Coupling device for producing and separating an energy-transferring plug-in connection and energy input system having such a coupling device

Abstract

A coupling device for producing and separating an energy-transferring plug-in connection, having a plug that can be shifted along a plug-in direction for insertion into a corresponding plug receptacle, and having a drive device, which is operatively connected to the plug for the shifting thereof. In a decoupled state of the coupling device, the plug can be arranged in a position of rest at a tilt with respect to the plug-in direction.

Claims

1. A coupling device for producing and separating an energy-transferring plug-in connection, comprising: a plug, which can be shifted along a plug-in direction for insertion into a corresponding plug receptacle, and a drive device, which can be operatively connected to the plug for the shifting thereof, in a decoupled state of the coupling device, the plug can be arranged in a position of rest at a tilt with respect to the plug-in direction; wherein the drive device has at least one push-pull chain drive, which preferably has two push-pull chains, wherein the push-pull chains: a) engage laterally on each side of the plug, b) engage at a plug foot of the plug, and c) can be driven via a common axle; wherein the diverting device has a diverting ramp, on which the plug runs when it is shifted from the position of rest to the plug-in position, wherein the plug can be diverted from its position of rest to the plug-in direction; and wherein the diverting ramp is arranged in a middle area between the push-pull chains of the push-pull chain drive.

2. The coupling device according to claim 1, further comprising: a diverting device, which is equipped to divert the plug from its position of rest to a plug-in position, which is aligned in the plug-in direction.

3. The coupling device according to claim 1, further comprising: a guide device, which is equipped to guide the plug when it is shifted in the plug-in direction, wherein the guide device has a) a telescopic guide.

4. The coupling device according to claim 3, wherein the guide device has a plug mounting unit, with which, in its plug-in position, the plug can be connected detachably in a form-fitting and force-fitting manner.

5. The coupling device according to claim 4, wherein the plug mounting unit has at least one cone magnet, which, in the plug-in position, interacts with a counter magnet arranged at the plug.

6. The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling device is designed as a self-traveling coupling unit, as a charging robot, and is designed for free shifting under a motor vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

(1) The invention is explained below on the basis of the drawing. Shown therein are:

(2) FIG. 1 an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a coupling device;

(3) FIG. 2 a schematic detailed illustration of the exemplary embodiment of the coupling device in accordance with FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 an illustration of the operating principle of the exemplary embodiment of the coupling device in accordance with FIG. 1; and

(5) FIG. 4 another schematic detailed illustration of the exemplary embodiment of the coupling device in accordance with FIGS. 1 to 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a coupling device 1, which is equipped for producing and separating an energy-transferringpreferably electricalplug-in connection, which has shiftable plug 3, which can be inserted along a plug-in direction into a corresponding plug receptacle, which is not illustrated, as well as a drive device 5, wherein the drive device 5 is operatively connected to the plug 3 for shifting thereof. In a decoupled state of the coupling device 1, which is illustrated in FIG. 1, in which said plug is not inserted in the plug receptacle, the plug 3 can thereby be arranged, in the position of rest, at a tilt with respect to the plug-in direction. The plug-in direction extends here, in particular perpendicularly to a bottom plane 7 of the coupling device 1. Owing to the tilted arrangement of the plug 3 with respect to the plug-in direction in the position of rest, the coupling device 1 can be designed to be especially small in the decoupled state and, in particular, can be designed with a small heightas measured in the plug-in directionbecause the plug 3 typically has a width that is smaller than its height measured in the plug-in position in the plug-in direction. Accordingly, particularly the minimum height of the coupling device 1 is no longer determined by the height of the plug 3, but rather by the width thereof.

(7) Moreover, the coupling device 1 has a diverting device 9, which is described in detail below and is equipped to divert the plug 3 from its tilted positionthat is, in particular, its position of restto its plug-in position, aligned in the plug-in direction, when the plug is driven by the drive device 5 in the direction of a coupled state of the coupling device 1. Conversely, the diverting device 9 is also equipped to divert the plug from the plug-in position to its tilted position of rest when it is driven by the drive device 5 in the direction of the decoupled state of the coupling device 1.

(8) The drive device 5 has at least one push-pull chain drive that has here, in particular, two push-pull chains 11, which are arranged laterally on each side of the plug 3 and engage at a plug foot 13 of the plug 3. In particular, they are linked via a connecting axle or connecting shaft to the plug foot 13, which, at the same time, defines the pivot axis for the tilting movement of the plug 3 from its position of rest to its plug-in positionand vice versa.

(9) The push-pull chains 11 can be driven via a common drive shaft 15, wherein the drive shaft 15 is preferably operatively connected to a preferably electromechanical drive, which is not illustrated, in particular to an electric motor. Via the common drive shaft 15, the push-pull chains 11 can be driven synchronously and with symmetrical force distribution.

(10) Here, the diverting device 9 is arranged in the middle between the push-pull chains 11; this is favorable, on the one hand, for reasons of structural space and, on the other hand, for a symmetrical application of a tilting torque to the plug 3.

(11) Moreover, for each of the push-pull chains 11, the coupling device 1 has a respective chain guide 17, which, in particular, is equipped for diverting the push-pull chains 11 from their horizontal position with respect to the bottom plane 7 to the vertical orientation of the plug 3, aligned in the plug-in direction, when the plug 3 is shifted from the position of rest to the plug-in position.

(12) Moreover, the coupling device 1 has a guide device 19, which is equipped to guide the plug 3 when it is shifted in the plug-in direction. Here, the guide device 19 is constructed as a telescopic guide and has a respective telescopic element 21 laterally on each side of the plug, wherein, in this case, the telescopic elements 21 each have a rectangular cross section and a flat construction. It is also possible, alternatively or additionally, that the guide device 19 has round telescopic elements, and/or that the guide device 19additionally or alternatively to the telescopic elements 21has a scissor mechanism with corresponding scissor elements. The guide device 19 need not be constructed to be especially stable, because it must only accommodate forces perpendicular to the plug-in direction, wherein forces that act in the plug-in direction are absorbed by the push-pull chains 11.

(13) Moreover, the guide device 19 has a plug mounting unit 23, to which the plug 3, in its plug-in position, can be connected detachably in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting mannerhere, in particular in a form-fitting and force-fitting manner. For this purpose, the plug mounting unit 23, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated here, has at least one cone magnet and, in this case, exactly four cone magnets 25, which interact with corresponding counter magnets, one counter magnet 27 of which is illustrated here, in the plug-in position of the plug 3, in order to connect them detachably to the plug mounting unit 23 in a form-fitting and force-fitting manner. The connection of the plug 3 to the plug mounting unit 23 hereby occurs only during or after its pivoting into the plug-in position and the plug 3 is separated from the plug mounting unit 23 when it is pivoted from the plug-in position back to the position of rest. The function of the cone magnets 25 will be explained in detail in connection with FIG. 4.

(14) The main function of the guide device 19 is, moreover, to be regarded as defining the position of the plug 3 when it is shifted in the plug-in direction, whereby it does not need to absorb any insertion force, which instead is transmitted via the axis of rotation of the plug directly to the push-pull chains 11. Therefore, the guide device 19 need only be able to accommodate small loads.

(15) FIG. 2 shows a schematic detailed illustration of the exemplary embodiment of the coupling device 1 in accordance with FIG. 1. Identical and functionally identical elements are provided with identical reference characters, so that reference is made to the preceding description in this regard. In this case, one of the two push-pull chains 11 is illustrated, in particular, and everything that has been stated in regard to the push-pull chain 11 illustrated in FIG. 2 also applies to the other one of the two push-pull chains 11, because said push-pull chains preferably have an identical construction. The push-pull chains 11 have chain links 29, which are linked to one another via joint axes 31. Moreover, each chain link 29 has a chain stop 33, wherein the chain stops 33 are all arranged on a same side of the push-pull chain 11 and, in a way that is known in and of itself, cause the push-pull chain 11 to be able to be diverted in a first directionin FIG. 2, in the clockwise direction to the right, and wherein the chain cannot be diverted in an opposing directionin FIG. 2, counterclockwise to the left, because this is prevented by the chain stops 33. In particular, the chain cannot buckle in these two directions, which are blocked by the chain stops 33.

(16) In this case, in order to be able to safely absorb, in particular, the insertion forces that act in the plug-in direction on the plug 3, the connecting shaft 35, with which the push-pull chains 11 engage at the plug 3, is shifted by a specific distance x from a central plane 37 of the push-pull chain 11 outwards in the direction of the chain stops 33. A force Fz applied along the plug-in direction to the push-pull chain 11 therefore results in a buckling torque, the tendency of which is to attempt to buckle the push-pull chain 11 around the uppermost joint axis 31 in the direction of the chain stops 33, this being prevented, however, by the chain stops 33. Accordingly, owing to the off-center arrangement of the connecting shaft 35 at the push-pull chain 11 in the direction of the chain stops 33, a buckling of the push-pull chain 11 is overall prevented, so that said push-pull chain can absorb the forces acting in the plug-in direction in a secure and stable manner.

(17) Preferably, it is additionally provided that the chain guides 17 are designedas viewed in the plug-in directionlong enough that they always carry at least two of the chain links 29.

(18) FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the operating principle of the exemplary embodiment of the coupling device 1 in accordance with FIG. 1. Identical and functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference characters, so that reference is made in this regard to the preceding description. The sequence of the individual FIGS. 3a) to 3e) hereby shows, in separate steps, the shifting of the plug 3 from its position of rest, illustrated in FIG. 3a), to the plug-in position, illustrated in FIG. 3e) and, in particular, in the coupled state of the coupling device 1 shown there, wherein, however, the plug receptacle, in which the plug 3 is inserted in the coupled state, is not illustrated.

(19) It is hereby shown that the push-pull chains 11 initially cause the plug 3 to travel against the diverting device 9, on which it runs and by way of which it is pivoted from its position of rest to the plug-in position. Once this pivoting movementas illustrated in FIG. 3c)has been completed, the plug 3 is connected detachably to the plug mounting unit 23 and, when the push-pull chains 11 are further shifted in the plug-in direction, the plug mounting unit 23 is shiftedas illustrated in FIG. 3d)together with the plug 3 in the plug-in directionin this case, upwards, wherein the telescopic elements 21 of the guide device 19 are extended telescopically. In the process, the guide device 19 prevents any movement in a plane perpendicular to the plug-in direction of the plug 3.

(20) The insertion process of the plug 3 into the plug receptacle, which is not illustrated here, is preferably concluded in the position illustrated in FIG. 3e), but it is preferably also possible to shift the plug 3 still further in the plug-in direction.

(21) On the basis of FIG. 3d) and e), it is also shown that the diverting device 9 preferably has a diverting ramp 39, on which the plug 3 runs when it is shifted from the position of rest to the plug-in position, whereby it is diverted from the tilted position to the plug-in direction. The plug 3 is therefore caused by the push-pull chains 11 to travel against the diverting ramp 39, whereby it then rotates around an axis of rotation defined by the connecting shaft 35 and rises up. If the push-pull chains 11 are then extended further, the plug 3guided by the guide device 19moves further along the plug-in direction linearly. In this case, the diverting ramp 39 is arranged in the middle between the push-pull chains 11.

(22) On the basis of FIG. 3e), it is further shown that the plug mounting unit 23 is preferably designed in such a way and is connected to the plug 3 in such a way that a plug head 41which is inserted into the corresponding plug receptacle, which is not illustrated herealways protrudes a certain distance over the plug mounting unit 23; this is ultimately indispensible for being able to insert the plug 3 completely into the plug receptacle.

(23) FIG. 4 shows another detailed illustration of the exemplary embodiment of the coupling device 1 in accordance with FIGS. 1 to 3. Identical and functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference characters, so that reference is made in this regard to the preceding description. Here, the plug receptacle 23 is illustrated in a schematic sectional illustration together with a cone magnet 25 and the plug foot 13 is illustrated in a schematic sectional illustration together with a counter magnet 27, whereby it becomes clear that the cone magnet 25 is arranged in a conical bore 43. In contrast to this, the counter magnet 27 is preferably formed as a rod magnet and is arranged in a bore, in particular, in a cylindrical bore 45 of the plug foot 13. Owing to the magnetic attraction of the cone magnet 25 and the counter magnet 27, the cone magnet 25 is shifted into the conical bore 43downwards in FIG. 4when the plug 3 is connected to the plug mounting unit 23, so that said plug is forced against the conical wall of the conical bore 43 and hence centered. Due to the magnetic coupling, it results that the counter magnet 27 and thus the plug foot 13 are therefore centered as well. By use of the cone magnet 25 and the counter magnet 27, it is therefore possible, at the same time, to achieve a force-fitting and form-fitting connection of the plug 3 to the plug mounting unit 23.

(24) The coupling device 1 is preferably designed as a self-traveling coupling unit, in particular as a charging robot, and is preferably designed for free shifting under a motor vehicle.

(25) Preferably, the coupling device 1 is part of an energy input system, which comprises the coupling device 1 and a motor vehicle, for inputting energy into a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle has a plug receptacle at an underside, in particular at an underbody, into which the plug 3 of the coupling device 1 can be inserted along the plug-in direction. The plug-in direction is thereby preferably vertically oriented.

(26) Overall, it is shown that the coupling device 1 and the energy input system presented here make it possible to provide a flatly constructed, compact lifting mechanism for creating a plug-in connection, which can be shifted in a straightforward manner under a motor vehicle designed as a passenger motor vehicle.