Cable mechanism for EV charging stations

Abstract

The cable mechanism retracts and retracts a cable having a free end and a fixed end. The cable mechanism includes a motor assembly configured to engage a leading portion of the cable to retract or pay out the cable, and a pulley assembly configured to engage a trailing portion of the cable. The trailing portion may be located between the leading portion and the fixed end of the cable. The pulley assembly may be movable relative to the motor assembly between a first position and a second position. Moving the pulley assembly from the first position to the second position retracts the cable, and moving the pulley assembly from the second position to the first position retracts the cable.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority to a provisional patent application filed on September 12, 2022 and assigned U.S. Application No. 63 / 375,286, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an electric cable mechanism, and more particularly to an electric cable mechanism for retracting and retracting a charging cable for an electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0003] Cables are used to complete any electrical circuit and are useful for connecting a power source to a chargeable device (e.g., an electric vehicle (EV)) because the distance between the power source and the chargeable device may vary. Generally, long cables may be desired to increase the possible distance between the power source and the chargeable device, but such long cables can be cumbersome during storage or during use when a shorter length of cable is required. Furthermore, users generally cannot rely on neatly storing the unwound cable after use.

[0004] Cable can be managed by being wound on a spool, which can be rotated to pay out or retract the desired length of cable. However, spools often require slip rings to maintain connection with the power source. Slip rings may be prohibitive for high-voltage or high-current applications due to cost, reliability, or environmental considerations. When used in active circuits, spooled cables pose additional challenges because tightly wound cables can heat up at high currents. This necessitates that operating currents be kept significantly lower than the cable's rated current. These challenges are particularly prevalent in EV charging applications, where high currents are desired.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a cable mechanism that provides a controlled method of paying out and retracting the cable and storing it. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0006] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a cable mechanism for retracting or retracting a cable having a free end and a fixed end. The cable mechanism may include a motor assembly configured to engage a leading portion of the cable to retract or retract the cable, and a pulley assembly configured to engage a trailing portion of the cable. The trailing portion may be located between the leading portion and the fixed end of the cable. The pulley assembly may be movable relative to the motor assembly between a first position and a second position. Moving the pulley assembly from the first position to the second position may retract the cable, and moving the pulley assembly from the second position to the first position may retract the cable.

[0007] In some embodiments, the cable mechanism may further include a housing, the motor assembly may be disposed within the housing, and the pulley assembly may be movable up and down within the housing relative to the motor assembly.

[0008] In some embodiments, the housing may be at least partially sealed. The fixed end of the cable may be disposed inside the housing and the free end of the cable may be disposed outside the housing.

[0009] In some embodiments, in the first position, a maximum length of cable may be disposed within the housing, and in the second position, a minimum length of cable may be disposed within the housing.

[0010] In some embodiments, the pulley assembly may include a linear guide, a carriage movable along the linear guide between a first position and a second position, at least one movable pulley disposed on the carriage, and at least one stationary pulley disposed adjacent the motor assembly. A trailing portion of the cable may be wound in a continuous loop around the at least one movable pulley and the at least one stationary pulley.

[0011] In some embodiments, the pulley assembly may further include a drive motor configured to drive the drive chain, and the carriage may be secured to the drive chain such that when the drive motor drives the drive chain, the carriage moves along the linear guide between the first position and the second position.

[0012] In some embodiments, the at least one movable pulley and the at least one stationary pulley may have a diameter that is at least five times larger than the diameter of the cable.

[0013] In some embodiments, the at least one movable pulley and the at least one stationary pulley may be non-parallel such that one successive pulley in each loop of cable has an input at a location that intersects the plane of the previous pulley.

[0014] In some embodiments, the at least one movable pulley and the at least one stationary pulley may comprise a series (continuous) of pulleys arranged in an arc, the arc having an arc radius at least five times greater than the radius of the cable.

[0015] In some embodiments, the at least one movable pulley may be comprised of a plurality of movable pulleys and the at least one stationary pulley may be comprised of a plurality of stationary pulleys, and the trailing portion of the cable may be looped alternately around one of the plurality of movable pulleys and one of the plurality of stationary pulleys in succession.

[0016] In some embodiments, the motor assembly may include an outlet motor configured to drive a pair of drive rollers. A leading portion of the cable may be disposed between the pair of drive rollers such that when the outlet motor drives the pair of drive rollers, the pair of drive rollers engage the leading portion of the cable to pay out or retract the free end of the cable.

[0017] In some embodiments, the motor assembly may further include at least one pair of guide rollers disposed upstream and / or downstream of the pair of drive rollers, and the at least one pair of guide rollers may be configured to change the angular direction in which the cable is paid out or retracted.

[0018] In some embodiments, the cable mechanism may further include a drive motor configured to move the pulley assembly between the first position and the second position, an outlet motor of the motor assembly configured to pay out or retract the free end of the cable, and a controller configured to synchronize the drive motor and the outlet motor so that the cable is tensioned between the leading portion and the fixed end during payout or retraction.

[0019] In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to control the speed of the drive motor to be slower than the speed of the exit motor when the cable is being paid out of the cable mechanism.

[0020] In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to control the speed of the drive motor to be slower than the speed of the exit motor when the cable is being retracted from the cable mechanism.

[0021] In some embodiments, the cable mechanism may further include a control switch disposed at the free end of the cable. The control switch may be in electronic communication with the controller. The control switch may be configured to send instructions to the controller to pay out or retract the cable.

[0022] In some embodiments, the control switch may be configured to send instructions to the controller to pay out or retract the cable by a particular length.

[0023] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for paying out or retracting a cable having a free end and a fixed end. The method may include providing a cable mechanism. The cable mechanism may include a motor assembly configured to engage a leading portion of the cable to pay out or retract the cable, and a pulley assembly configured to engage a trailing portion of the cable, the trailing portion being disposed between the leading portion and the fixed end of the cable. The pulley assembly may be movable relative to the motor assembly between a first position and a second position.

[0024] The method may further include moving the pulley assembly from the first position to the second position to pay out the cable or moving the pulley assembly from the second position to the first position to retract the cable.

[0025] In some embodiments, moving the pulley assembly from the first position to the second position or moving the pulley assembly from the second position to the first position may comprise synchronizing a drive motor for moving the pulley assembly between the first and second positions and an outlet motor of a motor assembly for paying out or retracting the free end of the cable so that the cable is tensioned when paying out or retracting. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] For a better understanding of the nature and objects of the present disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cable mechanism according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary cable mechanism according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 3A shows an example cable mechanism in a first position.

[0030] FIG. 3B shows the exemplary cable mechanism in a second position.

[0031] 4A, 4B, and 4C show an example cable mechanism with detailed views of the pulley assembly.

[0032] 5A and 5B show an example cable arrangement with a detailed view of the motor assembly.

[0033] FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram of a top view of a pulley assembly of a cable mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram of a top view of a cable wrapped around a pulley assembly of a cable mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 6C is a schematic diagram of a top view of a cable wrapped around a pulley assembly of a cable mechanism according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 7 is a top view of an exemplary cable mechanism pulley assembly.

[0037] FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram of a top view of a pulley assembly of a cable mechanism according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram of a top view of a pulley assembly of a cable mechanism according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 9A is a flowchart of a method for paying out or retracting a cable according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 9B is a flowchart of a method for paying out or retracting a cable according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] [Detailed disclosure description] Although the claimed subject matter is described in terms of specific embodiments, other embodiments, including embodiments that do not provide all of the advantages and features set forth herein, are also within the scope of this disclosure. Various structural, logical, process step, and electronic changes can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure is defined solely by reference to the appended claims.

[0042] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a cable mechanism 100 for extending and retracting (paying out and retracting) a cable 101, as shown in FIG. 1 . The cable 101 may have a free end 102 and a fixed end 105. The cable mechanism 100 may include a motor assembly 110 configured to engage a leading portion 103 of the cable 101 to pay out or retract the cable 100, and a pulley assembly 120 configured to engage a trailing portion 104 of the cable. The trailing portion 104 may be disposed between the leading portion 103 and the fixed end 105 of the cable 101. The pulley assembly 120 may be movable relative to the motor assembly 110 between a first position and a second position. The cable 101 may be paid out when the pulley assembly 120 is moved from the first position to the second position, and the cable 101 may be retracted when the pulley assembly 120 is moved from the second position to the first position. As the motor assembly 110 reels or pays out the cable 101, the pulley assembly 120 moves, allowing the cable 101 to maintain tension between the leading portion 103, the trailing portion 104, and the fixed end 105, thereby enabling smooth operation of the cable mechanism 100.

[0043] It should be understood that the leading portion 103 and the trailing portion 104 may refer to different portions of the cable 101 during use of the cable mechanism 100. For example, the leading portion 103 of the cable 101 may change as the cable 101 is paid out or retracted because the specific portion of the cable 101 that engages the motor assembly 110 changes continuously as the cable 101 passes through the motor assembly 110. The trailing portion 104 may also change as the cable 101 is paid out or retracted because the amount of the cable 101 that engages the pulley assembly 120 changes between the first position and the second position. Thus, the leading portion 103 and the trailing portion 104 of the cable 101 shown in the drawings refer to specific examples of various paid-out and retracted states of the cable 101 by the cable mechanism 100.

[0044] The cable mechanism 100 may further include a housing 130, and the motor assembly 110 and the pulley assembly 120 may be disposed within the housing 130. For example, the motor assembly 110 may be disposed within an upper portion of the housing 130, and the pulley assembly 120 may be movable up and down within the housing 130 below the motor assembly 120. Alternatively, the motor assembly 110 may be disposed within a lower portion of the housing 130, and the pulley assembly 120 may be movable up and down within the housing 130 above the motor assembly 110. In a further embodiment, the motor assembly 110 may be disposed within a left or right portion of the housing 130, and the pulley assembly 120 may be movable horizontally within the housing 130 relative to the motor assembly 110. Thus, the direction of movement of the pulley assembly 120 (e.g., up / down, horizontally, or diagonally) may depend on the orientation of the motor assembly 110 and the pulley assembly 120 within the housing 130. Additionally, the direction of movement (i.e., in / out) of the cable 101 corresponding to movement of the pulley assembly 120 between the first and second positions may depend on the orientation of the motor assembly 110 and the pulley assembly 120 within the housing 130. For example, the first and second positions may refer to an "up" or "down" position of the pulley assembly 120 relative to the motor assembly 110. Specific references herein to an "up" or "down" position are merely references to example orientations of the motor assembly 110 and the pulley assembly 120 within the housing 130 and are not intended to be limiting herein.

[0045] The housing 130 may be at least partially sealed from the outside. For example, the housing 130 may have only one output opening 131 through which the cable 101 is paid out or retracted from the housing 130. The housing 130 may thereby protect the motor assembly 110, the pulley assembly 120, and other components within the housing 130 from damage that may affect the operation of the cable mechanism 100. The housing 130 may also protect a user from contact with (or tampering with) high-voltage / high-current electrical transmission lines connected to the cable mechanism 100. The housing 130 may also have an input opening 132 for receiving input power for connection to the cable 101. The locations of the output opening 131 and the input opening 132 on the housing 130 may vary and are not limited herein. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the output opening 131 may be located at the top of the housing 130, and the input opening 132 may be located at the bottom of the housing 130.

[0046] The fixed end 105 of the cable 101 may be disposed inside the housing 130, and the free end 102 of the cable 101 may be disposed outside the housing 130. In the first position, a maximum length of the cable 101 may be disposed within the housing 130. For example, the first position may be defined as when the cable 101 is retracted, in which case a majority of the cable 101 is contained within the housing 130 for retraction. In the second position, a minimum length of the cable 101 may be disposed within the housing 130. For example, the second position may be defined as when the cable 101 is unreeled, in which case a majority of the cable 101 is outside the housing 130 for use. It should be understood that a portion of the cable 101 may remain outside the housing 130 when the cable 100 is retracted, and a portion of the cable 101 may remain inside the housing 130 when the cable 100 is unreeled. Varying amounts of cable 101 may be unwound to remain outside the housing 130, depending on the requirements of a particular use case. The amount of cable 101 that may be unwound from the housing 130 may be limited by industry standards. For example, some standards may limit the amount of cable 101 that may be unwound from the housing 130 to less than 25 feet. With the cable system 100 of the present disclosure, the minimum length of cable 101 disposed within the housing 130 in the second position may be shorter than other cable management systems, allowing more cable 101 to be used compared to other cable management systems. Additionally, the minimum length of cable 101 disposed outside the housing 130 in the first position may be shorter than other cable management systems, allowing more cable 101 to be managed within the housing 130 compared to other cable management systems. This may prevent excess cable 101 from remaining outside the housing 130 when not in use.

[0047] The fixed end 105 of the cable 101 may be located anywhere within the housing 130, depending on the system design. For example, the fixed end 105 of the cable 101 may be anchored to the base of the housing 130 for connection to an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) system 140. The EVSE system 140 may be located within the housing 130 or may be an external component connectable to the fixed end 105 of the cable 101 within the housing 130. The location of the connection between the fixed end 105 of the cable 101 and the EVSE system 140 may be adjustable and can be changed depending on the location of the output and input of the cable mechanism 100 in a particular application. The free end 102 of the cable 101 may be connectable to a chargeable device (e.g., an electric vehicle (EV)). Thus, the EVSE 140 may be configured to charge an EV via the cable 101 and the cable mechanism 100.

[0048] 2-5 illustrate an exemplary cable mechanism 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 2, the pulley assembly 120 may include a linear guide 121, a carriage 122 movable along the linear guide 121 between a first position and a second position, at least one movable pulley 123 disposed on the carriage 122, and at least one stationary pulley 124 disposed adjacent to the motor assembly 110 above the carriage 122. The linear guide 121 may be comprised of one or more guide rails, a pair of guide rails, or any other linear guide mechanism known in the art. The carriage 122 may move between a first position (shown in FIG. 3A) and a second position (shown in FIG. 3B) to change the vertical position of the movable pulley 123 when the cable 101 is moved in the payout or retraction direction. As shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C, the trailing portion 104 of the cable 101 may be continuously looped around the at least one movable pulley 123 and the at least one stationary pulley 124. When the carriage 122 is in a first position, the at least one movable pulley 123 and the at least one stationary pulley 124 may be spaced a maximum distance apart. Thus, the maximum length of the cable 101 looped around the at least one movable pulley 123 and the at least one stationary pulley 124 may be stored within the housing 130 for storage. When the carriage 122 is in a second position, the at least one movable pulley 123 and the at least one stationary pulley 124 may be spaced a minimum distance apart. Thus, the minimum length of the cable 101 may be looped around the at least one movable pulley 123 and the at least one stationary pulley 124, and the remaining length of the cable 101 may be unwound from the housing 130.

[0049] It should be appreciated that the movement of the pulley assembly 120 allows for greater amounts of cable 101 to be paid out and retracted from the cable mechanism 100 compared to fixed pulleys. For example, a fixed pulley system requires that a constant length of cable always be looped around the pulleys, limiting the length of cable that can be paid out and retracted. In contrast, the pulley assembly 120 of the present disclosure varies the length of cable that is looped around the at least one movable pulley 123 and at least one stationary pulley 124, increasing the length of cable that can be paid out and retracted by the cable mechanism 100.

[0050] The carriage 122 may be electrically powered or pneumatically controlled. For example, the pulley assembly 120 may further include a drive motor 125 configured to drive the drive chain 126. The drive chain 126 may be a chain, a belt (e.g., a timing belt, a synchronous belt, etc.), or a spool of guide cable that can be driven by the drive motor 125. The carriage 122 may be secured to the drive chain 126 such that when the drive motor 125 drives the drive chain 126, the carriage 122 moves along the linear guide 121 between a first position and a second position. While the example cable mechanism 100 shown in FIGS. 2-5 includes two drive motors 125 configured to drive the two drive chains 126, the cable mechanism 100 may be operable with a single drive motor 125 and a single drive chain 126, and other configurations for moving the carriage 122 are within the scope of this disclosure. The drive motor 125 may also be configured to move the carriage 122 by other lifting mechanisms (eg, screw lifts) and is not limited herein.

[0051] The pulleys of the pulley assembly 120 may have a sufficiently large diameter to minimize stress on the cable 101 during movement. For example, the at least one movable pulley 123 and the at least one stationary pulley 124 may have a diameter at least five times the diameter of the cable 101. The ratio of the pulley diameter to the cable diameter may be greater than 5:1, for example, the ratio may be 10:1, 12:1, or greater, or any ratio therebetween. If the ratio were less than 5:1, the cable 101 would have to bend more sharply around the pulleys, which would create stress on the cable 101 and may affect the smooth operation of the cable mechanism 100. In some embodiments, the cable 101 may have a diameter between 10 mm and 80 mm. Accordingly, the at least one movable pulley 123 and the at least one stationary pulley 124 may have a diameter between 100 mm and 960 mm or greater. If the stiffness of the cable 101 makes it difficult to achieve a loop at least five times the diameter of the cable 101 without excessive tension, additional guide pulleys 127 can be used to ensure the cable 101 fits within the envelope provided by the pulley assembly. The guide pulleys 127 can be positioned a distance greater than ten times the diameter of the cable 101 from the mounting axis of the movable pulley 123 or stationary pulley 124. The guide pulleys 127 can be positioned alternately on a tangent to the pulley or cable bend arc to confine the cable 101 to follow a desired path. The size of each pulley in the pulley assembly 120 can depend on the internal space within the housing 130. In some embodiments, the at least one movable pulley 123 and the at least one stationary pulley 124 can be the same size. Alternatively, the at least one movable pulley 123 and the at least one stationary pulley 124 can be different sizes. Thus, the combination of pulleys in the pulley assembly 120 can be designed and arranged for smooth operation of the cable mechanism 100 .

[0052] The pulley assembly 120 may include additional pulleys for additional cable loops to increase the available cable length. For example, the at least one movable pulley 123 may be comprised of multiple movable pulleys 123, and the at least one stationary pulley 124 may be comprised of multiple stationary pulleys 124. The trailing portion 104 of the cable 101 may be wound in successive loops around each of the movable pulleys 123 and each of the stationary pulleys 124 in an alternating fashion. Where m is the number of pulleys in the movable pulleys 123 and n is the number of pulleys in the stationary pulleys 124, in some embodiments, m=n. Alternatively, m=n±1. For example, the pulley assembly 120 may include three movable pulleys 123 and two stationary pulleys 124. A spacer may be provided between each of the plurality of movable pulleys 123 and each of the plurality of stationary pulleys 124 to maintain separation of the trailing portion 104 of the cable 101 between each loop. The size of each of the plurality of movable pulleys 123 and each of the plurality of stationary pulleys 124 may be consistent between each loop. Alternatively, the size of each of the plurality of movable pulleys 123 and each of the plurality of stationary pulleys 124 may vary between each loop. In some cases, varying the diameter between successive pulleys may maintain more uniform tension on the cable 101 compared to a consistent size. Therefore, the combination and size of pulleys in the pulley assembly 120 may be varied for smooth operation of the cable mechanism 100.

[0053] Each movable pulley 123 and each stationary pulley 124 may be non-parallel so that successive pulleys in each loop of cable 101 have an input (acceptance) at a location where they intersect the plane of the previous pulley. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, pulleys A in one set may be offset by an angle θ relative to pulleys B in another set. Thus, as the cable is wound around successive pulleys, the angle of the B pulley allows the cable to exit the first A pulley at an angle and enter the next A pulley in the loop. The angle θ may depend on the size of pulleys A and B and the spacing between the A and B pulleys. In some embodiments, the angle θ is between 5 and 15°. In some arrangements, one of the pulleys A or B set may be aligned orthogonally, while the other may be offset from the orthogonal by an angle θ. For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the cable wound around one set of pulleys A is aligned orthogonally, and the cable wound around one set of pulleys B is offset from the orthogonal by an angle θ. Alternatively, both a set of pulleys A and a set of pulleys B may be offset from orthogonal such that the sets of pulleys A and B are offset from one another by a relative angle θ. For example, as shown in FIG. 6C, a cable looped around both a set of pulleys A and a set of pulleys B is offset from orthogonal by an angle θ / 2, resulting in an offset angle θ. It should be understood that the set of pulleys A and the set of pulleys B may be offset from orthogonal by equal or different amounts.

[0054] Either the plurality of movable pulleys 123 or the plurality of stationary pulleys 124 may be offset from the other. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 , the plurality of stationary pulleys 124 may be offset from the plurality of movable pulleys 123 by an angle θ. Alternatively, the plurality of movable pulleys 123 may be offset from the plurality of stationary pulleys 124 by an angle θ. A non-parallel arrangement of successive pulleys may result in smoother operation of the cable mechanism 100 compared to parallel pulleys, which may create excessive friction between the cable 101 and the pulleys if the cable 101 has a significant thickness, stiffness, or both. For cables 101 constructed with copper or aluminum wires greater than 6 mm in diameter, or multi-core (multi-conductor) cables greater than 10 mm in diameter, problems may arise in that, at discharge levels greater than 80% of the cable length, the angle at which the cable 101 must bend between successive layers of pulleys may create excessive forces on the pulley edges or, if plain rollers are used, may create lateral forces that could cause the cable to slip off the rollers. The minimum angle θ between successive pulleys may be determined by the diameter of the cable, for example, for a 5-core cable with a diameter of 16.4 mm, the minimum angle is 6 to 8°.

[0055] In some embodiments, each pulley of the pulley assembly 120 may be comprised of a series of pulleys arranged in an arc. For example, at least one movable pulley 123 may be comprised of a series of pulleys arranged in an arc (as shown in FIG. 4C), and at least one stationary pulley 124 may be comprised of a series of pulleys arranged in an arc (as shown in FIG. 4B). The arc may refer to a circular, non-circular, or any other arrangement of conical sections, and is not limited herein. Pulley arcs may be advantageous over singular pulleys in a multi-tier configuration because they maximize the use of cable incorporated within the system by removing the restriction on pulley movement to a perfect tangential position. For example, while the two center points of the idealized pulley axes of an arc-shaped series of pulleys are separated only by the sum of the largest two radii of the edge pulleys in the upper and lower arrays, two single pulleys dramatically increase this distance to the sum of the radii of both single pulleys, which in some embodiments may be at least five times the cable diameter. For example, for a 10 mm cable system, the pulley arc radius can be 50 mm. For this cable diameter, the two closest pulleys can be 100 mm or greater. In the same example, if successive smaller pulleys are used to create a 50 mm pulley arc radius, the individual pulley radii can be 10 mm, allowing the two pulley arcs to be as close as 20 mm. Because usable cable length is a function of the number of loops, successive pulleys in an arc-shaped arrangement can minimize the amount of cable 101 that must remain within the housing 130, thereby increasing the amount of cable 101 that can be unwound from the housing 130 for use.

[0056] The axis of each successive pulley can be positioned so that the bearing surface of each pulley is perpendicular to the path of travel of the cable 101. For example, the angle between successive pulleys A1 and A2 can be defined by an angle φ. The angle φ can be determined by the diameter of the cable 101 and the size and placement of the pulleys. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the angle between successive pulleys A1 and A2 can be φ=0°. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8B, the angle between successive pulleys A1′ and A2′ can be φ>0°. Each successive pulley of the at least one movable pulley 123 and the at least one stationary pulley 124 can be positioned so that the angle φ is constant or varies between successive pulleys in each series or between each loop.

[0057] Each of the multiple movable pulleys 123 may move independently or in conjunction with one another. In other words, the carriage 122 may be configured to move all of the multiple movable pulleys 123 together, or the carriage 122 may be configured to move the multiple movable pulleys 123 separately or sequentially. For example, in the example cable mechanism 100 shown in FIGS. 4A-4C , each of the multiple movable pulleys 123 may be disposed on the carriage 122 such that the carriage 122 simultaneously moves the multiple movable pulleys 123 between the second position and the first position. Alternatively, each of the multiple movable pulleys 123 may be disposed on its own carriage (or a separate movable portion of the carriage 122) such that each carriage can sequentially move each of the multiple movable pulleys 123 between the second position and the first position. For example, with three movable pulleys 123 in a first position, the carriage 122 may move the first movable pulley to a second position, then move the second movable pulley after the previous pulley has finished moving to the second position or to another position between the first and second positions, and then move the third movable pulley after the previous pulley has finished moving to the second position or to another position between the first and second positions. In the same example, the carriage 122 may move the three movable pulleys 123 in the reverse order (3, 2, 1) when returning to the first position. Also, each carriage 122 may be configured to move each of the multiple movable pulleys 123 simultaneously, allowing for faster extension or retraction.

[0058] 5A and 5B, the motor assembly 110 may include an outlet motor 111 configured to drive a pair of drive rollers 112. The leading portion 103 of the cable 101 may be disposed between the pair of drive rollers 112 such that the free end 102 of the cable 101 is unwound or retracted when the outlet motor 111 drives the pair of drive rollers 112. For example, the space between the drive rollers 112 may be sized such that the leading portion 103 of the cable 101 is sandwiched between the drive rollers 112, such that rotation of the drive rollers 112 unwound or retracted the cable 101 based on the direction of rotation of the drive rollers 112. Between the force imparted by the drive rollers 112 and the fixed end 105 of the cable 101, the cable 101 is constantly tensioned on the pulley assembly 120. Additionally, the force imparted by the drive rollers 112 may impart momentum to the cable 101 as it unwinds or retracts. The motor assembly 110 may further include at least one pair of guide rollers 113 disposed upstream and / or downstream of the pair of drive rollers 112. The at least one pair of guide rollers 113 may be configured to change the angular direction in which the cable 101 is paid out or retracted. For example, the pair of guide rollers 113 may direct the cable 101 out of the output opening 131 of the housing 130 for use.

[0059] The cable mechanism 100 may further include a controller 150 in electronic communication with the motor assembly 110 and the pulley assembly 120, as shown in FIG. 1 . For example, the controller 150 may be configured to synchronize the operation of the drive motor 125 of the pulley assembly 120 and the exit motor 111 of the motor assembly 110. Synchronizing the operation of the drive motor 125 and the exit motor 111 maintains tension on the cable 101 as it retracts and retracts. Without tension, the cable 101 may buckle during retraction, resulting in jamming or fouling of the cable mechanism 100. Too much tension in the cable 101 may result in too much force being required to drive the cable 101. Therefore, the controller 150 may be configured to control the speed of the drive motor 125 and the exit motor 111 to control the tension in the cable 101. For example, the controller 150 may control the speed of the drive motor 125 to be 5 to 15 percent slower than the speed of the exit motor 111 when the cable 101 is being unwound from the cable mechanism 100, and the controller 150 may control the speed of the drive motor 125 to be 15 to 30 percent slower than the speed of the exit motor 111 when the cable 101 is being retracted into the cable mechanism 101. Alternatively, the controller 150 may control the ratio of the speed of the exit motor 111 to the speed of the drive motor 125 to be approximately 5.5:1 to 6:1. Thus, synchronous operation of the drive motor 125 and the exit motor 111 may provide smooth operation of the cable mechanism during unwinding. It should be understood that the speeds of the drive motor 125 and the exit motor 111 depend on the desired speed of unwinding the cable 101 for a particular application and are not limited herein. The relative speed of the drive motor 125 and the exit motor 111 may remain constant or may vary as the pulley assembly 120 moves between the first and second positions.The relative speed of the drive motor 125 and the exit motor 111 may also depend on the gear ratios and transmissions of the pulley assembly 120 and the motor assembly 110, respectively, which may also be designed to provide a tensioning effect. The number of loops in the cable 101 may also affect the relative speeds, e.g., more loops will result in a higher speed ratio and fewer loops will result in a lower ratio, tending toward a 1:1 ratio for a single loop.

[0060] A control switch 155 may be provided to control the operation of the cable mechanism 100. The control switch 155 may be disposed at the free end 102 of the cable 101 and may be in electronic communication with the controller 150. For example, the control switch 155 may communicate wirelessly with the controller 150, or the control switch 155 may be wired to the controller 150 via the cable 101. The control switch 155 may be configured to send instructions to the controller 150 to pay out or retract the cable 101. For example, the control switch 155 may instruct the controller 150 to control the outlet motor 111 and the drive motor 125 to operate in corresponding directions to pay out or retract the cable 101. In some embodiments, the control switch 155 may be configured to send instructions to the controller 150 to pay out or retract the cable 101 a specific length that is less than or equal to the maximum length that can be paid out from the housing 130. The particular length of cable 101 may be one or more preset lengths or may be a user-defined length of cable 101. Control switch 155 may be operable by a single button, two buttons (one for each direction of cable 101), or additional buttons configured to define the particular length of cable 101 to be unwound. Alternatively, control switch 150 may be operable by pulling on free end 102 of cable 101.

[0061] In the cable mechanism 100 of the present disclosure, the cable 101 may be separated from itself by the pulley assembly 120. For example, as the trailing portion 104 of the cable 101 is looped around the movable pulley 123 and the stationary pulley 124, the pulley assembly 120 may prevent the cable 101 from overlapping itself for a certain length. Additionally, the movable pulley 123 may be spaced apart from the stationary pulley 124 in the first position and even in the second position, eliminating contact between lengths of the cable 101 in adjacent pulley layers. This dramatically reduces heating of individual portions of the cable 101, allowing the full current carrying capacity of the cable 101 to be used, even in the retracted position. If the rollers and roller support structure are made of a material with low thermal conductivity, heat dissipation can be significantly improved over a standard spooled cable. The cable mechanism 100 may provide a simple and controlled method of unwinding the cable 101, suitable for high-current EV charging applications.

[0062] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method 200 for paying out or retracting a cable. As shown in Figure 9A, the method 200 may include the following steps.

[0063] In step 210, a cable assembly is provided. The cable assembly may be cable assembly 100 described above, the details of which will not be repeated here.

[0064] In step 220, the pulley assembly is moved from a first position to a second position to pay out the cable. By moving to the second position, a length of cable is paid out from the cable mechanism, providing additional length of cable for use.

[0065] In step 230, the pulley assembly is moved from the second position to the first position to retract the cable. By moving to the first position, a length of the cable is retracted back into the cable mechanism, providing efficient storage of the cable.

[0066] It should be understood that steps 220 and 230 may be repeated any number of times to pay out or retract cable in a simple and efficient manner using the cable mechanism of the present disclosure. The second and first positions referenced in steps 220 and 230 may refer to any relative position and movement of the pulley assembly. In some embodiments, the second and first positions may refer to positions at the maximum range of movement of the pulley assembly or any position within the range of movement. For example, the second position may correspond to a position of the pulley assembly where the maximum amount of cable is paid out, and the first position may correspond to a position of the pulley assembly where the minimum amount of cable is paid out. Alternatively, the second and first positions may correspond to positions of the pulley assembly where other amounts of cable are paid out, and the specific length of cable paid out at either position is not limited herein.

[0067] In some embodiments, the cable mechanism may include a drive motor configured to move the pulley assembly between a first position and a second position, an outlet motor of the motor assembly configured to engage a leading portion of the cable to pay out or retract the cable, and a controller in electronic communication with the drive motor and the outlet motor. Thus, as shown in FIG. 9B , steps 220 and 230 of method 200 may be replaced with the following steps:

[0068] In step 225, the drive motor and the exit motor are synchronized to move the pulley assembly from a first position to a second position to pay out the free end of the cable and tension the cable as it is paid out. For example, the controller may control the speed of the drive motor to be 5 to 15 percent slower than the speed of the exit motor as the cable is being paid out of the cable mechanism.

[0069] In step 235, the drive motor and the exit motor are synchronized to move the pulley assembly from the second position to the first position to retract the free end of the cable and tension the cable as it is retracted. For example, the controller may control the speed of the drive motor to be 15 to 30 percent slower than the speed of the exit motor when the cable is being retracted from the cable mechanism.

[0070] The method 200 of the present disclosure allows the cable mechanism to be manipulated in a simple and controlled manner to retract and retract the cable. Such a process would be highly repeatable and user-friendly, making it suitable for public EV charging applications.

[0071] Although the present disclosure has been described with respect to one or more particular embodiments, it will be understood that other embodiments of the present disclosure may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is deemed to be limited only by the appended claims and their reasonable interpretation.

Claims

1. A cable mechanism for inserting and removing a cable having a free end and a fixed end, The cable mechanism includes: a motor assembly configured to engage a leading portion of the cable to pay out or retract the cable; a pulley assembly configured to engage a trailing portion of the cable, the pulley assembly being movable between a first position and a second position relative to the motor assembly, the trailing portion being disposed between the leading portion of the cable and the fixed end; moving the pulley assembly from the first position to the second position to pay out the cable, and moving the pulley assembly from the second position to the first position to retract the cable; Cable mechanism.

2. The cable mechanism further comprises a housing; the motor assembly is disposed within the housing, and the pulley assembly is movable up and down within the housing relative to the motor assembly; The cable mechanism of claim 1 .

3. the housing is at least partially sealed, the fixed end of the cable is disposed inside the housing, and the free end of the cable is disposed outside the housing. The cable mechanism of claim 2 .

4. In the first position, a maximum length of the cable is disposed within the housing, and in the second position, a minimum length of the cable is disposed within the housing. The cable mechanism of claim 2 .

5. The pulley assembly includes: A linear guide and a carriage movable along the linear guide between the first position and the second position; at least one movable pulley disposed on the carriage; at least one stationary pulley disposed adjacent to the motor assembly; the trailing portion of the cable is looped continuously around the at least one movable pulley and the at least one stationary pulley; The cable mechanism of claim 1 .

6. the pulley assembly further comprising a drive motor configured to drive the drive chain; the carriage is fixed to the drive chain such that when the drive motor drives the drive chain, the carriage moves along the linear guide between the first position and the second position; The cable mechanism of claim 5.

7. the at least one movable pulley and the at least one stationary pulley have a diameter at least five times greater than a diameter of the cable; The cable mechanism of claim 5.

8. the at least one movable pulley and the at least one stationary pulley are non-parallel such that one successive pulley of each loop of the cable has an input where it intersects the plane of the previous pulley in the series; The cable mechanism of claim 5.

9. the at least one movable pulley and the at least one stationary pulley each comprise a series of pulleys arranged in an arc, the arc having an arc radius at least five times the radius of the cable; The cable mechanism of claim 5.

10. the at least one movable pulley comprises a plurality of movable pulleys; the at least one stationary pulley comprises a plurality of stationary pulleys; the trailing portion of the cable is looped alternately and successively around one of the plurality of movable pulleys and one of the plurality of stationary pulleys; The cable mechanism of claim 5.

11. the motor assembly includes an outlet motor configured to drive a pair of drive rollers; the leading portion of the cable is disposed between the pair of drive rollers such that when the outlet motor drives the pair of drive rollers, the pair of drive rollers engage the leading portion of the cable to pay out or retract the free end of the cable. The cable mechanism of claim 1 .

12. the motor assembly further includes at least one pair of guide rollers disposed upstream and / or downstream of the pair of drive rollers; the at least one pair of guide rollers are configured to change the angular direction in which the cable is paid out or retracted; The cable mechanism of claim 11.

13. The cable mechanism further comprises: a drive motor configured to move the pulley assembly between the first position and the second position; an outlet motor of the motor assembly configured to pay out or retract the free end of the cable; a controller configured to synchronize the drive motor and the exit motor so that the cable is tensioned between the leading portion and the fixed end when paying out or retracting. The cable mechanism of claim 1 .

14. the controller is configured to control the speed of the drive motor to be slower than the speed of the exit motor when the cable is being paid out of the cable mechanism. The cable mechanism of claim 13.

15. the controller is configured to control the speed of the drive motor to be slower than the speed of the exit motor when the cable is being retracted into the cable mechanism; The cable mechanism of claim 13.

16. The cable mechanism further comprises: a control switch disposed at the free end of the cable; the control switch is in electronic communication with the controller; The cable mechanism of claim 13.

17. The control switch is configured to send an instruction to the controller to pay out or retract the cable.

17. The cable mechanism of claim 16.

18. The control switch is configured to send instructions to the controller to pay out or retract the cable by a specific length.

18. The cable mechanism of claim 17.

19. 1. A method for paying out or retracting a cable having a free end and a fixed end, comprising: The method comprises: providing a cable mechanism; The cable mechanism includes: a motor assembly configured to engage a leading portion of the cable to pay out or retract the cable; a pulley assembly configured to engage a trailing portion of the cable, the pulley assembly being movable between a first position and a second position relative to the motor assembly, the trailing portion being disposed between the leading portion of the cable and the fixed end; The method further comprises: moving the pulley assembly from the first position to the second position to pay out the cable, or moving the pulley assembly from the second position to the first position to retract the cable. method.

20. Moving the pulley assembly from the first position to the second position or moving the pulley assembly from the second position to the first position includes: and synchronously controlling a drive motor that moves the pulley assembly between the first position and the second position and an outlet motor of the motor assembly that pays out or retracts the free end of the cable so that tension is applied to the cable when it is being paid out or retracted.

20. The method of claim 19.

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