CHARGING STATION, ESPECIALLY FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES, PLUG ADAPTER FOR USE WITH SUCH A CHARGING STATION AND METHOD TO OPERATE A CHARGING STATION

Abstract

The invention relates to a charging station (1), in particular for electric vehicles, having at least one charging point (5) comprising a charging plug (7) for electrical connection to an electrical device to be charged, and having at least one adapter receptacle (9) which is adapted to receive a plug adapter (3) for use with the charging plug (7), wherein the adapter receptacle (9) is adapted to alternately adopt a plurality of modes, wherein the adapter receptacle (9) is adapted to hold the plug adapter (3) secured against unauthorized removal in a locking mode of the plurality of states and to release the plug adapter (3) for removal in an unlocking mode of the plurality of states, wherein the charging station (1) further comprises a control device (11) which is operatively connected to the adapter receptacle (9) and adapted to monitor a current mode of the adapter receptacle (9).

Claims

1. Charging station (1), in particular for electric vehicles, having at least one charging point (5) comprising a charging plug (7) for electrical connection to an electrical device to be charged, and having at least one adapter receptacle (9) which is adapted to receive a plug adapter (3) for use with the charging plug (7), wherein the adapter receptacle (9) is adapted to alternately adopt a plurality of modes, wherein the adapter receptacle (9) is adapted to hold the plug adapter (3) secured against unauthorized removal in a locking mode of the plurality of states and to release the plug adapter (3) for removal in an unlocking mode of the plurality of states, wherein the charging station (1) further comprises a control device (11) which is operatively connected to the adapter receptacle (9) and adapted to monitor a current mode of the adapter receptacle (9).

2. Charging station (1) according to claim 1, wherein the control device (11) is adapted to control loading procedures of the charging station (1), and to complete an active loading procedure only when the adapter receptacle (9) is in the locking mode, or to complete the active loading procedure by noting the unlocking mode in a dataset associated with the active loading procedure when the adapter receptacle (9) is not in the locking mode.

3. Charging station (1) according to one of the preceeding claims, wherein the control device (11) is adapted to set the adapter receptacle (9) to the unlocking mode, in particular only after initializationin particular identificationof a loading procedure.

4. Charging station (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control device (11) is adapted to uniquely identify a charging operation of the charging station (1), in particular a user, and to assign a removal operation of the removal of the plug adapter (3) to an identified charging operation, if the adapter receptacle (9) is set to the unlocking mode after the identification of the charging operation.

5. Charging station (1) according to one of the preceeding claims, wherein the adapter receptacle (9) is adapted to determine whether the plug adapter (3) is received by the adapter receptacle (9), and to move from the unlocking mode to the locking mode only when the plug adapter (3) is received by the adapter receptacle (9).

6. Charging station (1) according to one of the preceeding claims, wherein the charging station (1) is adapted to move a plug locking of a plug adapter (3) from a lock position to a release position when the adapter receptacle (9) is in the locking mode.

7. Charging station (1) according to one of the preceeding claims, wherein the charging station (1) comprises a plug adapter (3), in particular a plug adapter (3) according to one of the claim 8 or 9.

8. Plug adapter (3) for use with a charging station (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the plug adapter (3) comprises a socket part (13) and a plug part (15), wherein the socket part (13) is adapted to cooperate with the charging plug (7) of the charging station (1), wherein the plug part (15) is adapted to cooperate with a charging socket of a charging station (1) to be charged, to cooperate with a charging socket of an electrical apparatus to be charged, wherein optionally the socket part (13) comprises a plug locking device (17) which is adapted to lock the charging plug (7) of the charging station (1) to the plug adapter (3) in a lock position when the charging plug (7) is inserted into the socket part (13), and to release the charging plug (7) in a release position.

9. Plug adapter (3) according to claim 8, wherein the socket part (13) comprises a plug connection type selected from a group consisting of: CCS1, CCS2, Type 1 or J1772, GB/T, Type 2 or Mennekes, CHAdeMO, and NACS, and wherein the plug part (15) comprises another plug connection type selected from the same group.

10. Method for operating a charging station (1), in particular for electric vehicles, wherein a current mode of an adapter receptacle (9) is monitored.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the following steps are performed: Initializing and/or identifying a loading procedure; Optionally charging the electrical device to be charged; Checking whether the adapter receptacle (9) is locked, and Completing the loading procedure when the adapter receptacle (9) is locked.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein the loading procedure is not completed or is completed with the inclusion of a note in a dataset associated with the loading procedure if the adapter receptacle (9) is not locked.

Description

[0055] FIG. 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment example of a charging station with a plug adapter, and

[0056] FIG. 2 a schematic representation of an embodiment example of a method for charging an electrical device at the charging station.

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment example of a charging station 1 with a plug adapter 3.

[0058] The charging station 1, which is in particular adapted to charge a traction energy storage unit of an electric vehicle, comprises at least one charging point 5 with a charging plug 7 for electrical connection to an electrical device to be chargedin particular to the electric vehicle. In addition, the charging station 1 comprises at least one adapter receptacle 9, which is adapted to receive the plug adapter 3 for use with the charging plug 7. The adapter receptacle 9 is adapted to alternately adopt a plurality of modes, specifically to hold the plug adapter 3 secured against unauthorized removal in a locking mode of the plurality of modes and to release the plug adapter 7 for removal in an unlocking mode of the plurality of modes. The charging station 1 also comprises a control device 11, which is operatively connected to the adapter receptacle 9 and adapted to monitor a current mode of the adapter receptacle 9.

[0059] The charging station 1 can comprise a plurality of charging points 5 and/or a plurality of adapter receptacles 9.

[0060] In particular, the charging station 1 comprises at least one plug adapter 3, in particular one plug adapter 3 for each adapter receptacle 9, preferably at least one adapter receptacle 9 with a plug adapter 3 for each charging point 5.

[0061] The plug adapter 3 comprises a socket part 13 and a plug part 15. The socket part 13 is adapted to interact with the charging plug 7. The plug part 15 is adapted to interact with a charging socket of the electrical device to be charged, in particular of the electric vehicle.

[0062] Preferably, the socket part 13 comprises a plug locking 17 which is adapted to lock the charging plug 7 to the plug adapter 3 in a lock position when the charging plug 7 is inserted into the socket part 13 and to release the charging plug 7 in a release position.

[0063] The adapter receptacle 9 preferably comprises a locking device 19. In particular, the control device 11 is operatively connected to the locking device 19.

[0064] Preferred, the charging station 1 additionally comprises a rain or moisture protection for the plug adapter 3 arranged in the adapter receptacle 9, in particular a rain cover 20 over the adapter receptacle 9.

[0065] Preferred, the socket part 13 comprises a plug connection type selected from a group consisting of: CCS1, CCS2, type 1 or J1772, GB/T, type 2 or Mennekes, CHAdeMO, and NACS. The plug part 15 comprises another plug connection type selected from the same group.

[0066] The control device 11 is preferably adapted to control loading procedures of the charging station 1, and to complete an active loading procedure only when the adapter receptacle 9 is in the locking mode, or to complete the active loading procedure by noting the unlocking mode in a dataset associated with the active loading procedure when the adapter receptacle 9 is not in the locking mode.

[0067] The control device 11 is also preferably adapted to set the adapter receptacle 9 to the unlocking mode, in particular only after initializationin particular identificationof a loading procedure.

[0068] Furthermore, the control device 11 is preferably adapted to uniquely identify a charging procedure of the charging station 1, in particular a user, and to assign a removal procedure of the plug adapter 3 to an identified charging procedure when the adapter receptacle 9 is set to the unlocking mode after the identification of the charging procedure.

[0069] The adapter receptacle 9 is preferably adapted to determine whether the plug adapter 3 is received by the adapter receptacle 9, and to move from the unlocking mode to the locking mode only if the plug adapter 3 is received by the adapter receptacle 9.

[0070] The charging station 1, in particular the control device 11, is preferably adapted to move the plug locking 17 of the plug adapter 3 from the lock position to the release position when the adapter receptacle 9 is in the locking mode.

[0071] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment example of a method for charging an electrical device at the charging station 1.

[0072] Identical and functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference symbols in all figures, so that reference is made to the previous description in each case.

[0073] In a first step a), a loading procedure is initialized and identified. In a second step b), it is checked whether a plug adapter request is present, preferably by checking whether the charging plug 7 is plugged into the plug adapter 3.

[0074] In a third step b1), the adapter receptacle 9 is unlocked if a plug adapter request is present, in particular if the charging plug 7 is plugged into the plug adapter 3. Otherwise, the adapter receptacle 9 remains locked in a fourth step b1).

[0075] If the adapter receptacle 9 is unlocked, the plug adapter 3 is removed in a fifth step b2), and the charging device to be charged is charged in a sixth step c). Otherwisewithout a plug adapter requirementthe electrical device to be charged is charged in step c) without the plug adapter 3.

[0076] If the plug adapter 3 is used, it is arranged again in the area of the adapter receptacle 9 in a sixth step d0)after chargingand the adapter receptacle 9 is put back into locking mode in a seventh step d01).

[0077] In an eighth step d), it is checked whether the adapter receptacle 9 is locked, and in a ninth step e), the loading procedures is completed if the adapter receptacle 9 is locked. Alternatively, the loading procedure is not completed in a tenth step f) if the adapter receptacle 9 is not locked, or the loading procedure is completed in the tenth step f) by recording a note in a dataset associated with the loading procedure if the adapter receptacle 9 is not locked. Optionally, in the tenth step f), the control device 11 automatically takes or initiates additional measures, possibly via a backend or a cloud, such as sending information to the police or another authority, automatically filing a complaint, or charging a penalty fee or costs for the plug adapter 3.

[0078] Optionally, the plug adapter 3 is locked to the charging plug 7 before step b1) by moving the plug locking 17 to the lock position. Only then is the adapter receptacle 9 unlocked.

[0079] Optionally, the plug adapter 3 releases the charging plug 7 after step d) by moving the plug locking 17 to the release position if it is determined in step d) that the adapter receptacle 9 is locked.