Handle Bay
September 2022 - May 2025
The Handle Bay is the docking system for the ChargePlug within the Voltpost Platform. Its rotating design keeps the cable taut and out of the way when not in use. The assembly includes sensors that allow the charger to detect when the ChargePlug is docked, as well as an integrated heater that ensures reliable operation in cold weather.
I owned the design, manufacturing, documentation, sourcing, assembly, and testing of all components from detailed design through production.
Handle Bay
The Handle Bay is built from weather-resistant materials and is designed to operate reliably in harsh outdoor conditions.
Rotation
The Handle Bay rotates to keep the cable taut and to lock the ChargePlug in place. I explored many iterations of the rotation mechanism to find a simple, reliable, and waterproof solution. The main challenges were waterproofing, automatic unpowered locking, sensing, and the limited space available. The final design uses a worm-gear-driven gear train that self-locks in any position, even when the motor is powered off.
Locking
Many locking concepts were prototyped during development. These ranged from a push-pull solenoid to a fully waterproof flexible membrane. The most reliable and waterproof solution was to use the rotation of the Handle Bay as the locking mechanism.
Sensing
The charger needs to detect whether the ChargePlug is in the Handle Bay and whether it is in the locked or unlocked position at the start and end of a charging session. Several types of sensors were evaluated, including inductive sensors, time of flight sensors, and IR sensors. The final solution uses a magnet in the ChargePlug and a Hall effect sensor on the Handle Bay PCB. This approach is reliable, low-profile, and cost-effective.
PCB Heater
The Handle Bay contains a PCB heater and temperature sensors that ensure reliable rotation in sub-zero conditions.
Integration
The Handle Bay is designed to work with the cable mechanism inside the Voltpost Platform. When a charging session starts in the Voltpost app, the Handle Bay rotates as the cable is dispensed and unlocks the ChargePlug for charging.
Testing
Testing included UL soft-testing, materials testing, and gasket-conditioning evaluations. These tests confirmed that the gaskets can withstand outdoor conditions and meet UL 2594 requirements.
