Contact apparatus and charging contact unit and method for electrically connecting a vehicle to a charging station

1. A contact apparatus for a rapid-charging system for electrically driven vehicles, wherein the contact apparatus serves to form an electrically conductive connection between a vehicle and a stationary charging station having a charging contact unit, said contact apparatus adapted to be mounted on a roof of an electrically-driven vehicle and to be positioned beneath the charging contact unit, comprising:

a contact device contactable with the charging contact unit, wherein the charging contact unit forms a concave receiving opening;

a positioning device positioning the contact device relative to the charging contact unit, wherein the positioning device has a pantograph or a swing arm positioning the contact device in the vertical direction relative to the charging contact unit; and

a contact element support having a plurality of bolt shaped contact elements elastically mounted on the contact element support, wherein each of the plurality of contact elements contact a corresponding one of a plurality of charging contact elements disposed within the receiving opening of the charging contact unit so as to form contact pairs,

wherein the positioning device includes a linear transverse guide arranged at a distal end of the pantograph or of the swing arm and the contact element support is arranged on the linear transverse guide in a freely displaceable manner, the linear transverse guide comprising first and second guide tracks and the contact element support comprising first and second sliding legs, each of the first and second sliding legs including a sliding surface adapted to be received on and to slide along the guide tracks, the linear transverse guide being configured to adjust a position of the contact element support transversely relative to the charging contact unit or to the direction of travel of the vehicle to compensate for transverse movement of the vehicle.

2. The contact apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the contact elements are arranged on the contact element support relative to the charging contact elements in such a manner that a defined order is maintained when forming contact pairs when the contact device and the charging contact unit are joined.

3. The contact apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the contact element support forms at least two positioning surfaces that match contact surfaces of the charging contact unit for coming into contact with the contact element support.

4. The contact apparatus according to claim 1 , in which the contact elements are bolt-shaped and elastically mounted on the contact element support.

5. The contact apparatus according to claim 1 , in which at least two contact elements protrude at different heights relative to a surface of the contact element support.

6. A charging contact unit for a rapid-charging system for electrically driven vehicles, wherein the charging contact unit serves to form an electrically conductive connection between a vehicle and a stationary charging station, the vehicle having a contact apparatus and the stationary charging station including the charging contact unit, wherein the contact apparatus is arranged on a roof of the vehicle underneath the charging contact unit and includes a contact device that can make contact with the charging contact unit, wherein the contact apparatus or the charging contact unit includes a positioning device positioning the contact device relative to the charging contact unit, wherein the positioning device has a pantograph or a swing arm positioning the contact device in the vertical direction relative to the charging contact unit, wherein the contact device has a contact element support comprising first and second sliding legs positionable transversely relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle and including a plurality of contact elements, each of the plurality of contact elements adapted to make contact with a corresponding one of a plurality of charging contact elements of the charging contact unit so as to form contact pairs, the contact elements being bolt-shaped and elastically mounted on the contact element support, said charging contact unit comprising:

a linear transverse guide comprising first and second guide tracks, each of the first and second sliding legs of the contact element support including a sliding surface adapted to be received on and to slide along the guide tracks positioning the charging contact unit transversely relative to the contact element support, the charging contact unit arranged on the linear transverse guide in a freely displaceable manner, the linear transverse guide configured to allow a movement of the charging contact unit substantially in a horizontal direction and to compensate for transverse movement of the vehicle.

7. The charging contact unit according to claim 6 , in which the charging contact unit is arranged on the linear transverse guide in a freely displaceable manner.

8. The charging contact unit according to claim 6 , in which the charging contact unit forms a receiving opening for the contact device, wherein the contact device can be inserted into the receiving opening of the charging contact unit.

9. The charging contact unit according to claim 8 , in which the receiving opening forms a guide for the contact device when the contact device and the charging contact unit are joined.

10. The charging contact unit according to claim 6 , in which the charging contact unit is composed of a charging contact element support and of the charging contact elements, wherein the charging contact element support is made of a plastic material.

11. The charging contact unit according to claim 6 , in which the charging contact unit is a roof-shaped longitudinal rail, which can be arranged in a direction of travel of the vehicle.

12. The charging contact unit according to claim 6 , in which the charging contact elements are conductor strips.

13. A rapid-charging system comprising:

a contact apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

a charging contact unit having a transverse guide positioning the charging contact unit transversely relative to a contact element support including contact elements that can make contact with charging contact elements of the charging contact unit so as to form contact pairs.

14. A method for forming an electrically conductive connection between a vehicle and a stationary charging station for electrically driven vehicles, comprising a contact apparatus and a charging contact unit that forms a concave receiving opening, wherein the contact apparatus is arranged on a vehicle, wherein the contact apparatus comprises a contact device, said method comprising:

bringing a contact device into contact with a charging contact device of the charging station;

positioning the contact device relative to the charging contact unit using a positioning device having a pantograph or a swing arm positioning the contact device in the vertical direction relative to the charging contact unit positioned above the contact device;

bringing each of a plurality of contact elements of a contact element support positionable transversely relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle into contact with a corresponding one of a plurality of charging contact elements disposed within the receiving opening of the charging contact unit so as to form contact pairs, the contact elements being bolt-shaped and elastically mounted on the contact element support; and

positioning the contact element support transversely relative to the charging contact unit using a linear transverse guide forming part of the positioning device during joining of the contact device and the charging contact unit when bringing the contact elements of the contact element support into contact with the charging contact elements, the linear transverse guide comprising first and second guide tracks and the contact element support comprising first and second sliding legs, each of the first and second sliding legs including a sliding surface adapted to be received on and to slide along the guide tracks, the contact element support being arranged on the linear transverse guide in a freely displaceable manner, wherein the linear transverse guide allows a compensation of transverse movement of the vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 14 , including forming a first contact pair between a first contact element and a first charging contact element before another contact pair is formed between another contact element and another charging contact element.

16. The contact apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second guide tracks include a substantially round cross-section, and the sliding surface configured to mate with the substantially round cross-section, wherein a pivot of the linear transverse guide causes a corresponding displacement of the contact element support.

17. The contact apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the sliding surface is formed as a three quarter circular shape.

18. The contact apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the linear transverse guide further comprises a hub for rotatable connection to the positioning device.