Sliding Boom Arm Cable Support for Obstacle-Aware EV Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure, particularly in urban areas with terraced houses, faces challenges due to the need for compact and easily operable charging units that minimize land usage and avoid obstacles, as existing solutions often require designated spaces and can interfere with user activities.
Innovation Solution
A cable support system comprising an elongate structure with a sliding boom arm and pivot mechanism that deploys and retracts laterally, minimizing movement radius to avoid obstacles, and includes guides and a housing for efficient cable management and storage, allowing for adjustable extension and retraction rates and remote control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a wall-mounted charging unit is installed, then the charging unit is compact and space-saving, but it interferes with user activities and becomes unusable if obstacles are present
Solution Approach 1:
The charging unit employs a movable boom arm that can dynamically extend and retract, and a cable management system that automatically winds and unwinds. This transforms the static wall-mounted unit into a dynamic system that adapts to user needs and obstacles, resolving the contradiction between compactness and usability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable is nested within a housing that can wind and unwind, and the boom arm is nested within the housing when retracted. This nesting principle allows the charging unit to maintain a compact form factor while providing extended functionality when needed, eliminating interference with user activities.
2Ease of operation
If the boom arm is extended to provide cable support, then the cable is supported during usage, but the movement radius increases and may collide with obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The boom arm uses a scissor mechanism that allows controlled extension and retraction, enabling the system to provide cable support when needed while minimizing the movement radius to avoid obstacles through dynamic adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that detect obstacles and provide feedback to the control system, which then adjusts the boom arm's extension and cable deployment accordingly, preventing collisions while maintaining cable support functionality.
3Area of stationary object
If the cable is stored compactly, then the storage space is minimized, but the cable may become entangled during deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The cable is stored in a nested configuration within the housing, winding around a spool or reel mechanism. This organized nesting prevents entanglement while achieving compact storage, as the cable follows a controlled path during both storage and deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
A cable guide or spool mechanism acts as an intermediary between the stored cable and the deployment point, ensuring the cable unwinds in an organized manner without entanglement while maintaining compact storage space.
4Productivity
If the boom arm moves quickly for efficient deployment, then the productivity is improved, but the control and obstacle avoidance capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The boom arm deployment occurs in periodic stages: rapid extension to near-position, then slower controlled movement for final positioning and obstacle avoidance. This periodic action pattern maintains high productivity while ensuring control when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Sensors and control systems provide real-time feedback during boom arm movement, enabling automatic adjustment of speed and position. The system moves quickly when safe and slows down when obstacles are detected, maintaining both productivity and control.
Data Source
AI summary
A cable support comprises an elongate supporting structure configured for attachment to a vertical surface. The cable support comprises a boom arm for supporting a cable wherein the boom arm is arranged to slide along at least a portion of the elongate supporting structure. The cable support further comprises a slidable pivot for supporting the boom arm. When deployed, the boom arm slides down along at least a portion of the elongate supporting structure as the boom arm rotates outwards from the supporting structure to provide lateral support for the cable. The slidable pivot supports the boom arm by sliding downwards along the length of the supporting structure during deployment of the boom arm.