Protection arrangement for an electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9988835-B2
Application number	US-201314898320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2013
Priority date	Jun 20, 2013
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A protection arrangement for a current collector arranged on a vehicle having a rechargeable energy storage includes a first protective state in which the current collector is covered by the protection arrangement and a second open state in which the protection arrangement allows contact between the current collector and a corresponding current supply during charging of the energy storage and where the protection arrangement is automatically opened from the protective state to the open state when the vehicle has reached a predefined charging position. The current collector can be enclosed when the vehicle is not charged and the protection arrangement can open automatically when a charging position is reached. This can improve the safety of the vehicle and obviate the need of a specific circuit breaker that can disconnect the current collector from the electric energy storage. The charging of the vehicle can also be simplified.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A protection arrangement tier a current collector arranged on a vehicle having an electric propulsion unit and a rechargeable energy storage, where the protection arrangement comprises a cover having a first protective state in which the current collector is covered by the cover and a second open state in which the protection arrangement allows contact between the current collector and a corresponding current supply means during charging of the energy storage, wherein the cover is automatically opened from the protective state to the open state when the vehicle has reached a predefined charging position; and wherein the cover is spring-loaded to automatically close the cover from the second open state to the first, protective state when a closing signal is issued.

2. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the transition to the open state is, initiated by a specific opening signal.

3. The protection arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the opening signal is issued when the vehicle reaches a predefined position.

4. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the opening signal is issued when the vehicle has stopped.

5. The protection arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the opening signal is issued when a request for charging is issued.

6. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein closing signal is issued when the vehicle starts to move.

7. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein closing signal is issued when the vehicle leaves the charging position.

8. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein closing signal is issued when a person is in the vicinity of the current collector.

9. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the protection arrangement is arranged on the roof of the electric vehicle.

10. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle comprising a combustion engine.

11. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the rechargeable energy source is a battery or a super capacitor.

12. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the protection arrangement is a pivotable cover which opens upwards.

13. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the protection arrangement is a slidable cover which is arranged to slide parallel to the driving direction of the vehicle.

14. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the protection arrangement is a cover which is arranged to part sideways, perpendicular to the driving direction of the vehicle.

15. The protection arrangement according to claim 14 , wherein the protection arrangement is a dividable cover.

16. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the protection arrangement is opened by an electric means or a compressed air means when the opening signal is issued.

17. The protection arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the protection arrangement is opened by a pushing means arranged on the current supply means.

18. An electric vehicle comprising a protection arrangement according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Storm Jonas

Classifications

• B60L5/42

  for collecting current from individual contact pieces connected to the power supply line · CPC title

• 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

• B60L2200/18

  Buses · CPC title

• B60M1/36

  Single contact pieces along the line for power supply · CPC title