# US 12,005,791 B2 · Vehicle connection device, ground contact unit, vehicle coupling system and method for automatically conductively connecting a vehicle contact unit with a ground contact unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,791 B2 - Document ID: US12005791B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/123,145 - Filed: 2023-03-17 - Published: 2023-11-09 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-12 - Assignees: Easelink GmbH - Applicants: Easelink GmbH - Inventors: Manuel Leibetseder; Hermann Stockinger; Manuel Laublaettner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005791B2 ## CPC - B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer - B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles - B60L 53/18: Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles - B60L 53/30: Constructional details of charging stations - B60L 53/35: Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles - B60L 53/36: by positioning the vehicle - H02J 7/751: {concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries} - B60L 53/12: Inductive energy transfer - B60L 53/38: specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer - 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 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - 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 - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A ground contact unit, an automatic vehicle coupling system as well as a method for automatically, conductively connecting a vehicle contact unit to a ground contact unit. A vehicle connection device of a vehicle battery charging system has a vehicle contact unit including a base with a contacting area in which at least one first contact electrode, at least one second contact electrode and at least one third contact electrode. The vehicle connection device is moveable towards the ground contact unit in a contact direction and an aligning actuator of the vehicle connection device is connected to the base in such a way that it can rotate the base about an axis of rotation that runs substantially in the contact direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ground contact unit for a vehicle battery charging system for automatically, conductively connecting the ground contact unit and a vehicle contact unit, comprising a plate-like base body as well as first contact areas, second contact areas and third contact areas that are arranged on a target surface of the base body in a main lattice in a form of a two-dimensional Bravais lattice, wherein the first contact areas are arranged in a first sublattice in a form of a two-dimensional Bravais lattice, the second contact areas are arranged in a second sublattice in a form of a two-dimensional Bravais lattice and the third contact areas are arranged in a third sublattice in a form of a two-dimensional Bravais lattice, wherein the first sublattice, the second sublattice and the third sublattice are interlaced with each other, wherein the first contact areas, the second contact areas and the third contact areas occur alternately in a direction of at least one base vector of the main lattice. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the ground contact unit comprises a ground control unit as well as a first ground connection, a second ground connection and a third ground connection for connecting the ground contact unit on a ground side, wherein the first contact areas are electrically connected to the first ground connection, and wherein the ground control unit is set up to switch the electric connection of the second contact areas between at least two of the first ground connection, the second ground connection and an earthing and/or to switch the electric connection of the third contact areas between at least two of the first ground connection, the third ground connection and an earthing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the first contact areas are earthing contact areas, the second and third contact areas both have an electrical potential, the electrical potentials of the second and third contact areas differing from each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the second contact areas are neutral contact areas or positive direct-current contact areas and/or the third contact areas are phase contact areas or negative direct-current contact areas. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the three sublattices are identical lattices and/or at least two of the main lattice and the three sublattices are of a same type. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the main lattice, the first sublattice, the second sublattice and/or the third sublattice are hexagonal lattices. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein at least three second contact areas and/or at least three third contact areas are provided for transmitting three-phase electric power, wherein at least one of said at least three second and/or third contact areas is an L1 contact area, at least another of said at least three second and/or third contact areas is an L2 contact area and at least one further one of said at least three second and/or third contact areas is an L3 contact area, wherein said at least one L1 contact area, said at least one L2 contact area and said at least one L3 contact area occur alternately in a direction of at least one base vector of the third sublattice. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein magnetic elements are provided in or on the base body in the first contact areas, the second contact areas and/or the third contact areas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The ground contact unit according to claim 8, wherein the magnetic elements each encompass an electrical lead that electrically contacts a corresponding contact area. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The ground contact unit according to claim 1, wherein the ground contact unit comprises a signal source for a high-frequency signal and/or a measuring unit for a high-frequency signal that is electrically connected to the first contact areas, the second contact areas and/or the third contact areas. ### Claim 11 An automatic vehicle coupling system comprising a vehicle connection device and a ground contact unit, the vehicle contact unit comprising a base with a contacting area in which at least one first contact electrode, at least one second contact electrode and at least one third contact electrode are provided, wherein the vehicle contact unit is moveable towards the ground contact unit in a contact direction in order to bring said at least one first contact electrode, said at least one second contact electrode and said one at least one third contact electrode in contact with the ground contact unit, an aligning actuator that is connected to the base in such a way that it is able to rotate the base relative to a mounting section about an axis of rotation running substantially in the contact direction, the ground contact unit comprising a plate-like base body as well as first contact areas, second contact areas and third contact areas that are arranged on a target surface of the base body in a main lattice in a form of a two-dimensional Bravais lattice, wherein the first contact areas are arranged in a first sublattice in a form of a two-dimensional Bravais lattice, the second contact areas are arranged in a second sublattice in a form of a two-dimensional Bravais lattice and the third contact areas are arranged in a third sublattice in a form of a two-dimensional Bravais lattice, wherein the first sublattice, the second sublattice and the third sublattice are interlaced with each other, wherein the first contact areas, the second contact areas and the third contact areas occur alternately in the direction of at least one base vector of the main lattice. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The automatic vehicle coupling system according to claim 11, wherein the base lattice and the main lattice correspond with each other substantially and/or the aligning actuator is connected to the base in such a way that it is able to rotate the base along the ground contact unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The automatic vehicle coupling system according to claim 12, wherein the aligning actuator is able to rotate the base along the ground contact unit in a case of an existing contact between the first, second, and third contact electrodes and the first, second, and third contact surfaces, respectively. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The automatic vehicle coupling system according to claim 11, wherein vehicle connection device comprises a magnetic area in the contacting area, in said magnetic area a contact magnet is located in or on the base, wherein the contact magnet determines a position of the axis of rotation, and wherein magnetic elements are provided in or on the base body in the first contact areas, the second contact areas and/or the third contact areas, wherein the magnetic elements of the vehicle contact unit interact with the contact magnets in order to fix the vehicle contact unit in position on the ground contact unit and to form the axis of rotation. ### Claim 15 A method for automatically, conductively connecting a vehicle contact unit with a ground contact unit, the vehicle contact unit comprising a base with a contacting area in which at least one first contact electrode, at least one second contact electrode and at least one third contact electrode are provided, wherein the vehicle contact unit is moveable towards the ground contact unit in a contact direction in order to bring said at least one first contact electrode, said at least one second contact electrode and said one at least one third contact electrode in contact with the ground contact unit, an aligning actuator that is connected to the base in such a way that it is able to rotate the base relative to a mounting section about an axis of rotation running substantially in the contact direction, the ground contact unit comprising a plate-like base body as well as first contact areas, second contact areas and third contact areas that are arranged on a target surface of the base body in a main lattice in a form of a two-dimensional Bravais lattice, wherein the first contact areas are arranged in a first sublattice in a form of a two-dimensional Bravais lattice, the second contact areas are arranged in a second sublattice in a form of a two-dimensional Bravais lattice and the third contact areas are arranged in a third sublattice in a form of a two-dimensional Bravais lattice, wherein the first sublattice, the second sublattice and the third sublattice are interlaced with each other, wherein the first contact areas, the second contact areas and the third contact areas occur alternately in a direction of at least one base vector of the main lattice, the method comprising steps of: a) lowering the vehicle contact unit towards the ground contact unit in a contact direction until the vehicle contact unit contacts the ground contact unit, b) checking whether at least one specific contact electrode of the vehicle contact unit contacts at least one corresponding specific contact area of the ground contact unit, and c) rotating the vehicle contact unit about an axis of rotation if no or insufficient electrical contact exists between said at least one specific contact electrode and said at least one corresponding specific contact area. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein whether said at least one specific contact electrode contact contacts said at least one corresponding contact area is checked during rotation or after the rotation is completed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein said at least one specific contact electrode is one or more of said at least one first contact electrode and said at least one specific contact area is one or more of said at least one first contact area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the vehicle contact unit is aligned to the ground contact unit when lowering the vehicle contact unit by a contact magnet at the vehicle contact unit which is being attracted by a magnetic element in or on the ground contact unit to define the axis of rotation.