Charging paddle

Details Charging paddle Charging paddle

1999-10-19

2001-01-16

Riley, Shawn (Department: 2838)

Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging

Cell or battery charger structure

Charger inductively coupled to cell or battery

C320S104000, C336SDIG002

Reexamination Certificate

active

06175212

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a charging paddle for charging batteries of electric vehicles.
A typical electric vehicle has a receptacle housing a secondary coil. To initiate charging of a battery in the vehicle, a charging paddle, which includes a primary coil, is inserted into the receptacle. The charging paddle is attached to the distal end of a cable connected to an electricity supplying apparatus. Specifically, the supplying apparatus converts the voltage and frequency of commercial alternating current into a current having a voltage of 430 volts and a high frequency of 100 kHz to 370 kHz. The converted current is supplied to the primary coil in the charging paddle by the cable. The primary coil induces an electromotive force in the secondary coil in the receptacle, which charges the vehicle battery.
To shorten the time required for charging, or to perform a boosting charge, charger couplings that transmit a current of a relatively great power, for example, a power of 80 kW, have been developed.
However, a higher charger coupling current results in a greater primary coil current, which causes the primary coil to generate a great amount of heat. The heat may damage devices about the primary coil and deform resin members. To solve this problem, a charging paddle 60 disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-169628 has a multi-layered coolant conduit 62 (only one of the layers is shown) for cooling a primary coil (not shown). As shown in
FIG. 11
, the charging paddle 60 is connected to a cable 61. Coolant is supplied from the cable 61 to the paddle 60. The coolant flows along arrows in the coolant conduit 62 and back to the cable 61. The primary coil is located either inside or outside the coolant conduit 62. In other words, the coolant conduit 62 and the primary coil are arranged in direction perpendicular to the plane of the paddle. Heat generated by the primary coil during charging is transferred to the coolant flowing in the conduit 62.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-64442 discloses a charging paddle having a space for conducting coolant in a primary coil. Coolant flows through the space to cool the primary coil and a secondary coil.
A primary coil must be connected to wiring that supplies electricity. In
FIG. 11
, lines in the cable 61 are connected to the primary coil. The joint between the lines and the primary coil must be electrically insulated from the coolant conduit 62 to prevent electricity from leaking.
However, the coolant conduit 62 has a plurality of conduit units arranged in the radial direction of the core 63. Therefore, the joint between the primary coil and the electric line overlaps the coolant conduit 62 in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paddle, which increases the thickness of the charging paddle 60. Also, in the charging paddle of the Publication No. 8-64442, the space provided for the coolant liquid increases the thickness dimension of the charging paddle. The size of the receptacle must be increased, accordingly. The receptacle will therefore take up a large space in the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a charging paddle that is thin and effectively cools coils when charging a battery.
To achieve the foregoing and other objectives and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, a charging paddle of a charger coupling is provided. The charging paddle has a generally planar shape and is plugged into and is insulated from a receptacle when charging a battery connected to the receptacle. The charging paddle includes a thin primary coil for inducing electromotive force in the receptacle, a wire for supplying electricity to the primary coil, a first location at which the wire is connected to the primary coil and a coolant chamber shaped to correspond to the shape of the primary coil. Coolant flows through the coolant chamber to cool the primary coil. The paddle further includes an inlet conduit for supplying coolant to the coolant chamber, an outlet conduit for draining coolant from the coolant chamber and a second location at which the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit are connected to the coolant chamber. The second location is spaced apart from the first location.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5412304 (1995-05-01), Abbott
patent: 5463303 (1995-10-01), Hall et al.
patent: 8-064442 (1996-08-01), None
patent: 9-182303 (1997-07-01), None
patent: 10-106867 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 10-106869 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 10-191572 (1998-07-01), None

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