Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – One cell or battery charges another – Vehicle battery charging
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-07
2001-11-13
Tso, Edward H. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
One cell or battery charges another
Vehicle battery charging
Reexamination Certificate
active
06316908
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery charger for a vehicle having a feeding coupler adapted to be coupled to a receiver in the vehicle for charging the battery provided on the vehicle such as an electric automobile or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a charger for a vehicle, charging is performed by coupling a feeding coupler connected via a cable to a power source device (a power supply device) to a receiver (a receiving charging port) provided on a vehicle. Conventionally, an inductive system (an electromagnetic system induction) charger and a conductive system using different charging methods, are known.
For example, there has been proposed a charger for an inductive system as shown in FIG.
7
.
The charger
71
comprises a power source device (a power supply device)
72
and a feeding coupler
74
attached to a distal end of a cable
73
extending from the power source device
72
. The power source device
72
converts an alternating current supplied from a commercial alternating current power source into a charging alternating current (a predetermined frequency, a predetermined voltage) and outputs the alternating current so converted to the cable
73
. A primary coil is built in the feeding coupler
74
, and when the feeding coupler
74
is inserted in a receiver in the vehicle, an alternating current flows through the primary coil, and then current is induced in a secondary coil in the receiver under the action of electromagnetic induction, whereby charging is done.
A housing (outer casing)
75
of the power source device
72
is made of metal and comprises a base
76
and a bottomed tubular upper housing
77
. Various electric circuit components for power and control systems (for example, a circuit board)(not shown) are mounted on the base
76
. On the other hand, an indicator
78
and a coupler rest portion
79
where the feeding coupler
74
is inserted for rest are provided on the upper housing
77
, and the indicator
78
is electrically connected to the electric circuit component, attached to the base
76
, via wiring. A communication device is built in the feeding coupler
74
for communication with the receiver on the electric automobile to obtain information on the residual capacity of the battery when the coupler
74
is connected to the receiver on the vehicle. The communication device is controlled so as to be powered in a state in which the feeding coupler
74
is removed from the rest portion
79
, and there is provided a sensor
80
for detecting the insertion or removal of the feeding coupler
74
into or from the rest portion
79
. The sensor
80
is conventionally attached to the inner surface of the housing
75
for detecting the magnetism of a magnet located at a predetermined position in the feeding coupler
74
.
The reason why the indicator
78
and the sensor
80
are mounted on the internal surface of the upper housing
77
is because the electric circuit components and electric apparatuses
78
,
80
are completely covered with the metallic housing
75
for electromagnetic shielding.
Assembling the power source device
72
is done by placing the upper housing
77
on the base
76
so as to cover components to be accommodated therein such as the electric circuit components. When this occurs, the electric circuit components provided on the base
76
are required to be connected to the indicator
78
and the sensor
80
provided on the upper housing
77
via wiring before the upper housing
77
is completely placed on the base
76
. To this end, for example, electric wires have to be made sufficiently long to complete the connection of the components before the upper housing
77
is placed on the base
76
, or the connection has to manually be completed within the upper housing
77
which is being placed on the base
76
. However, the longer electric wires cause a problem that the wires get entangled with the components and that the position of the wires changes within the housing
75
. Additionally, with the method in which the electric wires are made short for connection at an intermediate position, not only it is difficult to connect the wires to each other but also there may be a risk that the wires become disconnected due to a load that would be applied thereto unless the upper housing is handled carefully. With both methods, the assembling operation has to be carried out carefully, and this makes assembling the power source device
72
very troublesome, decreasing the production efficiency (decreasing the productivity) of the chargers
71
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made to solve the aforesaid problems, and an object thereof is to provide a charger for a vehicle which can facilitate the assembling work of a power source unit by reducing labor hours in assembling an outer casing even if a construction is adopted in which an electric member is mounted on the outer casing of the charger and hence which can increase the production efficiency of chargers.
With a view to attaining the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a charger for a vehicle, comprising a power source unit and a feeding coupler connected to the power source unit and adapted to be coupled to a receiver of a vehicle. The power source unit comprises an outer casing including a metallic base having an electric circuit component mounted thereon and a metallic tubular member having a closed end and placed or fitted on the metallic base so as to cover the electric circuit component, an electric member mounted on the tubular member in an electromagnetically shielded state, the tubular member having an opening for connecting wires between the electric member and the electric circuit component through the opening, and an electromagnetically shielding material covering the opening.
According to this structure, the electric wires of the electric member and the electric circuit component can be connected to each other through the opening in the tubular member after the tubular member is placed on the base so that the electric component is covered. Consequently, the assembling work of the power source unit can be facilitated. In addition, since the opening is covered by the electromagnetically shielding material, the components accommodated in the power supply unit can be electromagnetically shielded by the outer casing comprising the metallic base and the tubular member.
Preferably, the electric member is mounted on the tubular member such that the electric member is at least partially exposed at an external surface of the tubular member.
In this structure, in a case where the electric member needs to be mounted in such a manner as to be partially exposed from the external surface of the tubular unit or needs to be mounted on the outside of the tubular unit, although there is no way but to assembly the electric member to the tubular member side, the assembling work of the power source unit can be facilitated.
Preferably, a bulge portion is formed integrally with the tubular member in which the electric member is accommodated in such a manner as to be partially exposed from the external surface of the tubular member, and the opening is formed in the bulge portion.
In this structure, in assembling the electric member in such a manner that the electric member is accommodated in the bulge portion of the tubular member, since there is provided the opening, the assembling of the electric member and connection of the electric wires can be facilitated, and moreover, since the electric member is accommodated in the bulge portion, both the electric member and wiring can be disposed within the tubular member in the electromagnetically shielded state. Due to this, no separate electromagnetically shielding construction has to be adopted individually for the electric apparatus and wiring.
Preferably, the electric member is mounted on the outside of the tubular member in an electromagnetically shielded state.
In this structure, although the electric member is mounted on the outs
Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
Tso Edward H.
Woodstock Washburn Kurtz Mackiewicz & Norris LLP
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