Charging station, charging arrangement comprising the charging station, and method for automated charging of an electric vehicle

Abstract

The invention proposes a charging station (4) for automated charging of an electric vehicle (2), comprising a charging contact (8) for coupling to a vehicle-side charging connection (14), comprising a housing main body (5), which forms a receiving chamber (9) for the charging contact (8) in a basic position (100), and comprising a first housing cover (6) for covering the receiving chamber (9), wherein the housing main body (5) has a concentric receiving opening (18, 19) in which the first housing cover (6) is received so as to be rotatable relative to the housing main body (5) about a first axis of rotation (102), wherein the charging station has a second housing cover (7) for covering the receiving chamber (9), wherein the first housing cover (6) has a receiving opening (18, 19) which is eccentric with respect to the first axis of rotation (102) and in which the second housing cover (7) is received so as to be rotatable relative to the first housing cover (6) about a second axis of rotation (103), and wherein the second housing cover (7) has a passage opening (20), which is eccentric with respect to the second axis of rotation (103), for feeding through the charging contact (8).

Description

[0001] Charging station, charging arrangement with the charging station and method for automated charging of an electric vehicle

[0002] The invention relates to a charging station for the automated charging of an electric vehicle having the features of the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the invention relates to a charging arrangement with the charging station and a method for the automated charging of an electric vehicle.

[0003] Various state-of-the-art systems for charging electric vehicles are known, such as WEVC (Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging), ACDS (Automatic Connecting Device for Conventional Side Connecting Interface), or ACDU (Automatic Connecting Underbody Device). Underbody systems such as ACDU use additional hardware in the vehicle and on the floor to create an additional conductive connection on the underside of the vehicle for charging. Currently, these solutions are expensive, not very robust, or impractical.

[0004] The document EP 4244094 A1 describes a charging device for electrically charging an electric vehicle, wherein the charging device has a first coupling element which can be connected to a second coupling element arranged on the electric vehicle to establish an electrical connection. The charging device has a base which can be at least partially sunk into a floor and a movement device which connects the first coupling element to the base in a controllably movable manner relative to the base. The base has a through-opening and a cover closing the through-opening, such that in a use state, the first coupling element can be moved with the movement device from a non-charging position sunk into the floor through the through-opening with the cover open in order to guide the first coupling element to assume a charging position towards the second coupling element.The object of the present invention is to propose a charging station characterized by a simple and robust design. Furthermore, the object of the invention is to propose a charging arrangement with the charging station and a corresponding method.

[0005] This object is achieved by a charging station having the features of claim 1, a charging arrangement having the features of claim 9 and a method having the features of claim 10. Preferred or advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the subclaims, the following description and the attached figures.

[0006] The subject matter of the invention is a charging station which is designed and / or suitable for the automated charging of an electric vehicle. In particular, the charging station is designed as an underbody charging station, also known as an ACDU (Automatic Connecting Underbody Device). In particular, the charging station serves to charge an electrical energy storage device of the electric vehicle, such as a traction battery. The charging station is preferably permanently connected to an energy source or a power source. The charging station is preferably stationary and / or at least partially and / or at least temporarily incorporated into a subsurface on which the electric vehicle is arranged. Electric vehicles can be understood to mean both purely electrically powered and partially electrically powered or hybridized vehicles.

[0007] The charging station has a charging contact which is designed and / or suitable for coupling to a vehicle-side charging connection. In particular, a charging process of the energy storage device can be carried out via the coupling of the charging contact to the vehicle-side charging connection. Preferably, the charging contact and the charging connection are designed to establish an electrical plug-in connection. For this purpose, the charging contact is preferably designed as a charging plug and the charging connection as a charging socket. For example, the charging contact has a plurality of electrical contacts which are contacted and / or can be contacted with corresponding mating contacts of the charging connection to establish the plug-in connection. Particularly preferably, the charging contact is connected to the energy source via a power line.

[0008] The charging station has a housing base body which forms a receiving space for the charging contact in a basic position. In particular, the housing base body is cylindrical and / or trough-shaped. In the simplest embodiment, the housing base body has a circular base section and an adjoining cylindrical wall section. The receiving space is preferably delimited in the axial direction relative to a central axis by the base section and in the radial direction by the wall section. In other words, the receiving space is open on one side, in particular in the direction of the vehicle-side charging connection. The housing base body is preferably arranged at least partially or completely recessed into a floor, e.g., of a parking lot, garage, etc.

[0009] The charging station has a first housing cover, which is designed and / or suitable for covering the receiving space. In particular, the receiving space is covered by the housing cover in the axially opposite direction, or on the side opposite the base section. Simply put, the first housing cover forms a lid for the housing base.

[0010] The housing base body has a concentric receiving opening in which the first housing cover is received so as to be rotatable relative to the housing base body about a first axis of rotation. In particular, the first housing cover is rotatably displaceable in the circumferential direction with respect to the first axis of rotation and / or parallel to an underbody of the motor vehicle. Preferably, the first housing cover is rotatably mounted in the receiving opening and / or coupled to a rotary drive. In particular, the first axis of rotation is defined by the center axis of the housing base body. Preferably, the base section and the housing cover thus each extend in a radial plane of the first axis of rotation. Within the scope of the invention, it is proposed that the charging station have a second housing cover which is designed and / or suitable for covering the receiving space.The first housing cover has an eccentric receiving opening in which the second housing cover is received so as to be rotatable about a second axis of rotation relative to the first housing cover. Furthermore, the second housing cover has an eccentric through-opening for the charging contact to pass through. Preferably, the first and / or the second housing cover are rotated relative to one another in order to align the charging contact correctly with the charging connection. In particular, the second housing cover is rotatably displaceable in the circumferential direction relative to the second axis of rotation and / or parallel to an underbody of the motor vehicle. Preferably, the second housing cover is rotatably mounted in the eccentric receiving opening and / or coupled to a rotation drive. In particular, the eccentric receiving opening is arranged eccentrically to the first housing cover and / or the first axis of rotation.In particular, the eccentric through-opening is arranged eccentrically to the second housing cover and / or the second rotational axis. Preferably, the second rotational axis is aligned parallel to the first rotational axis or the center axis. In particular, the second rotational axis is defined by a center axis of the second housing cover. Particularly preferably, the first and second housing covers form a common cover of the housing base body. Specifically, the two housing covers and the housing base body form a closed housing.

[0011] The invention is based on the finding that wireless charging systems (WEVC) require corresponding hardware in the vehicle and on the ground and are not very efficient. Automated charging systems (ACDS) are also known, which enable automatic charging of vehicles without changes to the typical plug design. However, this requires a robot that approaches the vehicle from the same position as a human. The disadvantage, however, is that the robot requires more space in the parking space and also requires a stable and expensive construction because it is freely accessible. In addition, a large number of sensors are necessary for collision-free movement of the robot. The use of underfloor charging systems (ACDU) has the advantage that they can be installed in the floor area of ​​the vehicle in a particularly space-saving and cost-effective manner, with additional hardware in the vehicle and on the ground creating an additional conductive connection.

[0012] The advantage of the invention lies in the fact that the eccentrically arranged housing covers provide a charging station that allows the charging contact to be easily aligned with the vehicle's charging port by a rotational relative movement of the housing covers. A further advantage is that the rotational movement of the housing covers allows the charging station to be designed particularly simply and thus cost-effectively. Furthermore, the rotation of the housing covers allows for a permanently closed housing, which prevents the entry of foreign particles during the charging process and thus makes the charging station significantly more robust against environmental influences.

[0013] In a specific embodiment, it is provided that the two housing covers are designed as two circular disks of different diameters, wherein the second housing cover is arranged radially inside the first housing cover. In particular, the first housing cover has a first diameter and the second housing cover has a second diameter, wherein the second diameter is less than 90% and / or more than 50%, preferably more than 55% and / or less than 65%, of the first diameter. Preferably, the first housing cover is supported in the axial direction on the housing base body, preferably on a circumferential collar, and the second housing cover is supported in the axial direction on the first housing cover, preferably on a circumferential annular shoulder. Thus, a first and second housing cover are proposed which can be rotated in a simple manner and thus coupled to one another in terms of movement.

[0014] In a further embodiment, it is planned that the two

[0015] Housing covers and the charging contact lie in a common radial plane of the rotation axis in the home position. Preferably, the two housing covers and / or the charging contact close the respective corresponding opening flush in the home position. Alternatively or optionally in addition, the two housing covers and the charging contact form a closed cover of the housing base in the home position. In other words, the two housing covers and the charging contact together form a cover that closes off the receiving space in the home position. In particular, the housing covers and the charging contact are received in the respective opening in a form-fitting and / or precisely fitting manner in the radial direction.A charging station is therefore proposed which is characterized by complete coverage of the receiving space and a level structure, whereby the charging station can be driven over at least in the basic position and does not represent an obstacle.

[0016] In a specific implementation, it is provided that the first and the second housing cover are each rotatable relative to one another about the respective axis of rotation within a rotation angle range of at least or exactly + / - 180. The rotation angle range of the first and second housing cover is preferably limited to exactly + / - 180 from the basic position. Particularly preferably, the first and the second housing cover are independently rotatable about the respective axis of rotation within the respective rotation angle range. By limiting the rotation angle range, it is ensured that the power line connected to the charging contact does not become tangled and thus damaged when the housing cover is rotated, or that rotation is prevented.

[0017] In a further specific embodiment, it is provided that at least the two housing covers are each arranged in a sealing manner in the respective receiving opening via a sealing device in order to seal the receiving space from the environment. In particular, the sealing devices are designed as rotary seals, such as an O-ring, which permanently seal the housing covers when rotated. Furthermore, the charging contact can also be arranged in a movable manner, preferably rotatably and / or extendably, in the through-opening, wherein the charging contact is arranged in a sealing manner in the through-opening via a further sealing device. For example, the further sealing device can be designed as a translatory and / or rotary seal. Put simply, the sealing devices are designed as dynamic seals.Thus, a completely enclosed, easily sealed unit is proposed that is very robust against environmental influences.

[0018] In a further specific embodiment, the through-opening of the second housing cover is arranged coaxially with the first rotational axis of the first housing cover in the home position. In other words, the through-opening or the charging contact is arranged centrally and / or centrally with respect to the first housing cover or the housing base body in the home position.

[0019] Preferably, the first axis of rotation and a center axis of the through-opening lie on a common pitch circle around the second axis of rotation. In simplified terms, the first axis of rotation is arranged within the second diameter. Thus, a charging station is proposed whose charging contact is centrally located in the home position. Furthermore, the charging contact can be arranged in any desired position within the first diameter, ensuring reliable positional alignment.

[0020] In a further development, it is provided that at least the charging contact is rotatable about a third axis of rotation relative to the second housing cover. In particular, the electrical contacts of the charging contact can be correctly aligned with the corresponding mating contacts of the charging connection by rotating the charging contact to establish the plug-in connection. In particular, the charging contact has a cylindrical and / or circular shape. Alternatively or optionally additionally, the charging contact can be extended in one or more stages relative to the second housing cover in the axial direction with respect to the third axis of rotation into the charging position in the direction of the charging connection. In particular, the charging contact can be connected to the charging connection by extending it to establish the plug-in connection if the charging connection is rigidly and / or immovably installed in the electric vehicle.In particular, at least the charging contact can be designed to be collapsible and / or telescopic in order to reduce the axial length, in particular in the basic position, or to extend it in the charging position. For example, at least the charging contact can be formed from at least two components that can be axially displaced into one another, such as cylinders. The charging contact can preferably be rotated from the basic position and / or axially moved via the through-opening in order to transfer the charging contact into the charging position and / or to couple it to the charging connection. Optionally, the housing base body and / or the first and / or second housing cover can also be axially extendable in the direction of the charging connection. A charging station is thus proposed which is particularly compact and can also be easily aligned with the charging connection.

[0021] In a further embodiment, the charging station comprises a positioning unit configured to determine a position of the charging port on an underside of the electric vehicle and to rotate at least the first and / or second housing cover about the respective axis of rotation from the basic position into a charging position in order to align the charging contact with the charging port. In particular, the positioning unit enables the position of the charging contact to be adjusted to the position of the charging port while the vehicle is stationary. Preferably, the positioning unit comprises a sensor device configured and / or suitable for determining or detecting the position of the charging port. For example, the sensor device can be configured as a camera.Furthermore, the positioning unit has a drive device which serves to move, preferably to rotate, the two housing covers and optionally to move the charging contact. In the simplest embodiment, the drive device can be designed as a rotary drive which rotates the first and second housing covers and optionally the charging contact about the respective axis of rotation. In a further development, the drive device additionally has a linear drive in order to axially retract or extend the charging contact. Furthermore, the charging station according to the invention comprises a control device which is designed to control the drive device depending on the position of the charging connection detected by the sensor device such that the charging contact is transferred into a charging position in which the charging contact is arranged in the correct position relative to the charging connection of the electric vehicle.To do this, the drive unit can rotate the first and / or second housing cover around the respective rotation axis until the position of the charging contact aligns with the position of the charging port. The positioning unit thus makes it particularly easy to automatically compensate for angular deviations between the charging contact and the charging port.

[0022] The invention further relates to a charging arrangement comprising a parking space, an electric vehicle, and a charging station, as already described above. The charging station is at least partially and / or temporarily recessed into the ground or a floor surface of the parking space. In particular, the charging station can be largely or completely recessed or arranged flush and / or level with the floor of the parking space. In other words, at least the housing covers and, if applicable, the charging contact lie in a common plane with the ground in the basic position. Furthermore, the charging arrangement can comprise an energy source which is electrically connected to one or more charging stations, preferably their charging contact, via a power line. The electric vehicle is parked in the parking space opposite the charging station, wherein the charging contact is connected to the charging port to establish an electrical connection.In particular, the electric vehicle is arranged with the charging port in the area of ​​the charging station or above the charging station. Particularly preferably, the electrical connection is formed via the plug connection, which is preferably established in the axial direction relative to the rotational axis, in particular the third rotational axis. Particularly preferably, the charging contact and the charging port are locked and / or lockable to one another in the charging position.

[0023] A further subject matter of the invention relates to a method for the automated charging of the electric vehicle by means of the charging station and / or the charging arrangement, as already described above, in which the electric vehicle is parked above the charging station or positioned above the charging station; a position of the vehicle's charging connection is detected; the first and / or the second housing cover are rotated relative to one another about the respective axis of rotation, so that the charging contact is transferred from a basic position into a charging position in which the charging contact is correctly aligned with the charging connection; the charging contact is coupled to the vehicle-side charging connection. The positioning unit is preferably designed and / or suitable for carrying out the method.In particular, the charging contact is moved, preferably by means of the drive device, from its basic position arranged in the receiving space through the through-opening in order to transfer the charging contact into the charging position and couple it to the charging port. In particular, the drive device is controlled by the control device, depending on a position of the charging port arranged on the underside of the electric vehicle determined by the sensor device, such that the charging contact is arranged in a charging position in which the charging contact can be connected to the charging port of the electric vehicle. This enables robust electrical charging with low susceptibility to contamination.

[0024] Further features, advantages, and effects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention. It shows:

[0025] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a charging arrangement with an ideally positioned electric vehicle;

[0026] Fig. 2 shows the charging arrangement with an obliquely or actually positioned electric vehicle in the same representation as in Fig. 1;

[0027] Fig. 3 the loading arrangement in a schematic side view;

[0028] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a charging station of the charging arrangement in an installation situation in a basic position;

[0029] Fig. 5 is a perspective sectional view of the charging station from Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the charging station in the installed state in a charging position;

[0030] Fig. 7 is a perspective sectional view of the charging station from Fig. 6;

[0031] Fig. 8 the charging station in a schematic plan view;

[0032] Fig. 9 is a schematic representation of the charging station with an energy source.

[0033] Figures 1 and 2 each show a highly schematic plan view of a charging arrangement 1 as an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The charging arrangement 1 comprises an electric vehicle 2 arranged in a parking space 3. Furthermore, the charging arrangement 1 has a charging station 4 arranged below the electric vehicle 2 and at least partially recessed into the floor of the parking space 3. For example, the charging station 4 is an underbody charging station, also known as an ACDU (Automatic Connecting Underbody Device).

[0034] The charging station 4 essentially comprises a housing base 5 recessed into the parking space 3, as well as first and second housing covers 6, 7 covering the housing base 5, which can be rotated relative to one another. The first housing cover 6 is arranged concentrically in the housing base 5, and the second housing cover 7 is arranged eccentrically in the first housing cover 6. The charging station 4 also comprises a charging contact 8, which in turn is arranged eccentrically in the second housing cover 7. In a basic position 100, as shown in Figure 1, the charging contact 8 is arranged centrally or centrally in the charging station 4. The vehicle is positioned exactly on the parking space 3 relative to the charging station 4, so that the charging contact 8 can be transferred into a charging position 101, as shown in Figure 3, without rotating the housing covers 6, 7.

[0035] However, since precise positioning of the electric vehicle 2 by the driver is virtually impossible in reality, the charging contact 8 must be aligned accordingly in a real parking position of the electric vehicle 2, as shown in Figure 2. For this purpose, the first and / or second housing covers 6, 7 can be rotated relative to each other from the basic position 100 into the charging position 101, whereby the position of the charging contact 8 relative to the electric vehicle 2 or parallel to its underbody can be changed.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, the housing base body 5 has a receiving space 9 in which the charging contact 8 is received in the home position 100 or in a non-charging state. The housing base body 5 is designed, for example, as a circular trough which is completely recessed or flush with the parking space 3. The receiving space 9 is delimited on the one hand by the housing base body 5 and on the other hand is delimited or closed off axially with respect to a first axis of rotation 102 of the first housing cover 6 or a second axis of rotation 103 of the second housing cover 7 in the direction of the vehicle 2 by the two housing covers 6, 7 and the charging contact 8.

[0037] A positioning unit 10 is arranged in the receiving space 9 and comprises a sensor device 11, a control device 12, and a drive device 13. The sensor device 11 is designed to detect the position of a charging port 14 located on the underbody of the electric vehicle 2 and to provide it to the control device 12. For this purpose, the sensor device 11 can be designed, for example, as a CCD sensor arranged near the charging contact 8 or on the charging contact 8. The control device 12 is designed to control the drive device 13 based on the position of the charging port 14 in order to move the charging contact 8 into the charging position 101. For example, the control device 12 is designed as a microcontroller. The drive device 13 is motion-coupled to the two housing covers 6, 7 and the charging contact 8. The drive device 13 can be a combination of a rotary and linear drive.The rotary drive rotates the two housing covers 6, 7 relative to each other about the respective rotational axis 6, 7, and the linear drive moves the charging contact 8 axially in the direction of the charging connection 14. The charging contact 8 can be designed as a charging plug, and the charging connection 14 as a charging socket, which are connected to one another via a plug connection. If the electric vehicle 2 has a rigid charging connection 14 that cannot move vertically to the charging contact 8, the charging contact 8 must be extended vertically from the receiving space 9 toward the charging connection 14 in order to establish the plug connection. For this purpose, the charging contact 8 can be extendable in one or more stages.

[0038] To seal the receiving space 9, the first housing cover 6 is sealed from the housing base body 5 by a first sealing device 15, the second housing cover 7 is sealed from the first housing cover 6 by a second sealing device 16, and the charging contact 8 is sealed from the second housing cover 7 by a third sealing device 17. For example, the sealing devices 15, 16, 17 can be designed as dynamic seals, such as O-rings or lip seals. The first and second sealing devices 15, 16 are preferably designed as a rotary seal, and the third sealing device 17 is designed as a scraper seal. The sealing of the housing covers 6, 7 and the charging contact 8 creates a completely closed, sealed unit that is very robust against environmental influences.

[0039] Figures 4 and 5 show the charging station 4 in the basic position 100 in an installed situation. As can be seen from Figure 4, the two housing covers 6, 7 and the charging contact 8 together form a flush cover of the housing base body 5. For this purpose, the two housing covers 6, 7 are designed as circular discs, with the second housing cover 6 being arranged radially within the first housing cover 7.

[0040] As can be seen from Figure 5, the housing base body 5 has a concentric first receiving opening 18 in which the first housing cover 6 is rotatably received. The first housing cover 6 in turn has a second receiving opening 19 in which the second housing cover 7 is rotatably received. The second housing cover 7 in turn has a through-opening 20 into which the charging contact 8 is received or can be passed through. In principle, the charging contact 8 does not have to be round, but a round design has the advantage that the charging contact 8 can also be rotated in the through-opening 20 or relative to the second housing cover 7.

[0041] In the home position 101, the two housing covers 6, 7 and the charging contact 8 are arranged in a common radial plane of the first and second rotational axes 102, 103, respectively. In other words, the two housing covers 6, 7 and the charging contact 8 are flush with the housing base body 5. The first and second rotational axes 102, 103 are preferably aligned axially parallel to each other.

[0042] Figures 6 and 7 show the charging station 4 in the charging position 101 in an installed situation. As can be seen from Figure 6, at least the charging contact 8 is extended in the charging position 101. The charging contact 8 can be designed to be telescopic and thus extendable in at least two stages.

[0043] As can be seen from Figure 7, the charging contact 8 is extended out of the receiving space 9 via the through-opening 20 in the axial direction relative to the first and second rotational axes 102, 103, respectively. The charging contact 8 is composed of two telescopically interconnected cylinder components, which are pushed together in the basic position 100, as shown in Figure 5.

[0044] Figure 8 shows the charging station 4 in a highly schematic plan view. The first housing cover 6 has a first diameter 105 and the second housing cover a second diameter 106, wherein the second diameter 106 is, for example, more than 50% and / or less than 80% of the first diameter 105. In particular, the charging contact 8 is arranged within the second diameter 106 such that, in the basic position 100, as schematically indicated, it is arranged coaxially with the first axis of rotation 102 and / or concentrically with the first housing cover 6. In other words, in the basic position 100, the charging contact 8 forms the circle center of the first housing cover 6. For this purpose, the first axis of rotation 102 and a center axis or a third axis of rotation 104 of the charging contact 8 are arranged on a common partial circle 107 around the second axis of rotation 103. For example, the charging contact 8 is rotatable about the third axis of rotation 104.Due to the coupled movement of the two housing covers 6, 7, the charging contact 8 can be moved as desired within the first diameter 105 in order to be aligned with the position of the charging connection 14.

[0045] As shown in Figure 9, the charging contact 8 is connected to a power source 22 via a power line 21. In the charging position 101, the electrical energy provided by the power source 22 can be transmitted, at least temporarily, via the plug connection via the charging contact 8 to the charging port 14 in order to charge the energy storage device of the electric vehicle 2. The power line 21 is designed in the receiving space 9 such that the two housing covers 5, 6 can rotate seamlessly around each other. For example, the rotation angle ranges of the two housing covers 5, 6 can be limited to + / - 180 degrees from the basic position 100 to prevent the power line 21 from becoming tangled within the receiving space 9.

[0046] List of reference symbols

[0047] Charging arrangement Electric vehicle Parking space Charging station Housing base body First housing cover Second housing cover Charging contact Receiving space Positioning unit

[0048] Sensor device Control device Drive device Charging connection First sealing device Second sealing device Third sealing device First receiving opening Second receiving opening Through opening Power line Energy source Basic position Charging position First rotational axis Second rotational axis Third rotational axis First diameter Second diameter Pitch circle

Claims

Patent claims 1. Charging station (4) for the automated charging of an electric vehicle (2), - with a charging contact (8) for coupling to a vehicle-side charging connection (14); - with a housing base body (5) which forms a receiving space (9) for the charging contact (8) in a basic position (100); - with a first housing cover (6) for covering the receiving space (9), wherein the housing base body (5) has a concentric receiving opening (18, 19) in which the first housing cover (6) is received so as to be rotatable about a first axis of rotation (102) relative to the housing base body (5), characterized by a second housing cover (7) for covering the receiving space (9), wherein the first housing cover (6) has a receiving opening (18, 19) which is eccentric to the first axis of rotation (102), in which the second housing cover (7) is received so as to be rotatable about a second axis of rotation (103) relative to the first housing cover (6), and wherein the second housing cover (7) has a through-opening (20) which is eccentric to the second axis of rotation (103) for the charging contact (8) to pass through.

2. Charging station (4) according to claim 1, characterized in that the two housing covers (6, 7) are designed as two circular discs of different diameters (105, 106), wherein the second housing cover (7) is arranged radially inside the first housing cover (6) with respect to the first axis of rotation (102).

3. Charging station (4) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the two housing covers (6, 7) and the charging contact (8) in the basic position (100) lie in a common radial plane of the axis of rotation (102, 103, 104) and / or form a closed cover of the housing base body (5).

4. Charging station (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and the second housing cover (6, 7) are each rotatable relative to one another about the respective axis of rotation (102, 103, 104) in a rotation angle range of at least + / - 180 degrees.

5. Charging station (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least the two housing covers (6, 7) are each arranged in a sealing manner in the respective receiving opening (18, 19) via a sealing device (15, 16) in order to seal the receiving space (9) from the environment.

6. Charging station (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the through-opening (20) of the second housing cover (7) is arranged in a basic position (100) coaxial with the first axis of rotation (102) of the first housing cover (6).

7. Charging station (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least the charging contact (8) is rotatable relative to the second housing cover (7) about a third axis of rotation (104) and / or is extendable in one or more stages in the axial direction with respect to one of the axes of rotation (102, 103, 104) into a charging position (101) in the direction of the electric vehicle (2).

8. Charging station (4) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a positioning unit (10) which is designed to determine a position of the charging connection (14) on an underside of the electric vehicle (2) and to rotate the first and / or second housing cover (6, 7) about the respective axis of rotation (102, 103, 104) from a basic position (100) into a charging position (101) in order to align the charging contact (8) with the charging connection (14).

9. Charging arrangement (1) with a parking space (3), an electric vehicle (2) and with a charging station (4) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging station (4) is at least partially sunk into a floor of the parking space (3) is arranged and the electric vehicle (2) is parked in the parking space (3) above the charging station (4), wherein the charging contact (8) is connected to the charging connection (14) to establish an electrical connection.

10. Method for the automated charging of an electric vehicle (2) by means of the Charging station (4) according to one of claims 1 to 8 and / or the charging arrangement (1) according to claim 9, in which: - the electric vehicle (2) is parked opposite the charging station (4); - a position of the charging connection (14) of the vehicle is detected; - the first and / or the second housing cover (6, 7) is rotated about the respective axis of rotation (102, 103) are rotated relative to each other, so that the charging contact (8) is transferred from a basic position (100) into a charging position (101) in which the charging contact (8) is correctly aligned with the charging connection (14); - the charging contact (8) is coupled to the vehicle-side charging connection (14).

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