Charging Plug Protective Ring for EV Energy Supply

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing energy supply arrangements for motor vehicles face challenges in reliably establishing and maintaining a conductive plug connection for long-term electrical energy transfer, particularly due to contamination and external influences on electrical contacts.

Innovation Solution

The energy supply arrangement features a charging plug with a cylindrical base body and a protective ring that covers and releases electrical contacts, allowing for reliable protection and cleaning, along with a lifting device for vertical displacement and a displacement device for aligning the charging socket, ensuring a secure and efficient conductive plug connection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the charging plug is exposed to establish electrical contact, then electrical energy transfer is enabled, but the contacts are vulnerable to contamination and external influences

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of conductive plug connectionVSAvoidcontamination of electrical contacts

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The protective ring is pre-positioned to cover the electrical contacts before the charging process begins. This preliminary protective action ensures that contacts remain protected during approach and alignment phases, and only becomes transparent when actually needed for energy transfer, thus preventing contamination while enabling reliable connection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The protective ring is designed to be dynamically transparent rather than statically fixed. It can shift its position or become transparent in response to detection signals, allowing the system to adapt between protected state (during approach) and operational state (during energy transfer), thereby resolving the contradiction between protection and functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the protective ring continuously covers the contacts, then contamination is prevented, but electrical energy transfer is blocked

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection from contaminationVSAvoidelectrical energy transfer

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The protective ring operates in periodic cycles: covering the contacts during non-operational phases to prevent contamination, and becoming transparent during operational phases to enable energy transfer. This periodic switching between protected and operational states resolves the contradiction by ensuring that protection and energy transfer do not occur simultaneously but alternately as needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses detection devices to monitor the position and state of the charging plug and protective ring. Based on this feedback information, the control system determines when to make the protective ring transparent and when to restore protection, ensuring that energy transfer occurs only when necessary and appropriate, thus balancing protection requirements with energy transfer needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the charging plug is automatically positioned, then connection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveestablishment of conductive plug connectionVSAvoidlifting device and displacement device

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The charging plug is equipped with detection devices that automatically sense the position of the protective ring and the state of the charging socket. This self-detection capability enables the system to automatically determine when alignment is achieved and when energy transfer should begin, reducing the need for complex external positioning mechanisms while maintaining high connection reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex mechanical positioning systems with detection-based control systems. Instead of using purely mechanical lifting and displacement devices with multiple actuators and sensors, the system uses detection devices that provide feedback for controlled making and breaking of the conductive connection, substituting mechanical complexity with sensor-based control logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11597288B2Energy supply arrangement for supplying a motor vehicle with electrical energy via a conductive plug connection and method for operating an energy supply arrangement

Publication Date: 2023.03.07 AUDI AG

AI summary

An energy supply arrangement for supplying a motor vehicle with electrical energy via a conductive plug connection, includes a stationary charging station and a charging socket which is arranged on board the motor vehicle, the charging station having a charging plug which can be extended in the direction of the motor vehicle. It is provided that the charging plug has a cylindrical base body, on the lateral surface of which multiple electrical contacts are arranged, the base body being encompassed by a protective ring which covers the contacts in a first position and releases the contacts in a second position for contacting counter contacts of the charging socket. A method for operating an energy supply arrangement is also provided.