Sliding conductor transmission cable

• US 8,203,313 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2011
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Webasto Charging Systems, Inc. (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Flack, Albert Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US13/116,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20110221386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 320/137
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/302 Cooling of charging equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/34 electric cords or electric power cables
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 51/10 with opposed coacting surfaces, e.g. providing nips
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/368 with pulleys
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/38 involving the use of a core or former internal to, and supporting, a stored package of material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4471 Housing enclosing the reel
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/08 through tubing or conduit, e.g. rod or draw wire for pushing or pulling inserting electrical cables into tubes using wallbores E21B17/206; for optical cables G02B6/4401
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/003 using gravity-loaded or spring-loaded loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/02 using take-up reel or drum
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 2200/10 Prevention of theft of valuable metals
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0487 with a non-circular cross-section H02G3/0468, H02G3/0475 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Methods and devices for connecting a current source to a target storage device via a transmission cable extendable and/or retractable via a conduit that may be repositioned.

Claims

1. A battery charging cable assembly comprising:

a conduit segment configured to slidably conduct a transmission cable in retraction, wherein the transmission cable is connectable to a current source; and

a transmission cable drive mechanism configured to retract a portion of the transmission cable out from the conduit segment.

2. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 1 wherein a distal portion of the transmission cable is configured to detach from a socket portion of a handle connector assembly.

3. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 1 wherein a coating having a low coefficient of sliding friction is interposed between the transmission cable and the conduit segment.

4. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 1 wherein the transmission cable drive mechanism further comprises one or more pulleys having a suspended mass, wherein the one or more pulleys having a suspended mass are configured to retract the transmission cable upon release of the one or more suspended masses.

5. A battery charging device comprising:

a conduit segment configured to expel a transmission cable;

wherein the conduit segment is further configured to slidably conduct the transmission cable;

wherein the transmission cable is connectable to a current source; and

wherein the transmission cable is configured to recede from the conduit segment.

6. The battery charging device of claim 5 wherein the transmission cable is air-cooled within a volume between the transmission cable and the conduit segment.

7. The battery charging device of claim 5 wherein a coating having a low coefficient of sliding friction is interposed between the transmission cable and the conduit segment.

8. A method of stopping the charging of a target storage device having a connector, the method comprising:

ceasing a current flow to the target storage device from a current source via a transmission cable within a conduit segment;

retracting, by a transmission cable drive mechanism, the transmission cable within the conduit segment, toward a conduit assembly support structure to disengage the target storage device connector; and

disengaging the target storage device connector from a connector of a conduit assembly, wherein the conduit assembly comprises the conduit segment, and wherein the conduit segment is configured to slidably conduct the transmission cable.

9. The method of stopping the charging of a target storage device of claim 8 wherein the transmission cable is disposed about at least one drive wheel aligned to retract the transmission cable in a direction toward the conduit assembly support structure and via the conduit segment.

10. The method of stopping the charging of a target storage device of claim 8 wherein the transmission cable drive mechanism comprises a one or more suspended pulleys conducting the transmission cable.

11. The method of stopping the charging of a target storage device of claim 8 further comprising air cooling the transmission cable within the conduit segment.

12. The method of stopping the charging of a target storage device of claim 8 wherein a housing comprises the conduit assembly support structure.

13. The method of stopping the charging of a target storage device of claim 8 wherein a coating having a low coefficient of sliding friction is interposed between the transmission cable and the conduit segment.