Electric vehicle charger with connector dryer

Abstract

An automobile charger having a connector dryer capable of rapidly removing moisture adhering to a connector by sucking in and removing air from a connector and a connector hanger on which the connector is mounted through an air intake. The automobile charger having the connector dryer comprises: a charger body having a connector hanger formed therein; a connector connected to the charger body via a cable and connected to a socket of an electric vehicle for charging; and a connector dryer installed on the charger body and mounted on the connector hanger for drying the connector. The connector dryer comprises an air intake for sucking in air inside the connector hanger to simultaneously suck in moisture or humidity adhering to the connector.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an improvement of a charger, and in particular, to an improvement of an electric vehicle charger for charging an electric vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, there is a risk of electric shock if hands or the power plug are wet when connecting various electronic devices or charging batteries. In particular, since many electric vehicle chargers are installed outdoors, there is a high risk of electric shock accidents when connecting a charger to an electric vehicle during snowy or rainy weather.

[0003] Referring to FIG. 1, which illustrates an example of a general electric vehicle charger, the electric vehicle charger (10) has a charger body (12) having a connector hook portion (11) formed thereon and a connector (14) connected to the charger body (12) via a cable (13) and connected to a charging socket of a vehicle for charging. The charger body (12) is equipped with a touchscreen (15) for inputting and displaying information required for charging, a card insertion portion (16) for card payment, etc. In this electric vehicle charger (10), when not charging, the connector (14) is mounted on the connector hook portion (11) as shown in FIG. 1.

[0004] In the case of preventing electric shock accidents when charging an electric vehicle using the electric vehicle charger (10) as described above when it is snowing or raining, the cable and connector of the electric vehicle charger are stored in a charger storage box having a cover, and a blower is provided to supply heated air into the storage box. This is disclosed in the registered patent publication No. 10-2650943 (Title of invention: Drying and safe storage device for electric vehicle charger, Inventor: Song Min-seo).

[0005] This invention by Song Min-seo has the inconvenience of having to open the cover, unwind the cable wrapped around the bracket, and take out the connector every time it is charged, and then wrap the cable around the bracket again and attach the connector after charging is complete, and has the disadvantage of not being able to dry the connector quickly because it is structured only to heat and blow air into the storage compartment where the cable and connector are stored.

[0006] Other known prior art includes “a first waterproof member installed to allow ventilation on one side of the housing and formed to protrude downwardly on the outside, and a second waterproof member installed to allow ventilation on the other side of the housing and formed to protrude downwardly on the outside. Accordingly, by installing the first waterproof member and the second waterproof member on both sides of the housing, the inflow of moisture such as rainwater or rainwater into the housing through a breathable waterproof member is blocked to prevent leakage or flooding, and heat generated from the charging equipment installed in the internal space of the housing can be easily released to the outside,” which is disclosed in the published patent application No. 10-2024-0125287 (Title of Invention: Waterproof Structure of Electric Vehicle Charger, Inventor: Hwang Ho-sang).

[0007] Hwang Ho-sang's invention involves installing a waterproof section on the side of the enclosure at a downward slope, but it does not help prevent electric shock accidents caused by moisture on the connector. The problem to be solved

[0008] The objective of the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle charger having a connector dryer that can prevent electric shock accidents during electric vehicle charging by rapidly removing moisture or humidity adhering to the connector of the electric vehicle charger.

[0009] Another objective of the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle charger having a connector dryer capable of efficiently removing moisture or humidity adhering to the connector of the electric vehicle charger. means of solving the problem

[0010] An electric vehicle charger having a connector dryer according to the present invention comprises: a charger body having a connector hanger formed therein; a connector connected to the charger body via a cable and connected to a socket of an electric vehicle for charging; and a connector dryer installed on the charger body and mounted on the connector hanger for drying the connector, wherein the connector dryer comprises an air intake portion for sucking in moisture or humidity adhering to the connector by sucking in air inside the connector hanger.

[0011] The connector dryer preferably includes a connector detection unit for detecting that the connector is mounted on the connector hook; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the air intake unit based on a connector detection signal applied from the connector detection unit.

[0012] Depending on the case, the connector dryer may include a moisture detection sensor installed on the connector hanger; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the air intake based on a moisture detection signal applied from the moisture detection sensor.

[0013] Additionally, depending on the situation, the connector dryer may include a connector detection unit for detecting that the connector is mounted on the connector hanger, and the control unit may control the operation of the air intake unit by referring together to the connector detection signal applied from the connector detection unit and the moisture detection signal.

[0014] Preferably, the connector dryer comprises at least one of a heating unit for heating at least a portion of the connector hanger and a hot air blower for sending hot air to the connector hanger, and the control unit can operate at least one of the heating unit and the hot air blower together with the air intake unit.

[0015] In addition, the connector dryer may have a notification unit that alerts to the risk of electric shock when moisture is detected by a moisture detection sensor. The moisture detection sensor may be a humidity sensor.

[0016] Depending on the situation, when the moisture detection sensor detects moisture exceeding a certain level, the control unit may be configured to generate a control signal to cut off the charging current supplied to the connector, and at the same time, notify the user of the risk of electric shock through the notification unit. Effects of the invention

[0017] According to the present invention, air adhering to the connector can be quickly removed by sucking in and removing air from the connector and the connector hook on which the connector is mounted through the air intake.

[0018] According to the present invention, by having a heating element with a heating wire arranged along the inside of the connector hanger, the inside of the connector hanger can be kept in a dry state at all times, and when the connector is mounted on the connector hanger and / or periodically, moisture adhering to the connector can be sucked in and removed through an air intake, and the connector can be dried by the heat generated by the heating element, thereby allowing the connector to be dried quickly.

[0019] According to the present invention, by placing a hot air blower that supplies hot air into the interior of the connector hanger, moisture adhering to the connector can be sucked in and removed through the air intake when the connector is mounted on the connector hanger and / or periodically, and the connector can be dried with the hot air blower, thereby allowing the connector to be dried quickly. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0020] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a typical electric vehicle charger, FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of an electric vehicle charger having a connector dryer according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the connector dryer of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a modified example of the connector dryer of FIG. 3. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another variant example of the connector dryer of Figure 3. 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.

[0022] Referring to FIGS. 2 and FIGS. 3, an electric vehicle charger (100) having a connector dryer according to the present invention has a charger body (110). The charger body (110) has a connector hanger (112) formed therein for hanging a connector (130) when not charging.

[0023] The charger body (110) is provided with a connector (130) that is connected to the charger body (110) via a cable (132) and connected to the socket of an electric vehicle to enable charging.

[0024] An electric vehicle charger (100) having a connector dryer according to the present invention has a connector dryer (150) for drying a connector (130) that is installed on a charger body (110) and mounted on a connector hanger (112).

[0025] The connector dryer (150) has an air intake unit (151) for sucking up moisture or humidity attached to the connector (130) by sucking up air inside the connector hanger (112), and a control unit (152) for controlling the operation of the air intake unit (151).

[0026] The air intake unit (151) has an intake pipe (151a) connected to the connector hanger unit (112) and an exhaust pipe (151b) for discharging inhaled moisture or humidity along with air. The control unit (152) periodically or when a specific event occurs, operates the air intake unit (151) to suck in air from the connector hanger unit (112) through the intake pipe (151a), and sucks in moisture or humidity attached to the connector (130) mounted on the connector hanger unit (112) and discharges it through the exhaust pipe. The air intake unit (151) may be an air pump.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 3, the connector dryer (150) may have a connector detection unit (153) for detecting when a connector (130) is mounted on a connector hanger (112), a moisture detection sensor (154) for detecting moisture within the connector hanger (112), and a heating unit (155). The heating unit (155) may be a heating wire laid along the lower surface of the connector hanger (112). The heating unit (155) is intended to heat at least a portion of the connector hanger (112) to evaporate moisture and allow it to be quickly removed with the air.

[0028] When a connector (130) is mounted on a connector hanger (112), the connector detection unit (153) applies a connector detection signal to the control unit (152). The control unit (152) can control the operation of the connector dryer (150) according to the connector detection signal applied from the connector detection unit (153). For example, when a connector detection signal is applied, the control unit (152) can operate the air intake unit (151) and / or the heating unit (155) for a period of time such as 10 seconds or 20 seconds.

[0029] Additionally, the moisture detection sensor (154) applies a moisture detection signal to the control unit (152) when moisture is detected in the connector hanger (112). The moisture detection sensor (154) may be a humidity sensor. In this case, the moisture detection sensor (154) may apply a moisture detection signal to the control unit (152) when the humidity inside the connector hanger (112) exceeds a certain level. The control unit (152) may control the operation of the air intake unit (151) based on the applied moisture detection signal. For example, when a moisture detection signal is applied, the control unit (152) may operate the air intake unit (151) and / or the heating unit (155) for a period of time such as 10 seconds or 20 seconds. Of course, the air intake unit (151) and / or the heating unit (155) may be operated for other periods of time.

[0030] Preferably, the control unit (152) operates the air intake unit (151) and the heating unit (155) together by referring to the connector detection signal applied from the connector detection unit (153) and the moisture detection signal applied from the moisture detection sensor (154).

[0031] The connector dryer (150) may have an input unit (156) for setting the operating time of the air intake unit (151) and / or the heating unit (155) in the control unit (152).

[0032] Referring to FIG. 4, the connector dryer (150) may have a hot air blower (157) instead of a heating element. The hot air blower (157) is intended to send hot air to the connector hanger (112). This hot air blower (157) may consist of a heater and a blower, such as a hair dryer. In this case, the connector hanger (112) must have an air outlet formed therein to allow heated air to be supplied to the connector hanger (112). Preferably, the control unit (152) operates the air intake unit (151) and the hot air blower (157) together by referring to the connector detection signal applied from the connector detection unit (153) and the moisture detection signal applied from the moisture detection sensor (154).

[0033] Referring to FIG. 5, an electric vehicle charger (100) having a connector dryer according to the present invention may have a hot air blower (157) and a heating element (155) together.

[0034] Additionally, the electric vehicle charger (100) having a connector dryer according to the present invention may have a notification unit (158) that notifies of the risk of electric shock when moisture is detected by a moisture detection sensor (154). Depending on the case, a humidity sensor may be used as the moisture detection sensor (154). When moisture above a certain level is detected by the moisture detection sensor (154), a moisture detection signal is applied to the control unit (152), and the control unit (152) may be configured to generate a control signal to cut off the charging current supplied to the connector (130) and apply it to the charging current on / off switch (159), and at the same time, notify the user of the risk of electric shock accident through the notification unit (158). The charging current on / off switch (159) cuts off the charging current supplied to the connector (130) through the cable (132) according to the control signal to cut off the charging current. If no moisture detection signal is applied for a certain period of time, the control unit (152) generates a charging current on signal and applies it to the charging current on / off switch (159), and the charging current on / off switch (159) is turned on so that charging current can be supplied to the connector (130). Industrial applicability

[0035] The present invention may be used to make an electric vehicle charger that reduces the risk of electric shock when charging an electric vehicle in bad weather such as snow or rain. Explanation of the symbols

[0036] 100: Electric vehicle charger with connector dryer 110: Charger body 112: Connector hook 130: Connector 132: Cable 150: Connector dryer 151: Air intake 151a: Suction pipe 151b: Discharge pipe 152: Control unit 153: Connector detection unit 154: Moisture detection sensor 155: Heating element 156: Input section 157: Hot air blower 158: Notification unit 159: Charging current on / off switch

Claims

Claim 1 An electric vehicle charger having a connector dryer, comprising: a charger body having a connector hook portion formed therein; a connector connected to the charger body via a cable and connected to a socket of an electric vehicle for charging; and a connector dryer installed on the charger body and mounted on the connector hook portion for drying the connector, wherein the connector dryer comprises an air intake portion for sucking in moisture or humidity adhering to the connector by sucking in air inside the connector hook portion, wherein the air intake portion has an intake pipe connected to communicate with the connector hook portion and an exhaust pipe for discharging the moisture or humidity sucked in by the intake pipe together with air, and wherein the connector dryer comprises a connector detection portion for detecting that the connector is mounted on the connector hook portion; and a control portion for controlling the operation of the air intake portion based on a connector detection signal applied from the connector detection portion. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 An electric vehicle charger having a connector dryer according to claim 1, wherein the connector dryer includes a moisture detection sensor installed in the connector hanger, and the control unit controls the operation of the air intake unit by referring together to the connector detection signal applied from the connector detection unit and the moisture detection signal applied from the moisture detection sensor. Claim 4 delete Claim 5 An electric vehicle charger having a connector dryer according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the connector dryer comprises at least one of a heating unit for heating at least a portion of the connector hanger and a hot air blower for sending hot air to the connector hanger, and the control unit operates at least one of the heating unit and the hot air blower together with the air intake unit.

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