Modular EV Charging Connection Housing for Flexible Retrofit
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connection devices for electric vehicle charging are inflexible and costly due to fixed configurations, making them difficult to adapt or expand as user requirements change or new vehicle types emerge, leading to high development, production, and storage expenses.
Innovation Solution
A modular connection device with a receiving profile that allows for the insertion of modules on one side, enabling a flexible configuration and easy conversion or retrofitting, where modules can provide various functions such as operating units, control units, or power meters, and can be combined to achieve desired functionalities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If connection devices are equipped with fixed configurations to meet specific user requirements, then the device can provide desired functionalities, but the development, production and storage expenses increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The connection device is divided into modular components that can be independently manufactured and assembled. Each module can be produced separately at lower cost, then combined to create different functional configurations, reducing overall production expenses while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The device employs universal base units and standardized interfaces that can support multiple functional modules. A single base structure can accommodate various modules (charging modules, payment modules, display modules, etc.), eliminating the need to manufacture separate fixed-configured devices for each function combination.
2Reliability
If connection devices are firmly configured for specific charging technologies, then the device can provide stable performance, but convertability and ability to adapt to new requirements are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The connection device transitions from a static fixed configuration to a dynamic modular structure. Modules can be added, removed, or replaced based on evolving charging technologies and user needs, while maintaining reliable connections through standardized interfaces and secure mounting mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Functional modules are designed to be nested within or attached to a standardized base structure. This nesting approach allows the core reliable connection functionality to remain stable while permitting interchangeable modules to be inserted or removed, enabling convertability without compromising structural integrity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different functionalities are integrated into connection devices to meet varying user needs, then the device can serve diverse requirements, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Complex functionalities are segmented into separate modular units, each performing a specific function. This segmentation reduces the complexity of individual modules while the standardized interface simplifies the overall system integration, making the device easier to manufacture and maintain despite offering diverse functionalities.
4Adaptability or versatility
If modules are inserted into the receiving profile to achieve flexible configuration, then the connection device can be easily expanded or altered, but the mechanical design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
A universal receiving profile design with standardized mounting interfaces allows different module types to be attached using the same mechanical structure. This universality simplifies the mechanical design by eliminating the need for custom mounting mechanisms for each module type, reducing overall complexity while maintaining configuration flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A connection device for connecting an electric vehicle for a charging process includes at least one receiving profile which is open to one side for receiving at least one module, wherein one side of a housing of the module forms part of an outer surface of the connection device.