Sensor-Guided Charging Cable Positioning for Damage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in the electrification of commercial vehicles is the risk of damage to charging infrastructure due to inadequate cable management, leading to downtime and potential damage to charging cables and vehicles during maneuvering in confined spaces.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a carrier structure, a charging cable with a movable charging plug, and a sensor device that detects the charging situation to automatically position the charging plug within the charging zone, reducing the risk of damage by retracting the cable when not in use and ensuring safe placement during vehicle charging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the charging cable is positioned within the charging zone for easy access, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of damage to the charging cable and infrastructure increases during vehicle maneuvering
Solution Approach 1:
The charging cable is made dynamically positionable through a cable control device that enables automatic movement between charging zone and storage position based on detected vehicle occupancy states, transforming a static cable arrangement into a dynamic system that adapts to operational conditions
Solution Approach 2:
A sensor device detects vehicle occupancy and charging situations, providing feedback to the cable control device which automatically adjusts cable position in response to detected conditions, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents damage while maintaining accessibility
2Reliability
If the charging column is positioned at a sufficient distance above the roadway to reduce damage risk, then the reliability is improved, but the cable management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cable control device automatically manages cable positioning without human intervention, using sensor feedback to autonomously retract or deploy the cable based on vehicle presence and charging status, eliminating the need for manual cable management while maintaining simple infrastructure positioning
3Device complexity
If manual cable management is used to reduce device complexity, then the device complexity is reduced, but the loss of time increases due to incorrect cable management operations
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor device continuously monitors vehicle occupancy and charging zone status, providing real-time feedback that triggers automatic cable repositioning, ensuring cables are correctly managed without human intervention and preventing downtime from incorrect positioning
Solution Approach 2:
The cable control device proactively positions the charging cable in advance based on predicted charging needs, retracting cables before vehicles arrive and deploying them before charging begins, preventing delays while maintaining simple system architecture
Data Source
AI summary
A device for providing a charging cable for a vehicle. A carrier structure arranged at a charging zone has an attached charging cable between an electricity source and a charging plug for plugging into the vehicle to be charged. A cable control device has a cable control element for moving the charging cable relative to the carrier structure and for positioning the charging plug in the charging zone. A sensor device detects a charging situation in the charging zone. The sensor device is coupled to the cable control device in such a way that the cable control element can be controlled to position the charging plug in the charging zone based on the detected charging situation in the charging zone.