Description:FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
[39 of 1970]
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(Section 10; Rule 13)

A WATERPROOF CHARGER APPARATUS FOR A BATTERY PACK

ULTRAVIOLETTE AUTOMOTIVE PRIVATE LIMITED
529-530, Intermediate Ring Road, Amarjyoti Layout, Domlur,
Bangalore – 560071, Karnataka, India
An Indian Company

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD
The embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to battery packs, and more particularly to a Waterproof charger for a battery pack.
BACKGROUND

In hybrid/electrical vehicles there is a mandatory requirement of charging the battery cells and it takes a definite period for the charging process. For electric vehicles, electrical energy is required to charge the batteries, and such charging needs devices like chargers.

In conventional or standard electrical chargers, they are usually designed to provide the charging mechanism along with a lot of practical disadvantages. The conventional chargers lack the ability to provide protection against water or dust entering the electrical units. Hence moisture easily dampens the entire circuit and chargers get affected. Also, the charger designs are lacking to provide protection against harsh environments that may include exposure to chemicals or harsh environments where the temperature is very high than the permissible limits

In conventional or standard electrical chargers, the life of batteries is affected gradually due to the lack of thermal management thereby offering poor safety, lack of reliability to the users, etc. Hence thermal management is of utmost importance for hybrid or electric vehicle battery systems. When the batteries are exposed to natural forces say water or air there is no mechanism to repel against such forces and the moisture content causes various issues and difficulties in operating the vehicle. Hence there is a need for improved apparatus to provide water resistance and the charger needs a waterproof design for extending the longevity of the battery cells.

In conventional or standard electrical chargers, the potting system is used in order to avoid those aforementioned problems. Electrochemical or lithium-ion battery cells in conventional or standard electrical chargers experience issues like corrosion, difficulty in operating at extreme temperatures, moisture dampness, etc. To avoid such technical issues, the potting liquids are used in conventional chargers where one or a few particular units are potted with them. Hence the electrical charging apparatus needs a potting mechanism to address these issues.
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
In conventional electrical chargers, only selective potting is followed. The water gets easily entered into other auxiliary units and due to the presence of moisture, the essential electronic parts get corroded. Hence the primary objective of the present invention is to provide completely protect the charging circuitry from external damages.
The conventional electrical chargers which are said to have such potting liquid offer poor dielectric strength and poor thermal conductivity. There is a problem reported in using selective potting where the other auxiliary electrical units are affected due to a lack of coverage of potting liquid material. The Printed Circuit board gets easily affected due to moisture and dampening effects affecting the longevity of battery cells associated with such electrical circuitry.
Hence there is a requirement for an electric charger with complete waterproofing that can be carried with the electric vehicle and doesn’t get affected by water and dust. The present invention will address such issues.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION: -
In the present disclosure, a waterproof charger for charging an electric vehicle is disclosed. The waterproof charger comprising of a charging unit oriented in a horizontal plane. The charging unit comprises a storage unit, one or more openings, and a charging circuitry. The storage unit comprises provision to store a potting liquid that solidifies itself coming in contact with moisture. In the present disclosure, we understand there is at least one opening on the exterior boundary of the storage unit for discharging the potting liquid. Moreover, the charging circuitry located beside the said opening, the charging circuitry transmits the electrical energy from a power source to charge the electric vehicle. Further, when the charging unit is oriented in a vertical plane the given potting liquid discharges from the storage unit through the opening to form a complete covering layer all over the charging circuitry and provides a waterproof covering by solidifying the potting liquid to synthetic material in a predefined time.
As per the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the charging unit comprises one or more rubber grommets for additional support and sealing of the charging unit.
As per the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage unit comprises a predetermined volume of the potting liquid, the predetermined volume of the potting liquid is determined based on a volumetric area of the charging unit.
As per the third embodiment, the potting liquid is a dielectric material and provides good thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance.
As per the fourth embodiment, after the solidification of the potting liquid to synthetic material in a predefined time, the covering layer complies with IP67 standards.
As per the fifth embodiment, the predefined time to solidify the potting liquid to synthetic material is 24 hrs.
As per the sixth embodiment, orienting the charging unit in a vertical plane discharges the potting liquid from the storage unit due to the effect of gravitational force.
As per the seventh embodiment, the charging unit may be made of plastic or polymer material. The plastic material or polymer composition provides good rigidity, deformation, and strength.
As per the eighth embodiment, the charging unit comprises a plurality of grooves for fixing the charging circuitry with the charging unit.
As per the ninth embodiment, the waterproof charger is an onboard charger of the electric vehicle.
LIST OF FIGURES:-
The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying figures in which:
FIGURE 1 is a top view of a charging unit as per the current invention.
FIGURE 2 is a top perspective view of the charging unit as per the current invention.
FIGURE 3 is a side perspective view of a waterproof charger as per the current invention.
Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the figures by conventional symbols, and the figures may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the figures with details that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the figures and specific language will be used to describe them. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as would normally occur to those skilled in the art are to be construed as being within the scope of the present invention.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the invention and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.
The terms “comprises”, "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such a process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or subsystems or elements or structures or components preceded by "comprises... a'' does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices, sub-systems, elements, structures, components, additional devices, additional sub-systems, additional elements, additional structures or additional components. Appearances of the phrase "in an embodiment", "in another embodiment" and similar language throughout this specification may, but not necessarily do, all refer to the same embodiment.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying figures.
Figure 1 illustrates a charging unit (101) as disclosed in the present invention. The charging circuit comprises a charging circuitry (1013) and a storage unit (1011). The charging circuitry (1013) may further comprise pluralities of electrical/electronic components such as but not limited to, transformer, printed circuit boards (PCB), diodes, transducers, resistors, jumpers, and like so. The charging circuitry (1013) may also comprise one or more cooling fans to radiate the heat out of the charging circuitry (1013) developed during the functioning of the charging circuit. A rear portion of the cooling fan is completely packed so that liquid particles are not allowed to penetrate inside. A front portion including the blades of the cooling fan is faced toward the wall of the charging unit (101) and the cooling fan is so tightly fixed with the charging unit (101) that liquid particles cannot penetrate out of the charging unit (101). Moreover, the storage unit (1011) comprises potting liquid in a predetermined volume.
Figure 2 illustrates a top perspective view of the charging unit (101) as disclosed in the present invention. The figure illustrates the charging circuitry (1013), and the storage unit (1011). The figure further illustrates an opening (1012) on the exterior boundary of the storage unit (1011). The said opening (1012) has a thin film covering in order to prevent moisture from entering inside the storage unit (1011). Once the waterproof charger (10) is oriented vertically then the thin film covering bursts out due to the weight and gravitational force exerted by the potting liquid and the opening (1012) provides a clear way for the potting fluid to flow out through the hole and spread over the electric circuitry. It is obvious for a person skilled in the art that comprising more than one opening (1012) on the exterior boundary of the storage unit (1011) does not limit the functioning or working of the invention.
Figure 3 illustrates a perspective side view of the waterproof charger (10). The waterproof charger (10) as shown in the figure comprises the charging circuit, and input/output cables (102). Moreover, the entrance and exit of the input/output cables (102) are sealed and supported by rubber grommets (1014). The rubber grommets (1014) also prevent the input/output cables (102) from being torn off due to friction with the boundary wall of the charging circuit.
In the present disclosure, a waterproof charger (10) for charging an electric vehicle is disclosed. The waterproof charger (10) comprises a charging unit (101), wherein the charging unit (101) comprises a storage unit (1011), one or more openings (1012), and a charging circuitry (1013). The charging unit (101) is oriented in a horizontal plane. The storage unit (1011) comprises a provision to store a potting liquid that solidifies itself encountering moisture. Moreover, towards the side of the charging circuitry (1013), the exterior boundary of the storage unit (1011) includes one or more openings (1012) for discharging the potting liquid out of the storage unit (1011). The charging circuitry (1013) located beside the said opening (1012) transmits electrical energy from a power source to charge the electric vehicle. Moreover, after all the elements are fixed and/or fastened inside the charging unit (101), the upper part of the charging unit (101) is tightly closed by a lid or covering. Further, once the orientation of the charging unit (101) is changed from the horizontal plane to a vertical plane the potting liquid discharge from the storage unit (1011) through one or more openings (1012) and flows over the charging circuitry (1013) to form a covering layer over the charging circuitry (1013) and provides a waterproof covering by solidifying the potting liquid to synthetic material in a predefined time.
As per the first embodiment of the present disclosure, the charging unit (101) comprises one or more rubber grommets (1014) for additional support of the input/output cables (102) connected to a power source and also for transmitting power to the vehicle. Moreover, one or more rubber grommets (1014) seal the openings (1012) of the charging unit (101) provided for input/output cables (102). The said rubber grommet (1014) also avoids friction between input/output cables (102) and the charging unit (101).
As per the second embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage unit (1011) comprises a predetermined volume of the potting liquid, the predetermined volume of the potting liquid is determined based on a volumetric area of the charging unit (101).
As per the third embodiment, the potting liquid is a dielectric material and provides good thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance.
As per the fourth embodiment, after the solidification of the potting liquid to synthetic material, the covering layer complies with IP67 standards. The IP67 standard indicates that the waterproof charger (10) remains protected for a short period of time if immersed in water for up to 1 meter and no ingress of dust is formed providing complete protection against dust.
As per the fifth embodiment, the predefined time to solidify the potting liquid to synthetic material is 24 hrs. The potting liquid changes its liquid form to synthetic material within a day.
As per the sixth embodiment, the charging unit (101) is oriented in a vertical plane so that the potting liquid discharge from the storage unit (1011) is mainly due to the effect of gravitational force.
As per the seventh embodiment, the charging unit (101) may be made of plastic or polymer material. The plastic material or polymer composition provides rigidity, deformation, and strength.
As per another exemplary embodiment, the charging unit (101) comprises a plurality of fins for the dissipation of heat and heat convection. The plurality of fins is kept at a predetermined angle for enhanced latent cooling. The heat transfer takes place efficiently which keeps the internal circuitry suitably cool.
As per the eighth embodiment, the charging unit (101) comprises a plurality of grooves (1016) for fixing the charging circuitry (1013) with the charging unit (101). The said grooves (1016) are also sealed by the potting liquid after getting solidified.
As per the ninth embodiment, the waterproof charger (10) is an onboard charger of the electric vehicle.
The charging unit (101) may include a Printed circuit board (PCB) coupled with an AC/DC converter for converting a direct current to an alternate current. The charging unit (101) may have a Rectifier unit that helps in regulating the entire circuit. The grooves (1016) inside the charging unit (101) are fastened using the fasteners and the nuts are mated for multiple parts along with bolts for securing and providing slight elastic deformation thereby the compression of parts is ensured. The potting liquid also provides a covering layer over the said grooves (1016) by covering them when the potting liquid flows in the liquid form.
While specific language has been used to describe the invention, any limitations arising on account of the same are not intended. As would be apparent to a person skilled in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein.
The figures and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. Also, those acts that are not dependent on other acts may be performed in parallel with the other acts. The scope of embodiments is by no means limited by these specific examples.
FURTHER ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION:
1. Firstly, the present invention provides protection against the water entering the auxiliary electrical units, and the printed circuit board is coupled along with the charging circuitry (1013).
2. Second, the potting liquid has good dielectric strength and provides corrosion resistance to the associated electrical component, and the covering layer provides an outer structural membrane protecting the entire electrical unit against moisture.
3. Thirdly, the potting liquid provides good thermal conductivity.
4. Fourthly, the plastic material or polymer composition provides rigidity, deformation, and strength

REFERENCES:
S. NO NAME NUMBER
1. Waterproof charger 10
2. Charging unit 101
3. Storage unit 1011
4. Opening 1012
5. Charging circuitry 1013
6. Rubber grommet 1014
7. Grooves 1016
8. Input/output cable 102
, Claims:CLAIMS:
We claim
1. A waterproof charger (10) for charging an electric vehicle, the waterproof charger (10) comprises:
a charging unit (101) oriented in a horizontal plane, the charging unit (101) comprises
a storage unit (1011) comprising a potting liquid that solidifies itself coming in contact with moisture;
one or more openings (1012) on the exterior boundary of the storage unit (1011) for discharging of the potting liquid;
a charging circuitry (1013) located beside the said opening (1012), the charging circuitry (1013) transmits the electrical energy from a power source to charge the electric vehicle;
wherein,
orienting the charging unit (101) in a vertical plane discharges the potting liquid from the storage unit (1011) through the opening (1012) to form a complete covering layer all over the charging circuitry (1013) and provides a waterproof covering by solidifying the potting liquid to synthetic material in a predefined time.
2. The waterproof charger (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charging unit (101) comprises one or more rubber grommets (1014) for additional support and sealing of the charging unit (101).
3. The waterproof charger (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage unit (1011) comprises of a predetermined volume of the potting liquid, the predetermined volume of the potting liquid is determined based on a volumetric area of the charging unit (101).
4. The waterproof charger (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the potting liquid is a dielectric material.
5. The waterproof charger (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein after solidifying the potting liquid to synthetic material in a predefined time, the covering layer complies with IP67 standards.
6. The waterproof charger (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predefined time to solidify the potting liquid to synthetic material is 24 hrs.
7. The waterproof charger (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein orienting the charging unit (101) in a vertical plane discharges the potting liquid from the storage unit (1011) is due to the effect of gravitational force.
8. The waterproof charger (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charging unit (101) may be made of plastic or polymer material.
9. The waterproof charger (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charging unit (101) comprises a plurality of grooves (1016) for fixing the charging circuitry (1013) with the charging unit (101).
10. The waterproof charger (10) as claimed in claim1, wherein the waterproof charger (10) is an onboard charger of the electric vehicle.