EV Charging Cap with Arms for Cord Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric vehicle chargers lack effective management and protection for the charging cord, leading to issues such as tangling, damage from dirt and liquids, and inefficient storage.
Innovation Solution
A charging terminal cap with arms and a base member that coils and secures the charging cord, featuring attaching devices like magnets or Velcro to keep the cord organized and protected, and a design that allows for easy attachment and detachment from the charge handle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the charging cord is left unmanaged, then the charging operation is simple, but the cord becomes tangled and damaged from dirt and liquids
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into a body portion for covering the charge handle and a cord management portion with arms for securing the charging cord. This segmentation allows the cap to provide both protection and cord management functions through distinct structural elements that can be optimized independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap serves multiple functions: it protects the charge handle from dirt and liquids, manages and secures the charging cord to prevent tangling, and provides a structured organization system. By integrating these functions into a single component, the invention reduces the need for separate cord management devices.
2Reliability
If the cap covers the charge handle, then the terminals are protected, but the charging cord lacks organization and protection
Solution Approach 1:
The cap extends beyond the traditional cover geometry by incorporating arms that protrude from the body portion. These arms create a three-dimensional cord management structure that provides multiple surfaces and anchor points for securing the charging cord, transforming a simple cover into a multi-functional organizational system.
Solution Approach 2:
The arms of the cap serve as intermediary structures between the charging cord and the cap body, providing attachment points and organizational surfaces. This intermediary structure facilitates easy cord management by offering dedicated spaces for wrapping and securing the cord without requiring additional devices.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple cap design is used, then manufacturing is easy, but cord management and protection are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is divided into a body portion for covering the charge handle and a cord management portion with arms for securing the charging cord. This segmentation allows the cap to provide both protection and cord management functions through distinct structural elements that can be optimized independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap structure incorporates adjustable parameters such as arm spacing, arm length, and attachment mechanism properties (magnetic strength, Velcro adherence) that can be modified during manufacturing to optimize both cord management effectiveness and manufacturing simplicity. These parameter variations allow the same basic design to serve different charging cord configurations.
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 cap effectively manages and protects the charging cord by keeping it organized, preventing tangling and damage, while allowing for easy use and storage, enhancing the overall charging experience.
Implementation Method 1
The cap may include a magnet configured to attach to the charge handle
Implementation Method 2
The attaching device may be a Velcro attachment device
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a cap for covering a receptacle enclosing charge terminals of a charge handle connected to a charging cord for providing electricity from a power source. The cap comprises a base member including a casing, the casing extending from the base member providing a hollow cavity for covering the receptacle enclosing the charge terminals of the charge handle, and two arms extending from the base member in a different direction from the casing, wherein the two arms are configured to receive the charging cord being coiled therebetween.