Wall plug system for electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9821671-B2
Application number	US-201514607767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2015
Priority date	Mar 4, 2014
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

An electric vehicle charging system in described that includes an electrical energy source that includes a base with a plurality of electrical signal connectors to receive a first electrical signal, a second electrical signal and a ground signal, an adapter having a plurality of outlet connectors configured to electrically connect to at least some of the plurality of electrical signal connectors, wherein the adapter can be placed in a plurality of positions on the base to correctly orient the base to any of plurality of outlet connector orientations, and a locking ring adapted to engage the base to removable fix the adapter to the base in one of the four positions. The system can include a thermistor assembly to sense thermal energy in the source and if thermal energy exceeds a threshold to output a signal. The system can include a charging cord for an electric vehicle having a proper orientation when engaging the source, wherein the adapter is in a correct orientation with the base being in the proper orientation when connected to the socket-outlet.

First claim

We claim:

1. An EVSE cord end comprising:
a base with a plurality of electrical signal connectors to communicate a first electrical signal, a second electrical signal and a neutral signal to a vehicle;
an adapter having a plurality of outlet connectors configured to electrically connect to at least some of the plurality of electrical signal connectors to the base, wherein the adapter includes at least four positions on the base, wherein one position of the at least four positions corresponds to a socket-outlet that supplies the first electrical signal, the second electrical signal and the neutral signal through the plurality of outlet connectors to the plurality of electrical signal connectors with the one position being selected to an orientation of the plurality of outlet connectors to match orientation of the socket-outlet to plug the outlet connectors into the socket-outlet; and
a locking ring engaging the base to removably fix the adapter to the base in one of the four positions at the orientation of the plurality of outlet connectors.

2. The cord end of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of outlet connectors includes five connectors with first and second connectors of the five connectors being adapted to deliver the first electrical signal, third and fourth connectors the five connectors being adapted to deliver the second electrical signal and a fifth connector the five connectors being adapted to connect to earth.

3. The cord end of claim 2 , wherein the five connectors are positioned in a cross pattern with the fifth connector being in a center of the cross pattern, the first and second connectors being adjacent each other and the third and fourth connectors being adjacent each other.

4. The cord end of claim 3 , wherein the first connector and the third connector being on opposite sides of the fifth connector and the second connector and the fourth connector being on opposite sides of the fifth connector.

5. The cord end of claim 4 , wherein the adapter includes a first line connector, a second line connector and a ground connector that are configured to connect to three of the five connectors, wherein the first line connector, the second line connector and the ground connector being oriented linearly with the ground line in the center to connect to the fifth connector with the adapter in any of the four positions on the base.

6. The cord end of claim 5 , wherein the first line connector and the second line connector connect to opposite electrical polarity in any of the four positions on the base.

7. The cord end of claim 5 , further comprising a thermistor assembly to sense thermal energy in the outlet, wherein the thermistor assembly being connected to the base, through the adapter or both.

8. The cord end of claim 7 , wherein the thermistor assembly includes a thermistor positioned on the adapter and common terminals on both the adapter and the base.

9. The cord end of claim 1 , wherein the base includes a recess in which the plurality of connectors are positioned and is adapted to at least partially receive the adapter.

10. The cord end of claim 1 , wherein the base and the adapter are both free from sliding contacts.

11. An electric vehicle charging system comprising:
a source including:
a base with a plurality of electrical signal connectors to receive a first electrical signal, a second electrical signal and a ground signal from a wall adaptor plug;
an adapter having a plurality of outlet connectors configured to electrically connect to at least some of the plurality of electrical signal connectors, wherein the adapter can be placed in a plurality of positions on the base to match orientation of the plurality of outlet connectors; and
a locking ring adapted to engage the base to removeably fix the adapter to the base in one of the plurality of positions, wherein the plurality of positions are at least four positions;

a thermistor assembly to sense thermal energy in the source at the base and if thermal energy exceeds a threshold to output a signal to indicate thermal energy exceeds the threshold outside the source; and
a charging cord for an electric vehicle having a proper orientation when engaging the source, wherein the adapter is connected to the adapter and is in matching orientation with a socket-outlet.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the thermistor assembly is on the adapter and electrically connected to the base through electrical contacts.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the base includes a recess in which the plurality of connectors are positioned and is adapted to at least partially receive the adapter.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the base includes a recess in which the plurality of connectors are positioned and is adapted to at least partially receive the adapter.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the base and the adapter are both free from sliding contacts.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein electrical signal connectors outnumber the outlet connectors.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein electrical signal connectors are pins and the outlet connectors include sockets adapted to receive the pins and outwardly extending blades to engage the household socket-outlet.

18. A method of using electric vehicle supply equipment comprising:
orienting a wall-plug adapter such that an EVSE housing is oriented with a cord end facing downward, wherein the housing provides up to four orthogonal positions;
joining the adapter into the housing to make electrical contact with a plurality of electrical signal connectors to communicate electrical charging signals to a vehicle, wherein the adapter is electrically connected to a power source in any of the positions of the adapter on the housing;
locking the adapter to the housing;
connecting the adapter to a socket-outlet; and
partially supporting the housing by the housing contacting a fixture fixed below the socket-outlet.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising changing orientation of the wall-plug adapter relative to the housing by undoing a lock, removing the adapter, rotating the adapter, joining the adapter to the housing to make proper electrical connection and re-locking the adapter to the housing.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein joining includes mechanically connecting the adapter to the housing and electrically connecting connectors in the adapter to only some of the electrical connectors in the housing; and sensing thermal energy in the adapter and communicating the sensed thermal energy to circuitry in the electric vehicle supply equipment to control vehicle charging if a thermal threshold is exceeded.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Mueller Mark Anthony
• Hein David A
• Menzies David
• Pusch Reinhard
• Mueller Mary

Classifications

• Y02T10/7072

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

• Y02T10/7005

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T10/7088

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60L2240/549

  Current · CPC title

• B60L2230/12

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic