Hands free vehicle charging system
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsChristopher W. Bell, Frank Kallio, John Paul Gibeau, James A. Lathrop
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle charging system may include a charge receptacle and an alignment pin mounted to a vehicle and a ground station. The ground station may include a guide having a locating region configured to receive the alignment pin and in response to the alignment pin contacting the locating region translate along a track. An electrical connector may be configured to engage the charge receptacle. The electrical connector may be disposed within a housing associated with the guide.
Claims19
A vehicle charging system comprising:
- a charge receptacle mounted to a vehicle;
- an alignment pin mounted to the vehicle;
- and
- a ground station comprising
- a guide having a locating region configured to receive the alignment pin and in response to the alignment pin contacting the locating region translate the guide along a track;
- and
- an electrical connector configured to engage the charge receptacle, the electrical connector disposed within a housing associated with the guide.
A vehicle charging system comprising:
- a guide pin disposed on a vehicle underbody;
- a secondary coil disposed on the vehicle underbody;
- and
- a docking station having:
- a movable guide configured to receive the guide pin;
- and
- a primary coil movable with the movable guide to align the primary coil and the secondary coil, in response to the guide pin contacting the movable guide.
A plug-in electric vehicle comprising:
- a deployable vehicle mounted pin, configured to engage a movable guide to align an off-vehicle charge delivery device with a vehicle mounted charge receiving device, wherein the deployable vehicle mounted pin moves from a first position to a second position in response to the vehicle approaching the off-vehicle charge delivery device and is configured to engage the movable guide when in the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.