Charging cable for electric vehicle, cable connector and electric vehicle charging assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric vehicle charging cable, a cable connector, and an electric vehicle charging assembly including the same. Specifically, the present invention relates to an electric vehicle charging cable, a cable connector, and an electric vehicle charging assembly including the same, wherein the cooling efficiency of the cooling means for solving the heat generation problem of the conductor constituting the electric vehicle charging cable and the terminal constituting the cable connector is excellent, and the outer diameter and weight of the electric vehicle charging cable are reduced while the structure is also stable.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle charging cable, a cable connector, and an electric vehicle charging assembly including the same. Specifically, the present invention relates to an electric vehicle charging cable, a cable connector, and an electric vehicle charging assembly including the same, wherein the cooling efficiency of the cooling means for solving the heat generation problem of the conductor constituting the electric vehicle charging cable and the terminal constituting the cable connector is excellent, and the outer diameter and weight of the electric vehicle charging cable are reduced while the structure is also stable. Background Technology

[0002] With the proliferation of electric vehicles, the installation of electric vehicle chargers is expanding. Additionally, fast chargers capable of rapid charging are being introduced to enable charging within a short period of time. Unlike slow charging, the output voltage of fast chargers for rapid charging is 50 to 450 V DC and the output current reaches 110 A, while the output current of ultra-fast chargers reaches 300 to 800 A, and the output current of fast chargers is expected to increase depending on the battery capacity and charging technology of the electric vehicle.

[0003] For such rapid or ultra-rapid chargers, an electric vehicle charging cable is connected to the main body, and a cable connector is installed at the end of the charging cable. The cable connector is then connected to an electric vehicle connector provided in the electric vehicle to supply electricity from the electric vehicle charger to the electric vehicle.

[0004] In particular, since ultra-fast chargers have an output current of 300 to 800 A, heat generation in the electric vehicle charging cable that transmits this to the electric vehicle can be a problem. To minimize the heat generated in the electric vehicle charging cable, there are methods such as increasing the diameter of the conductor of the electric vehicle cable, but it is difficult to sufficiently reduce the heat generation, and there are problems such as increasing the outer diameter and weight of the electric vehicle charging cable and making the structure unstable.

[0005] Heat generated by electric vehicle charging cables can increase the risk of fire. Furthermore, during the process of attaching the cable connector to the electric vehicle connector or detaching it to place the charging station, the charging cable may come into contact with the user's body. This is undesirable because excessive heat generated by the charging cable can cause injury, discomfort, or anxiety to the user.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an electric vehicle charging cable, a cable connector, and an electric vehicle charging assembly including them, which not only have excellent cooling efficiency for the cooling means to solve the heat generation problem of the conductor constituting the electric vehicle charging cable and the terminal constituting the cable connector, but also reduce the outer diameter and weight of the electric vehicle charging cable and maintain a stable structure. The problem to be solved

[0007] The present invention aims to provide an electric vehicle charging cable, a cable connector, and an electric vehicle charging assembly including the same, wherein the cooling efficiency of the cooling means for solving the heat generation problem of the conductor constituting the electric vehicle charging cable and the terminal constituting the cable connector is excellent, and the outer diameter and weight of the electric vehicle charging cable are reduced and the structure is also stable. means of solving the problem

[0008] To solve the above problem, the present invention,

[0009] The electric vehicle charging cable comprises a plurality of power units that supply power to an electric vehicle and a cable connector for charging the electric vehicle, and a cable jacket that completely encloses the plurality of power units, wherein each of the plurality of power units includes a fluid pipe functioning as a flow passage for a cooling fluid, a conductor disposed around the fluid pipe, and an insulating layer enclosing the conductor, wherein the plurality of power units include one or more pairs of positive (+) power units and one or more pairs of negative (-) power units, wherein a cooling fluid flowing toward the cable connector through a fluid pipe provided in one of the pair of positive (+) power units is recovered to the electric vehicle charger body through a fluid pipe provided in another power unit, and a cooling fluid flowing toward the cable connector through a fluid pipe provided in one of the pair of negative (-) power units is recovered to the electric vehicle charger body through a fluid pipe provided in another power unit.

[0010] Herein, an electric vehicle charging cable is provided, characterized by further including a grounding unit that functions as a passage for leakage current flow, comprising a grounding conductor and an insulating layer surrounding the grounding conductor inside the cable jacket, and one or more communication units that transmit a control signal, comprising a communication conductor and an insulating layer surrounding the communication conductor.

[0011] In addition, an electric vehicle charging cable is provided, characterized in that one or more interposed members are disposed in the empty space inside the cable jacket.

[0012] Meanwhile, the above fluid tube is characterized by being made of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of high-heat resistant plastic, nylon, perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), fluorinated polyethylene (PTFE, Poly Tetra Fluoro Ethylene), and urethane, thereby providing an electric vehicle charging cable.

[0013] Herein, the electric vehicle charging cable is provided, characterized in that the fluid tube has a thickness of 1 to 8.5 mm.

[0014] Meanwhile, the cable connector is connected to the other end of an electric vehicle charging cable according to any one of claims 1 to 3, to which an electric vehicle charger body is connected at one end, and is detachably mounted to an electric vehicle connector provided in an electric vehicle, and comprises a plurality of power unit terminals to which each of the plurality of power units is connected inside a housing and a cooling chamber covering the plurality of power unit terminals, wherein each of the plurality of power unit terminals is connected to a fluid pipe and a conductor provided in the power unit, and is provided with a hollow portion through which a cooling fluid introduced through the fluid pipe can be introduced, and a through hole connected to the hollow portion through which the cooling fluid is introduced or withdrawn, and wherein a cooling fluid path connecting a through hole provided in one of a pair of positive (+) power unit terminals to a through hole provided in another power unit terminal and a cooling fluid path connecting a through hole provided in one of a pair of negative (-) power unit terminals to a through hole provided in another power unit terminal are formed inside the cooling chamber.

[0015] In addition, a cable connector is provided, characterized by further including a temperature sensor capable of detecting the temperature of the cooling chamber.

[0016] Meanwhile, an electric vehicle charging assembly is provided, comprising the above-mentioned electric vehicle charging cable; and the above-mentioned cable connector.

[0017] Herein, the electric vehicle charging assembly is characterized in that the cooling fluid supplied from the electric vehicle charger body is introduced into the hollow portion of one of the pair of positive (+) power unit terminals through a fluid pipe provided in one of the pair of positive (+) power units, then introduced into the hollow portion of the other power unit terminal through the through hole and the cooling fluid flow path, and then recovered to the electric vehicle charger body through a fluid pipe provided in the other positive (+) power unit connected to the other power unit terminal, and the cooling fluid supplied from the electric vehicle charger body is introduced into the hollow portion of one of the pair of negative (-) power unit terminals through a fluid pipe provided in one of the pair of negative (-) power units, then introduced into the hollow portion of the other power unit terminal through the through hole and the cooling fluid flow path, and then recovered to the electric vehicle charger body through a fluid pipe provided in the other negative (-) power unit connected to the other power unit terminal. Provides

[0018] And, an electric vehicle charging system comprising an electric vehicle charger body; and an assembly for charging the electric vehicle is provided. Effects of the invention

[0019] The electric vehicle charging cable and cable connector according to the present invention exhibit excellent effects, including not only excellent cooling efficiency of the conductor constituting the electric vehicle charging cable and the terminal constituting the cable connector through a new structure that circulates a cooling fluid, but also reduced outer diameter and weight of the electric vehicle charging cable and a stable structure. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0020] Figure 1 illustrates an electric vehicle and an electric vehicle charger. FIG. 2 illustrates a cable connector in which an electric vehicle connector and an electric vehicle charging cable are connected, provided in an electric vehicle. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an electric vehicle charging cable according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a cable connector according to the present invention and an internal view with the housing removed from the perspective view. Figure 5 shows the interior view of Figure 4 with the cooling chamber removed. FIG. 6 is a front view with the electric vehicle charging cable removed from the drawing shown in FIG. 5. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0021] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided to ensure that the disclosed content is thorough and complete, and to ensure that the spirit of the invention is sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals indicate the same components.

[0022] Figure 1 illustrates an electric vehicle (EV) and an electric vehicle charger (300).

[0023] An electric vehicle (EV) refers to a vehicle that uses electrical energy stored in a battery to drive an electric motor and utilizes the motor's driving force as the vehicle's power source; specifically, it refers to a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV).

[0024] However, the above electric vehicle (EV) should not be interpreted as being limited to conventional road passenger vehicles, but should be understood as a concept that includes carts, work vehicles, or two-wheeled vehicles in addition to road passenger vehicles.

[0025] Meanwhile, the electric vehicle charger (300) is connected to an electric vehicle charging assembly composed of a cable connector (200) and an electric vehicle charging cable (100) to supply power to the electric vehicle, and the cable connector (200) is provided at the end of the electric vehicle charging cable (100).

[0026] The cable connector (200) can be installed on the electric vehicle connector (400) equipped in the electric vehicle (EV) to supply power, and in the case of a fast or ultra-fast charger, the charging of the electric vehicle can be completed in a short time.

[0027] An electric vehicle charging cable (100) that electrically connects an electric vehicle charger (300) and an electric vehicle (EV) may generate heat due to a large current capacity, and in order to resolve the risk of fire or user anxiety, the electric vehicle charging cable (100) according to the present invention uses a method of cooling the electric vehicle charging cable (100) using a cooling fluid.

[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates a cable connector (200) connected to an electric vehicle connector (400) and an electric vehicle charging cable (100) that are provided in an electric vehicle. The cable connector shown in FIG. 2 is a US / European type 'combo' type connector, which is one of the unified standards, and is a connector of a type that allows both AC slow charging and DC fast or ultra-fast charging with a single connector, and thus allows the application of the electric vehicle charging cable (100) according to the present invention.

[0029] However, the electric vehicle charging cable (100) according to the present invention can be applied to cable connectors of the Japanese 'CHAdeMO' method, the Renault 'AC 3-phase' method, or other methods, in addition to the American / European 'Combo' method shown in FIG. 2.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, a cable connector (200) is fixed to the end of the electric vehicle charging cable (100) according to the present invention, and the cable connector (200) has a structure that can be detachably mounted to an electric vehicle connector (400) provided in an electric vehicle (EV).

[0031] The 'combo' type cable connector integrates an AC or DC type connector, and each connector is equipped with an AC charging part (210, 410) and a DC charging part (230, 430).

[0032] Since the electric vehicle charging cable (100) connected to such a cable connector may experience heat generation due to a large current of 800 A during rapid charging, especially during ultra-rapid charging, the electric vehicle charging cable (100) according to the present invention solves the problem of heat generation in the terminals of the cable connector (200) and the conductors of the electric vehicle charging cable (100) through a new structure that circulates a cooling fluid.

[0033] Although a structure for cooling an electric vehicle charging cable (100) using a cooling fluid has already been introduced, there was a problem in that the cooling efficiency was reduced and the diameter of the electric vehicle charging cable (100) increased because a separate cooling fluid channel had to be provided within the electric vehicle charging cable (100).

[0034] The electric vehicle charging cable (100) according to the present invention is equipped with one or more pairs of positive (+) power units and one or more pairs of negative (-) power units as power units constituting the electric vehicle charging cable (100), and a cooling unit having a fluid tube inside each power unit is arranged so that heat is absorbed over the entire outer surface of the cooling unit, thereby improving cooling efficiency and ensuring stable cooling performance while minimizing the diameter of the electric vehicle charging cable (100).

[0035] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an electric vehicle charging cable according to the present invention.

[0036] The electric vehicle charging cable (100) according to the present invention may be configured to include: a power unit (10) for supplying power to an electric vehicle, which includes a pair of positive (+) power units (10a, 10b) and a pair of negative (-) power units (10c, 10d), and a grounding unit (20) including a grounding conductor (21) and an insulating layer (22) surrounding the grounding conductor (21); one or more communication units (30) for transmitting a control signal, which include a communication conductor (31) and an insulating layer (32) surrounding the communication conductor (31); one or more interpositions (40) that improve structural stability by implementing overall roundness; and a cable jacket (50) that completely surrounds the components.

[0037] In particular, each of the above power units (10) may include a fluid pipe (11) that functions as a flow passage for cooling fluid, a conductor (12) disposed around the fluid pipe (11), an insulating layer (13) surrounding the conductor (12), etc. For example, cooling fluid supplied from an electric vehicle charger body (300) connected to one end of an electric vehicle charging cable (100) reaches the terminal inside the cable connector (200) connected to the other end of the electric vehicle charging cable (100) through the fluid pipe (11a) of one power unit (10a) of a pair of positive (+) power units (10a, 10b) and the fluid pipe (11c) of one power unit (10c) of a pair of negative (-) power units (10c, 10d), and then through the fluid pipe (11b) of the other power unit (10b) and the fluid pipe (11d) of the other power unit (10d) to the electric vehicle charger The cooling fluid circulates in a manner that is recovered to the main body (300), thereby cooling the conductor (12) of the power unit (10) and the terminal of the cable connector (200).

[0038] Specifically, the fluid tube (11) may be made of materials such as high-heat resistant plastic, nylon, perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or urethane, and may have a thickness of 1 to 8.5 mm. Here, if the thickness of the fluid tube (11) is less than 1 mm, there is a possibility that a crack may occur in the fluid tube (11) and the cooling fluid may leak when the electric vehicle charging cable (100) is repeatedly bent, whereas if it is more than 8.5 mm, the cooling fluid flowing inside the conductor (12) and the fluid tube (11) may move away from each other, and thus heat transfer may not be smooth, which may reduce the cooling efficiency.

[0039] In addition, the cooling fluid may be a liquid in which at least one of inorganic additives such as ethylene glycol, phosphates, silicates, and borates, antifreeze agents, corrosion inhibitors, high temperature stability enhancers, anti-foaming agents, or alkaline additives is added in addition to pure water, and various liquids may be selected and used depending on the installation environment of the electric vehicle charger. In addition, the cooling fluid may be composed based on oil other than water, and various additives may be added accordingly.

[0040] The conductor (12) arranged around the circumference of the fluid tube (11) may be a solid conductor or a composite conductor formed by assembling a plurality of small conductors, and the material of the conductor (12) may be composed of copper or a copper alloy or aluminum or an aluminum alloy, which has excellent conductivity. In addition, if the conductor (12) is a composite conductor formed by assembling a plurality of small conductors, the plurality of small conductors may be wound transversely at a constant pitch, and a taping layer that completely wraps the plurality of small conductors may be additionally provided.

[0041] The insulating layer (13) surrounding the conductor (12) may be composed of different colors to distinguish between the positive (+) power unit and the negative (-) power unit, and may be composed of, for example, rubber or plastic material in accordance with the standard IEC 62893.

[0042] Meanwhile, the grounding conductor (21) constituting the grounding unit (20) may also be configured in the form of a bundled conductor, and the insulating layer (22) surrounding the grounding conductor (21) may be composed of a rubber or plastic material in accordance with standard IEC 62893, just like the insulating layer (13) of the power unit (10). Also, the communication unit (30) has a smaller diameter than the power unit (10) or the grounding unit (20), and the insulating layer (32) surrounding the communication conductor (31) of the communication unit (30) may also be composed of a rubber or plastic material in accordance with standard IEC 62893.

[0043] The above cable jacket (50) performs the function of protecting the internal components from external impact, and a separate interposition (40) may be provided to improve impact resistance by removing empty space inside the cable jacket (50); however, if the cable jacket (50) is configured as a solid type, there is no need to provide an interposition.

[0044] FIG. 4 is a perspective view and an internal view with the housing removed from one embodiment of a cable connector according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a view with the cooling chamber removed from the internal view shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a front view with the electric vehicle charging cable removed from the drawing shown in FIG. 5.

[0045] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6, the cable connector (200), which has a structure that can be detachably mounted to an electric vehicle connector (400) connected to the end of an electric vehicle charging cable (100) and equipped in an electric vehicle (EV), can support both slow charging and fast charging in a ‘Combo (TYPE1)’ method in which an AC charging part (210) for slow charging and a DC charging part (230) for fast charging are respectively equipped. In addition to the US / European ‘Combo (TYPE1)’ method which will be decided as a unified standard in the future, it can also be applied to the Japanese ‘CHAdeMO’ method or the Renault ‘AC 3-phase’ method.

[0046] In the above cable connector (200), the housing may be equipped with a plurality of power unit terminals (240) connected to the fluid pipe (11) and conductor (12) of the electric vehicle charging cable (100) and connecting the conductor (12) to the charging unit (210, 230), a plurality of communication unit terminals (250) connected to the communication conductor (31) in the communication unit (30) of the electric vehicle charging cable (100), and a grounding unit terminal (260) connected to the grounding conductor (21) in the grounding unit (20) of the electric vehicle charging cable (100).

[0047] Specifically, as the power unit terminal (240), each of the pair of power unit terminals (240c, 240d) is connected to a fluid pipe (11c, 11d) and a conductor (12c, 12d) provided in each of the pair of negative (-) power units (10c, 10d) constituting the power unit (10) of the electric vehicle charging cable (100), and the pair of power unit terminals (240c, 240d) are entirely covered by a cooling chamber (270), and a cooling fluid path may be formed inside the cooling chamber (270) such that a cooling fluid introduced into the interior of one of the pair of power unit terminals (240c, 240d) is drawn out through a through hole (241d) and introduced into an inlet hole (241c) of the other power unit terminal (240c).

[0048] Accordingly, the cooling fluid supplied from the electric vehicle charger body (300) flows into the power unit terminal (240d) through the fluid pipe (11d) provided in one of the pair of negative (-) power units (10c, 10d) to cool the power unit terminal (240d), then is withdrawn through the withdrawal hole (241d), and is then drawn into the inlet hole (241c) of the power unit terminal (240c) through the cooling fluid path provided in the cooling chamber (270) to cool the power unit terminal (240c), and then is returned to the electric vehicle charger body (300) through the fluid pipe (11c) provided in the power unit (10c). By circulating the cooling fluid in this manner, the power unit terminal (240), which generates the most heat, can be cooled quickly and effectively, while the conductor (12) of the power unit (10) can also be cooled.

[0049] Additionally, the cooling fluid supplied from the electric vehicle charger body (300) flows into the power unit terminal (240b) through the fluid pipe (11b) provided in one of the pair of positive (+) power units (10a, 10b) to cool the power unit terminal (240b), then is withdrawn through the withdrawal hole (241b), and then flows into the inlet hole (241a) of the power unit terminal (240a) through the cooling fluid path provided in the cooling chamber (270) to cool the power unit terminal (240a), and then is returned to the electric vehicle charger body (300) through the fluid pipe (11a) provided in the power unit (10a). By circulating the cooling fluid in this manner, the power unit terminal (240), which generates the most heat, can be cooled quickly and effectively, while the conductor (12) of the power unit (10) can also be cooled.

[0050] The above cable connector (200) may additionally be equipped with a temperature sensor (280) capable of detecting the temperature of the cooling chamber (270), thereby allowing the temperature of the cooling chamber (270) to be monitored in real time and the temperature and supply speed of the cooling fluid to further improve cooling efficiency.

[0051] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle charging assembly comprising the electric vehicle charging cable (100) and cable connector (200) described above.

[0052] Although this specification has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art may modify and change the present invention in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as described in the claims below. Therefore, if a modified embodiment basically includes the components of the claims of the present invention, it should be considered to be included within the technical scope of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0053] 100 : Electric vehicle charging cable 10 : Power Unit 20 : Grounding unit 30 : Communication unit 200 : Cable connector 300 : Electric vehicle charger 400 : Electric vehicle connector

Claims

Claim 1 An electric vehicle charging cable connecting an electric vehicle charger body and a cable connector for charging an electric vehicle, comprising: a plurality of power units that supply power to an electric vehicle; and a cable jacket that completely encloses the plurality of power units, wherein each of the plurality of power units comprises a fluid tube functioning as a flow passage for a cooling fluid, a conductor disposed around the fluid tube, and an insulating layer enclosing the conductor, wherein the plurality of power units comprises one or more pairs of positive (+) power units and one or more pairs of negative (-) power units, wherein a cooling fluid flowing toward the cable connector through a fluid tube provided in one of the pair of positive (+) power units is recovered to the electric vehicle charger body through a fluid tube provided in another power unit, and a cooling fluid flowing toward the cable connector through a fluid tube provided in one of the pair of negative (-) power units is recovered to the electric vehicle charger body through a fluid tube provided in another power unit. Claim 2 An electric vehicle charging cable according to claim 1, further comprising a grounding unit including a grounding conductor and an insulating layer surrounding the grounding conductor inside the cable jacket, and one or more communication units including a communication conductor and an insulating layer surrounding the communication conductor that transmit a control signal. Claim 3 An electric vehicle charging cable according to paragraph 2, characterized in that one or more interposed elements are disposed in the empty space inside the cable jacket. Claim 4 An electric vehicle charging cable according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fluid tube is made of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of high-heat resistant plastic, nylon, perfluoroalkoxyalkane (PFA), fluorinated polyethylene (PTFE, Poly Tetra Fluoro Ethylene), and urethane. Claim 5 An electric vehicle charging cable according to claim 4, characterized in that the fluid tube has a thickness of 1 to 8.5 mm. Claim 6 A cable connector that can be detachably mounted to an electric vehicle connector provided in an electric vehicle, connected to the other end of an electric vehicle charging cable according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electric vehicle charger body is connected to one end thereof, and comprises a plurality of power unit terminals to which each of the plurality of power units is connected inside a housing, and a cooling chamber covering the plurality of power unit terminals, wherein each of the plurality of power unit terminals is connected to a fluid pipe and a conductor provided in the power unit, and has a hollow portion into which a cooling fluid introduced through the fluid pipe can be introduced, and a through hole connected to the hollow portion to which the cooling fluid is introduced or withdrawn, and wherein a cooling fluid flow path is formed inside the cooling chamber connecting a through hole provided in one of the power unit terminals of a pair of positive (+) power unit terminals to a through hole provided in another power unit terminal, and a cooling fluid flow path connecting a through hole provided in one of the power unit terminals of a pair of negative (-) power unit terminals to a through hole provided in another power unit terminal. Claim 7 A cable connector characterized by additionally including a temperature sensor capable of detecting the temperature of the cooling chamber in claim 6. Claim 8 An electric vehicle charging assembly comprising an electric vehicle charging cable of any one of claims 1 to 3; and a cable connector of claim 6. Claim 9 In claim 8, the cooling fluid supplied from the electric vehicle charger body is introduced into the hollow portion of one of the pair of positive (+) power unit terminals through a fluid pipe provided in one of the pair of positive (+) power units, then introduced into the hollow portion of the other power unit terminal through the through hole and the cooling fluid flow path, and then recovered to the electric vehicle charger body through a fluid pipe provided in the other positive (+) power unit connected to the other power unit terminal; and the cooling fluid supplied from the electric vehicle charger body is introduced into the hollow portion of one of the pair of negative (-) power unit terminals through a fluid pipe provided in one of the pair of negative (-) power units, then introduced into the hollow portion of the other power unit terminal through the through hole and the cooling fluid flow path, and then recovered to the electric vehicle charger body through a fluid pipe provided in the other negative (-) power unit connected to the other power unit terminal. Charging assembly. Claim 10 An electric vehicle charging system comprising: an electric vehicle charger body; and an electric vehicle charging assembly of claim 8.

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