Charging control device

Abstract

To provide a charging control device capable of preventing a protective cover from being frozen and stuck to an opening, without consuming electric power of a driving battery.SOLUTION: A charging control device includes: a contact-type automatic charger 20 arranged under a floor of a vehicle 1 and having an opening 21 that opens to an outer surface of a vehicle body 2; a protective cover 30 for opening and closing the opening 21; a cooling water circuit 40 for cooling at least one of an internal combustion engine prime mover and an electric unit; and a heating part provided on a high water temperature path of the cooling water circuit 40, for heating the contact-type automatic charger.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charge control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a heater that generates heat when current is applied from a vehicle's drive battery is installed inside a manual charging inlet. In this technology, the heater heats a protective cover that protects the opening of the charging inlet, preventing the protective cover from freezing and sticking to the opening of the charging inlet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-088251 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, when the charging cover freezes, power is consumed from the drive battery installed in the vehicle, so there was a problem in that the heater could not be operated if the SOC (State of Charge) of the drive battery was low.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a charging control device that can prevent the protective cover from freezing and becoming stuck to the opening without consuming power from the drive battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the charging control device of the present disclosure comprises a contact-type automatic charger that is arranged under the floor and has an opening that opens to the outer surface of the vehicle body, a protective cover that opens and closes the opening, a coolant circuit that cools at least one of an internal combustion engine prime mover and an electric unit, and a heating unit that is arranged on the high water temperature path of the coolant circuit and heats the contact-type automatic charger. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent the protective cover of the charging inlet from freezing without consuming power from the drive battery. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view that schematically shows a main part of a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an outline of processing executed by the ECU according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is another cross-sectional view schematically showing a main part of the vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view that schematically shows a main part of a vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a charging control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) [Vehicle configuration] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view that schematically shows a main part of a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. Vehicle 1 shown in Fig. 1 is assumed to be a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or the like.

[0011] The vehicle 1 includes a drive unit 10, a contact-type automatic charger 20, a protective cover 30, a coolant circuit 40, a temperature sensor 50, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 60. In the first embodiment, the contact-type automatic charger 20, the protective cover 30, the coolant circuit 40, the temperature sensor 50, and the ECU 60 function as a charging control device.

[0012] The drive unit 10 is configured using at least one of an internal combustion engine or other such prime mover and an electric unit, and drives the vehicle 1. The electric unit is configured using a drive battery, a power converter, a motor, etc. The drive battery is electrically connected to a contact-type automatic charger 20 via a transmission line (not shown). The drive battery is supplied with power from an external source via the contact-type automatic charger 20.

[0013] The contact-type automatic charger 20 is disposed under the floor of the vehicle 1 and has an opening 21 that opens to the outer surface of the body 2 of the vehicle 1. The contact-type automatic charger 20 is configured using a power receiving coil, an AC / DC converter, a rectifier unit, etc. The contact-type automatic charger 20 receives power from a power transmitting coil disposed on the ground side by contact or non-contact power feeding using an electromagnetic induction method or a magnetic field resonance method, and supplies the received power to the drive battery. In the first embodiment, the contact-type automatic charger 20 functions as a charging inlet.

[0014] The protective cover 30 is provided so as to be movable in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 1, and opens and closes the opening 21 of the contact-type automatic charger 20. Specifically, under the control of the ECU 60, the protective cover 30 moves in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 1, thereby changing the opening 21 of the contact-type automatic charger 20 from an open state to a closed state or from a closed state to an open state.

[0015] The coolant circuit 40 cools the drive unit 10 by the coolant flowing therethrough. The coolant circuit 40 has an electric water pump 41, a coolant flow path 42, a hot water flow path 43, a radiator 44, a bypass path 45, and changeover switches 46 and 47.

[0016] The electric water pump 41 discharges the coolant into the coolant passage 42 , thereby circulating the coolant through a circulation path including the coolant passage 42 , the hot water passage 43 , and the radiator 44 .

[0017] One end of the cooling water flow path 42 is connected to the radiator 44, and the other end is connected to the drive unit 10. The cooling water flow path 42 cools the drive unit 10 by sending the cooling water discharged from the electric water pump 41 to the drive unit 10.

[0018] One end of the hot water flow path 43 is connected to the drive unit 10, and the other end is connected to the radiator 44. The hot water flow path 43 sends out the hot water heated by the drive unit 10 to the radiator 44.

[0019] The radiator 44 is connected to the coolant flow path 42 and the hot water flow path 43. The radiator 44 cools the hot water sent out from the hot water flow path 43 with outside air and sends the cooled coolant to the coolant flow path 42.

[0020] The bypass path 45 is provided on the high water temperature path of the coolant circuit 40 and on the hot water flow path 43. The bypass path 45 heats the contact-type automatic charger 20 with hot water heated by the drive unit 10. Specifically, the bypass path 45 passes through a portion of the contact-type automatic charger 20, and hot water for cooling waste heat of the coolant circuit 40 flows into the bypass path 45. As a result, the bypass path 45 indirectly heats the contact-type automatic charger 20. In the first embodiment, the bypass path 45 functions as a heating unit.

[0021] The changeover switches 46, 47 are provided between the hot water flow path 43 and the bypass path 45, and cause a portion of the hot water flowing through the hot water flow path 43 to flow into the bypass path 45. The changeover switches 46, 47 switch the hot water inflow destination under the control of the ECU 60. The changeover switches 46, 47 are configured using a flow path switching valve or the like.

[0022] The temperature sensor 50 detects the temperature outside the vehicle 1 and outputs the detection result to the ECU 60.

[0023] The ECU 60 is realized using a processor having hardware, such as a hard disk, a memory, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The ECU 60 controls the changeover switches 46 and 47 based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 50. Specifically, the ECU 60 controls the changeover switches 46 and 47 to supply the hot water flowing through the hot water flow path 43 to the bypass path 45.

[0024] [ECU processing] Next, a description will be given of the processing executed by the ECU 60. FIG.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the ECU 60 acquires the current temperature from the temperature sensor 50 (step S1).

[0026] The ECU 60 determines whether the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor 50 is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature (step S2). Here, the predetermined temperature is, for example, a temperature below freezing (0 degrees Celsius) at which the protective cover 30 freezes to the automatic contact charger 20 and becomes impossible to open. If the ECU 60 determines that the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor 50 is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature (step S2: Yes), the ECU 60 proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if the ECU 60 determines that the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor 50 is not equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature (step S2: No), the ECU 60 proceeds to step S4.

[0027] In step S3, the ECU 60 controls the selector switches 46 and 47 to supply the hot water flowing through the hot water flow passage 43 to the bypass path 45. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the coolant heated by the drive unit 10 flows into the bypass path 45 as hot water. As a result, the contact-type automatic charger 20 and the protective cover 30 are heated by the bypass path 45, which prevents the protective cover 30 from freezing and adhering to the contact-type automatic charger 20. As a result, as shown by arrow A1 in FIG. 3, the protective cover 30 can move forward and backward even when the outside temperature is below freezing. After step S3, the ECU 60 proceeds to step S5.

[0028] In step S4, the ECU 60 controls the changeover switches 46 and 47 to stop the supply of hot water to the bypass path 45. Specifically, the ECU 60 controls the changeover switches 46 and 47 to stop the hot water in the hot water flow path 43 from flowing into the bypass path 45. After step S4, the ECU 60 proceeds to step S5.

[0029] In step S5, the ECU 60 determines whether or not an instruction signal to stop the vehicle 1 has been input from an ignition switch (not shown). If an instruction signal to stop the vehicle 1 has been input from the ignition switch (step S5: Yes), the ECU 60 ends this process. On the other hand, if an instruction signal to stop the vehicle 1 has not been input from the ignition switch (step S5: No), the ECU 60 returns to step S1.

[0030] According to the first embodiment described above, the ECU 60 controls the changeover switches 46, 47 to supply the hot water flowing in the hot water flow passage 43 to the bypass path 45, and the coolant heated by the drive unit 10 flows into the bypass path 45 as hot water. As a result, the automatic contact charger 20 and the protective cover 30 are heated by the bypass path 45, which prevents the protective cover 30 from freezing and adhering to the opening 21 of the automatic contact charger 20.

[0031] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the protective cover 30 is heated by the bypass path 45 using hot water heated by the drive unit 10, so that consumption of the drive battery can be prevented.

[0032] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, even when the driving battery has a low SOC, opening 21 of automatic contact charger 20 can be kept open, so vehicle 1 can be charged.

[0033] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the vehicle 1 can be charged at low temperatures without reducing the consumption and life of the auxiliary battery of the internal combustion engine prime mover of the drive unit 10.

[0034] (Embodiment 2) Next, a description will be given of a second embodiment. The vehicle according to the second embodiment has a similar configuration to the coolant circuit 40 according to the first embodiment, except that the configuration of the coolant circuit is different from that of the coolant circuit 40 according to the first embodiment. In the following, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0035] [Vehicle configuration] 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a main part of a vehicle according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. A vehicle 1A shown in FIG. 4 includes a coolant circuit 40A instead of the coolant circuit 40 according to embodiment 1.

[0036] The coolant circuit 40A uses coolant flowing therethrough to cool the drive unit 10. The coolant circuit 40A includes an electric water pump 41, a coolant flow path 42, a hot water flow path 43, a radiator 44, a bypass path 45A, selector switches 46 and 47, and a heat exchanger 70.

[0037] The bypass path 45A is provided on the high water temperature path of the coolant circuit 40 and on the hot water flow path 43. Furthermore, the bypass path 45A is provided on the front side of the vehicle 1 relative to the contact-type automatic charger 20. Hot water for cooling waste heat of the coolant circuit 40A, which has been heated by the drive unit 10, flows into the bypass path 45A via the hot water flow path 43 and the selector switch 46.

[0038] The heat exchanger 70 is provided in the bypass path 45A. Specifically, the heat exchanger 70 is provided in the bypass path 45A on the front side of the vehicle 1 relative to the contact-type automatic charger 20. The heat exchanger 70 exchanges heat between cold outside air and hot water in the bypass path 45A, thereby sending warm air to the protective cover 30. In this way, the heat exchanger 70 heats the contact-type automatic charger 20. In the second embodiment, the heat exchanger 70 functions as a heating unit.

[0039] In the vehicle 1A configured as described above, the ECU 60 controls the selector switches 46, 47 in accordance with the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor 50, as in the first embodiment, to cause hot water to flow from the hot water flow path 43 to the bypass path 45A. As a result, the heat exchanger 70 exchanges heat between the cold outside air and the hot water in the bypass path 45A, thereby sending hot air to the protective cover 30. As a result, the contact-type automatic charger 20 and the protective cover 30 are heated by the heat exchanger 70. As a result, the protective cover 30 is prevented from freezing and becoming stuck to the contact-type automatic charger 20. As a result, the protective cover 30 can move in the front-to-rear direction as shown by arrow A1 in FIG. 4.

[0040] According to the second embodiment described above, the heat exchanger 70 exchanges heat between the cold outside air and the hot water in the bypass path 45A, thereby sending hot air to the protective cover 30. As a result, the automatic contact charger 20 and the protective cover 30 are heated by the heat exchanger 70, which prevents the protective cover 30 from freezing and becoming stuck to the automatic contact charger 20.

[0041] (Other embodiments) In the explanation of the flowcharts in this specification, the order of processing between steps is clearly indicated using expressions such as "first," "then," "continue," and "last," but the order of processing required to implement this embodiment is not uniquely determined by these expressions. In other words, the order of processing in the flowcharts described in this specification can be changed within a consistent range.

[0042] Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0043] Although some of the embodiments of the present application have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples, and the present invention can be implemented in other forms that have undergone various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the aspects described in the disclosure of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1, 1A vehicle, 2 vehicle body, 10 drive unit, 20 contact type automatic charger, 21 opening, 30 protective cover, 34 bypass path, 40, 40A coolant circuit, 41 electric water pump, 42 coolant flow path, 43 hot water flow path, 44 radiator, 45, 45A bypass path, 46, 47 changeover switch, 50 temperature sensor, 60 ECU, 70 heat exchanger

Claims

1. a contact-type automatic charger disposed under the floor and having an opening that opens to the outer surface of the vehicle body; a protective cover that opens and closes the opening; a cooling water circuit for cooling at least one of the internal combustion engine and the electric unit; a heating unit provided on a high-temperature water path of the cooling water circuit and configured to heat the automatic contact charger; Equipped with The heating unit is a bypass path provided on the vehicle body forward of the automatic contact charger, into which hot water for cooling waste heat of the coolant circuit flows; a heat exchanger provided in the bypass path and configured to exchange heat between outside air and the hot water in the bypass path to send hot air to the protective cover; having Charging control device.

2. The charge control device according to claim 1, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature outside the vehicle; a changeover switch provided between the hot water flow path in the cooling water circuit and the bypass path, the changeover switch causing a portion of the hot water to flow into the bypass path; a processor that controls the changeover switch based on the detection result of the temperature sensor; Equipped with Charging control device.

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