Electric vehicle charging station with cable retaining enclosure

• US 10,211,658 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Webasto Charging Systems, Inc. (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Original Assignee: Webasto Charging Systems, Inc. (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Inventors: Bonwit, Holden Alexander, Petrie, Greg A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Memula, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US15/635,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20170302092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0217 Mechanical details of casings covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

In various embodiments, an enclosure for a charging station is provided having a peripheral casing configured to retain a charging cable on an upward facing surface of the peripheral casing between a front user interface side and a charging station mounting surface.

Claims

1. A charging station having a housing comprising:

a) a back side;

b) a front user interface side opposing the back side; and

c) a curved upward facing surface between the back side and the front user interface side adapted to receive a charging cable, the curved upward facing surface comprising a cable retaining portion adjacent to the user interface side, the cable retaining portion having a radius of curvature about an axis extending through the front user interface side and the back side, wherein the radius of curvature of the cable retaining portion is larger than a radius of curvature about the axis of a portion of the upward facing surface between the cable retaining portion and the back side.

2. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature of the cable retaining portion with respect to the radius of curvature of the between portion is such that a charging cable is releasably retained on the upward facing surface so that the retaining portion allows the charging cable to slide off the upward facing surface in response to a pulling force exerted on the charging cable from the user interface side of the charging station.

3. The charging station of claim 2, wherein the upward facing portion further comprises a reduced radius of curvature portion between the cable retaining portion and the front user interface side.

4. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the user interface side comprises a planar user interface, and wherein the back side comprises a mounting surface for mounting with a flat surface.

5. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the upward facing surface of the housing comprises a semicircular cross section having a radius of curvature so as to inhibit over-bending stress on the charging cable.

6. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the housing is curvilinear and has a radius of curvature greater than a kinking radius of the charging cable.

7. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a truncated conical configuration between the front user interface side and the back side.

8. The charging station of claim 7, wherein the radius of curvature of the cable retaining portion of the upward facing surface is greater than a radius of curvature of a portion of the upward facing surface of the housing at the back side.

9. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises surface features for retaining the charging cable with the housing.

10. The charging station of claim 9, wherein the features comprise at least one of:

(a) grooves;

or (b) steps.

11. The charging station of claim 10, wherein the features are formed into the housing.

12. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the upward facing surface is configured so as to form an angle of 65 degrees with respect to a vertical when mounted.

13. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the upward facing surface is configured so as to form an angle of 25 degrees with respect to a horizontal when mounted.

14. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the upward facing surface is configured so as to form an angle with a range of from 10°

to 45°

from a horizontal plane when mounted.

15. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the upward facing surface is configured so as to form an angle with a range of from 45°

to 80°

from a vertical plane when mounted.

16. A charging station having a housing comprising:

a) a back side;

b) a front user interface side opposing the back side; and

c) the housing comprising a cable retaining portion comprised of a truncated conical configuration between the front user interface side and the back side with a decreasing radius of curvature between the front user interface side and the back side.

17. The charging station of claim 16, wherein the cable retaining portion comprises surface features for retaining the charging cable with the housing.

18. The charging station of claim 16, wherein in the housing comprises a plurality of steps of ridges and grooves formed in a outer surface of the housing.

19. A charging station having a housing comprising:

a) a back side;

b) a front user interface side opposing the back side; and

c) a curved upward facing surface between the back side and the front user interface side, the curved upward facing surface comprising sloped surface adapted to receive a charging cable thereon, the sloped surface comprising a decreasing radius of curvature in a direction toward the back side.

20. The charging station of claim 19, wherein in the sloped surface comprises a plurality of steps of ridges and grooves.