The present invention concerns an arrangement for the charging of an electrical vehicle. It is previously known to have charging arrangements in the form of a boxlike having a charg- ing cable positioned at special parking lots. A desire to change the combustion engine vehi cles for electrically driven vehicles requires a lot more possibilities for charging the electrical vehicles, and especially within cities where there isn't space for special parking lots and there are pavements/sidewalks along the streets. The cities do not always allow the placing of arrangements on the pavements as it will become an obstacle for people and cleaning and snow removing machinery. In most cities there is also a height allowance over the pave ments, i.e. it is not allowed to provide anything below a certain level above the pavements, for example 3 meters above the pavements.

Another problem is from where the electricity should be brought, and should it be alternat- ing current for overnight charging or direct current for quick charging.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a solution to the above problems in an effec tive and sleek way not being an obstacle on the pavement. According to an aspect of the present invention the charging arrangement comprises a base part and a first arm part and a second arm part. The first arm part is pivotally attached in a first end to the base part, a second end of the first arm part is pivotally attached to a first end of the second arm part. The arrangement may be in a closed position where the first arm part is more or less vertically oriented, and the second arm part is pivoted downwards in parallel with the first arm part. The arrangement may be moved into an open position where the first arm part is pivoted downwards, and the second arm part is pivoted out from the first arm part. The second end of the first arm part and the first end of the second arm part are provided with meshing cogs. An electrical cable is provided through the base part, the first arm part and the second arm part and further out through a second end of the second arm part and in the end of the cable a connecting plug is provided. By means of this arrangement a controlled movement of the first and second arms is en sured. Thus, it is possible to position the base part on a house or on the pavement in close vicinity to a house and with the first and second arms reach out over the pavement in order to provide an electrical vehicle positioned in the street along the pavement with charging electricity via the cable. The controlled movement makes it possible to avoid any protruding below a certain level above the pavements.

Thus, the present invention shows a new and inventive solution to the objective problem of charging a vehicle besides a pavement without being an obstacle on the pavement. The solution is a sleek arrangement blending in with other posts in a city. It lacks complicated motors and controlling means. It will be opened just by a user taking the second end of the second arm and drag out the end while the arms open up and then reach over the heads of people at the pavement. The electrical cable with its connecting plug is lead to and connected to the vehicle.

According to an embodiment of the present invention a balancing mechanism is provided between the first arm part and the base part and balances the first arm part and the at tached second arm part when the charging arrangement is moved into the open position. This further improves the control of the charging arrangement.

According to an embodiment of the present invention the first arm part comprises a four- bar mechanism having two parallel arm bars making up the first arm part. Also this further improves the control of the charging arrangement. Preferably, the arm bars are provided one above the other when the charging arrangement is moved into the open position.

According to an embodiment of the present invention the first and second arm parts are more or less the same length.

According to an embodiment of the present invention the connecting plug is locked into a locking means arranged at the base part or at a wall when the arrangement is in the closed position. Preferably, the locking means is unlockable by identification of a paying utiliser of the charging arrangement.

According to an embodiment of the present invention the arrangement is provided standing on the ground or being attached to a house fagade.

According to an embodiment of the present invention the cable is provided to transfer di rect current for quick charging of a vehicle, although it is obviously possible to instead trans fer alternating current. Preferably, the direct current is provided from a nearby house or group of houses having its own electricity producing system.

Short description of the drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail under referral to the accompanied drawings, in which:

Fig. la and b show a general embodiment of the present invention in a closed position and a partly open position, respectively.

Fig. 2a shows a cable through the general embodiment.

Fig. 2b and c show the general embodiment in a street view in a closed position and in a fully open position, respectively.

Fig. 3a, b and c show different embodiments of a balancing means.

Fig. 4a and b show an embodiment comprising a parallel arm generally and in a street view, respectively.

Fig. 5a and b show the embodiment of Fig. 4a comprising a gas spring in general and in a street view, respectively.

Detailed description of embodiments

In Fig. la and lb an embodiment of a charging arrangement of the present invention is shown. The charging arrangement comprises a base part 1, a first arm part 2 and a second arm part 5. The first arm part 2 is pivotally attached in a first end 3 to the base part 1 and a second end 4 of the first arm part 2 is pivotally attached to a first end 6 of the second arm part 5. The charging arrangement may be in a closed position as can be seen in Fig. la where the first arm part 2 is more or less vertically oriented and the second arm part 5 is pivoted downwards in parallel with the first arm part 2. The charging arrangement may be moved into an open position where the first arm part 2 is pivoted downwards and the second arm part 5 is pivoted out from the first arm part 2. In Fig. lb it is shown an interim position where the charging arrangement is in a partly open position.

The second end 4 of the first arm part 2 and the first end 6 of the second arm part 5 are provided with meshing cogs 8. Due to this a controlled movement of the first 2 and second 5 arm parts in relation to each other is provided. A pivoting movement of the first arm part 2 downwards will force the second arm part 5 to pivot outwards in the same rate due to the meshing cogs 8 being in grip with each other. Preferably, the first 2 and second 5 arm parts are of the same length and thus a second end 7 of the second arm part 5 would travel from the closed position in the one and same level all the way out to the fully open position of the charging arrangement. The fully open position can be seen in Fig. 2b.

An electrical cable 9 is provided through the base part 1, the first arm part 2 and the second arm part 5 and further out through the second end 7 of the second arm part 5 as can be seen in Fig. 2a. In the end of the cable 9 a connecting plug 10 is provided for connection with an electrical vehicle 11 to be charged, see for example Fig. 2b.

In Fig. la, b and 2a an embodiment of the base part 1 is shown where the base part 1 is a socket means arranged for attachment on a wall or a house fagade. In Fig. 2b another em bodiment of the base part 1 is shown. In this embodiment the base part 1 more like a post but still arranged for attachment on a wall or house fagade. In Fig. 2c third embodiment of the base part 1 shown. In this embodiment the base part 1 is a post arranged to be standing on the ground, for example on the pavement in close vicinity to a house or a wall.

In the embodiments of the charging arrangement of the present invention described above and below it is conceivable to use any one of the embodiments of base part 1, also embod- iments not shown falling within the scope of base part. Preferably, a balancing mechanism 12 is provided between the first arm part 2 and the base part 1 and balances the first arm part 2 and the attached second arm part 5 when the charg ing arrangement is moved into the open position. The balancing means 12 may be a lot of different embodiments. In Fig. 3a a counterweight 13 is shown attached at a protrusion in the first end 3 of the first arm part 2. In Fig. 3b a spring 14 is shown also this attached in a first end thereof at a protrusion in the first end 3 of the first arm part 2. A second end of the spring 14 is attached in the base part 1, for example. In Fig. 3c a gas spring 15 is arranged between the base part 1 and the first arm part 2. Any one of the embodiments of the shown balancing mechanisms 12 can be used also in the below described embodiments of the charging arrangement.

According to a further embodiment of the charging arrangement the first arm part 2 com prises two parallel arm bars 16a and 16b, arranged in parallel to each other as can be seen in Fig. 4a. The first parallel arm bar 16a is pivotally arranged in the base part at a joint 17a and pivotally in a joint 18a in a bracket 19. The bracket 19 is also pivotally arranged in the first end 6 of the second arm part 5. Further the bracket 19 is pivotally arranged in the second parallel arm bar 16b in a joint 18b and pivotally arranged in the base part 1 in a joint 17b. Altogether the parallel arms with its four joints 17a, 17b, 18a, 18b forms a four bars mechanism. One of the parallel arm bars 16b being arranged above the other parallel arm bar 16a during movement into and in the fully open position. The second arm part 5 is piv otally attached at a joint 21 in the bracket 19.

The four-bar mechanism will ensure that part 19, during the whole movement

from the closed to the open position, will always keep a thought line through the two axis 18b and 21 in parallel motion, i.e. it will not change its tilt. The cogs 8 will ensure that the angle of the outward tilt of arm 5 will be of the same value as downward tilt of arm 2, as mentioned above. As a consequence that the thought line through 18b and 21 is not changing its angle, a thought line through the second end 7 of the second arm part 5 and the first end 3 of the first arm part 2 will neither change its angle. The result is that the second end 7 of the second arm 5 will always keep the same height from the ground through the movement from the closed to the opened position. The weight of the ingoing parts (first 2 and second 5 arm parts and the bracket 19), the ca ble and any load added at the second end 7 of the second arm part 5 causes a downwards torque which will be taken up by the joints 17a and 17b and the distance therebetween. Thus, the having a first arm part 2 comprises two parallel arm bars 16a, 16b and a bracket

19 (a four-bar mechanism) will be able to take up this load without the need of a counter weight of the magnitude of this load. Thus, the only weight a balancing mechanism 12 needs to counter is the weight of the mechanism itself (first 2 and second 5 arm part and bracket 19), not the weight you hang in the second end 7 of the second arm 5. Having a balancing mechanism 12 would provide a smooth movement between the closed position to the open position and back.

In Fig. 4b a street view is shown of the embodiment having parallel arms bars 16a, 16b of the charging arrangement in an open position. In case a balancing mechanism 12 is used, and a gas spring 15 is chosen, the positioning of the gas spring 15 may be according to Fig.

5a. One end of the gas spring 15 is attached in the base part 1 and the opposite end of the gas spring 15 is attached at the parallel arm bar 16b being arranged above the other 16a during movement into and in the fully open position. In Fig. 5a the embodiment having parallel arm bars 16a, 16b and a gas spring 15 is in a partly open position. In Fig. 5b a street view is shown of the embodiment having parallel arm bars 16a, 16b and a gas spring 15.

In case the base part 1 is a post or an elongated base part suitable for a wall attachment the base part 1 preferably comprises a groove along its length into which the cable 9 can be arranged when not in use, i.e. when the charging arrangement is in the closed position.

Preferably, a locking means 20 in which the connecting plug 10 will be locked when the charging arrangement is in the closed position. The locking means 20 may be attached at the base part 1, see an example in Fig. 2c, or on a wall or house fagade. For example, the locking means 20 is unlockable by identification of a paying utiliser of the charging arrange- ment. It is conceivable to transfer either direct current or alternating current via the cable 9. The electricity is preferably taken from a nearby house. In case the house or a group of houses produces electricity, it may be transferred therefrom, for example as direct current as most electricity producing technologies suitable for a house provides direct current.