Underbody Vehicle Battery Charging Box with Ground Coupler
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric vehicle charging systems with pin-type connectors are not durable enough for frequent use, particularly in applications like fleets that require thousands of connections and disconnections, leading to reduced longevity and safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a charging box mounted under the vehicle, which connects to a charge coupler to facilitate electrical charging without the need for complex connectors, using a transmitter to activate the charge coupler only when the vehicle is properly positioned, ensuring safety and durability by allowing larger, more robust electrical contacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pin-type electrical connectors are used for charging, then the charging system can be connected and disconnected, but the connectors become insufficiently durable for frequent use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the connector from the vehicle and places it on the ground as a charge coupler. The charging box mounted under the vehicle makes direct electrical contact with the ground-based charge coupler, eliminating the need for a handheld connector that requires repeated connection and disconnection cycles. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining operational capability while dramatically improving durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a charge coupler as an intermediary device mounted on the ground that mediates the electrical connection between the power source and the vehicle's charging box. This intermediary eliminates the need for the vehicle to have a durable connector, as the connection is made through the ground-based charge coupler, thereby resolving the durability issue while maintaining ease of operation.
2Reliability
If larger electrical contacts are used to improve durability, then the connectors become more robust, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle's charging box is mounted under the vehicle and makes automatic contact with the ground-based charge coupler when the vehicle is positioned correctly. The system self-aligns and self-connects without requiring complex connector mechanisms, thereby achieving robust electrical contacts while minimizing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the vehicle carry a connector that plugs into the ground, the patent inverts the arrangement by placing the charging box on the vehicle and having it contact a charge coupler on the ground. This inversion simplifies the vehicle's charging system while allowing for larger, more durable electrical contacts in the ground-based charge coupler.
3Productivity
If the charge coupler is always activated, then charging can occur immediately, but safety risks increase due to potential electrical shock
Solution Approach 1:
The charge coupler remains in a ready state but is not electrically activated until the vehicle's charging box is properly positioned and contact is confirmed. This preliminary positioning requirement ensures that the electrical connection is established only when safe, thereby maintaining charging availability while eliminating electrical shock risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback to detect when the vehicle is properly positioned over the charge coupler before activating the electrical connection. This feedback mechanism ensures that charging only begins when the correct alignment is achieved, maintaining productivity while preventing electrical shock by ensuring safe connection conditions are met first.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for charging one or more batteries of a vehicle may include a charging box mounted to a vehicle to facilitate connection to a charge coupler from under the vehicle. The charge coupler may be configured to provide an electrical connection between an electrical power source and the charging box. A vehicle including the charging box may maneuver to a position above the charge coupler, after which electrical contacts of the charging box and the charge coupler may be brought into contact with one another. The charge coupler and/or the charging box may be configured to provide electrical communication between the electrical power source and the one or more batteries, so that the electrical power source may charge one or more of the batteries. Thereafter, the electrical contacts may be separated from one another, and the vehicle may maneuver away from the charge coupler.