Charging cable-housing device and vehicle

• US 8,561,737 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ebner, Katy M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frick, Emma K
• Application Number:
  US12/968,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20110139521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.21, 180/65.1, 180/69.4, 242/564.3, 242/390, 242/397, 242/387, 242/403, 242/593, 242/548, 242/566, 242/615, 242/615.1, 242/140, 242/157.R
• US Class Current: 180/65.21
• 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 53/16 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: B65H 2701/34 electric cords or electric power cables
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/533 Storage compartments for accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/425 attached to, or forming part of a vehicle, e.g. truck, trailer, vessel
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4402 Guiding arrangements to control paying-out and re-storing of the material guides per se B65H57/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/4486 Electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/02 using take-up reel or drum
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A charging cable-housing device includes: a charging cable that supplies electric power from an external electric power source to a vehicle; a bobbin which is rotatable, and on which the charging cable is wound, and which is disposed in a rear portion of the vehicle; a casing that houses the bobbin, and that has an extraction opening through which the charging cable is extracted out; and a guide member that guides the charging cable led out from the bobbin from above the extraction opening toward the extraction opening.

Claims

1. A charging cable-housing device comprising:

a charging cable that supplies electric power from an external electric power source to a vehicle;

a rotatable bobbin on which the charging cable is wound, the bobbin is disposed in a rear portion of the vehicle;

a shaft portion that rotatably supports the bobbin;

a casing that houses the bobbin, the casing has an extraction opening through which the charging cable is extracted out, the extraction opening is provided at a position on a rotation center line of the bobbin;

a side wall portion that is fixed to the shaft portion. the side wall portion is disposed nearer to the extraction opening than the bobbin; and

a guide member having a lead-out portion and a guide portion, the lead-out portion leads out the charging cable wound around the bobbin, the guide portion includes a first guide portion and a second guide portion. the first guide portion guides the charging cable led out by the lead-out portion to a location that is above the extraction opening, the second guide portion guides the charging cable guided by the first guide portion to the extraction opening.

2. The charging cable-housing device according to claim 1, wherein

the bobbin includes a cylindrical portion on whose outer peripheral surface the charging cable is wound, and an outside diameter of the cylindrical portion is greater than or equal to 15 times and less than or equal to 30 times as large as a diameter of the charging cable.

3. The charging cable-housing device according to claim 1, further comprising a motor that rotates the bobbin, wherein:

the bobbin includes a cylindrical portion on whose outer peripheral surface the charging cable is wound; and

the motor is disposed in the cylindrical portion.

4. The charging cable-housing device according to claim 1, wherein

the bobbin is disposed so that the rotation center line of the bobbin extends in a horizontal direction and the extraction opening faces in a rearward direction of the vehicle.

5. The charging cable-housing device according to claim 1, wherein

the lead-out portion and the guide portion are provided on a main surface of the side wall portion that faces the extraction opening.

6. The charging cable-housing device according to claim 1, wherein:

the lead-out portion, the first guide portion and the second guide portion are provided on a main surface of the side wall portion that faces the extraction opening;

the second guide portion is disposed above the extraction opening;

the lead-out portion is disposed in an outer peripheral edge portion of the side wall portion that is above the second guide portion; and

the first guide portion is disposed at a location that is between the second guide portion and the lead-out portion in a horizontal direction and that is above the second guide portion.

7. The charging cable-housing device according to claim 1, wherein the lead-out portion, the first guide portion and the second guide portion are formed as pins that protrude outwardly from a main surface of the side wall portion, the main surface of the side wall portion faces the extraction opening.

8. A vehicle comprising:

an electricity storage that is rechargeable;

a reservoir portion in which energy is kept in a form that is different from electric power;

a vehicle main body that houses the electricity storage and the reservoir portion, and that includes a first side surface and a second side surface that is located at a side opposite the first side surface; and

a charging cable-housing device that is provided in a rear portion of the vehicle main body, and that is connected to the electricity storage, wherein the charging cable-housing device includes;

a charging cable that supplies electric power from an external electric power source to the electricity storage;

a rotatable bobbin on which the charging cable is wound, the bobbin is disposed in a rear portion of the vehicle main body;

a shaft portion that rotatably supports the bobbin;

a casing that houses the bobbin, the casing has an extraction opening through which the charging cable is extracted out, the extraction opening is provided at a position on a rotation center line of the bobbin;

a side wall portion that is fixed to the shaft portion, the side wall portion is disposed nearer to the extraction opening than the bobbin; and

a guide member having a lead-out portion and a guide portion, the lead-out portion leads out the charging cable wound around the bobbin, the guide portion includes a first guide portion and a second guide portion. the first guide portion guides the charging cable led out by the lead-out portion to a location that is above the extraction opening, the second guide portion guides the charging cable guided by the first guide portion to the extraction opening.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising

a supply portion that is provided on the first side surface of the vehicle main body, and that supplies energy supplied from outside to the reservoir portion in a form that is different from electric power, wherein

the charging cable is wound around the bobbin so that the charging cable extends along a portion of the bobbin that faces the first side surface of the vehicle main body, a portion of the bobbin that faces an upper surface of the vehicle main body, a portion of the bobbin that faces the second side surface of the vehicle main body, and a portion of the bobbin that faces a lower surface of the vehicle main body in that order.

10. The vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising

a supply portion that is provided on the first side surface of the vehicle main body, and that supplies energy supplied from outside to the reservoir portion in a form that is different from electric power, wherein

the charging cable is wound around the bobbin so that the charging cable extends along a portion of the bobbin that faces the second side surface of the vehicle main body, a portion of the bobbin that faces an upper surface of the vehicle main body, a portion of the bobbin that faces the first side surface of the vehicle main body, and a portion of the bobbin that faces a lower surface of the vehicle main body in that order.

11. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the lead-out portion, the first guide portion and the second guide portion are formed as pins that protrude outwardly from a main surface of the side wall portion, the main surface of the side wall portion faces the extraction opening.