Charging infrastructure, vehicle-side contact unit and system and method for establishing a conductive connection

Abstract

The present invention relates to a charging infrastructure (12) for establishing an electrically conductive connection with a vehicle-side contact unit (16). The charging infrastructure (12) comprises a floor-side contact unit (18), the floor-side contact unit having a plate-shaped body (26) and a number of contacts (30) arranged on a charging surface (28) of the body (26) against which the vehicle-side contact unit (16) can abut. The number of contacts (30) comprises at least one protective earth contact (36) for detecting contact, a power contact (32) and at least one control contact (40). The at least one protective earth contact (36) is hardwired. The power contact (32) is assigned to at least one potential level (34). The at least one control contact (40) is formed separately from the power contact (32) and separately from the at least one protective earth contact (36). Further described are the vehicle-side contact unit (16), the system (10) and a method for establishing an electrically conductive connection.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging infrastructure for establishing a conductive connection with a vehicle side contact unit.Furthermore, the present invention relates to a vehicle side contact unit for establishing a conductive connection with a floor side contact unit.Furthermore, the present invention relates to a system for establishing a conductive connection.Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for establishing a conductive connection between a floor side contact unit and a vehicle side contact unit. [Background technology]

[0002] In vehicles that are at least partially electrically powered, such as plug-in hybrid vehicles or purely electric vehicles, the battery of the vehicle must be charged regularly, preferably after each journey. For this purpose, the vehicle is connected to a suitable power source, typically using a plug, such as a so-called type 2 plug, which a person must manually insert into a socket in the vehicle. This simultaneously ensures that the plug is guided so that the contact is made in a specified manner.

[0003] Further known from the prior art, for example from WO 2019 / 052962, are floor-side contact units for vehicle battery charging systems, which are arranged in the floor. The floor-side contact units can charge the vehicle by automatically establishing an electrically conductive connection with a corresponding vehicle-side contact unit arranged in the vehicle to be charged. The vehicle-side contact units can be arranged on the underside of the vehicle, and the vehicle-side contact units move downwards to establish an electrical contact with the floor-side contact units.

[0004] For example, the floor-side contact unit is configured as a so-called matrix charging pad, as illustrated in WO 2019 / 052962. For this purpose, the floor-side contact unit comprises a plurality of contacts arranged in a matrix, which can be contacted by the vehicle-side contact unit in order to establish an electrical connection between the floor-side contact unit and the vehicle-side contact unit.

[0005] The vehicle-side contact unit may be accurately positioned relative to the floor-side contact unit before the connector of the vehicle-side contact unit contacts at a predetermined point on the floor-side contact unit. Alternatively, it is possible that no guide and / or no accurate contact is provided for the vehicle-side contact unit, but in that case it is necessary to detect the placement point of the connector of the vehicle-side contact unit on the floor-side contact unit. The electrical connection is established via the contacts by connecting the contacts correspondingly provided on the floor-side contact unit according to the placement point. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 052962 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the methods for detecting the resting point known hitherto from the prior art are either complicated or involve high costs.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for detecting contact at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to the invention, the problem is solved by a charging infrastructure for establishing a conductive connection with a vehicle-side contact unit. The charging infrastructure comprises a floor-side contact unit, the floor-side contact unit having a plate-shaped body and a number of contacts arranged on a charging surface of the body against which the vehicle-side contact unit can abut. The number of contacts comprises at least one protective earth contact, a power contact and at least one control contact for detecting contact. The at least one protective earth contact is hard-wired. The power contact is assigned to at least one potential level. The at least one control contact is formed separately from the power contacts and separately from the at least one protective earth contact.

[0010] The object is further achieved by a vehicle-side contact unit for establishing a conductive connection with a floor-side contact unit. The vehicle-side contact unit has a number of contacts which can abut against a charging surface of the floor-side contact unit. The vehicle-side contact unit is movable to translate and / or rotate in a plane parallel to the charging surface. The number of contacts comprises at least one protective earth contact, a power contact and at least one control contact for detecting contact. The at least one protective earth contact is hardwired. The power contact is assigned to at least one potential level. The at least one control contact is formed separately from the power contacts and separately from the at least one protective earth contact.

[0011] The basic idea of ​​the invention is to determine whether a contact, i.e. a conductive connection, exists between the vehicle-side contact unit and the floor-side contact unit by detecting the contact of the floor-side contact unit or the vehicle-side contact unit through the provision of a separately formed control contact, which is capable of conducting a control signal when establishing a conductive connection. Since the control contact is formed separately from the power contacts and separately from the at least one protective earth contact, a dedicated control signal can be used to detect the corresponding contact. In other words, the control signal is not a modulation or high-frequency characteristic of a signal provided via one of the power contacts and evaluated, but a separate, dedicated control signal. However, it is also conceivable that the control signal is related to the protective earth (protective earth-PE), i.e. a PE-related signal.

[0012] Basically, at least one protective earth contact is hardwired, which means that the corresponding protective earth contact always functions as a protective earth, since it is not possible to connect the protective earth contact to a potential level provided for charging the vehicle, which would cause the protective earth contact to function as a power contact.

[0013] Each power contact may be assigned to at least one potential level via at least one contact switch, which allows individual power contacts to be switched to zero potential. This is the case, for example, when not all of the power contacts contribute to a conductive connection when a contact is established. Corresponding power contacts that do not contribute to a conductive connection can then be switched to zero potential via the contact switch.

[0014] In one embodiment, at least two power contacts are assigned to the same potential level. In this respect, a number of power contacts are provided for one potential level. A number of power contacts connected to one potential level thus constitute a power contact plane. The respective power contacts of one power contact plane can be connected in groups to different potential levels by providing corresponding switch units. The switch units can be configured to selectively connect the power contacts of a first power contact plane to a first potential level or to a second potential level. In this respect, it is possible to connect all power contacts of one power contact plane to a selected potential level via the switch units. However, it is not possible to connect the individual power contacts of an assigned power contact plane to different potential levels. Furthermore, it is also possible that the power contacts of different power contact planes are not connected to the same potential level.

[0015] In particular, a number of potential levels are provided, with at least two power contacts assigned to each potential level. For example, two potential levels or four potential levels are provided, depending for example on whether a direct current application ("DC application") or an alternating current application ("AC application"), in particular a three-phase AC application, is used. In the case of four potential levels, the potential levels can be formed by a neutral level (N) and three potential levels (L1, L2, L3).

[0016] In another embodiment, the charging infrastructure comprises a monitoring circuit configured to monitor the contact of at least one control contact. The monitoring circuit can in particular be configured to determine the placement position of the vehicle-side contact unit. The detection of the contact merely ensures that there is a contact with the vehicle-side contact unit somewhere on the charging surface of the floor-side contact unit, which can be correspondingly confirmed by the monitoring circuit, which detects a control signal flowing for this purpose via the control contacts. In a simple manner, a control signal is applied for this purpose to all control contacts, and in the event of contact, a continuous connection is detected via one of the control contacts. However, this still does not allow the placement position, i.e. where the vehicle-side contact unit is in contact with the floor-side contact unit.

[0017] However, the monitoring circuit can also be configured to determine the position of the vehicle contact unit on the charging surface of the floor contact unit. This means that it is possible to ascertain the position of the floor contact unit, in particular on the charging surface, at which the vehicle contact unit comes into contact with the charging surface. This is possible, for example, by first determining the approximate area of ​​the floor contact unit on the charging surface by applying control signals to the control contacts individually or in groups. It is also theoretically possible to apply different control signals to the control contacts, in which case it is possible to deduce the position of the vehicle contact unit by evaluating the control signals of the successive connections.

[0018] Furthermore, when monitoring using the monitoring circuit, it is also possible to check whether a misalignment of the vehicle-side contact unit relative to the floor-side contact unit and / or a rotation around an axis perpendicular to the floor-side contact unit occurs, which would lead to the connection of the control contacts being stopped, i.e., the connection via at least one control contact.

[0019] In particular, at least one control contact and at least one power contact are designed in such a way that the connection via at least one control contact is first broken before the connection via the power contact is broken, so that a monitoring circuit which detects the disconnection of the connection via the control contact can activate a switch-off device, so that the corresponding power contact is switched to zero potential before the connection via the power contact is broken, thereby effectively preventing arcs and other avoidable effects.

[0020] It is possible to check the breakage of the conductive connection, in particular in a direction perpendicular to the contact direction, i.e. in the plane in which the contact lies. It is checked whether the vehicle-side contact unit is displaced or misaligned relative to the floor-side contact unit, since this would result in a breakage of the connection via at least one control contact.

[0021] The switch-off device may comprise a main switch, for example a contactor. The galvanic separation may then be established by opening the main switch. Alternatively or complementary, the switch-off device may comprise an electronic power control device which reduces the applied potential to a non-limiting value.

[0022] In other words, the actuation of the switch-off device corresponds to an error protection in order to check the state of the contact switch and, in the event of an error, to open the main switch and switch the contact to zero potential and / or reduce the value of the applied potential. Alternatively or complementary, this is carried out if an existing contact is suddenly disconnected or terminated in an uncontrolled manner.

[0023] In principle, it is possible for monitoring circuits to be provided in the charging infrastructure or in the vehicle, so that a corresponding monitoring can also be carried out on the vehicle side.

[0024] For example, the at least one control contact has a smaller area than the at least one protective earth contact and / or one of the power contacts, in particular all of the power contacts, thereby ensuring that, in the event of a displacement of the vehicle-side contact unit relative to the floor-side contact unit, the connection established via the at least one control contact is first broken before the connection via the power contacts and / or the connection via the protective earth contact is broken. In this respect, the power contacts can be actively switched to zero potential before the connection is broken and / or before an arc is generated.

[0025] According to another embodiment, the plurality of contacts comprises at least two control contacts, so that the charging infrastructure is configured to obtain the contact orientation of the vehicle-side contact unit on the charging surface using the at least two control contacts. The plurality of contacts in particular comprises two types of control contacts, which are conducted via the control contacts and which use different control signals. The control signals can be distinguished from one another, for example because they are inverted relative to one another and / or have different signal shapes. This makes it possible to reliably detect electrical defects, such as short circuits or shunts. Similarly, it is possible to generate corresponding control signals flowing via at least two different control contacts with a time difference, so that no valid signal is generated in the event of a short circuit or shunt. It can be ensured that it is possible to ascertain the relative orientation of the vehicle-side contact unit with respect to the floor-side contact unit, based on the at least two control contacts present in the contact area that is formed when a conductive connection is established between the vehicle-side contact unit and the floor-side contact unit. Then, based on the ascertained orientation, it is possible to connect the power contacts with corresponding potential levels and form an interconnection of the power contacts adjusted in relation to the ascertained relative orientation.

[0026] Furthermore, at least one protective earth contact may be formed by a continuous surface, which forms a protective earth plane that is penetrated by the power contacts and / or at least one control contact. The corresponding protective earth plane is also called a PE-plane (English: "PE-plane"). In other words, a connection surface, for example a charging surface of a floor-side contact unit, may be formed primarily by protective earth contacts, and in the plane formed by the protective earth contacts, the corresponding power contacts are arranged in particular with a ring-shaped insulating area, thereby electrically insulating the power contacts from the protective earth contacts, i.e. from the corresponding protective earth plane. It is also possible to electrically insulate the control contacts from the protective earth plane by means of a ring-shaped insulating area.

[0027] In one embodiment, the contacts are formed such that the at least one control contact loses contact with the floor-side contact unit before the power contact and / or the at least one protective earth contact during a relative movement of the vehicle-side contact unit with respect to the floor-side contact unit. Alternatively or complementary, the at least one protective earth contact can lose contact with the floor-side contact unit later than the power contact during a relative movement of the vehicle-side contact unit with respect to the floor-side contact unit. For example, the at least one control contact is formed smaller and / or shorter or has a smaller spring stroke than the power contact and / or the at least one protective earth contact. Furthermore, the at least one control contact may be formed smaller and / or shorter or has a smaller spring stroke than the power contact. This ensures that the connection established via the at least one control contact is first broken before the connection at the power contact or at least one protective earth contact is broken.

[0028] In the vehicle-side contact unit, in particular, the corresponding contacts can be formed so as to have a spring force, and the corresponding spring stroke amounts are different, thereby ensuring that the corresponding connections are broken at different times when the vehicle-side contact unit moves relative to the floor-side contact unit.

[0029] In principle, it is possible for the at least one protective earth contact to be the last to lose contact during a relative movement of the vehicle-side contact unit with respect to the floor-side contact unit, i.e. the contact via the at least one protective earth contact is the last to be broken. For this purpose, it is possible, in particular, for the at least one protective earth contact to be larger than the at least one control contact and / or power contact.

[0030] It is possible for at least one protective earth contact of the vehicle-side contact unit, in particular the center of the at least one protective earth contact, to be arranged on a circumference having a radius larger than the radius of the circle on which the at least one protective earth contact of the floor-side contact unit, in particular the center of the at least one protective earth contact, is arranged. Alternatively, it is also possible for at least one protective earth contact of the floor-side contact unit, in particular the center of the at least one protective earth contact, to be arranged on a circle having a radius larger than the radius of the circle on which the at least one protective earth contact of the vehicle-side contact unit, in particular the center of the at least one protective earth contact, is arranged. This ensures that the connection via the protective earth contact is finally broken during a relative movement of the vehicle-side contact unit with respect to the floor-side contact unit.

[0031] In principle it is possible to arrange each protective earth contact on a circle having a different radius than the adjacent power and / or control contacts.

[0032] According to the invention, the problem is solved by a system for establishing a conductive connection, the system having a vehicle-side contact unit with a plurality of contacts, comprising at least one protective earth contact, a power contact and at least one control contact for detecting contact. The system further has a floor-side contact unit with a plate-shaped body and a plurality of contacts, the contacts being arranged on a charging surface of the body and comprising at least one protective earth contact, a power contact and at least one control contact for detecting contact. Each at least one protective earth contact, i.e. the floor-side contact unit of the vehicle-side contact unit and the protective earth contact of the floor-side contact unit, are hard-wired. Each power contact, i.e. the power contact of the vehicle-side contact unit and the power contact of the floor-side contact unit, are assigned to at least one potential level. Each at least one control contact, i.e. the at least one control contact of the vehicle-side contact unit and the at least one control contact of the floor-side contact unit, are formed separately from the power contacts and separately from the protective earth contact. The vehicle-side contact unit is movable to translate and / or rotate in a plane parallel to the charging surface. The system comprises a monitoring circuit and a signal generator. The system is further configured to apply a control signal to at least one control contact of the floor-side contact unit or the vehicle-side contact unit by means of a signal generator. The system is further configured to detect the contact of the floor-side contact unit by means of a monitoring circuit, which is configured to receive and evaluate a control signal generated by the signal generator, which flows through the at least one control contact of the vehicle-side contact unit and / or the at least one control contact of the floor-side contact unit in the contacted state. Thus, when a conductive connection is established by means of a corresponding system, a corresponding control signal flows through at least one of the control contacts and is correspondingly evaluated, making it possible to ascertain whether a corresponding contact exists, in particular with regard to position and orientation.

[0033] In one embodiment, the contacts of the floor-side contact unit and the contacts of the vehicle-side contact unit are configured in such a way that, when the vehicle-side contact unit moves relative to the floor-side contact unit, the connection via the protective earth contacts of the floor-side contact unit and the protective earth contacts of the vehicle-side contact unit is maintained if the connection via the power contacts has already been broken, in particular due to the relative movement of the vehicle-side contact unit relative to the floor-side contact unit, and in particular when a relative movement of the vehicle-side contact unit relative to the floor-side contact unit perpendicular to the contact direction is observed, which results in the breaking of the connection established via the protective earth contacts.

[0034] In another embodiment, at least one control contact of the floor-side contact unit and / or at least one control contact of the vehicle-side contact unit are designed in such a way that, when the vehicle-side contact unit is moved relative to the floor-side contact unit, the connection between the control contact of the floor-side contact unit and the control contact of the vehicle-side contact unit is broken before the connection via the power contact is broken. For this purpose, the corresponding control contact can be designed, for example, smaller in terms of area than the other contacts. In any case, it is ensured that the monitoring circuit first detects that there is no longer a connection flowing via the control contact, so that the monitoring circuit correspondingly activates a switch-off device, which, for example, switches the power contact to zero potential.

[0035] According to the invention the problem is further solved by a method for establishing a conductive connection between a floor-side contact unit and a vehicle-side contact unit. The vehicle-side contact unit has a plurality of contacts, comprising at least one protective earth contact, a power contact and at least one control contact for detecting contact. The floor-side contact unit has a plate-shaped body and a plurality of contacts, the contacts being arranged on a charging surface of the body and comprising at least one protective earth contact, a power contact and at least one control contact for detecting contact. The at least one protective earth contact is hard-wired respectively. Each power contact is assigned to at least one potential level, and each at least one control contact is formed separately from the power contacts and separately from the at least one protective earth contact. The vehicle-side contact unit is movable to translate and / or rotate in a plane parallel to the charging surface. The method comprises the following steps: - applying a control signal to at least one control contact of the floor-side contact unit or the vehicle-side contact unit; and - determining whether the control signal is transmitted by a series connection comprising at least the control contacts of the floor-side contact unit and / or the control contacts of the vehicle-side contact unit.

[0036] In particular, the series connection can be provided between the control contact of the floor-side contact unit and the control contact of the vehicle-side contact unit. Alternatively, however, it is also possible for the control contact of the floor-side contact unit to form a series connection with the protective earth contact of the vehicle-side contact unit, which also establishes a series connection, for example. In a particular embodiment, the positioning also forms the desired contact of the floor-side contact unit, and in the case of contact, it is possible to release the charging current that can flow through the corresponding power contact to charge the vehicle battery.

[0037] In one embodiment, the contact area of ​​the vehicle-side contact unit relative to the floor-side contact unit is determined by rotating the vehicle-side contact unit relative to the floor-side contact unit and / or by switching a plurality of control contacts of the floor-side contact unit individually and / or in groups. A plurality of control contacts can be provided on the floor-side contact unit, and the control contacts are switched, for example, individually or in groups, to check whether there is a conductive connection via one of the correspondingly switched control contacts. This allows the initial rough position of the vehicle-side contact unit on the floor-side contact unit to be determined.

[0038] In another embodiment, the orientation of the vehicle-side contact unit relative to the floor-side contact unit is determined by applying different control signals to at least two control contacts of the floor-side contact unit or the vehicle-side contact unit. After the vehicle-side contact unit has determined the position of the corresponding contact, in particular the contact area, of the floor-side contact unit, it is possible to determine the relative orientation. For this purpose, two different control signals are applied to two control contacts in the contact area. This makes it possible to ascertain the corresponding orientation of the vehicle-side contact unit relative to the floor-side contact unit. Based on the obtained orientation, it is then possible to connect the corresponding power contacts to a specific potential level in order to ensure an optimal filling process.

[0039] In addition, a cleaning check can also be carried out by applying a low protective voltage to at least one control contact of the floor contact unit and carrying out an insulation check between the two contacts of the floor contact unit, thereby making it possible to check whether the insulation distance between the two contacts is maintained, i.e. whether there is any dirt present that could prevent this.

[0040] A contact protection monitoring can be implemented to ensure that unintentional contact of the basically accessible contacts is possible. The contact protection monitoring is implemented continuously during conductive charging. However, it is also possible to implement the contact protection monitoring immediately before the charging process.

[0041] For this purpose, for example, during continuous contact protection monitoring, the respective switching positions of the contact switches assigned to the uncontacted power contacts can be monitored. These contacts are power contacts that do not belong to the subset of contacted contacts, and are therefore accessible from the outside. The subset of contacted contacts corresponds to a contact area. A subset of the contacts is thus assigned to the contact area of ​​the charging surface, which is covered by components of the vehicle-side contact unit when a conductive connection is established between the floor-side contact unit and the vehicle-side contact unit. The number of corresponding subsets, i.e. the number of configurations, present in the contact area depends on the size of the floor-side contact unit and / or the size of the corresponding components of the vehicle-side contact unit, which interact with the contacts of the floor-side contact unit for the conductive connection, such as, for example, the connectors of the vehicle-side contact unit.

[0042] The accessible contacts may also be called exposed contacts, since they are not covered by the vehicle-side contact unit if a conductive connection is present. The contact protection monitoring via the switching position of the contact switch checks whether the corresponding power contacts are switched potential-free as defined for exposed power contacts, i.e. power contacts that do not form a conductive connection with the vehicle-side contact unit.

[0043] Alternatively or complementary, the continuous contact protection monitoring can consist in continuously monitoring whether an already established conductive connection is maintained or whether a formed conductive connection is broken. For this purpose, it may be sufficient to check at least one of the contacts of the subset, since it was previously contacted. Essentially, at least one contact of the subset used for the continuous contact protection check can be a control contact through which a control signal flows, which is monitored accordingly.

[0044] The contact protection monitoring can be implemented by means of a monitoring circuit which monitors the switching position of the contact switch and / or the continuous contact of a subset of corresponding contacts.

[0045] In an extreme case, it is possible to use all the contacts of the floor-side contact unit so that no contacts are exposed in the contact state. The subset of the contacts may therefore correspond to all the contacts of the floor-side contact unit. However, the floor-side contact unit generally has more contacts than are necessary for the conductive connection between the floor-side contact unit and the vehicle-side contact unit. This allows for greater flexibility, in particular by ensuring that the vehicle does not have to stop exactly on a specific area of ​​the floor-side contact unit. The component of the vehicle-side contact unit that covers the contact area may be a movable part of the vehicle-side contact unit, such as a movable charging nozzle, which is moved from the underside of the vehicle towards the floor-side contact unit to establish the conductive connection. The movable part of the vehicle-side contact unit may also generally be referred to as a connector.

[0046] Basically, it is possible to supply a defined control signal via at least one control contact of the vehicle-side contact unit or the floor-side contact unit, which cooperates with an associated contact, e.g. a control contact, of the other unit to close a current circuit and evaluate the corresponding control contact.

[0047] Insofar as two control contacts are provided at the vehicle-side contact unit and / or at the floor-side contact unit and different control signals are applied to them, it is possible to determine the orientation of the vehicle-side contact unit relative to the floor-side contact unit when a conductive connection is present, i.e. the contact orientation. Regardless, it is possible to create a corresponding redundancy by forming two paths using the two control contacts.

[0048] The control signal may be a safe low voltage.

[0049] In particular, the contacts are shaped and arranged in such a way that in the contact area at least two control contacts of the vehicle-side contact unit and / or at least two control contacts of the floor-side contact unit are always part of the contact that is contacted.

[0050] Furthermore, the respective contacts are arranged and dimensioned in such a way that no short circuit occurs when contact is present, even if the vehicle-side contact unit is misaligned with respect to the floor-side contact unit, particularly in the contact area. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0051] Further advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the referenced drawings. [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a system according to the invention with a charging infrastructure according to the invention and a vehicle-side contact unit according to the invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic top view of a floor-side contact unit of a charging infrastructure according to the present invention in one embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] 11 is a schematic top view of a floor-side contact unit of a charging infrastructure according to the present invention in a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of the electrical interconnection of power contacts in a charging infrastructure according to the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 5] 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method according to the invention for establishing a conductive connection between a floor-side contact unit and a vehicle-side contact unit; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0052] 1, a system 10 is illustrated that includes an electric charging infrastructure 12 and an at least partially electrically powered vehicle 14. System 10 may also be referred to as a vehicle battery charging system.

[0053] The vehicle 14 has a vehicle-side contact unit 16 capable of forming a conductive connection with a floor-side contact unit 18 of the electric charging infrastructure 12 for charging the battery of the vehicle 14, which is not shown in detail here.

[0054] The electric charging infrastructure 12 comprises a monitoring circuit 20 and a switch-off device 22 which may be fully integrated in the floor-side contact unit 18. Alternatively, the monitoring circuit 20 can be partly arranged in the floor-side contact unit 18 and partly arranged in a monitoring unit 24 formed separately from the floor-side contact unit 18. It is also possible that the monitoring circuit 20 and the switch-off device 22 are arranged in a completely separate monitoring unit 24.

[0055] The separately formed monitoring unit 24 is therefore optional and is therefore shown in dashed lines in Fig. 1. Similarly, the monitoring circuit 20 and the switch-off device 22 are shown in dashed lines because their respective positions may vary depending on the implementation. In any case, the separately formed monitoring unit 24 is electrically connected to the floor-side contact unit 18 as indicated in Fig. 1.

[0056] However, it is alternatively possible for the monitoring circuit 20 and / or the switch-off device 22 to be located on the vehicle side.

[0057] In FIG. 2, a top view of a floor-side contact unit 18 of the charging infrastructure 12 is shown according to one embodiment.

[0058] The floor-side contact unit 18 has a plate-like body 26 with a charging surface 28 that is exposed prior to establishing a conductive connection and that becomes the exposed charging surface when contact is established between the floor-side contact unit 18 and the vehicle-side contact unit 16.

[0059] However, when the charging surface 28 is essentially not in use, it can be covered by a cover (not shown here) to protect the charging surface 28, inter alia, from environmental influences. A corresponding cover can be removed manually or automatically, whereby the charging surface 28 becomes accessible.

[0060] The charging surface 28 is provided with a number of contacts 30 of different contact methods and types.

[0061] In either case, the contacts 30 comprise a number of power contacts 32 which are used, inter alia, in the charging process of the battery of the vehicle 14. When charging the vehicle 14, in particular when charging the battery of the vehicle 14, a charging current flows via at least some of the power contacts 32. For this purpose, the corresponding power contacts 32 are essentially assigned at least one potential level 34, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0062] In the illustrated embodiment, the floor-side contact unit 18 is configured as a three-phase floor-side contact unit 18, which means that the individual power contacts 32 can be assigned to four different potential levels 34, namely a neutral position N and phase levels L1, L2 and L3. The neutral position N is also called the neutral conductor. Hence the corresponding potential levels N, P1, P2 and P3.

[0063] Thus, as can be seen from FIG. 2, in particular in the floor-side contact unit 18 there is provided a corresponding three-phase connection 35 .

[0064] The power contacts 32 are therefore assigned to power contact planes P1, P2, P3, P4 which are divided into power contact planes or also called "pin layers".

[0065] In this respect, there are four types of power contacts 32, namely a first power contact 32-1, which is assigned to a first power contact plane P1, a second power contact 32-2, which is assigned to a second power contact plane P2, a third power contact 32-3, which is assigned to a third power contact plane P3, and a fourth power contact 32-4, which is assigned to a fourth power contact plane P4. This can be seen more clearly in Figure 4, to which reference will be made in the following description of the interconnection of the power contacts 32.

[0066] From FIG. 2 it can be seen that the four types of power contacts 32 are arranged as a rectangle, specifically a rectangle on the charging surface 28 .

[0067] In the illustrated embodiment, the first power contact 32-1 is located in the upper right corner of a rectangle, whereas the second power contact 32-2 is located in the lower right corner of the rectangle. The third power contact 32-3 is located in the lower left corner of the rectangle, whereas the fourth power contact 32-4 is located in the upper left corner of the rectangle. In this respect, the four types of power contacts 32 together form a rectangle in the corresponding plane.

[0068] Furthermore, the contacts 30 include at least one protective earth contact 36, or PE contact, in addition to the power contacts 32. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, a plurality of protective earth contacts 36 are provided, which are individually and insulated from the power contacts 32 and disposed on the charging surface 28.

[0069] It can further be seen from the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 that the protective earth contacts 36 are each located at the center of a rectangle.

[0070] The rectangle is specifically formed as a square, so that the centrally located protective earth contact 36 has the same distance to each of the power contacts 32. In this regard, a square-centered pattern for the power contacts 32 and the protective earth contacts 36 in FIG.

[0071] As an alternative to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the floor-side contact unit 18 may have a continuous protective ground plane 38, such that the protective ground plane corresponds to the surface of the body 26 or the bottom area of ​​the charging surface 28, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0072] The individual power contacts 32 then penetrate the corresponding protective ground plane 38, and the power contacts 32 are each arranged insulated with respect to the protective ground plane 38 by, for example, a ring-shaped insulating portion 39 which insulates the power contact 32 from the protective ground plane 38.

[0073] Further, the contacts 30 may essentially comprise at least one control contact 40, which is used to perform a contact check, i.e., to verify whether the vehicle-side contact unit 16 is in contact with the floor-side contact unit 18, as described below.

[0074] In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, a number of control contacts 40 are provided.

[0075] Basically, the control contacts 40 and / or the protective earth contact 36 can be formed as magnetic contacts 41, i.e. can be magnetizable, so that the conductive connection can only be effected in a defined manner, i.e. such that at least one magnetic contact 41 of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 couples with one magnetic contact 41 of the floor-side contact unit 18.

[0076] A defined connection is ensured because the magnetic contacts 41 are arranged in the center of the respective assigned rectangle, in particular a square, at the corners of which one type of power contact 32 is provided, namely the first power contact 32-1, the second power contact 32-2, the third power contact 32-3 and the fourth power contact 32-4, so that either the protective earth contact 36 or the control contact 40 can be provided in the center of the respective rectangle.

[0077] In particular, the contacts 30 are distributed relative to one another on the charging surface 28 such that essentially at least two control contacts 40 are located within a contact area A of the charging surface 28, which is covered by the vehicle-side contact unit 16 when a conductive connection is established. Via the two control contacts 40 in contact area A, it is possible to ascertain in which orientation the floor-side contact unit 18 has been contacted.

[0078] Furthermore, with knowledge of the dimensions of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 it is possible to determine which contacts 30 have been contacted, i.e. which contacts 30 belong to the subset of contacted contacts 30 that are within the contact area A of the charging surface 28.

[0079] It is then possible to assign specific potential levels 34 to the different power contact planes P1 to P4 or to switch corresponding power contacts 32 based on the information to connect with potential levels.

[0080] 4 shows in an example embodiment how the interconnection of the power contacts 32 is carried out. This basically applies to the power contacts 32 of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 as well as the power contacts 32 of the floor-side contact unit 18.

[0081] Each individual power contact 32 can be connected to a corresponding power contact plane P1 to P4 via a contact switch 42, so that the individual power contacts 32 can be connected or disconnected via the contact switch 42. This allows only the power contacts 32 in the contact area A to be connected to the corresponding potential level 34, so that the exposed power contacts 32 are potential-free.

[0082] 4, it can further be seen that the respective contact switches 42 are formed as mirror contacts, so that the contact switches 42 have a main contact 44 and a monitoring contact 46. Being formed as a mirror contact, the main contact 44, which acts as a relay, is mechanically coupled to the monitoring contact 46, so that it is ensured that the respective switching positions of the main contact 44 and the monitoring contact 46 are interdependent or interdependent. However, the main contact 44 and the monitoring contact 46 are galvanically separated from each other, so that the two contacts 44, 46 are not assigned to a common circuit. Rather, the two contacts 44, 46 are assigned to different circuits which are independent of each other and galvanically separated from each other.

[0083] At this point, there is no switching position of the contact switch 42 in which both the main contact 44 and the monitoring contact 46 form an integrated closed circuit such that current can flow through both contacts 44, 46 of the contact switch 42. As shown in Figure 4, the main contact 44 is configured as a normally open contact, i.e., a NO contact, while the monitoring contact 46 is configured as a normally closed contact, i.e., a NC contact.

[0084] 4 therefore shows the initial position of the contact switches 42 in the corresponding switching positions in which the main contacts 44 are open and no current flows through the power contacts 32. In other words, the power contacts 32 are not connected to the potential location 34, so that touch protection is guaranteed.

[0085] The corresponding contact protection can be monitored by the monitoring circuit 20 in particular by monitoring the respective switching position of the monitoring contact 46 of the corresponding contact switch 42 .

[0086] Monitoring is performed at least in the contact switch 42, which is assigned to power contacts 32 that are not in contact when the floor-side contact unit 18 and the vehicle-side contact unit 16 are conductively connected, i.e., power contacts 32 that do not belong to the subset of the multiple contacts 30 of the floor-side contact unit 18 that are in contact.

[0087] If the monitoring circuit 20 determines that an incorrect switching position exists in one of the monitoring contacts 46, then the monitoring circuit 20 will activate the switch-off device 22 since the monitoring contacts 46 are mechanically linked to the main contacts 44, which would result in one of the main contacts 44 also being in an incorrect switching position.

[0088] An incorrect switching position corresponds to an open switching position of the monitoring contact 46 with a closed switching position of the associated main contact 44, which means that the corresponding power contact 32 is exposed and therefore one freely accessible power contact 32 is assigned to one potential level 34 in an undesirable manner.

[0089] The switch-off device 22 changes its state by being actuated by the monitoring circuit 20, which may involve a complete switch-off or a complete isolation. In other words, the switch-off device 22 may be formed in such a way that all power contacts 32 can be switched potential-free by implementing a galvanic isolation of all power contacts 32.

[0090] In this respect, the switch-off device 22 may comprise a main switch 46 or a contactor which provides a corresponding galvanic separation.

[0091] Alternatively, the switch-off device 22 may comprise electronic power control means 50, which are arranged to correspondingly reduce the voltage assigned to the potential level 34, thereby limiting the applied voltage to a non-critical value and thus ensuring touch protection, in other words a non-hazardously low voltage is applied to the respective power contact 32 connected to an erroneously closed main contact 44 of the contact switch 42.

[0092] In addition, it can also be seen from FIG. 4 that an input interface 52 is provided which is assigned to the connection 35 and to the potential level 34 .

[0093] Additionally, an output interface 54 is provided which is connected to the power contacts 32, in particular to the power contact planes P1 to P4.

[0094] Further, a switch unit 56 is provided between the input interface 52 and the output interface 54 .

[0095] The switch unit 56 has a plurality of switches 58, which are essentially configured to selectively switch the power contacts 32 associated with each one of the power contact planes P1 to P4 together between a first potential level 34 and a second potential level 34, e.g., between a neutral position N and a first phase L1.

[0096] This is carried out depending on the orientation of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 relative to the floor-side contact unit 18, which is determined via the control contacts 40.

[0097] The switch unit 56 ensures that, for example, at least the first power contact 32-1, i.e. the power contact 32 assigned to the first power contact plane P1, can be selectively connected to the first potential level 34 (neutral position N) or the second potential level 34 (first phase level L1).

[0098] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the switch unit 56 is formed in such a way that all power contact planes P1 to P4, i.e. each power contact 32, can be selectively connected to each existing potential level 34 per group, thereby ensuring maximum flexibility.

[0099] 4, four different types of power contacts 32 are shown, namely a first power contact 32-1, a second power contact 32-2, a third power contact 32-3 and a fourth power contact 32-4, in other words the power contacts 32 assigned to the first power contact plane P1, the second power contact plane P2, the third power contact plane P3 and the fourth power contact plane P4 or connected to the power contact planes via the corresponding contact switches 42 are shown.

[0100] Essentially similar to contact switch 42 , switch 58 may also be configured as a mirror contact such that switch 58 has both a main contact 60 and a monitoring contact 62 .

[0101] In contrast to the power contacts 32, the at least one protective earth contact 36 is hardwired, which means that the at least one protective earth contact 36 or the protective earth plane 38 is fixed, i.e., cannot be connected to the potential level 34.

[0102] This also applies to the control contacts 40 which are hardwired.

[0103] As previously mentioned, at least one control contact 40 is provided to perform a contact check, ie, to determine whether the vehicle-side contact unit 16 has contacted the floor-side contact unit 18 .

[0104] In particular, the contacts 30 are distributed, dimensioned and / or positioned relative to one another such that essentially at least two control contacts 40 are within the contact area A that is covered by the vehicle-side contact unit 16 when a conductive connection is established as can be seen from Figures 2 and 3.

[0105] FIG. 5 shows the sequence of steps taken to initiate and terminate the charging process.

[0106] A self-test of the power contacts 32 can first be performed to ensure that the contact switches 42 of all power contacts 32 are open in preparation for the charging process. This can be done first to check whether the floor-side contact unit 18 and / or the vehicle-side contact unit 16 are essentially in a state in which a charging process can be performed at all.

[0107] For this purpose, the monitoring circuit 20 can be used to monitor the position of the contact switch 42 , and in particular the monitoring contact 46 .

[0108] In addition, the preparatory step can also comprise a compatibility check, in which a communication is carried out between the vehicle floor contact unit 18 and the vehicle contact unit 16 to check whether the two contact units 16, 18 are even capable of carrying out a charging process with each other, by exchanging corresponding signals with each other to check whether the contact units 16, 18 are compatible with each other.

[0109] Positioning can then be carried out in a preparatory phase, in which the vehicle 14 is positioned in relation to the floor-side contact unit 18 or the floor-side contact unit by emitting a corresponding signal, so that the driver of the vehicle 14 can park the vehicle 14 as precisely as possible on the floor-side contact unit 18 and thus establish a conductive connection. The signal can be a visual and / or audible signal. In the case of at least partially autonomously driven vehicles, positioning can also be carried out automatically. In any case, this makes it possible to minimize the size of the floor-side contact unit 18.

[0110] The vehicle 14 or the vehicle-side contact unit 16 then transmits a charging request to the electric charging infrastructure 12, in particular to the floor-side contact unit 18. The electric charging infrastructure 12 processes the charging request accordingly and, if the result is positive, informs the vehicle 14 or the vehicle-side contact unit 16 of the result and the charging process can be started.

[0111] For this purpose, first at least one component of the vehicle-side contact unit 16, for example a connector, is moved toward the floor-side contact unit 18 so that the connector abuts against each area on the charging surface 28 of the floor-side contact unit 18, thereby contacting at least a subset of the multiple contacts 30 of the floor-side contact unit 18 and establishing a conductive connection between the vehicle-side contact unit 16 and the floor-side contact unit 18.

[0112] To confirm this, a contact check is carried out to confirm whether the contacts 30 of the floor surface side contact unit 18 are in contact.

[0113] The contact check is carried out via the control contacts 40. For this purpose, at least one control signal, for example a low protective voltage, is applied to the control contacts 40, in particular to at least one of the control contacts 40. The control signal can be generated by a signal generator 64, which is provided, for example, on the vehicle side, for example as part of the vehicle-side contact unit 16. Alternatively, the signal generator 64 can be provided on the infrastructure side, for example as part of the charging infrastructure 12.

[0114] Furthermore, it is determined whether the control signal is transmitted via a series connection comprising at least the control contact 40 of the floor-side contact unit 18 and / or the control contact 40 of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 to which the control signal is applied. For this purpose, the monitoring circuit 20 can be used accordingly.

[0115] It is further possible to determine which of the corresponding contacts 30 are contacted by switching the control contacts 40 individually and / or in groups. If it is determined that there is a continuous connection at any one of the control contacts 40, then it is determined that the corresponding control contact 40 is contacted.

[0116] By appropriately switching the control contact 40, it is possible to identify the contact area A of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 on the floor-side contact unit 18.

[0117] It is then possible to check which (adjacent) control contacts 40 are touched by similarly connecting the periphery of the determined control contact 40.

[0118] This ensures that the mounting position of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 is determined, since it is possible to determine which other contacts 30 are being contacted based on knowledge of the control contact 40 which is being contacted.

[0119] For this purpose, magnetic contacts 41 are provided, so that the vehicle-side contact unit 16 contacts the floor-side contact unit 18 only in a defined manner, i.e. only when there is a connection via the two magnetic contacts 41, also referred to as a "snap".

[0120] Furthermore, the control contacts 40 can also conduct a different control signal, which allows additional checking of the contact orientation of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 relative to the floor-side contact unit 18. This can also be performed using the monitoring circuit 20.

[0121] The charging infrastructure 12 and / or the vehicle-side contact unit 16 are therefore configured to obtain a contact orientation of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 with respect to the charging surface 28 using at least two control contacts 40 .

[0122] Thereafter, depending on the contact check carried out and the contact position, i.e. the placement position, determined during the contact check, as well as the optionally confirmed contact orientation, it is possible to connect the contacted power contact 32 to a particular potential level 34 via a corresponding switch unit 56 in particular.

[0123] However, during the check phase it is also possible to perform a protective earth check, in which a test current is passed through at least one of the plurality of contacts 30 to determine the contact quality of the conductive connection existing between the vehicle side contact unit 16 and the floor side contact unit 18.

[0124] For this purpose, the vehicle 14 may include a current generator or signal generator that supplies a test current that is conducted through one of the contacts of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 to a contact 30 of the floor-side contact unit 18 that is connected to a contact of the contact 30 of the floor-side contact unit 18.

[0125] For example, one of the power contacts 32 can be used which is connected to a corresponding power contact 32 of the vehicle-side contact unit 16, and the corresponding power contact 32 of the floor-side contact unit 18 is switched to a protective earth level which corresponds to the level of the protective earth contact 36. A relay can be provided for this purpose, via which the corresponding contact 30 is connected to the protective earth level.

[0126] The resistance can then be measured to determine the contact quality. The measured resistance must not exceed a resistance value of 0.1 Ω, so a protective earth resistance threshold of 0.1 Ω is provided. The test current used should have a current strength of at least 200 mA. Alternatively, the test current may be provided by the floor-side contact unit 18.

[0127] In a separate step, an insulation check is performed during the check to ensure that there are no leakage currents, shunts, etc. between the contacts 30 or in other areas of the floor-side contact unit 18. Essentially, an insulation check can be performed between two contacts 30 by applying a test voltage, measuring the insulation resistance, and comparing the insulation resistance to a pre-given insulation resistance threshold. For example, the test current is at least 500V. The insulation resistance threshold is, for example, 0.25MΩ.

[0128] The contacts 30 used for the insulation check may be adjacent contacts on the charging surface 28, in particular two contacts 30 of a subset of the contacts 30 that are contacted if a conductive connection exists. An (unwanted) conductive connection between adjacent contacts 30 is most likely to occur due to, for example, objects, dirt or moisture. In particular, the insulation check is performed between the two power contacts 32. Alternatively or complementary, the insulation check may be performed between at least one power contact 32 and at least one protective earth contact 36. It is also possible to perform the insulation check between at least one power contact 32 and a control contact 40.

[0129] During an insulation check, it is also possible to measure the insulation from the subset of contacts 30 to a point on the live surface 28 of the body 26.

[0130] Essentially, the insulation check may be performed only if it has been previously determined that at least a subset of the plurality of contacts 30 are even in contact, i.e., a conductive connection exists.

[0131] Additionally, the protective earth check can be performed only if it has previously been determined that a conductive connection exists, i.e., that at least a subset of the plurality of contacts 30 is in contact. Additionally, the protective earth check can be performed only if the insulation check has previously been performed successfully.

[0132] The insulation check can also be considered as part of a cleaning check in which a low protective voltage is applied to at least one control contact 40 of the floor-side contact unit 18. An insulation check is then performed between the two contacts 30 of the floor-side contact unit 18.

[0133] After the checks are performed and all the checking steps are successfully completed, the charging process can begin.

[0134] As mentioned above, the power contacts 32 that do not belong to the subset of contacted contacts 30 are already switched potential-free via the contact switch 42, and this is further checked during a self-test during preparation.

[0135] Only power contacts 32 of the corresponding potential level 34 belonging to the subset of contacts 30 that are contacted at this point are connected.

[0136] The information obtained during the contact check is used here because, to ensure contact protection, only those power contacts 32 that are in contact are connected to the potential level 34 via the assigned contact switches 42. The information is obtained on the basis of the acquired placement position.

[0137] Furthermore, each potential level 34 is selected based on the contact orientation determined during the contact check.

[0138] As mentioned above, the switch unit 56, in particular the switch 58, is configured such that the power contact planes P1, P2, P3, P4 can be connected to different potential levels 34, i.e. for example to one of the neutral position N or the phase levels L1, L2, L3. In this respect it is possible to adjust whether the neutral position N or one of the phase levels L1, L2, L3 is present in the upper right corner of the respective rectangle.

[0139] This may be true for all corners of the rectangle as well, as long as the switch units 56 are configured as in Figure 4. Thus, the potential level of each of the corners of the rectangle can be adjusted based on the acquired touch orientation.

[0140] In particular, the power contacts 32 which are correspondingly contacted first connect the power contact planes P1, P2, P3, P4 to different potential levels 34 before they are connected via the contact switches 42 to the power contact planes P1, P2, P3, P4, i.e. to potentials.

[0141] After an electrical connection is established between the contacted power contacts 32 and the corresponding potential level 34, a charging current can flow from the floor-side contact unit 18 through the vehicle-side contact unit 16 into the battery of the vehicle 14, thereby charging the battery accordingly.

[0142] During the charging process, continuous contact monitoring is performed as described above to ensure that only those power contacts 32 that are actually contacted are connected to the corresponding potential level 34.

[0143] Furthermore, one contact 30 of the subset of contacted contacts, namely the control contact 40, is continuously monitored to check whether an existing contact breaks during the charging process.

[0144] In this case, in particular, the at least one control contact 40 is provided with a smaller area than the at least one protective earth contact 36 and / or one of the power contacts 32, in particular all of the power contacts 32. In this respect, the connection via the at least one control contact 40 is broken before the connection via the power contacts 32 and / or the connection via the protective earth contact 36 is broken.

[0145] As soon as it is determined that touch protection is no longer guaranteed, i.e. the connection via at least one control contact 40 has been broken, the switch-off device 22 is driven by the monitoring circuit 20 to open the main switch 48 in order to implement galvanic isolation and / or the electronic power control means 50 adjusts the corresponding potential down until a non-critical value of voltage is reached. The non-critical value may be a non-hazardous voltage, in particular a voltage lower than 25 V alternating current, i.e. 25 Vac or 60 V direct current, i.e. 60 Vdc.

[0146] As an alternative or complement to making the at least one control contact 40 smaller in area, it is also possible for the control contact 40 to be formed with a smaller spring stroke than the power contacts 32 and / or the at least one protective earth contact 36, in particular the control contacts 40 of the vehicle-side contact unit 16. Likewise, the control contact 40 may be shorter than the power contacts 32 and / or the at least one protective earth contact 36.

[0147] In any case, it is ensured that in case of a displacement of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 relative to the floor-side contact unit 18, the connection established via the at least one control contact 40 is first broken before the connection via the power contacts 32 and / or the connection via the protective earth contact 36. This makes it possible to actively switch the power contacts 32 potential-free or to actively reduce the voltage level before the power contacts are broken and / or an arc occurs.

[0148] The breaking of the conductive connection is checked in particular in a direction perpendicular to the contact direction, i.e. in the plane in which the contact lies, and therefore whether the vehicle-side contact unit 16 is displaced or misaligned with respect to the floor-side contact unit 18, since this will in particular first break the connection via at least the control contact 40.

[0149] If no unwanted disconnection of the conductive connection is detected, the charging process is allowed to proceed to completion.As mentioned above, contact monitoring is performed continuously.

[0150] After the charging process is terminated, the conductive connection between the vehicle-side contact unit 16 and the floor-side contact unit 18 is actively disconnected.

[0151] For this purpose, firstly the pre-connected power contacts 32 belonging to the subset are switched potential-free by actuating the corresponding contact switches 42 .

[0152] Furthermore, it is possible to activate the switch-off device 22 accordingly, for example to effect galvanic isolation via the main switch 48. This results in redundancy: by monitoring the additionally assigned monitoring contacts 46 via the monitoring circuit 20, it is possible to check once again whether the power contacts 32 are all potential-free.

[0153] The conductive connection is then broken by moving the vehicle-side contact unit 16 out of the system so that it is no longer in contact with the floor-side contact unit 18. The vehicle 14 is then allowed to leave the electric charging infrastructure 12.

[0154] It is then possible to carry out a new self-test to check whether all power contacts 32 are in their potential-free state, i.e. whether all of the assigned contact switches 42 that are present when the corresponding main contacts 44 are open or the monitoring contacts 46 are closed are in a de-energized state.

[0155] Of course, in principle it is also possible for the self-test to be carried out at other times, i.e. at multiple times, for example periodically, in order to continuously check the readiness of the electric charging infrastructure 12, in particular the floor-side contact units 18.

[0156] By implementing a conductive connection at this point, it is ensured that the vehicle 14 can be efficiently electrically charged, while at the same time taking appropriate safety measures by checking whether the floor-side contact unit 18 is in a suitable state for the charging process.

[0157] The flow chart and associated method shown in FIG. 5 can essentially be implemented by the electric charging infrastructure 12 which is configured accordingly.

[0158] Essentially the vehicle-side contact unit 16 is movable to translate and / or rotate in a plane that is parallel to the charging surface 28. When the vehicle-side contact unit 16 is placed on the charging surface 28, it is even possible to move the vehicle-side contact unit 16 along the charging surface 28, i.e. parallel to the charging surface.

[0159] Relative movement, such as translational and / or rotational movement, of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 with respect to the charging surface 28 ensures that the contacts 30 of the vehicle-side contact unit 16 and the contacts 30 of the floor-side contact unit 18 abut, i.e., overlap each other.

Claims

1. A charging infrastructure (12) for establishing a conductive connection with a vehicle-side contact unit (16), comprising: The charging infrastructure (12) comprises a floor-side contact unit (18), The floor surface side contact unit (18) has a plate-shaped main body (26) and a plurality of contacts (30), The contacts are arranged on a charging surface (28) of the main body (26), and the vehicle-side contact unit (16) can abut against the charging surface; The plurality of contacts (30) comprises at least one protective earth contact (36), a power contact (32), and at least one control contact (40) for detecting contact; The at least one protective earth contact (36) is hardwired; The power contacts (32) are assigned to at least one potential level (34); The charging infrastructure (12), characterized in that the at least one control contact (40) is formed separately from the power contacts (32) and separately from the at least one protective earth contact (36).

2. Charging infrastructure (12) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two power contacts (32) are assigned to the same potential level (34), in particular in that a plurality of potential levels (34) are provided, each potential level (34) being assigned to at least two power contacts (32).

3. The charging infrastructure (12) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the charging infrastructure (12) comprises a monitoring circuit (20) configured to monitor the contact of the at least one control contact (40), the monitoring circuit (20) being configured in particular to determine the placement position of the vehicle-side contact unit.

4. 4. A charging infrastructure (12) according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one control contact (40) has a smaller area than the at least one protective earth contact (36) and / or one of the power contacts (32), in particular all of the power contacts (32).

5. The charging infrastructure (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the plurality of contacts (30) comprises at least two control contacts (40), so that the charging infrastructure (12) obtains the contact orientation of the vehicle-side contact unit (16) on the charging surface (28) using the at least two control contacts (40), in particular, the plurality of contacts (30) are configured to include two types of control contacts (40) that use different control signals that are conducted via the control contacts (40).

6. 6. A charging infrastructure (12) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the at least one protective earth contact (36) is formed by a continuous surface, the continuous surface forming a protective earth plane (38) penetrated by the power contacts (32) and / or the at least one control contact (40).

7. A vehicle-side contact unit (16) for establishing a conductive connection with a floor-side contact unit (18), the vehicle-side contact unit (16) having a plurality of contacts (30) capable of abutting against a charging surface (28) of the floor-side contact unit (18), the vehicle-side contact unit (16) being movable to translate and / or rotate in a plane parallel to the charging surface (28), the plurality of contacts (30) comprising at least one protective earth contact (36), a power contact (32), and at least one control contact (40) for detecting contact; The at least one protective earth contact (36) is hardwired; The power contacts (32) are assigned to at least one potential level (34); The vehicle-side contact unit (16) is characterized in that the at least one control contact (40) is formed separately from the power contact (32) and separately from the at least one protective earth contact (36).

8. The contacts (30) are formed so that the at least one control contact (40) loses contact with the floor-side contact unit (18) before the power contact (32) and / or the at least one protective ground contact (36) when the vehicle-side contact unit (16) moves relative to the floor-side contact unit (18), and / or the at least one protective ground contact (36) loses contact with the floor-side contact unit (18) later than the power contact (32) when the vehicle-side contact unit (16) moves relative to the floor-side contact unit (18). The vehicle-side contact unit (16) is characterized in that the at least one control contact (40) loses contact with the floor-side contact unit (18) before the power contact (32) and / or the at least one protective ground contact (36) when the vehicle-side contact unit (16) moves relative to the floor-side contact unit (18).

9. A system (10) for establishing an electrically conductive connection, the system (10) comprising a vehicle-side contact unit (16) having a plurality of contacts (30) including at least one protective earth contact (36), a power contact (32), and at least one control contact (40) for detecting contact; The system (10) has a floor-side contact unit (18) having a plate-shaped main body (26) and a plurality of contacts (30), the contacts being arranged on a charging surface (28) of the main body (26) and including at least one protective earth contact (36), a power contact (32), and at least one control contact (40) for detecting contact; The at least one protective earth contact (36) is hardwired to each other; Each of the power contacts (32) is assigned to at least one potential level (34), and each of the at least one control contact (40) is formed separately from the power contacts (32) and separately from the protective earth contact (36); the vehicle-side contact unit (16) is movable to translate and / or rotate in a plane parallel to the charging surface (28); The system (10) includes a monitoring circuit (20) and a signal generator (64), and the system (10) is configured to apply a control signal to at least one control contact (40) of the floor-side contact unit (18) or the vehicle-side contact unit (16) using the signal generator (64); The system (10) is configured to detect contact of the floor-side contact unit (18) via the monitoring circuit (20), and the monitoring circuit is configured to receive and evaluate a control signal generated by the signal generator (64), the control signal flowing through the at least one control contact (40) of the vehicle-side contact unit (16) and / or the at least one control contact (40) of the floor-side contact unit (18) when in a contacted state.

10. The system (10) described in claim 9, characterized in that the contacts (30) of the floor side contact unit (18) and the contacts (30) of the vehicle side contact unit (16) are formed such that when the connection via the power contacts (32) is already cut off during relative movement of the vehicle side contact unit (16) with respect to the floor side contact unit (18), in particular due to the relative movement of the vehicle side contact unit (16) with respect to the floor side contact unit (18), the connection via the protective earth contacts (36) of the floor side contact unit (18) and the protective earth contacts (36) of the vehicle side contact unit (16) is maintained.

11. The system (10) described in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the at least one control contact (40) of the floor side contact unit (18) and / or the at least one control contact (40) of the vehicle side contact unit (16) are formed so that the connection between the control contact (40) of the floor side contact unit (18) and the control contact (40) of the vehicle side contact unit (16) is disconnected before the connection via the power contact (32) is disconnected when the vehicle side contact unit (16) moves relative to the floor side contact unit (18).

12. A method for establishing a conductive connection between a floor-side contact unit (18) and a vehicle-side contact unit (16), comprising the steps of: The vehicle-side contact unit (16) has a plurality of contacts (30) including at least one protective earth contact (36), a power contact (32), and at least one control contact (40) for detecting contact; The floor surface side contact unit (18) has a plate-shaped main body (26) and a plurality of contacts (30), the contacts being arranged on a charging surface (28) of the main body (26) and including at least one protective ground contact (36), a power contact (32), and at least one control contact (40) for detecting contact; The at least one protective earth contact (36) is hardwired to each other; Each power contact (32) is assigned to at least one potential level (34); each said at least one control contact (40) being formed separately from said power contacts (32) and separately from said at least one protective earth contact (36); the vehicle-side contact unit (16) is movable to translate and / or rotate in a plane parallel to the charging surface (28); The method comprises: applying a control signal to the at least one control contact (40) of the floor-side contact unit (18) or the vehicle-side contact unit (16); measuring whether the control signal is transmitted by a series connection including at least the control contacts (40) of the floor-side contact unit (18) and / or the control contacts (40) of the vehicle-side contact unit (16).

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the contact area (A) of the vehicle-side contact unit (16) relative to the floor-side contact unit (18) is determined by rotating the vehicle-side contact unit (16) relative to the floor-side contact unit (18) and / or by switching a plurality of control contacts (40) of the floor-side contact unit (18) individually and / or in groups.

14. 14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the orientation of the vehicle-side contact unit (16) relative to the floor-side contact unit (18) is determined by applying different control signals to at least two control contacts (40) of the floor-side contact unit (18) or the vehicle-side contact unit (16).

15. 15. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that a cleaning check is performed by applying a low protective voltage to the at least one control contact (40) of the floor-side contact unit (18) and performing an insulation check between the two contacts (30) of the floor-side contact unit (18).

Images