Device for holding a charging cable for electric and hybrid vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11878601-B2
Application number	US-202117500117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2021
Priority date	Oct 14, 2020
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

A cable-holding device may be provided for electric and hybrid vehicles that are provided with a rechargeable storage device for storing electrical energy. The storage device may include a charging cable that can be connected to an external power supply device for the purpose of charging the storage device and is at least temporarily connected to the vehicle. The charging cable is stowed in the cable-holding device of the vehicle when not in use. The cable-holding device includes a closed holding space for receiving the charging cable. The holding space is delimited by a lower plate and an upper plate and is closed on all sides. A clear height of the holding space is only slightly greater than the diameter of the charging cable. A holding surface for the charging cable on the lower plate is dimensioned to be large enough that the whole charging cable can be held in the form of loops, and the holding space has a side through opening for the charging cable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable-holding device for electric and hybrid vehicles that include a rechargeable storage device for storing electrical energy, wherein the rechargeable storage device includes a charging cable that can be connected to an external power supply device for the purpose of charging the rechargeable storage device and is at least temporarily connected to the vehicle, and wherein the charging cable is stowed in the cable-holding device of the vehicle when not in use,
wherein the cable-holding device provides a closed holding space for the charging cable,
wherein the closed holding space is delimited by a lower plate and an upper plate and is closed on all sides,
wherein a clear height of the closed holding space is slightly greater than a diameter of the charging cable,
wherein a holding surface for the charging cable on the lower plate is dimensioned to be large enough that an entirety of the charging cable can be held in the form of loops, and
wherein the closed holding space includes a side through opening for the charging cable.

2. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the closed holding surface is arranged approximately horizontally within the vehicle.

3. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the holding surface has an essentially rectangular design.

4. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the side through opening is delimited by two rotatable guide rollers or transport rollers, the axes of which are arranged perpendicular to a direction in which the charging cable passes through.

5. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 4 , wherein bearing surfaces of the guide rollers or transport rollers between which the charging cable is guided have a concave design, and further wherein the bearing surfaces of the guide rollers or transport rollers have a roughened or toothed design.

6. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 4 , wherein at least one of the two guide rollers or transport rollers is spring-loaded in the direction of a counter-roller.

7. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 4 , wherein the guide rollers or transport rollers are configured as spring rollers, and springs of the spring rollers are tensioned when the charging cable is pulled out from the closed holding space and are relaxed when the charging cable is introduced into the closed holding space during retraction of the charging cable.

8. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 4 , wherein at least one of the guide rollers or transport rollers is driven by a motor in both directions of rotation, and further wherein the two guide rollers or transport rollers are provided with cogwheels that are arranged on their axes of rotation and engage with each other, one of which engages directly or indirectly with an output pinion of an electric motor.

9. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 5 , wherein the guide rollers or transport rollers are configured such that they are divided centrally into two halves perpendicular to their axes of rotation, and in that at least one of the two roller halves is pretensioned elastically against the other roller half by a spring mechanism.

10. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the charging cable is guided through a passage in the side of the holding space to the electrical storage device, and a strain relief device for the charging cable is provided in or at the passage.

11. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the upper plate of the cable-holding device forms part of a cargo area of a trunk of a vehicle, and a flap that is pivotable or removable to withdraw the charging cable is arranged on a side of the upper plate that faces a rear of the vehicle.

12. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 11 , wherein a plug arranged on an end of the charging cable is connected to the external power supply device and is fastened detachably on an underside of the flap.

13. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 11 , wherein a rotatably mounted deflection roll by which the charging cable can be deflected upward from the horizontal position is arranged in a region of the flap.

14. A vehicle comprising the cable-holding device of claim 1 .

15. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the loops are non-overlapping and line up one behind the other within a common plane.

16. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 1 , comprising a stopper provided near a connection end of the charging cable and configured to prevent the connection end from being pulled too far into the closed holding space.

17. A cable-holding device for storing a vehicle charging cable, comprising:
a lower plate;
an upper plate fastened to the lower plate; and
a closed holding space delimited by the upper plate and the lower plate and closed on all sides, wherein the closed holding space is configured for horizontally receiving the vehicle charging cable,
wherein the closed holding space is established by a depression formed in the lower plate and an upward projecting edge of the lower plate that defines a height of the closed holding space after securing the upper plate to the lower plate.

18. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 17 , wherein the height of the closed holding space is greater than a diameter of the vehicle charging cable.

19. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 17 , wherein the closed holding space includes a rectangular shape.

20. The cable-holding device as recited in claim 17 , wherein the upper plate establishes a portion of a cargo area of a vehicle that is equipped with the cable-holding device.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Koehler Juergen
• Yuecel Mustafa
• Krolzig Volker
• Jakobs Werner
• Grymel Stephan A

Classifications

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• B60L53/30 Primary

  Constructional details of charging stations · CPC title

• B60L53/18

  Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• H02J7/0042

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02G11/00

  Arrangements of electric cables or lines between relatively-movable parts · CPC title