CORD HOUSING DEVICE AND VEHICLE

• US 20140008135A1
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kinomura, Shigeki
• Application Number:
  US13/985,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20140008135A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• 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 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0215 Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/34 electric cords or electric power cables
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/362 with stored material housed within a casing or container B65H75/368 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/003 using gravity-loaded or spring-loaded loop
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A cord housing device includes an enclosure, a cord capable of being stored in the enclosure and drawn out from the enclosure, and a plug provided at an end of the drawing out side of the cord, and connectable to an external power supply. In a natural state, the cord is formed so as to bend back at a bent provided at intervals in the length direction of the cord, and extend in a meandering manner. In the enclosure, the cord is stored such that the region of the cord located between bents overlap each other.

Claims

1. A cord housing device comprising:

an enclosure,

a cord capable of being stored in said, and drawn out from said enclosure, and

a plug provided at an end of the drawing out side of said cord, and connectable to an external power supply,

said cord formed so as to bend back at bents provided at intervals in a length direction of said cord, and extend in a meandering manner,

said cord stored in said enclosure such that a region of said cord located between said bents overlap each other,

said cord including a core wire and an insulative coating covering said core wire,

in a straightened state of said cord, a projection being formed at a region of said insulative coating corresponding to a bending outer circumferential side of the bent, and

said projection biasing said cord to bend back.

3. The cord housing device according to claim 1, wherein said enclosure includes a first support supporting one side face of said cord in a stored state, and a second support supporting the other side face of said cord in the stored state.

4. The cord housing device according to claim 3, wherein said first support and said second support are sidewalls of said enclosure.

5. The cord housing device according to claim 3, wherein said a distance between said first support and said second support is less than or equal to two times a width of said cord.

6. The cord housing device according to claim 1, wherein, at a cross section perpendicular to the length direction of said cord, said cord has a circular shape.

7. The cord housing device according to claim 1, wherein, at a cross section perpendicular to the length direction of said cord, a thickness of said cord is smaller than a width of said cord.

8. The cord housing device according to claim 1, further comprising a draw in/out device for drawing said cord in/out from said enclosure, wherein

said plug includes a first switch and a second switch,

said draw in/out device is driven such that, when said first switch is depressed, said cord is drawn out from said enclosure, and when said second switch is depressed, said cord is drawn into said enclosure.

9. The cord housing device according to claim 1, further comprising a draw in/out device for drawing said cord in/out from said enclosure, wherein

said draw in/out device is driven such that, when a first external force in a direction to draw said cord into said enclosure is applied to said cord, said cord is drawn into said enclosure, and when a second external force in a direction to draw out said cord is applied to said cord, said cord is drawn outside of said enclosure.

10. The cord housing device according to claim 9, wherein

said draw in/out device includes a roller for drawing in and out said cord, a motor driving said roller, and a detector,

said motor includes a rotor connected to said roller, a stator arranged around said rotor, and a coil provided at said stator,

said detector detects a first back electromotive force and a second back electromotive force generated at said coil by rotation of said rotor through said first external force and said second external force, respectively,

said motor is driven such that said cord is drawn into said enclosure when said first back electromotive force is generated, and such that said cord is drawn outside of said enclosure when said second back electromotive force is generated.

11. The cord housing device according to claim 1, wherein a hole is formed at a bottom of said enclosure.

12. A vehicle comprising:

a body having a boarding opening formed,

a battery stored in said body,

a cord housing device defined in claim 1, capable of supplying electric power from said external power supply to said battery, and a take out unit provided at said body, allowing said plug and said cord to be taken out,

said take out unit arranged at a rear side or a front side relative to said boarding opening.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a body having a boarding opening formed,

a battery stored in said body,

a cord housing device defined in claim 1, capable of supplying electric power from said external power supply to said battery,

a take out unit allowing said plug and said cord to be taken out,

a first connector to which is connected a first external plug connected to an external power supply, and

a second connector to which is connected an externally provide second external plug, and to which energy differing from electric power is supplied from said second external plug,

said body including a first side face and a second side face aligned in a width direction of the vehicle,

said first connector and said second connector provided at said first side face, and said take out unit provided at a region of a circumferential face of said vehicle other than said first side face.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said take out unit is arranged at a rear side or a front side relative to the boarding opening.

15. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said take out unit is provided at said second side face.

16. A vehicle comprising:

a body having a boarding opening formed,

a battery stored in said body,

a cord housing device defined in claim 1, capable of supplying electric power from said external power supply to said battery,

a take out unit allowing said plug and said cord to be taken out,

a first connector to which is connected a first external plug connected to an external power supply, and

a second connector to which is connected an externally provide second external plug, and to which energy differing from electric power is supplied from said second external plug,

said body including a first side face and a second side face aligned in a width direction of the vehicle,

said first connector provided at said first side face,

said second connector provided at said second side face,

said take out unit provided at a region of a circumferential face of said vehicle other than said second side face.

17. The vehicle according to claim 16, wherein said first connector and said take out unit are provided at a rear side or a front side relative to said boarding opening.

18. The vehicle according to claim 16, wherein

an operation unit for operating the vehicle is provided in said body, and

said operation unit is provided closer to said first side face than said second side face.

19. A vehicle comprising:

a body having a boarding opening formed,

a battery stored in said body,

a cord housing device claim 1, capable of supplying electric power from said external power supply to said battery,

a take out unit and said cord to be taken out, and

a first connector to which is connected a first external plug connected to an external power supply,

said body including a top face, a bottom face, and a plurality of unitary circumferential faces provided between said top face and said bottom face,

said take out unit and said first connector provided at the same unitary circumferential face.

20. The vehicle according to claim 19, wherein

said body includes a lid provided at a unitary circumferential face where said take out unit and said first connector are provided, and

said take out unit and said first connector can be opened/closed by said lid.

2. (canceled)