EV Charger Enclosure With Retracting Cable Floor Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery chargers for electric vehicles are often left hanging or misplaced, exposed to dirt and water, and organizing multiple chargers is challenging, especially for families with multiple vehicles.
Innovation Solution
An enclosure with a retracting mechanism, such as a badge reel, secures the charging cable to a wall near an outlet, featuring a coupler that connects to the charging cable and includes a charging cable channel with bends to prevent contact with the floor and facilitate organization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the charging cable is left hanging or placed on the floor, then it is easily accessible, but it contacts the floor and is exposed to dirt and water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a retractable cable management system with a coupler as an intermediary device between the charging cable and the floor environment. The coupler with its curved channel guides the cable through an elevated path, preventing direct contact with the floor while maintaining controlled accessibility. This mediator structure solves the contradiction by providing a protective interface that keeps the cable away from harmful factors on the floor.
2Productivity
If multiple battery chargers are organized near the outlet, then they can be charged simultaneously, but they still end up on the floor or misplaced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal wall-mounted enclosure system that can accommodate multiple battery chargers simultaneously. The standardized enclosure with integrated retractable cable management serves multiple functions: housing the charger, managing the cable, and maintaining organized placement. This multi-functional design ensures that even with multiple chargers, each unit maintains its organized position without ending up on the floor or misplaced.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the charging cable is retracted when not in use, then it is kept off the floor and organized, but it requires a retracting mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where the charging cable is contained within a retractable mechanism that is itself housed within the wall-mounted enclosure. The coupler with curved channel is nested within the enclosure structure. This nested arrangement achieves floor contact prevention through retraction while minimizing overall complexity by integrating all components within a single wall-mounted unit rather than adding separate external mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Enclosures for battery chargers for individual EVs are provided. An enclosure can be configured to house a battery charger and can be secured to a wall near an outlet or other source of electricity. The enclosure can include a retracting mechanism such as a badge reel that can be secured to the charging cable of the battery charger to prevent the charging cable from contacting the floor when not connected to the individual EV. A coupler may be secured to the retracting mechanism and may be configured to easily couple to charging cables of various diameters in a non-slip manner.