vehicle V1 arranged in the room R1. Specifically, for example, when the room R1 is the first room 22 and the room R2 is the second room 24, the connectors C1 and C2 are the first connector 42 and the second connector 44, and the vehicles V1 and V2 are the first vehicle 102 and the second vehicle 104. In this case, even if an operation of switching the connector 40 that supplies power from the first connector 42 to the second connector 44 is performed by the switching device 50 during the power supply to the first vehicle 102 arranged in the first room 22, the power supply destination is maintained as the first vehicle 102 and does not switch to the second vehicle 104. Therefore, the charging system 10 does not supply power to the vehicle V2 even if the switching device 50 malfunctions or the like during the power supply to the vehicle V1. Therefore, by adopting the configuration according to the above (b), the charging system 10 can further improve safety.

[0052] (c) As described above, when the vehicle 100 is connected to each of two or more of the plurality of connectors 40 via the charging cable 70, it is preferable that the power supply to one of the two or more connectors 40 is permitted and the power supply to the other connectors 40 is prohibited in the charging system 10.

[0053] By configuring the charging system 10 as in (c) above, it is possible to suppress the power supply to a plurality of vehicles 100 simultaneously. Therefore, by adopting the configuration according to (c) above, the charging system 10 can enhance the stability, uniformity, and reproducibility of the power supply state as compared with the case where the power supply to a plurality of vehicles 100 is permitted simultaneously. Therefore, the charging system 10 can be suitably used in the evaluation test of the vehicle 100 and the like by adopting the configuration according to (c) above.

[0054] (d) As described above, it is preferable that the charging system 10 has a locking portion 40c that locks the charging cable 70 connected to the connector 40 in a non-removable manner, and includes the locking of the charging cable 70 by the locking portion 40c as a permission condition for power supply.

[0055] By configuring the charging system 10 as in (d) above, it is possible to suppress the power supply to the vehicle 100 in a state where the charging cable 70 is not locked by the locking portion 40c. Therefore, according to the charging system 10, the safety when supplying power to the vehicle 100 can be further improved.

[0056] <<Modification Example>> The above-described charging system 10 merely shows one embodiment of the present invention, and various changes, omissions, additions, etc. can be made to the configuration as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Specifically, the above-described charging system 10 may not include some or all of the configurations according to (b) to (d) described above, or may be configured to include other configurations instead of or in addition to the configurations according to (b) to (d).

[0057] For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration in which power can be indirectly supplied from the charging device 30 to the connector 40 via the switching device 50 is exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as described in (a) above, it is also possible to directly supply power from the charging device 30 to the connector 40. In this case, the charging system 10 may be provided with the switching device 50 at a location other than between the charging device 30 and the connector 40, and the switching device 50 may be configured to be able to switch the connector 40 that is the power supply destination. Further, the charging system 10 may be configured to directly connect the charging device 30 and the connector 40 by incorporating the switching device 50 into the charging device 30.

[0058] In addition, the charging system 10 does not necessarily have to be configured such that power supply to the vehicle V2 is prohibited on the condition that power supply from the charging device 30 to the vehicle V1 is permitted as in (b) above. For example, the charging system 10 may be configured to be able to supply power to the vehicle V2 simultaneously with the power supply to the vehicle V1. In this case, a configuration for detecting an erroneous operation separately may be provided so that power supply is prohibited in the case of an erroneous operation, so that power supply is not simultaneously made to the vehicles V1 and V2 contrary to the user's intention due to an erroneous operation of the switching device 50 or the like.

[0059] The charging system 10 does not necessarily have to permit power supply to one of the two or more connectors 40 as described in (c) above and prohibit power supply to the other connectors 40. For example, the charging system 10 can supply power to a plurality of vehicles 100 simultaneously when the fluctuations in the stability, uniformity, and reproducibility of the power supply state can be suppressed within an allowable range even when power supply is performed, or when it is not necessary to consider the stability of the power supply state, etc. When the charging system 10 can supply power to a plurality of vehicles 100 simultaneously, it is advisable to provide another configuration that can compensate for the stability of the power supply state, etc., or to perform power supply control by the control unit 60, etc., so that the stability of the power supply state, etc. can be maintained within an allowable range.

[0060] The charging system 10 does not necessarily have to include, as a condition for permitting power supply, the locking of the charging cable 70 by the locking portion 40c as described in (d) above. For example, the charging system 10 can be configured with another sensor that detects that the charging cable 70 is securely connected, a configuration with a button or switch that is simultaneously pressed when the charging cable 70 is connected, a configuration with an operation unit that can be operated to notify the control unit 60 that the charging cable 70 has been connected, etc. By adopting such a configuration, similar to the case of the configuration as described in (d) above, it is possible to suppress the power supply to the vehicle 100 when the charging cable 70 is not securely connected.

[0061] In addition, the charging system 10 described above is assumed to perform a test or the like assuming a case where the charging cable 70 is disconnected from the vehicle 100 during power supply to the vehicle 100, for example. It has a lock portion 40c that locks the charging cable 70 connected to the connector 40 so that it cannot be removed. The vehicle 100 is equipped with a control device having a lock state detection function for detecting the locked state of the charging cable 70 by the lock portion 40c, and the switching device 50 can switch the lock state detection function to an off state by communicating with the control device.

[0062] With the charging system 10 having the above-described configuration, it can be suitably used, for example, when conducting a test or the like assuming a case where the charging cable 70 is disconnected from the vehicle 100 during power supply to the vehicle 100. That is, by adopting the above-described configuration, the charging system 10 can perform the above-described test without performing operations such as cutting the wiring through which the signal for detecting the locked state provided in the charging cable 70 or the like flows.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments and the like, and design changes and the like can be appropriately made without departing from the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. The constituent elements of the above-described embodiments and modification examples may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Also, any constituent element of each of the above-described embodiments and modification examples may be arbitrarily combined with any constituent element described in the means for solving the problems, the form for implementing the invention, etc., or a constituent element embodying any constituent element described in the means for solving the problems, the form for implementing the invention, etc. It is good to configure in combination. Regarding these, there is also an intention to acquire rights in the present application or a divisional application, a change application, etc. based on the present application.

Industrial Applicability

[0064] The present invention can be suitably used in general charging systems for charging batteries mounted on vehicles.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0065] 10: Charging system 20: Room 22: First room 24: Second room 30: Charging device 40: Connector 40c: Lock part 42: First connector 44: Second connector 50: Switching device 60: Control unit 70: Charging cable 100: Vehicle 102: First vehicle 104: Second vehicle 120: Battery C1: Connector C2: Connector R1: Room R2: Room V1: Vehicle V2: Vehicle

Claims

1. A charging system for charging a battery mounted on a vehicle, comprising: a plurality of rooms where the vehicle can be placed; a charging device disposed outside the rooms and supplying power to the vehicle; a connector provided in each of the rooms and serving as a power supply port for power directly or indirectly supplied from the charging device; a switching device for switching the connector that receives power supply from the charging device; and on the condition that the vehicle disposed in the room and the connector provided in the room where the vehicle is disposed are connected via a charging cable, power supply from the charging device to the vehicle to which the charging cable is connected is permitted. A charging system characterized by this.

2. Among a plurality of the connectors, when the vehicle is connected to each of two or more of the connectors via the charging cable, power supply to one of the two or more connectors is permitted, and power supply to the other connectors is prohibited. The charging system according to claim 1, characterized by this.

Images