Modular charging cable support arm

Abstract

The utility model discloses a modularized charging cable supporting arm, comprising two or more than two rigid units which form an arm for holding a charging cable; a wall-mounted hinge rotatably attaching the first rigid unit to a wall; a handle connector connected to the last rigid unit to attach a handle bracket to guide the arm to a desired position and to hold a charging handle of the charging cable when not in use; the one or more connectors are used for sequentially connecting the two or more rigid units together to form the arm; wherein at least one rigid unit of the two or more rigid units is in a U shape having a downward facing opening to hide the charging cable within the rigid unit and hold the charging cable such that the charging cable does not need to be detached and inserted into the arm so as to be held by the arm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a system and method for supporting a charging cable, in particular to a self-constructible modular support arm for supporting a charging cable. Background Art

[0002] Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly common. As a result, there is a high demand for charging stations. Generally, a charging station includes a long cable (e.g., 5 to 10 meters) that generally hangs down on the floor. The cable may pose a safety hazard to passing people, who may trip over the cable or get entangled in it. Similarly, a hanging cable is prone to being damaged by people, vehicles, or other devices that may step on the cable when passing by. If the cable is torn, the electricity provided by the cable will also pose an electric shock risk.

[0003] Some charging stations hang the cable in the air from a pole located near the charging station, or hold the cable by means of a beam or arm extending from or located near the charging station to prevent the cable from hanging on the ground. Generally, such a solution may be very large and bulky, and requires a professional installer to transport and install the pole or beam, making the installation very expensive in terms of labor and transportation. Similarly, if the length of the support arm needs to be changed, it may be necessary to disassemble and replace the entire arm or beam.

[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to design a user-constructible modular arm for supporting a charging cable. The modular arm will be constructed from multiple small units so that the user can select the desired size of the constructed arm and for low-cost transportation. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a modular cable support arm system for holding the cable of a vehicle charging system in the air above the vehicle according to the above-mentioned current situation of the prior art. The support arm system enables the charging handle to be inserted into the charging socket of the vehicle while holding the cable above the vehicle, thereby keeping it from being damaged, preventing the cable from being damaged, and preventing people from tripping over the cable.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the utility model to solve the above technical problem is: the modular cable support arm system includes:

[0007] Two or more rigid units forming an arm for holding the charging cable; a wall-mounted hinge rotatably attaching the first rigid unit to the wall;

[0008] A handle connector connected to the last rigid unit to attach a handle bracket, thereby guiding the arm to a desired position and holding the charging handle of the charging cable when not in use;

[0009] One or more connectors that sequentially connect two or more rigid units together to form an arm;

[0010] Characterized in that at least one of the two or more rigid units is U-shaped with a downward-facing opening to hide and hold a charging cable within the rigid unit such that the charging cable does not need to be disassembled and inserted into the arm and is thus held by the arm.

[0011] In an embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, at least one of the one or more connectors non-rotatably connects two rigid units together to form an elongated rigid unit. Optionally, bolts, screws, pins, wires or other elements are inserted into the U-shaped rigid unit to hold the charging cable within the rigid unit and prevent the charging cable from falling.

[0012] In an embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, a reinforcing unit is used to seal the opening of the U-shaped rigid unit to enhance its strength and prevent the charging cable from falling. Optionally, the handle bracket includes: a hand-grip portion that guides the arm to a desired position; a socket that holds the charging handle when not in use; and a hook that hangs a roll of excess cable of the charging cable.

[0013] Optionally, the arm includes two columns of rigid units located between a wall-mounted hinge and a handle connector. In an embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, the two columns of rigid units are parallel to each other. Alternatively, the two columns of rigid units are inclined at an angle relative to each other.

[0014] In an embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, the arm includes two columns of rigid units from the wall-mounted hinge to one of the one or more connectors and a single column of rigid units from one of the one or more connectors to the handle connector. Optionally, the single column of rigid units is rotatably connected to the two columns of rigid units.

[0015] In an embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, some of the one or more connectors are welded to one of the rigid units that are connected by the connector. Optionally, the system is set as a kit having a specific quantity of rigid units and connectors to form a specific arm configuration.

[0016] In an embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, some of the two or more rigid units have a rectangular cross-section. Optionally, the length of the two or more rigid units is less than 45 cm to reduce transportation costs.

[0017] In the embodiments disclosed by the present utility model, the arm includes at least two components rotatably connected, and each of the two components includes a row of two rigid units non-rotatably connected. Optionally, the arm includes at least two components rotatably connected, and each of the two components includes a row of three or four rigid units non-rotatably connected.

[0018] According to the embodiments disclosed by the present invention, a method for preparing a cable arm bracket is also provided, including:

[0019] Mounting a wall-mounted hinge to the wall;

[0020] Rotatably attaching a first rigid unit among two or more rigid units to the wall-mounted hinge;

[0021] Attaching one connector among one or more connectors to the first rigid unit to attach additional rigid units, thereby forming an arm for holding a charging cable;

[0022] Repeatedly attaching additional connectors and rigid units to form an arm with a selected length;

[0023] Connecting a handle connector to the last rigid unit to attach a handle bracket, thereby guiding the arm to a desired position and holding the charging handle of the charging cable when not in use;

[0024] Wherein, at least one rigid unit among two or more rigid units is U-shaped with a downward-facing opening to hide the charging cable inside the rigid unit and hold the charging cable, such that the charging cable does not need to be disassembled and inserted into the arm and is thus held by the arm. Description of the Drawings

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the modular cable support arm system of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the modular cable support arm system of the present utility model;

[0027] Figure 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the modular cable support arm system of the present utility model seen from below;

[0028] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a U-shaped rigid unit and a trapezoidal connector in an embodiment of the modular cable support arm system of the present utility model;

[0029] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a rectangular rigid unit and a rectangular connector in an embodiment of the modular cable support arm system of the present utility model;

[0030] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the U-shaped rigid unit and the strengthening unit in an embodiment of the modular cable support arm system of the present utility model;

[0031] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of an alternative configuration of an embodiment of the modular cable support arm system of the present utility model;

[0032] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of an additional alternative configuration of an embodiment of the modular cable support arm system of the present utility model;

[0033] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of an alternative configuration of the modular cable support arm system 100 of the present utility model. Detailed implementation manners

[0034] The present utility model will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the modular cable support arm system 100 according to the disclosed embodiments of the present utility model. In the disclosed embodiments of the present utility model, the modular cable support arm system 100 includes an arm 110 and a handle bracket 120. The arm 110 is provided to hold a charging cable 150 for charging a vehicle in the air above a user and / or the user's vehicle (e.g., at a height of about 2 to 2.5 meters above the ground), and to position the charging handle 160 at a desired height to be inserted into the vehicle. The handle bracket 120 is provided for a user to grasp and move the arm 110, store the charging handle 160 at a desired height when not in use, and hold a roll of excess cable 155 so that it does not droop onto the floor.

[0036] In the disclosed embodiments of the present utility model, the arm 110 is composed of one or more rigid units 170, and these rigid units are coupled / connected to form a bracket with a selected length as described below. Optionally, the handle bracket 120 includes a strip 122 that enables adjustment of the height for positioning a holder 124, and the holder may include:

[0037] A hand grip portion 128 for a user to pull the strip and position the arm 110;

[0038] A socket 126 for holding the charging handle 160 when charging the vehicle is not deployed (e.g., inserted into the vehicle); and

[0039] A hook 127 for hanging a roll of excess cable 155.

[0040] Figure 2It is a schematic diagram of an exploded view of a modular cable support arm system 100 according to an embodiment disclosed by the present utility model. In the embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, the arm 110 is composed of a plurality of rigid units 170. The rigid unit 170 can be made of aluminum, steel, plastic or other rigid materials. The rigid unit 170 can have a U-shaped cross-section (such as 470 in Figure 4 to be lighter and easier to coat, thereby preventing corrosion (such as using a steel-zinc coating), or can have a rectangular cross-section (such as 570 in Figure 5 ) to enhance strength. In some embodiments disclosed by the present utility model, the reinforcing unit 480 can be used together with the U-shaped unit 470 to enhance the strength of the rigid unit.

[0041] Alternatively or in addition, the thickness of the rigid unit 170 can be selected to enhance strength.

[0042] In the embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, the U-shaped rigid unit 470 is selected to hide the cable 150 inside the U-shaped rigid unit 470 to protect the cable by keeping the cable 150 invisible inside the rigid unit 170.

[0043] In the embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, the rigid unit 170 can be combined with connectors (such as 172, 174 and / or 176) to form the elongated arm 110. The connector 172 can be a cylindrical joint to rotatably attach another rigid unit 170, the connector 174 can be an upward-facing trapezoidal connector, and the connector 176 can be a downward-facing trapezoidal connector or a rectangular connector (not shown) to extend the length of the arm 110 by forming an elongated rigid unit. Optionally, the connectors 172, 174, 176 can be connected to the rigid unit 170 using nuts 175, bolts 171 and pins 173, wherein each type of connector 172, 174, 176 can have holes at different positions that match the holes on the rigid unit 170. Screws, washers 177 and other elements can be added or used instead of the nuts 175 and bolts 171. In some embodiments disclosed by the present utility model, the connectors 172, 174 and / or 176 can be welded to the rigid unit 170 to enhance strength. For example, in Figure 2In [the device], the connector 172 (cylindrical joint) can be welded to the rigid unit 170 for a more stable design. Optionally, the pin 173 and / or the nut 175 are used together with the cylindrical joint connector 172 to rotatably connect between two rigid units 170. In some embodiments disclosed in the present utility model, the connector (such as 174) opens upward (such as U-shaped) to support and hide the cable 150 inside the U-shaped downward-facing rigid unit 170 (such as the rigid unit 470). Similarly, the connector 176 can open downward (or not open), so as to connect the rigid unit 170 (such as the rigid unit 570) having a rectangular cross-section.

[0044] In the embodiments disclosed in the present utility model, a wall-mounted hinge 180 is provided to rotatably mount the arm 110 to the wall. Optionally, the wall-mounted hinge 180 can be covered by a wall-mounted cover 182 to protect the wall-mounted hinge 180. In the embodiments disclosed in the present utility model, the handle connector 190 can be used to connect between the handle bracket 120 and the rigid unit 170 at the end of the arm 110.

[0045] In some embodiments disclosed in the present utility model, the arm 110 includes a single row of rigid units 170, or especially for the long arm 110, the arm 110 can include two or more rows of rigid units 170 that are parallel or slightly inclined relative to each other to enhance the strength of the arm 110. Optionally, half of the arm can be a double-row rigid unit, and half can be a single-row rigid unit, as Figure 1 shown. In some embodiments disclosed in the present utility model, the arm 110 is initially attached to the wall using a double-row rigid unit 170, and then extended using a single-row rigid unit 170.

[0046] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a perspective view of the modular cable support arm system 100 seen from below according to the embodiments disclosed in the present utility model. Optionally, the cable 150 is inserted into the gap formed by the U-shaped rigid unit 170 and fixed by a connector (such as 174) and bolts 171, screws, pins, wires or other elements to keep the cable 150 restricted within the rigid unit 170 and prevent the cable 150 from sagging or falling. This option allows the user to position the cable 150 within the arm without removing the charging handle 160 or disconnecting the cable 150 from the charging station / power source. Thus, the electrician does not need to disassemble the cable and reconnect it, but a non-professional user can easily install the arm 110 and deploy the cable 150.

[0047] In an embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, the modular cable support arm system 100 is provided as a kit having a predetermined amount of rigid units 170, connectors 172, 174, 176, 190, and other accessories (such as wall-mounted hinges 180, wall-mounted covers 182, nuts 175, bolts 171, pins 173). Optionally, some of the rigid units may be pre-welded using cylindrical joints (connectors 172) or other connectors. The kit is configured to form one or more specific configurations of the arm 110. For example, a specific kit may be used to form two or three different configurations. Some configurations use all of the provided components, while some configurations use only some of the components in the kit.

[0048] Optionally, the lengths of the rigid units 170 in the kit are selected to provide easy transportation (such as in a standard car) and to easily store multiple kits on standard store shelves. For example, each rigid unit is less than 60 cm, half a meter, 45 cm, or 40 cm. Long rigid units make storage complex and prevent users from collecting the kits themselves. In addition, many shipping companies have restrictions on the size of packages. Packages longer than a specific length (such as 45 cm) can significantly increase shipping costs.

[0049] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an alternative configuration of the modular cable support arm system 100 according to an embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, and Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an additional alternative configuration of the modular cable support arm system 100 according to an embodiment disclosed by the present utility model. In an embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, a user can construct an arm 110 having a single row of rigid units 170 (U-shaped units 470 or rectangular units 570), for example, as Figure 7 depicted by 2 units, or as Figure 8 depicted by 4 units (or multiple units to extend the length of the arm system 100). Optionally, the arm 110 may include only a single rotatable joint located at the wall-mounted hinge 180, or may include one or more additional hinges connected by connectors 172 (such as cylindrical joints), as Figure 8 shown.

[0050] In some embodiments disclosed by the present utility model, as Figure 8 depicted, the rigid unit 170 extending from the wall-mounted hinge 180 until the connector 172 (such as a cylindrical joint) is a rectangular rigid unit 570 to enhance the strength of the arm 110. In contrast, the rigid units 170 extending from the connector 172 are U-shaped rigid units 470 because they are lighter and less stable, and one side is smaller.

[0051] In the embodiments disclosed by the present utility model, the arm 110 includes a hook 184 for holding the cable 150. For example, when using the rigid unit 170 in the form of a rectangular rigid unit 570, the cable cannot be hidden therein. In some embodiments disclosed by the present utility model, a U-shaped cable retainer 186 is attached to the rectangular unit 570 (e.g., using screws) to hold the cable 150. Optionally, the cable is held in place by bolts 171 to hide the cable 150 within the cable retainer 186 and prevent it from falling down.

[0052] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an alternative configuration of the modular cable support arm system 100 according to the embodiments disclosed by the present utility model. In Figure 9 it, two columns of rigid units 170 are connected to the wall-mounted hinge 180 to enhance the strength of the arm 110, so as to hold the rotatable extension extending from the connector 172. Optionally, each column of rigid units includes 4 rigid units 170 (e.g., in the form of reinforced rectangular units 570). One column of rigid units is tilted upward at an angle 195 relative to the axis 199 by extension, and one column of rigid units is tilted downward to balance the arm 110.

[0053] It should be understood that the methods and devices described above can be changed in many ways, including omitting or adding elements or steps, changing the order of steps, and the types of devices used. It should be understood that different features can be combined in different ways. Specifically, in each embodiment disclosed by the present utility model, not all of the features shown above in the specific embodiments are necessary. Other combinations of the above features are also considered to be within the scope of some embodiments disclosed by the present utility model.

[0054] Those skilled in the art should understand that the present utility model is not limited to what is specifically shown and described above. On the contrary, the scope of the present utility model is only defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A modular charging cable support arm, comprising: two or more rigid units forming an arm for holding a charging cable; a wall-mounted hinge to rotatably attach the initially rigid unit to the wall; a handle connector connected to the last rigid unit to attach a handle bracket to guide the arm into a desired position and to hold the charging handle of the charging cable when not in use; One or more connectors, connecting the two or more rigid units together in sequence to form the arm; It is characterized in that at least one of the two or more rigid units is U-shaped with an opening facing downward to hide the charging cable within the rigid unit and hold the charging cable, so that the charging cable does not need to be disassembled and inserted into the arm to be held by the arm.

2. The support arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the one or more connectors non-rotatably connects two rigid units together to form an elongated rigid unit.

3. The support arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: Bolts, screws, pins, wires or other elements are inserted into the U-shaped rigid unit to hold the charging cable within the rigid unit and prevent the charging cable from falling off.

4. The support arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reinforcing unit is used to seal the opening of the U-shaped rigid unit to enhance its strength and prevent the charging cable from falling.

5. The support arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The handle bracket includes: a hand grip portion to guide the arm to a desired position; a socket to hold said charging handle when not in use; Hook to hang the charging cable's coil of excess cable.

6. The support arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arm includes two columns of rigid units between the wall-mounted hinge and the handle connector.

7. The support arm according to claim 6, characterized in that: The two rows of rigid units are parallel to each other.

8. The support arm according to claim 6, characterized in that: The two rows of rigid units are inclined at a certain angle relative to each other.

9. The support arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arm includes two columns of rigid cells from the wall-mounted hinge to one of the one or more connectors and a single column of rigid cells from one of the one or more connectors to the handle connector.

10. The support arm according to claim 9, characterized in that: The single column rigid unit is rotatably connected to the two columns rigid units.

11. The support arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: Some of the one or more connectors are welded to one of the rigid units connected by the connector.

12. The support arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support arm is provided as a kit with a specific number of rigid units and connectors to form a specific arm configuration.

13. The support arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: Some of the two or more rigid units have a rectangular cross-section.

14. The support arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the two or more rigid units is less than 45 cm to reduce transportation costs.

15. The support arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arm comprises at least two parts connected rotatably, and each of the two parts comprises a series of two rigid cells connected non-rotatably.

16. The support arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arm comprises at least two parts which are rotatably connected, and each of the two parts comprises a series of three or four rigid units which are non-rotatably connected.

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