Vehicle charging station having a dual position locking door
First Claim
1. A charging station, comprising:
- a power receptacle compartment including a power receptacle to receive an electrical plug;
a door hingedly coupled with the power receptacle compartment, the door to cover the power receptacle when the door is closed;
a first locking means for locking and unlocking the door from a closed position without consuming power to control access to the power receptacle compartment such that the door remains locked in the closed position if the charging station loses power; and
a second locking means for locking and unlocking the door from a charging position to control access to the electrical plug such that the door is unlocked from the charging position if the charging station loses power.
12 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle charging station that includes a power receptacle compartment that includes a power receptacle to receive an electrical plug. The vehicle charging station also includes a door that is hingedly coupled with the power receptacle compartment to cover the power receptacle when the door is closed. The vehicle charging station includes a first locking means for locking and unlocking the door from a closed position without consuming power to control access to the power receptacle compartment such that the door remains locked in the closed position if the vehicle charging station loses power. The vehicle charging station also includes a second locking means for locking and unlocking the door from a charging position to control access to the electrical plug. The second locking means allows the door to be unlocked from the charging position if the vehicle charging station loses power.
29 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A charging station, comprising:
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a power receptacle compartment including a power receptacle to receive an electrical plug; a door hingedly coupled with the power receptacle compartment, the door to cover the power receptacle when the door is closed; a first locking means for locking and unlocking the door from a closed position without consuming power to control access to the power receptacle compartment such that the door remains locked in the closed position if the charging station loses power; and a second locking means for locking and unlocking the door from a charging position to control access to the electrical plug such that the door is unlocked from the charging position if the charging station loses power. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method in a vehicle charging station having a power receptacle compartment coupled with a door, the power receptacle compartment having a power receptacle to receive a charging cord of a vehicle, the method comprising:
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while the vehicle charging station is not in use and the door is closed, locking the door in a first position without consuming power to prevent access to the power receptacle, wherein the door remains locked in the first position if the vehicle charging station loses power; and while the charging cord is inserted into the power receptacle, locking the door in a second position to prevent access to the charging cord, wherein responsive to the vehicle charging stating losing power, unlocking the door from the second position allowing retrieval of the charging cord. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification