Energy Absorbing System for Electric Vehicle Charging Station and Methods for Making and Using the Same

• US 20130221917A1
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Sabic Innovative Plastics IP BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Kulkarni, Sandeep Chandrakant, Marur, Sudhakar Ramamoorthy, Kushalappa, Poovanna Theethira
• Application Number:
  US13/408,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20130221917A1
• 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 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

In one embodiment, an electric vehicle charging station comprises a base and a body extending from the base along a major axis of the electric vehicle charging station; and an energy absorbing system comprising a first wall, a second wall, and a connecting wall disposed therebetween the first wall and the second wall creating a compartment; wherein the body receives the energy absorbing system; and wherein the energy absorbing system is configured to engage an impacting object.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

a base and a body extending from the base along a major axis of the electric vehicle charging station; and

an energy absorbing system comprising a first wall, a second wall, and a connecting wall disposed therebetween the first wall and the second wall creating a compartment;

wherein the body receives the energy absorbing system; and

wherein the energy absorbing system is configured to engage an impacting object.

2. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the energy absorbing system comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic material, a thermoset material, a composite material, an elastomeric material, a foam material, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

3. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the energy absorbing system is configured to cover 2% to 99% of the body of the electric vehicle charging station along the major axis.

4. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the energy absorbing system covers greater than or equal to 50% of a circumference of the body.

5. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the shape of the connecting wall is selected from the group consisting of curved, straight, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

6. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 5, wherein the compartment comprises a shape selected from the group consisting of circular, square, rectangle, triangle, trapezoidal, polygonal, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

7. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the compartment is hollow or filled with a foam material.

8. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the first wall of the energy absorbing system is configured to engage an impacting object.

9. An electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

a base and a body extending from the base along a major axis of the electric vehicle charging station; and

an energy absorbing system comprising a first energy absorbing element and a second energy absorbing element, wherein the first energy element and the second energy absorbing element are attached at an end of each element, and wherein the first energy absorbing element has a first mating surface that is complimentary to a second mating surface on the second energy absorbing element at a distal end.

10. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 9, wherein the energy absorbing system is configured to cover 100% of a circumference of the body when the first mating surface and the second mating surface are attached.

11. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 9, wherein the first energy absorbing element and the second energy absorbing element are connected by an attachment mechanism selected from the group consisting of snap fit, tongue and groove, self-locking, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

12. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 9, wherein the energy absorbing system is configured to cover 2% to 99% of the body of the electric vehicle charging station along the major axis.

13. An electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

a base; and

a body extending from the base along a major axis of the electric vehicle charging station, wherein the body comprises an energy absorbing system comprising a first wall, a second wall, and a connecting wall disposed therebetween the first wall and the second wall creating a compartment;

wherein the energy absorbing system is configured to engage an impacting object.

14. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 13, wherein the shape of the connecting wall is selected from the group consisting of curved, straight, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

15. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 14, wherein the compartment comprises a shape selected from the group consisting of circular, square, rectangle, triangle, trapezoidal, polygonal, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

16. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 13, wherein the compartment is hollow or filled with a foam material.

17. A method of protecting an electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

attaching an energy absorbing system to a body of an electric vehicle charging station, wherein the energy absorbing system comprises a first wall, a second wall, and a connecting wall disposed therebetween the first wall and the second wall creating a compartment, the first wall of the energy absorbing system is configured to engage an impacting object.