CHARGING STATION FOR USE IN CHARGING ELECTRICALLY POWERED VEHICLES

• US 20130207606A1
• Filed: 02/13/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Cecil Rivers Jr
• Inventors: Ranga, Swamy Muddaiah, Pugliese, Heather Ellen, Rivers, Cecil Jr., Banker, Philip Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,975,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• 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: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Charging stations for use in charging an electrically powered vehicle and related methods are disclosed. One example charging station includes a housing defining an interior and an opening configured to permit access to the interior, a door configured to substantially cover the opening, and a hinge assembly configured to provide a pivotal movement of the door relative to the housing between at least a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position. The hinge assembly includes a base member and a bracket including a projecting member. The projecting member and the base member are configured to permit removal of the door from the housing when the door is in the first open position. The projecting member and the base member are configured to prevent removal of the door from the housing when the door is in the second open position

Claims

1. A charging station for use in charging an electrically powered vehicle, said charging station comprising:

a housing defining an interior and an opening configured to permit access to the interior;

a door configured to substantially cover the opening; and

a hinge assembly configured to removably couple said door to said housing and to provide a pivotal movement of said door relative to said housing between at least a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position, said hinge assembly comprising a base member coupled to one of said housing and said door and a bracket coupled to the other of said housing and said door, said base member defining an aperture, said bracket including a projecting member configured to be operably disposed within the aperture, said projecting member and said base member configured to permit removal of said door from the housing when said door is in the first open position, said projecting member and said base member configured to prevent removal of said door from the housing when said door is in the second open position.

2. The charging station of claim 1, wherein said base member and said projecting member are disposed within the interior when said door is in the closed position.

3. The charging station of claim 1, wherein said projecting member includes at least one shoulder configured to contact said base member to limit extension of said projecting member through the aperture.

4. The charging station of claim 3, wherein said at least one shoulder comprises two shoulders on opposite sides of said bracket.

5. The charging station of claim 1, wherein said bracket comprises a mounting member coupled to said door, that is substantially parallel with and offset from said projecting member.

6. The charging station of claim 1, wherein said projecting member comprises a tab having a first portion and a second portion, said second portion configured to retain said projecting member within the aperture when said door is in the first open position.

7. The charging station of claim 6, wherein said second portion of said tab is angled at an obtuse angle with respect to said first portion of said tab.

8. The charging station of claim 1, further comprising multiple vehicle charging components at least partially enclosed within the interior.

9. The charging station of claim 1, further comprising a gasket coupled to at least one of said housing and said door and configured to substantially seal the opening when said door is disposed in the closed position.

10. The charging station of claim 1, wherein said door has a trapezoidal shape.

11. The charging station of claim 1, further comprising a latching mechanism coupled to at least one of said housing and said door and configured to retain said door in the closed position.

12. A charging station for use in charging an electrically powered vehicle, said charging station comprising:

a housing defining an interior and an opening configured to permit access to said interior;

a door configured to substantially cover said opening; and

a hinge assembly configured to removably couple to said door and said housing, said hinge assembly configured to provide a pivotal movement of said door relative to said housing between at least a closed position and an open position, said hinge assembly configured to permit removal of said door from said housing when said door is between the closed position and the open position, said hinge assembly configured to prevent removal of said door from said housing when said door is in the open position.

13. The charging station of claim 12, wherein said hinge assembly comprises a base member having an aperture extending therethrough and a bracket including a projecting member disposed within the aperture to provide relative movement between said door and said housing.

14. The charging station of claim 13, wherein said projecting member comprises a tab having a first portion and a second portion, said second portion configured to retain said projecting member within the aperture when said door is between the closed position and the open position.

15. The charging station of claim 14, wherein said second portion of said tab is angled with respect to said first portion of said tab.

16. The charging station of claim 12, wherein the opening has a trapezoidal shape.

17. A method for use in operating charging station for an electrically powered vehicle, the charging station including a housing defining an opening configured to permit access to an interior of the housing and a base member positioned within the interior and adjacent to the opening, said method comprising:

providing a door positioned in a closed position substantially covering the opening of a housing, a projecting member of a bracket coupled to the door and positioned within an aperture defined by the receptacle;

rotating the door relative to the housing from the closed position to a first open position; and

extracting a projecting member coupled to one of the door and the housing from an aperture of a base member to remove the door from the housing

18. The method of claim 17, wherein rotating the door relative to the housing to the first open position includes rotating the door to define a predetermined angle between the door and a side of the housing, the predetermined angle being between about 5 degrees and about 60 degrees

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising releasing latching mechanism configured to retain the door in the closed position, prior to rotating the door relative to the housing.