Mechanical parking equipment and charging control method therefor

Abstract

To provide a mechanical parking facility in which an electric vehicle can be charged with an appropriate current value.SOLUTION: A charger 35 for a mechanical parking facility comprises: a charging carrier 45 that can load an electric vehicle EV; and a charging hangar for storing the charging carrier in order to charge the electric vehicle. The charging carrier and the charging hangar comprise: an information communication unit, which is connected by storing the charging carrier in the charging hangar, for transmitting information about a charging current value for supply to the electric vehicle; a charge control unit 32 arranged on the charging carrier or the main body of the mechanical parking facility; and a charge control device 33 for allotting a charging current to be supplied to the electric vehicle stored in the charging hangar accordingly, and for transmitting the information about the charging current value to be supplied to the electric vehicle to the electric vehicle through the charge control unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to a charging device for a mechanical parking facility capable of charging an electric vehicle, a mechanical parking facility equipped with the same, and a charging control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, mechanical parking facilities for parking multiple vehicles have been installed in apartment buildings, business districts, etc. Mechanical parking facilities have adopted elevator-type, multi-level, and other types depending on the installation conditions, etc. Meanwhile, with the recent spread of electric vehicles ("electric vehicles" in this specification and claims includes "electric vehicles: EV" and "plug-in hybrid electric vehicles: PHEV"), mechanical parking facilities have been proposed that allow electric vehicles to be charged while parked.

[0003] For example, one prior art of this type is a parking device for parking vehicles, including electric vehicles, that controls the current value of the charging power for the electric vehicles when there are multiple electric vehicles that need to be charged so that the sum of the driving power of the parking mechanism and the charging power for the electric vehicles does not exceed the power capacity (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this prior art, the minimum value of the charging power for the electric vehicles is set to be non-zero. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6202817 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When parking an electric vehicle in a mechanical parking facility, for example, in an elevator-type parking facility, the electric vehicle is parked in a predetermined position on a charging carrier (pallet) at the entrance / exit section, and an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) charging cable provided on the electric vehicle is used to connect the charging port of the electric vehicle to an outlet provided on the charging carrier. After that, the charging carrier carrying the electric vehicle is stored in a predetermined charging storage section, and the contacts of the charging carrier and the contacts of the charging storage section (mechanical parking facility) are connected, enabling charging.

[0006] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 5, an EVSE charging cable 100 provided in a typical electric vehicle has a control box 104 provided midway along a cable 103, which has a charging connector 101 at both ends that connects to the charging port of the electric vehicle EV and a plug 102 that connects to a power supply outlet. This control box 104 contains an electric circuit (a control pilot circuit (hereinafter referred to as "CPLT") according to the IEC 61851-1 standard) that transmits the current value of the charging power from the AC power source to the electric vehicle.

[0007] However, if charging does not begin when the EVSE charging cable is connected to the electric vehicle's charging port and the mechanical parking facility's outlet, even if the charging carrier's contacts and the mechanical parking facility's contacts connect and charging begins, the control box 104 may not transmit the appropriate current value to the electric vehicle, and the current value set in the EVSE charging cable may not be supplied to the electric vehicle. For example, if a current less than the value set in the EVSE charging cable is supplied to the electric vehicle, the charging time may be extended and charging may not be completed within the parking time. Furthermore, in situations where multiple electric vehicles share charging power, the charging may take a long time to fully charge, making it impossible to charge electric vehicles waiting to be charged. Furthermore, depending on the electric vehicle, charging may not begin even when the charging carrier's contacts and the mechanical parking facility's contacts connect. Note that the above prior art does not mention any issues caused by the control box 104. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve these problems, the inventors of this application focused on the fact that when charging an electric vehicle, the charging current value is transmitted to the electric vehicle from an electrical circuit built into the control box of the EVSE charging cable, and conducted research into charging in power supply systems in mechanical parking facilities, and invented a charging device for mechanical parking facilities that can charge electric vehicles at an appropriate current value, as well as mechanical parking facilities equipped with the same and a charging control method.

[0009] The charging device for a mechanical parking facility according to the present application is a mechanical parking facility comprising a charging carrier capable of carrying an electric vehicle and a charging storage unit that stores the charging carrier and charges the electric vehicle, wherein the charging carrier and the charging storage unit are connected by storing the charging carrier in the charging storage unit and have an information communication unit that transmits information about the charging current value to be supplied to the electric vehicle, a charging controller provided on the charging carrier or the main body of the mechanical parking facility, and a charging control device that allocates the charging current to be supplied to the electric vehicle stored in the charging storage unit and transmits information about the charging current value to be supplied to the electric vehicle via the charging controller. In this specification and claims, the term "charging controller" refers to, for example, a device that has the signal communication function of an EVSE compliant with IEC 61851-1 and SAE J1772, or a similar function, and transmits the charging current value to the electric vehicle.

[0010] With this configuration, when the charging carrier is stored in the charging storage unit, the information communication unit that sends information about the charging current value to be supplied to the electric vehicle is connected, and the charging control device assigns the charging current value to be supplied to the electric vehicle according to the electric vehicle stored in the charging storage unit.The charging control device then transmits the charging current value information from the charging controller to the electric vehicle stored in the charging storage unit via the charging controller.As a result, the electric vehicle stored in the charging storage unit can be charged at an appropriate current value.

[0011] Alternatively, the number of charging controllers may correspond to the number of charging storage compartments, and each charging vehicle may be equipped with a charging controller. The term "charging controller" in this specification and claims refers to, for example, a device having an EVSE signal communication function conforming to the IEC 61851-1 standard and SAE J1772, or a device having a similar function. With this configuration, charging current information can be communicated between a plurality of electric vehicles and the charging control device via the charging controller provided in the charging vehicle.

[0012] In addition, the number of charging controllers may correspond to the number of charging storage sections, and the charging controllers may be provided on the main body side of the mechanical parking facility. With this configuration, charging current information can be communicated between a plurality of electric vehicles and the charging control device via the charging controller provided on the main body side of the mechanical parking facility.

[0013] Furthermore, the charging vehicles and the charging storage units at a plurality of locations may be equipped with the information communication units, and the charging control device may be configured to determine the charging current value to be allocated to each of the electric vehicles based on information obtained from a control device of the mechanical parking facility regarding the status of each charging vehicle or whether charging is currently being performed at each charging vehicle. The status of each charging vehicle includes whether an electric vehicle is present in the charging storage unit or whether storage has been completed at the charging storage unit. With this configuration, when charging a plurality of electric vehicles, it is possible to appropriately allocate charging current to each electric vehicle based on information obtained from a control device of the mechanical parking facility regarding the status of each charging vehicle or whether charging is currently being performed at each charging vehicle.

[0014] Furthermore, the charging carriers and the charging storage units at a plurality of locations may be provided with the information communication units, and the charging control device may be configured to determine the charging current value to be allocated to each of the plurality of electric vehicles based on the number of electric vehicles stored in the charging storage units, the set current value of each electric vehicle, the current value that can be supplied to the electric vehicles from the main body, and the charging current value of the electric vehicle. With this configuration, when charging a plurality of electric vehicles, the charging current that can be supplied from the parking facility main body can be appropriately allocated according to the number of electric vehicles, the set current value of each electric vehicle, and the charging current value of the electric vehicle.

[0015] The charging control device may also be configured to monitor the number of electric vehicles being charged, and when the number of electric vehicles being charged changes, change the allocation of the charging current value in accordance with the new number of electric vehicles being charged. With this configuration, when multiple electric vehicles are being charged, even if the number of electric vehicles being charged changes, the charging current can be appropriately allocated in accordance with the number of electric vehicles being charged.

[0016] The charging control device may also be configured to monitor the charging current value of the electric vehicle being charged, and when charging of the electric vehicle is completed, allocate the charging current value to the electric vehicle that is about to start charging anew, or change the set current value of the electric vehicle being charged. With this configuration, when charging of the electric vehicle being charged is completed, the allocation of the charging current value can be allocated to the electric vehicle that is about to start charging anew, or the set current value of the electric vehicle being charged can be changed and used effectively.

[0017] The charging control device may be configured to monitor a current value that can be supplied for charging the electric vehicle, and change the allocation of the charging current value for the electric vehicle when the current value that can be supplied changes. With this configuration, the current value that can be supplied for charging can be monitored, and when the current value that can be supplied for charging the electric vehicle changes, the allocation of the charging current value for the electric vehicle can be changed and used effectively.

[0018] Furthermore, the charging control device may be configured to issue a command to move the charging vehicle carrying the electric vehicle to the charging storage unit when the current value that can be supplied for charging the electric vehicle exceeds the charging current value of the electric vehicle being charged and there is a charging vehicle carrying the electric vehicle that is not stored in the charging storage unit. With this configuration, when the current value that can be supplied for charging the electric vehicle exceeds the charging current value of the electric vehicle being charged, a command can be issued to move a charging vehicle carrying the electric vehicle that is not stored in the charging storage unit to the charging storage unit, so that the electric vehicle can be charged.

[0019] On the other hand, the mechanical parking facility of the present application comprises a parking facility main body having a plurality of the charging vehicles and a plurality of the charging storage sections, a power supply section that supplies charging power to the electric vehicle and is connected by storing the charging vehicle in the charging storage section, a control device that supplies the charging power to the charging vehicle stored in the charging storage section, and any of the charging devices described above.

[0020] With this configuration, in a mechanical parking facility equipped with a plurality of charging vehicles and a plurality of charging storage sections, a plurality of stored electric vehicles can be charged with an appropriate charging current value.

[0021] On the other hand, the charging control method according to the present application is a charging control method for a mechanical parking facility in which a charging carrier carrying an electric vehicle is stored in a charging storage unit to charge the electric vehicle, and a charging current to be supplied is allocated according to the electric vehicle stored in the charging storage unit, and information on the value of the charging current to be supplied to the electric vehicle is transmitted from a charging controller to the electric vehicle via an information communication unit that is connected by storing the charging carrier in the charging storage unit.

[0022] With this configuration, the charging current to be supplied is allocated according to the electric vehicle stored in the charging storage unit, and information on the charging current value to be supplied to the electric vehicle is transmitted from the charging controller to the electric vehicle via the information communication unit that is connected when the charging carrier is stored in the charging storage unit. Therefore, the electric vehicle stored in the charging storage unit can be charged with an appropriate charging current value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present application, it is possible to provide a charging device for a mechanical parking facility that can charge an electric vehicle with an appropriate current value. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an elevator-type parking facility according to a first embodiment of the present application. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing a state in which the charging carrier of the elevator-type parking facility shown in FIG. 1 is stored in the charging storage section. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view showing an elevator-type parking facility according to a second embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view schematically showing a state in which the charging carrier of the elevator-type parking facility shown in FIG. 3 is stored in the charging storage section. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a front view schematically illustrating an EVSE charging cable. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] An embodiment of the present application will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiment, a 90-degree entry elevator-type parking facility 10, 50 will be described as an example of a mechanical parking facility. The mechanical parking facility is not limited to the elevator-type parking facility 10, 50, and includes other types in which a charging carrier 45 is stored in a charging storage section 24. Note that the concepts of front, rear, left, and right in this specification and claims are consistent with the concepts of front, rear, left, and right when viewed from outside the loading / unloading section 12 toward the entrance door 13 shown in FIG. 1.

[0026] (Mechanical parking facility according to the first embodiment) Fig. 1 is a front view showing an elevator-type parking facility 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a front view schematically showing a state in which a charging carrier 45 of the elevator-type parking facility 10 shown in Fig. 1 is stored in a charging storage section 24. Fig. 2 shows the charging carrier 45 just before it reaches its home storage position, and shows the state before a connecting section, which will be described later, is connected.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, an elevator-type parking facility 10 according to this embodiment has a parking tower 11 made of a steel frame structure, and the first floor of this parking tower 11 serves as a loading / unloading area 12. An opening / closing entrance / exit door 13 is provided in the loading / unloading area 12. An operation panel 14 is provided to the side of the entrance / exit door 13.

[0028] The parking tower 11 has a vertically extending hoistway 16, which is rectangular in plan view, in the center. In this embodiment, a multi-tiered storage section 23 for storing normal carriages 40 and a multi-tiered charging storage section 24 for storing charging carriages 45 are provided vertically on either side of the hoistway 16. The arrangement of the storage sections 23 and the charging storage sections 24 is an example. Each charging storage section 24 is connected to the control device 30 of the elevator-type parking facility 10 by a power supply line 31. In this embodiment, wiring for transmitting and receiving information is provided in parallel with the power supply line 31, but is not shown in the figure. In this embodiment, the control device 30 includes a charging control device 33 for a charging device 35, which will be described later.

[0029] An elevator (transport device) 17 that transports the carriage 40 and the charging carriage 45 is provided in the hoistway 16. The elevator 17 is suspended by a wire rope 19, which is driven by a driving machine 21 via a diverting roller 20 provided at the top of the parking tower 11. A counterweight 22 that reduces the hoisting force of the driving machine 21 is provided at one end of the wire rope 19 that raises and lowers the elevator 17.

[0030] Furthermore, the elevator-type parking facility 10 of this embodiment is provided with a pit 28 in the loading / unloading section 12, and a turning device 26 is provided inside the pit 28 for lifting and turning the carriage 40 and charging carriage 45 transported by the elevator 17. The turning device 26 allows the automobile V and electric vehicle EV that have been driven forward onto the carriage 40 and charging carriage 45 to be turned 90 degrees and stored in the storage section. The pallet transfer mechanism 18 and the turning device 26 can be made of known means.

[0031] The carriage 40 and the charging carriage 45 are raised and lowered in the hoistway 16 by the elevator 17 and stop at the predetermined storage section 23 or charging storage section 24. After that, the elevator 17 and the storage section 23 or charging storage section 24 are withdrawn and retracted by the pallet transfer mechanism 18 between the elevator 17 and the storage section 23 or charging storage section 24. When the charging carriage 45 is stored in the charging storage section 24, the carriage-side connection section 46 is connected to the machine-side connection section 25 of the elevator-type parking facility 10. In this embodiment, the carriage-side connection sections 46 and the machine-side connection sections 25 at multiple locations include a power supply section that sends charging power and an information and communication section that sends information on the current value to be supplied to the electric vehicle. That is, in this embodiment, the carriage-side connection section 46 and the machine-side connection section 25 are provided with a contact for the power supply section and a contact for the information and communication section. The contact for the power supply section that sends charging power and the contact for the information and communication section that sends information on the current value to be supplied to the electric vehicle may be different contacts, or a contact that serves both purposes may be combined. These contacts may include multiple contacts. For example, the carrier-side connection unit 46 and the machine-side connection unit 25 may be a contact-type power supply unit that sends charging power, using technology such as power line communication (PLC), and may also serve as an information communication unit that transmits and receives information about the current value to be supplied. Furthermore, the contact-type power supply unit that sends charging power and the wireless information communication unit (using a known method such as radio wave or optical communication) that transmits and receives information about the current value to be supplied to the electric vehicle may be separate connection units, or the power supply unit may be a non-contact type such as an electromagnetic induction type. Furthermore, the power feed line 31 and signal wiring may be provided separately. The machine-side connection unit 25 is connected to the control device 30 by the power feed line 31. Connecting the carrier-side connection unit 46 to the machine-side connection unit 25 enables power to be supplied from the parking facility main body to the charging carrier 45. The control device 30 in this embodiment includes a function for controlling each component of the elevator-type parking facility 10. The parking tower 11 including the control device 30 and the charging storage section 24 is the main body of the parking facility.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2 , in the elevator-type parking facility 10 of this embodiment, each charging vehicle 45 is equipped with a charging controller 32 that communicates with the electric vehicle EV to store the charging power in the charging storage compartment 24. The charging controller 32 has EVSE functionality compliant with the IEC 61851-1 standard and SAE J1772. Each charging controller 32 transmits the current value of the charging power to the electric vehicle EV stored in the charging vehicle 45. The charging vehicle 45 is equipped with a charging cable 47 extending from the charging controller 32 and a charging connector 48 attached to the charging cable 47. The shape of the charging connector 48 may be, for example, the shape of IEC Standard 62196-2 Type 1. The shape of the charging connector 48 may also be the shape of IEC Standard 62196-2 Type 2 or the shape of the charging port of other electric vehicles EV.

[0033] The charging controller 32 provided in each charging vehicle 45 is connected to a charging control device 33 that controls all of the charging controllers 32. The charging control device 33 has a processor, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, an I / O interface, etc. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the control device 30 of the elevator-type parking facility 10 and the charging control device 33 are integrated together. The current value transmitted from each charging controller 32 to the electric vehicle EV is determined by calculations performed by the processor using a volatile memory based on a program stored in the non-volatile memory of the charging control device 33. The charging control device 33 may be integrated with the control device 30 or may be separate from the control device 30. The predetermined current values ​​allocated to multiple electric vehicles EV will be explained in the elevator-type parking facility 50 of the second embodiment described below.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, with this elevator-type parking facility 10, after an electric vehicle EV is parked in a charging carrier 45 arranged in the entrance / exit section 12, a charging connector 48 of a charging cable 47 (without EVSE function) provided on the charging carrier 45 is connected to a charging port of the electric vehicle EV. Then, the charging carrier 45 is stored in the charging storage section 24, and the carrier-side connection section 46 of the charging carrier 45 is connected to the machine-side connection section 25 of the charging storage section 24. FIG. 2 shows the state immediately before connection (i.e., immediately before reaching the designated storage position). When the charging carrier 45 stops at the designated storage position in the charging storage section 24, the information and communication unit (shown integrated with the power supply unit in this embodiment) is connected and detected by a sensor. When the charging control device 33 confirms that the sensor has detected the connection of the information and communication unit, communication from the charging control device 33 to the charging controller 32 begins. For communication with the charging controller 32, the designated value of the charging current allocated to the electric vehicle EV is transmitted from the charging control device 33 via the charging controller 32 provided in the charging vehicle 45. After the current value is set and the state transitions to the initial charging state in this manner, charging of the electric vehicle EV begins. The electric vehicle EV is charged with the designated charging current value transmitted from the charging control device 33 via the charging controller 32 provided in the charging vehicle 45.

[0035] In this way, charging vehicle 45 is stored in charging storage section 24 and vehicle-side connection section 46 is connected to machine-side connection section 25, thereby connecting the information and communication section. Then, the designated value of the charging current allocated to electric vehicle EV mounted on charging vehicle 45 by charging control device 33 is transmitted to electric vehicle EV via charging controller 32. This configuration is charging device 35. Therefore, elevator-type parking facility 10 equipped with this charging device 35 has the functions of charging control and Mode 3 of the IEC 61851-1 standard, among the AC power supply charging methods specified in the IEC 61851-1 standard. Mode 1: A method in which electricity is simply supplied to the electric vehicle (EV) from an outlet, and charging is controlled by the vehicle. Mode 2: A method in which the charging cable's control box has a built-in CPLT circuit that stops charging when it detects an overcurrent or electrical leakage, and connects the outlet to the EV. Charging cables are standard accessories for EVs. Mode 3: A standard AC charger that is installed in a stationary position, and incorporates a CPLT circuit inside the housing that stops charging when an overcurrent or leakage current is detected.

[0036] (Mechanical parking facility according to the second embodiment) Fig. 3 is a front view showing an elevator-type parking facility 50 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 4 is a front view schematically showing the state in which the charging carrier 45 of the elevator-type parking facility 50 shown in Fig. 3 has been stored in the charging storage section 24. Fig. 4 shows the charging carrier 45 in a state before the connection part is connected just before storage. Note that the elevator-type parking facility 50 of the second embodiment differs from the elevator-type parking facility 10 of the first embodiment described above only in the configurations of the charging controller 32 and the charging control device 33. Therefore, in the following explanation, the same components as those of the elevator-type parking facility 10 are assigned the same reference numerals and explanations are omitted, and only the different components are explained.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3 , in the elevator-type parking facility 50 of this embodiment, the charging controller 32 is not provided in the charging carriage 45 but is built into the charging control device 33 on the parking facility main body side. In this embodiment, the charging control device 33 is built into the control device 30. The charging controller 32 may be configured as a charging control panel or the like separate from the charging control device 33. The charging controllers 32 may also be provided at positions corresponding to the respective charging storage sections 24 of the parking tower 11. The number of charging controllers 32 corresponds to the number of charging storage sections 24, and the charging controllers 32 communicate to the electric vehicles EV the charging current value that can be supplied to each electric vehicle EV stored in each charging storage section 24. The charging control device 33 determines the predetermined charging current values ​​to be allocated to the multiple electric vehicles EV by a processor using a volatile memory performing calculations based on a program stored in a non-volatile memory.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4, with this elevator-type parking facility 50, after an electric vehicle EV is parked in a charging carrier 45 arranged in the entrance / exit section 12, a charging connector 48 of a charging cable 47 (without EVSE function) provided on the charging carrier 45 is connected to a charging port of the electric vehicle EV. Then, the charging carrier 45 is stored in the charging storage section 24, and the carrier-side connection section 46 of the charging carrier 45 is connected to the machine-side connection section 25 of the charging storage section 24. FIG. 4 shows the state immediately before connection. When the charging carrier 45 stops at its regular storage position in the charging storage section 24, the information and communication unit (shown integrated with the power supply unit in this embodiment) is connected and detected by a sensor. When the charging control device 33 confirms that the sensor has detected the connection of the information and communication unit, communication from the charging control device 33 to the charging controller 32 begins. For communication with the charging controller 32, the designated value of the charging current allocated to the electric vehicle EV is transmitted from the charging control device 33 via the charging controller 32 provided in the charging vehicle 45. After the current value is set and the state transitions to the initial charging state in this manner, charging of the electric vehicle EV begins. The electric vehicle EV is charged with the designated charging current value transmitted from the charging control device 33 via the charging controller 32 provided in the charging vehicle 45.

[0039] In this way, charging vehicle 45 is stored in charging storage section 24, and vehicle-side connection section 46 is connected to machine-side connection section 25, thereby connecting the information and communication section. Then, the designated value of the charging current allocated to electric vehicle EV mounted on charging vehicle 45 by charging control device 33 is transmitted to electric vehicle EV via charging controller 32. This configuration is charging device 35. Therefore, elevator-type parking facility 50 equipped with this charging device 35 also has the functions of charging control and Mode 3 of the IEC 61851-1 standard, among the AC power charging methods specified in the IEC 61851-1 standard.

[0040] (Charging control for multiple electric vehicles) An example of charging multiple electric vehicles EV in the elevator-type parking facility 50 of the second embodiment will be described below. The elevator-type parking facility 10 of the first embodiment differs only in the location of the charging controller 32; the control of the current allocation described below is the same. The elevator-type parking facility 50 of this embodiment allows multiple electric vehicles EV to be charged at assigned current values ​​by the charging device 35. Furthermore, even if the number of electric vehicles EV to be charged increases or decreases, the total charging current value for the electric vehicles EV is controlled so that the remaining current is minimized within the current value assigned to charging the elevator-type parking facility 50. During times when the elevator-type parking facility 50 is not in operation, the entire power of the elevator-type parking facility 50 may be used as charging power. That is, the charging power used for charging in the elevator-type parking facility 50 may be dedicated to charging or may be shared with the power of the parking facility itself. In this case, priority is given to the operation of the parking facility itself, and the remaining power is used for charging.

[0041] As an example of charging multiple electric vehicles EV, we will explain an elevator-type parking facility 50 having charging storage sections 24 that can charge, for example, 10 electric vehicles EV (FIG. 3 shows 9, but for simplicity's sake, we will explain 10). In this elevator-type parking facility 50, if the maximum charging current for each electric vehicle EV is 15 A (set current value: amperes), 150 A would be required to charge 10 vehicles simultaneously. In this case, if the charging current value that can be supplied from the elevator-type parking facility 50 is 150 A or more, all electric vehicles can be charged at 15 A.

[0042] However, if the current value allocated for charging is less than 150A, it is not possible to charge all electric vehicles EV at 15A. In such cases, the charging current value can be allocated to each electric vehicle EV as follows. For example, if the total charging current that can be supplied from elevator-type parking facility 50 is 100A or less and 10 electric vehicles EV are to be charged, and EVSE charging cable 100 (Figure 5) with a conventional set current value of 15A is used to charge six electric vehicles simultaneously, the total current value will be 90A, leaving 10A of current remaining. However, because the set current value of EVSE charging cable 100 is fixed, it is not possible to instruct one electric vehicle EV to charge at 10A and allocate the current, and the 10A of power will not be used effectively. In this case, four electric vehicles EV will be in a charging standby state.

[0043] In such a case, with the elevator-type parking facility 50, the function of the control box 104 (FIG. 5) provided on the EVSE charging cable 100 is built into the charging control device 33 of the charging device 35, so that the charging control device 33 assigns a charging power current value of 10 A to one electric vehicle EV and commands the charging controller 32, which then transmits a charging current value of 10 A to each electric vehicle EV. As a result, the total charging current value supplied to the 10 electric vehicles EV is 100 A, allowing each electric vehicle EV to be appropriately charged. In this way, with the elevator-type parking facility 50, it is possible to use all of the current that can be supplied from the parking facility itself to the electric vehicles EV for charging.

[0044] That is, rather than prioritizing the maximum charging current for a single electric vehicle EV, the total current value of the power used for charging the elevator parking facility 50 may be divided by the number of electric vehicles EV stored in the charging storage unit 24, and the resulting value may be allocated to each electric vehicle EV as a charging current and transmitted to the electric vehicles EV, thereby charging multiple electric vehicles EV equally at the same time. For example, suppose that the maximum charging current for each electric vehicle EV is 15 A and the total charging current that can be supplied from the elevator parking facility 50 is 100 A, and 10 electric vehicles EV are to be charged simultaneously. In this case, by specifying a charging current value of 10 A, which is less than the maximum charging current of 15 A, for the 10 electric vehicles EV, it is possible to charge them with a total charging current of 100 A without any waste. Alternatively, if the total charging current that can be supplied from the elevator parking facility 50 is 100 A and five electric vehicles EV are to be charged simultaneously, a charging current value of 20 A may be allocated to each electric vehicle EV. Each electric vehicle EV can be charged within the allocated charging current range (in this example, the maximum value of 15 A). If the number of electric vehicles EV to be charged changes, the allocation of the charging current value can also be changed.

[0045] Furthermore, according to the charging device 35 of the elevator-type parking facility 50, as another example, when electric vehicles EV being charged at 10 A and electric vehicles EV being charged at 15 A are mixed, if one electric vehicle EV being charged at 15 A becomes fully charged, the charging control device 33 detects this and instructs the charging control device 33 via the charging controller 32 to increase the charging current value to 15 A for the electric vehicle EV being charged at 10 A, and a new vehicle waiting to be charged can be assigned a charging current value of 10 A to be charged. If a vehicle being charged at 10 A becomes fully charged, a new vehicle waiting to be charged can be assigned a charging current value of 10 A to be charged.

[0046] That is, if some electric vehicles EV are fully charged and charging is completed while multiple electric vehicles EV are being charged, the current used to charge those electric vehicles EV will be used as surplus power. In this case, the charging control device 33 dynamically changes the instruction value of the charging current to a value obtained by dividing the total current value of the power used for charging by the number of vehicles being charged simultaneously, and transmits the changed current value from the charging controller 32 to the electric vehicles EV, thereby enabling appropriate charging.

[0047] Furthermore, for example, if an electric vehicle EV being charged at 15 A leaves the elevator-type parking facility 50 and charging stops, a surplus in the charging current will be generated. Even when a surplus in the charging current is generated in this way, the charging control device 33 can instruct one electric vehicle EV being charged at 10 A to increase the charging current value to 15 A, and can newly allocate a charging current value of 10 A to one electric vehicle EV waiting to be charged. Furthermore, this surplus may be used only to either increase the charging current value of the electric vehicle EV being charged, or to newly allocate a charging current value to the electric vehicle EV waiting to be charged.

[0048] In other words, even if an electric vehicle EV leaves the parking lot while being charged, the current used to charge the electric vehicle becomes surplus, so the charging control device 33 changes the instruction value of the current value allocated according to the number of electric vehicles EV to be charged, and transmits the changed current value from the charging controller 32 to the electric vehicle EV, allowing appropriate charging to be performed.

[0049] Such changes to the charging current value can be made by registering the set current value set for each electric vehicle EV as an initial value in the control circuit of the charging control device 33, and varying the value in accordance with the charging control.

[0050] Furthermore, the charging control device 33 monitors the operation of the parking facility main body (for example, the start and end of transport of the charging carrier 45) based on information from the control device 30, and can change the allocation of the charging current value for the electric vehicle EV when there is a change in the value of the charging current that can be supplied from the parking facility main body for charging the electric vehicle EV. For example, if the value of the charging current that can be supplied from the parking facility main body for charging increases as transport ends, the allocation can be increased, and if the value of the charging current that can be supplied decreases as transport begins, for example, the allocation can be decreased.

[0051] Furthermore, the charging control device 33 can manage and register entered electric vehicles EV in a charging queue. The charging queue for electric vehicles EV can be registered in the order in which they arrive, and the registration can be deleted when they leave the parking lot. Furthermore, electric vehicles EV whose charging has stopped due to full charge can be deleted from the charging queue. For example, the number of charging vehicles 45 can be greater than the number of charging storage units 24, and at least one charging storage unit 24 can be provided. In this case, multiple charging storage units 24 can be shared, and when charging of an electric vehicle EV is completed, the charging vehicle 45 can be moved from the charging storage unit 24 to the storage unit 23. In the order of the charging queue, the charging vehicle 45 carrying the electric vehicle EV stored in the storage unit 23 can be moved to the charging storage unit 24, where the electric vehicle EV is charged. By rotating the charging vehicles 45 in this way, a large number of electric vehicles EV can be charged using a small number of charging storage units 24.

[0052] Furthermore, with the elevator-type parking facility 50, the allocation of charging current values ​​can be changed not only when the vehicle is fully charged or when the vehicle enters or leaves the parking lot, but also when a certain amount of time has passed since the start of charging. For example, power supply to an electric vehicle EV that has been charging for a certain amount of time can be stopped, an instruction can be issued to increase the charging current value of 15A for an electric vehicle EV that is being charged at 10A, and a new charging current value of 10A can be assigned to a vehicle waiting to be charged. By using a time-based switching method, charging is not monopolized, and fairness is enhanced. Note that this power supply stop can also be performed by the electric vehicle EV by having the charging control device 33 instruct the electric vehicle EV that is being charged to stop charging via the charging controller 32.

[0053] Also, for example, some electric vehicles (EV) may stop charging and switch over if a certain amount of time passes before the vehicle is fully charged. In this case, the electric vehicle (EV) can be registered at the end of the charging queue. Then, when it is its turn, the electric vehicle (EV) can be recharged.

[0054] Furthermore, if the current value that can be supplied from the parking facility main body for charging the electric vehicle EV exceeds the charging current value of the electric vehicle EV being charged, and there is a charging carrier 45 carrying an electric vehicle EV that is not stored in the charging storage section 24, the charging carrier 45 can be moved to the charging storage section 24 and the electric vehicle EV can be charged.

[0055] The above-mentioned control is also the case for the elevator-type parking facility 10, and the elevator-type parking facilities 10, 50 incorporate the functions of the charging controller 32 into the charging cart 45 or the elevator-type parking facility 10, 50, and the charging control device 33 appropriately allocates the current value of the charging power to multiple electric vehicles EV according to changes in the situation, and dynamically communicates the current value of the charging power to the electric vehicles EV, making it possible for the electric vehicles EV to be appropriately charged at the communicated current value.

[0056] That is, the elevator-type parking facilities 10, 50 take note of the fact that the electric vehicle EV is equipped with a mechanism that determines the current value to be charged by a signal to the control pilot circuit (hereinafter referred to as "CPLT") circuit specified in the IEC61851-1 standard via a signal to the charging controller 32, and incorporate a CPLT circuit that complies with IEC61851-1 into the charging control device 33 of the elevator-type parking facilities 10, 50, making it possible to dynamically communicate the current value that can be charged to the electric vehicle EV and increase or decrease the charging current to the electric vehicle EV.

[0057] (Other variations) Depending on the electric vehicle EV, charging may not start even when charging connector 48 is connected to the charging port of the electric vehicle EV at entrance / exit section 12 of elevator-type parking facility 10, 50 (mechanical parking facility) and charging carrier 45 is stored in charging storage section 24. This is because, although the electric vehicle EV detects that charging connector 48 has been connected to the charging port of the electric vehicle EV and starts inputting and outputting signals to and from charging controller 32, charging controller 32 cannot respond because it is not energized.

[0058] In such a case, charging control device 33 may be configured to transmit a signal to electric vehicle EV informing that charging connector 48 has been connected to the charging port of electric vehicle EV after charging carrier 45 has been stored in charging storage section 24 and carrier-side connection section 46 has been connected to machine-side connection section 25 to start energization. A circuit for informing electric vehicle EV that charging connector 48 has been connected to the charging port of electric vehicle EV may be included in the EVSE function of charging controller 32.

[0059] The charging control device 33 may also have a built-in sensor and function for detecting leakage or overcurrent in the electric wires that supply charging power to the electric vehicle EV, and a built-in circuit for opening and closing the electric wires that supply charging power. In this case, the electric wires that supply charging power may be closed when charging starts and opened when charging stops. The charging control device 33 may also have a built-in sensor and function for detecting leakage or overcurrent in the electric wires that supply charging power to the electric vehicle EV, and may open the electric wires when a leakage or overcurrent is detected. The charging control device 33 may also have a sensor that detects whether the electric vehicle EV is charging at the current value transmitted from the CPLT circuit, and if it is different, may open the electric wires that supply charging power to cut off the current.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an elevator-type parking facility 10 was used as an example of a mechanical parking facility, but the mechanical parking facility may be of other types and is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0061] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment is an example, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present application, and the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0062] (Summary) As described above, according to the charging device 35 of the elevator-type parking facility 10, 50 (mechanical parking facility), the charging controller 32 that transmits the charging current value for charging the electric vehicles EV to the electric vehicles EV is provided on the charging carrier 45 or the main body of the elevator-type parking facility 50. This makes it possible for the charging control device 33 to appropriately charge multiple electric vehicles EV at the current value allocated to them. Furthermore, even if the number of electric vehicles EV to be charged increases or decreases, the charging control device 33 controls the total charging current value for the electric vehicles EV so that there is little surplus within the current value of power allocated for charging the elevator-type parking facility 10, 50 (mechanical parking facility), making it possible to appropriately charge the electric vehicles EV. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10 Elevator parking facilities 11 Parking Tower 12. Intake and delivery area 16 Elevator shaft 17 Elevator 23 Storage area 24 Charging compartment 25 Machine side connection part 30 Control device 31 Power line 32 Charge controller 33 Charging control device 40 Transporter 45 Charging carrier 46 Carrier side connection part 47 Charging Cable 48 Charging connector 50 Elevator parking facilities EV Electric Vehicle

Claims

1. a parking facility main body comprising: a plurality of charging carriages each having a carriage-side connection part electrically connectable to a charging port of an electric vehicle and capable of carrying the electric vehicle; a plurality of charging storage parts each having a machine-side connection part and capable of storing the charging carriages; and an equipment control device connected to the machine-side connection parts via a power supply line so as to be able to supply power and configured to control the operation of the plurality of charging carriages, wherein the power supply part and communication information part of the carriage-side connection part are connected to the power supply part and information communication part of the machine-side connection part when the charging carriage is stored in the charging storage part; a charging controller that transmits, to the electric vehicle stored in the charging storage unit, information on a charging current value to be supplied to the electric vehicle; a charging control device that, when a connection between an information and communication unit of the carrier-side connection unit and an information and communication unit of the machine-side connection unit is detected, starts communicating with the charging controller, uses the remainder after subtracting motive power from the total power of the parking facility main body as charging power, and when the charging power fluctuates, allocates a charging current to be supplied to the electric vehicle stored in the charging storage unit in accordance with the fluctuating charging power, and transmits information of the charging current value to the electric vehicle via the charging controller so that the electric vehicle is charged at the allocated charging current value.

2. the number of the charging controllers corresponds to the number of the charging storage units; The mechanical parking facility according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of charging vehicles is equipped with the charging controller.

3. the number of the charging controllers corresponds to the number of the charging storage units; The mechanical parking facility according to claim 1, wherein the charging controller is provided in the parking facility body.

4. A mechanical parking facility described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the charging control device is configured to determine the charging current value to be allocated to each of the electric vehicles based on information obtained from the facility control device about the status of each charging carrier or whether or not charging is being performed at each charging carrier.

5. A mechanical parking facility as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the charging control device is configured to determine the charging current value to be allocated to each of the multiple electric vehicles based on the number of electric vehicles stored in the charging storage section, the set current value of each electric vehicle, and the current value that can be supplied to the electric vehicles from the parking facility main body.

6. 6. The mechanical parking facility according to claim 5, wherein the charging control device is configured to monitor the number of the electric vehicles being charged, and when the number of the electric vehicles being charged changes, change the allocation of the charging current value in accordance with the new number of the electric vehicles being charged.

7. 6. The mechanical parking facility according to claim 5, wherein the charging control device is configured to monitor the charging current value of the electric vehicle during charging, and, when charging of the electric vehicle is completed, to allocate the charging current value to the electric vehicle that is about to start charging, or to change the set current value of the electric vehicle during charging.

8. 6. The mechanical parking facility according to claim 5, wherein the charging control device is configured to monitor a current value that can be supplied for charging the electric vehicle, and to change the allocation of the charging current value for the electric vehicle when the current value that can be supplied changes.

9. 6. The mechanical parking facility according to claim 5, wherein the charging control device is configured to issue a command to move the charging vehicle carrying the electric vehicle to the charging storage section when the current value that can be supplied for charging the electric vehicle exceeds the charging current value of the electric vehicle being charged and there is a charging vehicle carrying the electric vehicle that is not stored in the charging storage section.

10. A charging control method using a charging control device for mechanical parking equipment, comprising: a charging carrier capable of carrying an electric vehicle and having a carrier-side connection part electrically connectable to the charging port of the electric vehicle; a charging storage part having a machine-side connection part and capable of storing the charging carrier; and a charging controller that sends information on the charging current value to the electric vehicle stored in the charging storage part, wherein the charging carrier carrying the electric vehicle is stored in the charging storage part, so that the power supply part and information communication part of the carrier-side connection part are connected to the power supply part and information communication part of the machine-side connection part, and the electric vehicle is charged by supplying power from the machine-side connection part to the carrier-side connection part, When a connection between the information communication unit of the carrier-side connection unit and the information communication unit of the machine-side connection unit is detected, communication with the charging controller is started. The remainder of the total power of the mechanical parking facility minus the power for driving is used as charging power, and when the charging power fluctuates, a charging current is allocated to be supplied to the electric vehicle stored in the charging storage unit in accordance with the charging power after the fluctuation; and a charging controller for controlling the charging of the electric vehicle based on the allocated charging current value, the charging controller transmitting information about the charging current value to the electric vehicle via the charging controller so as to charge the electric vehicle with the allocated charging current value.

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