EV Charger Cable Support Arm With Reduced Deployment Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery electric vehicle (BEV) charging systems lack ease of use, particularly in transitioning from fuel pumps to stationary vehicle battery chargers, with springs in cable management assemblies applying force that grows swiftly as the arm is deployed, increasing user effort.
Innovation Solution
A charging cable management assembly with a cable support arm and spring system that applies varying return forces based on arm position, minimizing user effort by maintaining a steady or decreasing force as the arm is deployed, featuring a lever arm and connector to manage spring biasing, allowing self-return to a home position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a spring is used to provide return biasing force to the cable support arm, then the cable support arm can automatically return to its home position, but the return force increases swiftly as the arm is deployed, increasing user effort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of spring force application by introducing a lever arm mechanism. The spring remains compressed at a constant rate, but the lever arm transforms this into a varying return force that decreases as the cable support arm deploys. This parameter transformation resolves the contradiction by maintaining automatic return capability while reducing user effort during deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever arm acts as an intermediary between the spring and the cable support arm. Instead of the spring directly applying force to the arm, the lever arm mediates this interaction, translating the constant spring compression into a position-dependent return force that benefits the user during cable deployment.
2Reliability
If the spring is compressed to provide return force, then the cable support arm returns to home position, but the force grows swiftly with deployment extent, increasing difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the parameter relationship between spring compression and return force. The spring maintains constant compression (reliable automatic return), while the lever arm converts this into a return force that decreases with deployment extent, reducing user effort. This parameter transformation resolves the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever arm serves as a mediator that decouples the spring's constant force generation from the cable support arm's movement. This intermediary mechanism ensures the spring always provides sufficient return force for automatic return, while simultaneously reducing the force required by the user during deployment.
3Device complexity
If a traditional spring system is used, then the structure is simple, but the return force increases with deployment, reducing ease of use
Solution Approach 1:
The lever arm is introduced as a relatively simple intermediary component between the spring and cable support arm. This adds minimal structural complexity while dramatically improving ease of operation by transforming the force characteristics to decrease user effort during cable deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the force transmission path into two distinct functions: the spring handles constant force generation, while the lever arm handles force transformation. This segmentation allows each component to be simple in its own right while collectively providing superior ease of operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The assembly reduces user effort during cable manipulation by maintaining a consistent or decreasing return force, facilitating easy deployment and return of the charging cable, suitable for various BEV types and charge port locations.
Implementation Method 1
The spring exerts a return biasing force to the cable support arm. During use, when the cable support arm is moved a first extent from its home position, a first return force is applied at the cable support arm by way of the return biasing force of the spring.
Data Source
AI summary
A charging cable management assembly can be part of a stationary vehicle battery charger for furnishing charge to vehicle batteries of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), as an example application. In an implementation, the charging cable management assembly has a cable support arm and a spring. The cable support arm moves about a pivot relative to an associated stationary vehicle battery charger during use. The cable support arm can move between a home position and a fully deployed position, as well as to less-than-fully deployed positions therebetween. The spring exerts a return biasing force to the cable support arm for bringing the cable support arm back to its home position after deployment and for keeping it there.