EV Charging Plug Cleaning Tool With Interchangeable Brush and Pin Polisher
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is no effective tool or procedure for cleaning the charging surfaces of electric vehicle batteries, which can lead to fouling, corrosion, and reduced charging efficiency due to dust and particulate accumulation.
Innovation Solution
A powered tool with a motor-driven cylindrical driver and interchangeable brush and pin cleaning elements for cleaning and polishing the charging components, including a brush with whiskers for dust removal and a pin cleaning element with a foam insert for polishing and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If no cleaning tool is used for charging surfaces, then the device complexity remains low, but dust and particulate accumulation leads to fouling, corrosion, and reduced charging efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning tool is divided into modular components: a motor unit, an adapter rod, and interchangeable cleaning elements (brush element with whiskers and pin cleaning element with foam insert). This segmentation allows the tool to address different cleaning needs while maintaining a simple overall structure, resolving the contradiction between effective cleaning and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning tool is designed to be manually operated by the user, requiring no external power source or complex automation systems. The motor provides sufficient power for cleaning tasks while keeping the device simple and easy to handle, achieving reliable cleaning without adding unnecessary complexity.
2Reliability
If charging surfaces are not cleaned regularly, then maintenance time is reduced, but corrosion and fouling develop on battery pins and charging components
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning tool enables users to perform routine maintenance cleaning before significant corrosion or fouling occurs. By making cleaning quick and easy with the motor-driven interchangeable elements, users can regularly maintain charging surfaces, preventing deterioration while minimizing time investment.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor provides controlled rotational speed to optimize cleaning effectiveness while keeping the process quick. The interchangeable cleaning elements are designed to work efficiently at these speeds, achieving thorough cleaning in minimal time and balancing component protection with maintenance time investment.
3Reliability
If a single cleaning element is used for all charging components, then the device complexity is low, but cleaning effectiveness varies across different surface types and conditions
Solution Approach 1:
Different cleaning elements are designed for specific cleaning needs: the brush element with whiskers for general dust removal, and the pin cleaning element with foam insert for polished surfaces and corrosion removal. This local specialization of cleaning elements optimizes effectiveness for different surface types while keeping the interchangeability system simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter rod and motor unit serve as universal components that work with all cleaning elements. This multi-functional design allows a single base tool to handle various cleaning tasks by simply changing the element, achieving versatile cleaning effectiveness without creating a complex system.
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
Effectively removes dust, film, and mild corrosion from charging surfaces, enhancing charging efficiency and prolonging the life of electric vehicle batteries.
Implementation Method 1
a motor in a handle that creates a torque on a cylindrical driver
Implementation Method 2
The brush element is used to remove dust, film, and mild corrosion from the surface of the battery pin
Implementation Method 3
the pin cleaning element polishes and applies a protective foam to the surface of the battery pin
Data Source
AI summary
A tool for cleaning the charging plug of an electric vehicle is disclosed having a handle, an extension rod, and first and second attachments for cleaning and polishing the surfaces of the charging plug. Within the handle is an electric motor controlled by an exterior switch, and the motor drives a cylindrical driver extending distally from the handle. The extension rod is receiving inside the driver and provides torque to the first and second extensions through rotation of the driver. The first attachment is a brush and the second attachment is a cleaning tube with a foam insert for polishing the pins of the charging plug pins.