Motorized Cable Reel Assembly for High-Current Charging Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a reliable cable management system with a sufficiently large-sized reel to deliver high current supply in the electric vehicle charging industry.
Innovation Solution
A cable reel assembly comprising a rotatable body with a reduction gear and an auxiliary shaft assembly driven by a drive motor, allowing for controlled rotation and winding of charging cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a larger-sized reel is used to deliver high current supply, then the current delivery capability is improved, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cable reel is nested within a housing structure that contains the drive motor and reduction gear. The auxiliary shaft assembly with drive gear is nested within the main reel assembly, creating a compact hierarchical structure that accommodates high current delivery components without excessive space occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
A reduction gear is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the drive motor and the cable reel. This gear reduction system allows the motor to operate at higher speeds while the reel rotates at lower speeds with higher torque, enabling high current delivery without requiring an oversized motor or reel.
2Ease of operation
If a reduction gear is added to enable controlled rotation, then the rotation control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reduction gear acts as an intermediary between the drive motor and the reel, providing controlled rotation through gear reduction. This allows precise control of cable deployment and retrieval while maintaining a manageable structural complexity through standardized gear design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical coupling with a gear-based mechanical transmission system. This substitution provides controlled rotation through gear ratios while allowing for easier operation and maintenance compared to direct-drive mechanisms, particularly for high-torque applications.
3Ease of operation
If an auxiliary shaft assembly with drive gear is added, then the cable winding control is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cable reel assembly is segmented into distinct functional modules: the main reel body, the auxiliary shaft assembly with drive gear, the reduction gear, and the housing. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and tested independently, then assembled together, improving overall ease of manufacture despite the increased number of parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary shaft assembly serves as an intermediary mechanism that translates motor rotation into controlled cable winding. By separating this function into a distinct assembly with its own drive gear, the system achieves improved cable winding control while allowing each sub-assembly to be manufactured using standard procedures.
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
Enables efficient management and control of charging cables, ensuring reliable delivery of high current supply to electric vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
A drive motor is operatively coupled to the drive gear of the auxiliary shaft assembly to selectively drive a rotation of the drive gear
Implementation Method 2
a reduction gear having a gear edge defining a plurality of teeth, arranged at the first or second lateral end of the rotatable body
Implementation Method 3
a drive gear joined to the first end of the elongate bar. The drive gear is gearingly engagable with the gear teeth of the reduction gear
Data Source
AI summary
A cable reel assembly is disclosed. The cable reel assembly comprises a rotatable body having a first lateral end and an opposing second lateral end, and an outer wall shaped to receive a cable wound therearound, a reduction gear having a gear edge defining a plurality of teeth, arranged at the first or second lateral end of the rotatable body, an auxiliary shaft assembly comprising an elongate bar extending from a first end to an opposing second end, and a drive gear joined to the first end of the elongate bar. The drive gear is gearingly engagable with the gear teeth of the reduction gear. A drive motor is operatively coupled to the drive gear of the auxiliary shaft assembly to selectively drive a rotation of the drive gear, which in turn drives a rotation of the reduction gear, thereby rotating the rotatable body about a longitudinal axis thereof.