Sliding conductor transmission cable

• US 8,624,557 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• 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:
  US13/525,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20120256031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 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 containing a portion of a transmission cable, the conduit segment having an inner diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the transmission cable;

an air volume disposed between a portion of the inner diameter of the conduit segment and the outer diameter of the transmission cable; and

a blower configured to move air from a proximate portion of the conduit segment to a distal portion of the conduit segment through the air volume.

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, and wherein the handle connector assembly comprises an exit air flow hole.

3. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 1 wherein the exit air flow hole of the handle connector assembly is configured to align with a mating receptacle of a target device.

4. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

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

5. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 4, wherein the transmission cable drive mechanism comprises one or more powered pulleys having a rotation position controlled by one or more actuated latches, and one or more lower pulleys, wherein the one or more lower pulleys are disposed gravitationally below the one or more powered pulleys, wherein the portion of the transmission cable is configured to retract out from the conduit segment upon a retraction of the one or more actuated latches.

6. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 4 wherein the one or more actuated latches are configured to retract upon a loss of power.

7. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 4 wherein the one or more lower pulleys have a mass augmentation by at least one of:

a weight and a spring.

8. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 4 wherein the one or more lower pulleys are disposed within one or more substantially vertical guide channels.

9. A battery charging cable assembly, comprising:

a conduit segment containing a portion of a transmission cable, the conduit segment having an inner diameter that is greater than an outer diameter of the transmission cable;

a major looping pulley rotatably looped by the transmission cable;

a lower pulley rotatably looped by the transmission cable;

a mass augmentation coupled to the lower pulley to pull the lower pulley;

wherein the transmission cable is operable to aid in the retraction of the transmission cable from the conduit segment, with the mass augmentation configured to overcome the sliding friction of the transmission cable contained in the conduit segment and major looping and lower pulley rotation friction.

10. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 9, wherein the mass augmentation is a pendulous weight and the at least one lower pulley is disposed gravitationally below the at least one powered pulley.

11. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 9, wherein the mass augmentation comprises a spring.

12. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one respective guide channel configured to guide the lower pulley.

13. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 9, further comprising:

a pair of opposing wheels, at least one of the opposing wheels coupled to an actuated latch, the actuated latch operable to engage the at least one of the opposing wheels to hold the transmission cable.

14. The battery charging cable assembly of claim 13, wherein the pair of opposing wheels comprises a pair of opposing wheels selected from the group consisting of wheels, pulleys and rollers.

15. A battery charging cable assembly comprising:

a conduit segment configured to expel a transmission cable;

wherein the transmission cable is air-cooled within a volume between the transmission cable and the conduit segment.

16. The battery charging device of claim 15, further comprising a blower oriented to move air from a proximal portion of the conduit segment toward a distal portion of the conduit segment.

17. A method of retracting a battery charging transmission cable from within the conduit segment, the method comprising:

ceasing a current flow to the transmission cable within a conduit segment; and

retracting, by a looping pulley assembly, the transmission cable within the conduit segment and toward a conduit assembly support structure.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the retracting, by the looping pulley assembly, comprises translating the transmission cable in a lower pulley coupled to a mass augmentation.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the mass augmentation is a pendulous weight.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the lower pulley is disposed within a guide channel.