EV Charging Contact Sequence Control via Segmented Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing charging systems for electric vehicles do not reliably ensure that current and signal flows are interrupted in accordance with standards like DIN VDE 0100, particularly when the vehicle unintentionally moves during charging.
Innovation Solution
A device with vehicle-side contacts arranged to disconnect in a specific order: control contacts first, followed by power contacts, and then equipotential bonding contacts, using rod-shaped contact rails with defined spacings and insulation to prevent unintended contact re-engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle moves unintentionally during charging, then the contacts may come out of contact in an incorrect order, but the known systems cannot prevent this unintended movement or ensure correct disconnection sequence
Solution Approach 1:
The contact device is segmented into multiple contact rails (first contact rail, second contact rail, third contact rail) with different lengths and arrangements. Each contact rail carries specific contacts (power contacts, control contacts, equipotential bonding contacts) and they are spatially segmented to achieve sequential disconnection when the vehicle moves. This segmentation allows reliable order control without complex additional mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact rails are pre-configured with specific lengths and positions before charging occurs. The first contact rail has a first length, the second contact rail has a second length longer than the first, and the third contact rail has a third length. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the vehicle moves unintentionally, the contacts automatically disconnect in the correct sequence (control contacts first, then power contacts, then equipotential bonding contacts) without requiring active control during the event.
2Reliability
If all contacts are arranged to disconnect simultaneously when the vehicle moves, then the structure is simple, but it violates safety standards requiring specific disconnection order
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single contact rail, the invention uses multiple contact rails (first, second, and third contact rails) with different lengths arranged in space. This spatial dimensionality allows contacts to disconnect at different positions along the movement direction when the vehicle moves, achieving the required disconnection sequence while maintaining mechanical simplicity. The different lengths of contact rails create different disengagement points in the longitudinal dimension.
Solution Approach 2:
Different contact rails are assigned different local qualities - specifically different lengths and positions. The first contact rail has a first length, the second contact rail has a second length longer than the first, and the third contact rail has a third length. This local differentiation in dimensions ensures that control contacts, power contacts, and equipotential bonding contacts disconnect in the specified order, meeting safety standard requirements while keeping the overall mechanism simple.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for charging an electrical energy storage device, in particular a traction battery, of a vehicle having an electric drive, with an electrical contact device (8) associated with the vehicle (1), which has a first power contact (21) forming a first pole, a second power contact (25) forming a second pole, a control contact (23) and a potential equalization contact (27).According to the invention, the first power contact (21), the second power contact (25), the control contact (23) and the potential equalization contact (27) of the vehicle-side contact device (8) are arranged and designed such that, starting from a contact state in which each vehicle-side contact (21 to 27) is in contact with an associated charging station-side counterpart contact (49 to 55), when the vehicle (1) moves forward and/or backward, first the vehicle-side control contact (23) comes out of contact with an associated charging station-side control counterpart contact (51), then the vehicle-side power contacts (21, 25) come out of contact with associated charging station-side power counterpart contacts (49, 53), and finally the vehicle-side potential equalization contact (27) comes out of contact with an associated charging station-side potential equalization counterpart contact (55).