Volvo Truck Corporation

Bart Potts

Hans Westerlind

Maxime Valero

David De Brito

Michael Pruden

Robert Niemczyk

Jean-Daniel Bonnet

Joshua Smith

Gregoire Artur Du Plessis

A vehicle power supply system (), comprising: —a vehicle battery () with a charging voltage, —a DC-to-DC converter () comprising two first connection terminals () connected to the vehicle battery () and two second connection terminals () for connecting an external charger to recharge the vehicle battery () or for connecting an external battery to be recharged, wherein, in a first mode in which an external charger is connected to the two second connection terminals (), the voltage Vbetween the two second connection terminals () is an input voltage of the converter and the voltage Vbetween the two first connection terminals () is an output voltage of the converter, wherein, in a second mode in which an external battery to be recharged is connected to the two second connection terminals (), the voltage Vbetween the two first connection terminals () is an input voltage of the converter and the voltage Vbetween the two second connection terminals () is an output voltage of the converter, wherein the system also includes means for determining at least the voltage Vbetween the two second connection terminals () and preferably also the voltage Vbetween the two first connection terminals (), and wherein the DC-to-DC converter () is controlled so that the output voltage of the converter is equal to the charging voltage of the vehicle battery () in the first mode and to a charging voltage of the external battery in the second mode.

Vehicle power supply system, vehicle comprising such system and method for recharging a vehicle battery

A charging apparatus includes at least one housing including a compartment, an access door connected to the housing and covering the compartment, the access door being movable from an open position to a closed position, a releasable latching mechanism configured to latch the access door in the closed position, a charging terminal in the compartment, a voltage sensing terminal, and a door release circuit coupled to the voltage sensing terminal and to the releasable latching mechanisms and configured to sense a charging voltage applied to the voltage sensing terminal. The door release circuit is configured to selectively unlatch the releasable latching mechanism in response to a voltage within a predetermined voltage range being applied to the voltage sensing terminal.

Multi-voltage charging apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Clemmons, NC, United States of America

Bart Potts