Electric vehicle automatic charging station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10279696-B2
Application number	US-201514886125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2015
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A structure is provided. The structure may include an alignment mechanism used to align an electric vehicle in a parking lane of an electric vehicle charging station, and a coupler assembly including an arm and a charging coupler located in the parking lane and positioned beneath the electric vehicle, the charging coupler is positioned at one end of the arm, and is moveable in a vertical direction relative to the parking lane, and another end of the arm is pivotally mounted in the parking lane, where the charging coupler includes one or more electrical contacts in a shape of a right conical frustum extending from the charging coupler in the vertical direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A structure comprising:
an alignment mechanism used to align an electric vehicle in a parking lane of an electric vehicle charging station;
a coupler assembly comprising an arm and a charging coupler located in the parking lane and positioned beneath the electric vehicle, the charging coupler is positioned at one end of the arm, and is moveable in a vertical direction relative to the parking lane, and a second end of the arm is pivotally mounted in the parking lane, wherein the charging coupler is movable in a vertical arc pivoting from the second end of the arm, wherein the charging coupler comprises three electrical contacts each in a shape of a right conical frustum extending from the charging coupler in the vertical direction, wherein each of the electrical contacts partially overlaps a protrusion mount, an insulator surrounding the protrusion mount, and a tension spring surrounding the insulator, wherein the protrusion mount, the insulator and the tension spring are mounted on a charging coupler housing;
a cleaning device for cleaning the charging coupler and a receptacle of a battery in the electric vehicle; and
an electromagnetic sensor used to detect a presence of the electric vehicle in the parking lane, to automatically physically and electrically connect the coupler assembly to the receptacle and to charge the battery,
wherein the receptacle comprises a receptacle housing with three cone shaped receptacle wells with a corresponding receptacle contact in each of the receptacle wells, wherein the three receptacle wells are sized and shaped such that the receptacle wells align with the three electrical contacts and when the receptacle is inserted in the charging coupler, the three electrical contacts are electrically connected to a corresponding receptacle contact;
wherein the charger coupler comprises a replaceable charging coupler for a worn out charging coupler, and the receptacle housing comprises a replaceable receptacle housing for a worn out receptacle housing.

2. The structure according to claim 1 , wherein the alignment mechanism comprises a visual indicator to identify a boundary of the parking lane to an operator of the electric vehicle and ensure alignment of the electric vehicle in the parking lane.

3. The structure according to claim 1 , wherein the alignment mechanism comprises an optical sensor and an alignment indicator, wherein the optical sensor detects a position of the electric vehicle in the parking lane and the alignment indicator is coupled to the optical sensor and indicates an alignment of the electric vehicle based on its position to an operator of the electric vehicle.

4. The structure according to claim 1 , wherein the coupler assembly is movable in a horizontal direction relative to the parking lane.

5. A structure comprising:
an alignment mechanism used to align an electric vehicle in a parking lane of an electric vehicle charging station;
a terminal comprising a display and an interface and a wireless communication device, the wireless communication device detects a presence of the electric vehicle and receives vehicle information, the vehicle information comprises charging parameters specific to the electric vehicle;
a coupler assembly comprising an arm and a charging coupler located in the parking lane and positioned beneath the electric vehicle, the charging coupler is positioned at one end of the arm, and is moveable in a vertical direction relative to the parking lane, and another end of the arm is pivotally mounted in the parking lane, wherein the charging coupler comprises one or more electrical contacts in a shape of a right conical frustum extending from the charging coupler in the vertical direction, wherein each of the electrical contacts partially overlaps a protrusion mount, an insulator surrounding the protrusion mount, and a tension spring surrounding the insulator, wherein the protrusion mount, the insulator and the tension spring are mounted on a charging coupler housing;
a cleaning device for cleaning the charging coupler and a receptacle of a battery in the electric vehicle; and
an electromagnetic sensor used to detect a presence of the electric vehicle in the parking lane, to automatically physically and electrically connect the coupler assembly to the receptacle and to charge the battery,
wherein the receptacle comprises a receptacle housing with one or more cone shaped receptacle wells with a corresponding receptacle contact in each of the receptacle wells, wherein the one or more receptacle wells are sized and shaped such that the receptacle wells align with the one or more electrical contacts and when the receptacle is inserted in the charging coupler, the one or more electrical contacts are electrically connected to a corresponding receptacle contact,
wherein the charger coupler comprises a replaceable charging coupler for a worn out charging coupler, and the receptacle housing comprises a replaceable receptacle housing for a worn out receptacle housing.

6. The structure according to claim 5 , wherein the alignment mechanism comprises a visual indicator to identify a boundary of the parking lane to an operator of the electric vehicle and ensure alignment of the electric vehicle in the parking lane.

7. The structure according to claim 5 , wherein the alignment mechanism comprises an optical sensor and an alignment indicator, wherein the optical sensor detects a position of the electric vehicle in the parking lane and the alignment indicator is coupled to the optical sensor and indicates an alignment of the electric vehicle based on its position to an operator of the electric vehicle.

8. The structure according to claim 5 , wherein the coupler assembly is movable in a horizontal direction relative to the parking lane.

9. The structure according to claim 5 , wherein the wireless communication device comprises a Radio-Frequency Identification (hereinafter referred to as “RFID”) reader.

10. The structure according to claim 5 , wherein the vehicle information comprises a unique RFID tag serial number, an electric vehicle manufacturer, an electric vehicle model number, an electric vehicle battery manufacturer, an electric vehicle battery model number, an installation date of the battery, a physical location of an electric vehicle charger connector, a charge voltage, a charge current and a charge duration.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Dow Eli M
• Gilchrist James P
• Lewis Brendan C
• Mcmillan Khaalid P
• Nycz Christopher J

Classifications

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• H02J7/47

  Arrangements for checking compatibility or authentication between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title