The present invention relates to a docking unit, a cover unit, and a charging unit, and to a system comprising a combination of such units. A charging system of this type can be used for charging an electric vehicle.
With the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, it has become desirable to provide buildings, especially residential buildings, with charging points to allow such vehicles to be charged while they are parked nearby. Certain authorities are mandating that newly built residential properties shall be provided with the facility for installation of a charging unit for this purpose.
One approach is to fit a charging unit to an external wall. In order to do this, it is necessary to connect though the wall to the domestic electricity supply. However, this would require a charging unit to be installed whether or not it was needed. Examples of such charging units can be found in EP2548759 and GB2482952.
Housing units for electrical systems that can be accessible from outside a property have been proposed in other areas. The well-known “meter box” for example, provides external access to a power supply before it enters the building. GB2516880 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,321 describe box like structures that can be built into a wall and provided with an access door so that the internal components can be accessed without needing to enter the building. The walls are often made from bricks or blocks. While the materials and dimensions of bricks and blocks may vary, the term “block” is used in this document to cover any of these variants.
There have been various other proposals for mounting junction boxes or working boxes in walls or panels. WO2017/155855 describes a junction box that has a perimeter flange at its outer edge and mounting tabs at the rear of the box by which it can be installed on a wall or ceiling. U.S. Pat. No. 7,582,827 describes an adjustable electrical box that is secured to a wall by means of L-shaped anchoring members that can be connected to the box to allow the position to be adjusted. JP2004242434 describes a junction box that has a flange at the rear to allow it to be mounted though a hole in a panel. US2002/0125247 describes an electrical wiring box having an outer flange. The box can be installed into a brick wall and can have a cover to conceal the internal components.
This invention aims to provide a system that allows for easy installation into a wall structure, especially a brick or block wall, and which does not require all of the components of the charging point to be present until needed so as to reduce initial cost.
One aspect of the present invention provides docking unit for mounting in a block wall, comprising:
The terms “top”, “bottom”, “side”, “front”, and “rear” used in this document are relative to the orientation of the unit when used in a vertical wall having an inner and outer face. In practice, the unit can be installed in any orientation appropriate for its specific use.
The docking unit hollow body can approximate to a rectangular cuboid, and can have dimensions (height, width, and depth) corresponding to that of single or multiple blocks in the block wall.
The docking unit hollow body can further comprise anchor points to which a cover unit or charging unit can be secured, such as screw anchors located in the corners of the docking unit hollow body.
The electrical connector opening in the back plate can be offset to one side of the back plate, and the electrical connector offset to the other side of the back plate. The opening can be one of a pair of openings disposed symmetrically about the centre of the docking unit hollow body so that the electrical connector can be installed on either side of the docking unit. The contacts of the electrical connector for connection to a charging unit can face the open front face of the docking unit hollow body.
Another aspect of the invention provides a cover unit for use with the docking unit, comprising:
wherein when the cover unit hollow body is inserted into the docking unit hollow body:
The depth of the cover unit hollow body from the cover unit front plate to the open (rear) face can be less than the depth of the docking unit hollow body from the docking unit open (front) face to the docking unit back plate. The relative depths of the hollow bodies can be selected so as to allow a range of block wall thicknesses to be accommodated.
When installed in a wall, the front plate can be visible externally on the surface of the block wall. A decorative panel can be provided on the outer surface of the front plate which can comprise locating holes for alignment with anchor points in the docking unit.
A further aspect of the invention provides charging unit for use with the docking unit, comprising:
The front plate can include a channel for holding a charging cable, and two outward facing sockets, one for connection of one end a charging cable to the charger module, and the other for stowing the other end of the charging cable to the charging unit when not in use. Alternatively, both outward facing sockets can be for connection to the charger module.
The depth of the charging unit hollow body from the charging unit front plate to the open (rear) face can be less than the depth of the docking unit hollow body from the docking unit open (front) face to the docking unit back plate. The relative (front to rear) depths of the hollow bodies can be selected so as to allow a range of wall thicknesses to be accommodated.
The front plate can comprise locating holes for alignment with anchor points in the docking unit.
A still further aspect of the invention provides a method of installing a charging system in a block wall, comprising:
wherein the method subsequently comprises:
The relative (front to rear) depths of the hollow bodies can be selected so as to allow the contacts to engage for a range of wall thicknesses.
Further aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.
The Figures show various parts of a system for installing an electrical accessory such as a charging point for an electric vehicle in a block wall. The term “block wall” is used to indicate a wall constructed of multiple units such as bricks or blocks arranged in an overlapping manner and secured to each other around their joints. In many cases, the bricks or block are joined using a cement mortar. The various parts of the system are described using terms (e.g. “front, “rear”, “top”, “bottom”, “side”, etc.) in relation to a typical orientation when installed in a block wall. In some cases, the units may be installed in different orientations in a wall such that, for example, a part indicated as “bottom” may be uppermost. These terms are relative and are used for ease of understanding.
The system comprises a docking unit that can be built into a wall and connected to a supply of electricity. A cover unit can be used to close the docking unit if the charging point or other accessory is not to be installed immediately. In this way, the docking unit can be built into the wall, but it is not necessary to immediately install the charging unit or other accessory. Instead, the cover unit can be used to close the docking unit until the charging unit or other accessory is ready for installation. At this time, the cover unit can be removed, and the charging unit or other accessory installed in the docking unit. If appropriate, the charging unit or other accessory can be installed immediately in which case the cover unit is not required.
The docking unit shown in
The outer surfaces of the top 18, bottom 20, and sides 26 of the hollow body 12 have upstanding ridges 22 that can key into mortar used to make the block wall and resist displacement of the docking unit form the wall in use. The ridges on the top and bottom are shown extending front to back, and side to side. Other suitable angled configurations can be used. The height of the ridges 22 from the outer surfaces is less than the extent of the flange 16 form the outer surfaces, i.e. the flange 16 extends further than the ridges 22. This allows the ridges 22 to be completely enclosed on the joint and the flange 16 to be able to completely cover the joint around the unit.
The back plate 14 has an opening 24 offset to one side to allow an electrical supply cable (not shown) to be introduced from within the building to provide a connection for a changing unit as will be described further below. In other embodiments, two openings are provided so that installing the docking unit in different orientations still allows the supply cable to be introduced and connected properly. The two openings can be disposed symmetrically about the centre of the back plate 14.
Anchor formations 28 are provided in the hollow body 12 at the corners between the top 18, bottom 20, and sides 26. The anchor formations 28 are in the form of threaded bores that extend from the back plate 14 and open towards the front of the hollow body to receive locating screws or bolts. The anchor formations can also serve as supports for other components such as circuit boards.
The electrical connector module 29 has connectors 30 for connection to the electrical supply cable, and contacts 32 for connection to a charging module. The contacts 32 for connection to the charging module (or other future accessory) are positioned on the front of the connector module 29 so as to be accessible from the front of the hollow body 12.
The top 48, bottom, 50, and sides 52 are provided with a series of ridges 54 running front to rear. The dimensions around the outside of the ridges 54 are such that when the cover hollow body 46 is inserted into the docking unit hollow body, the ridges 54 form a friction fit with the inside of the docking unit 10.
Through holes 56 are provided in the front plate 42 that lead into the corners of the hollow body 46 and, when the cover unit 40 is slotted into the docking unit 10, the through holes 56 are aligned with the anchor formations 28 so that locating screws (not shown) can be used to secure the cover unit 40 to the docking unit 10. In this configuration, the flange 45 of the front plate 42 extends over the open end of the docking unit 10 and any surrounding joints in the block wall.
When it is desired to provide charging (or other future) capability at the location of interest, the locating screws can be removed and the cover unit 40 can be removed from the docking unit 10 and a charging unit 60 can be slotted into the docking unit 10 (see
As shown in
A charger module (shown in more detail in
The front of the cavity 64 is closed by a cover 73 as shown in
The top of the front section 62 is configured as a channel 80 which allows the charging cable to be wrapped around the front section 62 when not in use. In this way the cable can be stored safely without leaving a trip hazard or being accidentally damaged.
The charging control module 81 is shown in more detail in
In many types of house construction, electrical power cables are run through the cavity between the inner and outer walls. This makes it relatively straightforward to feed the supply cable into the docking unit 10 as described above.
By making the size of the hollow bodies approximately the same as that of a brick or block, the basic design and construction of the wall does not need to be changed in order to locate the docking unit. Furthermore, the docking unit can be installed in the wall in the same way as any other block or brick, using mortar joints.
While the invention has been described in the context of brick or block walls, it can be used in other types of wall construction such as timber or panel walls.
Furthermore, the docking unit could be used to mount other devices as future accessories than a charger unit.
Seals or gaskets can be provided on the cover unit or charging unit to provide a seal with the docking unit and prevent water or other materials from entering the hollow body.
Various changes can be made to the system described above while remaining within the scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2010905.4 | Jul 2020 | GB | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/GB2021/051817 | 7/14/2021 | WO |