JPH05103403A - Connector connection device for battery of electric vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a connector connecting device capable of easily connecting a battery connector of an electric vehicle and safely and reliably charging a battery. When the position sensor 5 detects that the external connector 2 has been inserted into the insertion port 3, the charging system controller 4 activates the moving motor 7 to engage the internal connector 6 with the external connector 2. Move to position. When the connection of the connector is detected, the indicator lamp 27 is turned on, and power supply is started in response to a command from the charging system controller 4. When the power supply is stopped, the charging system controller 4 again activates the moving means 5 to move the internal connector 6 to the position where the engagement with the external connector 2 is released. When the disconnection of the connector is detected, the indicator lamp 27 is turned off and the discharging motor 15 is started to discharge the external connector 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector connecting device for supplying electric power from an external power source to charge a battery of an electric vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, charging of a battery of an electric vehicle is
This is often done by connecting an external power source and a charger provided in the electric vehicle with a connector.

A device for automatically connecting the connectors has also been proposed. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-69404, a connector is provided on the body of an electric vehicle and the connector is used to drive the electric vehicle. To contact the socket of the output terminal of the external power source, insert the connector into the socket of the output terminal by the pulse motor built in the electric vehicle, and further rotate 90 ° in the vertical plane in the socket A device for engaging a socket and automatically connecting is described. In the device, charging is completed, or
When the traveling switch is turned on, the pulse motor operates again, and the connector and the output terminal are disconnected in the reverse order of the above.

However, in order to connect the connector to the output terminal by the device described in the above publication, first, the electric vehicle must be guided to a predetermined position so that the connector accurately contacts the socket of the output terminal. Since this requires high-level driving skills, it cannot be said to be practical for passenger cars driven by people. Further, in the device described in the publication, since the connector provided in the electric vehicle is connected to the output terminal so as to be close to the output terminal, the output terminal must have a specific positional relationship corresponding to the connector. The location of the terminals is extremely limited.

On the other hand, if the connector is manually connected, charging can be performed at an arbitrary position in the vicinity of the external power source, and problems relating to the driving technique and the place where the output terminal is installed can be solved. it is conceivable that. However, when the connector is manually connected, the following problems may occur.

The current for charging the battery of an electric vehicle is usually as large as several tens of amperes, and the voltage is 70 to 200.
Due to the high V, the connector is generally several times the size of a household outlet, but ordinary drivers are usually unfamiliar with handling such high current and high voltage power.

Therefore, first, if the large-sized connector is manually connected, it may be incomplete. If charging is performed in a state where the connection of the connector is incomplete, charging may be insufficient, or the connector may accidentally come into contact with the connector and drop off during charging.

Even if the connector is securely connected, if the battery is left in the conductive state even after the completion of charging, the battery may be overcharged.

Further, if the electric vehicle is started with the connector still connected, the connector may be damaged.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to easily connect the battery connector of an electric vehicle and to charge the battery easily and reliably. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector connecting device that can be used for the above.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, a battery connector connecting device for an electric vehicle according to the present invention is provided with an insertion port provided with an external connector for supplying electric power from an external power source to the electric vehicle. A connector connection device for charging a battery by inserting the battery into an internal connector of an electric vehicle to connect the battery to a connection detection means for detecting connection between the internal connector and the external connector; A power supply control means for receiving a connection detection signal from the detection means and controlling the supply of electric power, a position detection means for detecting the position of an external connector provided at the insertion port and connectable to the internal connector, and the internal connector as an external device. Moving means for moving the connector to the engagement or disengagement position, and an internal connector for receiving the position detection signal from the position detecting means and an external connector by the moving means. Connection control means for moving to an engagement position and receiving an electric power supply stop signal from the power supply control means to move the internal connector to a position for disengaging the external connector by the movement means; and the external connector from the insertion opening. The present invention is characterized by having a discharging means for discharging and a discharging control means for discharging the external connector by the discharging means upon receiving a disconnection detection signal from the connection controlling means.

[0012]

In the connector connecting device of the present invention, the electric vehicle is parked in the vicinity of the external power source, and the external connector for supplying electric power from the power source is manually inserted into the insertion port provided in the electric vehicle.

The insertion state of the external connector is detected by the position detection means provided in the insertion opening. When it is detected that the external connector has been inserted to a position where it can be connected to the internal connector, a position detection signal is output from the position detection means to the connection control means.

The connector connecting device of the present invention comprises moving means for moving the internal connector to the engagement or disengagement position with the external connector, and the connection control means moves the internal connector when the position detection signal is received. It is moved to the engagement position with the external connector by means. The internal connector is engaged and connected with the external connector at the connection position.

The connection between the internal connector and the external connector is
The connection detection unit detects the connection, and the connection detection unit outputs a connection detection signal to the power supply control unit.

Then, the power supply control means establishes a conduction state between the external power source and the battery, and the power supply from the external power source is started.

In the connector connecting device of the present invention, when charging is completed, when the power supply stop button is pressed, or
When the traveling switch is turned on, the power supply control means stops the supply of electric power, and a power supply stop signal is output to the connection control means. Further, even when the power supply from the external power source is stopped, the power supply stop signal is output from the power supply control means to the connection control means.

When the connection control means receives the power supply stop signal, the moving means moves the internal connector to a position where the engagement with the external connector is released. When the connection detection means detects the disconnection between the internal connector and the external connector, the connection detection means outputs a connection release detection signal to the discharge control means.

When the discharge control means receives the disconnection detection signal, the discharge means discharges the external connector from the insertion port.

[0020]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the connector connecting device of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the construction of the connector connecting device of this embodiment, FIG. 2 is an external plan view showing a state in which an external connector is connected to an electric vehicle, and FIG. 3 is a front view of FIG.
4 to 7 are explanatory cross-sectional views showing the connection mechanism of the internal connector and the external connector.

As shown in FIG. 1, the connector connecting device of this embodiment is provided with an insertion port 3 into which an external connector 2 for supplying electric power from an external power source 1 can be inserted in the body of an electric vehicle. A position sensor 5 that detects the insertion position of the external connector 2 and outputs a position detection signal to the charging system controller 4 is provided at the bottom of the insertion port 3.

An internal connector 6 is provided on the side of the insertion opening 3 orthogonal to the insertion direction of the external connector 2. The internal connector 6 moves to a position where the rack 6a provided at the bottom engages with the pinion 7a attached to the moving motor 7 and the moving motor 7 engages with the external connector 2 or releases the engagement. To be done.

The internal connector 6 has a plurality of plugs 6b, and the plugs 6b are inserted into corresponding outlets 2a provided in the external connector 2. The connection between the plug 6b and the outlet 2a is detected by the charging system controller 4, and the connection or disconnection between the internal connector 6 and the external connector 2 is recognized. The internal connector 6 is connected to the main battery 1 through the rectifier 8 and the step-down converter 9.
It is connected to 0.

The insertion opening 3 is usually provided with a lid 12 which is locked by a lock body 11. Lock body 1
1 is provided so as to be retractable by means not shown,
It is actuated by lever 13. When the lock body 11 retracts and the locked state is released, the lid portion 12 is pushed into the external connector 2 and can slide inside the insertion opening 3. Lock body 1
The locking state of the lid portion 12 due to 1 is detected by the charging system controller 4.

Further, the bottom surface of the insertion opening 3 is provided with an extruding member 14 for returning the lid portion 12 to the position where the insertion opening 3 is closed and for pushing out the external connector 2 from the insertion opening 3 and discharging it. The pushing member 14 is axially supported by a rod 14a, and the rod 14a is rotatably attached to the rod 14b via a shaft 14c. The rod 14b is attached to a gear 15b which rotates by meshing with a pinion 15a attached to the discharge motor 15, and rotates integrally with the gear 15b to drive the pushing member 14 via the rod 14a.

The charging controller 4 is supplied with electric power from the control battery 16, and the motor 7 and the motor 1 are supplied.
5. The main switch 17 for starting the electric vehicle and the traveling motor controller 18 of the electric vehicle are connected. The control battery 16 is connected to the main battery 10 via a step-down converter 19.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the external power source 1 is provided near the parking facility of the electric vehicle 21, and the cable 22 extending from the external power source 1 is provided.
The external connector 2 provided at the tip of is inserted into the insertion port 3 of the electric vehicle 21. The cable 22 is disposed inside the utility pole 23 and is suspended from foldable arms 24a and 24b provided on the upper part of the utility pole 23. The external connector 2 is provided at the tip extending downward from the tip of the arm 24b. ing. In addition, the utility pole 23 includes a breaker switch 25, a power supply stop button 26, an external connector 2
A display lamp 27 is provided to indicate connection or disconnection between the internal connector 6 and the internal connector 6.

Incidentally, the display lamp 27 may optionally have a form showing a power supply state or separately showing a connection release state and a power supply state.

Next, the operation of the connector device of this embodiment will be described.

First, the electric vehicle 21 is parked in a parking facility. The parking facility is provided with an external power supply 1 in the vicinity thereof, and a cable 22 is extended. In the device of this embodiment, since the connector is manually connected, the parking position of the electric vehicle is not strictly determined, and the utility pole 23 is used.
Arms 24a, 24 foldably provided on the upper part of the
It may be within the reach of the cable 22 when b is extended.

Next, when the lever 13 provided on the electric traveling vehicle 21 is pulled, as shown in FIG. 4, the locked state of the lid portion 12 by the lock body 11 is released and the external connector 2 is inserted into the insertion port 3. Ready to go. At the same time, the lock body 11 outputs an opening signal for the lid 12 to activate the charging system controller 4.

Next, the external connector 2 is inserted into the insertion port 3. The arms 24a and 24b are normally folded in a direction that does not obstruct the passage of people or vehicles, such as the boundary side 29 of the parking facility, as shown in phantom in FIG. Further, the external connector 2 is housed in a connector case 28 provided on the electric pole 23, as shown in phantom in FIG. Therefore, the external connector 2 is taken out from the connector case 28, the arms 24a and 24b are extended toward the electric traveling vehicle 21, and the external connector 2 is inserted into the insertion port 3.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the external connector 2 is inserted into the insertion port 3 and reaches a position where it can be connected to the internal connector 6, the position sensor 5 outputs a position detection signal to the charging system controller 4. Three position sensors 5 are provided in parallel on the side wall at the bottom of the insertion port 3, and a conductive plate 31 attached to the outer surface of the external connector 2 makes the plurality of position sensors 5 conductive. The position of the external connector 2 is detected by detecting the conduction. In addition, the position sensor 5 is brought into conduction by the plate 31.
By the combination of the above, the charging system controller 4 recognizes the magnitude of the current and the magnitude of the voltage of the power supplied by the external connector 2. At this time, the lid 12 is attached to the external connector 2
Is pushed into and slides in the insertion opening 3, and is fitted on the top of the pushing member 14.

When the charging system controller 4 receives the position detection signal, it activates the moving motor 7 to move and connect the internal connector 6 to the position for engaging the external connector 2 as shown in FIG. At this time, the plurality of plugs 6b provided on the internal connector 6 are inserted into the corresponding outlets 2a of the external connector 2 to connect the internal connector 6 and the external connector 2. Since the moving direction of the internal connector 6 and the inserting direction of the external connector 2 are orthogonal to each other, the external connector 2 is engaged with the internal connector 6 by connecting as described above, and is prevented from coming off.

When the charging system controller 4 detects the conduction between the plug 6b and the outlet 2a, the charging system controller 4 connects the internal connector 6 and the external connector 2 and establishes the conduction state from the external power source 1 to the main battery 10. While recognizing that the internal connector 6 and the external connector 2 are connected, the display lamp 27 is turned on to display that the internal connector 6 and the external connector 2 are connected.

By the above operation, the external connector 2 is inserted into the insertion port 3
When it is not fully inserted, the position sensor 5 does not operate, so that the internal connector 6 does not move to the connection position with the external connector 2. Therefore, since the internal connector 6 and the external connector 2 are not connected and the indicator lamp 27 does not light up, it is recognized that the insertion of the external connector 2 is insufficient.

Whether charging of the main battery 10 is completed,
When the main switch 17 is turned on or the power supply stop button is pressed, the charging system controller 4 stops the supply of electric power, and at the same time, starts the moving motor 7 again, and as shown in FIG. The connector 6 is moved to a position where the engagement with the external connector 2 is released.

Completion of charging of the main battery 10
It is detected by a detection means (not shown).

If it is desired to continuously supply power even after the charging is completed, the engagement may be released by providing a discharge circuit so as not to overcharge.

In the connector connecting device of this embodiment, the charging system controller 4 activates the moving motor 7 even when the power supply from the external power source 1 is stopped, and the internal connector 6 is activated as shown in FIG. It is moved to a position where the engagement with the external connector 2 is released. When the power supply from the external power supply 1 is stopped, the driver may press the power supply stop button 26, or the breaker may go down due to overcurrent.

This is detected by the voltage drop of the external power source from the internal connector 6 and recognized by the charging system controller 11 to operate.

The disconnection between the internal connector 6 and the external connector 2 is detected by the charging system controller 4 when the electrical connection between the plug 6b and the outlet 2a is cut off, and the charging system controller 4 turns off the display lamp 27.

Then, the charging system controller 4 activates the discharging motor 15, drives the pushing member 14 as shown in FIG. 7, and inserts the external connector 2 together with the lid portion 12 into the insertion port 3.
Move inside. Then, the external connector 2 is discharged, and the lid portion 12 is returned to the position where the insertion opening 3 is closed. The push-out member 14 is continuously driven even after the external connector 2 is discharged, and returns to the position at the time of startup (FIG. 4).

On the other hand, when the lid portion 12 returns to the position for closing the insertion opening 3, it is locked by the lock body 11. When the charging system controller 4 detects that the lid 12 is locked by the lock body 11, the charging system controller 4 outputs a signal to the traveling motor controller 18 to enable traveling, and then terminates the operation.

[0046]

According to the connector connecting device of the present invention, since the external connector is manually inserted into the insertion port of the electric vehicle parked near the external power source to connect the connector, no advanced driving technique is required. Therefore, it is possible to reduce restrictions on the installation location of the external connector.

According to the connector connecting device of the present invention, when the insertion of the external connector is detected, the connection control means connects the internal connector to the external connector, and when the power supply is stopped, the connection control means causes the external connector and the internal connector to be connected. Since the connection with is released, it is possible to reliably guarantee the connection between the external connector and the internal connector during power feeding. Also,
Since the external connector and the internal connector are connected in the engaged state, it is possible to prevent the external connector from coming off from the insertion port during power feeding. Further, when the connection between the external connector and the internal connector is released, the external connector is discharged by the discharge control means, so that it is possible to prevent the connector from being damaged by starting the electric vehicle with the connector connected. it can.

According to the connector connecting device of the present invention, since the external connector is inserted and connected to the insertion port provided in the electric vehicle, there is no risk of contacting the external connector during power feeding, and it can be handled safely. Therefore, it is possible to prevent incomplete connection between the external connector and the internal connector.

According to the connector connecting device of the present invention, since the supply of electric power is controlled by the electric power supply control means, electric power is supplied only when necessary, and it is possible to prevent overcharging and leakage of the battery.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a battery connector connecting device for an electric vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external plan view showing a connection state of the connector connecting device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an external front view showing a connection state of the connector connecting device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a connection mechanism between an internal connector and an external connector in the connector connecting device of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a connection mechanism between an internal connector and an external connector in the connector connecting device of this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a connection mechanism between an internal connector and an external connector in the connector connecting device of this embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a connection mechanism of an internal connector and an external connector in the connector connecting device of this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... External power supply, 2 ... External connector, 2a ... Connection detection means, 3 ... Insertion port, 4 ... Control means, 5 ... Position sensor, 6 ...
Internal connector, 6b ... Connection detecting means, 7 ... Moving means, 1
0 ... Battery, 15 ... Ejection means, 27 ... Display means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A connector connection for charging a battery by inserting an external connector, which supplies electric power from an external power source, into an insertion opening provided in an electric vehicle to engage and connect with an internal connector of the electric vehicle. The device is provided with a connection detecting means for detecting a connection between the internal connector and the external connector, a power supply control means for controlling a power supply by receiving a connection detection signal from the connection detecting means, and a power supply control means provided in the insertion port. Position detection means for detecting the position of the external connector connectable to the internal connector, moving means for moving the internal connector to the engagement or disengagement position with the external connector, and a position detection signal from the position detection means. The internal connector is moved by the moving means to the engagement position with the external connector by the moving means, and the internal connector is removed by the moving means in response to a signal to stop the power feeding from the power feeding control means. A connection control unit that moves to a disengagement position with the connector, a discharge unit that discharges the external connector from the insertion opening, and a discharge release unit that receives the connection release detection signal from the connection control unit and discharges the external connector. A connector connecting device for a battery of an electric vehicle, comprising: a discharge control means.