Vehicle Battery Charger Cable Storage Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle battery chargers face issues with cable management and storage, leading to tangling, loss, and potential damage, which can affect the quality and safety of the charging process.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle battery charger design featuring a base unit with a compartment for storing the charging cable and terminal clamps, along with a channel for the grid power cable, and a hinged cover for secure storage, ensuring the cables and clamps are kept organized and protected when not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple cables and terminal clamps are stored without a dedicated storage structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the cables become tangled or lost and may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into distinct functional zones: a compartment for the charging cable and terminal clamps, a channel for the grid power cable, and a covering for closure. This segmentation allows each cable type to be stored in its designated area, preventing tangling while maintaining overall system simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal clamps are received by pegs mounted within the compartment, creating a nested arrangement where smaller components (clamps) are stored within the larger compartment structure. The covering then encloses the entire compartment, creating multiple levels of containment that organize cables without adding external complexity
2Reliability
If cables are stored without protection, then the storage structure is simpler, but the cables may be damaged affecting charging quality and safety
Solution Approach 1:
The covering is configured to secure over the compartment before the charging operation begins, providing preliminary protection to the cables and clamps. This preliminary protective action prevents damage during storage and transport, ensuring reliability without requiring complex protective mechanisms during the actual charging process
Solution Approach 2:
The covering acts as a flexible protective shell that encloses the compartment containing the cables and clamps. This thin-film approach provides protection against damage while adding minimal structural complexity to the overall device
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle battery charger including a base unit configured to store various cables and clamps are provided. A battery charging cable and pair of battery terminal clamps coupled to the charging cable may be stored in a compartment formed in the base unit when not in use, the clamps secured to pegs mounted within the compartment and a cover closing over the compartment. A grid power cable that provides electrical power to the battery charger may be wrapped around a channel formed in the base unit and secured in the channel with a retainer when not in use.