Pop up electrical apparatus with safety system

• US 9,780,584 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alan Kauffmann
• Original Assignee: Alan Kauffmann
• Inventors: Kauffmann, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US14/977,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20160218497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 320109, 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/185 Floor outlets and access cups
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/069 Other details of the casing, e.g. wall structure, passage for a connector, a cable, a shaft
• 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

An electric supply pop up apparatus with a safety system for use in a generally horizontal surface that has three main sections; a permanently installed, weatherproof containment unit with a bottom, at least one side wall and an open top; a moveable tower that has at least one side wall and a cover and at least one electrical receptacle module or electric vehicle charging components installed in said tower; and a safety system, hereby the tower is slideably moveable within the containment unit so that the tower can be raised or lowered within the containment unit such that when the tower is lowered and in a down position the tower is fully secured and enclosed within the containment unit or the tower can be raised to an up position so that the electrical module or electric vehicle charging components are accessible with power to a user.

Claims

1. An electric supply pop up apparatus for use in a generally horizontal surface comprising:

a permanently installed, weatherproof containment unit where said unit has

a bottom,

at least one side wall and

an open top;

a moveable tower that has

at least one side wall,

a cover and,

a safety apparatus, where said safety apparatus further comprises;

a set of safety rings including a first safety ring and a second safety ring;

at least one electrical receptacle module installed in said tower;

where

said tower is slideably moveable within said containment unit so that said tower can be raised or lowered within said containment unit via a power assist such that when said tower is lowered and in a down position said tower is fully secured and enclosed within said containment unit or said tower can be raised to an up position so that said electrical receptacle module is accessible to a user;

whereby

power is available at said electrical receptacle module when said tower is in said up position.

2. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pop up apparatus further comprises:

a means to secure and contain electric vehicle charging components so that said components are available to a user when said pop up apparatus is in said up position but are unavailable and secured away from said user when said pop up apparatus is in said down position.

3. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a user access that will qualify said user and thereafter will allow access to said electric vehicle charging components and electric power from said pop up apparatus.

4. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 3 whereby

said tower is manually moved between said up and down position.

5. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 3 whereby

said pop up is moved via a power assist between said up and down position.

6. An electric supply pop up apparatus with a safety system comprising:

a permanently installed weatherproof containment unit where the unit has

a bottom,

at least one side wall,

an open top;

a moveable tower that has

at least one side wall,

a cover; and

a safety system, said safety system comprising;

a first safety ring;

a second safety ring;

a connector;

a programmable logic control; and

at least one electrical receptacle module installed in said tower;

whereby

said tower is slideably moveable within said containment unit so that said tower can be raised or lowered within said containment unit such that when said tower is lowered and in a down position said tower is fully secured and enclosed within said containment unit or said tower can be raised to an up position so that said electrical receptacle module is accessible to a user; and

wherein power is available at said electrical module when said tower is in said up position.

7. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 6 whereby

said tower is moved manually between said up and down positions.

8. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 6 wherein

said tower is moved via a power assist between said up and said down positions.

9. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 6 whereby

said pop up apparatus can provide both low voltage and high voltage electricity.

10. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 6 wherein

said first safety ring is mounted to a bottom of said cover and said second safety ring is suspended below said first safety ring and further includes a flexible membrane that allows said second safety ring to move upward if it contacts a foreign object and serves as a watertight seal for said safety rings.

11. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 6 where said pop up apparatus is used as an electric vehicle charging station.

12. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 11 where said pop up apparatus further comprises:

a means to secure and contain electric vehicle charging components so that said components are available to a user when said pop up apparatus is in said up position but are unavailable and secured when said pop up apparatus is in said down position.

13. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a user access that will qualify said user and thereafter will allow access to said electric vehicle charging components and electric power from said pop up apparatus.

14. An electric supply pop up apparatus with a safety system used as an electric vehicle charging station comprising:

a permanently installed weatherproof containment unit wherein said unit has

a bottom;

at least one side wall;

an open top;

a crown; and

a moveable tower wherein said moveable tower comprises;

at least one side wall;

a cover; and

a safety system, said safety system comprising;

at least one safety ring;

an electric vehicle charging components;

where

said tower is slideably moveable within said containment units so that said tower can be raised or lowered within said containment unit such that when said tower is lowered and in a down position said tower is fully secured and enclosed within said containment unit or said tower can be raised to an up position so that said electric vehicle charging components are accessible to a user;

whereby

power is available at said electric vehicle charging components when said tower is in said up position;

a storage means to secure and contain said electric vehicle charging components so that said charging components are available to said user when said pop up apparatus is in said up position but are unavailable and secured from said user when said pop up apparatus is in said down position;

a user access that will qualify said user and thereafter will allow access to said electric vehicle charging components and electric power from said pop up apparatus by activating said tower and raising said tower to said up position;

whereby

when said tower is activated by said user a cable for charging said electric vehicle is released from an internal storage device;

when said user is finished using said station said cable is then automatically retracted and stored within said containment unit;

whereafter

said tower is lowered to said down position.

15. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 14 where said safety system further comprises:

a first safety ring;

a second safety ring;

a secondary connector; and

a programmable logic control;

whereby

said first safety ring is mounted to a bottom of said cover and said second safety ring is suspended below said first safety ring so that if a foreign object is contacted said second safety ring is forced upward and contacts said first safety ring and, if within a predetermined distance of closure, a signal is sent to said programmable logic control and tower movement is either stopped or reversed.

16. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 15 where said safety system further includes a flexible membrane that allows said second safety ring to move upward if it contacts a foreign object and serves as a watertight seal for said safety rings.

17. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 14 where said tower is moved manually between said up and said down positions.

18. The electric supply pop up apparatus of claim 14 where said tower is moved via a power assist between said up and said down positions.