Patent ID: 8506315

Claim:
A docking station for stowing an electrical connector adapted to connect a power source to a re-chargeable battery in a vehicle powered at least partially by said battery, said connector having a first end connected to a power cable for coupling said connector to said power source, and a second end that includes multiple first electrical terminals adapted to engage mating electrical terminals in an electrical receptacle in said vehicle, said second end also including a protruding latching element adapted to engage a cooperating latching element in said receptacle for latching said connector to said receptacle, said docking station comprising a stowing receptacle adapted to receive said second end of said connector when said connector is not in use, said stowing receptacle including an elongated recess adapted to receive said protruding latching element when said protruding latching element is located anywhere within the region encompassed by the elongated recess, said recess including said cooperating latching element, and said cooperating latching element extends along the entire length of the recess.