JP6380768B2 - Charging stand - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a charging stand, an in-vehicle device, and an electric vehicle.

  Charging stands for charging automobiles are known. In particular, the spread of a charging stand for charging an electric vehicle (a vehicle that uses electric power as at least a part of an energy source for generating driving force) is desired.

  In a typical charging station, a parking space for parking a vehicle is provided. A charger will be installed beside the parking space. Charging is performed by stopping the vehicle in the parking space, extending the connector cable from the charger, and connecting the connector at the end of the vehicle to the charging port of the vehicle. Patent Documents 1 and 2 are prior art documents related to a charging stand.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-51960 JP 2012-1000048 A1

  By providing a plurality of parking spaces and installing a charger on each side, it is possible to realize a charging stand that charges a plurality of vehicles at the same time. However, since the charging station requires expensive equipment such as a power converter, it is not desirable from the viewpoint of cost to provide a large number of charging stations.

  The inventor of the present application is examining a method of providing a movable connector housing portion in order to reduce the cost in a charging stand provided with a plurality of parking spaces. 1 and 2 are reference examples for explaining such a technique. One charger 103 is installed in a plurality of parking spaces 102-1 to 102-3 provided in the charging stand 101. On the other hand, a movable connector storage unit 104 connected to the charger 103 is provided. The movable connector storage unit 104 can move to a side of a desired space among the plurality of parking spaces 102-1 to 102-3.

  In FIG. 1, the vehicle 108-1 is parked in the parking space 102-1. In order to charge this vehicle 108-1, the movable connector storage part 104 is moved to the side of the parking space 102-1. The connector cable 107 is extended from the movable connector housing portion 104, and the connector (charging plug) at the tip is connected to the charging port of the vehicle 108-1. By performing a predetermined operation in the connected state, power is supplied from the charger 103 to the connector, and charging of the vehicle 108-1 is started.

  While charging the vehicle, the user may leave the charging station to perform other tasks. In such a case, the vehicle may not move immediately from the parking space even after charging is completed. FIG. 2 shows such a case. It is assumed that the vehicle 108-1 stopped in the parking space 102-1 has already been charged. When the new vehicle 108-2 comes to the charging station 101 in a state where the parking space 102-1 is filled in this way, the vehicle 108-2 is stopped in the vacant parking space 102-2. The driver of the vehicle 108-2 moves the movable connector storage unit 104 to the side of the parking space 102-2 and performs charging.

  As described above, by providing the movable connector storage unit 104, it is possible to deal with a plurality of parking spaces 102-1 to 102-2 with a single charger, and increase the usage efficiency of the charger 103. Can do.

  In such a charging stand 101, when the movable connector housing portion 104 is to be moved, it is unnecessary for the connector cable 107 or the charging port of the vehicle 108-1 when the connector is connected to the vehicle 108-1. This is not preferable because of excessive tension. Further, it is not preferable that the connector is dragged in a state where it is hung on the ground.

  Therefore, a technique for avoiding unnecessary load on the connector and the vehicle in the charging stand having the movable connector housing is desired.

  In one aspect of the present invention, a charging system is provided at a charger main body, a movable connector storage portion that is powered by the charger main body and movable, and an end portion of a cable extending from the movable connector storage portion. And a connector for supplying electric power to the vehicle. The movable connector storage unit includes a storage sensor that detects whether or not the connector is returned to a predetermined position. The charging system further includes a lock portion that prevents movement of the movable connector housing portion when the housing sensor detects that the connector has not been returned to a predetermined position.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the charging stand includes a charger main body, a movable connector storage portion that is powered by the charger main body and is movable, and an end of a cable extending from the movable connector storage portion. Provided with a connector for supplying the electric power to the vehicle, and the movable connector storage unit includes a storage sensor for detecting whether or not the connector is returned to a predetermined position. When the storage sensor detects that the connector has not been returned to the predetermined position, a lock portion is provided that prevents movement of the movable connector storage portion.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the charging stand includes a storage controller that acquires parking space information indicating any one of a plurality of parking spaces, and the parking space information. And a drive unit that moves the movable connector storage unit at the location indicated by.

  In one aspect of the present invention, in the above-described charging stand, the storage unit controller acquires the parking space information using an input device provided in the movable connector storage unit.

  In the aspect of the present invention, the above-described charging stand can manually move the movable connector storage portion on a predetermined track when the lock portion is released.

  Further, in one aspect of the present invention, the movable connector housing portion can be moved to a position corresponding to each of the plurality of parking spaces, and the above-described charging stand is further provided in each of the plurality of parking spaces. A vehicle detection unit that detects whether or not the vehicle is parked, and a guide unit that guides a vacant parking space for a vehicle approaching the charging system according to a detection result of the vehicle detection unit. To do.

  According to the present invention, a technique for avoiding unnecessary load on a connector and a vehicle in a charging stand having a movable connector housing portion is provided.

FIG. 1 shows a charging stand in the reference technology. FIG. 2 shows a charging stand in the reference technology. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the charging system. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the movable connector storage unit. FIG. 5 shows a charging stand. FIG. 6 shows the operation of the charging system. FIG. 7 shows the operation of the movable connector housing. FIG. 8 shows a screen transition of the movable connector storage unit.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the charging system in the present embodiment. FIG. 5 shows an appearance of the charging stand 1 in which the charging system is used. The charging system includes a reservation management server 15. The reservation management server 15 is connected to the facility controller 5 provided in each of the plurality of charging stations 1 via the Internet 16 so that information can be communicated in both directions. The equipment controller 5 is a computer for controlling equipment in the charging stand 1, and is provided inside the housing of the charger 4 in the example of FIG. 5.

  The equipment controller 5 is connected to the charger 4, the movable connector housing 6, the vehicle detector 3, and the roadside antenna 11 so as to be capable of information communication, and controls these devices. The charger 4 converts power supplied from a power source into power for charging an electric vehicle. For this purpose, the charger supplies the electric vehicle 10 with DC power stored in a power storage facility such as an AC / DC converter or a capacitor for converting AC power from a commercial power supply into DC power for supplying the electric vehicle 10. A DC / DC converter or the like that converts the power into direct current power.

  The charging station 1 is provided with a plurality of parking spaces 2-1 to 2-3. In the example of FIG. 5, parking spaces 2-1 to 2-3 for three cars are depicted, but the number of parking spaces is arbitrary. The movable connector housing 6 can be moved in the charging stand 1 by means such as being placed on a carriage. The movable connector housing portion 6 can be made lighter than the charger 4 (charger main body) provided with a power conversion device or the like, and thus can be easily moved. In the example of FIG. 5, the track 7 is laid so that the charging stand 1 can move to the side of a desired space among the plurality of parking spaces 2-1 to 2-3.

  DC power generated by the charger 4 is supplied to the movable connector housing 6 via a power supply cable 8. As the cable 8, for example, a flexible cable exemplified by a link chain type (special chain type) power feeding device is used so as to follow the movement of the movable connector housing 6.

  The vehicle detector 3 is provided in each of the plurality of parking spaces 2-1 to 2-3. The vehicle detector 3 determines the presence or absence of a vehicle by, for example, installing a loop coil under the road surface and detecting the inductance change, and notifies the equipment controller 5 of the presence or absence of the vehicle. The roadside antenna 11 is a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) beacon, and is connected to the vehicle-mounted device 13 of the electric vehicle 10 located in the communication range 12 set at the entrance of the charging station 1 or the like and the dedicated narrow region communication. Can communicate in both directions. The roadside antenna 11 functions as a reservation authenticating unit that authenticates whether or not the electric vehicle 10 has been reserved and a guide unit that guides the electric vehicle 10 to an empty space. The electric vehicle 10 can communicate with the roadside antenna 11 and further includes an on-vehicle device 13 having a wireless communication function such as cellular communication and a navigation (car navigation device) 14.

  FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the movable connector housing 6. The movable connector storage unit 6 includes a storage unit controller 21, a touch panel 22, a card reader 23, a switch 24, a connector storage unit 25, and a drive unit 26.

  The touch panel 22 is a display device that displays various information to the user and displays a display screen that prompts input, and is an input device that receives input from the user. The card reader 23 is a device for reading information such as a user ID from a membership card (information recording medium such as an IC card or a magnetic card) of the charging stand 1.

  The storage controller 21 includes, as the switch 24, an emergency stop switch for emergency stop of charging at an arbitrary timing.

  The connector housing part 25 is a holder for stably holding the connector connected to the charging port of the electric vehicle 10 in the housing of the movable connector housing part 6. One end of the connector cable 9 is attached to the connector housing 25. A connector is provided at the other end of the connector cable 9.

  The connector storage unit 25 includes a storage sensor 27 and a lock mechanism 28. The storage sensor 27 detects whether or not the connector is normally stored in the connector storage unit 25, and outputs the detection result to the equipment controller 5 as a connector storage signal. For example, when the connector is returned to a predetermined storage position, the storage sensor 27 generates a connector storage signal in response to the connector pressing a detection button provided in the connector storage unit 25.

  The facility controller 5 transmits a lock signal to the lock mechanism 28 when the connector storage signal indicates that the connector has not been returned. The facility controller 5 transmits a release signal to the lock mechanism 28 when the connector storage signal indicates that the connector has been returned.

  When receiving the lock signal, the lock mechanism 28 brings the movable connector housing 6 into a locked state. In the locked state, the movable connector housing 6 is fixed at the current position on the track so that it cannot move. When receiving the release signal, the lock mechanism 28 brings the movable connector housing 6 into the release state. In the released state, the movable connector housing 6 can move on the track.

  The drive unit 26 is a mechanism for moving the movable connector storage unit 6 on the track. For example, when the wheel of the carriage on which the movable connector storage unit 6 is mounted is driven by an electric motor, the movable connector storage unit 6 moves on the track, and any parking space 2-1 to 2-3. Can be stopped at a position corresponding to.

  FIG. 6 shows the operation of the charging station 1 having the above configuration. When the driver of the electric vehicle 10 uses the charging station 1, the charging station ID indicating the charging station 1 scheduled to be used, the scheduled usage time (start time and end time), using the vehicle-mounted device 13 and the navigation 14. Enter. The charging station ID and scheduled use time and the vehicle ID indicating the electric vehicle 10 are registered in the reservation management server 15 via a communication line such as the Internet 16 or a cellular communication network (step S1).

  The driver arrives at the charging stand 1 at the scheduled use time. The electric vehicle 10-2 that has entered the site of the charging station 1 enters the communication range 12 of the roadside antenna 11. The driver inserts the membership card in the vehicle-mounted device 13 mounted on the electric vehicle 10-2. The roadside antenna 11 communicates with the vehicle-mounted device 13 of the electric vehicle 10-2 and reads the information on the membership card, thereby receiving the vehicle ID indicating the electric vehicle 10-2 and transmitting it to the equipment controller 5 (step S2). .

  The facility controller 5 inquires of the reservation management server 15 and acquires information related to the reservation corresponding to the vehicle ID of the electric vehicle 10-2 that has visited the charging station 1. When the reservation corresponding to the time when the electric vehicle 10 visited the charging station 1 (indicated by the vehicle ID, the charging station ID, and the scheduled use time) is not registered in the reservation management server 15 (step S3 NO), the roadside antenna 11 Notifies the electric vehicle 10-2 that a reservation is required (step S4).

  When the reservation corresponding to the electric vehicle 10-2 that has entered the communication range 12 has been made (step S3 YES), the equipment controller 5 parks from the vehicle detector 3 in each parking space 2-1 to 2-3. An empty space is recognized by acquiring information indicating the presence or absence of the vehicle inside (step S5). In the case of FIG. 5, since the electric vehicle 10-1 is parked in the parking space 2-1, the parking spaces 2-2 and 2-3 are empty spaces. The facility controller 5 selects one of the empty spaces, for example, the parking space 2-2. The facility controller 5 guides the parking space 2-2 to the driver by means such as communication from the roadside antenna 11 to the vehicle-mounted device 13 of the electric vehicle 10-2. When the vehicle-mounted device 13 receives the guidance information for the parking space 2-2, the car navigation system 14 provides guidance to the parking space 2-2 by image or voice (step S6). The driver moves the electric vehicle 10-2 and stops at the guided parking space 2-2.

  FIG. 7 shows the operation of the charging station 1 after the electric vehicle 10-2 is parked in the parking space 2-2. FIG. 8 is a state transition diagram of the display screen of the touch panel 22 of the movable connector storage unit 6.

  It is assumed that when the driver stops the electric vehicle 10-2 in the parking space 2-2, the movable connector housing portion 6 is disposed beside the other parking space 2-1. In order to use the charging station 1, the driver performs an issuance procedure in advance and has a membership card. When the driver presents the membership card to the card reader 23, a display screen 30-1 on which the move button 31 and the charge button 32 are displayed is displayed on the touch panel 22 as an initial screen.

It is assumed that the driver presses the movement button 31 to move the movable connector storage unit 6. The storage controller 21 inquires of the connector storage 25 whether or not the connector has been returned. The connector storage unit 25 transmits connector return information indicating whether or not the connector is returned to the storage unit controller 21 according to the detection result of the storage sensor 27. If the connector has not been returned (NO in step S11), the move button is disabled.
That is, even when the move button 31 is pressed, the movable connector housing 6 is locked and does not move, and the display screen 30-1 does not change.

  When the connector is not returned, there is a possibility that the connector is connected to the charging port of another electric vehicle 10-1, or the connector is left on the road surface. In such a case, it is not preferable to move the movable connector housing 6. By the process of step S11 described above, it is possible to prevent the movable connector housing 6 from moving when the connector is not returned.

  If the connector has been returned, the storage controller 21 determines that the movable connector storage 6 may be moved (YES in step S11). A move button 31 and a charge button 32 are displayed on the display screen 30-2. At this time, the lock mechanism 28 releases the lock, and the movement button 31 is enabled. The driver selects either the move button 31 or the charge button 32. In the example of FIG. 5, the driver of the electric vehicle 10-2 sets the movable connector storage unit 6 to No. No. 1 (parking space 2-1) to No. 1 Since it is necessary to move to 2 (parking space 2-2), the driver presses the movement button 31 (step S13 movement).

  When the move button 31 is pressed, move buttons 35-1 to 35-3 corresponding to the parking spaces 2-1 to 2-3 and a cancel button 36 are displayed on the display screen 30-4. The storage unit controller 21 obtains parking space information indicating any of the parking spaces 2-1 to 2-3 by pressing the movement buttons 35-1 to 35-3, and is indicated by the parking space information. The movable connector housing 6 is moved to the position.

In the example of FIG. The destination button 32-2 indicating the second parking space 2-2 is pressed (step S15). The storage controller 21 drives the drive unit 26 in response to pressing of the destination button 32-2, and moves the movable connector storage unit 6 to the side of the parking space 2-2. During the period until the movement is completed, the touch panel 22 displays No. A display screen 30-6 indicating that the vehicle is moving to the second parking space 2-2 is displayed (step S16).
When the movement is completed, the process returns to step S11 and the display screen 30-1 is displayed.

  When the movable connector storage unit 6 completes the movement to the side of the parking space 2-2, the connector is returned to the connector storage unit 25 at this point (YES in step S11), and therefore the storage unit controller 21 starts from step S11. The process proceeds to step S13.

  The driver presses the charge button 32 on the touch panel 22. In response to pressing of the charge button 32, the display screen 30-3 displaying the charge start button 33 and the cancel button 34 is displayed (step S13 charge).

  The driver removes the connector from the connector housing 25 and connects it to the charging port of the electric vehicle 10-2. Thereafter, when the driver presses the charging start button 33, the DC power generated by the charger 4 is supplied from the connector to the electric vehicle 10-2. During charging, the touch panel 22 displays a display screen 30-5 indicating that charging is in progress. However, when it is the end time of the reserved scheduled use time, the charging is ended even in the middle (step S14).

  With the above operation, the movable connector housing portion 6 can be moved only when the connector is returned, and an unnecessary load is prevented from being applied to the vehicle and the connector.

  In the above description, the driver has operated the touch panel 22. Alternatively, the operator of the charging station 1 may receive a request from the driver and operate the touch panel 22 to perform charging. The driver gives the operator the key of the electric vehicle 10-2 and requests charging. The operator opens the charging port of the electric vehicle 10-2 using the key, and performs charging according to the flow of FIG. When charging is completed, the connector is removed from the electric vehicle 10-2 so that it can be used for charging other electric vehicles 10.

  As a modification of the above embodiment, a driver or an operator may manually move the movable connector housing 6. In that case, the drive unit 26 realized by the electric motor or the like shown in FIG. 4 may be omitted. When the lock mechanism 28 is locked, the movable connector housing 6 is fixed at the current position on the track so that it cannot move. When the lock mechanism 28 is in the released state, the movable connector housing 6 can be moved along the track 7 by being manually pushed. Even in such an embodiment, when the connector is not returned to the connector housing portion 25, even if the driver or the operator accidentally presses the movable connector housing portion 6, it is locked and cannot move, so that high safety is obtained. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Charging stand 2-1 to 2-3 Parking space 3 Vehicle detector 4 Charger 5 Equipment controller 6 Movable connector storage part 7 Track 8 Cable 9 Connector cable 10-1, 10-2 Electric vehicle 11 Roadside antenna 12 Communication range 13 On-vehicle device 14 Navigation 15 Reservation management server 16 Internet 21 Storage unit controller 22 Touch panel 23 Card reader 24 Switch 25 Connector storage unit 26 Drive unit 27 Storage sensor 28 Lock mechanism 30-1 to 30-6 Display screen 31 Move button 32 Charge button 33 Charging start button 34 Cancel button 35-1 to 35-3 Destination button 36 Cancel button 101 Charging stand 102-1 to 102-3 Parking space 103 Charger 104 Movable connector storage portion 107 Connector cables 108-1, 108- 2 vehicle

Claims (5)

Charger body,
A movable connector storage unit that is powered by the charger body and is movable;
Provided at an end portion of a cable extending from the movable connector housing portion, and a connector for supplying the power to the vehicle
The movable connector storage unit includes a storage sensor that detects whether or not the connector is returned to a predetermined position;
Furthermore, a charging stand comprising a lock portion that prevents movement of the movable connector housing portion when the housing sensor detects that the connector has not been returned to the predetermined position. A charging stand according to claim 1,
The movable connector storage unit further includes a storage unit controller that acquires parking space information indicating any of a plurality of parking spaces;
A charging stand comprising: a drive unit that moves the movable connector storage unit to a location indicated by the parking space information. A charging stand according to claim 2,
The storage unit controller acquires the parking space information by an input device provided in the movable connector storage unit. A charging stand according to claim 1,
When the lock portion is released, the movable connector storage portion can be manually moved on a predetermined track. A charging stand according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The movable connector housing is movable to a position corresponding to each of a plurality of parking spaces,
Furthermore, a vehicle detection unit that detects whether a vehicle is parked in each of the plurality of parking spaces;
A charging stand comprising: a guide unit that guides a vacant parking space for a vehicle approaching the charging system according to a detection result of the vehicle detection unit.

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