Cable tensioning assembly and cable reel assembly

Abstract

A cable tensioning assembly (10) for a cable reel (18), the cable tensioning assembly (10) comprising: a first roller (12) and a second roller (14) for interacting with a cable (56) of the cable reel (18), where the axes of rotation of the inner roller (12) and the axes of rotation of the outer roller (14) are disposed on both sides of a plane and spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the plane, and where the axis of rotation of the inner roller (12) and the axis of rotation of the outer roller (14) are spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the plane; a tortuous cable path extends through the cable tensioning assembly (10) for unwinding the cable (56) from the cable reel (18) and / or retracting the cable (56) onto the cable reel (18).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a cable tensioning assembly for controlling the winding and unwinding of a cable on a reel for charging a cable of an electric vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The cable reel is usually used to store the cable. In the case of electric vehicle charging, the shorter portion of the charging cable with the plug for electric vehicle charging is usually not wound up in a wound state, but extends downward from the charging end in a hanging state and may at least partially drag on the ground.

[0003] When the charging cable is wound on the reel, the cable can usually be pulled freely off the reel by pulling the free end of the cable and can also be wound back onto the reel by means of a handle for rotating the reel.

[0004] The winding or unwinding of the cable depends on the direction of rotation of the reel.

[0005] Using a powered reel may be desirable, especially if it assists in winding the cable onto the reel. It is also desirable to use a powered reel to pay out the cable from the reel, especially for those who have difficulty supporting the weight of the cable. People with disabilities, injuries, or limited mobility may not be able to manually pull the cable or turn the reel to wind the cable onto the reel, and may not be able to support the weight of longer lengths of cable.

[0006] However, powering the reel can cause cable management issues, as the cable needs to remain somewhat tightly wound on the reel so that it does not get stuck when unwinding and rewinding. The cable may naturally have difficulty staying tightly wound due to, for example, the rigidity of the cable, which may cause it to unwind on the reel.

[0007] For example, when the cable reel rotates at a certain speed to pay out the cable, if the tension applied to the free end of the cable is insufficient, the cable will unwind from the surface of the cable reel, which means that the coil radius of the cable in the wound state will increase, i.e., the coil will become looser, which may cause a portion of the cable to accidentally contact an undesirable portion of the device, such as the housing.

[0008] Furthermore, when the cable is retracted onto the spool into a spooled state, it may not be stored in the expected or desired state, particularly if the remaining cable becomes loose on the spool during the unwinding process.

[0009] In such Figure 3In the example of the prior art shown in , a set of rollers 102 and 104 are arranged near the reel, and the cable 106 passes therebetween. The rollers are located on both sides of the cable, with their axes aligned with the cable and perpendicular to the cable. These rollers are used to guide the cable and squeeze the sheath of the cable. The rollers surround and enclose the cable, ensuring that the cable does not slip off the rollers. However, this design makes it difficult to easily remove the cable for replacement, maintenance or manual unwinding operations.

[0010] The object of the present application is to reduce or substantially eliminate the above-mentioned problems. Summary of the invention

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present application, a cable tensioning assembly for an electric vehicle charging cable reel is provided, the cable tensioning assembly comprising:

[0012] a first roller and a second roller for interacting with a cable of the cable reel, wherein both rollers include a first end, a second end, a cable contacting portion between the first end and the second end, and a rotational axis extending through the first end and the second end;

[0013] Wherein, the rotation axis of the first roller and the rotation axis of the second roller are arranged on both sides of the plane, and when in use, the first roller is separated from the second roller, and the second roller is farther from the reel than the first roller;

[0014] Wherein, a zigzag cable path extends through the cable tensioning assembly, the zigzag cable path intersects the plane and passes through the cable contacting portions of the first roller and the second roller.

[0015] The cable tensioning assembly may be used to pay out a cable from a cable reel, such as an electric vehicle charging cable reel, and / or to retract a cable into a cable reel, such as an electric vehicle charging cable reel.

[0016] Advantageously, the cable tensioning assembly can provide sufficient tension when the cable is unwound from the cable reel and / or the cable is retracted to the cable reel. Particularly, when the cable is unwound from the cable reel, the cable tensioning assembly prevents the cable from unwinding from the surface of the cable reel.

[0017] Due to the bending resistance of the cable, it is pressed against the rollers when forming a serpentine path, and combined with the weight of the cable, the cable is able to catch the first roller and the second roller. The cable tensioning assembly allows the cable to be restored to a specific or desired state when being retracted onto the cable reel and prevents the cable from being wound loosely.

[0018] The cable tensioning assembly is suitable for use by all types of electric vehicle users, including those with physical impairments and / or disabilities. This is because the user does not need to manually pay out the cable from the cable reel and / or retract the cable to the cable reel. This means that the user does not need to pull the cable from the cable reel or push the cable back to the cable reel, and does not need to apply force to provide sufficient tension to the cable.

[0019] The cable tensioning assembly is capable of providing a constant tension to the cable on the cable reel when a portion of the cable extends through the cable tensioning assembly and is located in a tortuous cable path.

[0020] The first roller may be considered an inner roller, ie, closer to the reel than the second roller, while the second roller may be considered an outer roller.

[0021] The first roller may have a generally frustoconical portion between the first end and the second end of the roller. The generally frustoconical portion may constitute all or at least a portion of the cable contact portion of the first roller.

[0022] The generally truncated cone-shaped portion may include a smaller end and a larger end. This means that the diameter and / or radius of the truncated cone-shaped portion at one end may be smaller than the other end. The diameter and / or radius of the smaller end may be smaller than the larger end.

[0023] The smaller end may be located proximate the first end of the first roller and the larger end may be located proximate the second end.

[0024] The generally truncated cone-shaped portion allows the first roller to guide the movement of the cable when the cable is released from the cable reel and / or retracted to the cable reel. This means that the cable can move along the length of the truncated cone-shaped portion to achieve the movement or path of the cable being released from the cable reel or the cable being retracted to the cable reel.

[0025] The generally frustoconical portion may have a generally curved funnel shape.

[0026] The curved funnel shape may have a diameter that increases generally exponentially in a direction toward the second end of the first roller.

[0027] The first roller of this shape increases the contact area between the cable and the roller, and achieves alignment of the cable and the roller.

[0028] A flange may be provided at the first end of the first roller. The flange may have a curved surface that curves upward from the smaller end of the truncated cone portion. The flange of the first roller prevents the cable from sliding away or moving away from the truncated cone portion. The curved surface of the flange allows the flange to guide the cable back to the smaller end of the truncated cone portion or the center portion of the first roller.

[0029] The second roller may have a substantially spool shape. In other words, the second roller may include a first flange, a second flange, and a center portion. The first flange may be located at a first end of the second roller, and the second flange may be located at a second end of the second roller. The first flange and the second flange may extend outwardly from the second roller by substantially the same distance. The diameter of the center portion of the outer roller may be smaller than the diameter of the flange.

[0030] The first flange and the second flange allow the outer roller to hold the cable on the central portion. They prevent the cable from slipping off the first end and / or the second end of the second roller when the cable is released from the cable reel and / or the cable is retracted to the cable reel.

[0031] The central portion of the second roller may constitute at least a part of the cable contact portion of the second roller.

[0032] The center portion of the second roller in the shape of a spool may be concave. This allows the second roller to complement the shape of the cable, thereby providing a large contact area between the roller and the cable.

[0033] The length of the central portion of the second roller may be equal to or greater than the diameter of the cable. This prevents the cable from sliding along the length of the central portion and allows the second roller to better control the movement of the cable as it is guided through the assembly and released from and / or retracted to the cable reel.

[0034] At least one of the first roller and the second roller may include a cable grip for increasing friction between the cable and the roller. The cable grip may include a material for increasing friction. The cable grip may be arranged along the entire or partial length of the truncated cone portion of the first roller and / or the central portion of the second roller. The cable grip may be arranged to the cable contact portion of the first roller and / or the second roller.

[0035] The cable grip increases friction between the cable and the first roller and / or the second roller.

[0036] The cable contact portion of the inner roller may be located at the bottom of the first roller. The cable contact portion of the second roller may be located at the top of the second roller.

[0037] The zigzag cable path may be located below the first roller and above the second roller.

[0038] In use, the cable contact portion of the first roller may interact with an upper surface of the cable and the cable contact portion of the second roller may interact with a lower surface of the cable.

[0039] Advantageously, such an arrangement below the first roller and above the second roller, combined with the bending-resistant properties of the cable, increases the friction between the rollers and the cable as the cable is pressed against the rollers.

[0040] The first roller and the second roller can rotate in opposite directions relative to each other. For example, when in use, the first roller can rotate in a counterclockwise direction, and the second roller can rotate in a clockwise direction, or vice versa.

[0041] The first roller and the second roller can be configured to rotate at substantially the same speed. This allows the cable to be properly paid out from the cable reel and / or retracted toward the cable reel because the portion of the cable that interacts with the first roller and the second roller is grabbed or pulled by the rollers at the same speed in a direction toward or away from the cable reel.

[0042] The rotation of at least one of the first and second rollers may be driven by a motor. The motor allows the cable to be automatically paid out from the cable reel and / or automatically retracted to the cable reel. Such an arrangement is advantageous as it means that a disabled person, an injured person, a person with limited mobility, etc., can pay out and / or retract the cable without the help of another person.

[0043] The rotation of one roller can be mechanically coupled to the rotation of another roller. For example, the rotation of the second roller can be mechanically coupled to the rotation of the first roller.

[0044] The mechanical coupling may include a gear transmission mechanism.The mechanical coupling may include a pulley.

[0045] The first motor can drive the first roller, and the second motor can drive the second roller. This allows the rotation of the inner roller and the second roller to be controlled or operated separately or individually.

[0046] The connecting assembly may be used to mount the first roller and the second roller of the cable tensioning assembly to the cable reel. The connecting assembly may include at least one generally triangular-shaped plate.

[0047] The connection assembly may include an axle for each roller.

[0048] A roller mounting surface may be provided. The roller mounting surface may be disposed on the connection assembly. The mounting surface may be proximate to the first ends of the first and second rollers.

[0049] A cable receiving cavity may be disposed between the first roller and the second roller. A zigzag cable path may extend through the cable receiving cavity between the first roller and the second roller.

[0050] The cable receiving cavity may include a closed side located at the first end of the inner roller and the outer roller. The cable receiving cavity may include an open side defined by a cable threading hole. The cable threading hole may be defined between the second end of the first roller and the second end of the second roller to allow the cable to be removed from or inserted into the cable receiving cavity.

[0051] Such an arrangement provides for improved maintenance because the cable can be easily placed in or removed from the cable tensioning assembly. Such an arrangement is particularly advantageous when the cable is a detachable cable, such as when the cable has electrical connectors at both ends, because the cable can be placed into the cable receiving cavity.

[0052] The roller mounting surface or the connection plate may define a closed side of the cable receiving cavity.

[0053] A means may be provided to suspend the portion of the cable behind the outer roller. This allows the free end of the cable to suspend under the action of gravity, thereby increasing the friction between the cable and the roller.

[0054] The cable reel may be provided with a cable tensioning assembly. Such a cable reel may be regarded as a cable reel assembly. The cable reel may be suitable for an electric vehicle charging cable. This enables the cable tensioning assembly to be provided together with the cable reel.

[0055] The rotation speed of the first roller and / or the second roller may be controlled to ensure that the cable is paid out or retracted at a constant speed.

[0056] According to a second aspect of the present application, there is provided an electric vehicle charging cable reel assembly for paying out an electric vehicle charging cable, the cable reel assembly comprising:

[0057] a cable reel that rotates about a first axis and is used to store the cable in a coiled form;

[0058] A cable tensioning assembly comprising a first roller that rotates about a second axis for contacting a portion of the cable; a second roller that rotates about a third axis for contacting another portion of the cable; the first roller and the second roller each comprising a cable contact portion located between a first end and a second end, the second axis and the third axis being spaced apart from each other and from the first axis; and

[0059] A tortuous cable path is defined between the cable reel, the inner roller and the outer roller.

[0060] The cable tensioning assembly of the second aspect of the present application may include features of the first aspect of the present application, such as a tortuous cable path.

[0061] A connecting assembly may be provided on the cable reel for connecting, fixing or attaching the cable tensioning assembly to the cable reel.

[0062] According to a third aspect of the present application, there is provided a cable tensioning assembly for an electric vehicle cable reel, the cable tensioning assembly comprising:

[0063] a first roller and a second roller, each roller including a first end, a second end, a cable contacting portion between the first end and the second end, and a rotational axis extending through the first end and the second end; and

[0064] A cable receiving chamber is disposed between the first roller and the second roller, wherein the cable receiving chamber has a closed side located at the first end of the rollers, and an open side defined by a cable threading hole between the second ends of the rollers for allowing the cable to be removed from the cable receiving chamber.

[0065] The cable tensioning assembly of the third aspect of the present application may include the features of the first aspect and / or the second aspect of the present application, such as the tortuous cable path or the position of the rollers and the cable reel, that is, the rotation axis of the first roller and the rotation axis of the second roller can be set on both sides of the plane, and when in use, the first roller can be separated from the second roller, and the second roller is farther away from the reel.

[0066] The roller mounting surface may define a closed side of the cable receiving cavity.

[0067] An electric vehicle may be provided.

[0068] The electric vehicle may include the cable tensioning assembly according to any aspect of the present application. That is, the cable tensioning assembly according to any aspect of the present application may be arranged in or on the electric vehicle.

[0069] The electric vehicle may include the cable reel assembly according to any aspect of the present application. That is, the cable reel assembly according to any aspect of the present application may be disposed in or on the electric vehicle.

[0070] The cable tensioning assembly or the cable reel assembly may be detachable relative to the electric vehicle.

[0071] This allows the cable reel assembly or cable tensioning assembly to be moved between the interior and exterior of the vehicle, for example between a storage compartment such as a trunk and a sidewalk or road surface. This is particularly useful when the charging cable includes a first plug at one end for connecting to the electric vehicle and a second plug at the other end for connecting to the electric vehicle charging device.

[0072] A device for removably attaching a cable reel assembly or a cable tensioning assembly to an electric vehicle may be provided. The device may be a mounting device. This is particularly useful for retrofitting a cable reel assembly to an electric vehicle.

[0073] A portion or surface of the electric vehicle may be a roller mounting surface.

[0074] An electric vehicle charging cable may be provided. The electric vehicle charging cable may be provided together with any aspect of the present application.

[0075] An electric vehicle plug for connecting to a socket in the electric vehicle may be provided at one end of the electric vehicle charging cable.

[0076] A charging plug for connecting to a socket or a power socket in an electric vehicle charging station may be provided at one end of the electric vehicle charging cable. Such a solution may be provided together with the electric vehicle.

[0077] An electric vehicle charging cable may have a plug at each end of the cable. The first plug may be an electric vehicle plug for connecting to a socket in an electric vehicle. The second plug may be a charging plug for connecting to a socket in an electric vehicle charging station or a power outlet. This type of electric vehicle charging cable may be considered a detachable cable as it may be completely removed from the cable reel. This solution is advantageous because it provides a charging cable that can be connected between an electric vehicle and an electric vehicle charger or power outlet, and means that an electric vehicle user does not need to rely on an electric vehicle charging device having a charging cable installed. This solution also allows the cable reel assembly or cable tensioning assembly to be removed from the electric vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0078] In order to better understand the present application and to more clearly show how it may be implemented, reference is now made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0079] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a cable tensioning assembly;

[0080] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a cable tensioning assembly in FIG. 1 ; and

[0081] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of a prior art cable tensioning assembly is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0082] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , a cable tensioning assembly of an electric vehicle charging cable reel is shown as reference numeral 10. The cable tensioning assembly 10 includes a first roller 12 and a second roller 14. In the current embodiment, the first roller 12 is referred to as an inner roller and the second roller 14 is referred to as an outer roller.

[0083] The connecting assembly 16 provides a means of mounting the inner roller 12 and the outer roller 14 to the cable reel 18. The connecting assembly 16 also provides a means of isolating the inner roller 12 and the outer roller 14 from the rotatable component of the cable reel 18.

[0084] The cable reel 18 has a drum-shaped body, which is preferably cylindrical in shape, extending along a longitudinal axis. The drum-shaped body is a rotatable component.

[0085] The electric vehicle charging cable 56 is stored in a coiled fashion around the drum-shaped body of the cable reel 18 .

[0086] In some embodiments, the cable 56 is provided with electrical connectors such as plugs at both ends, one connector for connecting to the electric vehicle and the other connector for connecting to the electric vehicle charging device or power outlet. In such a case, one plug is stored in a recess on the drum body, while the cable at the pay-out end, i.e., the end not stored on the cable reel, is discharged. This can be considered a detachable cable because it can be completely removed from the device.

[0087] In other embodiments, the cable has an electrical connector, such as a plug, at a free end of the cable, ie, the end of the cable not stored on the cable reel.

[0088] The drum-shaped body can rotate around the longitudinal axis. In other words, the drum-shaped body can rotate around the central rotation axis. This provides a way to pay out the cable 56 from the cable reel 18 and / or to recycle the cable 56 to the cable reel 18.

[0089] In the current embodiment, a motor is provided, which drives the drum-shaped body to rotate. In other embodiments, the drum-shaped body can rotate freely.

[0090] A tortuous cable path is provided for the cable 56. The cable 56 extends from an upper region of the cable reel 18, passes under the inner roller 12, and passes over the outer roller 14 to define the cable path.

[0091] In the current embodiment, the cable tensioning assembly 10 is secured to a non-rotating portion of the cable reel 18 by the connecting assembly 16. The non-rotating portion is a flange 82 near one end of the drum-shaped body.

[0092] In other embodiments, the tensioning assembly 10 may be spaced apart from the drum body at a distance so as to be fixed in a fixed position relative to the drum body.The tensioning assembly 10 may be attached to a housing, a cover, or the like.

[0093] In other embodiments, the connection assembly 16 can be releasably attached to the cable reel 18. The connection assembly 16 can be attached to the cable reel 18 when in use and can be removed when not in use. This allows the cable reel 18 to be stored in a more compact storage space.

[0094] In the current embodiment, the connecting assembly 16 includes two generally triangular plates 20, 22 separated by a connecting member 24. The plates 20, 22 are generally the same or similar in shape and are aligned with each other, i.e., the corners of the first generally triangular plate 20 are aligned or on the same line with the corners of the second generally triangular plate 22.

[0095] Axle 44 is provided for the inner roller 12. Axle 46 is provided for the outer roller 14. The axles 44, 46 provide a means of rotatably mounting the inner roller 12 and the outer roller 14. The axles 44, 46 may extend through the connecting assembly 16.

[0096] Axis 44 is located near the upper portion of the connecting assembly 16. Axis 44 is near the upper corner of the connecting assembly 16. Axis 46 is located near the lower portion of the connecting assembly 16. The lower portion is located below the upper portion when in use. Axis 46 is located at a corner of the connecting assembly 16, diagonally opposite to axis 44.

[0097] The inner roller 12 includes a first end 32, a second end 34, and a cable contact portion 36 between the first end 32 and the second end 34. The first end 32 of the inner roller 12 is adjacent to the connecting assembly 16. The rotation axis of the inner roller 12 extends along the axis 44 and passes through the two ends 32, 34 of the inner roller.

[0098] The outer roller 14 includes a first end 38, a second end 40, and a cable contact portion 42 between the first end 38 and the second end 40. The first end 38 of the outer roller 14 is adjacent to the connecting assembly 16. The rotation axis of the outer roller 14 extends along an axis 46 and passes through the two ends 38, 40 of the outer roller.

[0099] The rotation axes of the inner roller 12, the outer roller 14 and the drum-shaped body of the cable reel 18 are parallel to each other.

[0100] In use, the inner roller 12 is closer to the drum body than the outer roller 14. That is, the inner roller is separated from the second roller, and the second roller is farther from the drum body when in use. The rotation axes of the inner roller and the outer roller are arranged on both sides of the plane.

[0101] Preferably, the rotation axis of the inner roller 12 is located in a quadrant formed by two substantially orthogonal planes, such as a substantially vertical plane and a substantially horizontal plane, and the rotation axis of the outer roller 14 is located in a diagonally opposite quadrant. In other words, the rotation axes of the inner roller 12 and the outer roller 14 are located on one side of a first plane and on one side of a second plane, wherein the first plane is substantially orthogonal to the second plane.

[0102] The distance between the inner roller 12 and the outer roller 14 and between the inner roller 12 and the drum body may vary depending on at least one cable property, such as the diameter of the cable, the weight of the cable, the rigidity of the cable, or other properties.

[0103] The generally frustoconical portion 48 is disposed between the first end 32 and the second end 34 of the inner roller 12. The generally frustoconical portion 48 has a generally curved funnel shape. The generally curved funnel shape creates a smaller end 50 and a larger end 52, the diameters of which increase generally exponentially.

[0104] The smaller end 50 is located near the first end 32 of the inner roller 12 , while the larger end 52 is located at the second end 34 of the inner roller 12 .

[0105] The first end 32 of the inner roller 12 includes an inner roller flange 54 having a curved surface that curves upward from the smaller end 50 of the frusto-conical portion 48 .

[0106] A cable grip 58 is provided on the inner roller 12. In the current embodiment, the cable grip 58 is provided to extend around the inner roller 12 near the smaller end 50 of the frustoconical portion 48. In other embodiments, it may be an overmold, a textured surface, or the like.

[0107] The flanges 60, 62 extend from the first end 38 and the second end 40 of the outer roller 14. This gives the outer roller 14 a generally spool shape. The cable contact portion 42 is located in a central portion of the outer roller 14 between the first flange 60 and the second flange 62.

[0108] The center portion of the outer roller 14, namely the cable contact portion 42, is sized to allow the cable 56 to be located between the flanges 60, 62. For example, the distance between the flanges 60, 62 is approximately equal to or greater than the diameter of the electric vehicle charging cable 56.

[0109] The center portion or cable contact portion 42 of the outer roller 14 is concave. This allows the cable contact portion 42 to match the shape of the cable jacket, thereby forming better contact or interaction between the outer roller 14 and the cable 56.

[0110] A cable gripping portion (not shown) may be provided at a central portion of the outer roller 14 or near the cable contacting portion 42. In other embodiments, the cable gripping portion may be provided on only one of the inner roller 12 and the outer roller 14.

[0111] In the present embodiment, the motor 64 drives the rotation of the inner roller 12 via the shaft 44. The motor 64 is placed at right angles to the shaft 44 and drives a gear which meshes with a gear on the shaft 44. Due to the movement of the cable 56 through the tortuous path, the outer roller 14 is free to rotate about its axis of rotation.

[0112] In other embodiments, a mechanical coupling mechanism may be provided so that the motor 64 drives the rotation of the inner and outer rollers. In other embodiments, a second motor may be provided that drives the rotation of the outer roller 14 while the motor 64 rotates the inner roller 12. In other embodiments, the inner and / or outer rollers may be driven by a motor while the drum body may not be driven by a motor.

[0113] These motors can be controlled and also driven in sync to control the payout and retraction speed of the cable 56 .

[0114] In use, the inner roller 12 and the outer roller 14 rotate in opposite directions relative to each other. For example, the inner roller 12 rotates clockwise and the outer roller 14 rotates counterclockwise, or vice versa.

[0115] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , a generally serpentine cable path is provided between the inner roller 12 , the outer roller 14 and the drum-shaped body of the cable reel 18 .

[0116] In use, the cable 56 is wound around the drum body, with a portion extending from the upper region of the drum body, passing under the inner roller 12, and then passing over the outer roller 14. The end of the portion of the cable 56 located behind the outer roller 14 is suspended or directed downward in use. This end can be regarded as the pay-out end, that is, the end or free end that is not stored on the cable reel. When the cable 56 moves along the serpentine path, a generally "S" shaped portion is formed.

[0117] The upper surface of the cable 56 is in the bottom area of ​​the cable contact portion 36, e.g. Figure 2 74 in the vicinity of the point 74 in contact with the inner roller 12, and the lower surface of the cable 56 is in the top area of ​​the cable contact portion 42, e.g. Figure 2 Near point 78 in the middle, it contacts the outer roller 14.

[0118] As the cable 56 moves along the serpentine cable path due to the rotation of each roller, the bending resistance of the cable causes it to press against the inner and outer rollers, while the combined effect of the weight of the cable causes the cable to grip the inner and outer rollers.

[0119] A cable receiving cavity 78 is disposed between the inner roller 12 and the outer roller 14. A tortuous cable path extends through the cable receiving cavity 78.

[0120] The closed side of the cable receiving cavity 78 is located at the first ends 32, 38 of the inner and outer rollers 12, 14. The closed side is provided by the surface 68 of the connecting assembly 16.

[0121] The open side of the cable receiving cavity 78 is provided with a cable threading hole 80. The cable threading hole 80 is located between the second ends 34, 40 of the inner roller 12 and the outer roller 14.

[0122] The cable 56 can be removed from or inserted into the cable receiving cavity 78 through the cable threading hole 80. This allows the user to quickly remove the cable 56 from the cable reel and insert the cable 56 into the cable reel. This is beneficial for maintenance.

[0123] The cable tensioning assembly 10 of the present application allows the cable 56 to be paid out from the cable reel 18 and / or retracted to the cable reel 18 without hindering the convenience of the cable 56 being inserted into or removed from the cable tensioning assembly 10. This means that the cable tensioning assembly 10 can also be easily used for cables 56 of different sizes and types.

[0124] The embodiments described above are provided as examples only, and a person skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the scope of the present application, which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cable tensioning assembly for an electric vehicle charging cable reel, the cable tensioning assembly comprising: a first roller and a second roller, the first roller and the second roller being adapted to interact with a cable of the cable reel, wherein both rollers include a first end, a second end, a cable contacting portion between the first end and the second end, and a rotational axis extending through the first end and the second end; wherein the rotation axis of the first roller and the rotation axis of the second roller are arranged on both sides of the plane, and when in use, the first roller is separated from the second roller, and the second roller is farther from the reel than the first roller; and A tortuous cable path extends through the cable tensioning assembly, wherein the tortuous cable path intersects the plane and passes through cable contact portions of the first roller and the second roller.

2. The cable tensioning assembly according to claim 1, wherein: A generally frustoconical portion is disposed between the first end and the second end of the first roller.

3. The cable tensioning assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The generally frustoconical portion has a general shape of a curved funnel.

4. The cable tensioning assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: A flange is disposed at a first end of the first roller, and the flange has a curved surface that bends upward from a smaller end of the truncated cone portion.

5. A cable tensioning assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: A connection assembly is provided for mounting the first roller and the second roller to the cable reel.

6. A cable tensioning assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: A roller mounting surface is disposed at first ends of the first roller and the second roller.

7. The cable tensioning assembly according to claim 6, when claim 6 refers to claim 5, wherein: The roller mounting surface is disposed on the connecting assembly.

8. A cable tensioning assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: A cable receiving cavity is provided between the first roller and the second roller, and the zigzag cable path extends through the cable receiving cavity; The cable receiving cavity has a closed side and an open side, wherein the closed side is located at the first end of the roller, and the open side is defined by a cable threading hole located between the second ends of the rollers for allowing the cable to be removed from the cable receiving cavity.

9. The cable tensioning assembly according to claim 8, when claim 8 refers to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The roller mounting surface defines the closed side.

10. A cable tensioning assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The second roller has a substantially spool shape.

11. The cable tensioning assembly according to claim 10, wherein: The center portion of the second roller in the shape of a bobbin is concave.

12. A cable tensioning assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: At least one of the first roller and the second roller includes a cable gripping portion for increasing friction between a cable jacket of a cable and the roller.

13. A cable tensioning assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first roller and the second roller rotate in opposite directions relative to each other.

14. A cable tensioning assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The rotation of at least one of the first roller and the second roller is driven by a motor.

15. The cable tensioning assembly of claim 14, wherein: The rotation of the second roller is mechanically coupled to the rotation of the first roller.

16. The cable tensioning assembly of claim 15, wherein: The mechanical coupling includes a gear transmission mechanism.

17. A cable tensioning assembly according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: The mechanical coupling includes a pulley.

18. The cable tensioning assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: A first motor drives the first roller, and a second motor drives the second roller.

19. A cable tensioning assembly according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein: The rotation speeds of the first roller and the second roller are controlled to control the speed of paying out the cable and / or retrieving the cable.

20. A cable tensioning assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The cable contact portion of the first roller is located at the bottom of the first roller, and the cable contact portion of the second roller is located at the top of the second roller, wherein the zigzag cable path is located below the first roller and above the second roller.

21. The cable tensioning assembly of any preceding claim, further comprising a cable reel.

22. An electric vehicle comprising a cable tensioning assembly according to any one of the preceding claims.

23. A cable reel assembly for paying out an electric vehicle charging cable, the cable reel assembly comprising: a cable reel, the cable reel rotating about a first axis for storing the cable in a coiled form; A cable tensioning assembly, the cable tensioning assembly comprising a first roller, the first roller rotating about a second axis for contacting a portion of the cable; a second roller, the second roller rotating about a third axis for contacting another portion of the cable; The first roller and the second roller each include a cable contact portion, the cable contact portion is located between the first end and the second end, the second axis and the third axis are arranged on both sides of the plane, when in use, the first roller is separated from the second roller, and the second roller is farther from the cable reel than the first roller; as well as A zigzag cable path is defined between the cable reel, the inner roller, and the outer roller.

24. The cable reel assembly of claim 23, further comprising an electric vehicle charging cable, the electric vehicle charging cable comprising a first plug located at one end of the cable and used to connect to a socket in the electric vehicle; and a second plug located at the other end of the cable and used to connect to a socket or a power socket of the electric vehicle charging device.

25. A cable tensioning assembly for an electric vehicle charging cable reel, the cable tensioning assembly comprising: a first roller and a second roller, each roller including a first end, a second end, a cable contact portion between the first end and the second end, and a rotational axis extending through the first end and the second end; as well as A cable receiving cavity is disposed between the first roller and the second roller, wherein the cable receiving cavity has a closed side, the closed side is located at the first end of the rollers; and an open side, the open side is defined by a cable threading hole between the second ends of the rollers, for allowing the cable to be removed from the cable receiving cavity.

26. The cable tensioning assembly of claim 25, wherein: The roller mounting surface provides the closed side defining the closed side of the cable receiving cavity.

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