EV Charge Head Landing Switch with Curved Contact Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Head landing switches in electric vehicle charging systems often get stuck on roof surface discontinuities due to uneven surfaces, causing operational inefficiencies during the charging process.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a head landing switch with a lever and a cylindrical contact element that contacts the roof surface before the charge head, ensuring smooth engagement and avoiding sticking issues by having a width greater than the seam width, allowing for proper alignment and descent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the head landing switch contacts the roof surface directly with its bottom surface, then it can detect the landing position, but it gets stuck on roof surface discontinuities and seams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the flat bottom surface of the contact element with a curved surface (cylindrical or spherical shape). This curved surface allows the contact element to roll over roof surface discontinuities and seams rather than getting stuck, enabling reliable landing detection while maintaining smooth sliding operation during the charging process.
2Ease of operation
If the contact element width is smaller than the seam width, then it can pass through seams easily, but it cannot reliably detect the landing position on uneven surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that the contact element width should be greater than the seam width, which seems counterintuitive. However, combined with the curved surface design, this parameter change allows the rounded contact element to bridge over small seams while still making reliable contact with the roof surface to detect landing position, thus resolving the contradiction between seam passage capability and detection accuracy.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the contact element contacts the roof after the charge head bottom surface, then it follows the normal descent sequence, but it cannot prevent sticking issues during sliding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the contact element such that its bottom surface is below the bottom surface of the charge head, causing the contact element to contact the roof surface before the charge head during descent. This preliminary action allows the contact element to engage the roof surface first, establishing stable contact and preventing sticking before the main charge head body settles into position.
Data Source
AI summary
A charging station for charging an electric vehicle may include a charge head movably attached to a charge head assembly and at least one head landing switch including a lever and a contact element. A first end of the lever may be rotatably coupled to the charge head and an opposite second end of the lever may be rotatably coupled to the contact element. At least a bottom surface of the contact element may be positioned below the bottom surface of the charge head such that the contact element can contact the roof of the electric vehicle before the bottom surface of the charge head can contact the roof. And, a width of the contact element may be greater than a width of the seam on the charging interface.