Systems and methods for an electric vehicle charger with a reel button for an electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12059965-B2
Application number	US-202217750636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2022
Priority date	May 23, 2022
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

A system for an electric vehicle charger with a reel button for an electric vehicle is illustrated. The system comprises a charging cable, a charger base connected to the charging cable, a cable storage device, the cable storage device including a retraction mechanism configured to pay out and retract the cable when activated and at least a reel button configured to activate the retraction mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric aircraft charger comprising:
a charging cable;
a charger base;
a charging connector coupling the charging cable to an electric aircraft, wherein the charging connector includes a keying component shaped to prevent a pin of the charging connector from mating in an incorrect orientation; and
a cable storage device disposed within the charger base, the cable storage device including:
a reel rotatably disposed in the charger base, wherein the charging cable is wrapped around the reel;
a retraction mechanism configured to rotate the reel to pay out and retract the cable when activated, wherein the retraction mechanism includes an electric motor operably coupled to the reel; and
a reel button disposed on the charging connector and configured to activate the retraction mechanism, the reel button including first and second user control elements for causing the motor to rotate in a pay out or retract direction.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the charging cable is configured to deliver power to the electric aircraft.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the charger base houses an energy source.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the charger base is located proximal to a helideck.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the helideck includes a designated area for the electric aircraft is within an operable range of the charging cable.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the retraction mechanism includes a reel.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the retraction mechanism includes an electric motor.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a rotation toggle coupled to the reel and configured to adjust a rotation of the reel between the pay out direction and the retract direction.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the charger base is mobile.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reel is coupled to a torque motor.

11. A method for charging an electric aircraft, the method comprising:
paying out the charging cable using a rotator configured to rotate a cable reel by a specific number of degrees and to output a specific torque to the cable reel, wherein the charging cable is rotatably disposed about a reel within a charger base, and the charger base is coupled to a vehicle;
connecting the charging cable to the electric aircraft with a charging connector, wherein the charging connector includes a keying component shaped to prevent a pin of the charging connector from mating in an incorrect orientation;
disconnecting the charging cable from the electric aircraft; and
spooling the charging cable using a reel button disposed on the charging connector and configured to activate a retraction mechanism operably coupled to an electric motor and the reel, wherein the retraction mechanism includes a torsional spring configured to deform elastically when the cable reel rotates inward, and the reel button includes first and second user control elements for causing the motor to rotate in a pay out or retract direction.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the charging cable is configured to deliver power to the electric aircraft.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the charger base houses an energy source.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the charger base is located proximal to a helideck.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the helideck includes a designated area for the electric aircraft is within an operable range of the charging cable.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the retraction mechanism includes a reel.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the retraction mechanism includes an electric motor.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising operating a rotation toggle coupled to the reel to adjust a rotation of the reel between the pay out direction and the retract direction.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising moving the charger base to a position where the electric aircraft is within an operative range of the charging cable.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rotator includes a torque motor.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Palombini John Charles
• Carapetyan Skye
• Donnelly Richard
• Pill Jake
• Hall Edward
• Hanson Cole William
• Whitehill James

Classifications

• B64F1/35

  for supplying electrical power to stationary aircraft · CPC title

• B60L53/18 Primary

  Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• H02G11/02 Primary

  using take-up reel or drum · CPC title

• B60L2200/10

  Air crafts · CPC title

• B65H75/4486

  Electric motors · CPC title