EV Charging Cable Reel Control to Prevent Tangling and Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicle charging cables are difficult to mount and store, leading to potential damage and environmental contamination, especially for fast chargers with expensive and thick cables.
Innovation Solution
A charging device with a cable wheel and driver system that automatically winds and unwinds the cable, using sensors and a processor to control the rotation and prevent entanglement, allowing for convenient storage and extension of the cable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the cable is made longer to accommodate the distance between the charger and vehicle, then the charging coverage is improved, but the cable becomes difficult to store and more prone to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The cable wheel is designed to rotate dynamically, allowing the cable to be wound during storage and unwound during charging. This dynamic mechanism transforms the static storage problem into a controlled dynamic process, enabling the long cable to be compactly stored on the rotating wheel while maintaining full length for charging operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the spatial arrangement parameter of the cable by winding it around the cable wheel. This parameter change transforms the cable from an extended linear form (prone to damage and hard to store) to a compact circular form on the wheel, effectively resolving the storage convenience issue while preserving the full cable length.
2Ease of operation
If the cable is wound around the cable wheel during rotation, then the cable storage is improved, but cable entanglement may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The cable guide acts as an intermediary component between the cable wheel and the cable. It ensures the cable is guided properly onto the wheel surface during rotation, preventing random winding and entanglement. The cable guide maintains controlled contact points, ensuring the cable winds in an organized manner that prevents entanglement while enabling effective storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable guide performs preliminary action by directing the cable onto the cable wheel before the winding process completes. This preliminary guidance ensures the cable starts winding in the correct position and maintains proper alignment throughout the rotation, preventing entanglement from the outset rather than correcting it afterward.
3Ease of operation
If the cable is left outside the charger when not in use, then accessibility is improved, but cable damage and environmental contamination occur
Solution Approach 1:
The charging device provides self-service by automatically winding the cable onto the cable wheel through the driver system. This eliminates the need for manual cable handling and storage by users, ensuring the cable is consistently and properly stored in the charger after each use, thereby preventing damage and contamination while maintaining full accessibility during charging operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The driver system performs preliminary action by automatically initiating the cable winding process as soon as charging completes or the cable is no longer needed. This preliminary automatic storage action ensures the cable is retrieved and stored before it can be exposed to environmental contamination or physical damage, eliminating the need for user intervention while protecting the cable.
Data Source
AI summary
In embodiments, there is provided a charging device with a cable. The charging device with the cable includes: a cable wheel connected to one end of the cable by a connecting portion; and a driver configured to rotate the cable wheel such that at least a portion of the cable winds around the cable wheel and prevent entanglement of the cable caused by the rotation.