Charger plug release system
OwnerHerbert L. Johnson, IIIinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A charger plug release system for use with an electric vehicle is provided. The charger plug release system provides a preloaded outward force to the electric charging plug when the plug is electrically connected to a charging receptacle on the EV. When charging is completed, the plug may be released (e.g., via a mobile “app”), and the outward force applied by the system to the plug causes the plug to be ejected without manual intervention. Accordingly, the release system eliminates the need for the user to manually pull the plug from the EV charging receptacle, and instead, forcefully ejects the plug from the EV automatically. This allows the user to automatically remove the plug from the EV from within the vehicle or from another safe location.
Claims20
A charging plug release system for use with a charging plug, the charging plug release system comprising;
- a retaining collar including an aperture and adapted to receive the charging plug, the charging plug including a plug first end, a plug second end opposite the plug first end, and a plug body extending between the plug first end and the plug second end, the plug first end including an electrical terminal adapted to be electrically connected to a charging connector on an electric vehicle, the retaining collar adapted to receive the plug first end through the aperture, the aperture adapted to be releasably attached to the plug body at a collar attachment location on the plug body between the plug first end and the plug second end when the plug first end is received through the aperture;
- and
- a pre-loadable spring configured to apply a force to the retaining collar at the collar attachment location and towards the plug second end when the plug first end is received through the aperture and the electrical terminal is electrically connected to the charging connector on the electric vehicle;
- wherein the force causes the electrical terminal to electrically disconnect from the charging connector on the electric vehicle.
A charging plug release system comprising:
- a housing including an open first end, an open second end and an inner volume therebetween;
- a retaining collar located within the inner volume between the first end and the second end and including an aperture adapted to receive and releasably secure a charging plug;
- and
- a pre-loadable spring located between the retaining collar and the second end;
- wherein the retaining collar includes a coupler on a side of the retaining collar facing the pre-loadable spring, the coupler configured to nest with the pre-loadable spring;
- and
- wherein the coupler includes second sidewalls that at least partially encircle the aperture, the second sidewalls extending outward and facing the pre-loadable spring, the coupler including a diameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of the pre-loadable spring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.