Conduit structure for charging gun

1. A charging gun conduit structure, comprising:

a main post configured to accommodate a main control system and erect from a ground in a first direction perpendicular to the ground;

a first conduit configured to be elongated and including a first joint at one end having a rotating axis in the first direction and the one end connected through the first joint to a top portion of the main post;

a second conduit of an L-shaped configuration including a second joint at one end having a rotating axis in the first direction, the one end connected to another end of the first conduit, and other end of the second conduit extending toward the ground;

a third conduit configured to be elongated and including one end connected to the other end of the second conduit through a corrugated pipe formed to be retractable in a longitudinal direction;

a fourth conduit including a third joint at one end, having a rotating axis extending in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction, and connected through the third joint to another end of the third conduit;

a charging gun having one end connected to another end of the fourth conduit through an elastic connection unit formed of an elastic material to be bendable at an arbitrary angle within a predetermined range, another end configured to be inserted into a charging socket of an electric vehicle, and a central axis extending substantially in parallel to the ground; and

a plurality of charging cables and one or more signal lines which are disposed inside the first conduit, the second conduit, the third conduit, and the fourth conduit and configured to connect the main control system with the charging gun electrically.

2. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 1 , wherein the second joint includes a hinge structure on both sides in the first direction to provide two hinges that allow the plurality of charging cables and the one or more signal lines to be disposed of unconstrained between the two hinges.

3. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 1 , wherein the third joint includes a hinge structure on both sides in the second direction to provide two hinges that allow the plurality of charging cables and the one or more signal lines to be disposed of unconstrained between the two hinges.

4. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the four sides of the first conduit and the second conduit, adjacent to the second joint and parallel to the first direction, includes a first opening for allowing the plurality of charging cables and the one or more signal lines to extend outside of the first conduit and the second conduit when the second joint is folded or unfolded.

5. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the four sides of the third conduit and the fourth conduit, adjacent to the third joint and parallel to the second direction, includes a second opening for allowing the plurality of charging cables and the one or more signal lines to extend outside of the third conduit and the fourth conduit when the third joint is folded or unfolded.

6. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 4 , wherein the respective length of the first opening and the second opening along the longitudinal direction of the corresponding conduit is determined based on a minimum bendable radius of curvature of the plurality of charging cables.

7. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 6 , wherein the respective length of the first opening and the second opening along the longitudinal direction of the corresponding conduit is so determined as to allow the accommodated plurality of charging cables and the one or more signal lines to be freely bent and deformed into the minimum bendable radius of curvature without being restricted by the corresponding conduits, when the first and second conduits are folded 180 degrees or when the third and fourth conduits are folded 180 degrees.

8. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 5 , wherein respective lengths of the first opening and the second opening along the longitudinal direction of a corresponding conduit is determined based on a minimum bendable radius of curvature of the plurality of charging cables.

9. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 8 , wherein the respective lengths of the first opening and the second opening along the longitudinal direction of the corresponding conduit is so determined as to allow the accommodated plurality of charging cables and the one or more signal lines to be freely bent and deformed into the minimum bendable radius of curvature without being restricted by the corresponding conduits, when the first and second conduits are folded 180 degrees or when the third and fourth conduits are folded 180 degrees.

10. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 1 , wherein the charging cables each comprise:

a single conductor;

a PVC corrugated pipe that is disposed to surround the single conductor; and

a metal bellows that is disposed to surround the PVC corrugated pipe.

11. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 10 , wherein

the metal bellows is formed to have a concave-convex structure externally in a repeated arrangement that extends in a longitudinal direction,

the concave-convex structure is configured to define a minimum radius of curvature of the metal bellows when bent, and

the minimum radius of curvature defined by the concave-convex structure is configured to be equal to or larger than a minimum radius of curvature of the single conductor.

12. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

a magnet installed at one side of the third conduit or backside of the charging gun, which is opposite to a plug side for allowing a temporarily folded up storage of the charging gun at the side of the third conduit.

13. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 1 , wherein the second joint and the third joint have a rotation range from 0 to 180 degrees.

14. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 1 , wherein the first conduit is formed to be longer than the elongated portion of the third conduit adjacent to the first conduit so that the charging gun is positioned near the main post and storage volume of the charging gun conduit structure becomes minimum when the first and second conduits are folded away from the electric vehicle toward the main post.

15. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 1 , wherein the second conduit is configured to have enough inner space for allowing the plurality of charging cables and the one or more signal lines to move up or down in the second conduit when the corrugated pipe is contracted or expanded.

16. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 1 , wherein

the main control system is configured to be installed on a superstructure of a parking stall, which includes a parking lot ceiling, and

the first conduit is formed in an L-shaped configuration, having one end rotatably attached to the superstructure so that the other end of the first conduit is rotatable on a plane parallel to the ground.

17. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 16 , wherein the first conduit and the superstructure are connected at a point that is disposed adjacent to a center of the parking stall.

18. The charging gun conduit structure of claim 1 , wherein the corrugated pipe is disposed to connect the third conduit with the fourth conduit instead of being disposed between the second conduit and the third conduit, and the third joint is disposed to connect the second conduit with the third conduit instead of being disposed between the third conduit and the fourth conduit.