Foundation and cover assembly for installation of an electric vehicle charging station

Abstract

The invention presents a foundation (1) and cover (2) assembly for installing an EV charging station, wherein the foundation (1) is a hollow body with an open upper base, and the cover (2) replaces the missing upper base of the foundation (1) in the folded state of the assembly. The foundation (1) is provided with a drain hole (3) for collecting water flowing into the interior of the foundation (1), and the foundation (1) is further provided with cable holes (4) to allow cables to be inserted therein. The cover (2) is reinforced with reinforcing beams (5) to safely support the charging station installed thereon. The cover (2) is provided with an installation hole (6) for the cables to pass from the inside of the base (1) to the base of the charging station.

Description

[0001] Foundation and cover assembly for installation of an electric vehicle charging station

[0002] Area of technology

[0003] The invention relates to a foundation and cover assembly for installing an electric vehicle charging station at a given location.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] A wide variety of types of charging stations are currently being installed to recharge electric vehicles. The common denominator of charging stations is that they are characterised by legislation as a structure that must be mounted on a stable and durable foundation that forms the supporting structure connecting the charging station to the ground. The foundations of charging stations must be stable in the ground, have sufficient load-bearing capacity, and allow the electrical wires to be brought to the base of the charging station to avoid exposing the electrical cables.

[0006] At present, foundations for charging stations are concreted according to the type of charging station to be installed, with an electric cable protector running through the foundation, which the electric cable will pass through during cabling. The electrical cable protector is usually encased in concrete in the foundation, so it is a permanent solution. This is disadvantageous if the power of the charging station is to be increased over time, or the type of charging station installed is changed, due to the fact that often the diameter of the protector is not sufficient for the required number and size of electrical cables for a newer and more powerful charging station. The foundation then has to be demolished and another one built.

[0007] The second disadvantage is that the charging station stands on the horizontal surface of the foundation, with the protector extending from the foundation to the base of the charging station. However, many recharging stations have a different base, so that when the recharging site is upgraded and the associated recharging station is replaced, the foot of the new recharging station does not reflect the electrical cable outlet layout of the previous recharging station. This results in the foundation having to be demolished and rebuilt. Prefabricated foundations are known from charging station manufacturers which correspond in shape to the foot of their assigned stations, but these foundations suffer from the above- mentioned deficiency. Once the charging station is replaced by another one from a different manufacturer, the new stations do not fit on the prefabricated foundation and the prefabricated foundations have to be removed from the ground. This is difficult and expensive. Charging station operators need to waste as little time and money as possible on service work.

[0008] The object of the invention is to provide a foundation and cover assembly for the installation of an electric vehicle charging station, the foundation of which would be in the ground indefinitely, regardless of the type of charging station carried and its manufacturer, the cover of which would be easily replaceable according to the type of newly installed charging station, and the cover and foundation assembly would meet all the requirements for stability, load capacity and safety.

[0009] The essence of the invention

[0010] The set up task is solved by creating a foundation and cover assembly for the installation of an electric vehicle charging station according to the invention described below.

[0011] The foundation and cover assembly for installing an electric vehicle charging station comprises a foundation for fixing the electric vehicle charging station in the ground, and a cover for enclosing the foundation and for carrying the charging station.

[0012] The essence of the invention is that the foundation comprises a hollow body, the lower base of which exhibits at least one drain hole for water to flow out of the foundation, the upper base of which is open, and at least one wall of which is provided with at least one cable opening for passage of electrical cables into the foundation. Advantages provided by the foundation include sufficient space for electrical cables within the foundation. It is possible to store a longer section of cable in the foundation for future reserve, or it is possible to store cable in the foundation until it is time to install the charging station. The cable does not protrude above the foundation, so it does not attract thieves. It is also advantageous that there is plenty of room for a working operation where the end of the cable is fitted with a coupling that changes its diameter to make it compatible with the new charging station without having to change the whole cable. A hole at the bottom of the base allows water that might enter the foundation to seep in, whether it is rainwater running in or water seeping in from around the foundation through the cable holes. This protects the electrical part from flooding. Cable holes in the sides of the foundation allow the electrical cables stored in the protectors to be fed in from different directions and in the required number.

[0013] Further, the essence of the invention is that the cover is formed by a plate having the shape of the upper base of the foundation, wherein the cover is provided with at least one reinforcing beam arranged towards the lower side of the cover. At the same time, the cover is provided with at least one installation opening for passage of electrical cables to the foot of the charging station, and the cover is further provided with at least one fixing means for fixing the foot of the charging station to the cover. The cover encloses the open foundation and, when the assembly is folded, becomes a removable upper base of the foundation. Advantageously, the reinforcing beams increase the load capacity of the cover so that the cover does not bend even under the heaviest of charging stations. Any number of installation holes can be made in the cover so that the cover can be adapted to any charging station. If the type of charging station at a location is completely changed, the entire cover is replaced without having to redo the foundation in any way. To ensure that the charging station is firmly connected to the cover in a single body, the cover is fitted with a fixing element that creates a disassemble-able, solid connection to the foot of the charging station.

[0014] Last but not least, the essence of the inventive assembly lies in the fact that the foundation is provided with a groove in the region of the upper base for the cover reinforcement beam. The grooves and the reinforcing beams form essentially a locking mechanism which prevents the cover, when placed on the base, from shifting or rotating. The inventive assembly, when folded, is stable, safe and, thanks to the possibility of replacing the cover in an instant, also universal for all existing and future types of electric vehicle charging stations. In a preferred embodiment of the inventive assembly, the foundation is provided with at least one fixing hole in the upper base area and the cover is provided with at least one hole lying above the fixing hole of the foundation in the folded state of the foundation and cover assembly. This is an advantageous solution in the sense of a disassemble-able fixed connection of the cover and the foundation into a single body.

[0015] The inventive assembly advantageously complements the existing state of the art with the possibility of building a single universal foundation, on which only the cover corresponding in its installation holes to the intended charging station is changed. The charging station operator does not have to rebuild the foundation every time the hardware is replaced. They simply replace the cover in the invented assembly and install the charging station. In addition, the cover is usable at other locations or can be recycled without unnecessary waste. If the operator does not want a recharging station in place and at the same time does not want to cancel the foundation, he can temporarily cover the foundation with a full fully buried cover. Another significant advantage is that when a new site for charging electric vehicles is implemented, the invented assembly can be can be installed in a single day, which is a great time saving compared to the well-known concrete foundation, which requires time on the order of days for the concrete to mature to the required load-bearing capacity.

[0016] Clarification of drawings

[0017] The said invention will be explained in more detail in the following illustrations, where:

[0018] Fig. 1 shows, in the top view, separately the foundation according to the inventive assembly, Fig. 2 shows in side view a central section through a separate foundation according to the inventive assembly,

[0019] Fig. 3 shows the separate lid according to the inventive assembly in a variant for the charging station A in the bottom view,

[0020] Fig. 4 shows in side view a central section of the separate cover according to the inventive assembly for charging station A,

[0021] Fig. 5 shows the separate cover according to the inventive assembly in a bottom view for charging station B,

[0022] Fig. 6 shows in side view a central section of the separate cover according to the inventive assembly for charging station B,

[0023] Fig. 7 shows, in a bottom view, the separate cover according to the inventive assembly in the variant for charging station C,

[0024] Fig. 8 shows in side view a central section of the separate cover according to the inventive assembly for charging station C. Example of the implementation of an invention

[0025] It is understood that the specific embodiments of the invention described and illustrated below are presented for purposes of illustration and not as a limitation of the invention to the examples provided. Those skilled in the art will find or be able to provide, using routine experimentation, a greater or lesser number of equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein.

[0026] The first part of the invented assembly is the foundation E Foundation 1 is usually made of reinforced concrete, but other materials having sufficient durability and load-bearing capacity or their combinations, e.g. plastics, metals, alloys, ceramics, etc. However, reinforced concrete is the most economically advantageous.

[0027] The shape of the foundation 1 is optional, the most common representative of the shape is a cube, a block, but it is also possible to create a cylindrical shape or other specific shapes according to the specific requirements of the customer of the invented assembly. It is important that the foundation 1 has an open horizontal upper base for mounting the cover 2.

[0028] The foundation 1 must have at least one drain hole 3 formed at its bottom, i.e. in the lower base. In Figures 1 and 2, one larger square drain hole 3 is formed, but it is possible to form more small drain holes 3. Further, the foundation 1 is provided with at least one cable hole 4. In the illustrated example embodiment in Figure 2 of the cube-shaped foundation 1_, three cable openings 4 are shown, as the remaining fourth cable opening 4 is not shown in the cross-section for the sake of illustration. Each of the four walls of the cube-shaped foundation 1 has its own cable opening 4. The skilled person may design different variations of cable openings 4 and walls, e.g. cable openings 4 only on selected walls of the foundation 1_, different numbers of cable openings 4 for each wall of the foundation 1_, different diameters of cable openings 4, etc. Variability is an advantage of the inventive foundation E

[0029] The foundation 1 has grooves 8 formed at the end of its walls in the region of the upper base to accommodate the cover 2 and its reinforcing beams 5, respectively, see Figures 1 and 2. Some of the grooves 8 may be spare, should the cover 2 be replaced over time, so as to engage the reinforcing beams 5 having a different layout. Furthermore, the foundation 1 may have fixing holes 9 at the end of its walls in the region of the upper base, see Figure 2, for example provided with threads, for removable fixed connection of the cover 2 to the foundation 1 by screws. Alternatively, the fixing holes 9 may be used for anchoring threaded rods, etc. The skilled person may devise a variety of alternatives for forming a demountable fixed connection between the foundation 1 and the cover 2.

[0030] Cover 2 is formed from sheet metal, ideally stainless steel, but cover-coated steels or alloys and other metals are acceptable. Strength and durability are important. The load-bearing capacity of the cover 2 is improved by welding reinforcing beams 5 to the underside of the cover 2.

[0031] The reinforcing beams 5 are arranged on the underside of the cover 2 in such a way that they do not interfere with the installation holes 6, the fixing elements 7 and the holes 10, which will be discussed further below. The reinforcing beams 5 are profiles, e.g. a steel beam, an "I" beam, etc.

[0032] The installation hole 6, or installation holes 6, are implemented on the cover 2 according to the type of charging station for which the cover 2 is intended. Each charging station has a different requirement for the routing of the electrical cables from the foundation 1_, and for the positioning of the fixing elements 7.

[0033] In the illustrated examples of embodiments of the invention, the fixing means 7 are welded nuts for bolting the base of the charging station to the cover 2. The skilled person can select an alternative solution for the disassembled fixed connection from a wide range of fasteners.

[0034] Holes 10 may be provided on the cover 2 for means of rigidly connecting the cover 2 to the foundation via the fixing holes 9 of the foundation E

[0035] The use of the invented assembly on the site is very simple. A hole is dug in the ground large enough for the foundation E A gravel bed is compacted at the bottom of the hole in the ground to create a stable bottom of the hole in the ground and to allow water to seep out. In the hole in the ground, the foundation 1 is placed on top of the compacted gravel bed. Electrical cables are brought to the foundation 1 and passed through at least some of the cable holes 4 to the inside of the foundation E The cover 2 fits with its reinforcing beams 5 into the grooves 8 of the foundation 1_, the cover 2 is fixed by means of screws passing through the holes 10 into the fixing holes 9. Once the cover 2 and the base 1 form one solid assembly, the electrical cables are led into the foot of the charging station and the charging station is screwed to the cover 2 by means of screws passing through the foot of the charging station and into the fixing means 7 of the cover 2.

[0036] If the type of charging station needs to be changed, the invention enables a very simple procedure. The original charging station is removed, the cover 2 is removed, the new cover 2 is fitted according to the new charging station, the new charging station is installed. There is no need to work with the foundation 1 at all, so the whole replacement operation is very quick and inexpensive. If the new charging station requires a different diameter of electrical cables, the cavity of the foundation 1 provides enough space to install and store the electrical cable reducer.

[0037] Figures 3 and 4 show cover 2 for charging station type A. Since actual product names are not allowed in applications for the invention, the designation of the charging stations is simplified to distinguish them. Figures 5 and 6 show the cover 2 for type B charging station. Figures 7 and 8 show a cover 2 for a type of charging station C.

[0038] Looking at Figures 3 to 8, it is apparent that the covers 2 differ in the layout of the installation holes 6, the layout of the fixing elements 7 and, in part, the layout of the reinforcing beams 5.

[0039] A full cover 2 is contemplated, which does not serve to install the charging station but to temporarily blank the foundation L

[0040] According to the requirements of the various types of known and future charging stations, the skilled person is able to design the covers 2 for them with a particular arrangement of the reinforcing beams 5, the installation holes 6 and the fixing elements 7.

[0041] Industrial applicability

[0042] The foundation and cover assembly formed according to the invention finds application in the construction of new electric vehicle charging locations, but also in the retrofitting of existing electric vehicle charging locations. Overview of relationship tags

[0043] 1 foundation

[0044] 2 cover

[0045] 3 drain hole

[0046] 4 cable hole

[0047] 5 reinforcing beam

[0048] 6 installation hole

[0049] 7 fixing element

[0050] 8 groove

[0051] 9 fixing hole

[0052] 10 hole

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS1. An assembly of a foundation (1) and a cover (2) for installing a charging station for electric vehicles, comprising the foundation (1) for fixing into the ground and the cover (2) for enclosing the foundation and for carrying the charging station, wherein the foundation (1) comprises a hollow body, having a lower base having at least one drain hole (3) for water to flow out of the foundation (1), the upper base of which is open and at least one wall of which has at least one cable hole (4) for the passage of electrical cables into the foundation (1), that the cover (2) comprises a plate having the shape of the upper base of the foundation (1), that the cover (2) is provided with at least one reinforcing beam (5) arranged towards the underside of the cover (2), that the cover (2) is provided with at least one installation hole (6) for the passage of electrical cables, that the cover (2) is provided with at least one fixing element (7) for fixing the charging station to the cover (2), wherein the foundation (1) is provided with a groove (8) in the area of the upper base for the fixing beam (5) of the cover (2).

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the foundation (1) is provided with at least one fixation hole (9) in the upper base region and the cover (2) is provided with at least one hole (10) lying above the fixation hole (9) of the foundation (1) in the folded state of the assembly of the foundation (1) and the cover (2).

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