Systems and methods for charging parked vehicles

A pallet assembly for supporting a vehicle, comprising:

• a body having a top surface configured to support a vehicle thereon and an underside, an opening in the top surface being in communication with the underside;
• a charging cable housed on the underside of the body in a retracted position and extendable through the opening onto the top surface of the body, the charging cable extending to a plug at a distal end of the charging cable, the plug being configured to couple to a receptacle in an electric vehicle, the charging cable being movable between the retracted position where the charging cable is housed in the underside of the body and an extended position where a user selected length of the charging cable extends through the opening onto the top surface;
• and
• a cable retraction mechanism on the underside of the body, comprising:
• a first pulley rotatably coupled to a first support frame,
• a first spring coupled at one end to a side beam of the body and at an opposite end to the first support frame,
• a second pulley rotatably coupled to a second support frame, the charging cable extending at least partially around the first pulley and at least partially around the second pulley and extending toward the opening, and
• a second spring coupled at one end of an opposite side beam of the body and at an opposite end to the second support frame,
• wherein the first spring biases the first pulley toward the side beam of the body and the second spring biases the second pulley toward the opposite side beam of the body to maintain the charging cable under tension when the charging cable is in the extended position or the retracted position.

In combination with a mechanical parking system, one or more pallet assemblies for supporting a vehicle, each pallet assembly comprising:

• a body having a top surface configured to support a vehicle thereon and an underside, an opening in the top surface being in communication with the underside;
• a charging cable housed on the underside of the body in a retracted position and extendable through the opening onto the top surface of the body, the charging cable extending to a plug at a distal end of the charging cable, the plug being configured to couple to a receptacle in an electric vehicle, the charging cable being movable between the retracted position where the charging cable is housed in the underside of the body and an extended position where a user selected length of the cable extends through the opening onto the top surface;
• and
• a cable retraction mechanism on the underside of the body, comprising:
• a first pulley rotatably coupled to a first support frame,
• a first spring coupled at one end to a side beam of the body and at an opposite end to the first support frame,
• a second pulley rotatably coupled to a second support frame, the charging cable extending at least partially around the first pulley and at least partially around the second pulley and extending toward the opening,
• a second spring coupled at one end of an opposite side beam of the body and at an opposite end to the second support frame, and
• a track, the second support frame configured to travel linearly along the track, the track having a ratcheted edge that selectively engages a spring loaded pawl coupled to the second support frame,
• wherein the first spring biases the first pulley toward the side beam of the body and the second spring biases the second pulley toward the opposite side beam of the body to maintain the charging cable under tension when the charging cable is in the extended position or the retracted position.