Disconnection assembly for tethered electric vehicle
AssigneeCaterpillar SARL
InventorsMaxim Rhys Ruffels, Richard Strong, Simon Conway
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric vehicle is supplied with power from a power supply via a cable suspended from an anchor. The anchor is attached to a mount on the vehicle and detachable from the mount by tension in the first portion of the cable between the anchor and the power supply. A second portion of the cable between the anchor and the vehicle remains slack in the attached position of the anchor, and extends on detachment of the anchor to relieve tension in the first portion of the cable. A disconnection switch is operable by detachment of the anchor to interrupt the power supply from the cable to the vehicle.
Claims10
An assembly for supplying power to a vehicle, the assembly including:
- a power cable having a first end connectable to an electric power supply and a second end connectable to a vehicle to supply electric power from the power supply to the vehicle;
- a disconnection switch operable to interrupt the supply of electric power from the cable to powered systems of the vehicle;
- an anchor having a cable receiving portion and a mount engaging portion fixed thereto, the cable receiving portion connected to the cable between its first and second ends to define a first portion of the cable extending between the anchor and the first end of the cable and a second portion of the cable extending between the anchor and the second end of the cable;
- and
- a mount configured to be supported on the vehicle in a use position;
- wherein,
- in the use position of the mount, when the second end of the cable is connected to the vehicle, the mount engaging portion of the anchor is detachably attachable and re-attachable to the mount to support the cable on the mount with the second portion of the cable in a slack condition;
- and wherein
- the mount engaging portion of the anchor is detachable from the mount by application of a threshold detachment force by tension in the first portion of the cable that pulls on the cable receiving portion of the anchor fixed to the mount engaging portion;
- and
- the disconnection switch is operable by detachment of the mount engaging portion anchor from the mount to interrupt the supply of electric power from the cable to the powered systems of the vehicle.
A method of supplying electric power to a vehicle, the method including:
- providing a power cable;
- arranging a first end of the cable to be connectable to an electric power supply and a second end of the cable to be connectable to the vehicle to supply electric power from the power supply to the vehicle;
- arranging a disconnection switch to be operable to interrupt the supply of electric power from the cable to powered systems of the vehicle;
- connecting a cable receiving portion of an anchor to the cable between its first and second ends to define a first portion of the cable extending between the anchor and the first end of the cable and a second portion of the cable extending between the anchor and the second end of the cable, the anchor having a mount engaging portion fixed to the cable receiving portion;
- and
- supporting a mount on the vehicle in a use position, wherein the mount engaging portion of the anchor is detachably attachable to the mount, and re-attachable to the mount after detachment from the mount, to support the cable on the mount with the second portion of the cable in a slack condition;
- and further including:
- arranging the mount engaging portion of the anchor to be detachable from the mount by application of a threshold detachment force by tension in the first portion of the cable that pulls on the cable receiving portion of the anchor fixed to the mount engaging portion;
- and
- arranging the disconnection switch to be operable to interrupt the supply of electric power by detachment of the mount engaging portion anchor from the mount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.