Self-aligning inductive charger

Details Self-aligning inductive charger Self-aligning inductive charger

1994-10-14

1996-03-12

Wong, Peter S.

Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging

Serially connected batteries or cells

With discharge of cells or batteries

H01M 1046

Patent

active

054989485

ABSTRACT:
A self-aligning inductive charging system for automatically mating a charge probe to a charge port without operator interaction to charge propulsion batteries of an electric vehicle. A charge station includes a power source, a charge probe coupled to a slidable alignment mechanism, and a charge port disposed in the electric vehicle that is coupled to its propulsion batteries. The charge probe comprises a plurality of aligning plates disposed at predetermined locations around the periphery thereof. The slidable alignment mechanism comprises a plurality of vertical slide mechanisms, a plurality of horizontal slide mechanisms coupled between the plurality of vertical slide mechanisms, and a plurality of lateral slide mechanisms coupled to the plurality of horizontal slide mechanisms and to the charge probe. The charge port comprises a secondary core, a secondary winding connected to the propulsion batteries, a vehicle brake switch for sending a signal that causes the electrical vehicle to stop when the charge port is properly inserted into the charge probe, and a plurality of rollers disposed adjacent a front surface of the charge port that contact corresponding ones of the aligning plates when the probe is inserted into the charge port. When the electric vehicle pulls up to the charge station, if the charge probe and charge port are misaligned, one or more of the rollers contact the aligning plates which cause the charge probe to move in a direction opposite the force exerted by the rollers on the aligning plates. Consequently, the charge probe is caused to move up, down, or laterally, so that it is aligned with the charge port. Thus, as the electric vehicle pulls forward, the charge moves to align with the charge port. The vehicle brake switch sends a signal to stop the electric vehicle when the charge probe is properly inserted into the charge port.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4158802 (1979-06-01), Rose, II
patent: 4496896 (1985-01-01), Melocik et al.
patent: 4800328 (1989-01-01), Bolger et al.
patent: 5049802 (1991-09-01), Mintus et al.
patent: 5252078 (1993-10-01), Langenbahn
patent: 5272431 (1993-12-01), Nee

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