Electric vehicle charging station with cable retaining enclosure

• US 9,705,346 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2012
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Webasto Charging Systems, Inc. (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Bonwit, Holden Alexander, Petrie, Greg A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Memula, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US13/607,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20130181670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,767 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• 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: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0217 Mechanical details of casings covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• 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

In various embodiments, an enclosure for a charging station is provided having a peripheral casing configured to retain a charging cable on an upward facing surface of the peripheral casing between a front user interface side and a charging station mounting surface.

Claims

1. An enclosure for a charging station comprising a peripheral casing configured to retain a charging cable on an upward facing surface of the peripheral casing between a first portion of the peripheral casing and a charging station mounting surface, wherein the upward facing surface is continuously curved across the upward facing surface and configured such that the contiuously curved upward facing surface has a substantially same radius of curvature as a longitudinal axis of a charging cable received thereon.

2. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 1, wherein the charging cable is releasably retained on the upward facing surface so that the charging cable is able to slide off the upward facing surface in response to a pulling force exerted on the charging cable from the user interface side of the charging station.

3. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 2, wherein the upward facing portion further comprising a reduced radius portion between the first portion and the front user interface side.

4. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 1 wherein the peripheral casing is curvilinear and has a radius greater than a kinking radius of the charging cable.

5. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 1 wherein the peripheral casing comprises a truncated generally conical section configuration.

6. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 5, wherein the first portion of the peripheral casing has a diameter greater than a diameter of a second portion of the peripheral casing.

7. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 6, wherein the second portion of the peripheral casing is in closer proximity to the charging station mounting surface than the first portion of the peripheral casing for retaining the charging cable.

8. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 1, wherein the peripheral casing has features for retaining the charging cable with the peripheral casing.

9. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 8, wherein the frictional features are at least one of:

(a) grooves;

or (b) steps, integrated into the peripheral casing.

10. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 1, wherein the upward facing surface is configured so as to form an angle of about 65 degrees with respect to a vertical when mounted.

11. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 1, wherein the upward facing surface is configured so as to form an angle of about 25 degrees with respect to a horizontal when mounted.

12. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 1, wherein peripheral casing is configured to retain the charging cable draped over the upward facing surface of the peripheral casing with a radius of curvature such that a radius of curvature of the peripheral casing supporting the charging cable defines a minimum radius of curvature of the charging cable draped thereover.

13. An enclosure for a charging station comprising a peripheral casing configured to retain a charging cable on an upward facing surface of the peripheral casing between a front user interface side and a charging station mounting surface, wherein the upward facing surface is continuously curved across the upward facing surface and configured such that the contiuously curved upward facing surface has a substantially same radius of curvature as a longitudinal axis of a charging cable received thereon.

14. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 13, further comprising a portion adjacent to the user interface side having a radius larger than a radius of a portion between the user interface side and the charger station mounting surface.

15. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 13, wherein the radius of the portion adjacent to the user interface side with respect to the radius of the between portion is such that a charging cable is releasably retained on the upward facing surface so that the portion adjacent to the user interface side allows the charging cable to slide off the upward facing surface in response to a pulling force exerted on the charging cable from the user interface side of the charging station.

16. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 15, wherein the upward facing surface of the peripheral casing further comprises a reduced radius portion between the portion adjacent to the user interface side and the front user interface side.

17. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 13, wherein the upward facing surface of the peripheral casing comprises a semicircular cross section having a radius so as to inhibit over-bending stress on the charging cable.

18. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 13, wherein the peripheral casing is curvilinear and has a radius greater than a kinking radius of the charging cable.

19. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 13, wherein the peripheral casing comprises a truncated generally conical configuration between the front user interface side and the charging station mounting surface.

20. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 19, wherein a radius of the upward facing surface at the front user interface side is greater than a radius of a portion of the upward facing surface at the charging station mounting surface.

21. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 19, wherein the peripheral casing comprises surface features for retaining the charging cable with the peripheral casing.

22. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 21, wherein the features comprise at least one of:

(a) grooves;

or (b) steps.

23. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 22, wherein the features are formed into the peripheral casing.

24. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 13, wherein the upward facing surface is configured so as to form an angle of about 65 degrees with respect to a vertical when mounted.

25. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 13, wherein the upward facing surface is configured so as to form an angle of about 25 degrees with respect to a horizontal when mounted.

26. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 13, wherein peripheral casing configured to retain the charging cable draped over the upward facing surface of the peripheral casing with a radius of curvature such that a radius of curvature of the peripheral casing supporting the charging cable defines a minimum radius of curvature of the charging cable draped thereover.

27. An enclosure for a charging station comprising a peripheral casing configured to retain a charging cable draped over a top of the peripheral casing such that a radius of the peripheral casing defines a minimum radius of curvature of the charging cable, wherein the top of peripheral casing is configured such that the top of peripheral casing is continuously curved so that the top of peripheral casing has a substantially same radius of curvature as a longitudinal axis of a charging cable received thereon.

28. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 27, wherein the peripheral casing is configured with a large radius of curvature without edges to inhibit pressure against a charging cable draped thereover so as to inhibit over bending of the charging cable.

29. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 27, wherein the peripheral casing comprises an upward facing portion comprising a generally semicircular cross section.

30. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 29, wherein the peripheral casing comprises a truncated conical section.

31. The enclosure for the charging station of claim 27, wherein the peripheral casing is configured without lateral edge surfaces supporting the charging cable thereover.