US 12,168,398 B2
Systems and methods for retracting a charging cable of an electric vehicle charging station
Jeffrey Kinsey, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Volta Charging, LLC, San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by Volta Charging, LLC, San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/521,696.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/111,452, filed on Nov. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0144110 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. H02J 7/00 (2006.01); B60L 53/18 (2019.01); B60L 53/37 (2019.01)
CPC B60L 53/18 (2019.02) [B60L 53/37 (2019.02)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electric vehicle charging station (EVCS), comprising:
a housing;
a charging cable configured to provide an electric current to charge a battery of an electric vehicle;
one or more sensors for detecting whether a vehicle and external objects are within a predefined region proximal to the housing;
a motor configured to retract at least a portion of the charging cable; and
a controller electrically coupled to both the one or more sensors and the motor, wherein the controller is configured to energize the motor to retract at least a portion of the charging cable when retraction criteria are met, wherein the retraction criteria include criteria that are met when (i) the charging cable is not coupled to a vehicle and (ii) the one or more sensors do not detect a vehicle and do not detect an external object in the predefined region proximal to the housing.