# US 10,481,038 B2 · Apparatus and method for testing a charging socket to supply electric energy to an energy reservoir of a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,038 B2 - Document ID: US10481038B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/211,022 - Filed: 2018-12-05 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-06 - Assignees: Lisa Draexlmaier GmbH - Applicants: Lisa Draexlmaier GmbH - Inventors: Markus Seemueller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481038B2 ## CPC - G01M 3/2838: {for cables (G01M3/30 takes precedence)} - B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles - G01M 3/04: by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point - G01M 3/226: {for containers, e.g. radiators} - G01M 3/26: by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors - G01M 3/3254: {using a flow detector (G01M3/3245, G01M3/3272 take precedence)} - G01M 3/3272: {for verifying the internal pressure of closed containers} - G01M 3/38: by using light (G01M3/02 takes precedence) - G01R 31/66: Testing of connections, e.g. of plugs or non-disconnectable joints (testing for incorrect line connections G01R31/55) - G01R 31/69: of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of plugs; of sockets, e.g. wall sockets or power sockets in appliances - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A tightness test device includes a charging socket to supply electric energy to an energy reservoir of a vehicle, which has a test adapter for contacting of a sealed plug connector of a wiring network including the sealed plug connector, a charging socket for mounting to an at least partly electrically powered vehicle and also a cable connecting the plug connector and the charging socket, a fluid supply connected to the test adapter which is set up to provide a fluid to the test adapter, and a measuring device for detection of tightness of the charging socket and/or of the wiring network based on the provided fluid. In addition, a method is described for testing a charging socket to supply electric energy to an energy reservoir of a vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tightness test device for a charging socket to supply electric energy to an energy reservoir of a vehicle, the tightness test device comprising: a test adapter for contacting a first sealed plug connector of a wiring network comprising the sealed plug connector, a charging socket for mounting to an at least partially electrically powered vehicle, and a first cable connecting the first sealed plug connector and the charging socket, wherein the cable includes at least one electrical conductor and an insulator surrounding the at least one electrical conductor, and the test adapter contacts a second sealed plug connector that is connected to the charging socket via a second cable; a fluid supply connected to the test adapter to provide a fluid to the test adapter; and a measuring device for detecting a tightness of the charging socket and/or of the wiring network based on the fluid provided by the fluid supply. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tightness test device according to claim 1, wherein the wiring network is a voltage wiring network and the test adapter contacts the first sealed plug connector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The tightness test device according to claim 1, in which the fluid supply is set up to provide the fluid at least at a pressure of 1.05-times ambient pressure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The tightness test device according to claim 1, in which the fluid supply is set up to provide the fluid at least at a pressure of 1.1-times ambient pressure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The tightness test device according to claim 1, in which the fluid supply is set up to provide the fluid at least at a pressure of 1.2-times ambient pressure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The tightness test device according to claim 1, in which the measuring device comprises a flow sensor and monitors a flow quantity and/or a pressure of the fluid provided by the fluid supply to determine the tightness. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The tightness test device according to claim 6, in which the measuring device compares the flow quantity to a threshold value, wherein the tightness is detected when the flow quantity is less than the threshold value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The tightness test device according to claim 6, in which the measuring device compares the flow quantity to a threshold value, wherein the tightness is detected when the flow quantity is less than the threshold value after a settling time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The tightness test device according to claim 1, in which the fluid is a gas. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The tightness test device according to claim 9, in which the measuring device comprises a gas sensor to detect an emission indicating a leakage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The tightness test device according to claim 1, in which the fluid is selected from the group consisting of helium, hydrogen, and air. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The tightness test device according to claim 1, in which the measuring device comprises a visual sensor to detect an emission indicating a leakage. ### Claim 13 A method for testing a charging socket to supply electric energy to an energy reservoir of a vehicle comprising: contacting a first sealed plug connector of a wiring network comprising the first sealed plug connector with a test adapter, a charging socket for mounting to an at least partially electrically powered vehicle, and a first cable connecting the first sealed plug connector and the charging socket, wherein the first cable includes at least one electrical conductor and an insulator surrounding the at least one electrical conductor and the test adapter contacts a second sealed plug connector that is connected to the charging socket via a second cable; providing a fluid to the first sealed plug connector; guiding the fluid from the first sealed plug connector via the first cable to the charging socket; and detecting a tightness of the charging socket and/or of the wiring network based on the fluid. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, in which, at the providing the fluid, the fluid is provided at least at a value of 1.07-times the ambient pressure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, in which, at the providing the fluid, the fluid is provided at least at a value of 1.2-times the ambient pressure. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, in which, at the detecting the tightness, a flow quantity and/or a pressure of the fluid is monitored and the tightness is determined by the flow quantity and/or the pressure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, in which, at the detecting the tightness, the flow quantity is compared to a threshold value, wherein a positive tightness information is provided when the flow quantity is less than the threshold value. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, in which the detecting is performed after a settling time.