TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) assemblies that include cables with gap extrusions for filling gaps between conductor wires inside the cables.

BACKGROUND

Electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles because they are selectively driven by one or more traction battery pack powered electric machines. The electric machines can propel the electrified vehicles instead of, or in combination with, an internal combustion engine. Some electrified vehicles, such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), include a charge port that is connectable to a charger coupler of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) for charging the traction battery pack. A cable of the EVSE connects the charger coupler to an external power source for supplying power to the charge port.

SUMMARY

An electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a charger coupler and a cable connected to the charger coupler and including a plurality of conductor wires and a gap extrusion positioned within a gap between the plurality of conductor wires. The gap extrusion includes a non-symmetrical cross-sectional shape.

In a further non-limiting aspect of the foregoing assembly, the cable includes an outer jacket circumferentially disposed about the plurality of conductor wires.

In a further non-limiting aspect of either of the foregoing assemblies, the outer jacket and the gap extrusion are both made from a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material.

In a further non-limiting aspect of any of the foregoing assemblies, the outer jacket and the gap extrusion are made from the same TPE material.

In a further non-limiting aspect of any of the foregoing assemblies, the gap extrusion extends along a rotated path about a central longitudinal axis to establish a helical orientation.

In a further non-limiting aspect of any of the foregoing assemblies, the helical orientation follows a twisted path of the gap.

In a further non-limiting aspect of any of the foregoing assemblies, the helical orientation includes a plurality of concave grooves. Each of the plurality of concave grooves extends between adjacent distal points of the gap extrusion.

In a further non-limiting aspect of any of the foregoing assemblies, the gap extrusion extends lengthwise along a central longitudinal axis, a first axis bisects the gap extrusion along a first dimension of a cross-sectional slice of the gap extrusion, and a second axis bisects the gap extrusion along a second dimension of the cross-sectional slice of the gap extrusion.

In a further non-limiting aspect of any of the foregoing assemblies, the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis. Each of the first axis and the second axis is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis.

In a further non-limiting aspect of any of the foregoing assemblies, the cross-sectional shape is non-symmetric about the first axis or the second axis.

In a further non-limiting aspect of any of the foregoing assemblies, the cross-sectional shape is non-symmetric about both the first axis and the second axis.

In a further non-limiting aspect of any of the foregoing assemblies, the gap extrusion includes a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material.

A method according to another exemplary aspect of the preset disclosure includes, among other things, forming a gap extrusion for use within a cable of an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) assembly. The gap extrusion includes a non-symmetrical cross-sectional shape. The method further incudes feeding the gap extrusion into a wound conductor wire bunch to form a cable subassembly, and applying an outer jacket about the cable subassembly to form the cable.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing method, forming the gap extrusion includes extruding the gap extrusion in a first extrusion process.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of either of the foregoing methods, applying the outer jacket includes extruding the outer jacket about the cable subassembly in a second extrusion process.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the second extrusion process is separate from the first extrusion process to provide a staggered extrusion process.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, feeding the gap extrusion into the wound conductor wire bunch includes feeding the gap extrusion into a gate of a cable extrusion machine.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, feeding the gap extrusion into the wound conductor wire bunch includes feeding the gap extrusion into a gap formed between conductor wires of the wound conductor wire bunch.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the cross-sectional shape is non-symmetrical about at least one bisecting axis of the cross-sectional shape.

In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, the gap extrusion is made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material.

The embodiments, examples, and alternatives of the preceding paragraphs, the claims, or the following description and drawings, including any of their various aspects or respective individual features, may be taken independently or in any combination. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible.

The various features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.

