Breakaway mechanism for charging cables of electric vehicle charging stations

• US 8,410,369 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chargepoint, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Darren Chin-Ho, Hagenmaier, Carl F. Jr., Law, William Sauway, Jones, William Richardson III
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, HIEN D
• Application Number:
  US12/882,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20110269332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 439/475, 439/474, 439/180, 439/923, 174/153.G, 174/152.G
• US Class Current: 174/153.G
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5841 allowing different orientations of the cable with respect to the coupling direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6392 for extension cord

Abstract

A breakaway mechanism for a charging cable of an electric vehicle charging station includes a retention component and a breakaway component. The retention component is secured to the charging station and the breakaway component is secured to the charging cable. The charging cable passes through the breakaway component and includes charging wires that connect to connectors on the charging station. The breakaway component is adapted to disengage from the retention component at a predetermined pull force thereby causing the charging wires to disconnect from the connectors on the charging station.

Claims

1. A breakaway mechanism for an electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

a retention component to be secured to the electric vehicle charging station, wherein the retention component includes a set of one or more finger members; and

a breakaway component that includes a set of one or more snap members to engage with the set of finger members to connect the breakaway component to the retention component, the breakaway component further to be secured to a charging cable that passes through the breakaway component and that includes a set of one or more charging wires that connect to a set of one or more electric vehicle charging station connectors,

wherein the set of snap members of the breakaway component disengages from the set of finger members of the retention component at a predetermined pull force to cause the breakaway component to disengage from the retention component and to cause the set of charging wires to disconnect from the set of electric vehicle charging station connectors.

2. The breakaway mechanism of claim 1, wherein the breakaway component includes a cable clamp piece and an integrated snap and clamp piece that includes the set of snap members, the cable clamp piece and the integrated snap and clamp piece to secure the breakaway component to the charging cable.

3. The breakaway mechanism of claim 1, wherein the retention component includes a first retention piece that includes a first set of one or more of the set of finger members and a second retention piece that includes a second set of one or more of the set of finger members.

4. The breakaway mechanism of claim 3, wherein the first retention piece is to slide into position such that the first set of finger members engage with a first set of one or more of the set of snap members, and wherein the second retention piece is to slide into position such that the second set of finger members engage with a second set of one or more of the set of snap members.

5. The breakaway mechanism of claim 1, wherein the set of charging wires includes a wire carrying a pilot control signal that the electric vehicle charging station uses to ensure proper charging operation, and a set of one or more power wires, wherein the wire carrying the pilot control signal is shorter than the set of power wires such that the wire carrying the pilot control signal is disconnected first when the breakaway component disengages from the retention component.

6. The breakaway mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

a strain relief to be coupled with the breakaway component and to constrain the charging cable to a minimum bend radius.

7. The breakaway mechanism of claim 6, wherein the breakaway mechanism is to be at least partially enclosed within a funnel shaped breakaway enclosure of the electric vehicle charging station that translates pull force when the charging cable is pulled in a direction that causes the strain relief to press against an inner wall of the funnel shaped breakaway enclosure to a one dimensional pull force along the line of axis of the breakaway component.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

an electric vehicle charging station including;

a set of one or more connectors to connect to a set of one or more charging wires of a charging cable; and

a breakaway mechanism including;

a retention component that is secured to housing of the electric vehicle charging station, the retention component including a set of one or more finger members, and

a breakaway component that is connected to the retention component and is secured to the charging cable, the breakaway component including;

a set of one or more snap members that engage with the set of finger members to connect the breakaway component to the retention component and disengage from the set of finger members at a predetermined pull force to disconnect the breakaway component from the retention component causing the set of charging wires to disconnect from the set of connectors, and

a set of one or more clamping pieces that secures the breakaway component to the charging cable, and

wherein the set of snap members and at least one of the set of clamping pieces are integrated in a single integrated snap and clamp piece.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the integrated snap and clamp piece provides a portion of a clamp, wherein the breakaway component further includes a cable clamp piece that provides the remaining portion of the clamp, the integrated snap and clamp piece and the cable clamp piece to secure the breakaway component to the charging cable when fastened together by one or more fasteners.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the breakaway mechanism further includes a strain relief that is secured to the breakaway component when the integrated snap and clamp piece and the cable clamp piece are fastened together by the one or more fasteners, the strain relief to constrain the charging cable to a minimum bend radius.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the strain relief includes a support portion that extends from the body of the strain relief and is curved to allow the cable clamp piece to fit against the support portion.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the electric vehicle charging station further includes a housing that includes a funnel shaped breakaway enclosure that encloses at least a portion of the breakaway mechanism including the breakaway component, wherein the retention component is secured to the funnel shaped breakaway enclosure, and wherein the funnel shaped breakaway enclosure translates pull force when the charging cable is pulled in a direction that causes the strain relief to press against an inner wall of the funnel shaped breakaway force to a one dimensional pull force along the line of axis of the breakaway component.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the retention component includes a top retention piece and a bottom retention piece that each include one or more of the set of finger members, wherein the top retention piece and bottom retention piece each slide on the breakaway component and secure different ones of the set of snap members.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the set of charging wires includes a wire carrying a pilot control signal that the electric vehicle charging station uses to ensure proper charging operation, and a set of one or more power wires, and wherein the wire carrying the pilot control signal is shorter than the set of power wires such that the wire carrying the pilot control signal is disconnected first when the breakaway component disengages from the retention component.

15. A breakaway mechanism for an electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

a retention component;

a breakaway component;

a means for securing the retention component to the electric vehicle charging station;

a means for securing the breakaway component to a charging cable that is connected to the electric vehicle charging station;

a means for providing strain relief for the charging cable;

a means for translating pull force in multiple directions into a one dimensional pull force along the line of axis of the breakaway component; and

a means for disengaging the breakaway component from the retention component at a predetermined pull force to cause the charging cable to disconnect from the electric vehicle charging station.