Oh, patents! Voltpost EV charger design patent (2)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The Voltpost wraparound EV charger solution was also awarded the US design patent, USD1089074S1, titled Electric vehicle charging station. The patent covers the ornamental features of the EV charging station invention. This design patent was awarded to Joern Vicari, Jeffrey Borges Jones, Yang Cheng, Yerin Cho, Chiraag M Hebbar and Alejandro Enrique Vallejo, on August 19, 2025. The patent was then assigned to Voltpost Inc., in New York, NY.

 

Below, the extracted patent Figure 3 drawing shows a perspective view of the EV charging station, with the charging cable handle disconnected from the charging station. The broken lines marking the disconnected charging cable indicate that the charging cable is unprotected. An image of the marketed Voltpost EV charging station, located on Howard Street, in San Francisco, appears next the patent Figure 3. The neon yellow charging cable is depicted plugged into an electric vehicle.

Reference
Voltpost

https://www.voltpost.com/

Oh, patents! Voltpost EV charger design patent (1)

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The Voltpost wraparound EV charger solution was also awarded US design patents, covering the ornamental features of the invention. For example, the US design patent, USD1055844S1, titled Charging station was awarded to Joern Vicari Joel Rapaport and Jeffrey B. Jones, on December 31, 2024, for the design of the Generation 1 Voltpost EV charger that wraps around the base of a lampost. The patent was then assigned to Voltpost, Inc., in New York, NY.  

Below, the extracted patent Figure 1 drawing shows a perspective view of the Voltpost EV charger. The broken lines marking the charging cable, connected to the wraparound EV charger, indicate that this part of the design is unprotected. An image of the marketed Voltpost charger, Generation 1, appears next to the patent figure drawing. The charging cable on the image appears in neon yellow.

Reference
Voltpost
https://www.voltpost.com/

Oh, patents! Voltpost Air EV chargers - Generation 2.

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The Generation 2 Voltpost Air is an Electric Vehicle (EV) charger that wraps around the top of a regular, public utility lamppost. The Voltpost Air EV charger is mobile-app-operated, with a charging cable that is lowered and raised from the Voltpost Air wraparound solution, installed at the top of the lamppost (see image below). Thus, the Voltpost Air EV charger Generation 2, like the Generation 1 Voltpost EV charger installed at the base of a lamppost, also cooperates with the existing electric grid infrastructure, built into public lampposts, bypassing the prohibitive costs of new infrastructure.

In a nutshell, the Voltpost solution seeks to resolve the shortage of EV chargers. The absence of widespread availability of EV chargers is believed to ultimately prevent wider use of EV vehicles. As a result, the proportion of fossil fuel burned by cars (which produce 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions) remains insufficiently abated, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, which are assumed to cause global warming.   

The cable mechanism invention for the Voltpost Air EV charger is recited in a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent application, filed at the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The WIPO patent application WO2024/59088A2, titled Cable mechanism for EV charging station, was published on March 21, 2024. The inventors on record are Chiraag, M. HEBBAR and Alejandro, Enrique VALLEJO, both from California. 

Below, the extracted patent Figure 1 depicts a cable mechanism, embodying the invention.  According to the invention, the Figure 1 comprises a cable mechanism 100, comprising a housing 130 with an energy input opening 132, and an exit opening 131 (for the charging cable 101). Inside the housing, a motor assembly 110 and a pulley assembly 120 operate a charging cable 101, which has a free end 102, a fixed end 105, a portion 104 in between engaged with the pulley assembly 120, and a portion 103 that leads the charging cable up or down. The pulley assembly 120 moves from a first to a second position to lower the charging cable 101, and from a second to a first position to retract the charging cable. The fixed end of the charging cable 105 is connected to the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) 140. A controller 150 synchronizes the motor 110 drive with the pulley assembly 120 to maintain tension and prevent buckling of the charging cable 101. The free end of the charging cable 102 has a user-control unit 155 with buttons to raise and lower the charging cable 101.

  

Below, the patent Abstract.

The cable mechanism dispenses and retracts a cable having a free and a fixed end. The cable mechanism includes a motor assembly configured to engage a leading portion of the cable to dispense or retract the cable and a pulley assembly configured to engage a following portion of the cable. The following portion may be arranged between the leading portion and the fixed end of the cable. The pulley assembly may be movable relative to the motor assembly between a first position and a second position. Moving the pulley assembly from the first position to the second position may dispense the cable, and moving the pulley assembly from the second position to the first position may retract the cable.

[Abstract WO2024/59088A2]

Reference
Voltpost
https://www.voltpost.com/ 

Oh, patents! Voltpost EV chargers - Generation 1.

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann  

Voltpost Inc., is a company that has found a way to resolve the shortages of Electric Vehicle chargers, without significantly disrupting existing grid infrastructure. This invention is significant, considering that the installation of new grid infrastructure is precisely the problematic situation that has been hindering the large-scale deployment of EV chargers.

Indeed, the solution is a bit like an elephant in the room. Voltpost is simply tapping into the existing grid infrastructure found in public lampposts. They have created lamppost wraparound solutions that take just a couple of hours to install in what they call “charging deserts”.

In Voltpost’s own terms:

“Voltpost retrofits lampposts into a modular and upgradable electric vehicle charging platform. This provides people convenient and affordable charging access while reducing the cost, timing, and footprint of chargers.”

Generation 1,  mobile-operated, Voltpost EV chargers wrap around the base of lampposts with one or several retractable cables for charging electric of hybrid vehicles (see image below). 

The Voltpost invention won a Time Magazine 2025 Best Innovation Award. The inventors have also been awarded several US patents, both utility patents for the how the Voltpost invention works, and design patents for the ornamental features of the Voltpost invention. For example the US utility patent USD1089074S1, titled Electric vehicle charging station, was awarded to Joern Vicari, Jeffrey Borges Jones, Yang Cheng, Yerin Cho, Chiraag M Hebbar and Alejandro Enrique Vallejo, on June 20th, 2024. The patent was then assigned to Voltpost Inc., in New York, NY. 

Below, the patent Figure 1, depicting the primary components of an electric vehicle charging system 100. The system is intended to transform a standard street lamppost 105 into a smart electric vehicle (EV) charging station 110. The EV charging station 110 surrounds the base of the lamppost 105 with a modular base protective unit 125, and a user-interactive technical unit 140, originally into which the user can plug a charging cable 135, to charge a vehicle 120 (electric or hybrid). The EV charging station 110 is managed by a mobile app 115, installed on a mobile device such as a smartphone 195, enabling a cloud-based charge management system 200 for charging the vehicle 120. Alternatively, a Bluetooth connection can exist between the EV charging unit 110 and the mobile device 195.

Below the patent abstract of the invention:

A system with a technical unit having modules that, when assembled, surround a periphery of a lamppost, at least one of the modules having an electric charging function capability, a non-charging function capability, or a communications function capability. The system may be charging station for charging an electric vehicle from a power source inside the lamppost may include a base unit to surround the base of the lamppost. [Abstract USD1089074S1]

Refererence

Voltpost

https://www.voltpost.com/ 

Salvador Dali - Poetry of America (1948) aka Cosmic Athletes

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

In Poetry of America, aka Cosmic Athletes, Savador Dali, explores “American culture, consumerism, and racial tensions through dreamlike imagery, featuring American football players, a giant Coca-Cola bottle, and a map of Africa” (Figuerez Ortiz, 2015). 

This surrealist masterpiece was created during World War II when the artist was exiled in the United States. The Coca-Cola bottle depicted in Poetry of America is the first recorded instance of the iconic bottle in art. Below, an image of the painting with an image of the Coca-Cola bottle detail. 

  

Note

*Poesia de America. Los atletas cósmicos.

References

- Dali, S. (1948). Poetry of America. Oil on canvas. Permanent Collection at the Dalí Theatre-Museum (Teatro-Museo Dalí), in Figueres, Spain. 

- Figueres Ortiz, Pau (March 8, 2015). Salvador Dali - Poetry of America (1943). Blog: The Revolution will be sponsored.

https://larevolucionserapatrocinada.wordpress.com/2015/03/08/salvador-dali-poetry-of-america-1943/

Robert Rauschenberg - Coca-Cola Plan (1958)

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The Coca-Cola Plan is part of Rauschenberg’s “Combines” series (1954-64), where he not only blurred the lines between sculpture and painting, but also incorporated everyday objects into art, elevating and transforming them into artistic statements. According to the Robert  Rauschenger Foundation, the artist “sought to act in the 'gap' between art and life, valuing chance and collaboration across disciplines.” 

The Coca-Cola Plan is a vertical trophy-sized wall piece, comprising a  narrow rectangular wood frame, with three levels. The top level is covered with brown paper and the “PLAN” in writing. The middle level, open in the back, houses three vintage green glass Coca-Cola bottles. One of the bottles is dripping with thick oil paint in red and orange. Another bottle has a smear of brown and blue-green paint, and the center bottle has no paint. The third level, closed in the back, has a large round carved newel staircase cap. Two metal wings are attached on each side of the wooden frame, at the middle level. 

The Coca-Cola Plan is a piece among others in the "Combines" series that is credited with “forever changing the course of American Abstract Expressionism”, removing intense emotions, to engage with everyday life and objects. 

References
Rauschenberg, R.  (1958) Coca-Cola Plan – Pencil on paper, oil on three Coca-Cola bottles, wood newel cap, and cast metal wings on wood structure. Permanent Collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles, CA. 
https://www.moca.org/collection/work/coca-cola-plan 

Robert Rauschenberg Foundation 

https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/foundation 

Andy Warhol - Green Coca-Cola bottles (1962)

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

According to the Whitney Museum of Art in New York City, where Andy Warhol's famous Green Coca-Cola Bottles (1962) are located:

"Andy Warhol’s Green Coca-Cola Bottles (1962) is a defining Pop Art piece representing mass consumerism, conformity, and democratic access to consumer goods. Using silkscreen printing, the painting features 112 identical, bright green Coke bottles on a white background, highlighting the ubiquity and standardization of American culture".

According to Andy Warhol:  

“What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you know that the president drinks Coke, Liz Taylor drinks Coke, and just think, you can drink Coke, too. A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the Cokes are the same and all the Cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the president knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it.” (Warhol, 1975)

References
-Warhol, A. (1975). The Philosophy of Andy Warhol. New York, NY: Harcourt Publishing Company.  
-Warhol, A. (1962). Green Coca Cola Bottles. Painting, acrylic, screenprint, and graphite pencil on canvas. The Whitney Museum. Of American Art, New York, NY. 
https://whitney.org/collection/works/3253