EV Charging Cable Reel with Interlocking Cap and Plug
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for reeling electric vehicle charging cables face safety risks due to exposed high-voltage connectors and ergonomic issues, such as soiling and cable tangling, particularly at high voltage levels like 400 volts.
Innovation Solution
A device with a housing containing a reel for the cable, where the plug is connected via a flexible link to a cap that can close the housing opening, featuring gripping means for safe extraction and a handle for ergonomic handling, along with a support that guides and stops the cable, and a mechanism for automatic winding and unwinding without twisting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the plug is made accessible through a hatch for ergonomic handling, then the user can easily grasp the plug, but the exposed male connectors pose a significant risk of electrocution
Solution Approach 1:
A cap is introduced as an intermediary component between the housing and the plug. The cap covers the male connectors when not in use, preventing direct contact and electrocution risk. The cap is connected to the plug via a flexible link, allowing it to move with the plug while maintaining coverage. This intermediary element resolves the contradiction by enabling safe access to the plug without exposing the hazardous connectors.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is segmented into distinct functional components: the housing, the cap, the flexible link, and the plug. The cap can be separated from the housing opening while remaining connected to the plug, allowing independent movement and coverage. This segmentation enables the cap to protect the connectors while the plug remains accessible for operation.
2Power
If a large-diameter charging cable is used for maximum charging power, then the cable can handle high power requirements, but the cable drags on the ground and gets dirty
Solution Approach 1:
The plug and cap assembly is extracted from the housing through the opening, allowing the cable to be paid out in a controlled manner. The cap remains connected to the plug via the flexible link, ensuring that even when the cable is extended for charging, the connectors remain covered and protected from soiling. This extraction mechanism allows high-power cable deployment without ground contact.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the plug is kept inside the housing for safety, then the connectors are protected from contact, but the user cannot easily access the plug for charging
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is designed to be dynamic rather than static. It is connected to the plug via a flexible link that allows the cap to move with the plug as it is extended from the housing. When the plug is pulled out for charging, the cap follows along, maintaining coverage of the connectors. This dynamic design ensures both safety protection and ease of operation.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5a~5c
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device for unwinding an electrical cable contained within a housing and having a plug at one end. The plug is connected by at least one flexible link to a cap adapted to close an opening in the housing. The cap has gripping means arranged relative to the plug such that, by pulling the cap by said gripping means, the plug is simultaneously pulled out of the housing through the opening. The present invention also relates to an electric or hybrid vehicle comprising such a device. Application: electric or hybrid vehicles