Retractable jumper cable vehicle assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018251037-A1
Application number	US-201715449546-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 3, 2017
Priority date	Mar 3, 2017
Publication date	Sep 6, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for retractable jumper cable vehicle assembly. An example vehicle includes an exterior surface, a battery, a retractable cable, a jumper plug coupled to the retractable cable and electrically connected to the battery via the retractable cable, and a compartment along the exterior surface to house the jumper plug when the retractable cable is retracted. When the retractable cable is extended, the jumper plug extends from the compartment to connect to a receptacle of another vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
an exterior surface; a battery; a retractable cable; a jumper plug coupled to the retractable cable and electrically connected to the battery via the retractable cable; and a compartment along the exterior surface to house the jumper plug when the retractable cable is retracted, wherein, when the retractable cable is extended, the jumper plug extends from the compartment to connect to a receptacle of another vehicle.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the jumper plug connects to the receptacle of the other vehicle to electrically connect the battery to another battery of the other vehicle.

3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the jumper plug has flanges that are configured to be inserted through slots of the receptacle of the other vehicle and subsequently rotated within a cavity of the receptacle to securely connect the jumper plug to the receptacle.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further including a retractor connected to the retractable cable to enable the retractable cable to retract and extend.

5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the compartment includes a jumper receptacle that is electrically connected to the battery and configured to receive a plug of the other vehicle.

6 . The vehicle of claim 5 , further including a receptacle cable coupled to the jumper receptacle to electrically connect the jumper receptacle and the battery.

7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further including a connection module to detect when the jumper plug is electrically connected to the receptacle of the other vehicle.

8 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the connection module:
detects a first charge level of the battery and a second charge level of the other battery; and determine whether the battery is to receive or provide energy based on the first charge level and the second charge level.

9 . The vehicle of claim 7 , further including battery cables coupled to the battery and the connection module.

10 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the retractable cable is coupled to the connection module such that the jumper plug is electrically connected to the battery via the retractable cable, the connection module, and the battery cables.

11 . The vehicle of claim 7 , further including a display that presents a charge level of the battery upon receiving a signal from the connection module.

12 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the compartment includes an indicator to present a charge level of the battery.

13 . A vehicle comprising:
an exterior surface; a compartment located along the exterior surface and including:
a wall defining an aperture; and
a jumper receptacle fixed to the wall and configured to receive a plug of another vehicle to electrically connect vehicle batteries;
a retractable cable partially positioned through the aperture; and a jumper plug coupled to the retractable cable and housed in the compartment when the retractable cable is retracted.

14 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the jumper receptacle includes slots configured to receive flanges of the plug of the other vehicle to securely couple the jumper receptacle to the plug.

15 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein, when the retractable cable is extended, the jumper plug is to extend from the compartment and connect to a receptacle of the other vehicle to electrically connect the vehicle batteries.

16 . The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the jumper plug includes flanges configured to be inserted through slots of the receptacle of the other vehicle and subsequently rotated within a cavity of the receptacle to securely connect the jumper plug to the receptacle.

17 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the compartment includes a door coupled to the exterior surface, the door encloses the compartment when in a closed position and provides access to the jumper receptacle and the jumper plug when in an open position.

18 . The vehicle of claim 13 , further including a retractor connected to the retractable cable to enable the retractable cable to retract and extend.

19 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the jumper plug is a male electrical connector and the jumper receptacle is a female electrical connector.

20 . The vehicle of claim 13 , further including a connection module to determine when at least one of the jumper receptacle and the jumper plug is electrically connecting the vehicle batteries.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Alvarez Ruiz Raul Ezequiel
• Guevara Alfonso Hickman
• Garfias Cuauhtemoc Quiroz
• Chavela Guerra Luis Jesus
• Camargo Corral Eloy Ernesto

Classifications

• B60L53/16 Primary

  Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L53/14 Primary

  Conductive energy transfer · CPC title

• B65H2801/51

  Automobile · CPC title

• B65H75/34

  specially adapted or mounted for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of material provided for particular purposes, e.g. anchored hoses, power cables (retractors for storing flexible hoses as accessories of dental work stands A61G15/18; vehicle safety belt retractors B60R22/34; hose-storing devices in apparatus or devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers or reservoirs into vehicles or portable containers B67D7/40; clothes-line supports D06F53/00; spring drums for liftable blinds with horizontal lamellae E06B9/322; spring drums or tape drums for roll-type closures or roller blinds E06B9/56; hauling- or hoisting-chains with arrangements for holding electric cables, hoses or the like F16G13/16; devices for guiding pipes, cables or protective tubing, between relatively movable points, e.g. movable channels, F16L3/01; flexible rulers or tapes with scales G01B3/10; electrical features of stored material, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. H02G) · CPC title

• B60L53/18 Primary

  Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title