JPH10136571A - Automatic charging system for mobile vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To increase the size of the entire device, increase the installation space, and complicate installation and wiring work on site. Further, if the number of electric vehicles to be charged increases, the number of charger bodies and actuators corresponding to the number must be increased, and the equipment cost increases. SOLUTION: Actuators 28a to 28c are connected to a charger 27 that outputs DC power corresponding to a basic state of charge of a storage battery 9, and the storage battery 9 of each mobile vehicle is connected thereto. The actuators 28a to 28c receive a DC power from the charger 27, output a charging voltage and a charging current according to the final charging state of the storage battery 9, and output the output of the power supply unit to a contact point of a mobile vehicle. It is provided with a contactor 6 for supplying the contactor 10 and a drive mechanism for moving the contactor 6 forward and backward.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic charging apparatus for a mobile vehicle for automatically charging a mobile vehicle equipped with a secondary battery.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a front view showing an automatic charging device for automatically charging a secondary battery mounted on a mobile vehicle. An actuator 3 is connected via a cable 2 to a charger body 1 containing a charger. The actuator 3 is mounted on a carriage 4 installed on a rail 5 and can freely reciprocate on the rail 5. Further, a contactor 6 is provided on a side surface of the actuator 3. The contactor 6 is a contact for making connection with an electric circuit of the moving vehicle 7, and is configured to be able to move forward and backward within a predetermined range by a motor.

[0003] A mobile vehicle 7 has wheels 8 and can travel freely. The mobile vehicle 7 has a built-in secondary battery 9 (hereinafter, referred to as a “rechargeable battery”) serving as a power source, and a contact portion 10 for connecting to the contactor 6 is provided on a side surface of the vehicle body. The contact portion 10 and the storage battery 9 are connected to the cable 1
1 connected. The moving vehicle 7 is carried into the positioning table 12 at the time of charging, and a stopper 1 is provided at an end of the positioning table 12 in order to keep an optimum distance from the actuator 3.
3 are provided. Although only one mobile vehicle 7 is used here, a plurality of mobile vehicles 7 can be charged simultaneously.

FIG. 6 is an internal configuration diagram showing details of the actuator 3. Inside the housing 13 of the actuator 3,
The contactor 6 is installed horizontally, and the vicinity of its tip is fixed to the support plate 14 via an insulator (not shown). A linear bearing 15 and a linear shaft 16 are attached to the rear end of the contactor 6. In addition, the support plate 14
A rack 17 is attached in parallel with the linear shaft 16. A geared motor 18 is arranged on the rack 17 so that a built-in pinion meshes. The geared motor 18 is fixedly installed on the bottom surface of the housing 13. Further, along the rack 17, near the geared motor 18, limit switches 19a and 19b serving as detecting members for regulating the forward position and the reverse position of the contactor 6 are provided.
Is installed. Although only one contactor 6 is illustrated here, actually two contactors 6 (for the + electrode and-
(For electrodes) are arranged in parallel, and are fixed to the support plate 14 via an insulator.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing details of the contact section 10. As shown in FIG. In the mounting plate 10a of the contact part 10, two connection ports 20a and 20b into which each of the contactors 6 can be fitted are installed in a state buried in plate-shaped insulating members 21a and 21b. The insulating members 21a and 21b are provided with a plurality of screws 2 on the mounting plate 10a.
2 attached. A screw 23 is provided upright around the mounting plate 10a, and can be fixed to a side wall of the movable vehicle 7 using a nut 24.

[0006] In the above configuration, when charging the storage battery 9 by the charger main body 1, the moving vehicle 7 is moved to the positioning table 12.
After positioning the contactor 6 on the actuator 3
The carriage 4 is run while being retracted inside. The truck 4 has a sensor 25 on its lower surface. When the truck 4 comes to a position facing a sensor 26 laid at a position facing the moving vehicle 7 along the rail 5, the truck 4 is automatically stopped. Then, the geared motor 18 shown in FIG. 6 is energized, and the rack 17 is extended toward the moving vehicle. In conjunction with this movement, the linear shaft 16 travels in the linear bearing 15 and advances the contactor 6 provided at the tip thereof. In this process, the contactor 6 is exposed from the housing 13 and enters the connection ports 20a, 20b attached to the mobile vehicle 7 in the process of further moving forward. The geared motor 18 is de-energized when the rack 17 advances and the limit switch 19a operates, and at the same time, the advance of the contactor 6 stops. In this state, the contactor 6 is fitted into the connection ports 20a and 20b, and both are electrically connected. When the charging switch of the charger main body 1 is turned on in this state, charging of the storage battery 9 is started. When charging, the type of the storage battery 9 (terminal voltage,
The charging voltage and the charging current are automatically set according to the current capacity. As described above, since the charging voltage and the charging current are set by the charger body 1 for each storage battery 9, the charger body 1 and the mobile vehicle 7 have a one-to-one correspondence, and it is not possible to charge a plurality of storage batteries 9 at the same time. I can't. Thereafter, when the battery is fully charged several hours later, charging of the storage battery 9 is automatically stopped.

When the charging is completed, a command is sent from the charger main body 1 to the actuator 3, and the geared motor 18 is energized to generate a rotational force for retreating the rack 17 (in the direction opposite to the forward direction). (Electrification that turns). With this energization, the rack 17 starts moving backward, and in the process, the contactor 6 comes out of the connection ports 20a, 20b, and gradually retreats into the housing 13. When the limit switch 19b is operated in the course of the backward movement of the rack 17, the power to the geared motor 18 is cut off, and the contactor 6 is turned off as shown in FIG.
Stop at the position of.

[0008] The configuration shown in FIGS.
Although the structure is such that the actuator 3 and the actuator 3 are separated, there is also an integrated automatic charging device in which the actuator 3 is built in the charger main body 1.

[0009]

However, according to the conventional automatic charging device, since only the commercially available products of the charger, the actuator and the contact portion are combined, the entire device becomes large and the installation space is small. In addition to widening, installation and wiring work on site were difficult. In addition, when the number of electric vehicles to be charged increases, the number of charger bodies and actuators corresponding to the number must be increased, which increases the equipment cost and secures the installation space.

[0010] Further, when a single charger main body covers a plurality of electric vehicles, in order to prevent the power consumption due to the charging of the storage batteries from exceeding the supplied power, each of the charging batteries according to the state of each storage battery is required. Control means for calculating time is provided. However, in order to achieve this control, it is necessary to sufficiently grasp the state of each storage battery and perform calculations, and as a result, the configuration becomes complicated, and management and maintenance become difficult. Also,
When executing the control means for calculating the respective charging times according to the state of the storage batteries, it is necessary to grasp the states of all the storage batteries, so that the burden on the control means increases, and the maintenance and management of the control means is difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic charging apparatus for a mobile vehicle that can save space, reduce the size and simplify the control, and can further simplify the work on site.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to an automatic charging apparatus for a mobile vehicle for automatically charging a rechargeable battery mounted on the mobile vehicle. Charger that outputs DC power capable of responding to a typical charging state, and a power supply unit that receives DC power from the charger and outputs a charging voltage and a charging current according to the final charging state of the battery to be charged An automatic charging device having a configuration including a contactor for supplying the output of the power supply unit by contacting a contact portion provided on the moving vehicle and a driving mechanism for moving the contactor back and forth. I have.

According to this configuration, the actuator individually deals with the state of charge of each battery mounted on the mobile vehicle, and charges the plurality of batteries overall, that is, the basic charge. To deal with it. As a result, automatic charging of a plurality of batteries can be simultaneously performed by one charger, so that the cost and space of the entire system can be reduced. Also, wiring and control adjustments on site are almost unnecessary, and the construction schedule can be greatly reduced.

The cable connecting the charger and each of the plurality of actuators may be configured such that the conductor size is set such that the voltage drop in the cable is constant. According to this configuration, when a plurality of actuators are used at the same time, there is a difference in the voltage drop due to the cable due to the difference in the length of the cable connected to the actuator. However, by making the conductor size thicker for long cables and thinner for short cables, the voltage drop of each cable can be kept constant and the charging state is not affected can do.

Further, the output of the charger can be changed by thyristor control, and the output of the power supply unit can be changed by a power transistor. According to this configuration, the thyristor is suitable for flowing a large current, and is not suitable for fine control, but can control the conduction current by controlling the gate. On the other hand, a power transistor is not suitable for handling a large current, but can perform fine output control. Therefore, by adopting both devices, optimal charging control according to the state of charge of the battery becomes possible.

Further, the actuator may be provided with an optical sensor for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the moving vehicle. According to this configuration, the information regarding the charging of the battery can be obtained from the mobile vehicle side by optical communication without depending on the wiring, and the work of the information obtaining wiring on site is not required. The above object is, in an automatic charging apparatus for a mobile vehicle that automatically charges a rechargeable battery mounted on the mobile vehicle, a charger that outputs DC power that can correspond to a basic charging state of the battery, A power supply unit provided in the charger, corresponding to each battery of the plurality of mobile vehicles on a one-to-one basis, and outputting a charging voltage and a charging current according to the final charging state; The present invention is also achieved by an automatic charging apparatus having a configuration including a contactor for connecting and supplying a charging output of a unit to a contact portion provided on the moving vehicle and a driving mechanism for moving the contactor back and forth. Is done.

According to this configuration, the power supply unit individually deals with the state of charge of each battery mounted on the mobile vehicle, and performs overall charge of a plurality of batteries, that is, basic charge. Is handled by the charger itself. As a result, automatic charging according to individual charging states of a plurality of batteries can be simultaneously performed by one charger. Therefore,
The cost and space of the entire system can be reduced. Also, wiring and control adjustment on site are almost unnecessary,
The construction schedule can be greatly reduced.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an automatic charging apparatus for a mobile vehicle according to the present invention. Charger 27
Controls a transformer for stepping down a three-phase AC, a rectifier circuit (including a diode and a thyristor) for rectifying the output, a charge control circuit for controlling the ignition of the thyristor, a filter for smoothing the output of the rectifier circuit, and a geared motor 18. And a sequencer for controlling the motor control circuit and the cooling fan.

The charger 27 has cables 29a, 29
actuators 28a and 28 mounted on a trolley (having the same structure as the trolley 4 in FIG. 5) via each of the b and 29c.
b and 28c (three in this case, but any number can be used in practice). As shown in FIG. 6, the actuators 28a to 28c include a contactor 6 that can move forward and backward, and also incorporates a power supply unit 31 having a function equivalent to that of a simple small charger. The power supply unit 31 is configured by using a power transistor in an output stage, and can perform fine charge control by grasping the final characteristics of the storage battery 9. On the other hand, the charger 27 is configured to output charging power corresponding to the basic characteristics of the storage battery 9 to perform rough charging.

Further, the charger 27 and the actuators 28a to 28c are based on feedback information from the mobile vehicle 7.
A host computer 34 is connected to control (manage) the server. In addition, although two moving vehicles 7 are parked on the positioning table 12, up to four vehicles can be parked here. The structure of the mobile vehicle 7 is as shown in FIG.

When charging the storage battery 9 in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, a truck on which the actuators 28a to 28c are mounted is run and moved in front of the moving vehicle 7. After two of the actuators 28a to 28c (here, the actuators 28a and 28b) stop before each of the two moving vehicles 7, the contactor 6 is moved from each of the actuators as described with reference to FIG. The vehicle is advanced toward the contact portion 10 of the vehicle 7. In the course of this advance, the contactor 6 becomes the contact portion 1
0, and the storage batteries 9 of the two mobile vehicles 7 are electrically connected to the actuators 28a and 28b.

Next, the charger 27 and the actuator 2
8a and 28b are turned on. Further, the actuator 28
The charging voltage and the charging current are automatically set according to the type of the storage battery 9 to be charged by the constant voltage / constant current circuit 32 in the a and 28b, and charging of each of the storage batteries 9 is started. When one of the storage batteries 9 being charged reaches a predetermined charging voltage, the corresponding actuator 28 is turned off. Further, when the other storage battery 9 reaches full charge, the corresponding actuator and charger 27 are turned off. Thereafter, the geared motor 18 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction, the contactor 6 comes out of the connection ports 20a, 20b, and is finally housed in the actuators 28a, 28b.

Next, details of each section will be described. FIG.
Are the charging circuit 27a in the charger 27 and the cables 29a-2.
It is a top view which shows the connection part of 9c. This connection is made in the connector box 30 installed in the charger 27 or on the side wall surface, and each cable is fixed by screwing. That is, the connector box 30 functions as a flow divider. The output voltage of the charging circuit 27a is DC 24V or DC
48V.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing details of the actuators 28a to 28c. The conventional actuator 3 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 does not have any components other than the contactor 6 and its driving mechanism. In contrast, the present invention, as described above,
In addition to the contactor 6 and its driving mechanism, actuators 28a to 28
c.

Since the actuators 28a to 28c have the same configuration, the actuator 28a will be described. The power supply unit 31 converts the voltage from the charger 27 to, for example, DC12V to 68V and outputs the same. A power transistor 33 and the like are connected to the constant voltage / constant current circuit 32 and apply a voltage of 12 V to 68 V DC to the contactor 6.

As described above, since the versatile power supply unit 31 is installed in each of the actuators 28a to 28c, it is possible to control each of the carts 4 independently. In addition, there is no need to determine the order of the moving vehicles 7 and energize them, so that it is free from difficult wiring work.
Conventionally, the charging voltage and the charging current according to the type of the storage battery 9 of the mobile vehicle 7 have been set by the charger main body 1, so that only one mobile vehicle 7 can be charged by one charger main body 1. Was. However, in the present invention, the actuators 28a to 28a
28c each have a charging function and can correspond to each type of storage battery 9, so that one charger
Can be a partner.

FIG. 4 is a connection diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the collective charging system. Positioning tables 12 are provided at three of the four corners in the parking area of the mobile vehicle 7. Each of the positioning tables 12 is provided with one of the actuators 28a to 28c. The charger 27 is installed near one of the corners, and the charger 27 and each of the actuators 28a to 28c are connected by cables 29a to 29c.

As is apparent from FIG. 4, the lengths of the cables 29a to 29c connecting the charger 27 and the actuators 28a to 28c are different from each other. Therefore, to keep the voltage drop constant regardless of the distance, the cable 29 is used.
The conductor sizes a to 29c are changed so that the voltage drop becomes constant. Thus, the power supply unit 31 can operate stably regardless of the switching timing. Also, as shown in FIG.
Since the bogie is configured to be able to go around, the actuator can be arranged at any position other than the corner part, so that the number of actuators installed can be increased, and a considerable number of storage batteries are collectively charged using economic power at night be able to.

In the above embodiment, the charger 27 → the actuators 28a to 28c → the contactor 6 →
Although the storage batteries 9 are connected to each other by a conductor or a conductor, a part of the storage batteries 9 can be replaced by optical communication. For example, if information is transmitted by optical communication between the mobile vehicle 7 and the actuators 28a to 28c, automation can be achieved without using a host computer.

Although the power supply unit 31 is provided on the actuators 28a to 28c, the power supply unit 31 may be provided on the charger 27 side to guide the output of the power supply unit 31 to the actuators 28a to 28c.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, the DC power corresponding to the basic state of charge of the battery mounted on the mobile vehicle is output from the charger, and the DC power is received from the charger. A power supply unit that outputs a charging voltage and a charging current according to a final charging state of a battery to be charged, and an output of the power supply unit for contacting and supplying a contact portion provided on the mobile vehicle. Since the configuration includes the contactor and the plurality of actuators having the drive mechanism for moving the contactor back and forth, the cost and space of the entire system can be reduced. Also, wiring and control adjustments on site are almost unnecessary, and the construction schedule can be greatly reduced. Further, it is possible to easily add, change, or reduce the number of actuators.

As a result of setting the conductor size so that the voltage drop of the cable connecting the charger and each of the plurality of actuators is constant, the voltage drop of each cable can be constant, which affects the state of charge. Can be prevented. Furthermore, since a charger whose output can be varied by thyristor control and a power supply unit whose output can be varied by a power transistor are used, optimal charging control according to the state of charge of the battery becomes possible by employing both devices.

Further, since the actuator is provided with an optical sensor for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the mobile vehicle, information regarding battery charging is obtained by optical communication from the mobile vehicle side without using wiring. This makes it unnecessary to lay the information acquisition wiring on site. Also,
The present invention provides a charger that outputs DC power that can correspond to a basic state of charge of a battery mounted on a mobile vehicle, and a one-to-one correspondence between each battery of the plurality of mobile vehicles provided in the charger. And a power supply unit for outputting a charging voltage and a charging current according to the final charging state, and a charging output of the power supply unit connected to a contact portion provided on the mobile vehicle to be supplied. And a movable actuator having a drive mechanism for moving the contactor back and forth, the cost and space of the entire system can be reduced. Further, wiring and control adjustment on site are almost unnecessary, and the construction schedule can be greatly shortened.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a mobile vehicle automatic charging apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a connection portion between a charging circuit and a cable in the charger shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing details of an actuator shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a connection diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing an automatic charging device for automatically charging a secondary battery mounted on a mobile vehicle.

FIG. 6 is an internal configuration diagram showing details of an actuator of the automatic charging device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front view showing details of a contact portion in the automatic charging device of FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 6 contactor 7 moving vehicle 9 secondary battery (rechargeable battery) 10 contact point 18 geared motor 20a, 20b connection port 27 charger 28a-28c actuator 29a-29c cable 31 power supply unit 32 constant voltage / constant current circuit 33 power transistor

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Toyokazu Matsue 5-1-1, Hidaka-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Pref.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A mobile vehicle automatic charging apparatus for automatically charging a rechargeable battery mounted on a mobile vehicle, comprising: a charger for outputting DC power corresponding to a basic state of charge of the battery; A power supply unit that receives a DC power from the charger and outputs a charging voltage and a charging current according to a final charging state of a battery to be charged; and a contact unit provided on the mobile vehicle, the output of the power supply unit being provided. An automatic charging apparatus for a mobile vehicle, comprising: a contactor for supplying the contactor by contacting the contactor; 2. The mobile vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a conductor size of the cable connecting the charger and each of the plurality of actuators is set such that a voltage drop in the cable is constant. Automatic charging device. 3. The automatic charging apparatus for a mobile vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the output of the charger is variable by thyristor control, and the output of the power supply unit is variable by a power transistor. 4. The automatic charging apparatus for a mobile vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the actuator includes an optical sensor for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the mobile vehicle. 5. An automatic charging apparatus for a mobile vehicle for automatically charging a rechargeable battery mounted on the mobile vehicle, comprising: a charger for outputting DC power corresponding to a basic state of charge of the battery; A power supply unit provided in the charger, corresponding to each battery of the plurality of mobile vehicles on a one-to-one basis, and outputting a charging voltage and a charging current according to the final charging state; A mobile vehicle comprising: a contactor for connecting and supplying a charging output of a unit to a contact portion provided on the mobile vehicle; and a plurality of actuators having a drive mechanism for moving the contactor back and forth. Automatic charging device.