Electric vehicle charger

Abstract

An electric vehicle charger 10 comprises a housing 12 having an aperture 16 and an actuatable cover 18 disposed within the housing for providing cover to the aperture. A rotatable drum is disposed within the housing. A cable 14, with a charging plug connected to an end of the cable, is wound around the cable drum when in a stowed position. The cover is movable between an open position to allow movement of the charging plug and cable through the aperture and a closed position to prevent access to the cable and charging plug through the aperture. The movement of the cover may be rectilinear or arcuate. The aperture may be disposed in a downward-facing wall of the housing. A motor (Fig.9, 20) may actuate movement of the cover between the open and closed position. A limit switch (Fig.6, 36,38) may stop the operation of the motor when the cover has moved to the open or closed position. An engagement region may be disposed on the cover for engagement with a limit switch. The limit switch may include an arm biased away from a main body of the switch as it engages with the engagement region. The engagement region may include a ramp (Fig.6, 32). A rack and pinion (Fig.9, 40,42) may couple the motor to the cover. A brush (Fig.10, 44) may remove debris as the cover is opened.

Description

The present invention relates to an electric vehicle charger, and particularly but not exclusively to an electric vehicle charger with a wound cable. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION In some electric vehicle chargers, it is desirable to enclose a power cable and a charging plug connected to an end of the cable within a housing. The housing prevents the components from being exposed to environmental factors, especially when the chargers are located outdoors, and prevents the components from being damaged. Typically, an aperture is provided in the housing to allow the cable and the charging plug to be dispensed out of the housing for use in charging an electric vehicle and / or to be retracted for stowage after use. Electric vehicle chargers, especially those located in public places, such as service station or supermarket car parks, are vulnerable to vandalism and / or theft. The components disposed within the housing can be accessed through the aperture even when the charger is not in use, and thus are at risk of damage or theft. Furthermore, rain, dirt and / or debris can easily get in through the aperture of the housing. This can cause damage to the components and reduce the reliability of the charger over time. It is an object of the present invention to reduce or substantially obviate the aforementioned problems. STATEMENT OF INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided an electric vehicle charger comprising: a housing having an aperture; a rotatable drum disposed within the housing; a cable, and a charging plug connected to an end of the cable, the cable being wound around the cable drum when in a stowed position; and an actuatable cover disposed within the housing for covering the aperture, the cover being movable between an open position allowing movement of the charging plug and cable through the aperture and a closed position preventing access to the charging plug and cable through the aperture. Advantageously, this provides a seal or cover to the aperture when the charger is not in use, thereby preventing water, dust and / or debris from entering the charger. This prevents the components of the charger from getting damaged and helps to improve the reliability of the charger. This also prevents theft of the charger components, particularly the cable, because they are not easily accessible when the cover is in the closed position. The invention also makes it difficult for a person to vandalise the charger. This is because the cover is disposed within the housing so its edges are hidden and cannot be easily prised open. The stowed position of the cable is when the cable is fully retracted within the housing and coiled around the rotatable drum. In some embodiments, the movement of the cover may be a rectilinear movement. This may be the case, for example, when the charger is provided with a square-shaped or rectangular shaped housing. In some embodiments, the movement of the cover may be an arcuate movement. This may be the case, for example, when the charger is provided with a cylindrical housing. The aperture may be disposed in a downward-facing wall of the housing. The downward-facing wall of the housing may mean a wall facing towards the ground, in use. This prevents or reduces the amount of water, dirt and / or debris that may enter the charger while the cover is in the open position. A motor may be provided for actuating the movement of the cover between the open position and the closed position. This allows the opening and closing of the cover to be automated. The user does not need to manually open or close the cover. At least one limit switch may be provided for stopping the operation of the motor when the cover has moved to the open position or closed position. This ensures that once the cover has reached the open or closed position, the motor does not over run. At least one engagement region may be provided on the cover for engagement with the at least one limit switch. The engagement of the at least one limit switch with the at least one engagement region may trigger the at least one limit switch to send a signal to the motor to stop operating, and thereby stop actuating the cover. The at least one limit switch may include an arm biased away from a main body of the at least one limit switch and movable against the bias as it engages with the at least one engagement region. The movement of the arm may trigger the at least one limit switch to send a signal to the motor to stop operating. The at least one engagement region may include a ramp. The arm of the at least one limit switch may be movable or slidable up the ramp as it engages with the at least one engagement region. In some embodiments, two engagement regions may be provided. A first engagement region may be disposed at a first end of the cover. The first engagement region may be engaged with the at least one limit switch when the cover is in the closed position. A second engagement region may be disposed at a second end of the cover. The second engagement region may be engaged with the at least one limit switch when the cover is in the open position. In some embodiments, the first engagement region and the second engagement region may be aligned with each other or may be disposed along the same plane on the cover. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the first engagement region and the second engagement region may be disposed offset from each other on the cover. In some embodiments, two limit switches may be provided i.e. a first limit switch and a second limit switch may be provided. The first engagement region may be engaged with the first limit switch when the cover is in the closed position. The second engagement region may be engaged with the second limit switch when the cover is in the open position. A rack and pinion may couple the motor to the cover. The movement of the rack and pinion allows the cover to slide along at least a part of the housing to open or close the aperture in the housing. The rack may form part of the cover. The rack may extend between the first end and second end of the cover. The rack may be disposed along a peripheral edge of the cover. A tray for mounting components may be disposed within the housing. For example, the tray may store the at least one limit switch, the motor and other components of the charger. The tray may be removably mounted to the housing. This allows the tray to be removed or replaced when needed for example, for repair or maintenance of the charger. The cover may be movably coupled to the tray. This allows the cover to be provided within the housing and prevents vandalism of the cover or charger. At least one guide may be disposed on the tray for guiding the movement of the cover between the open position and closed position. This ensures that the cover does not move out of its desired track when moving between the open and closed positions. The at least one guide may be disposed to an underside of the tray. A brush may be provided for removing dirt and / or debris from the cover as the cover is moved to the open position. This helps to keep the charger clean, prevent damage and maintain its reliability. The brush may extend across the width of the cover. The brush may clean or wipe a surface of the cover facing into the charger. Advantageously, the debris falls through the open aperture out of the housing when the cover reaches the open position. Depending on the installation environment of the charger, for example, for home or public use, the motor may be activated using different methods to move the cover to the open or closed position. A switching means may be provided for initiating the operation of the motor. Alternatively, or in addition, a motion detector or sensor may be provided for initiating the operation of the motor. The charger may be configured to provide a failure signal when the motor is not operating as expected. For example, a light or sound indicator may be provided on the housing for providing the status of the motor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a rear perspective view of an electric vehicle charger with an actuatable cover in a closed position; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the charger of Figure 1 with the cover in an open position; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the charger of Figures 1 and 2, wherein the cover is mid-movement to the open position or closed position; Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a tray disposed within the charger of Figures 1 to 3 in which the cover is movably coupled to, wherein the cover is in the closed position; Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the tray of the charger of Figure 4 in which the cover is in the open position; Figure 6 shows a sectional view of the tray of Figures 4 and 5, wherein when the cover is in the closed position, a first limit switch is engaged with a first engagement region on the cover and a second limit switch is not engaged with a second engagement region on the cover; Figure 7 shows a sectional view of the tray of Figures 4 to 6, wherein when the cover is mid movement to the open or closed position, the first and second limit switches are both not engaged with the first and second engagement regions; Figure 8 shows a sectional view of the tray of Figures 4 to 7, wherein when the cover is in the open position, the first limit switch is not engaged with the first engagement region and the second limit switch is engaged with the second engagement region; Figure 9 shows a sectional view of the tray of Figures 4 to 8, wherein the cover is coupled to a motor by a rack and pinion; and Figure 10 shows a sectional view of the tray of Figures 4 to 9, wherein a brush is provided for cleaning the cover when the cover is moving to the open position. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Figures 1 to 3, an electric vehicle charger is generally indicated at 10. The charger 10 includes a weatherproof housing or outer casing 12 for enclosing components of the charger 10 and is shown with a cover plate having been removed. In this embodiment, the housing 12 is an enclosure with a substantially rectangular-shape. However, in other embodiments, the housing may have a different shape, for example, the housing may be substantially cylindrical. A rotatable drum (not shown) is disposed within the housing 12. A cable 14 is disposed around the drum, and a charging plug (not shown) is connected to one end of the cable 14. In this embodiment, the drum is cylindrical. The axial extent of the drum substantially matches the internal width of the housing 12. This means that the drum extends from proximate a front wall to proximate a rear wall of the housing 12. In Figures 1 to 3, the charger 10 is shown with the cable 14 and charging plug in a stowed position, wherein the cable 14 and the charging plug are substantially enclosed within the housing 12 and the cable 14 disposed in a coil along the length of the drum. An aperture 16 is provided in the housing 12 for allowing the cable 14 and the charging plug to be extended or dispensed out of the housing 12 through the aperture 16 for use in charging an electric vehicle and / or be retracted into the housing 12 for stowage after use. When the cable 14 and charging plug has been dispensed, a portion of the cable 14 may still be coiled around the drum. The drum is rotated in both directions by means of a motor. Rotation in a first direction unwinds the cable 14 enabling it to be dispensed through the aperture 16. Rotation in the other direction winds the cable 14 back around the drum and into the charger housing 12. The aperture 16 in the housing is a downward-facing aperture. In this embodiment, the aperture 16 is disposed in a lower or bottom part of a side wall of the rectangularshaped housing 12, facing towards the ground, in use. This prevents or reduces the risk of rain, dirt and / or debris from entering the charger 10 through the aperture 16. In this embodiment, the aperture 16 is rectangular-shaped and is located substantially in a left side of a front section of the housing 12 (as viewed from the Figures). This positions the charging plug directly above the aperture when the charging plug is in the stowed position. This position allows the charging plug to easily extend in and / or out of the housing 12 through the aperture 16. A cover 18 is provided within the housing. The cover 18 closes off the aperture 16 in the closed position. This also provides a seal to the aperture 16 allowing the charger to be water-resistant and prevents dirt and / or debris from entering when not in use. The cover 18 is actuatable or movable between an open position and a closed position. The open position is when the cover 18 is not extending over the aperture 16. This allows the charging plug and cable 14 to be dispensed out and / or retracted into the housing 12 through the aperture 16. The closed position is when the cover 18 extends over the aperture 16. This prevents access to the charging plug and cable 14 through the aperture 16. The cover 18 rectilinearly moves towards and away from the aperture 16. This is discussed in more detail below. A motor 20 (shown in Figures 9 and 10) is provided for actuating the movement of the cover 18 between the open and closed positions. This allows the opening and closing of the cover to be automated. The width of the cover 18 is substantially larger than the width of the aperture 16. This allows the side edges of the cover 18 to be hidden within the housing 12. This prevents people from easily vandalising the charger 10 because they cannot easily pull or grab the cover 18 off when the cover 18 is in the closed position. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, a tray 22 for mounting components is provided within the housing 12. When assembled, the tray 22 is disposed at a lower or bottom end of the housing 12, below the rotatable drum. The tray 22 substantially fills the space at the bottom of the housing 12. The tray 22 is removably attached within the housing. This allows the tray 22 to be removed from the charger 10 to allow maintenance or repair of components stored within the tray 22. The tray 22 includes side walls 24 which substantially extend around the periphery the tray 22. In the stowed position, the charging plug may be disposed above or within the tray 22. A substantially rectangular-shaped aperture 28 is disposed in a floor 26 of the tray 22. The tray aperture 28 is aligned with the aperture 16 in the housing 12. This allows the cable 14 and charging plug to extend through the tray 22 and through the aperture 16 of the housing when in use. The cover 18 is movably coupled to an underside of the tray 22. Two guides 30 are provided on the underside of the tray 22, one on each side of the tray aperture 28 for guiding the movement of the cover 18 back and forth between the left and right sides of the tray 22, below the tray aperture 28. Each guide 30 extends substantially along the length of the tray 22 i.e. in a direction between the left and right sides of the housing 12. The direction of the movement of the cover 18 is parallel to the guides 30. In this embodiment, the guides 30 are integrally formed with the tray 22. Each guide 30 includes a channel extending along it. The channels face one another. The cover 18 includes two raised side edges (only one raised edge is shown in the Figures) disposed opposite each other. The raised side edges are the parts of the cover 18 which engage and slide along the channels of the guides 30. This allows the side edges of the cover be held within the channels, whilst a main body of the cover lies flush with bottom edges of the guides 30. The movement of the cover 18 between the left and right sides of the tray 22 is a rectilinear movement. However, in embodiments provided with a cylindrical housing and a tray with an arcuate-shaped floor, the movement of the cover may be an arcuate movement. This allows the movement of the cover to correspond to the shape of the cylindrical wall of the housing, and still provide a good seal to the aperture. Referring to Figures 6 to 9, two ramps 32, 34 are provided on an inner surface of the cover 18 i.e. the side of the cover 18 facing the tray 22. A first ramp 32 is disposed on a first end of the cover 18 i.e. left end of the cover in the Figures and a second ramp 34 is disposed on a second end of the cover 18 i.e. right end of the cover 18. In this embodiment, the ramps 32, 34 are disposed offset from each other. But in other embodiments, the ramps may be disposed on along the same plane i.e. directly opposite each other. A sloped surface is provided at an end of each ramp 32, 34 facing the other ramp 32, 34. The ramps 32, 34 are protrusions integrally formed as part of the cover 18. Two limit or micro switches 36, 38 for engagement with the ramps 32, 34 are disposed next to each other and are mounted to the tray 22. When the cover 18 is in the closed position, the limit switches 36, 38 are disposed substantially above the second end of the cover 18 as shown in Figure 6. When the cover 18 is in the open position, the limit switches 36, 38 are disposed substantially above the first end of the cover 18 as shown in Figure 8. Each limit switch 36, 38 includes a rectangular main body, and a sprung arm connected to a bottom end of the main body and biased away from the main body of the switch 36, 38. Each arm extends away from the bottom end of the main body in a direction substantially towards the cover 18. A cam is provided at a free end of the arm of each limit switch 36, 38. The cam extends downwardly from the free end of the arm i.e. substantially perpendicularly to the length of the arm. The cam is the part of the switch 36, 38 which engages with the first 32 or second 34 ramp. When the cover is moving to the open or closed position, as shown in Figures 3 and 7, the cams of the first and second limit switches 36, 38 are not engaged with the first and second ramps 32, 34. The cams of the limit switches 36, 38 are in a rest position, biased fully away from the switch main bodies. When the cover 18 is in the closed position, the cam of the first limit switch 36 is disposed above the first ramp 32 as shown in Figure 6. When the cover 18 is in the open position, the cam of the second limit switch 38 is disposed above the second ramp 34 as shown in Figure 8. As the cover 18 moves from the open position to the closed position, the cam of the first limit switch 36 slides from the top of the second ramp 34, down the sloped surface of the second ramp 34, along the cover 18, and then up the sloped surface of the first ramp 32 until it is positioned above the first ramp 32. The movement of the cam or arm of the first limit switch 26 (i.e. movement of the arm towards the limit switch main body) triggers the first limit switch 36 to send a signal to the motor 20 to stop operating, and thus stop actuating the cover to the closed position. As the cover 18 moves from the closed position to the open position, the cam of the second limit switch 38 slides from the top of the first ramp 32, down the sloped surface of the first ramp 32, along the cover 18, then up the sloped surface of the second ramp 34 until it is positioned above the second ramp 34. The movement of the cam or arm of the second limit switch 38 (i.e. movement of the arm towards the limit switch main body) triggers the second limit 38 switch to send a signal to the motor 20 to stop operating, and thus stop actuating the cover 18 to the open position. In this embodiment, the motor 20 is disposed next to the first limit switch 36 and is mounted to the tray 22. Referring to Figure 9, a rack 40 and pinion 42 couples the cover 18 to the motor 20. The motor 20 is disposed between the first limit switch 36 and the pinion 42. The rack 40 is a linear gear and the pinion 42 is a circular gear which allow the actuation of the cover to the open or closed position. Depending on the direction of rotation of the motor 20, the motor 20 causes the pinion 42 to rotate causing the rack 40 and thus the cover 18 to slide to the open or closed position. The rack 40 is formed as part of the inner surface of the cover 18. The rack 40 extends at the edge of the cover 18 between the first end and second end of the cover 18 i.e. next to a front wall of the housing 12. The rack 40 extends in a direction parallel to the guides 30. Referring to Figure 10, a brush 44 is provided for cleaning the inner surface of the cover 18. The brush 44 extends substantially across the whole width of the cover 18 and is fixed to the tray 22. When the charging plug is retracted into the housing 12 and the cover 18 is in the closed position, dirt and / or can fall onto the cover 18. Therefore, as the cover 18 moves to the open position, the brush 44 wipes or brushes the inner surface of the cover 18 and allows the dirt and / or debris to fall out of the charger 10 through the aperture 16. The brush 44 may include a flat flexible blade which glides over the inner surface to remove dirt and / or debris. Alternatively, the brush may include bristles. A plurality of protrusions 46 extending between the first and second ends of the cover 18 are provided. The protrusions help to add friction or grip to the brush 44 to remove dirt and / or debris from the cover 18. Overall, the present invention prevents damage, vandalism and theft of the charger 10 and / or charger components. It also improves the reliability of the charger 10 because it prevents rain, dirt and / or debris from entering the housing and damaging the components of the charger 10. The embodiments described above are provided by way of example only, and various changes and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charger comprising:a housing having an aperture;a rotatable drum disposed within the housing;a cable, and a charging plug connected to an end of the cable, the cable being wound around the cable drum when in a stowed position; andan actuatable cover disposed within the housing for covering the aperture, the cover being movable between an open position allowing movement of the charging plug and cable through the aperture and a closed position preventing access to the charging plug and cable through the aperture.

2. A charger as claimed in claim 1, in which the movement of the cover is a rectilinear movement.

3. A charger as claimed in claim 1, in which the movement of the cover is an arcuate movement.

4. A charger as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the aperture is disposed in a downward-facing wall of the housing.

5. A charger as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a motor is provided for actuating the movement of the cover between the open position and the closed position.

6. A charger as claimed in claim 5, in which at least one limit switch is provided for stopping the operation of the motor when the cover has moved to the open position or closed position.

7. A charger as claimed in claim 6, in which at least one engagement region is disposed on the cover for engagement with the at least one limit switch.

8. A charger as claimed in claim 7, in which the at least one limit switch includes an arm biased away from a main body of the at least one limit switchas it engages with the at least one engagement region.

9. A charger as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, in which the at least one engagement region includes a ramp.

10. A charger as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, in which a first engagement region is disposed at a first end of the cover and a second engagement region is disposed at a second end of the cover.

11. A charger as claimed in claim 10, in which the first engagement region and the second engagement region are aligned with each other or are disposed along the same plane on the cover.

12. A charger as claimed in claim 10, in which the first engagement region and the second engagement region are disposed offset from each other on the cover.

13. A charger as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 12, in which a first limit switch and a second limit switch are provided.

14. A charger as claimed in claim 13, when dependent on claim 10, in which the first engagement region is engaged with the first limit switch when the cover is in the closed position and the second engagement region is engaged with the second limit switch when the cover is in the open position.

15. A charger as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 14, in which a rack and pinion couples the motor to the cover.

16. A charger as claimed claim 15, when dependent on claim 10, in which the rack forms part of the cover and extends between the first end and second end of the cover.

17. A charger as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a tray for mounting components is disposed within the housing for storing the at least one limit switch and the motor.

18. A charger as claimed in any claim 17, in which the cover is movably coupled to the tray.

19. A charger as claimed in claim 17 or claim 18, in which at least one guide is disposed on the tray for guiding the movement of the cover between the open position and closed position.

20. A charger as claimed in claim 19, in which the at least one guide is disposed to an underside of the tray.

21. A charger as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a brush is provided for removing dirt and / or debris from the cover as the cover is moved to the open 5 position.

22. A charger as claimed in claim 21, in which the brush extends across the width of the cover.

23. A charger as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 22, in which a switching means is provided for initiating the operation of the motor.10 24. A charger as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 23, in which a motion detectoror sensor is provided for initiating the operation of the motor.

25. A charger as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 24, in which the charger is configured to provide a failure signal when the motor is not operating as expected.15

Images