Charging apparatus
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYoshiyuki Tsuchiya
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A charging apparatus includes a movable unit, an ascending and descending device, a detection device, and a control device. The movable unit includes a connection device configured to connect to a power storage device. The ascending and descending device causes the movable unit to ascend or descend between a first state and a second state. The first state is a state in which the movable unit is housed under the ground. The detection device detects an obstacle above the movable unit. The control device prohibits ascent of the movable unit when determination is made that the movable unit is in the first state and the obstacle is present above the movable unit based on a detection result from the detection device.
Claims11
A charging apparatus installed at a bottom of a hollow in a ground and configured to charge a power storage device mounted on a vehicle, the charging apparatus comprising:
- a movable unit including a connection device configured to connect to the power storage device:
- an ascending and descending device configured to cause the movable unit to ascend or descend between a first state and a second state, the first state being a state in which the movable unit is housed under the ground, the second state being a state in which the movable unit is exposed above the ground and the power storage device and the connection device are connectable together;
- a detection device configured to detect an obstacle above the movable unit;
- and
- a control device configured to
- control operations of the ascending and descending device, and
- prohibit ascent of the movable unit when determination is made that the movable unit is in the first state and the obstacle is present above the movable unit based on a detection result from the detection device,
- wherein the control device is configured to:
- communicate with a device outside the charging apparatus;
- when the ascent of the movable unit is prohibited, transmit information on an inquiry about whether to permit the ascent of the movable unit to the device outside the charging apparatus;
- and
- terminate prohibition of the ascent of the movable unit when information indicating permission of the ascent of the movable unit is received from the device outside the charging apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.