Electric vehicle charging connector with external passive cooling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12565112-B2
Application number	US-202117531414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2021
Priority date	Nov 19, 2020
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

An electric vehicle charging connector ( 100 ) comprising an external enclosure ( 104 ), an inner enclosure, and a compartment ( 102 ) for power contacts. The external enclosure ( 104 ) encloses an inner enclosure ( 103 ), and is configured to receive and guide a cable ( 101 ) from a back end ( 111 ) of the electric vehicle charging connector ( 100 ) to the inner enclosure ( 103 ) at a front end ( 113 ) of the electric vehicle charging connector ( 100 ). The inner enclosure ( 103 ) comprises the compartment ( 102 ) and is configured to provide the cable ( 101 ) to the compartment ( 102 ). The electric vehicle charging connector ( 100 ) further comprises a heat pipe ( 106 ) comprising an evaporator ( 107 ), and a condenser ( 109 ). The evaporator ( 107 ) is attached to a heat source in the compartment ( 102 ) inside the inner enclosure ( 102 ), configured to conduct heat from the heat source via the external enclosure ( 104 ) to the environment, wherein at least a part of the heat pipe ( 106 ) is arranged outside the external enclosure ( 104 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An electric vehicle charging connector comprising:
an external enclosure, an inner enclosure, and a compartment for power contacts;
wherein the external enclosure encloses the inner enclosure, and is configured to receive and guide a cable from a back end of the electric vehicle charging connector to the inner enclosure at a front end of the electric vehicle charging connector;
wherein the inner enclosure comprises the compartment and is configured to provide the cable to the compartment;
wherein the inner enclosure is sealed from the external enclosure;
wherein the inner enclosure provides a higher IP class protection than the external enclosure; and
a heat pipe comprising:
an evaporator and a condenser,
wherein the evaporator is attached to a heat source in the compartment inside the inner enclosure, configured to conduct heat from the heat source via the external enclosure to the environment,

wherein at least a part of the heat pipe is arranged outside the external enclosure.

2 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1 , wherein the electric vehicle charging connector further comprises a structure arranged at the outside of the external enclosure such that it forms together with the external enclosure a protected space for the part of the heat pipe that is outside the external enclosure.

3 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1 , wherein the part of the heat pipe that is outside the external enclosure is the condenser.

4 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1 , wherein the part of the heat pipe that is outside the external enclosure is a part of the condenser.

5 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1 , wherein the inner enclosure provides a high IP class protection; and wherein the external enclosure provides a medium IP class protection.

6 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1 , wherein the electric vehicle charging connector comprises more than one heat pipe.

7 . A charging station comprising an electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1 .

8 . A method of using a heat pipe in an electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 1 .

9 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 2 , wherein the part of the heat pipe that is outside the external enclosure is the condenser.

10 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 2 , wherein the part of the heat pipe that is outside the external enclosure is a part of the condenser.

11 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 2 , wherein the inner enclosure provides a high IP class protection; and wherein the external enclosure provides a medium IP class protection.

12 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 3 , wherein the inner enclosure provides a high IP class protection; and wherein the external enclosure provides a medium IP class protection.

13 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 4 , wherein the inner enclosure provides a high IP class protection; and wherein the external enclosure provides a medium IP class protection.

14 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 2 , wherein the electric vehicle charging connector comprises more than one heat pipe.

15 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 3 , wherein the electric vehicle charging connector comprises more than one heat pipe.

16 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 4 , wherein the electric vehicle charging connector comprises more than one heat pipe.

17 . The electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 5 , wherein the electric vehicle charging connector comprises more than one heat pipe.

18 . A charging station comprising an electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 2 .

19 . A charging station comprising an electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 3 .

20 . A charging station comprising an electric vehicle charging connector according to claim 4 .

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag
• Abb E Mobility Bv

Inventors

• Garcia-Ferre Francisco
• Hemrle Jaroslav
• Fahy Elise
• Kheiri Pedram
• Ugur Ali
• Wysocki Wojciech

Classifications

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T90/12

  Electric charging stations · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

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

• H05K7/20336

  Heat pipes, e.g. wicks or capillary pumps · CPC title