Charging device for a vehicle mounted electrical storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9789781-B2
Application number	US-201414765653-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2014
Priority date	Feb 26, 2013
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A charging device for a vehicle carries out timer charging in which the charging device is set in a standby state without charging until charging start time comes when the charging start time is set for a vehicle-mounted electrical storage device. The charging device for the vehicle includes a charger that charges the electrical storage device with electric power supplied from a device outside the vehicle, and an ECU that determines whether to carry out timer charging or carry out instant charging without carrying out the timer charging on the basis of a state of a switch associated with an open/close state of a charging lid, and that controls the charger. Desirably, a timer cancellation or determination switch is also used as a switch for detecting the open/close state of the lid or a switch for opening the lid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A charging device for a vehicle, the vehicle configured to carry out timer charging in which the charging device is set in a standby state without charging until charging start time comes when the charging start time is set for a vehicle-mounted electrical storage device,
the charging device comprising:
a charger configured to charge the electrical storage device with electric power supplied from a device outside the vehicle; and
an electronic control unit configured to determine whether to carry out the timer charging or carry out instant charging without carrying out the timer charging on the basis of a state of a switch associated with an open-close state of a charging lid, the electronic control unit being configured to control the charger.

2. The charging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the switch is configured to output a first signal when the charging lid is closed and to output the first signal and a second signal different from the first signal in response to user's operation when the charging lid is open, and
the electronic control unit is configured to determine whether to carry out the timer charging on the basis of a signal that is output from the switch while the charging lid is open.

3. The charging device according to claim 2 , wherein
the switch is a pushbutton switch, and a stroke of the pushbutton switch is selectable between a long stroke and a short stroke.

4. The charging device according to claim 2 , wherein
an inlet to which a charging cable is connected is accommodated inside the charging lid,
the electronic control unit is configured to use the switch as a switch for detecting the open-close state of the charging lid when the charging cable is not connected to the inlet, the electronic control unit being configured to use the switch as a timer cancellation switch when the charging cable is connected to the inlet.

5. The charging device according to claim 2 , wherein an inlet to which a charging cable is connected is accommodated inside the charging lid,
the electronic control unit is configured to use the switch as a switch for detecting the open-close state of the charging lid when the charging cable is not connected to the inlet, the electronic control unit being configured to use the switch as a timer determination switch when the charging cable is connected to the inlet.

6. The charging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the switch is a momentary pushbutton switch, and
the momentary pushbutton switch is configured to contact the charging lid into a depressed state when the charging lid is closed, the momentary pushbutton switch being configured to be in a depression released state and in a state where a user is allowed to depress the momentary pushbutton switch when the charging lid is open.

7. The charging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the switch is configured to be operated in order to shift the charging lid into the open state when the charging lid is closed, the switch being configured to output a first signal and a second signal different from the first signal in response to user's operation when the charging lid is open, and the electronic control unit is configured to determine whether to carry out the timer charging on the basis of a signal that is output from the switch when the charging lid is open.

8. The charging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the charger so as to carry out the timer charging when the switch is not operated while the charging lid is open, and
the electronic control unit is configured to control the charger so as to disable setting of the timer charging and so as to carry out instant charging when the switch is operated for the first time while the charging lid is open.

9. The charging device according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to control the charger so as to disable setting of the timer charging and so as to carry out instant charging when the switch is not operated while the charging lid is open, and the electronic control unit is configured to control the charger so as to set the timer charging and so as to carry out the timer charging when the switch is operated for the first time while the charging lid is open.

10. The charging device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an information device configured to provide information about the open-close state of the charging lid in synchronization with the switch when the charging lid is opened or closed.

Assignees

• Masuda Tomokazu
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Masuda Tomokazu

Classifications

• B60L2270/20

  Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery · CPC title

• B60L15/007

  Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y04S30/14

  Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing · CPC title

• H01H13/14

  Operating parts, e.g. push-button · CPC title

• B60L53/65

  involving identification of vehicles or their battery types · CPC title