Device to facilitate moving an electrical cable of an electric vehicle charging station and method of providing the same

• US 8,710,372 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2012
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blink Acquisition, LLC (Blink Charging Co.)
• Original Assignee: Blink Acquisition, LLC (Blink Charging Co.)
• Inventors: Karner, Donald B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Timothy
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, AMOL H
• Application Number:
  US13/442,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20120193929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 174135-136, 174/111, 174/46, 248/76, 248/79, 248/51, 164/31, 164/28, 164/30, 164/22, 164/21, 164/43, 164/44, 294/174, 294/25, 294/132, 294/133
• US Class Current: 174/135
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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: 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

Some embodiments include a device to facilitate moving an electrical cable of an electric vehicle charging station. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A device for an electrical cable, the electrical cable being configured to couple an electrical connector with an electric vehicle charging station, the electrical connector being configured to be coupled with an electric vehicle to permit the electric vehicle charging station to provide electricity to a rechargeable energy storage system of the electric vehicle, the device comprising:

a receiver assembly comprising a hollow space and being configured to be coupled with the electrical cable;

and

three or more gripping mechanisms coupled to the receiver assembly;

wherein;

each one of the three or more gripping mechanisms is configured such that a user of the electric vehicle charging station can grasp at least one of the three or more gripping mechanisms to facilitate movement of the electrical cable when the electrical cable is located in the hollow space.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the three or more gripping mechanisms are configured to prevent the electrical connector from contacting a ground surface when at least one of the three or more gripping mechanisms is contacting the ground surface and when the electrical cable is located in the hollow space.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the electrical cable comprises an electrical cable outer surface; and

the receiver assembly is configured to be coupled with the electrical cable by wrapping the receiver assembly around at least part of the electrical cable outer surface.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the receiver assembly comprises a first piece and a second piece opposite the first piece; and

the first piece is configured to be coupled with the second piece.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein:

the first piece comprises at least one male pressure fitting;

the second piece comprises at least one female pressure fitting configured to receive the at least one male pressure fitting; and

the at least one male pressure fitting is configured to be coupled to the at least one female pressure fitting when the receiver assembly is coupled with the electrical cable by wrapping the receiver assembly around at least part of the electrical cable outer surface.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of:

the three or more gripping mechanisms extend radially outward from the receiver assembly and the electrical cable;

at least one of the three or more gripping mechanisms is configured to be mounted on the electric vehicle charging station;

the three or more gripping mechanisms are spaced substantially evenly around a perimeter of the receiver assembly;

the receiver assembly comprises a tubular shape and a circular cross-section;

each of the three or more gripping mechanisms are substantially identical to each other;

the three or more gripping mechanisms and the receiver assembly have lengths of approximately 15.2 centimeters to approximately 30.5 centimeters;

or

the three or more gripping mechanisms comprises openings sized to fit at least four fingers of a human hand.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the receiver assembly comprises a receiver assembly outer surface;

the receiver assembly outer surface comprises three or more receptacles;

a first quantity of the three or more receptacles equals a second quantity of the three or more gripping mechanisms; and

each one of the three or more receptacles is configured to receive any one of the three or more gripping mechanisms.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of;

(a) the receiver assembly or (b) each one of the three or more gripping mechanisms, comprises at least one of plastic or metal.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of;

(a) the receiver assembly or (b) at least one of the three or more gripping mechanisms, comprises a bright color to improve a visibility of the electrical cable.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a second receiver assembly comprising a second hollow space and configured to be coupled with the electrical cable; and

three or more second gripping mechanisms coupled to the second receiver assembly;

wherein;

each one of the three or more second gripping mechanisms is configured such that the user of the electric vehicle charging station can grasp at least one of the three or more second gripping mechanisms to facilitate movement of the electrical cable when the electrical cable is located in the second hollow space; and

when the receiver assembly is coupled with the electrical cable and when the second receiver assembly is coupled with the electrical cable, the receiver assembly is coupled with the electrical cable at a first cable location and the second receiver assembly is coupled with the electrical cable at a second cable location closer to the electrical connector than the first cable location.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein:

the receiver assembly is approximately 15.2 centimeters to approximately 61.0 centimeters apart from the second receiver assembly.

12. A method of providing a device for an electrical cable, the electrical cable being configured to couple an electrical connector with an electric vehicle charging station, the electrical connector being configured to be coupled with an electric vehicle to permit the electric vehicle charging station to provide electricity to a rechargeable energy storage system of the electric vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a receiver assembly configured to be coupled with the electrical cable;

providing three or more gripping mechanisms configured such that a user of the electric vehicle charging station can grasp at least one of the three or more gripping mechanisms to facilitate movement of the electrical cable when the receiver assembly is coupled with the electrical cable; and

coupling each one of the three or more gripping mechanisms with the receiver assembly.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

coupling the receiver assembly with the electrical cable.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

coupling the receiver assembly with the electrical cable comprises wrapping the receiver assembly around at least part of an electrical cable outer surface of the electrical cable.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the three or more gripping mechanisms are configured to prevent the electrical connector from contacting a ground surface when the receiver assembly is coupled with the electrical cable and when at least one of the three or more gripping mechanisms is contacting the ground surface.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

coupling the receiver assembly with the electrical cable by coupling a first portion of the receiver assembly to a second portion of the receiver assembly opposite the first portion of the receiver assembly.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

coupling the first portion of the receiver assembly to the second portion of the receiver assembly opposite the first portion of the receiver assembly comprises coupling at least one male pressure fitting at the first portion of the receiver assembly to at least one female pressure fitting at the second portion of the receiver assembly, the at least one female pressure fitting being configured to receive the at least one male pressure fitting.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein:

coupling each one of the three or more gripping mechanisms with the receiver assembly comprises coupling each one of the three or more gripping mechanisms with a different one of three or more receptacles of a receiver assembly outer surface of the receiver assembly, wherein a first quantity of the three or more receptacles equals a second quantity of the three or more gripping mechanisms.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein:

each one of the three or more receptacles comprises a channel; and

coupling each one of the three or more gripping mechanisms with the different one of the three or more receptacles of the receiver assembly outer surface of the receiver assembly comprises sliding each one of the three or more gripping mechanisms into the different one of the three or more receptacles.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein:

at least one of;

(a) the receiver assembly or (b) each one of the three or more gripping mechanisms, comprises at least one of plastic or metal.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein:

at least one of;

(a) the receiver assembly or (b) at least one of the three or more gripping mechanisms, comprises a bright color to improve a visibility of the electrical cable.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein:

at least one of the three or more gripping mechanisms is configured to be mounted on the electric vehicle charging station.

23. A device for an electrical cable, the electrical cable being configured to couple an electrical connector with an electric vehicle charging station, the electrical connector being configured to be coupled with an electric vehicle to permit the electric vehicle charging station to provide electricity to a rechargeable energy storage system of the electric vehicle, the device comprising:

a tubular portion configured to be coupled with the electrical cable; and

three handles coupled to the tubular portion;

wherein;

each one of the three handles is configured such that a user of the electric vehicle charging station can grasp at least one of the three handles to facilitate movement of the electrical cable when the electrical cable is located within at least a portion of the tubular portion such that the tubular portion is wrapped around the electrical cable;

the three handles extend radially outward from the tubular portion;

each of the three handles are substantially identical to each other;

the three handles comprise a bright color and are spaced substantially evenly around an outer perimeter of the tubular portion; and

each of the three handles comprise an opening sized to fit at least four fingers of a hand of the user.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein:

the three handles are configured to prevent the tubular portion and the electrical connector from contacting a ground surface when the tubular portion is coupled with the electrical cable and when at least one of the three handles is contacting the ground surface;

and

the tubular portion and each of the three handles comprise lengths of approximately 15.2 centimeters to approximately 30.5 centimeters.

25. The device of claim 23 wherein:

the tubular portion comprises a circular cross-section.