Contact charging method and contact charging system for electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10227013-B2
Application number	US-201315034481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2013
Priority date	Nov 6, 2013
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

During travel of the electric vehicle, the charging arm is extended in the vehicle width direction, a positive electrode overhead line of the power supply device and a positive electrode power reception unit of the charging arm are brought into contact at the same time that a negative electrode overhead line of the power supply device and a negative electrode power reception unit of the charging arm are brought into contact, and a power storage device for driving the electric vehicle is charged. A charging head that is the tip section of the charging arm is held within a V-shaped groove to which the positive electrode overhead line and the negative electrode overhead line are attached, thereby minimizing the loss of contact even if the charging arm shakes in the vertical direction as a result of the condition of the road surface, brake operation, or the like.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A contact charging method for an electric vehicle, comprising the steps of:
providing a power supplying device, which includes a power line retaining part in which a V-shaped groove is provided that faces toward a side portion of the electric vehicle and is formed to open in upper and lower directions of the electric vehicle and to extend in a running direction of the electric vehicle, and in which a positive electrode power line on one inner surface and a negative electrode power line on another inner surface of the V-shaped groove of the power line retaining part are fixed to the power line retaining part respectively along the running direction and at positions to maintain an insulation distance mutually therebetween;
providing a charging arm accommodated in the side portion of the electric vehicle, the
charging arm including on a distal end thereof a positive electrode power reception unit and a negative electrode power reception unit, which are disposed so as to face the corresponding positive electrode power line and the corresponding negative electrode power line of the power supplying device, the positive electrode power reception unit and the negative electrode power reception unit each having a shape of a rolling wheel to roll by contact with the power supplying device; and
extending the charging arm out in a vehicle widthwise direction to press the V-shaped groove and bringing into contact simultaneously the positive electrode power line of the power supplying device and the positive electrode power reception unit of the charging arm, and the negative electrode power line of the power supplying device and the negative electrode power reception unit of the charging arm, and charging an electrical storage device for driving of the electric vehicle while the distal end of the charging arm being positioned away from a bottom of the V-shaped groove,
wherein the respective surfaces of the positive electrode power reception unit and the negative electrode power reception unit in contact with the positive electrode power line and the negative electrode power line are inclined with respect to an axis of the rolling wheel of the respective positive electrode power reception unit and the negative electrode power reception unit, the axis extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the charging arm.

2. A contact charging system for an electric vehicle, which is constituted from a power supplying device, and the electric vehicle equipped with an electrical storage device for driving to which power from the power supplying device is supplied, wherein:
the power supplying device is of a structure that includes a power line retaining part in which a V-shaped groove is provided that faces toward a side portion of the electric vehicle and is formed to open in upper and lower directions of the electric vehicle and to extend in a running direction of the electric vehicle, and in which a positive electrode power line on one inner surface and a negative electrode power line on another inner surface of the V-shaped groove of the power line retaining part are fixed to the power line retaining part respectively along the running direction and at positions to maintain an insulation distance mutually therebetween; and
the electric vehicle is of a structure comprising a charging arm configured to extend out in a vehicle widthwise direction, which is accommodated in the side portion of the electric vehicle and includes a positive electrode power reception unit and a negative electrode power reception unit, which are provided on a distal end thereof and are disposed so as to face the corresponding positive electrode power line and the corresponding negative electrode power line of the power supplying device, the positive electrode power reception unit and the negative electrode power reception unit each having a shape of a rolling wheel to roll by contact with the power supplying device, wherein during charging, the charging arm is extended out in the vehicle widthwise direction to press the V-shaped groove, and the positive electrode power line of the power supplying device and the positive electrode power reception unit of the charging arm, and the negative electrode power line of the power supplying device and the negative electrode power reception unit of the charging arm are placed in contact simultaneously while the distal end of the charging arm being positioned away from a bottom of the V-shaped groove, and the electrical storage device is charged,
wherein the respective surfaces of the positive electrode power reception unit and the negative electrode power reception unit in contact with the positive electrode power line and the negative electrode power line are inclined with respect to an axis of the rolling wheel of the respective positive electrode power reception unit and the negative electrode power reception unit, the axis extending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the charging arm.

3. A power supplying device for supplying power to an electric vehicle, comprising a power line retaining part, in which a V-shaped groove is provided that faces toward a side portion of the electric vehicle and is formed to open in upper and lower directions of the electric vehicle and to extend in a running direction of the electric vehicle, and in which a positive electrode power line on one inner surface and a negative electrode power line on another inner surface of the V-shaped groove of the power line retaining part are fixed to the power line retaining part respectively along the running direction and at positions to maintain an insulation distance mutually therebetween,
wherein the power supplying device includes a guide member being a separate member receiving the power line retaining part, the guide member including an upper guide wall projecting from the V-shaped groove toward the electric vehicle and a lower guide wall projecting from the V-shaped groove toward the electric vehicle,
wherein the upper guide wall has a distal end which is bent in an upward direction, and the lower guide wall has a distal end which is bent in a lower direction.

4. A charging arm provided for an electric vehicle, the electric vehicle equipped with an electrical storage device for driving to which power from a power supplying device is supplied through the charging arm by way of contact charging, wherein:
the power supplying device comprises a power line retaining part in which a V-shaped groove is provided that faces toward a side portion of the electric vehicle and is formed to open in upper and lower directions of the electric vehicle and to extend in a running direction of the electric vehicle, and in which a positive electrode power line on one inner surface and a negative electrode power line on another inner surface of the V-shaped groove of the power line retaining part are fixed to the power line retaining part respectively along the running direction and at positions to maintain an insulation distance mutually therebetween;
the charging arm is configured to extend out in a vehicle widthwise direction and accommodated in the side portion of the electric vehicle, and includes a positive electrode power reception unit and a negative electrode power reception unit, which are provided on a distal end thereof and are disposed so as to face the corresponding positive electrode power line and the corresponding negative electrode power line of the power supplying device, the positive electrode power reception unit and the negative electrode power reception unit each having a shape of a rolling wheel to roll by contact with the power supplying device; and
during charging, the charging arm is configured to be extended out in the vehicle widthwise direction to press the V-shaped groove, and configured suc

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tajima Takamitsu
• Shibahata Yasuji
• Noguchi Wataru
• Shigeno Kotaro

Classifications

• Y02T10/7005

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60L5/08

  Structure of the sliding shoes or their carrying means · CPC title

• B60L11/1827

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y02T90/121

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60L5/40

  for collecting current from lines in slotted conduits · CPC title