Robotic device for charging the batteries of an electric or hybrid motor vehicle by induction

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for charging traction batteries of electric or hybrid motor vehicles (V) equipped with a charging socket (C), the device comprising conductive means and induction means which are at least partially built into a mobile robot (R) and intended for the transfer of electrical energy, characterised in that the conductive means comprise a connector (11) intended to be plugged into the charging socket (C) and which is connected to an element for connection to a power converter, and the induction means comprise a first induction coil (20), forming a transmitter (2) carried by the mobile robot, and a second induction coil (10), connected to the power converter and forming, with the conductive means, a receiver (1) external to the vehicles.

Description

DESCRIPTION TITLE: ROBOTIC DEVICE FOR INDUCTIVE CHARGING OF BATTERIES IN AN ELECTRIC OR HYBRID MOTOR VEHICLE

[0001] The present invention claims priority from French application No. 2305897 filed on 12.06.2023, the content of which (text, drawings and claims) is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The invention relates, in general, to means for charging or recharging batteries equipping electric or hybrid vehicles and is concerned, in particular, with a robotic induction charging device.

[0003] In order to compensate for the electrical consumption of motor vehicles during driving or the depletion of electrical energy stored in batteries, it has been considered to propose solutions for charging by road or by means of robotic systems.

[0004] Inductive battery charging allows for the transfer of electrical energy without physical contact, particularly for charging the traction batteries of electric or hybrid vehicles.

[0005] Inductive charging devices typically consist of an AC / AC converter, a primary coil electrically connected to the converter, and a secondary coil located in the vehicle and electrically connected to the batteries via an AC / DC converter. The primary and secondary coils, forming an open transformer, must be magnetically coupled to ensure optimal electrical energy transfer. To achieve this, they must be positioned opposite each other at a small, precise, and controlled distance.

[0006] Today, regardless of the charging methods used, they tend to evolve towards the use of automatic and autonomous systems that perform connection and disconnection operations robotically. However, for all existing charging solutions, the installation of an inductive or conductive receiver is then necessary, unless using a conventional charging socket that does not require the installation in the vehicle of an additional charging receiver (inductive secondary circuit or conductive connector).

[0007] However, for one-off and temporary charging operations that could benefit from an automatic charging method, such as those to be carried out, for example, in the car parks of vehicle assembly plants or in the car parks of storage of stocks of vehicles for sale, it is tedious, complex and therefore too costly to install a charging receiver in each of these vehicles, especially since it would possibly be removed afterwards.

[0008] US patent application US20210316629A1 describes a method for determining the trajectory of a vehicle and its guidance during a parking maneuver relative to the position of a primary induction charging circuit.

[0009] US patent application US20130088194A1 describes an overhead device for inductively charging a group of vehicles. This device includes a primary circuit with a moving coil that travels to each parked vehicle, aligning itself with a secondary coil mounted in each vehicle.

[0010] French patent FR3072339B1 describes an induction charging device comprising a robot supporting a primary coil and an optical system designed to capture a light signal emitted by a source located under the vehicle in order to control the movement of the robot relative to a secondary coil mounted in the vehicle.

[0011] However, these known or existing charging methods require the installation of a secondary induction circuit in vehicles and, moreover, do not offer much freedom in the organization of parking and in the arrangement of vehicles in a parking lot.

[0012] In this context, a technical solution was sought to address the problems posed by current or known battery charging methods by proposing a device that could be connected to the vehicle. via its charging socket and, on the other hand, powered by electrical energy from a mobile robot via an inductive coupling.

[0013] This goal is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a device for charging traction batteries of electric or hybrid motor vehicles equipped with a charging socket, said device comprising conductive means and induction means at least partially integrated into a mobile robot and intended for the transfer of electrical energy, characterized in that said conductive means comprise a connector intended to be plugged into the charging socket and which is connected to an element ensuring the link with a power converter and said induction means comprise, on the one hand, a first induction coil forming a transmitter carried by the mobile robot and, on the other hand, a second induction coil connected to the power converter and forming, with said conductive means, a receiver external to the vehicles.

[0014] According to an advantageous feature of the charging device of the invention, the external receiver is provided with means ensuring its localization and identification by said mobile robot to couple the first coil to the second coil and charge the batteries.

[0015] According to another feature of the device of the invention, the connector is of a type chosen, in particular, from the AC, DC, type 2, CCS group, depending on the electrical characteristics of the vehicle and those of the external receiver.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the charging device of the invention, the external receiver is mounted on a support providing a free space with the ground to allow the positioning of the mobile robot and the coupling of the two induction coils.

[0017] Preferably, the element providing the link between the connector and the power converter is provided with protection and control means.

[0018] Another object of the invention is a method for charging the traction batteries of a fleet of electric or hybrid motor vehicles. the stopping by means of the device as defined above, characterized in that external receivers are connected to the charging sockets of the vehicles and at least one mobile robot is moved from one vehicle to another by bringing it close to their respective external receivers so as to charge the batteries by induction.

[0019] According to a specific implementation method of the invention, the movement of the robot and the control of the battery charge are controlled by means of localization and identification of the vehicles.

[0020] Yet another object of the invention is a use of the process defined above for charging the batteries of electric or hybrid motor vehicles in a parking or storage area.

[0021] Thanks to the combination of receivers connected to the various vehicles and the transmitter carried by the mobile robot, the improved device according to the invention ensures automatic and rapid battery charging. This significantly improves the management of vehicle charging in storage.

[0022] Furthermore, the charging method is implemented according to the process of the invention with a high tolerance with regard to the position of the vehicles on the parking areas, whether at the factory exit or in parking lots and does not require any modification of these areas except for a robot power supply system.

[0023] Furthermore, unlike previous charging devices, the invention's charging system eliminates the need for the laborious and costly installation of specific components on vehicles. These earlier devices were less reliable and slower at detecting vehicle location and required the installation of an additional system to open the charging port cover. This device can therefore be easily removed once the required charge level is reached.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, with reference to the attached figures, for which:

[0025] [Fig. 1] is a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the charging device according to the invention applied to a vehicle.

[0026] [Fig. 2] is a diagram illustrating the implementation of the charging process according to the invention using the device of figure 1.

[0027] For clarity, identical or similar elements are identified by identical reference symbols in the description and on the figures.

[0028] Naturally, the embodiment of the charging device of the invention, schematically illustrated in the figures above and described below, is given only by way of non-limiting example. It is explicitly provided for in the scope of the invention that different embodiments can be proposed and combined to create others.

[0029] The invention relates to the charging / recharging of traction batteries in electric motor vehicles equipped with a charging port. More specifically, the invention provides suitable means for charging the batteries when these vehicles are stationary in parking areas.

[0030] This device generally includes conductive means and induction means for transferring electrical energy between a power supply network and the batteries (not shown) of vehicles V. These means are at least partially integrated into a mobile robot R powered directly or indirectly by the electrical network, as illustrated by Figure 1.

[0031] According to the invention, the conductive means comprise a connector 11 for connection to the charging socket C of a vehicle. This connector 11 is connected to an element 12, such as a wiring harness, providing the link to a power converter (not shown). Preferably, the connecting element 12 is provided with protection and control means (not shown).

[0032] The inductive means, for their part, comprise, on the one hand, a first induction coil 20 carried by the mobile robot R and forming an electric charge emitter 2 and, on the other hand, a second induction coil 10 connected to the power converter and forming, with the conductive means 11, 12, an electrical charge receiver 1 disposed outside the vehicles V.

[0033] The characteristics of connector 11 are standard and are chosen from a group including, in particular, AC, DC, type 2, CCS, or others, depending on the specific electrical characteristics of the vehicle's electrical equipment and those of the external receiver 1. The power converter converts the high-frequency AC current from the second coil 10 into DC current at the battery voltage. Suitable means for voltage control and activation / deactivation of the receiver 1 can also be integrated into the device.

[0034] Therefore, the mechanical and electrical connections between the vehicles and the charging device are ensured solely by the temporary connection of connector 11 to the existing electrical socket C on the vehicle. The device of the invention is thus entirely external to the vehicle and therefore does not require the installation of any additional internal components.

[0035] The external receiver 1 is also equipped with means ensuring its localization and remote identification by the mobile robot R. Thus, the robot can recognize the different vehicles and move automatically and, where appropriate, autonomously to approach each of the vehicles up to a predetermined and / or programmed distance depending on the charge transfer capacities between the transmitter 2 and the receiver 1. Once the robot R is correctly positioned relative to the vehicle V, the first coil 20 of the transmitter 2 connects to the second coil 10 of the receiver 1 and the electrical transfer then ensures the progressive charging of the vehicle's batteries by induction and then conduction.

[0036] According to one embodiment of the charging device of the invention, the external receiver 1 is mounted on a support 3 providing a free space with the ground to allow the positioning of the mobile robot R in the immediate vicinity and the coupling of the two induction coils 20, 10. Where appropriate, the support 3 includes elements for leveling and support on the ground or on the body of the vehicle which allow freedom of movement of the robot without however creating an overhang.

[0037] As illustrated in Figure 2, the invention also relates to a method for charging the traction batteries of a fleet of electric or hybrid motor vehicles (VI, V2, ...) that are stationary in a storage or parking area. This method is implemented using the device as defined above and consists, firstly, of connecting external receivers 1 to the charging sockets C of the vehicles, after opening the cover that seals and protects this socket. This operation is performed manually by an operator working in the parking area.

[0038] The next step is to move at least one mobile robot R from a vehicle VI already charged to another vehicle V2 and so on in order to successively bring the transmitter 2 closer to the external receivers 1 of the different vehicles to charge all their batteries by induction.

[0039] According to a specific implementation of the process of the invention, the movement of the robot R and the control of the charging of the batteries are controlled by the means of localization and identification of the vehicles integrated into the external receiver 1.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Device for charging traction batteries of motor vehicles (V) with electric or hybrid motorization equipped with a charging socket (C), said device comprising conductive means and induction means at least partially integrated into a mobile robot (R) and intended for the transfer of electrical energy, characterized in that said conductive means comprise a connector (11) intended to be connected to the charging socket (C) and which is connected to an element ensuring the connection with a power converter and said inductive means comprise, on the one hand, a first induction coil (20) forming a transmitter (2) carried by the mobile robot and, on the other hand, a second induction coil (10) connected to the power converter and forming, with said conductive means, a receiver (1) external to the vehicles.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said external receiver (1) is provided with means ensuring its location and identification by said mobile robot (R) to couple the first coil (20) to the second coil (10) and charge the batteries.

3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said connector (11) is of a type chosen, in particular, from the group AC, DC, type 2, CCS, depending on the electrical characteristics of the vehicle and those of the external receiver (1).

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said external receiver (1) is mounted on a support (3) providing a free space with the ground to allow the positioning of the mobile robot (R) and the coupling of the two induction coils (20, 10).

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said element ensuring the connection between the connector (11) and the power converter is provided with protection and control means.

6. Method for charging the traction batteries of a fleet of motor vehicles (VI, V2, ...) with electric or hybrid motors when stationary by means of the device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that external receivers (1) are connected to the charging sockets (C) of the vehicles and at least one mobile robot (R) is moved from one vehicle to another by bringing it closer to their respective external receivers (1) so as to charge the batteries by induction.

7. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the movement of the robot (R) and the control of the charge of the batteries are controlled by means of locating and identifying the vehicles.

8. Use of the method according to one of claims 6 or 7 for charging the batteries of motor vehicles (V) with electric or hybrid motorization in a parking or storage area.

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