Charging system with thermal protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11225156-B2
Application number	US-201816035094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2018
Priority date	Jul 28, 2017
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A thermal protection system includes an electrical circuit and a thermal switch. The electrical circuit transmits an electrical signal between a charge source and a charge receiver during a charging process. The thermal switch is placed in-line with the electrical circuit. The thermal switch opens above a threshold temperature to block transmission of the electrical signal. Blocking the transmission of the electrical signal causes the charging process to stop. In further examples, the charge source includes and electric vehicle charging system and the charge receiver includes an electric vehicle. In further examples, the electrical signal is required for compliance with one or more electric vehicle charging standards implemented by the electric vehicle charging system and the electric vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal protection system comprising:
a pilot line electrical circuit that transmits a single pilot signal and a proximity pilot circuit that transmits a proximity pilot signal, wherein the single pilot signal and the proximity pilot signal are transmitted between a charge source and a charge receiver during a charging process;
a sense resistor coupled to the single pilot line, wherein an output voltage across the sense resistor is modulated by the charge receiver to request charge current from the charge source; and
a thermal switch inline with the pilot line electrical circuit and the proximity pilot circuit, the thermal switch being a passive thermal switch in series with the single pilot signal and the proximity pilot signal, wherein the thermal switch opens above a first threshold temperature to block transmission of the single pilot signal and the proximity pilot signal, wherein blocking the transmission of the single pilot signal and the proximity pilot signal causes the charging process to stop, and wherein the thermal switch closes below a second threshold temperature, the second threshold temperature being lower than the first threshold temperature, such that hysteretic behavior is introduced.

2. The thermal protection system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal switch is self-resetting.

3. The thermal protection system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal switch closes below the second threshold temperature to restore the transmission of the electrical signal, and wherein restoring the transmission of the single pilot signal and the proximity pilot signal causes the charging process to restart.

4. The thermal protection system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal switch is a normally closed (NC) type thermal switch.

5. The thermal protection system of claim 1 , wherein the charge source includes an electric vehicle charging system and the charge receiver includes an electric vehicle.

6. The thermal protection system of claim 5 , wherein the single pilot signal and the proximity pilot signal are required for compliance with one or more electric vehicle charging standards implemented by the electric vehicle charging system and the electric vehicle.

7. The thermal protection system of claim 6 , wherein the single pilot signal is a control pilot signal as defined by IEC 62196-2 and GB/T 20234.2 standards.

8. A system comprising:
an electric vehicle charging connector comprising an electrical contact, the electrical contact being configured to transmit a first signal via a single pilot line and a second signal via a proximity pilot line, wherein the first signal is configured to be modulated to establish bidirectional communication between an electric vehicle charging system and an electric vehicle, and wherein the bidirectional communication is established using resistive modulation; and
a thermal switch coupled in series with the electrical contact, such that the thermal switch is in line with the first signal and the second signal, the thermal switch being a passive thermal switch and configured to open when the temperature of the electrical vehicle charging connector increases above a first threshold temperature, wherein the thermal switch closes below a second threshold temperature, the second threshold temperature being lower than the first threshold temperature, such that hysteretic behavior is introduced.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the electric vehicle charging connector is configured to transmit one or more of a data signal, a control signal, or a power signal.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the thermal switch is a self-resetting thermal switch.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the thermal switch is a bimetallic thermal switch.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first signal and the second signal are required to implement an electric vehicle charging standard.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first signal is a control pilot signal as defined in the IEC 62196-2:2014 and GB/T 20234.2:2015 standards.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the thermal switch comprises a terminal lead and the electrical contact comprises a matching socket.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the thermal switch and the electrical connection are fixedly coupled by crimping the socket to the terminal lead.

16. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a second electric vehicle charging connector comprising a second electrical contact, wherein the thermal switch is coupled in series between the electrical contact and the second electrical contact.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the electric vehicle charging connector implements a first electric vehicle charging standard, and the second electric vehicle charging connector implements a second electric vehicle charging standard.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first electric vehicle charging standard is the IEC 62196-2:2014 standard, and the second electric vehicle charging standard is the GB/T 20234.2:2015 standard.

19. A handle for an electric vehicle charging system comprising:
an electrical circuit configured to transfer a first signal via a single pilot line and a second signal via a proximity pilot line between the handle and an electric vehicle during charging, wherein the first signal is configured to be modulated to establish bidirectional communication between the electric vehicle charging system and an electric vehicle, wherein the bidirectional communication is established using resistive modulation, wherein the electrical circuit comprises a self-resetting, inline thermal switch that opens to prevent transfer of the first signal and the second signal above a first threshold temperature,
wherein the thermal switch is passive and in series with the first signal and the second signal, wherein the thermal switch closes below a second threshold temperature, the second threshold temperature being lower than the first threshold temperature, such that hysteretic behavior is introduced.

20. The handle of claim 19 , wherein the first signal is a control pilot signal.

21. The handle of claim 19 , wherein the thermal switch is closed during normal charging operation and opens to protect against overheating.

22. The handle of claim 19 , wherein the handle does not include an out-of-line module for monitoring temperature.

23. An adapter for an electric vehicle charging system comprising:
an electrical circuit configured to transfer a first signal via a single pilot line and a second signal via a proximity pilot line between a first adapter interface and a second adapter interface during charging operation, wherein the first signal is configured to be modulated to establish bidirectional communication between the electric vehicle charging system and an electric vehicle, wherein the bidirectional communication is established using resistive modulation, wherein the electrical circuit comprises an inline thermal switch that opens to prevent transfer of the first signal and the second signal above a first threshold temperature,
wherein the inline thermal switch is passive and in series with the first signal and the second signal, wherein the inline thermal switch closes below a second threshold temperature, the second threshold temperature being lower than the first threshold temperature, such that hysteretic behavior is introduced.

24. The adapter of claim 23 , wherein the first signal is a control pilot signal.

25. The adapter of clai

Assignees

• Tesla Inc

Inventors

• Miller Allen Ham
• Guerra Paul
• Fortin Pascal-Andre
• Spiteri Frank

Classifications

• H02J7/61

  against overcharge · CPC title

• H02J7/975

  in response to temperature · CPC title

• H02J7/751

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

• H02J7/65

  against overtemperature · CPC title

• H02J7/663 Primary

  using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence) · CPC title