Device for positioning the charger connector

Abstract

The present invention provides a device for positioning a charger connector relative to a mating connector on the vehicle side. [Solution] A device (1) for positioning a charger connector (2) relative to a vehicle-side mating connector includes a suspension for the charging cable assembly connected to the charger connector (2). The suspension has a first suspension point (6) and a second suspension point (7), wherein the position and / or orientation of the one end (5) is such that the absolute force and moment required to move the charger connector (2) from the position and / or orientation of the one end (5) is locally smallest average force and moment, and the second suspension point (7) has a manipulator (8) that operates the position and / or orientation of the one end (5) of the charging cable assembly (4) relative to a fixed world (9) for the position and / or orientation of the charger connector (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention particularly relates to a device for positioning a charger connector with respect to a vehicle-side mating connector.

Background Art

[0002] Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular. The previously mentioned drawbacks such as the shortage of charging stations seem to have been overcome to a certain extent by the fact that charging stations can be installed within easy reach in a short period of time in a home or office environment. As the number of people getting used to charging automobiles increases, there is also room for further simplification of the charging process for users. One of the directions of simplification is the automatic connection and disconnection between the electrical connector of the vehicle and the charger. Regarding trucks and buses, it is known to use large contact surfaces above or below a system including the use of the vehicle and / or a pantograph. Regarding passenger cars and also other applications where manual coupling must still be possible, the known solutions are not applicable or not conveniently applicable. This is because, for example, it is not convenient or suitable for passenger cars to implement those solutions using large contact surfaces or pantographs, and on the other hand, in many cases, it is desirable to keep the charger compact and simple.

[0003] Attempts to obtain an automatic solution remain in a state similar to the manual process of plugging in a conventional charger connector and connecting it to the vehicle-side mating connector, and are hindered by several aspects. Inserting a standard charging connector into a standard vehicle-side mating connector is a high-precision operation. As a result of the high charging current required to charge a vehicle using DC chargers, which are becoming increasingly common recently, the cable becomes heavy and stiff, and on the other hand, it is still necessary to connect and disconnect the connector with the required precision, attention, and safety. Due to the required precision for operating the charging cable and the combination of considerable force and moment, this operation becomes a problem particularly when further requirements are imposed on the speed of the process. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a solution for automating the connection of a charger connector to a vehicle-side mating connector of an electric vehicle, or to eliminate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In contrast, the present invention provides a device for positioning a charger connector with respect to a vehicle-side mating connector, the device comprising: a charging cable assembly; and a suspension portion for the charging cable assembly connected at one end to a charger connector, the suspension portion including a first suspension point that clamps the charging cable assembly at a point away from the one end, the orientation having a preferred position and / or defining a preferred orientation of one end, together with the rigidity of the cable assembly and the gravity acting on the cable assembly; and a second suspension point that engages the charger connector and the charging cable assembly at one end, the second suspension point including a manipulator that manipulates the position and / or orientation of the charger connector relative to a fixed world in a range near the preferred position and / or preferred orientation of one end of the cable assembly.

[0006] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 107719181, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0270805, German Patent Application Publication No. 102016014463, German Patent Application Publication No. 102017217601, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0031248 are all examples of devices in which a charging cable assembly is held in a predetermined orientation and position, but these orientations, along with the rigidity of the cable assembly and the gravity acting on the cable assembly, do not have a preferred position and / or orientation of one end held by a second suspension point. On the contrary, if the second suspension point is removed, one end falls to the ground in all of these examples.

[0007] The cable assembly according to the present invention may include multiple cables that can be connected together, either as a single cable or in a single common outer housing, sleeve, etc. The cable assembly may generally be suitable to meet DC standards having a maximum charging current of at least 40 amps, preferably at least 100 amps, more preferably at least 200 amps, and / or a charging power of up to at least 45 kW. The assembly may also include liquid cooling equipment that enables currents of up to 300 amps, even 500 amps, or significantly more than 500 A for cables used in special vehicle applications.

[0008] Examples of suitable cables include Phoenix contact CCS-2 DC cable, 125A rating; Phoenix contact CCS-2 DC cable, 200A rating; Phoenix contact CCS-2 HPC liquid-cooled DC cable, 500A rating; Phoenix contact CCS-1 HPC liquid-cooled DC cable, 500A rating; Huber & Suhne CCS-2 HPC liquid-cooled DC cable, 500A rating; Huber & Suhne CCS-1 HPC liquid-cooled DC cable, 500A rating; Phoenix contact GB / T DC cable, 80A rating; Phoenix contact GB / T DC cable, 250A rating; and Anderson Power products Euro-Din 320A cable for battery-powered industrial trucks.

[0009] Possible connectors that can be applied include, for example, CCS-1, CCS-2, GB / T, CHAdeMO, ChaoJi, HPCCV, and Euro-DIN.

[0010] It may be any cable and / or plug conforming to standards IEC62893 (Charging Cables for Electric Vehicles), IEC62196 (Plugs, Outlets, Vehicle Connectors and Vehicle Inlets), IEC TS 62196-3-1 CD (Cable Assemblies with DC Charging Vehicle Couplers and Thermal Management Systems), IEC 61851-23 (Conductive Charging Systems for Electric Vehicles - DC Electric Vehicle Charging Stations), GB / T (China Plug Standard), DIN43589 (Connectors 80, 160, 320A for Battery-Powered Industrial Trucks), UL62 (USA, UL Standard for Safety of Flexible Cords and Cables, Electric Vehicle Cables), and UL2251 (USA, UL Standard for Safety Plugs, Outlets and Couplers for Electric Vehicles).

[0011] Cables and / or connectors may be commercially available from Huber+Suhne, Phoenix Contact, Anderson Power Products, Amphenol, Yazaki, REMA, Leoni, ITT Canon, or other companies.

[0012] The preferred positions and / or orientations described above may be statically balanced (equilibrium) or unbalanced positions and orientations when the manipulator is not engaged. If unbalanced, the manipulator only needs to apply a small force and / or moment to balance one end and / or the connector. "Small" in this situation should be understood as part of the influence of the weight and dimensions of the cable between the mounting points. Static balance may be due to the stiffness of the cable assembly in combination with gravity, and also to the winding of the cable, as will be described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0013] Position and orientation in the sense of the present invention may include definition in all six degrees of freedom, preferably including three-dimensional spatial definition and rotational definition. When one end is positioned in a specific position and orientation, the force and moment at one end of the cable assembly are determined by a clamp away from the other end.

[0014] In preferred positions and orientations, the charging cable of the charging cable assembly does not extend or substantially extend vertically downward, nor does it extend or substantially extend to the height of the second suspension point, and / or the second suspension point is not below the ground surface. In preferred positions, one end is stable and above the ground surface when the second suspension point is removed, or when the second suspension point applies some of the forces and / or moments required to hold the cable in another undesirable but functional position without applying the present invention. In other words, configurations in which the second suspension point is removed, resulting in the cable essentially hanging in the direction of gravity and / or the second suspension point being on the ground, or configurations in which the second suspension point applies a small force, are not intended for use by the present invention.

[0015] Preferably, in a preferred orientation, one end of the charging cable makes an angle of at least 45 degrees with the horizontal when the second suspension point is removed.

[0016] A preferred position and / or orientation may be a position and orientation where the average force or moment required to move one end from the equilibrium position is the minimum absolute force and / or moment required to locally hold the connector in a functional orientation, or it may be at a predetermined distance from such position and orientation. The absolute force may be the norm of the force-moment vectors of the six degrees of freedom.

[0017] Therefore, one end of the cable assembly partially supports itself, thus compensating for gravity. Since each type of cable from various manufacturers has its own stiffness characteristics, weight distribution characteristics, and dimensions, there can be different clamp positions and / or orientations and / or cable winding geometry for each individual cable that result in the desired low force and moment required to move the cable at one end. A clamp position and / or orientation and / or cable winding geometry that works well for one cable or cable type may not actually produce the desired result for another cable type. Therefore, the clamp position may be adjustable or configurable, or the clamp may have various geometrys with systems for various installation scenarios.

[0018] To quantify the stiffness characteristics of a cable assembly, a model of the cable assembly can be used. From beam theory, the bending stiffness B is: B EEI Calculated by, E is Young's modulus, and I is the area moment of inertia. The charging cable assembly is It can be modeled in its simplified form as TIFF2026065172000002.tif12170, where r is the radius of the cable assembly and E is the Young's modulus of the cable assembly. The simplification involves assuming a solid cable with a circular cross-section and no material differences. These assumptions do not limit the scope of the invention in any way.

[0019] The present invention generally applies to, but is not limited to, cable assemblies having a radius greater than 8 mm, preferably greater than 10 mm, more preferably greater than 12 mm, and even more preferably greater than 14 mm. With respect to cable assemblies having a non-circular cross-section, these values ​​can be replaced by the area moment of inertia.

[0020] The Young's modulus for cable assemblies varies considerably depending on the type of cable assembly. For example, dense composite cables such as Huber & Suhne CCS-2 HPC, liquid-cooled DC cables, rated at 500A, differ by several orders of magnitude from loosely packed Anderson Power products, Euro-Din, 320A cables. Typically, the Young's modulus of cable assemblies ranges from 1 MPa to 100 GPa.

[0021] These formulas are by no means a model of the current state of technology for cable assemblies, but they provide a fair approximation of the defining properties of the cable assembly under consideration.

[0022] A manipulator in the sense of the present invention may be, but is not limited to, a device such as that described in Dutch Patent Application Publication 2023019, which can be controlled in the manner described in Dutch Patent Application Publication 2024952, both of which are patent applications of the said applicant and are incorporated herein by reference.

[0023] The apparatus according to the present invention provides an opportunity to manipulate heavy, rigid cables with sufficient precision while applying limited force or torque, by enabling the manipulation of a cable assembly by applying a force generally lower than that required if the cable assembly were guided to the manipulator in a straight line or without forcing the cable into a specific shape. As will be described in more detail below, this also makes it possible to add compliance to the apparatus.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, the manipulator has a displacement stroke having a range of motion near a central position and / or orientation that coincides with a preferred position and / or preferred orientation at at least one end. The displacement stroke in the sense of the present invention may include linear movement and orientation change, and therefore obviously rotational movement as well.

[0025] The displacement stroke may include, for example, a translational movement of ±1 m, a rotation of ±45° about the radius axis, and a rotation of ±22.5° in the axial direction. For a passenger car, the pitch may be ±30.0°, the yaw may be ±25.0°, and the roll may be ±10.0°. For an industrial vehicle, those values may be smaller and more equal to each other, for example, about ±12.0°.

[0026] In an alternative embodiment, the manipulator may be arranged to perform a displacement stroke having an operating range near the central position and / or orientation, the central position being different from at least one preferred position and / or preferred orientation at one end, whereby the difference between the forces required to operate the tip upward and downward is less than the difference between the forces required to operate one end upward and downward at the preferred position and / or orientation.

[0027] Of the cable assembly, the length of the portion extending between the first suspension point and the second suspension point exceeds the absolute distance between the first suspension point and the second suspension point. In particular, the length significantly exceeds, i.e., is more than 25% or more than 33%. The longer length reduces the influence of the overall stiffness of the cable.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, this difference occurs because the cable assembly has a winding of at least 45 degrees, more preferably at least 90 degrees, more preferably at least 180 degrees, more preferably at least 270 degrees, and even more preferably at least 360 degrees around a substantially horizontal reel that extends substantially perpendicular to the direction from the first suspension point to the second suspension point.

[0029] Winding the cable offers the additional advantage that the cable can bear at least a portion of its own weight, i.e., its effective weight at one end, as perceived by the manipulator. Here, the longer the distance between the first and second suspension points, the more flexible the cable assembly is perceived by the manipulator at one end. Longer windings contribute to greater flexibility. However, cable length also increases with winding size. In practical embodiments, optimal conditions are selected.

[0030] The winding pitch is preferably at most 10 times the cable thickness, more preferably at most 5 times the cable thickness, and even more preferably between 1.5 and 1 times the cable thickness. A larger pitch may result in undesirable torque or bias in the cable. Furthermore, the winding radius may be between 5 and 15 times the cable assembly thickness.

[0031] The manipulator comprises, for example, an assembly including a chain of actuators that is kinematically in series, and / or an assembly including a chain of actuators that is kinematically in parallel, and the force (which in this context may also be understood as including a moment) required to move one end of the manipulator from a preferred position and / or orientation over its entire range is smaller than the force range of the manipulator.

[0032] In yet another preferred embodiment, the present invention includes a compliance mechanism such that the force required to move one end of the manipulator from a preferred position and / or preferred orientation over its entire range is less than a compliance mechanism threshold. The compliance mechanism in the sense of the present invention should be understood as an assembly configured to elastically and passively absorb and release displacement under the influence of the resultant force acting on the connector after the force exceeds the threshold. Once this requirement is met, compliance is effective over part of the range or over the entire range, and the force applied by the manipulator is effectively used to move one end of the charger connector and / or cable.

[0033] The apparatus according to the present invention may further include a camera that provides a camera image of the expected location of the vehicle-side mating connector, and a control device that operates the connector at the detected location of the vehicle-side mating connector based on the camera image.

[0034] The first suspension point may include a clamping mechanism that engages with the charging cable assembly in a shape-fit manner over an axial distance of at least 5 cm, preferably at least 10 cm, and more preferably at least 15 cm.

[0035] Such a clamping mechanism ensures that the orientation imposed on the cable assembly actually results in a desired cable assembly orientation. The present invention also expressly relates to the type of clamping mechanism described above. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a device for positioning a charger connector with respect to a vehicle-side mating connector, the device comprising a suspension for a charger cable assembly connected at one end to a charger connector, the suspension comprising a first suspension point that clamps the charger cable assembly at a point away from the one end in a predetermined orientation and position, wherein the clamping mechanism engages with the charger cable assembly in a shape-fit manner over an axial distance of at least 5 cm, preferably at least 10 cm, and more preferably at least 15 cm, and a second suspension point that engages with the charger cable assembly at one end of the charger connector, the second suspension point comprising a manipulator for manipulating the position and / or orientation of the charger connector with respect to a fixed world. Such embodiments may include or not include any other features described throughout this application.

[0036] In all cases, the first suspension point may include a clamping mechanism that at least partially restricts, and preferably completely prevents, the free rotation of the charging cable assembly.

[0037] Furthermore, the apparatus according to the present invention may include a fixing element for adjusting the stiffness of a charging cable assembly or for fixing a charging cable assembly in a specific shape. This fixing element may be a mechanical element such as a guide or spring that affects the stiffness and / or natural orientation of the cable in the shape between a first suspension point and a second suspension point. The application of the fixing element changes the characteristics and / or natural shape of the cable, which in turn changes the preferred position and / or preferred orientation and / or the force required to operate one end over the required range, and this is therefore more advantageous.

[0038] To apply the present invention as an add-on to an existing charger, or to modify a charging cable assembly or type, the first suspension point and / or the second suspension point may be positioned to detachably engage with the charging cable assembly.

[0039] To increase the flexibility and operating range of the device, both the first and second suspension points may be movable relative to a fixed world.

[0040] The present invention also relates to an electric vehicle charger or charging system comprising an electric vehicle charger or charging system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, comprising an electric cable assembly for transporting electric charging current for an electric vehicle, which is connected at one end to a charger connector and electrically coupled at the other end of the charging cable to at least one power source such as an electrical converter to supply a charging current for an electric vehicle.

[0041] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the following drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0042] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 3] A schematic diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 4] A schematic diagram of a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 5] A first detailed perspective view of various embodiments of the present invention is shown. [Figure 6] A second detailed perspective view of various embodiments of the present invention is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0043] Figure 1 shows a device 1 for positioning a charger connector 2 with respect to a vehicle-side mating connector (not shown), the device 1 comprising a suspension for a charging cable assembly 4 connected at one end 5 to the charger connector 2, the suspension comprising a first suspension point 6 that clamps the charging cable assembly 4 at a point away from the one end 5, in a predetermined orientation and position (as described in more detail with reference to Figure 5), the orientation and position defining a preferred position and / or orientation (as described in more detail with reference to Figure 5) of the one end 5, together with the rigidity of the cable assembly 4 and gravity acting on the cable assembly, and a second suspension point 7 that engages the charger connector 2 with the charging cable assembly 4 at one end 5, the device 1 comprising a manipulator 8 that manipulates the position and / or orientation of the charger connector relative to a fixed world 9 in a range near the preferred position and / or orientation (as described in more detail with reference to Figure 5) of the one end of the cable assembly 4. The device further comprises a camera 3.

[0044] Figure 2 shows a device 11 for positioning a charger connector 12 relative to a vehicle-side mating connector (not shown), the device 11 comprising a suspension portion for a charging cable assembly 14 connected at one end 15 to the charger connector 12, the suspension portion comprising a first suspension point 16 that clamps the charging cable assembly 14 at a point away from the one end 5 in a predetermined orientation and position (as will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 5), the orientation and position being determined together with the rigidity of the cable assembly 14 and the gravity acting on the cable assembly, The apparatus 11 includes a first suspension point 16 that defines a preferred position and / or orientation of one end 15 (as will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 5), and a second suspension point 17 that engages with the charging cable assembly 14 at one end 15 of the charger connector, wherein the second suspension point 17 includes a manipulator 18 that manipulates the position and / or orientation of the charger connector relative to a fixed world 19 in a range near the preferred position and / or orientation of one end of the cable assembly 14 (as will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 5). The cable assembly 14 has windings 20 at a rate of about 90 degrees around a substantially horizontal winding shaft (not shown) that extends substantially perpendicular to the direction from the first suspension point 16 to the second suspension point 17. As a result, the cable assembly bears at least a portion of its own weight at its preferred position and preferred orientation of one end 15. The apparatus further comprises a camera 13.

[0045] Figure 3 shows a device 21 for positioning a charger connector 22 relative to a vehicle-side mating connector (not shown), the device 21 comprising a suspension portion for a charging cable assembly 24 connected at one end 25 to the charger connector 22, the suspension portion comprising a first suspension point 26 that clamps the charging cable assembly 24 at a point away from the one end 25 in a predetermined orientation and position (as will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 5), the orientation and position being determined in conjunction with the rigidity of the cable assembly 24 and the gravity acting on the cable assembly. The apparatus 21 includes a first suspension point 26 that defines a preferred position and / or orientation of one end 25 (as will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 5), and a second suspension point 27 that engages with the charging cable assembly 24 at one end 25 of the charger connector, wherein the second suspension point 27 includes a manipulator 28 that manipulates the position and / or orientation of the charger connector relative to a fixed world 29 in a range near the preferred position and / or orientation of one end of the cable assembly 24 (as will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 5). The cable assembly 24 has windings 30 about 270 degrees around a substantially horizontal winding shaft (not shown) that extends substantially perpendicular to the direction from the first suspension point 26 to the second suspension point 27. As a result, the cable assembly bears at least a portion of the weight of the cable assembly itself at its preferred position and preferred orientation of one end 25. The apparatus further includes a camera 23.

[0046] Figure 4 shows an embodiment 31 of the apparatus according to the present invention, which is similar to embodiment 21 of Figure 3, but further includes a spring-formed fixing element 32 for adjusting the stiffness of the charging cable assembly or fixing the charging cable assembly 34 to a specific shape, such as a U-shape, shown between the first suspension point 36 and the second suspension point 37.

[0047] Figure 5 shows a portion of an embodiment 41 according to the present invention, in particular, omitting a second suspension point for explanatory reasons. A first suspension point 46 is shown, which clamps and thereby secures the cable assembly 44 according to position x, y, z and angles φ, θ, Ψ, defining a preferred position and angular orientation of one end 45 and the charger connector 42 to preferred position x1, y1, z1 and preferred orientation φ1, θ1, Ψ1. This may be the position where the manipulator at the second suspension point engages with the connector 42 or one end 45 of the cable assembly.

[0048] Figure 6 shows a device 51 for positioning a charger connector 52 relative to a vehicle-side mating connector (not shown), the device 51 comprising a suspension for a charging cable assembly 54 connected at one end 55 to the charger connector 52, the suspension comprising a first suspension point 56 that clamps the charging cable assembly 54 at a point away from the one end 55 in a predetermined orientation and position, the orientation and position defining a preferred position and / or preferred orientation of the one end 55 together with the rigidity of the cable assembly 54 and gravity acting on the cable assembly, and a second suspension point 57 that engages with the charging cable assembly 54 at one end 55 of the charger connector, the device 51 comprising a manipulator 58 that manipulates the position and / or orientation of the charger connector relative to a fixed world in a range near the preferred position and / or preferred orientation of the one end of the cable assembly 54. The device further comprises a camera 53. In Figure 6, it can be seen that the cable assembly results in a three-dimensional loop or curl winding between a first suspension point 56 that clamps and secures the cable assembly 54 according to positions x, y, z and angles φ, θ, Ψ, and a second suspension point 57 that holds the cable assembly at positions x1, y1, z1 and a preferred orientation φ1, θ1, Ψ1.

[0049] The embodiments described above are merely examples and do not in any way limit the scope of protection as defined by the claims.

[0050] The preferred position may be determined by a force and / or moment sensor mounted between one end and the stationary world to measure the force and / or moment acting on one end required to keep one end near the equilibrium position, wherein the preferred position and / or orientation is defined as a position and / or orientation where the average force or moment required to move one end from the equilibrium position is at or within a predetermined distance from the position where the lowest average force or moment is required. Preferably, the preferred position and orientation is determined such that this average force is 0. The apparatus according to the present invention may then be positioned such that the preferred position and orientation is near the expected engagement point of the vehicle.

[0051] In other words, the preferred position can be determined by force / moment sensors mounted between one end and several points in the fixed world to determine a stable or unstable equilibrium point (or near it) where the force and moment acting on one end are near or at their minimum values.

Claims

1. A device (1) for positioning a charger connector (2) relative to a mating connector on the vehicle side, - Charging cable assembly (4), - A suspension portion for the charging cable assembly, which is connected to the charger connector (2) at one end (5), The aforementioned suspension section is, - At the point away from the one end (5), a first suspension point (6) clamps the charging cable assembly (4) at the position and orientation of the one end (5) determined by the rigidity of the charging cable assembly (4) and the gravity acting on the charging cable assembly (4), - The charging cable assembly (4) and a second suspension point (7) that engages with one end (5) of the charger connector (2) are provided. - The position and / or orientation of the one end (5) is such that the absolute force and moment required to move the charger connector (2) from the position and / or orientation of the one end (5) is locally smallest average force and moment. - The device (1) is characterized in that the second suspension point (7) has a manipulator that operates the position and / or orientation of the charger connector (2) with respect to a fixed boundary in the area surrounding the position and / or orientation of one end (5) of the charging cable assembly (4).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charging cable of the charging cable assembly (4) does not extend vertically downward at the position and / or orientation height of the one end (5) when the manipulator is not engaged.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the aforementioned absolute force is standardized to a force moment vector with six degrees of freedom.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the manipulator has a displacement stroke having an operating range around a central position and / or orientation that coincides with the position and / or orientation of the one end (5).

5. The manipulator is provided to have a displacement stroke having a range of motion around a central position and / or orientation, The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the central position is different from the position and / or orientation of the one end (5), and the difference in the amount of force required to move the one end upward and downward is smaller than the difference in the amount of force required to move the one end upward and downward at the position and / or orientation of the one end (5).

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the length of the portion extending between the first suspension point and the second suspension point is greater than the absolute distance between the first suspension point and the second suspension point.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the charging cable assembly has an angle of at least 45 degrees, preferably 90 degrees, more preferably 180 degrees, more preferably at least 270 degrees, and more preferably at least 360 degrees around a substantially horizontal winding shaft that extends substantially perpendicular to the direction from the first suspension point to the second suspension point.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pitch around the winding shaft is at most five times the cable thickness, and preferably 1 to 1.5 times.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the manipulator comprises an assembly including a chain arranged kinematically in series with the actuators, and / or an assembly including a chain arranged kinematically in parallel with the actuators, and the force required to move the one end over the entire range of the manipulator from the position and / or orientation of the one end (5) is less than the force range of the manipulator.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the charger connector is connected to the manipulator via a compliance mechanism, and the force required to move the one end of the manipulator from the position and / or orientation of the one end (5) over the entire range is less than a threshold set in the compliance mechanism.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a camera that provides a camera image of the expected location of the mating connector on the vehicle side, and a control device that moves the charger connector to the detected location of the mating connector on the vehicle side based on the camera image.

12. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first suspension point includes a clamping mechanism that shape-fits to the charging cable assembly over an axial distance of at least 5 cm, preferably at least 10 cm, and more preferably 15 cm.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first suspension point includes a clamping mechanism that at least partially or completely restricts the free translation and rotation of the charging cable assembly at the first suspension point.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a fixing element consisting of a guide or spring between the first suspension point and the second suspension point for adjusting the stiffness of the charging cable assembly or for fixing the charging cable assembly in a specific shape.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the first suspension point and / or the second suspension point are arranged to be detachably engaged with the charging cable assembly.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein both the first suspension point and the second suspension point are movable relative to the fixed boundary.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16, An electric vehicle charger comprising an electric vehicle charging cable assembly for transmitting a charging current to an electric vehicle, with one end connected to the charger connector and the other end electrically connected to a power source such as an electrical converter for supplying a charging current to an electric vehicle.

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