US 12,291,117 B1
Electric vehicle charge robot plug in mechanism
Wesley Zhou, Aliso Viejo, CA (US); and Ritzo Muntinga, Carlsbad, CA (US)
Assigned to Procom Engineering, Inc., Aliso Viejo, CA (US)
Filed by Procom Engineering, Inc., Aliso Viejo, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 14, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/019,818.
Int. Cl. H02J 7/00 (2006.01); B60L 53/16 (2019.01); B60L 53/37 (2019.01); H01R 13/631 (2006.01)
CPC B60L 53/37 (2019.02) [B60L 53/16 (2019.02); H01R 13/631 (2013.01); H01R 2201/26 (2013.01); H02J 7/0042 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a sleeve extending from the housing;
a first nozzle assembly designed to move inside the sleeve and to engage a charging port of an electric vehicle, the first nozzle assembly including a ground pin engageable with an inlet ground pin of the charging port; and
a second nozzle assembly designed to move inside the sleeve independently of the first nozzle assembly, the second nozzle assembly having a recess for receiving a locking pawl of the charging port, wherein:
the second nozzle assembly is designed to be fully inserted into the charging port before the first nozzle assembly is fully inserted into the charging port;
the recess receives the locking pawl after the ground pin engages the inlet ground pin; and
the first nozzle assembly is designed to be fully inserted into the charging port after the locking pawl is secured inside the recess of the second nozzle assembly.