Theft protection for the primary coil of an inductive charging station

Abstract

A device for securing a primary coil used for inductive charging fastens a rail to an underlying surface. The rail has a lower wall and at least one side wall. The device includes a connection strip, which has a longitudinal extent along the rail and which has an adequate width for covering the lower wall and at least partially the at least one side wall of the rail. The connection strip has an outer connection layer on an outer face, which outer connection layer is designed to produce adhesion between the connection strip and the surface along the lower wall of the rail. The connection strip has at least one inner connection layer on an inner face, which inner connection layer is designed to produce adhesion between the at least one side wall of the rail and the connection strip along the at least one side wall of the rail. The device also includes a housing, which can be connected to the rail and which blocks access to the rail when the housing is connected to the rail.

Claims

1. A device comprising: a rail having a lower wall and at least one side wall; and a connecting tape wherein: the connecting tape has a longitudinal extent along the rail, the connecting tape has a sufficient width in order to cover the lower wall and at least partially to cover the at least one side wall of the rail, the connecting tape has, on an outer side, an external connecting layer producing adhesion along the lower wall of the rail between the connecting tape and an underlying surface to which the rail is secured, and the connecting tape has, on an inner side, at least one internal connecting layer which is designed to produce adhesion along the at least one side wall of the rail between the at least one side wall of the rail and the connecting tape, and a housing which is connectable to the rail and blocks access to the rail when the housing is connected to the rail.

2. The device according to claim 1, further wherein: the connecting tape has, on the inner side, an internal region for receiving the lower wall of the rail, which internal region does not have an adhesive connecting layer and lies opposite the external connecting layer, and/or the connecting tape has, on the outer side, an external region which lies opposite the at least one internal connecting layer and which does not have an adhesive connecting layer.

3. The device according to claim 2, further wherein: the connecting tape has a multiplicity of segments along the longitudinal extent, and internal connecting layers between two adjacent segments of the multiplicity of segments are interrupted.

4. The device according to claim 3, further wherein: the connecting tape has longitudinal sides along the longitudinal extent and ends, and the connecting tape has, on a longitudinal side, one or more tabs for detaching the adhesion between the at least one side wall of the rail and the connecting tape, and/or the connecting tape has a tab at one end for detaching the adhesion between the connecting tape and the underlying surface.

5. The device according to claim 4, further wherein the connecting tape has transverse reinforcements in a region for receiving the lower wall of the rail, whereby detachment of the adhesion between the connecting tape and the underlying surface by forces acting transversely on the rail is made difficult.

6. The device according to claim 1, further wherein: the connecting tape has a multiplicity of segments along the longitudinal extent, and internal connecting layers between two adjacent segments of the multiplicity of segments are interrupted.

7. The device according to claim 1, further wherein: the connecting tape has longitudinal sides along the longitudinal extent and ends, and the connecting tape has, on a longitudinal side, one or more tabs for detaching the adhesion between the at least one side wall of the rail and the connecting tape, and/or the connecting tape has a tab at one end for detaching the adhesion between the connecting tape and the underlying surface.

8. The device according to claim 1, further wherein the connecting tape has transverse reinforcements in a region for receiving the lower wall of the rail, whereby detachment of the adhesion between the connecting tape and the underlying surface by forces acting transversely on the rail is made difficult.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the external and internal connecting layers are designed to produce an adhesive connection and/or a touch-and-close connection.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein: the rail and the housing are connectable to each other by a screw connection, and the housing has a closeable covering by which access to the screw connection is preventable in a closed state.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein: the adhesion between the connecting tape and the underlying surface prevents release of the rail in the transverse direction with respect to the underlying surface, and the adhesion between the at least one side wall of the rail and the connecting tape prevents release of the rail in a direction perpendicular to the underlying surface.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is designed to enclose a primary coil for inductively charging a vehicle, and/or to enclose a cable for connecting the primary coil to a power supply.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the rail forms a frame by which a space for receiving a primary coil is formed.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the rail has a rectangular cross section.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the lower wall and the at least one side wall of the rail extent along an entire length of the rail, and wherein the longitudinal extent of the connecting tape spans along the length of the rail.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary device for inductively charging a vehicle:

(2) FIG. 2a is a side view of an exemplary device for securing a primary coil;

(3) FIG. 2b is a top view of the exemplary device for securing a primary coil:

(4) FIG. 2c is a view of an exemplary rail of the device for securing a primary coil;

(5) FIG. 3a is a side view of an exemplary adhesive tape:

(6) FIG. 3b is a top view of the exemplary adhesive tape;

(7) FIG. 4 is a side view of a primary coil secured on an uneven floor; and

(8) FIG. 5 is a view of an exemplary device for securing the cable duct of a primary coil.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(9) As explained at the beginning, the present document describes a device and a corresponding method for securing a primary coil 111 in a theft-proof manner and so as to be removable without residue. FIG. 2a shows the side view of an exemplary device 200. The device 200 includes a housing 201 which can be placed onto the floor 220 and thus covers the primary coil 111. The housing 201 can be the housing of the primary coil 111. The housing 201 has an upper wall and lateral walls by which the primary coil 111 is enclosed.

(10) Furthermore, the device 200 includes a securing rail 211 (for example a metal rail). The securing rail 211 is fastened on the floor 220 (also called ground in this document) by use of an adhesive tape 212. The adhesive tape 212 surrounds the securing rail 211. In particular, the adhesive tape 212 has a lower surface with which the adhesive tape 212 is adhesively bonded onto the floor 220. Furthermore, the adhesive tape 212 has side surfaces with which the adhesive tape 212 is adhesively bonded to side walls of the securing rail 211. The housing 201 can then be fastened (for example by a screw connection illustrated in FIG. 2a by means of one or more screws 213) to the securing rail 211 which is fastened to the floor 220.

(11) The device 200 illustrated in FIG. 2a has two securing rails 211 on a left and a right side of the housing 201. It is emphasized that a different number of securing rails 211 can be used. In particular, the housing 201 can be surrounded by securing rails 211 or by a securing frame 211 in order to fasten the housing to the floor 220 on all sides. It should furthermore be emphasized that, instead of an adhesive connection to the securing rail 211 and/or to the floor 220, the adhesive tape 212 can provide a touch-and-close connection.

(12) By use of an adhesive/touch-and-close connection, the securing rail 211 and therefore also the housing 201 can be removed from the floor 220 without residue. At the same time, the adhesive/touch-and-close connection ensures that the primary coil 111 enclosed by the housing 201 cannot be stolen.

(13) The device 200 can furthermore have a removable covering 202. The covering 202 can be fastened to the housing 201 by screws. The screws can have special screw head drives in order to prevent opening of the covering 202 using conventional screwdrivers. Alternatively or additionally, the covering 202 can be pushed laterally into the housing 201 and closed. By removing the covering 202, access to the one or more screws 213 can be made possible in order to fasten the housing 201 to the securing rail 211 or to remove the housing from the securing rail 211. Furthermore, the closed covering 202 prevents access to the one or more screws 213 and thereby prevents unauthorized removal of the housing 201 and of the primary coil 111.

(14) The device 200 can furthermore have a reach-under protector 203. By means of the reach-under protector 203, a flat object (for example a knife) can be prevented from being moved laterally under the securing rail 211 in order to cut the adhesive tape 212 below the rail 211. The reach-under protector 203 can be fastened to the housing 201.

(15) It is therefore proposed in this document to adhesively bond an adhesive strip 212 onto the floor 220. The adhesive strip 212 can be removed without residue when required. A rail 211 is adhesively bonded to the adhesive strip 212 or is fastened thereto by a touch-and-close lock. The second connection can likewise be released again. However, the rail 211 cannot be removed without the adhesive/touch-and-close strip 212 being previously pulled off since the entire connecting surface would have to be released at the same time. However, this requires high forces which cannot readily be applied by a potential thief.

(16) The primary coil 111 or the housing 201 of the primary coil 111 can then be screwed onto the rail 211. The primary coil 111 (or the housing 201) is then no longer releasable since the entire adhesive/touch-and-close surface would have to be torn away simultaneously, which, as already mentioned, would require great forces. By means of a reach-under protector 203 and/or by means of a closeable covering 202, access by unauthorized persons to the fastening system 211, 212, 213 (i.e. to the adhesive strip 212, to the rail 211 and/or to the screws 213) can be prevented.

(17) FIG. 2b shows a top view of the exemplary device 200. FIG. 2b shows in particular the primary coil 111 and the housing 201 of the primary coil 111. Furthermore, FIG. 2b shows two securing rails 211 to which the housing 201 is fastened by screws 213. In addition, FIG. 2b shows a cable duct 240 which is led out of the housing 201 and which can be used to guide cables for the energy supply of the primary coil 111 to the primary coil 111.

(18) FIG. 2c shows further details of the fastening system 211, 212, 213. In particular, FIG. 2c shows a side wall 261 of the housing 201. The side wall 261 is fastened to the rail 211 by the screw 213. The screw 213 can be fastened by a spring 262, wherein a defined pressing force of the housing 201 against the floor 220 can be set using the spring 262. The rail 211 has a bore and a thread for receiving the screw 213.

(19) The rail 211 is fastened to the floor 220 using the adhesive tape 212. As illustrated in FIG. 2c, the adhesive tape 212 has a basic structure or a basic surface 251 on which adhesive layers 252, 253 are mounted. The adhesive tape 212 encloses the lower wall and the two side walls of the rail 211. On the upper side of the basic structure 251, the adhesive tape 212 has adhesive layers 253 which are designed for securing the side walls of the rail 211 with the adhesive tape 212. As a result, a fixed connection is achieved between rail 211 and adhesive tape 212. This connection in particular prevents the rail 211 from being able to be released from the adhesive tape 212 by pulling the rail away from the floor 220 since high lateral adhesive forces are in effect.

(20) The adhesive tape 212 typically does not have any adhesive layer on the upper side of the basic structure 251, by which adhesive layer the lower wall of the rail 211 is secured with the adhesive tape 212. Owing to the high adhesive forces on the side walls of the rail 211, an additional adhesive connection on the base of the rail 211 is generally not required. In addition, by dispensing with an adhesive connection between lower wall of the rail 211 and adhesive tape 212, an (authorized) release of the connection between rail 211 and adhesive tape 212 is facilitated.

(21) Furthermore, the adhesive tape 212 has an adhesive layer 252 on the lower side of the basic structure 251. The adhesive layer 252 is designed to provide an adhesive connection between adhesive tape 212 and floor 220. The adhesive layer 252 extends along the lower wall of the rail 211. However, the lower side of the basic structure 251 (i.e. the outer side of the adhesive tape 212) typically does not have an adhesive layer 252 on the side walls of the rail 211.

(22) FIG. 3a shows further details of the construction of the adhesive tape 212. In particular, FIG. 3a shows the adhesive tape 212 prior to the construction of a connection to the rail 211. FIG. 3a shows the basic structure 251 of the adhesive tape 212, and the adhesive layers 253 on the upper side of the basic structure 251, which adhesive layers can produce a connection between the side walls of the rail 211 and the adhesive tape 212. In addition, FIG. 3a shows the adhesive layer 252 on the lower side of the basic structure 251, by means of which adhesive layer a connection can be produced between the adhesive tape 252 and a floor 220 (for example a garage floor). As already explained above, pulling away of the housing 201 in a direction perpendicular to the floor 220 is prevented by the adhesive layers 253. Furthermore, slight flexibility in the transverse direction (i.e. parallel to the floor 220) is ensured by means of the adhesive layer 252. The combination of the adhesive layers 252, 253 therefore provides reliable protection against unauthorized removal of the primary coil 111.

(23) Furthermore, FIG. 3a shows laterally attached tabs 353. The tabs 353 can be free of any adhesive layer. In particular, the tabs 353 can make it possible for the adhesive tape 212 to be pulled off the side walls of the rail 211. This is clarified in FIG. 3b. It is shown here that the adhesive tape 212 can be divided into segments 312. In particular, the (lateral) adhesive layers 253 can be divided into segments 312 in order to facilitate the detaching of the lateral adhesive layers 253. Each segment 312 can have a tab 353 with which the corresponding segment 312 can be released from the side wall of the rail 211. By means of the segmentation of the lateral adhesive layers 253, the detaching of the adhesive tape 212 from the side walls of the rail 211 is facilitated. Also, the securing of the rail 211 with respect to forces acting on the rail 211 from above is only imperceptibly reduced. Furthermore, the segmentation permits installation on an uneven underlying surface (as illustrated in FIG. 4).

(24) Furthermore, the adhesive tape 212 can have a tab 354 at one or both ends of the adhesive tape 212. The tab 354 can be used to pull off the adhesive tape 212 from the floor 220 in the longitudinal direction.

(25) The adhesive tape 212 can have transverse reinforcements 351 in the basic structure 251, said transverse reinforcements preventing, or at least making it difficult, to pull off the (lower) adhesive layer 252 transversely. The transverse reinforcements 351 are typically used in those regions of the basic structure 251 which are intended to be connected to the floor 220.

(26) FIG. 4 shows the securing of a rail 211 by an adhesive tape 212 with segments 312 on an uneven floor 220. It is apparent that unevennesses can be absorbed by the adhesive tape 212 and the segmentation thereof. By securing the lower side of the adhesive tape 212 on the floor 220, release of the rail 211 in the transverse direction is prevented, and, by securing the adhesive tape 212 to the sides of the rail 211, release of the rail 211 perpendicular to the floor 220 is prevented. Furthermore, by securing the housing 201 on the rail 211 (as illustrated in FIG. 2a), access to the adhesive tape 212 is prevented, and therefore detaching of the adhesive tape 212 from the rail 211 is prevented.

(27) The adhesive tape 212 described in FIGS. 3a and 3b can also be used for securing a cable duct 240 for the primary coil 111. This is illustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows the cross section of an exemplary cable duct 240. The cable duct 240 has a cover 501 which encloses a rail 511. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the rail 511 and the cover 501 form a unit. The lower side of the unit has openings through which the segments 312 of the adhesive tape 212 can be guided in order to fasten the side walls of the rail 511. For this purpose, the segments 312 can be at a certain distance from one another in order to permit a periodic connection (at points between the segments 312) between cover 501 and rail 511. The rail 511 has a cavity in which the cables for the primary coil 111 can be guided.

(28) A system 200 which permits installation of the primary coil 111 by use of adhesive strips 212 and/or touch-and-close locks is therefore described. The system 200 is designed in such a manner that the primary coil 111 can only be removed by an authorized person (who, for example, is in possession of a key for opening the covering 202). As a basic principle, use is made here of the principle of a touch-and-close lock 212 or of an adhesive strip 212. An extensive touch-and-close or adhesive connection is produced by the tape 212. The extensive connection cannot be released or displaced with the entire surface in one step. A separation is possible only by pulling off directly at the rail 211, 511. The division of the tape 212 into segments 312 permits the stepwise release of partial surfaces of the connection. A segment 312 is typically a relatively short migrating line along which the adhesive/touch-and-close strip 212 can be pulled off. By means of the at all times relatively small surface of a segment 312 which is to be released, the pulling-off forces are correspondingly small.

(29) The sole part which typically has to be renewed after removal in order to install the primary coil 111 for the second time is the adhesive/touch-and-close tape. The other components of the device 200 are reusable.

(30) The device 200 may include in particular: one or more intermediate carriers 211 (for example rails or frames) which are adhesively bonded onto the floor 220 using the adhesive tape 212. In a second step, the floor unit (i.e. the housing 201 and the primary coil 111) can then be mounted onto the intermediate carrier 211. However, the one or more intermediate carriers 211, 511 may be on part of the object to be fastened. In this case, the adhesive tape 212 can be adhesively bonded directly onto the floor unit to be installed. The fastening system 200 can be protected via a covering 202 against unauthorized access. The covering 202 may be, for example, a covering of the cable duct 240 or a covering part of the floor unit 201, 111. The coverings 202 can be protected by a corresponding screw connection or by a lock against unauthorized removal. A plurality of parts of a covering 202 can be designed (for example can be pushed over one another) in such a manner that only part of the covering 202 has to be closed (in particular the final part which is fitted or the first part which has to be removed).

(31) As illustrated in FIG. 4, the system 220 can also be installed on an uneven underlying surface. In addition, the system can be supplemented with a theft protection warning which, for example when the connecting line between floor unit 201, 111 and electronics 110 is severed, an acoustic, optical and/or telecommunications warning message triggered.

(32) With the device 200, a theft-proof installation of the primary coil 110 can be carried out without special knowledge. The primary coil 110 can be removed again at any time without residue. Furthermore, a slip-proof installation on highly diverse floor conditions is possible.

(33) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.