Vehicle charging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11485242-B2
Application number	US-201916682402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2019
Priority date	Nov 13, 2019
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle charging system includes a vehicle charge port having a first connector with one or more first magnets and a plurality of first terminals arranged in a first array. A charge station for the vehicle includes a support and a second connector attached to the support by an articulating mechanism that permits movement of the second connector relative to the support. The second connector has one or more second magnets and a plurality of second terminals arranged in a second array that matches the first array so that the first terminals are connectable to the second terminals when the first and second connectors aligned. The first and second magnets are arranged to move the second terminals, via the articulating mechanism, into alignment with first terminals when the first and second connectors are within a magnetic-coupling range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle charging system comprising:
a vehicle charge port including one or more first magnets, and a plurality of first terminals arranged in a first array; and
a charge station including:
a base,
a riser extending upwardly from the base,
a bracket pivotally connected to the riser,
a sliding mechanism supported by the bracket such that the sliding mechanism is pivotable relative to the riser, the sliding mechanism including a guide member and a slider received in the guide member and configured to slide relative to the guide member, wherein one of the guide member or the slider is attached to the bracket, and
a connector attached to the sliding mechanism so that the connector is slidable relative to the riser via the slider and pivotal relative to the riser via the bracket, the connector having one or more associated second magnets and a plurality of second terminals that are arranged in a second array that matches the first array so that the first terminals are connectable to the second terminals when aligned, wherein the first and second magnets are arranged such that magnetic attraction between the first and second magnets moves the connector, via the sliding mechanism and the pivotally connected bracket, to align and magnetically couple the second terminals in physical contact with the first terminals to electrically connect the charge station to the port.

2. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 , wherein the guide member is oriented substantially horizontal allowing the connector to move left and right relative to the vehicle charge port to align the first and second terminals.

3. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle charger further includes a second articulating mechanism connected between the riser and the base and configured to allow the riser to slide relative to the base.

4. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is pivotally attached to the riser by a pin that defines a substantially vertical pivot axis.

5. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 , wherein the connector includes a latching feature configured to retain the connector to the charge port.

6. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 , wherein the port includes a plurality of the first magnets, and the connector includes a plurality of the second magnets, wherein an amount of first magnets is equal to an amount of the second magnets.

7. The vehicle charging system 6 , wherein the first magnets are arranged in a first linear array with polarity of the first magnets alternating along a length of the first linear array, and the second magnets are arranged in a second linear array with polarity of the second magnets alternating along a length of the second linear array.

8. The vehicle charging system 6 , wherein the amount of first magnets is equal to an amount of first terminals, and the amount of second magnets is equal to an amount of second terminals.

9. The vehicle charging system 1 , wherein the first terminals are contact pads and the second terminals are pins.

10. The vehicle charging system 9 , wherein a surface area of each contact pad is larger than a surface area of a distal end of a corresponding one of the pins.

11. The vehicle charging system 9 , wherein the pins are slidably supported in the connector and are movable between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein the pins are biased to the extended position.

12. A vehicle charging system comprising:
a vehicle charge port including one or more first magnets, and a plurality of first terminals arranged in a first array; and
a charge station including:
a base,
a riser extending upwardly from the base,
an articulating mechanism including a first portion supported by the riser and a second portion that is movable relative to the first portion, and

a connector attached to the second portion so that the connector is movable relative to the riser, the connector having one or more associated second magnets and a plurality of second terminals that are arranged in a second array that matches the first array so that the first terminals are connectable to the second terminals when aligned, wherein the first and second magnets are arranged such that magnetic attraction between the first and second magnets moves the connector, via the articulating mechanism, to align and magnetically couple the second terminals in physical contact with the first terminals to electrically connect the charge station to the port, wherein the connector further has a plurality of third terminals arranged in a third array that matches the first array so that the first terminals are connectable to third terminals, wherein the connector is connectable to the port by electrically connecting the first and second terminals when in a first relative alignment and by electrically connecting the first and third terminals when in a second relative alignment.

13. A vehicle charging system comprising:
a vehicle charge port including a first connector having one or more first magnets and a plurality of first terminals arranged in a first array; and
a charge station including:
a support, and
a second connector attached to the support by an articulating mechanism that permits movement of the second connector relative to the support, the second connector having one or more second magnets and a plurality of second terminals arranged in a second array that matches the first array so that the first terminals are connectable to the second terminals when the first and second connectors aligned, wherein the first and second magnets are arranged to move the second terminals, via the articulating mechanism, into alignment with first terminals when the first and second connectors are within a magnetic-coupling range, wherein the second connector includes a plurality of third terminals arranged in a third array that matches the first array so that the third terminals are connectable to the first terminals, wherein the second connector is connectable to the first connector by electrically connecting the first and second terminals when in a first relative alignment and by electrically connecting the first and third terminals when in a second relative alignment.

14. The vehicle of charging system of claim 13 , wherein the articulating mechanism is a slide.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Weber David Charles
• Ignaczak Brad Alan
• Siddiqui Adil Nizam
• Bell Christopher W
• Serban Emil G
• Bailey Hannah
• Westfall Christopher

Classifications

• H02J7/70 Primary

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H02J2105/37

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

• B60L53/16 Primary

  Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title