Floating the EVSE plug with a tether

[arnolddeleon]

My wife and I have this wild idea of storing the EVSE plug floating just in front and above the charge port. I'm thinking of attaching the plug to a line that is suspended from the ceiling by a retracting tether system. Has anyone done something similar?

We don't have the EVSE yet so I don't have a good sense of how practical this will be yet.

arnold

 

[JohnnySebring]

My Schneider EVSE is mounted high on the wall with the 18 ft cable suspended from the garage ceiling by 4 bike hooks. The plug hangs about 6 inches off the floor in the center of the bay.
I drive in until the bumper center just touches the cable. It's very convient to plug in and you never trip on the cable. You can loop the cable back over the hooks up out of the way when needed. it's simple, cheap and the cable on the floor would cross in front of the door. Also, the ball on the string no longer needed.

 

[arnolddeleon]

My Schneider EVSE is mounted high on the wall with the 18 ft cable suspended from the garage ceiling by 4 bike hooks. The plug hangs about 6 inches off the floor in the center of the bay.
I drive in until the bumper center just touches the cable. It's very convient to plug in and you never trip on the cable. You can loop the cable back over the hooks up out of the way when needed. it's simple, cheap and the cable on the floor would cross in front of the door. Also, the ball on the string no longer needed.

That's the idea except I am looking to make it so I can retract the cable up. If I can't find a suitable tether I may have to go low tech and go with something like you did.

arnold

 

[scmike]

Arnold,
I seemed to remember an EVSE that mounted overhead with a built in retractable cord...
it may have been a prototype... I can't find it now... but it's a good idea.. Gas pumps have retractable
tethers on their fuel hoses. A simple cord , pulley/s and weight system could work... limited by the travel
of the weight...and overhead attachment points...
Good Luck
Mike

 

[garrytman]

Arnold,
I seemed to remember an EVSE that mounted overhead with a built in retractable cord...
it may have been a prototype... I can't find it now... but it's a good idea.. Gas pumps have retractable
tethers on their fuel hoses. A simple cord , pulley/s and weight system could work... limited by the travel
of the weight...and overhead attachment points...
Good Luck
Mike

Here you go.
http://controlmod.com/pdfs/EVSE_garage.pdf

 

[caross]

Got to love the site search!

68oz (4.5lb) retractable force.. I'm putting 2 along the ceiling.

 

[Nubo]

Got to love the site search!

68oz (4.5lb) retractable force.. I'm putting 2 along the ceiling.

16 inches of extension doesn't seem like much...?

 

[caross]

Got to love the site search!

68oz (4.5lb) retractable force.. I'm putting 2 along the ceiling.

16 inches of extension doesn't seem like much...?

Seriously, tho. All it has to be, for me, just just above the hood of the car. The way my car is parked in the garage I pull up till a tennis ball hanging from a string touches the windshield, and I know I'm in far enough. I'll just walk up, grab the charger and plug.

 

[lion]

Not a pretty solution, but I was using a dog leash back in my Prius Plug-in days, where the EVSE was stored in the attic space of my garage. I posted the pics in another thread about this topic:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=11472" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With the LEAF, I probably won't need it, but the plan was to upgrade to the heavy duty leash Harbor Freight sells, to get more spring action (but it does cut down on distance).

Basically I have a little hook mounted all the way in the rafters, and this leash runs over that hook. I reel the EVSE plug in just like you would reel in a dog. The white object is just to weigh the plug down, so it comes down if I release the leash locking mechanism. This was the cheapest (~$5) way I could think of back then.

I can try to draw a diagram if the pics don't make much sense.

 

[caross]

So, I finally gave up with locating a good retractable solution. I just could not find something that was strong enough to hold the weight of the cord and also be weak enough not to slowly cause it to creep up out of reach.

Final solution... about $9. 2 covered hooks, 4 nylon zip-ties, a hammock hook, electrical tape and "live strong' band.

The best solutions are often your own.

 

[caross]

Oh, and as an added benefit... the loop in the cord acts as a 'stop' when I pull in the garage. I set it up so that as soon as the cord touches the hood, I'm far enough in.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Oh, and as an added benefit... the loop in the cord acts as a 'stop' when I pull in the garage. I set it up so that as soon as the cord touches the hood, I'm far enough in.

Well done! Nice to see someone else take the ceiling route to keep the cord off the floor and out of the way. My Nissan/Panasonic EVSE handle has more of a bend and stays put pretty well when I just store it on the bicycle hook:

 

[caross]

Oh, and as an added benefit... the loop in the cord acts as a 'stop' when I pull in the garage. I set it up so that as soon as the cord touches the hood, I'm far enough in.

Well done! Nice to see someone else take the ceiling route to keep the cord off the floor and out of the way. My Nissan/Panasonic EVSE handle has more of a bend and stays put pretty well when I just store it on the bicycle hook:

You must be really tall!

Also, I saw McMinneville, OR. High-five. I got my Certified Flight Instructor for Helicopters there at the airport. Right across from the Flight Museum. I'm sure you heard me flying over.

 

[dgpcolorado]

You must be really tall!

Not really, but I can touch an eight foot ceiling without difficulty. My solution wouldn't work as well for someone shorter but it is convenient for me. Your setup is terrific.

Also, I saw McMinneville, OR. High-five. I got my Certified Flight Instructor for Helicopters there at the airport. Right across from the Flight Museum. I'm sure you heard me flying over.

My parents live north of Beaverton and the dealer at McMinnville gave me the best deal in the Portland/Vancouver area. The LEAF wasn't available in my state yet and the only dealer near me here just wouldn't deal anyway. So I bought the car in Oregon and had it shipped to Colorado. Buying a LEAF was different in 2011, as many here remember.

I used to fly sailplanes many years ago, also got a power rating although I found sailplanes a lot more fun. But I've never flown a helicopter. Given how complex chopper controls are it would be an interesting challenge for a fixed wing pilot.