For electrical appliances

Abstract

The present invention provides a power supply device that encourages users to properly hook the power supply cable onto the hook to prevent it from touching the ground. [Solution] The charger (power supply) C for charging the battery of an electric vehicle includes a charging cable (power supply cable) 2 having a connector 2B that can be connected to the electric vehicle, and a hook part 3 on which the charging cable 2 can be hooked. The charging cable 2 is marked (identification part) 5 or colored to indicate that the charging cable 2 should be wound to a predetermined winding diameter. When the charging cable 2 is hooked onto the hook part 3 according to the mark 5 or colored, the lower end of the charging cable 2 is configured not to come into contact with the ground.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply device provided with a power supply cable having a connector that can be connected to an electric vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a power supply device that exchanges power with a battery mounted on an electric vehicle includes a housing that constitutes the power supply device main body, and a power supply cable that has a connector that can be connected to the electric vehicle and extends from the housing. The housing is provided with a holding portion that holds the connector when the power supply device is not in use.

[0003] From the viewpoint of convenience when connecting the electric vehicle and the connector of the power supply cable, it is preferable that the power supply cable is formed long. However, when the power supply cable is long, there is a problem that the power supply cable contacts the ground only by holding the connector with the holding portion. In order to solve this problem, a power supply device (charging device) provided with a hanging portion on which the power supply cable (charging cable) can be hooked is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when the hooking position of the power supply cable with respect to the hooking portion is inappropriate, problems such as the power supply cable contacting the ground, the power supply cable getting dirty, or the appearance becoming poor occur. Also, when forgetting to hook the power supply cable, problems such as the power supply cable being left on the ground, the power supply cable being stepped on and damaged, or the appearance becoming poor occur.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a power supply that can encourage the power supply cable to be properly hooked onto the hook so that it does not come into contact with the ground. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a power supply device for exchanging power with the battery of an electric vehicle, comprising a power supply cable having a connector that can be connected to the electric vehicle, and a hook portion that can be hooked onto the power supply cable, wherein the power supply cable is marked with an identification portion or color for winding the power supply cable to a predetermined winding diameter, and is configured such that the lower end of the power supply cable does not come into contact with the ground when the power supply cable is hooked onto the hook portion according to the identification portion or color.

[0008] With the above configuration, when a person putting away the power supply cable hooks the power supply cable onto the hook, the power supply cable is hooked onto the hook according to the identification part or color, thereby preventing the power supply cable from touching the ground. Furthermore, if the person putting away the power supply cable forgets to hook the power supply cable onto the hook, the identification part or color attached to the power supply cable can be seen, which is expected to remind them to hook the power supply cable onto the hook, thereby encouraging them to hook the power supply cable onto the hook. Here, the power supply cable refers to a charging cable, a discharge cable, or a charge / discharge cable, and the power supply device of the present invention refers to a charger that supplies power to the battery of an electric vehicle (charges the battery) via a charging cable which is a power supply cable, a discharger that discharges the battery of an electric vehicle via a discharge cable which is a power supply cable and supplies power to an external device, or a charge / discharger that can both charge and discharge the battery via a charge / discharge cable which is a power supply cable.

[0009] In the above-described power supply device, it is preferable that the identification portion is attached to the hooking position of the power supply cable when the power supply cable is wound to a predetermined winding diameter and hooked onto the hooking portion.

[0010] In the above-described power supply, it is preferable that the identification portion has the same color as at least a part of the hook portion.

[0011] In the above-described power supply, it is preferable that the identification portion is partially attached to the power supply cable in the circumferential direction.

[0012] In the above-described power supply, it is preferable that the identification portion is composed of a first colored portion and a second colored portion that are colored with different colors in the circumferential direction of the power supply cable.

[0013] In the above-described power supply, it is preferable that the identification section includes two or more continuous symbols, letters, numbers, or figures that are spaced apart along the length of the power supply cable.

[0014] In the above-described power supply device, it is preferable that the power supply cable is further marked with a position on which the person holding the power supply cable should grip it when hooking it onto the hook.

[0015] In the above-described power supply, it is preferable that the coloring is composed of a plurality of colored sections that are continuous in the longitudinal direction of the power supply cable, and that adjacent colored sections have different colors from each other.

[0016] In the above-described power supply, three or more identification units are provided at intervals along the length of the power supply cable, and it is preferable that at least two of the intervals between the identification units along the length are unequal.

[0017] In the above power feeder, the color change preferably has two or more discolored portions where the color changes from a predetermined first color through another second color to the first color, and at least two of the lengths of the discolored portions are unequal.

Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a power feeder that can promote appropriately hooking a power supply cable on a hooking portion so as not to contact the ground.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of a power feeder according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply cable according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view of a power feeder according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] (A) is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply cable according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in (A). [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of a hooking mode of a power supply cable according to a third embodiment. (A) is a partial perspective view of a power feeder, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the power supply cable and the hooking portion. [Figure 6] (A) is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply cable according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in (A). [Figure 7] (A) is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply cable according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, (B) is an enlarged plan view of part B in (A), (C) is an enlarged plan view of part C in (A), and (D) is an enlarged plan view of part D in (A). [Figure 8] (A) is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply cable according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, (B) is an enlarged plan view of part B in (A), and (C) is an enlarged plan view of part C in (A). [Figure 9]It is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply cable according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply cable according to the eighth embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply cable according to the ninth embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a power supply cable according to the tenth embodiment. [Figure 13] (A) and (B) are partial perspective views of a power supply device according to a modification, and (C) is a cross-sectional view of a power supply cable and a hook portion according to the modification. [Figure 14] (A) to (D) are perspective views of a power supply device according to a modification. [Figure 15] (A) and (B) are cross-sectional views of a power supply cable and a hook portion according to a modification. [Figure 16] (A) is a partial perspective view of a power supply device according to a modification, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of a power supply cable and a hook portion according to the same modification.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0020] (First Embodiment) Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a charger C will be described as a power supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the front-rear direction X, the left-right direction Y, and the up-down direction Z indicated by the arrows are linear directions orthogonal to each other.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the charger C includes a housing 1 constituting the charger body, a charging cable (power supply cable) 2, a hook portion 3 that is a cable hook portion, and a holding portion 4 that is a connector holding portion. The charger C charges a battery mounted on an electric vehicle via a charging cable 2 connected to an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle (EV) or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV).

[0022] In this embodiment, the housing 1 is configured to be installed on the wall of a building (not shown). The housing 1 has a front end portion 11 into which the connector 2B can be inserted, and an upper end portion 12 on which a hook portion 3 is provided.

[0023] The charging cable 2 comprises a flexible cable body 2A and a connector 2B that can be connected to an electric vehicle. The cable body 2A is composed of a plurality of wires electrically connected to a power supply device (not shown) provided outside the housing 1, and an electrically insulating sheath covering the plurality of wires. The cable body 2A has a base end 21 (see Figure 2) connected to the housing 1 and a tip end 22 on which the connector 2B is provided. In this embodiment, the base end 21 of the cable body 2A is connected to the left end of the housing 1 (not shown).

[0024] The hook portion 3 is configured to allow the charging cable 2 to be hooked onto it. In this embodiment, the hook portion 3 is made of a molded body having a groove 31. The groove 31 is configured to extend in the left-right direction Y and open upward.

[0025] The retaining portion 4 is configured to hold the connector 2B. In this embodiment, the retaining portion 4 is configured to hold the connector 2B when a part of the connector 2B is inserted into it.

[0026] In this embodiment, the charging cable 2 is marked (identification part) 5 for winding the charging cable 2 to a predetermined winding diameter, and is configured so that the lower end of the charging cable 2 does not come into contact with the ground when the charging cable 2 is hooked onto the hooking part 3 according to the mark 5. The mark 5 is partially attached to the cable body 2A of the charging cable 2 and is attached to the hooking position 23 of the charging cable 2 when the charging cable 2 is wound to a predetermined winding diameter and hooked onto the hooking part 3. That is, the charging cable 2 has at least one hooking position 23 that allows the charging cable 2 to be hooked onto the hooking part 3 without coming into contact with the ground when the holding part 4 is holding the connector 2B, and the mark 5 as an identification part is attached to the hooking position 23 in order to identify the hooking position 23 from the entire cable body 2A.

[0027] In this embodiment, the charging cable 2 has a length such that there is one hooking position 23 on the hooking portion 3, and the length of the mark 5 in the longitudinal direction of the charging cable 2 (hereinafter referred to as the "cable longitudinal direction") is configured to coincide with the length of the hooking position 23. That is, the width of the mark 5 is approximately the same as the length of the groove 31 in the winding direction of the charging cable 2.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the charging cable 2 has a base color portion 24 and a colored portion 25 that constitutes the mark 5, and the base color portion 24 and the colored portion 25 are composed of different colors from each other. In this embodiment, the mark 5 is composed of a predetermined single color; for example, if the base color portion 24 is composed of black, the colored portion 25 that constitutes the mark 5 is composed of red. The mark 5 is composed of, for example, colored tape wrapped around the cable body 2A, or paint applied to the cable body 2A by colored spray.

[0029] After using charger C, the charging cable 2 is put away by hooking mark 5 onto hooking part 3 and inserting connector 2B into holding part 4. In this way, by hooking mark 5 onto hooking part 3, the charging cable 2 is wound to a predetermined diameter so that it does not come into contact with the ground.

[0030] In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The charging cable 2 is marked with a mark 5 to indicate how to wind the charging cable 2 to a predetermined diameter, and is configured so that when the charging cable 2 is hooked onto the hooking part 3 according to the mark 5, the lower end of the charging cable 2 does not come into contact with the ground. With this configuration, when a person putting away the charging cable 2 hooks it onto the hooking part 3, the charging cable 2 is hooked onto the hooking part 3 according to the mark 5, so that the charging cable 2 does not come into contact with the ground. In addition, if the person putting away the charging cable 2 forgets to hook the charging cable 2 onto the hooking part 3, the mark 5 on the charging cable 2 can be seen, which is expected to remind the person to hook the charging cable 2 onto the hooking part 3, thus prompting them to hook the charging cable 2 onto the hooking part 3.

[0031] (2) Mark 5 is attached to the hooking position 23 of the charging cable 2 to the hooking part 3 when the charging cable 2 is wound to a predetermined winding diameter and hooked to the hooking part 3. With this configuration, by hooking the charging cable 2 to the hooking part 3 so that Mark 5 is located on the hooking part 3, the charging cable 2 can be prevented from coming into contact with the ground.

[0032] (Second Embodiment) Referring to Figure 3, a charger C will be described as a power supply according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the charger C has a mark partially affixed to the cable body 2A of the charging cable 2. The description of configurations similar to those in the above embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the mark 5 has the same color as the hook portion 3. Specifically, the hook portion 3 is formed from a material of the same color as the colored portion 25, so that the entire hook portion 3 and the mark 5 (colored portion 25) are composed of the same color.

[0034] In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (3) Mark 5 has the same color as the hook portion 3. With this configuration, the person putting away the charging cable 2 can visually see the colors of the hook portion 3 and Mark 5 and realize that the hook portion 3 and Mark 5 are in a corresponding relationship. Therefore, even if the person putting away the charging cable 2 is unaware that they are supposed to hook the charging cable 2 onto the hook portion 3, it can be effectively encouraged to properly hook the charging cable 2 onto the hook portion 3 so that it does not come into contact with the ground.

[0035] (Third embodiment) Referring to Figures 4 and 5, a charger C will be described as a power supply according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the charger C has a mark partially affixed to the cable body 2A of the charging cable 2. The description of configurations similar to those in the above embodiments will be omitted or simplified.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4(A), the charging cable 2 has two marks 5 spaced apart along its length, and each mark 5 is partially attached in the circumferential direction of the charging cable 2. That is, as shown in Figure 4(B), a cross-sectional view of the charging cable 2 including the marks 5, the base color portion 24 and the colored portion 25 constituting the marks 5 are adjacent in the circumferential direction of one cross-section of the charging cable 2, and the base color portion 24 and the colored portion 25 constitute the entire circumference of one cross-section of the charging cable 2.

[0037] As shown in Figures 5(A) and (B), in this embodiment, the charging cable 2 has a length that allows for two hooking positions 23 on the hooking portion 3. The charging cable 2 is hooked twice on the hooking portion 3 according to the two marks 5, so that the charging cable 2 overlaps in the vertical Z direction at the hooking portion 3. When the charging cable 2 is hooked on the hooking portion 3 in a way that prevents twisting, the colored portion 25 is positioned on the lower end side of the outer circumference of the charging cable 2. That is, the colored portion 25 is provided at the lower ends of the two hooking positions 23.

[0038] After using charger C, the charging cable 2 is put away by hooking each of the two marks 5 onto the hooking part 3 so that the two marks 5 face downwards, and then inserting the connector 2B into the holding part 4. In this way, by hooking the two marks 5 onto the hooking part 3 so that the two marks 5 face downwards, the charging cable 2 is wound to a predetermined diameter so that it does not come into contact with the ground while keeping twisting to a minimum.

[0039] In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (4) Mark 5 is partially attached to the charging cable 2 in the circumferential direction. With this configuration, when the charging cable 2 is hooked onto the hook portion 3 multiple times according to Mark 5, it is expected that the person putting away the charging cable 2 will align the orientation of the colored portion 25, and it is possible to encourage the person to hook the charging cable 2 onto the hook portion 3 properly without twisting it.

[0040] (Fourth Embodiment) Referring to Figure 6, a charger C will be described as a power supply according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the charger C has a mark partially affixed to the cable body 2A of the charging cable 2. The description of configurations similar to those in the above embodiments will be omitted or simplified.

[0041] As shown in Figure 6(A), in this embodiment, the charging cable 2 has two marks 5 spaced apart in the length direction of the cable, and each mark 5 is composed of a first colored portion 25A and a second colored portion 25B, which are made of different colors in the circumferential direction of one cross-section of the charging cable 2. That is, as shown in Figure 6(B), a cross-sectional view of the charging cable 2 including the marks 5, the first colored portion 25A and the second colored portion 25B that constitute the marks 5 are adjacent in the circumferential direction of one cross-section of the charging cable 2, and the colored portions 25A and 25B constitute the entire circumference of one cross-section of the charging cable 2. The base color portion 24 and the colored portions 25A and 25B are made of different colors. For example, if the base color portion 24 is black, the first colored portion 25A is made of red and the second colored portion 25B is made of blue.

[0042] In this embodiment, similar to the third embodiment, the charging cable 2 is hooked twice onto the hooking portion 3 according to the two marks 5, so that the charging cable 2 overlaps in the vertical direction Z at the hooking portion 3. When the charging cable 2 is hooked onto the hooking portion 3 without twisting, the first colored portion 25A is located on the lower end side of the outer circumference of the charging cable 2, and the second colored portion 25B is located on the upper end side of the outer circumference of the charging cable 2. That is, the first colored portion 25A is provided at the lower end of the two hooking positions 23, and the second colored portion 25B is provided at the upper end of the two hooking positions 23.

[0043] After using charger C, the charging cable 2 is put away by hooking each mark 5 onto the hooking part 3 so that the two first colored parts 25A face downwards, and then inserting the connector 2B into the holding part 4. In this way, by hooking the marks 5 onto the hooking part 3 so that the two first colored parts 25A face downwards, the charging cable 2 is wound to a predetermined diameter so that it does not come into contact with the ground while keeping twisting to a minimum.

[0044] In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (5) Mark 5 is composed of a first colored portion 25A and a second colored portion 25B which are colored in different colors in the circumferential direction of the charging cable 2. With this configuration, when the charging cable 2 is hooked onto the hook portion 3 multiple times according to Mark 5, it is expected that the person putting away the charging cable 2 will align the orientation of the first colored portion 25A or the second colored portion 25B, and the same effect as in (4) above can be obtained.

[0045] (Fifth embodiment) Referring to Figure 7, a charger C will be described as a power supply according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the charger C has a mark partially affixed to the cable body 2A of the charging cable 2. The description of configurations similar to those in the above embodiments will be omitted or simplified.

[0046] As shown in Figure 7(A), in this embodiment, mark 5 is composed of three numbers 5A, 5B, and 5C that are spaced apart in the cable length direction. The numbers 5A, 5B, and 5C have continuity according to the order in which they are arranged. In this embodiment, the numbers 5A, 5B, and 5C are Arabic numerals.

[0047] As shown in Figures 7(B) to (D), the number 5A represents the Arabic numeral "1", the number 5B represents the Arabic numeral "2", and the number 5C represents the Arabic numeral "3". In other words, the numbers represented by 5A, 5B, and 5C increase from the base end 21 to the tip end 22 of the charging cable 2. The mark 5, composed of the numbers 5A, 5B, and 5C, is formed, for example, by printing with a laser marker.

[0048] In this embodiment, the charging cable 2 has a length that allows for three hooking positions 23 (see Figure 3) on the hooking portion 3. The three hooking positions 23 are provided with the numbers 5A, 5B, and 5C that constitute the mark 5, and the charging cable 2 is hooked onto the hooking portion 3 three times according to the numbers 5A, 5B, and 5C.

[0049] After using charger C, the charging cable 2 is put away by hooking mark 5 onto the hooking part 3 in the order of numbers 5A, 5B, and 5C, and inserting connector 2B into the holding part 4. In this way, by hooking mark 5 onto the hooking part 3 in the order of numbers 5A, 5B, and 5C, the charging cable 2 is wound up to a predetermined diameter so that it does not come into contact with the ground in an organized state.

[0050] In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (6) Mark 5 is composed of two or more (three in this embodiment) consecutive numbers 5A, 5B, and 5C that are spaced apart in the length direction of the cable. With this configuration, it is expected that the person putting away the charging cable 2 will hook the Mark 5 of the charging cable 2 onto the hook part 3 in the order indicated by the numbers 5A, 5B, and 5C, thereby encouraging the person to hook the charging cable 2 onto the hook part 3 in an organized state.

[0051] (Sixth Embodiment) Referring to Figure 8, a charger C will be described as a power supply according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the charger C has a mark partially affixed to the cable body 2A of the charging cable 2. The description of configurations similar to those in the above embodiments will be omitted or simplified.

[0052] As shown in Figure 8(A), in this embodiment, the charging cable 2 is further marked with a marking 6 indicating the position where the person holding the charging cable 2 should grip it when hooking it onto the hooking portion 3. Specifically, the marking 6 consists of handprint marks 6A and 6B located on either side of the mark 5 in the cable's length direction. The marking 6, consisting of handprint marks 6A and 6B, is formed, for example, by printing with a laser marker.

[0053] As shown in Figures 8(B) and (C), the handprint marks 6A and 6B are marks that mimic the shape of both hands and are provided at a distance from the mark 5 in the direction of the cable length. The handprint mark 6A is provided so as to be located closer to the base end 21 than the mark 5, and the handprint mark 6B is provided so as to be located closer to the tip end 22 than the mark 5.

[0054] In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (7) The charging cable 2 is further marked with a mark 6 indicating the position that the person holding the charging cable 2 should grasp when hooking it onto the hook portion 3. With this configuration, it is expected that the person putting away the charging cable 2 will be able to see the mark 6 and realize that they should grasp the mark 6 when handling the charging cable 2. Therefore, it is possible to effectively encourage the person to grasp the mark 6 on the charging cable 2 and hook the mark 5 on the charging cable 2 onto the hook portion 3.

[0055] (Seventh Embodiment) Referring to Figure 9, a charger C will be described as a power supply according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the charger C has the cable body 2A of the charging cable 2 colored overall. The description of configurations similar to those in the above embodiments will be omitted or simplified.

[0056] As shown in Figure 9, in this embodiment, the charging cable 2 is provided with a colored section 7 for winding the charging cable 2 to a predetermined winding diameter. The colored section 7 is applied to the entire cable body 2A of the charging cable 2 and is composed of a plurality of continuous colored sections 7A, 7B, and 7C in the direction of the cable length. The colored sections 7A, 7B, and 7C are composed of paint applied to the cable body 2A, for example, by a colored spray.

[0057] Adjacent colored sections 7A and 7B have different colors from each other, and similarly, adjacent colored sections 7B and 7C have different colors from each other. Specifically, of the multiple colored sections 7A, 7B, and 7C, the colored section 7A located closest to the base end 21 is composed of, for example, red; the colored section 7B sandwiched between colored sections 7A and 7C is composed of, for example, blue; and the colored section 7C located closest to the tip end 22 is composed of, for example, gray.

[0058] In this embodiment, the charging cable 2 has a length that allows for three hooking positions 23 (see Figure 3) on the hooking portion 3. Parts of the colored sections 7A, 7B, and 7C, which are different colors, are provided at the three hooking positions 23, and the charging cable 2 is hooked onto the hooking portion 3 three times according to the colored sections 7A, 7B, and 7C.

[0059] After using charger C, the charging cable 2 is put away by hooking parts of each colored section 7A, 7B, and 7C onto the hooking section 3 and inserting the connector 2B into the holding section 4. In this way, by hooking parts of each colored section 7A, 7B, and 7C onto the hooking section 3, the charging cable 2 is wound to a predetermined diameter so that it does not come into contact with the ground.

[0060] In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (8) The colored section 7 is composed of multiple colored sections 7A, 7B, and 7C that are continuous in the direction of the cable length, and adjacent colored sections 7A, 7B and colored sections 7B, 7C have different colors from each other. With this configuration, it is expected that each of the colored sections 7A, 7B, and 7C will be hooked onto the hooking section 3, and the charging cable 2 can be hooked onto the hooking section 3 multiple times.

[0061] (Eighth embodiment) Referring to Figure 10, a charger C will be described as a power supply according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the charger C has the cable body 2A of the charging cable 2 colored overall. The description of configurations similar to those in the above embodiments will be omitted or simplified.

[0062] As shown in Figure 10, in this embodiment, the charging cable 2 is provided with a colored section 8 for winding the charging cable 2 to a predetermined winding diameter. The colored section 8 is composed of a plurality of continuous colored sections 8A to 8G in the direction of the cable length. The colored sections 8A to 8G are composed of paint applied to the cable body 2A, for example, by a colored spray.

[0063] Among the colored parts 8A to 8G, adjacent colored parts have different colors from each other. Specifically, colored parts 8B, 8D, and 8F are composed of a color that includes a predetermined first color (e.g., red), while colored parts 8A, 8C, 8E, and 8G are composed of a color that includes another second color (e.g., blue).

[0064] In this embodiment, the colored portion 8 has color-changing portions 81 to 84 in which the color gradually changes along the length of the cable, and the color-changing portions 81 to 84 are composed of at least a part of each colored portion 8A to 8G. Specifically, the color-changing portion 81 is composed of a part of the colored portions 8A and 8B, and has a gradient that changes from red to blue as you move from the colored portion 8B toward the base end 21. The color-changing portion 82 is composed of a part of the colored portion 8B, a part of the colored portion 8C and a part of the colored portion 8D, and has a gradient that changes from red to blue and then to red between the colored portions 8B and 8D. The color-changing portion 83 is composed of a part of the colored portion 8D, a part of the colored portion 8E and a part of the colored portion 8F, and has a gradient that changes from red to blue and then to red between the colored portions 8D and 8F. The color-changing portion 84 is composed of a part of the colored portions 8F and 8G, and has a gradient that changes from red to blue as you move from the colored portion 8F toward the tip end 22.

[0065] In this embodiment, the charging cable 2 has a length such that there are three hooking positions 23 (see Figure 3) for attaching to the hooking portion 3. By attaching the charging cable 2 to the hooking portion 3 three times according to the coloring 8, the color of the overlapping parts of the charging cable 2 is aligned at the hooking portion 3 when the charging cable 2 is wound to a predetermined winding diameter. That is, parts of the colored portions 8B, 8D, and 8F, which are composed of the same hue, are provided at the three hooking positions 23.

[0066] After using charger C, the charging cable 2 is put away by hooking parts of each colored section 8B, 8D, and 8F (parts composed of the same hue) onto the hooking section 3 and inserting the connector 2B into the holding section 4. In this way, by hooking parts of each colored section 8B, 8D, and 8F onto the hooking section 3, the charging cable 2 is wound to a predetermined diameter so as not to come into contact with the ground.

[0067] In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (9) The colored section 8 is composed of a plurality of colored sections 8A to 8G that are continuous in the direction of the cable length, and the colored sections 8A, 8C, 8E, 8G and the colored sections 8B, 8D, 8F have different colors from each other. With this configuration, it is expected that each of the colored sections 8B, 8D, 8F will be hooked onto the hooking section 3, and the charging cable 2 can be hooked onto the hooking section 3 multiple times.

[0068] (Ninth Embodiment) Referring to Figure 11, the charger C will be described as a power supply according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the charger C has a mark partially affixed to the cable body 2A of the charging cable 2. The description of configurations similar to those in the above embodiments will be omitted or simplified.

[0069] As shown in Figure 11, in this embodiment, the charging cable 2 has three marks 5 spaced apart in the cable length direction, and the spacing D1 and D2 between the marks 5 in the cable length direction is unequal. Specifically, the spacing D1 between the two marks 5 located on the base end 21 side is smaller than the spacing D2 between the two marks 5 located on the tip end 22 side.

[0070] In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (10) Because the spacing D1 and D2 between marks 5 in the cable length direction is unequal, when marks 5 are hooked onto the hooking part 3, even if the charging cable 2 overlaps in the vertical direction Z in the groove 31 of the hooking part 3, the position of the lower end of the charging cable 2 hanging from the hooking part 3 can be aligned in the vertical direction Z.

[0071] (Tenth embodiment) Referring to Figure 12, a charger C will be described as a power supply according to the 10th embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the charger C has the cable body 2A of the charging cable 2 colored overall. The description of configurations similar to those in the above embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0072] As shown in Figure 12, in this embodiment, the charging cable 2 is fitted with a colored section 8 composed of multiple colored sections 8A to 8G, and the lengths L1 and L2 of adjacent colored sections 82 and 83 in the cable length direction are unequal. Specifically, the length L1 of the colored section 82 provided on the base end 21 side is shorter than the length L2 of the colored section 83 provided on the tip end 22 side.

[0073] In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (11) Because the lengths L1 and L2 of the discolored portions 82 and 83 in the cable length direction are unequal, when the colored portions 8B and 8D are hooked onto the hook portion 3, even if the charging cable 2 overlaps in the vertical direction Z in the groove 31 of the hook portion 3, the position of the lower end of the charging cable 2 hanging from the hook portion 3 can be aligned in the vertical direction Z.

[0074] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the above configuration can be modified. For example, the above embodiments can be implemented in combination, modified as follows, and the following modifications can be combined.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the charging cable 2 has a length such that there are 1 to 3 hooking positions 23 (see Figure 3) on the hooking portion 3, but it may also have a length such that there are 4 or more hooking positions 23. In other words, the number of hooking positions 23 described in each embodiment is not limited to the number described in each embodiment, but can be any number. Furthermore, the configuration of the marks 5 or the colors 7 and 8 may be appropriately changed depending on the number of times the charging cable 2 is hooked onto the hooking portion 3.

[0076] In the first and second embodiments, the width of the mark 5 in the cable length direction is configured to match the length of the hooking position 23, but as shown in Figure 13(A), it may be smaller than the length of the hooking position 23. In other words, the size of the mark 5 may be changed as appropriate.

[0077] In the second embodiment, the entire hook portion 3 is made of the same color as the mark 5 (colored portion 25), but as shown in Figure 13(B), a part of the hook portion 3 may be made of the same color as the mark 5. In Figure 13(B), the part of the hook portion 3 made of the same color as the mark 5 is made to match the width of the mark 5 in the cable length direction. Also, the groove 31 may not be made of the same color as the mark 5, and only the front surface of the hook portion 3 may be made of the same color as the mark 5.

[0078] As shown in Figure 13(C), the charging cable 2 may be hooked onto the hooking portion 3 multiple times so that the charging cable 2 is aligned in the front-to-back direction X (horizontal direction) at the hooking portion 3. In this case, as shown in Figure 13(C), when the charging cable 2 is hooked onto the hooking portion 3 in a state where it is not twisted, the first colored portion 25A of the fourth embodiment may be provided at the front end of the hooking position 23, and the second colored portion 25B of the fourth embodiment may be provided at the rear end of the hooking position 23. Similarly, the colored portion 25 of the third embodiment may be provided at the front or rear end of the hooking position 23.

[0079] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13(C), when the charging cables 2 are arranged in the front-to-back direction X (horizontal direction) at the hook portion 3, it is preferable that the spacing D1 and D2 of the marks 5 (see Figure 11) be equal, and that the lengths L1 and L2 of the discolored portions 82 and 83 (see Figure 12) be equal, from the viewpoint of keeping the winding diameter of the charging cables 2 constant.

[0080] In the fifth embodiment, the numbers represented by the digits 5A, 5B, and 5C increase from the base end 21 to the tip end 22 of the charging cable 2, but they may also increase from the tip end 22 to the base end 21. Also, in the fifth embodiment, the mark 5 is composed of the digits 5A, 5B, and 5C, which are continuous Arabic numerals, but it may also be composed of alphabets such as "A", "B", and "C", or other symbols, letters, numbers, or figures. Furthermore, in the fifth embodiment, the mark 5 is formed by printing with a laser marker, but it may also be formed by any existing method such as printing with paint or attaching a sticker.

[0081] In the sixth embodiment, the marking 6 is composed of handprint marks 6A and 6B, but it may also be composed of words or messages such as "right hand" and "left hand," "GRIP," "GRIP here," and "holding part," or other symbols or figures. Also, in the sixth embodiment, the marking 6 is formed by printing with a laser marker, but it may also be formed by any existing method such as printing with paint or attaching a sticker.

[0082] In the first to fourth, sixth, and ninth embodiments, the mark 5 is composed of a colored tape wrapped around the cable body 2A, or paint applied to the cable body 2A by colored spray. However, it may also be composed of any existing method such as printing with paint, applying a sticker, or covering with a tube. Furthermore, there are no restrictions on the choice of color, and any color may be applied.

[0083] In the seventh embodiment, the lengths of the multiple colored sections 7A, 7B, and 7C that are continuous in the cable length direction of the charging cable 2 are unequal, but the lengths of adjacent colored sections in the cable length direction may be equal.

[0084] In the seventh, eighth, and tenth embodiments, the colored parts 7, 8 and colored sections 8A to 8G are composed of paint applied to the cable body 2A by colored spray, but they may also be composed of any existing method, such as covering the cable surface with colored tubes. Furthermore, there are no restrictions on the selection of colors, and they may be composed of any colors.

[0085] In the ninth embodiment, the spacing D1 between the two marks 5 on the base end 21 side is configured to be smaller than the spacing D2 between the two marks 5 on the tip end 22 side, but it may also be configured to be larger. Furthermore, if the charging cable 2 has four or more marks 5, it is preferable that the spacing between the marks 5 gradually increases from one end (base end 21) to the other (tip end 22).

[0086] In the tenth embodiment, the length L1 of the discolored portion 82 provided on the base end 21 side is configured to be shorter than the length L2 of the discolored portion 82 provided on the tip end 22 side, but it may also be configured to be longer. Furthermore, if the coloring applied to the charging cable 2 has three or more discolored portions, it is preferable that the length of the discolored portions increases in stages from one end 21 and the other towards the other.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the housing 1 is configured to be installed on the wall of a building, but as shown in Figure 14(A) or (D), it may also be configured to be installed on the ground. In other words, the housing 1 may be wall-mountable or ground-mountable.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the hook portion 3 is provided on the upper end portion 12 of the housing 1, but as shown in Figure 14(B), it may also be provided on at least one of the right end portion 13 and left end portion of the housing 1, or as shown in Figure 14(C), it may be provided on the lower end portion 14 of the housing 1. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14(D), the hook portion 3 may be composed of a front end portion 11 that protrudes forward from the housing 1. In other words, the arrangement and shape of the hook portion 3 may be changed as appropriate.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the hook portion 3 is made of a molded body having one groove 31, but the "hook portion" of the present invention is not limited to this and may have two or more grooves. For example, as shown in Figure 15(A), the hook portion 3 may have multiple grooves 31A, 31B flanking the protrusion 32. Also, for example, as shown in Figure 15(B), the hook portion 3 may have a dividing member 33 such as a screen or partition that divides one groove 31. With these configurations, it is expected that the charging cable 2 will be hooked onto the hook portion 3 multiple times, and the charging cable 2 will be neatly hooked onto the hook portion 3 without overlapping in the front-to-back direction X.

[0090] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 16(A) and (B), it is preferable that the multiple grooves 31A and 31B constituting the hook portion 3 have different colors from each other, and that each of the grooves 31A and 31B has the same color as the multiple "identification parts" or "colored parts". In this case, it is expected that the correspondence between the charging cable 2 and the hook portion 3, such as the position and order in which the charging cable 2 is hooked onto the hook portion 3, can be perceived more clearly. In Figure 16, the grooves 31A and 31B are color-coded by combining multiple molded bodies 3A and 3B of different colors to constitute the hook portion 3, but the grooves 31A and 31B may also be color-coded by changing the coloring pattern on the surface of the molded bodies constituting the hook portion 3. Alternatively, the groove 31 shown in Figure 15(B) may be colored such that the color changes with the dividing member 33 as the boundary.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the "power supply device" of the present invention is described using a charger C that supplies power (charges the battery) to a battery mounted on an electric vehicle via a charging cable 2 (power supply cable) connected to the electric vehicle as an example. However, the "power supply device" of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a discharger that discharges the battery of an electric vehicle via a power supply cable and supplies power to an external device, or a charger / discharger capable of doing both. In other words, the power supply device only needs to have a power supply cable with a connector that can be connected to an electric vehicle and to exchange power with the battery of the electric vehicle.

[0092] In the above embodiment, when putting away the charging cable 2, which is the power supply cable, it does not matter which of the following steps is performed first: hooking the charging cable 2 onto the hooking part 3 or inserting the connector 2B into the holding part 4.

[0093] In the above embodiment, the "identification part" of the present invention is described using marks such as coloring, symbols, letters, numbers, or figures as examples, but the "identification part" of the present invention is not limited to these and may be constructed by changing the diameter or material of the cable, surface processing such as roughening, forming or attaching protrusions, etc. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0094] C Charger (power supply device) 1 cabinet 2. Charging cable (power supply cable) 2A Cable Body 2B connector 3. Hook part 4 Holding part 5. Mark (Identification part) 5A,5B,5C numbers 6 Signs 6A, 6B Promissory note mark 7 Coloring 7A,7B,7C Colored section 8 Coloring 8A,8B,8C,8D,8E,8F,8G Colored part 21 Proximal end 22 Tip 23. Hooking position 24 Base color part 25 Coloring section 25A 1st colored section 25B 2nd colored section 81, 82, 83, 84 Discolored areas

Claims

1. A power supply device that exchanges power with the battery of an electric vehicle, A power supply cable having a connector that can be connected to the electric vehicle, It includes a hook portion on which the aforementioned power supply cable can be hooked, The power supply cable is provided with an identification mark or color mark to indicate that the power supply cable will be wound to a predetermined winding diameter. When the power supply cable is hooked onto the hook according to the identification part or the coloring, the lower end of the power supply cable is configured not to come into contact with the ground. A power supply characterized by the following features.

2. The identification unit is attached to the hooking position of the power supply cable when the power supply cable is wound to a predetermined winding diameter and hooked onto the hooking unit. The power supply according to feature 1.

3. The identification portion has the same color as at least a portion of the hook portion. The power supply according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the features described above.

4. The identification portion is partially attached to the power supply cable in the circumferential direction. The power supply according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the features described above.

5. The identification portion is composed of a first colored portion and a second colored portion that are colored with different colors in the circumferential direction of the power supply cable. The power supply according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the features described above.

6. The identification unit is configured to include two or more continuous symbols, letters, numbers, or figures that are spaced apart along the length of the power supply cable. The power supply according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the features described above.

7. The power supply cable is further marked with a position indicating where the person holding the power supply cable should grip it when attaching it to the hook. The power supply according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the features described above.

8. The aforementioned coloring is composed of a plurality of colored sections that are continuous along the length of the power supply cable, and adjacent colored sections have different colors from each other. The power supply according to feature 1.

9. The identification units are provided in groups of three or more, spaced apart along the length of the power supply cable. At least two of the intervals between the identification portions in the longitudinal direction are unequal. The power supply according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the features described above.

10. The aforementioned coloring has two or more color-changing portions in which the color changes from a predetermined first color to the first color via another second color, At least two of the lengths of the discolored portions are of unequal length. The power supply according to claim 1 or 8, characterized by the above.

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