Electric vehicle supply equipment

Abstract

An electric vehicle supply equipment 200 comprising a housing (206, fig.3) and a door (310, fig.5). The housing defines a chamber (208, fig.4) to stow a charging gun and a charging cable 202, the hous

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to an electric vehicle supply equipment. In particular, an electric vehicle supply equipment for charging a traction battery of an electric vehicle. BACKGROUND It is known to provide an electric vehicle supply equipment for the transfer of electricity from a local power supply to charge the traction battery of a vehicle, such as an electric vehicle. A charging cable and charging gun for transferring electricity to the traction battery are connected to or part of the electric vehicle supply equipment. The charging cable of the electric vehicle supply equipment has significant length such that the charging cable may be used with electric vehicles of varying configurations, shapes, and sizes and / or extend around obstacles. Due to the length of the charging cable, the charging cable and charging gun need to be stowed when not in use charging the traction battery. For home charging of the traction battery, the electric vehicle supply equipment is typically mounted to a wall. The charging cable and charging gun may be stowed by wrapping the cable around the electric vehicle supply equipment or a bracket near the electric vehicle supply equipment. Stowing the cable in this way can result in an unsightly appearance of the charging cable due to the charging cable being wound around the cable holder in a haphazard manner. Additionally, the charging cable and gun are not provided with any protection when stowed in this way. It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art. The present invention provides an improved electric vehicle supply equipment. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide an electric vehicle supply equipment. According to an aspect of the invention there is provided an electric vehicle supply equipment comprising: a housing defining a chamber to stow a charging gun and a charging cable, the housing having an opening through which the charging gun and the charging cable are extendable from and retractable into the chamber; and a door movable between an open position in which the chamber is accessible through the opening and a closed position in which the opening is covered by the door so that the charging cable and the charging gun are enclosed within the chamber. This allows the charging gun and charging cable to be safely and tidily stowed within the housing when not in use, but allows them to be readily withdrawn from the housing when vehicle charging is required. The door may comprise a door opening mechanism that is configured to control movement of the door, for example rotational movement of the door, between the open position and the closed position. Mounting the door rotationally provides convenient and reliable opening and minimises the internal and external space required when moving the door to its open position. In an embodiment, the equipment comprises a hinge bracket that is configured to rotatably mount the door to the housing. This is a simple but robust way of movably attaching the door to the housing. In an embodiment, the door opening mechanism comprises a resilient biasing means to bias the door toward the open position. The resilient biasing means removes the need for a user to move the door manually to its open position. In turn, this removes the requirement for a handle to facilitate manual opening, when simplifies the construction and allows for a smooth design without the need to accommodate a handle. In an embodiment, the resilient biasing means is configured to limit a distance the door moves from the closed position toward the open position. This ensures that the door cannot be moved beyond its intended maximum open position. In an embodiment, the resilient biasing means is configured to control a speed the door moves from the open position toward the closed position. This allows to the door to open smoothly and more slowly and minimises the likelihood of injury to a user as the door opens. In an embodiment, the resilient biasing means is operably connected to the hinge bracket. In an embodiment, resilient biasing means is a torsion spring. In an embodiment, the door opening mechanism comprises a latch that is configured to retain the door in the closed position. This retains the door in its closed position unless and until the latch is released, and allows the latch to be released, and the door opened, merely by pushing the door. In an embodiment, the latch comprises a first latch member and a second latch member, wherein the first latch member is provided in the housing and the second latch member is provided on the door, and wherein the first latch member is configured to cooperate with the second latch member. This results in a simple, reliable and compact latch mechanism. In an embodiment, one of the first latch member and the second latch member comprises a magnet and the other of the first latch member and the second latch member comprises a magnetic material. Having a magnetic latch results in a simple, reliable and compact mechanism which can be easily opened and closed, with minimal effort, by an operator using one hand. In an embodiment, one of the first latch member and the second latch member comprises a concave surface and the other of the first latch member and the second latch member comprises a complementary convex surface. In an embodiment, the charging cable and the charging gun are entirely enclosed within the chamber when the door is in the closed position. This minimises the risk of potential damage to the charging cable and charging gun and produces a compact, tidy appearance when the charging cable and charging gun are stowed within the chamber. In an embodiment, the housing comprises a base portion and a cover plate, the cover plate being spaced from the base portion by a gap having a width which allows passage of the charging cable and prevents passage of the charging gun. The gap between the cover plate and the base portion allows the charging cable to be withdrawn from its stowed position within the chamber when it is desired to charge a vehicle and to be positioned back into the chamber after charging. Optionally, the cover plate substantially covers the whole of the chamber. Optionally, the periphery of the housing (other than at the opening, where present, for the door) is provided with a continuous, outwardly-facing resiliently deformable brush strip which projects into the gap and similarly the periphery of the cover plate is provided with a continuous, inwardly-facing resiliently deformable brush strip which also projects into the gap, the brush strips on the housing and on the cover plate optionally being separated by a narrow gap. When is desired to use the charging cable and the charging gun, the door is pivoted to its open position, which allows the charging gun to be removed from the housing. The cable may then be removed from the chamber, through the gap between the housing and the cover plate, which temporarily deforms the brush strips. After use, the cable may be returned to the chamber through the gap. The brush strips help to dislodge any debris or dirt from the cable as it is returned to the chamber, and thereby helps to reduce the amount of unwanted external material introduced into the chamber. The door can then be returned to its closed position. In an embodiment, the equipment comprises a drum within the chamber for receiving windings of the charging cable therearound. This allows the cable to be coiled compactly within the chamber into a stowed position when charging is not required. In an embodiment, the equipment comprises the charging gun and charging cable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an electric vehicle supply equipment according to embodiments of the invention with a door in an open position; Figure 2 shows the electric vehicle supply equipment of Figure 1 with the door in a closed position; Figure 3 shows a housing of the electric vehicle supply equipment according to embodiments of the invention; Figure 4 shows the housing of Figure 3, with a cover plate removed; Figure 5 shows a door of the electric vehicle supply equipment according to embodiments of the invention; and Figure 6 shows the housing of Figures 3 and 4 with the door of Figure 5 in an open position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is known to provide an electric vehicle supply equipment at home address, and a vehicle can be connected to the supply equipment and receive charge therefrom to charge an energy store of the vehicle. Discussion here in supply of electrical charge to the vehicle should be understood as a supply of electrical charge of an energy storage means of the vehicle e.g. a rechargeable battery. An electric vehicle supply equipment (or simply supply equipment) may be understood to be a “charger” or “home charger”, i.e. an apparatus which can be connected to a vehicle (and the electrical energy storage of that vehicle) for the provision of charge from the supply equipment to the vehicle, to recharge the electrical energy storage. The vehicle may be a battery electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, for example. Examples disclosed herein provide improved supply equipment. Figure 1 and Figure 2 shows electric vehicle supply equipment 200 according to embodiments of the invention. The electric vehicle supply equipment 200 comprises a control system 100. The electric vehicle supply equipment 200 comprises a charging gun and a charging cable 202 which can be connected to an electric 4 vehicle and used to provide electrical charge from the electric vehicle supply equipment 200 to the vehicle (i.e. to a rechargeable energy store of the vehicle). In some examples the electric vehicle supply equipment 200 may comprise an output device 204 such as a display screen or visual indicator to indicate information to a user. The electric vehicle supply equipment 200 comprises a housing 206 defining a chamber 208 to stow a charging gun and a charging cable 202. An internal projection 209, shown schematically in the drawings, extends from a base wall 207 of the housing and forms a static core or drum around which the charging cable may be coiled in a stowed condition. In use, a removable cover plate 210 is affixed to the housing 206 to enclose the chamber 208. The housing 206 has an opening 212 through which the charging gun and the charging cable 202 are extendable from and retractable into the chamber 208 and which can be closed off by a door 310, as will be explained. When the cover plate 210 is fixed to the housing 206, it is separated from the outer peripheral edge of the housing by a gap 214. The periphery of the housing 206 (otherthan at the opening 212) is provided with a continuous, outwardly-facing resiliently deformable brush strip 216 which projects into the gap 214 and similarly the periphery of the cover plate 210 is provided with a continuous, inwardly-facing resiliently deformable brush strip 218 which also projects into the gap 214, the brush strips 216, 218 on the housing 206 and on the cover plate 210 being separated by a narrow gap 220. The electric vehicle supply equipment 200 includes a door 310 that is movable between an open position (as shown in Figure 1) in which the chamber is accessible through the opening 212 and a closed position (as shown in Figure 2) in which the opening is covered by the door 310 so that the charging cable and the charging gun 202 are enclosed within the chamber 208. One elongate edge of the door 310 is provided with a resiliently deformable brush strip 311 which is aligned with the portions of the brush strip 216 on eitherside of the opening 212 when the door is in its closed position, to provide a substantially continuous brush strip. The door 310 comprises a door opening mechanism 312 that is configured to control movement of the door 310 between the open position and the closed position. The electric vehicle supply equipment 200 includes a hinge bracket 314 that is configured to rotatably mount the door 310 to the housing 206. The door opening mechanism 312 comprises a resilient biasing means 316 to bias the door 310 toward the open position. The resilient biasing means 316 is configured to limit a distance the door 310 moves from the closed position toward the open position. The resilient biasing means 316 is configured to control a speed the door 310 moves from the open position toward the closed position. The resilient biasing means 316 is operably connected to the hinge bracket 314. As shown in Figures, the resilient biasing means 316 is a torsion spring. The door opening mechanism 312 also comprises a latch 318 that is configured to retain the door 310 in the closed position. The latch 318 comprises a first latch member 318a and a second latch member 318b. The first latch member 318a is provided in the chamber 208 of the housing 206. The second latch member 318b is provided on the door 310. The first latch member 218a is configured to cooperate with the second latch member 318b of the latch 318. The first latch member 318a of the latch 318 includes a magnet. The second latch member 318b of the latch 318 includes a magnetic material. In alternative embodiments, the first latch member includes a magnetic material and the second latch member includes a magnet. In these ways, the latch is configured to hold the door in a closed position, for example against the bias of the torsion spring. The first latch member 318a includes a concave surface 320 and the second latch member 318b comprises a complementary convex surface 322. The charging cable and the charging gun 202 are entirely enclosed within the chamber 208 of the housing 206 when the door 310 is in the closed position. When is desired to use the charging cable and the charging gun 202, the door 310 is pivoted to its open position as described above, which allows the charging gun to be removed from the housing. The cable may then be unwound from around the core 209 within the chamber 208 around which it is coiled, through the gap 214 between the housing 206 and the cover plate 210, resulting in temporary deformation of the brush strips 216, 218 on the housing 208 and the cover plate 210 respectively. After use, the cable may be rewound onto the core 209 through the gap 214, the brush strips 216, 218 helping to dislodge any debris or dirt from the cable as it is rewound, and thereby helping to reduce the amount of unwanted external material introduced into the chamber 208. The door 310 can then be pivoted to, and retained in, its closed position as described previously. It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle supply equipment comprising:a housing defining a chamber to stow a charging gun and a charging cable, the housing having an opening through which the charging gun and the charging cable are extendable from and retractable into the chamber; anda door movable between an open position in which the chamber is accessible through the opening and a closed position in which the opening is covered by the door so that the charging cable and the charging gun are enclosed within the chamber,wherein the door comprises a door opening mechanism that is configured to control movement of the door between the open position and the closed position.

2. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to claim 1, comprising a hinge bracket that is configured to rotatably mount the door to the housing.

3. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to claim 2, wherein the door opening mechanism comprises a resilient biasing means to bias the door toward the open position.

4. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to claim 3, wherein the resilient biasing means is configured to limit a distance the door moves from the closed position toward the open position.

5. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the resilient biasing means is configured to control a speed the door moves from the open position toward the closed position.

6. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to claim 3, claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the resilient biasing means is operably connected to the hinge bracket.

7. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the resilient biasing means is a torsion spring.

8. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the door openingmechanism comprises a latch that is configured to retain the door in the closed position.

9. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to claim 8, wherein the latch comprises a first latch member and a second latch member, wherein the first latch member is provided in the housing and the second latch member is provided on the door, and wherein the first latch member is configured to cooperate with the second latch member.

10. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to claim 9, wherein one of the first latch member and the second latch member comprises a magnet and the other of the first latch member and the second latch member comprises a magnetic material.

11. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein one of the first latch member and the second latch member comprises a concave surface and the other of the first latch member and the second latch member comprises a complementary convex surface.5 12. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the chargingcable and the charging gun are entirely enclosed within the chamber when the door is in the closed position.

13. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to any one claims 1 to 12, wherein the housingcomprises a base portion and a cover plate, the cover plate being spaced from the base portion by a gap 10 having a width which allows passage of the charging cable and prevents passage of the charging gun.

14. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising a drum within the chamber for receiving windings of the charging cable therearound.15 15. The electric vehicle supply equipment according to any one of claim 1 to 14, comprising the charginggun and charging cable.

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