# US 12,759,420 B2 · EV charging connector with air cooling, EV charging system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,759,420 B2 - Document ID: US12759420B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/947,692 - Filed: 2022-09-19 - Published: 2023-03-23 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-09-21 - Assignees: ABB E-mobility B.V. - Applicants: ABB E-Mobility B.V. - Inventors: Francisco Garcia-Ferre; Stefan Raaijmakers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759420B2 ## CPC - B60L 53/302: Cooling of charging equipment - 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 53/66: Data transfer between charging stations and 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 ## Abstract An electric vehicle (EV) charging connector comprises a charging cable. The charging cable comprises charging lines configured to carry charging current and at least one air tube. The contact element is connected to the charging cable and is the galvanic contact interface to a car inlet; and each air tube is configured to lead an air stream directly to the hot portion of the EV charging connector such that air of the air stream flows around the hot portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electric Vehicle (EV) charging connector, comprising: a charging cable that includes charging lines, which are configured to carry charging current, and at least one air tube; a contact element connected to the charging cable, the contact element being a galvanic contact interface to a car inlet; wherein the contact element is a part of a hot portion of the EV charging connector; a passive cooling device connected to the contact element, wherein the passive cooling device is a further part of the hot portion of the EV charging connector; and wherein the least one air tube is configured to lead an air stream directly to the hot portion of the EV charging connector for cooling the hot portion such that air of the air stream flows at least partially around the hot portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The EV charging connector according to claim 1, wherein a first one of the at least one air tubes leads to a contact element for a positive voltage and a second one of the at least one air tubes leads to a contact element for a negative voltage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The EV charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the at least one air tube comprises a plurality of openings as air outlets. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The EV charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the at least one air tube splits into at least two branches and each of the split branches is configured to provide an air stream to a different part of the connector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The EV charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the EV charging connector further comprises an air guiding structure, and wherein the air guiding structure is configured to guide the air flow of the air stream from the air tube into a free space of the EV charging connector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The EV charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the passive cooling device is a heat pipe. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The EV charging connector according to claim 6, wherein the EV charging connector further comprises fins attached to the heat pipe, and wherein at least one air tube is configured to cool one of the fins. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The EV charging connector according to claim 1, wherein the EV charging connector further comprises temperature sensors configured to provide temperature data of the hot portions, and wherein the flow rate of the air stream is controlled in dependence on the temperature data. ### Claim 9 An electric vehicle (EV) charging station, comprising: an air stream generator; and a charging cable, the charging cable comprising: a line configured to carry charging current to an EV charging connector; and an air tube; wherein the air stream generator is configured to generate an air stream in the air tube and to lead the air stream directly to a hot portion of an EV charging connector for cooling the hot portion such that air of the air stream flows around the hot portion and a control unit that receives temperature data from the EV charging connector and controls the air stream dependent on the temperature. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The EV charging station according to claim 9, further comprising a cooling device configured to cool at least a portion of the air stream. ### Claim 11 A method for cooling parts of an electric vehicle (EV) charging connector, comprising: providing an EV charging connector comprising a charging cable, wherein the charging cable comprises charging lines configured to carry charging current, and a contact element connected to the charging cable, the contact element being the galvanic contact interface to a car inlet; wherein the contact element is a part of a hot portion of the EV charging connector; and at least one air tube, each configured to lead an air stream to the hot portion of the connector, wherein the EV charging connector further comprises a passive cooling device connected to the contact element, and the passive cooling device is a part of the hot portion of the EV charging connector, and leading an air stream directly to the hot portion of the EV charging connector for cooling the hot portion such that air of the air stream flows around the hot portion.