Vehicle external electric supply system

• US 5,855,262 A
• Filed: 03/31/1997
• Issued: 01/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael D. Jackson
• Original Assignee: Michael D. Jackson
• Inventors: Jackson, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Application Number:
  US08/825,632
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 191/12.2 R, 191/12.4, 242/378.1, 242/388.1, 242/396.2, 242/396.4, 242/403, 242/405
• US Class Current: 191/12.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/34 electric cords or electric power cables
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/425 attached to, or forming part of a vehicle, e.g. truck, trailer, vessel
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4428 acting on the reel or on a reel blocking mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/02 using take-up reel or drum
• 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

Abstract

A retractable external vehicle electric system includes a cord holder to be mounted inside a car'"'"'s engine compartment, including a two-piece case, a spool rotatably disposed within the case for retractably holding a first electric cord, a reel shaft securing together the case and serving as the axis about which the spool rotates, a spring wrapped about the shaft for automatically retracting the first electric cord once it is pulled away from the spool, structure for connecting two electric cords together, and an automatic, temperature responsive switch for allowing electricity to flow from the first electric cord to a second electric cord when a car'"'"'s engine compartment has an ambient temperature less than a predetermined temperature set within the switch, so that when electricity is permitted to flow to the second electric cord, it is capable of functioning as an electrical outlet.

Claims

1. An external electric supply to be mounted proximate to an engine, comprising:

a. a first and second housing for retractably containing an electric cord having opposing ends, said first and second housing defining an opening;

b. a reel shaft centrally located in said first and second housings;

c. a plurality of plates secured to said reel shaft;

d. a spool protruding from said plate wherein said electric cord is wrapped about said spool;

e. a spring wrapped about said shaft for biasing said shaft in a direction which keeps said electric cord wrapped about said spool,

whereby one end of said electric cord can be retractable pulled through said opening and plugged into an electrical outlet in order to provide electricity at the other end of said electrical cord, and whereby said electric cord, after being unplugged from said electrical outlet, is rewrapped about said collector spool; and

f. an automatic switch which is configured to allow electricity to flow through both ends of said electric cord when an engine compartment in which said engine is located has an ambient temperature less than a predetermined temperature set through the automatic switch.

2. A external electric supply as defined in claim 1, wherein said automatic switch is detachably secured to one end of said electric cord.

3. A external electric supply as defined in claim 1, wherein said automatic switch comprises a bimetallic switch.

4. An external electric supply to be mounted proximate to an engine, comprising:

a. a first and second housing for retractably containing an electric cord having opposing ends, said first and second housing defining an opening;

b. a reel shaft centrally located in said first and second housings;

c. a plurality of plates secured to said reel shaft;

d. a spool protruding from said plate wherein said electric cord is wrapped about said spool;

e. a spring wrapped about said shaft for biasing said shaft in a direction which keeps said electric cord wrapped about said spool,

whereby one end of said electric cord can be retractably pulled through said opening and plugged into an electrical outlet in order to provide electricity at the other end of said electrical cord, and whereby said electric cord, after being unplugged from said electrical outlet, is rewrapped about said collector spool; and

f. a dust bushing proximate to said opening which acts to clean said cord while being rewrapped.

5. An external electric supply to be mounted proximate to an engine comprising:

a. a first and second housing for retractably containing an electric cord having opposing ends, said first and second housing defining an opening;

b. a reel shaft centrally located in said first and second housings;

c. a plurality of plates secured to said reel shaft;

d. a spool protruding from said plate wherein said electric cord is wrapped about said spool;

e. a spring wrapped about said shaft for biasing said shaft in a direction which keeps said electric cord wrapped about said spool,

whereby one end of said electric cord can be retractably pulled through said opening and plugged into an electrical outlet in order to provide electricity at the other end of said electrical cord, and whereby said electric cord, after being unplugged from said electrical outlet, is rewrapped about said collector spool; and

wherein said case is annular shaped with a protruding neck region, said neck region defining said opening and surrounded by a dust bushing, whereby said first electric cord is cleaned by said dust bushing while passing through said opening.

6. An electric cord holder device to be mounted proximate to an engine comprising:

a. a case;

b. a spool rotatably disposed within said case for holding a first electric cord;

c. a connector which electrically connects said first electric cord to a second electric cord, said second electric cord being designed to function as an electrical outlet;

d. an automatic switch which allows electricity to flow from said first electric cord to said second electric cord when an engine compartment has an ambient temperature less than a predetermined temperature set through the automatic switch; and

e. a manual switch which allows electricity to flow from said first electric cord to said second electric cord when said engine compartment has an ambient temperature greater than said predetermined temperature, and whereby said second electric cord is capable of functioning as an electrical outlet when electricity is allowed to flow from said first electric cord to said second electric cord.

7. A external electric supply as defined in claim 6 wherein said first electric cord has opposing ends, one of said opposing ends including a power indicator which indicates when electricity is flowing through said first electric cord.

8. A external electric supply as defined in claim 6 wherein said case has a top and a bottom portion, said bottom portion having a weep hole.

9. A external electric supply as defined in claim 6, wherein said automatic switch comprises a thermometer element and wherein said manual switch comprises a lever.

10. A external electric supply as defined in claim 6, wherein said manual switch comprises a lever manipulatable from outside said case by a user.

11. A external electric supply as defined in claim 6 wherein said case is annular shaped with a protruding neck region, said neck region defining an opening surrounded by a dust bushing, whereby said first electric cord is cleaned by said dust bushing while passing through said opening.

12. A external electric supply as defined in claim 6, further comprising a spring for rotating said spool, whereby said first electric cord is retractably held about said spool by said spring.

13. A external electric supply as defined in claim 6, further comprising an automatic latch mechanism, whereby a user may pull said electric cord away from said case and said spool can temporarily lock into place until the user so decides to pull said cord once again in order to automatically retract said cord about said spool.

14. A external electric supply as defined in claim 6 wherein said connector for said first electric cord to said second electric cord includes a cooperative pair of conductive rings.

15. A external electric supply as defined in claim 14, wherein said conductive rings are made of brass.

16. A external electric supply as defined in claim 14 wherein said connector for said first electric cord to said second electric cord includes a cooperative pair of brushes in constant rotatable contact about said spool.

17. A external electric supply as defined in claim 6, further comprising plug adapters.

18. A method of providing an external electric supply proximate to an engine compartment, comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a housing containing an electric cord proximate to said engine compartment;

b. extending a first end of said electric cord from said housing outside of said engine compartment;

c. retractably extending said first end of said electric cord from said engine compartment;

d. connecting said first end of said electric cord to a line voltage electrical source external to said engine compartment;

e. establishing a rotatable electrical connection within said housing;

f automatically switching to allow electricity to flow through the entire electric cord when said engine compartment has an ambient temperature below a predetermined temperature; and

g. creating a source of line voltage electricity within said engine compartment.

19. A method of providing an external electric supply to an engine compartment as described in claim 18 and further comprising the step of switching to disable the step of automatically switching to allow electricity to flow through said electric cord when said engine compartment has an ambient temperature below a predetermined temperature so that said electricity is permitted to flow through said electric cord when said engine compartment has an ambient temperature greater than said predetermined temperature.