Electric vehicle charging station locking cable reel

• US 9,975,443 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Jefferies, Kevin M., Edwards, Benjamin W., White, Matthew L., Filippenko, Konstantin A., Weiler, Richard K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Truc
• Application Number:
  US14/898,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20160121747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• 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 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/16 adapted for actuation at a limit or other predetermined position in the path of a body, the relative movement of switch and body being primarily for a purpose other than the actuation of the switch, e.g. for a door switch, a limit switch, a floor-levelling switch of a lift
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/02 using take-up reel or drum
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0493 Service poles
• 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 cable reel assembly in an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) having a reel around which a cable is coiled. A shaft supporting the reel bears discs that rotate with the reel, and calipers coupled to the discs stop them and the reel from rotating. The power L1 and L2 conductors in the cable are electrically connected to the discs, and the calipers are electrically connected to the power source for the EVSE so that the calipers provide mechanical and electrical connection when actuated. Optionally, slip rings coupled to the shaft are connected to the control pilot and proximity signal conductors in the cable. Thus, during cable re traction, the control pilot and proximity signals are still provided to the EVSE, but the power conductors are decoupled from the power source. Only when the calipers are actuated to brake the discs is current flow permitted.

Claims

1. A cable reel assembly of an EVSE, comprising:

a cable electrically connected to an EVSE connector at one end of the cable, the cable including a first conductor for carrying supply current between the EVSE and the connector;

a reel around which the cable is wound or unwound;

a first conductive member electrically connected to the first conductor at the other end of the cable; and

a first caliper assembly having a closed position in which a first conductive pad of the first caliber assembly is clamped onto the first conductive member thereby electrically coupling the first conductive member to the EVSE and preventing the cable from being unwound from the reel, and an open position in which the first conductive pad is unclamped from the first conductive member thereby decoupling the first conductive member from the EVSE and freeing the cable to be wound around or unwound from the reel.

2. The cable reel assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a second conductive member electrically connected to a second conductor of the cable at the other end of the cable; and

the first caliper assembly including a second conductive pad that is clamped onto the second conductive member in the closed position thereby electrically coupling the second conductive member to the EVSE and unclamped from the second conductive member in the open position thereby decoupling the second conductive member from the EVSE.

3. The cable reel assembly of claim 2, wherein the first conductor connects to an L1 terminal of the EVSE connector and the second conductor connects to an L2 terminal of the EVSE connector.

4. The cable reel assembly of claim 2, in which the first conductive member is an electrically conductive disc that rotates with a shaft of the reel as the cable is wound around or unwound from the reel.

5. The cable reel assembly of claim 4, in which the second conductive member is an electrically conductive disc that encircles the shaft and rotates with the shaft of the reel as the cable is wound or unwound from the reel.

6. The cable reel assembly of claim 5, in which the first and second conductors extend away from the reel and along an exterior of the shaft to the first and second conductive members, respectively.

7. The cable reel assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a third conductive member electrically connected to a third conductor at the other end of the cable; and

a second caliper assembly having a closed position in which a third conductive pad that is clamped onto the third conductive member thereby electrically coupling the third conductive member to the EVSE and preventing the cable from being unwound from the reel, and an open position in which the third conductive pad is unclamped from the third conductive member thereby decoupling the third conductive member from the EVSE.

8. The cable reel assembly of claim 7, wherein the third conductor connects to a ground terminal of the EVSE connector through the cable.

9. The cable reel assembly of claim 1, wherein the first conductor is connected to a ground potential.

10. The cable reel assembly of claim 1, in which the reel is rotatable in two opposing directions to permit the cable from being wound around the reel in one direction or unwound from the reel in the opposite direction.

11. The cable reel assembly of claim 1, further comprising a first slip ring that encircles and rotates with a hollow shaft of the reel.

12. The cable reel assembly of claim 11, further comprising a first conductive contact abutting the first slip ring and electrically connected to a first signal conductor that extends inside the hollow shaft of the reel to the cable, the first signal conductor connecting to a control pilot terminal or a proximity terminal or a ground terminal of the EVSE connector, wherein the first signal conductor is electrically coupled to the first conductive contact via the first slip ring regardless of whether the first caliper assembly is in the closed position or in the open position.

13. The cable reel assembly of claim 12, further comprising a second slip ring that encircles and rotates with the hollow shaft, a second conductive contact abutting the second slip ring and electrically connected to a second signal conductor that extends inside the hollow shaft with the first signal conductor to the cable, the second signal conductor connecting to another of the control pilot terminal or the proximity terminal or the ground terminal of the EVSE connector, wherein the second signal conductor is electrically coupled to the second conductive contact via the second slip ring regardless of whether the first caliper assembly is in the closed position or in the open position.

14. The cable reel assembly of claim 13, further comprising a third slip ring that encircles and rotates with the hollow shaft, a third conductive contact abutting the third slip ring and electrically connected to a third signal conductor that extends inside the hollow shaft with the first and second signal conductors to the cable, the third signal conductor connecting to the last of the control pilot terminal or the proximity terminal or the ground terminal of the EVSE connector regardless of whether the first caliper assembly is in the closed position or in the open position.

15. The cable reel assembly of claim 1, further comprising a housing that encloses the cable reel assembly, the first caliper assembly, and a majority of the cable when it is fully wound around the reel, the housing including an opening through which the cable is retracted into the housing or extracted from the housing.

17. The cable reel assembly of claim 1, in which the first conductive member is an electrically conductive disc that rotates with a shaft of the reel as the cable is wound around or unwound from the reel.

16. A cable reel assembly of an EVSE, comprising:

a cable electrically connected to an EVSE connector at one end of the cable, the cable including a first conductor for carrying supply current between the EVSE and the connector;

a reel around which the cable is wound or unwound;

a hollow shaft connected to the reel;

a first conductive member electrically connected to the first conductor at the other end of the cable;

a first caliper assembly having a closed position in which a first conductive pad of the first caliber assembly is clamped onto the first conductive member thereby electrically coupling the first conductive member to the EVSE and preventing the cable from being unwound from the reel, and an open position in which the first conductive pad is unclamped from the first conductive member thereby decoupling the first conductive member from the EVSE and freeing the cable to be wound around or unwound from the reel;

a first slip ring that encircles and rotates with the hollow shaft; and

a first conductive contact abutting the first slip ring and electrically connected to a first signal conductor that extends inside the hollow shaft of the reel to the cable, the first signal conductor connecting to a control pilot terminal or a proximity terminal or a ground terminal of the EVSE connector.