Electric vehicle power supply equipment with interchangeable power supply cords conforming to different technical standards

The invention relates to electric vehicle supply equipment, in particular to electric vehicle supply equipment having multiple interchangeable power supply cords that conform to different technical standards.

Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) is a portable charging cord set that supplies alternating current (AC) electrical power to on-board battery chargers present in electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). There are many portable charging cord sets available for consumers to purchase and use with their EVs or PHEVs. A typical original equipment manufacturer (OEM) charging cord set used in North America provides a line operating voltage of 120 Volts AC (VAC) to the vehicle and has a grid cord conforming to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 5-15 standard which is hard-wired to the EVSE. With a line voltage of 120 VAC, it typicality takes 8-10 hours to completely charge the vehicle's battery pack. As newer charging technologies are developed for EVs and PHEVs, some OEMs are requesting a provision for interchangeable grid cords on the EVSE. This approach enables the consumer to either use the 120 VAC grid cord, or remove that cord and replace it with an interchangeable 240 VAC grid cord conforming to the NEMA 6-20 standard that can be used with a 240 VAC input. The 240 VAC option reduces the overall battery charging time by up to 50%.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, an electric vehicle battery charging assembly is provided. The electric vehicle supply equipment includes an electronic module having a six-way module connector housing in which six module terminals are disposed. A first and second module terminals of the six module terminals are connected power supply circuitry within the electronic module. A third module terminal of the six module terminals is connected to a power supply ground circuit. A fourth and fifth module terminals of the six module terminals are connected to a resistance detection circuit within the electronic module. A sixth module terminal of the six module terminals is connected to a voltage detection circuit within the electronic module. The electric vehicle supply equipment further includes a first power supply cord configured to supply electrical power at about 120 VAC from a socket conforming to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 5-15S technical standard. The first power supply cord has five wire conductors, a first plug connector conforming to the NEMA 5-15P technical standard, and a first cord connector housing that is configured to mate with the six-way module connector housing in which five first cord terminals are disposed. The first cord connector housing may be a five-way or six-way connector housing.

A first and second power pin and a ground pin of the first plug connector are interconnected by a first, second and third wire conductor of the five wire conductors to a first, second, and third first cord terminals respectively of the five first cord terminals that are configured to interconnect with the first, second, and third module terminals respectively of the six module terminals. A first thermistor is disposed within the first plug connector and is interconnected by a fourth and fifth wire connector to a fourth and fifth first cord terminal of the five first cord terminals that are configured to interconnect with the fourth and fifth module terminals of the six module terminals.

The electric vehicle supply equipment may further include a second power supply cord that is configured to supply electrical power at about 240 VAC from a socket conforming to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 6-20S technical standard having five wire conductors, a second plug connector conforming to the NEMA 6-20P technical standard, and a six-way second cord connector housing configured to mate with the six-way module connector housing in which six second cord terminals are disposed. A first and second power pin and a ground pin of the second plug connector are interconnected by a first, second and third wire conductor of the five wire conductors to a first, second, and third second cord terminal respectively of the six second cord terminals that are configured to interconnect with the first, second, and third module terminals respectively of the six module terminals. A second thermistor is disposed within the second plug connector and is interconnected by a fourth and fifth wire connector of the five wire conductors to a fourth and fifth second cord terminal of the six second cord terminals that are configured to interconnect with the fourth and fifth module terminals of the six module terminals. A sixth second cord terminal of the six second cord terminals is interconnected to the third second cord terminal of the six second cord terminals and is configured to interconnect with the sixth module terminal of the six module terminals.

The electronic module may further include a controller connected to the voltage detection circuit and the controller may be configured to operate the electronic module with an input voltage of about 240 VAC when the voltage detection circuit detects a ground voltage at the sixth module terminal.

The fourth and fifth module terminals may be shorter than the first, second, third, and sixth module terminals. The fourth and fifth second cord terminals may be shorter than the first, second, third, and sixth second cord terminals.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electric vehicle supply equipment according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram view of a the electric vehicle supply equipment of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the electric vehicle supply equipment of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram view of a first power supply cord of the electric vehicle supply equipment of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5A is a close up view of a plug connector of the first power supply cord of the electric vehicle supply equipment of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5B is a close up view of a cord connector of the first power supply cord of the electric vehicle supply equipment of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram view of a second power supply cord of the electric vehicle supply equipment of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment;

FIG. 7A is a close up view of a plug connector of the second power supply cord of the electric vehicle supply equipment of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment; and

FIG. 7B is a close up view of a cord connector of the second power supply cord of the electric vehicle supply equipment of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment.

An electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) assembly for an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), is presented herein. The electric vehicle supply equipment assembly optionally has one of at least two interchangeable power supply cords with plugs that conform to different technical standards, such as National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 5-15P or 6-20P. The interchangeable power supply cord plugs each include a thermistor adapted to monitor plug temperatures. The EVSE assembly is configured to disable charging until a proper resistance of the thermistor in the plug is detected, thereby indicating the plug is within an acceptable temperature range. The EVSE assembly is also configured to detect ground circuit faults and current overvoltage conditions, providing additional circuit protection to that provided by the grid supply circuit. The EVSE assembly is further configured to automatically switch between 120 volt and 240 volt operation based on which of the interchangeable power supply cords is connected to the EVSE.

Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures. While a preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention. A description of example embodiments of the invention follows.

FIGS. 1-7B illustrate a non-limiting example of an electric vehicle supply equipment assembly 10 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the electric vehicle supply equipment assembly 10 , hereinafter referred to as the assembly 10 , includes an electronic module 12 , hereinafter referred to as the module 12 , that contains the electronic circuitry of the EVSE assembly, a first detachable power supply cord 14 that is configured to supply electrical power at about 120 VAC from a socket (not shown) conforming to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 5-15S technical standard, and a second detachable power supply cord 16 that is configured to supply electrical power at about 240 VAC from a socket (not shown) conforming to the NEMA 6-20S technical standard. As used herein, about 120 VAC is a voltage in the range of 114 VAC to 126 VAC and is hereinafter referred to as 120 VAC and about 240 VAC is a voltage in the range of 228 VAC to 252 VAC and is hereafter referred to as 240 VAC.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the module 12 includes a six-way module connector housing 18 in which six round male pin module terminals 20 A- 20 F are disposed. The first and second module terminals 20 A, 20 B are connected to a power supply circuit 22 within the module 12 that converts the 120 VAC or 240 VAC electrical power delivered to the module 12 by the first or second power supply cords 14 , 16 to a direct current voltage that is output to the electric vehicle via a power output cord 24 to a coupler (not shown) that is configured to interconnect to the vehicle's charging port (not shown). The third module terminal 20 C is connected to a power supply ground circuit. The fourth and fifth module terminals 20 D, 20 E are connected to a resistance detection circuit 26 within the module 12 and the sixth module terminal 20 F is connected to a voltage detection circuit 28 within the module 12 . The resistance detection circuit 26 and the voltage detection circuit 28 are both connected to a controller 30 that is configured to control the power supply circuit 22 as will be explained below.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5A, and 5B , the first power supply cord 14 has five wire conductors 38 A- 38 E contained within an insulative jacket (not shown), a first plug connector 32 conforming to the NEMA 5-15P technical standard, and a first cord connector housing 34 configured to mate with the six-way module connector housing 18 in which five female socket first cord terminals 40 A- 40 E are disposed. The first and second power pin 36 A, 36 B and a ground pin 36 C of the first plug connector 32 conform to the NEMA 5-15P standard and are made of a conductive material, such as a copper alloy. The first and second power pin 36 A, 36 B and the ground pin 36 C are interconnected by the first, second and third wire conductors 38 A, 38 B, 38 C of the five wire conductors to the first, second, and third first cord terminals 40 A, 40 B, 40 C respectively. These first cord terminals 40 A, 40 B, 40 C are configured to interconnect with the first, second, and third module terminals 20 A, 20 B, 20 C respectively. A first thermistor 42 is disposed within the first plug connector 32 and is interconnected by a fourth and fifth wire connector 38 D, 38 E to the fourth and fifth first cord terminals 40 D, 40 E. These terminals are configured to interconnect with the fourth and fifth module terminals 20 D, 20 E. The first thermistor 42 is interconnected to the resistance detection circuit 26 in the module 12 . A change in the resistance of the first thermistor 42 indicates a change in the temperature of the first plug connector 32 .

As shown in FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B , the second power supply cord 16 has five wire conductors 50 A- 50 E contained within an insulative jacket (not shown), a second plug connector 44 conforming to the NEMA 6-20P technical standard, and a six way second cord connector housing 46 configured to mate with the six-way module connector housing 18 in which six female socket second cord terminals 52 A- 52 F are disposed. The first and second power pin 48 A, 48 B and a ground pin 48 C of the second plug connector 44 conform to the NEMA 6-20P standard and are made of a conductive material, such as a copper alloy. The first and second power pin 48 A, 48 B and the ground pin 48 C of the second plug connector 44 are interconnected by a first, second and third wire conductor 50 A, 50 B, 50 C to a first, second, and third second cord terminal 52 A, 52 B, 52 C respectively. These terminals 52 A, 52 B, 52 C are configured to interconnect with the first, second, and third module terminals 20 A, 20 B, 20 C respectively. A second thermistor 54 having the same characteristics and the first thermistor 42 is disposed within the second plug connector 44 and is interconnected by a fourth and fifth wire conductor 50 D, 50 E to the fourth and fifth second cord terminals 52 D, 52 E that are configured to interconnect with the fourth and fifth module terminals 20 D, 20 E. A sixth second cord terminal 52 F is interconnected to the third second cord terminal 52 C by a jumper 50 F and is configured to interconnect with the sixth module terminal 20 F.

The controller 30 may include a processor (not shown) such as a microprocessor or other control circuitry as should be evident to those in the art. The controller 30 may also include analog to digital convertor circuitry (not shown) and digital to analog convertor circuitry (not shown) to be able to communicate with the resistance detection circuit 26 , the voltage detection circuit 28 , the power supply circuit 22 and other circuitry (not shown) that may be included in the module 12 . The controller 30 may also include memory (not shown), including non-volatile memory, such as electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) for storing one or more routines, thresholds and captured data. The one or more routines may be executed by the processor to perform steps for determining the value of the output of the resistance detection circuit 26 , the value of the output of the voltage detection circuit 28 , and operation of the power supply circuit 22 based on these output values.

The resistance detection circuit 26 may be a simple voltage divider network and an analog to digital convertor circuit of the controller 30 that is connected to the resistance detection circuit 26 can determine the voltage and provide a digital datum to the controller 30 indicating the value of the voltage and therefore the temperature of the first plug connector 32 . The controller 30 may be programmed to inhibit operation of the power supply circuit 22 when the temperature of the first plug connector 32 exceeds a threshold temperature.

The fourth and fifth module terminals 20 D, 20 E and/or the fourth and fifth cord terminals 40 D, 40 E, 52 D, 52 E of the first and second power supply cord 14 , 16 may be shorter than the other terminals 20 A-C, 20 F, 40 A-C, 52 A-C, 52 F and are configured to connect only after the other terminals 20 A-C, 20 F, 40 A-C, 52 A-C, 52 F have been connected. The controller 30 may also be programmed to inhibit operation until a resistance value within an expected range is detected by the resistance detection circuit 26 . In addition, the third module terminal 20 C and/or the third cord terminals 40 C, 52 C may be longer than the other terminals in order to complete a ground circuit prior to the connection of the other circuits.

The voltage detection circuit 28 may be a simple pull up circuit that is connected to an input of the controller 30 . When the first power supply cord 14 is connected to the module 12 , the voltage on the sixth module terminal 20 F is at the pull up voltage and the controller 30 configures the power supply circuit 22 to accept 120 VAC electrical power. However, when the second power supply cord 16 is attached the sixth module terminal 20 F is at ground voltage due to the interconnection of the third and sixth second cord terminals 52 C, 52 F. When the controller 30 detects ground voltage via the input attached to the voltage, the controller 30 configures the power supply circuit 22 to accept 240 VAC electrical power.

The first cord connector housing 34 may be a five-way connector housing 34 was shown in FIGS. 4 and 5B or it may be a six-way connector housing 46 as shown in FIG. 7B with an empty sixth terminal cavity. While the illustrated examples of the connector housings have connector cavities configured to receive the terminals in a 2 by 3 array, other embodiments may be arranged according to a different configuration, e.g. a 3 by 2 array, a 1 by 6 array or a circular arrangement with terminal cavities spaced at 60 degree intervals. The arrangement and order of the terminals may also be changed in other embodiments.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 5B and 7B , the six-way module connector housing 18 and the first and second cord connector housings 34 , 46 have corresponding locking features configured to inhibit inadvertent disconnection of the power supply cords from the module 12 .

While the illustrated example shows power supply cords having first and second plug connectors 32 , 44 conforming to NEMA 5-15 and 6-20 standards, other embodiments may be envisioned wherein the plug connectors conform to other technical standards, such as Europlug CCE 7/16, British Standard (BS) 1363, Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 3112, or Chinese PPCS-CCC technical standards.

In an alternative embodiment, the first and second thermistors 42 , 54 are chosen so that they have different initial resistance values. For example, the first thermistor 42 may be a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) type thermistor while the second thermistor 54 may be a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) type thermistor. The first thermistor 42 may be selected so that its resistance at normal ambient temperatures is near the highest value in the allowable resistance range and the second thermistor 54 may be selected so that its resistance at normal ambient temperatures is near the lowest value in the allowable resistance range. The controller 30 may be configured to determine whether the first or second power supply cord 16 is attached based on the initial thermistor resistance value output by the resistance detection circuit 26 . This could be used in place of the voltage detection circuit 28 input or in conjunction with it to improve determination of the power supply circuit's 22 operation.

Therefore an electric vehicle supply equipment assembly 10 having two interchangeable power supply cords 14 , 16 is provided. The assembly 10 provides the benefit of detecting whether a power supply cord configured to connect with a 120 VAC socket or a 240 VAC socket is connected and automatically configure the module 12 for 120 VAC or 240 VAC operation without any further operator action. This automatic detection prevents damage that may occur to a similar EVSE if an operator changes the power supply cord but does not set the EVSE to the proper operating voltage configuration.

While the illustrated embodiment is an electrical vehicle supply equipment assembly, other embodiments of this invention may be used for other electrical devices that are configured to be powered by two different voltages supplied by power cords conforming to different technical standards. Still other embodiments of the invention may be envisioned in which the thermistor is not installed within the plug. In these embodiments the associated wire conductors, cord terminals, and module terminals may be deleted.

While this invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments thereof, it is not intended to be so limited, but rather only to the extent set forth in the claims that follow. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. does not denote any order of importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items.