US 12,407,142 B2
Systems and methods for improving contact condition of charging cable and port
Manuel Ludwig Kuehner, Mountain View, CA (US); and Hiroshi Yasuda, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC., Los Altos, CA (US); and TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC., Los Altos, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/724,402.
Prior Publication US 2023/0335962 A1, Oct. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. H01R 43/00 (2006.01); B08B 7/02 (2006.01); B60L 53/16 (2019.01); B60L 53/18 (2019.01); H01R 13/66 (2006.01); H01R 43/26 (2006.01)
CPC H01R 43/002 (2013.01) [B08B 7/02 (2013.01); B60L 53/16 (2019.02); B60L 53/18 (2019.02); H01R 13/6683 (2013.01); H01R 43/26 (2013.01); H01R 2201/26 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A contact condition improvement system comprising:
a contact sensor configured to detect when a plug of a charging cable contacts a charging port; and
an electromechanical vibrator attached to the plug of the charging cable and configured to vibrate the plug of the charging cable within a determined vibration frequency range when the contact sensor determines the plug of the charging cable contacts the charging port,
wherein vibrating the plug of the charging cable within the determined vibration frequency range generates sufficient relative movement and friction between contact surfaces of the plug of the charging cable and prongs of the charging port based on transferred vibration from the electromechanical vibrator to the charging port via contact with the plug to release unwanted foreign materials from the contact surfaces without breaking contact between the plug of the charging cable and the charging port, and
wherein the electromechanical vibrator is configured to deliver vibrations at a frequency within the determined vibration frequency range that varies as a function of a depth of penetration of the plug of the charging cable into the charging port.