Patent · US Active

Electrical connector with flexible blade shaped handle

US8246376B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
129References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 6, 2011
Grant dateAug 21, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 4, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02T90/14
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The flexible electrical connector is designed to facilitate electrical connections between a power receiving device, such as an at least partially electric vehicle, and a power supplying device, such as an electric vehicle charging station. The flexible electrical connector has a blade shaped housing attached to a power cord that extends to the power supplying device. The blade shaped housing has a substantially rigid end portion with an electrical interface configured to detachably mate with a corresponding electrical interface on the power receiving device. The blade shaped housing also has a handle portion made of a substantially flexible material such which is configured to flex about the rigid end portion along an arc in a single plane. As such, the flexible handle can absorb impacts it receives rather than transferring them to the rigid and breakable electrical interface components.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.