An emergency unlocking mechanism for an electronic lock, an electronic lock and a charging gun

Abstract

This utility model discloses an emergency unlocking mechanism for an electronic lock, an electronic lock, and a charging gun, relating to the technical field of new energy vehicle charging equipment. The emergency unlocking mechanism includes a drive shaft, a locking pin, and a damping assembly. The drive shaft is connected to the output end of a motor, and the locking pin is sleeved on the drive shaft. The elastic element of the damping assembly cooperates with the locking element to provide damping force, creating a torque transmission coupling between the drive shaft and the locking pin. During normal operation, the drive shaft drives the locking pin to rotate synchronously, achieving locking or unlocking. When a malfunction in the electronic lock causes the drive shaft to jam, applying external force allows the locking pin to overcome the damping force and rotate relative to the drive shaft, achieving emergency unlocking. This invention solves the problem of existing integrated structures being unable to unlock when the motor is damaged, ensuring that the charging gun can be smoothly pulled out under extreme fault conditions, thus improving the safety and reliability of the equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of charging gun technology, and in particular to an emergency unlocking mechanism for an electronic lock, an electronic lock, and a charging gun. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry, DC charging guns, as key equipment for fast charging of electric vehicles, are of paramount importance in terms of safety and reliability. Among these components, the electronic lock is the core safety component of the charging gun. Its function is to mechanically lock the charging gun to the vehicle's socket during charging, preventing accidental disengagement and ensuring charging safety. After charging is complete, the electronic lock unlocks, allowing the charging gun to be easily removed. The working principle of the electronic lock in existing DC charging guns is as follows: When the charging gun is inserted into the vehicle's socket, the hook at the front end of the locking hook assembly falls into the groove of the socket. After the charging gun is inserted, the locking pin of the electronic lock rotates to the rear end of the locking hook assembly, supporting the button and preventing it from being pressed down. The hook remains within the groove of the socket, ensuring it will not disengage during charging. After charging is complete, the locking pin of the electronic lock automatically rotates back to its original position, creating a sufficient gap between it and the button, allowing the button to be pressed down and the charging gun to be removed.

[0003] To address unlocking anomalies caused by non-motor malfunctions (such as the electronic lock pin failing to reset properly after charging), existing technologies incorporate an unlocking lever as a remedial measure. The principle is to manually push the lock pin with the unlocking lever, forcibly opening it from under the button and restoring the button's downward pressing capability to complete the gun removal. However, this solution relies on a design where the electronic lock's drive shaft and lock pin are integrated, which has inherent technical flaws that are difficult to overcome.

[0004] (1) Transmission failure: When the motor of the electronic lock cannot rotate (jammed) due to burning, malfunction or other reasons, the force of the unlocking rod pushing the lock pin cannot overcome the jammed state of the transmission shaft, and the lock pin cannot be disengaged from under the button, resulting in the button not being able to be pressed down and the lock hook not being able to be lifted.

[0005] (2) Structural limitations: Conventional pressing / rotating unlocking mechanisms all require the electronic lock's drive shaft to be movable, and cannot achieve mechanical separation when the drive shaft is locked;

[0006] (3) Safety hazards: The above defects cause the charging gun to be unable to be pulled out of the vehicle's charging socket in extreme malfunctions, resulting in a "car lock" phenomenon. This not only affects the user experience, but may also cause secondary problems such as vehicle rescue and charging interruption.

[0007] Currently, the market lacks a redundant unlocking mechanism for a completely locked motor shaft. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an electronic lock that can forcibly unlock the motor shaft even when it is locked, to fill the technological gap and improve the safety redundancy of the charging gun. Utility Model Content

[0008] To address the shortcomings of existing electronic locks with integrated drive shaft and locking pin structures that cannot be unlocked in an emergency when the drive shaft is jammed, this utility model aims to provide an emergency unlocking mechanism for electronic locks, an electronic lock, and a charging gun. This allows for quick unlocking even when the drive shaft of the electronic lock cannot rotate due to burning or other damage, thus avoiding the phenomenon of the charging gun locking the vehicle.

[0009] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows:

[0010] On the one hand, this utility model discloses an emergency unlocking mechanism for an electronic lock, comprising:

[0011] The drive shaft connects to the motor output.

[0012] Locking pin, fitted onto the drive shaft;

[0013] The damping assembly includes an elastic element sleeved on a drive shaft and a locking member located at the free end of the drive shaft. The locking member keeps the elastic element in a pre-tightened state by axially compressing a locking pin.

[0014] When the motor drives the transmission shaft, the transmission shaft can drive the locking pin to rotate synchronously through the damping component; under the interference of external force, the locking pin can overcome the damping force of the damping component, thereby rotating relative to the transmission shaft.

[0015] Furthermore, the transmission shaft is provided with an annular boss, and the locking pin is provided with a slot on the side facing the motor. The annular boss is located in the slot, and the two ends of the elastic element abut against the side wall of the annular boss and the bottom surface of the slot, respectively.

[0016] Furthermore, the elastic element is a disc spring, a conical spring, or a friction damping pad.

[0017] Furthermore, the locking element is a locking nut or a snap ring.

[0018] Furthermore, a tool operating part is provided on the outer periphery of the locking pin for receiving rotation driven by an external unlocking tool.

[0019] On the other hand, this utility model discloses an electronic lock, including a motor and an emergency unlocking mechanism, wherein the emergency unlocking mechanism adopts the above-mentioned electronic lock emergency unlocking mechanism; the output end of the motor is connected to the transmission shaft.

[0020] On another aspect, this utility model discloses a charging gun, including a gun shell, a locking hook assembly and an electronic lock. The locking hook assembly includes a locking hook body, one end of which is provided with a button and the other end is provided with a hook for engaging an external charging interface. The electronic lock is the aforementioned electronic lock.

[0021] Furthermore, the locking pin has a contact portion that abuts against the locking hook assembly.

[0022] Furthermore, the side wall of the gun casing is provided with an unlocking hole, which corresponds to the tool operating part on the locking pin, allowing an unlocking tool to pass through and drive the tool operating part, causing the locking pin to rotate from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0023] When the locking pin is in the locked position, the contact part abuts against the button to lock the latch;

[0024] When the locking pin rotates to the unlock position, the restriction on the button is released.

[0025] Furthermore, a dust cover is provided on the unlocking hole.

[0026] As described above, the electronic lock emergency unlocking mechanism, electronic lock, and charging gun of this utility model have the following beneficial effects:

[0027] (1) Solving the unlocking problem when the motor fails: This utility model separates the existing integrated drive shaft and locking pin into two independent parts, and achieves torque coupling through the damping component: During normal operation, the damping force F1 of the elastic element can ensure that the drive shaft and locking pin rotate synchronously, realizing normal switching between locking and unlocking; when the motor cannot rotate due to burning or other faults, only an external force F2 (satisfying F2×lever>F1) needs to be applied to make the locking pin overcome the damping force and rotate relative to the drive shaft, releasing the obstruction of the locking lever button, realizing emergency unlocking, and completely solving the problem that the existing integrated structure cannot unlock when the motor fails.

[0028] (2) Does not affect normal working reliability: The design of the damping component ensures the synchronization of the drive shaft and the locking pin under normal working conditions: When the motor drives the drive shaft to rotate, the cooperation between the annular boss and the slot and the damping force F1 work together to make the locking pin rotate synchronously with the drive shaft, ensuring reliable locking during charging and smooth reset after charging, which is consistent with the normal working performance of the prior art.

[0029] (3) Convenient emergency unlocking operation: The lock pin is equipped with a tool operation part. With the help of unlocking tools (such as unlocking rods), external force can be applied manually to complete the emergency unlocking without complicated operation, which improves the convenience of operation for users in emergency situations.

[0030] (4) Simple structure and strong compatibility: This utility model is improved by splitting the transmission shaft and locking pin and adding a damping component (elastic element + locking part). The structure is simple and does not require major adjustments to the overall structure of the charging gun. It is highly compatible and easy to industrialize and upgrade existing equipment.

[0031] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the electronic lock in this utility model.

[0034] Figure 2 This is the second schematic diagram of the electronic lock in this utility model.

[0035] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The right view.

[0036] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Sectional view along the AA direction.

[0037] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a charging gun.

[0038] The diagram shows the following markings: 1. Drive shaft; 101. Annular boss; 2. Locking pin; 201. Contact part; 202. Tool operating part; 203. Slot; 3. Disc spring; 4. Locking nut; 5. Gun housing; 6. Locking hook assembly; 7. Motor. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The technical solution of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to specific embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0040] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper" and "lower" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0041] It should be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0042] On the one hand, this utility model discloses an emergency unlocking mechanism for an electronic lock, please refer to... Figures 1 to 4 The emergency unlocking mechanism includes a drive shaft 1, a locking pin 2, and a damping assembly. This invention solves the problem of existing integrated structures being unable to unlock electronic locks in emergency situations when the lock is damaged by setting the drive shaft 1 and locking pin 2 as separate structures that can rotate relative to each other, and by using a damping assembly to achieve synchronous linkage during normal operation and relative rotation during malfunction. The specific structure of each component is described in detail below.

[0043] The drive shaft 1 can be made of metal, with one end fixedly connected to the output end of the motor 7 (e.g., integrally formed, keyed, or welded) to receive the driving force of the motor 7; the other end extends axially, with an annular boss 101 integrally formed on its outer wall, extending radially along the drive shaft 1. It should be noted that the drive shaft 1 can be either the output shaft of the motor 7 or an extension shaft connected to the output shaft of the motor 7. The rear section of the drive shaft 1 has an external thread or at least two spaced limiting grooves on its outer wall for mounting the locking element in the damping assembly.

[0044] The locking pin 2 is made of engineering plastic or metal and has an irregular ring-shaped structure. It is sleeved on the drive shaft 1 and can rotate relative to the drive shaft 1. A slot 203 is provided on the side facing the motor 7 (which will be mentioned later in the section on electronic locks). The slot 203 is an annular groove that fits into the annular boss 101. The annular boss 101 of the drive shaft 1 is located within the slot 203. The depth of the slot 203 is greater than the thickness of the annular boss 101, allowing torque transmission between the drive shaft 1 and the locking pin 2 through the cooperation of the annular boss 101 and the slot 203. The outer wall of the locking pin 2 has a tool operating part 202 and a contact part 201. The tool operating part 202 is used to directly receive external thrust, thereby causing the locking pin 2 to rotate relative to the drive shaft 1. The contact part 201 is used to cooperate with the locking hook assembly 6 to lock or unlock the charging gun.

[0045] The damping assembly includes an elastic element and a locking component. The elastic element is sleeved on the drive shaft 1, with its two ends abutting against the side of the annular boss 101 and the bottom of the slot 203, respectively. The locking component is located at the end of the drive shaft 1 and is used to axially compress the locking pin 2 and the elastic element, causing the elastic element to generate a damping force F1. Through the damping force F1, the drive shaft 1 and the locking pin 2 form a torque transmission coupling: under normal conditions, the drive shaft 1 can drive the locking pin 2 to rotate synchronously through the damping force F1; when an external force F2 is applied (please refer to...), the locking component can be engaged. Figure 3 When the condition is met (F2×lever arm>F1), the locking pin 2 can overcome the damping force and rotate relative to the transmission shaft 1.

[0046] Specifically, the elastic element can be a disc spring 3, a conical spring, or a friction damping washer. The locking component can be a locking nut 4 (which engages with the external thread at the end of the drive shaft 1) or a retaining ring (which engages with the limiting groove at the end of the drive shaft 1). By installing the locking component, the elastic element can be compressed, causing it to generate a damping force F1. Taking the locking nut 4 as an example, tightening or loosening the locking nut 4 changes the compression of the disc spring 3: when the locking nut 4 is tightened, the compression of the disc spring 3 increases, the damping force F1 increases, and the required unlocking force F2 increases; when the locking nut 4 is loosened, the compression of the disc spring 3 decreases, the damping force F1 decreases, and the required unlocking force F2 decreases. This design can be flexibly adjusted according to actual application scenarios (such as the unlocking force requirements of different vehicle models), improving the adaptability of the mechanism.

[0047] On the other hand, this utility model discloses an electronic lock, including a motor 7 and an emergency unlocking mechanism. The emergency unlocking mechanism adopts the above-mentioned electronic lock emergency unlocking mechanism. The driving end of the motor 7 is connected to the end of the transmission shaft 1 away from the locking member, and is used to drive the transmission shaft 1 to rotate.

[0048] Furthermore, this utility model discloses a charging gun, please refer to... Figure 5 It includes the gun casing 5, the lock hook assembly 6, and the aforementioned electronic lock.

[0049] The locking hook assembly 6 includes a locking hook body, with a button at one end and a latch at the other. The latch engages with a groove in the vehicle's socket to achieve mechanical locking, while the button is pressed to lift the latch and release the lock. The locking hook body is a metal rod-shaped structure, with the button located near the handheld end and the latch at the front end, connected by a lever structure—pressing the button lifts the latch upwards; releasing it causes the latch to fall back under the action of a return spring. The specific structure of the locking hook assembly 6 is prior art, and the structure described in patent CN222883926U can be adopted.

[0050] It should be noted that the side wall of the gun case 5 is provided with an unlocking hole 501, which corresponds to the tool operating part 202 on the locking pin 2, allowing the unlocking tool to pass through and drive the tool operating part 202, so that the locking pin 2 rotates from the locked position to the unlocked position: when the locking pin 2 is in the locked position, the contact part 201 is located below the button and prevents the button from moving down, so that the hook remains in the locked state; when the locking pin 2 rotates to the unlocked position, the contact part 201 moves away from below the button, releasing the obstruction to the button, and the button can be pressed down to drive the hook to lift.

[0051] Specifically, the unlocking tool is an unlocking lever. When performing emergency unlocking, one end of the unlocking lever is located outside the gun case 5 (to facilitate the application of force), and the other end is aligned with the tool operating part 202 of the locking pin 2. When the unlocking lever is driven, the external force F2 is transmitted to the locking pin 2 through the tool operating part 202, causing the locking pin 2 to rotate relative to the drive shaft 1.

[0052] The working process of this charging gun will be described in detail below.

[0053] (a) Normal working status

[0054] Locking process: After the charging gun is inserted into the vehicle socket, the hook of the locking hook assembly falls into the groove of the vehicle socket; the motor starts and drives the drive shaft 1 to rotate clockwise. The drive shaft 1 drives the locking pin 2 to rotate synchronously (damping force F1 ensures no relative slippage). The contact part 201 of the locking pin 2 rotates to the bottom of the button, blocking the button from moving down, thus locking and ensuring that the charging gun does not come out during the charging process.

[0055] Unlocking process: After charging is complete, the motor drives the transmission shaft 1 to rotate counterclockwise, which drives the locking pin 2 to rotate synchronously. The contact part 201 moves away from the bottom of the button, forming a gap with the button. At this time, pressing the button will lift the hook, and the charging gun can be pulled out.

[0056] (ii) Emergency unlocking status for motor failure

[0057] When the motor 7 burns out or the drive shaft 1 is jammed (cannot rotate), an emergency unlocking is required: by operating the emergency unlocking lever, an external force F2 is applied to the tool operating part 202 of the locking pin 2. When F2 × lever arm (distance from the tool operating part 202 to the center of the drive shaft 1) > the damping force F1 of the elastic element, the locking pin 2 overcomes the damping force and rotates counterclockwise relative to the drive shaft 1. The contact part 201 moves away from below the button, the button can be pressed down, the hook is lifted, and the gun can be pulled out.

[0058] In summary, this utility model, by designing the transmission shaft 1 and locking pin 2 as separate structures and cooperating with a damping component, utilizes the cooperation of the locking element and the elastic element to provide a stable damping force F1. This ensures reliable locking and unlocking of the electronic lock during normal operation and solves the emergency unlocking problem when the rotating shaft is locked due to motor failure. Its structural design is simple and reasonable, easy to operate, and highly compatible. It effectively fills the gap in existing technologies for redundant unlocking mechanisms in the case of a completely locked motor shaft, significantly improving the safety redundancy capability of the charging gun and the user experience. It has strong practical value and promotional significance.

[0059] The above provides a detailed description of the electronic lock emergency unlocking mechanism, electronic lock, and charging gun provided by this utility model. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principle and specific implementation methods of this utility model. The above embodiments are only used to help understand the method and core idea of ​​this utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of this utility model fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. An emergency unlocking mechanism for an electronic lock, characterized in that, include: The drive shaft (1) is connected to the output end of the motor (7); Locking pin (2) is sleeved on drive shaft (1); The damping assembly includes an elastic element sleeved on the transmission shaft (1) and a locking member disposed at the free end of the transmission shaft (1). The locking member keeps the elastic element in a pre-tight state by axially compressing the locking pin (2). When the motor (7) drives the transmission shaft (1), the transmission shaft (1) can drive the locking pin (2) to rotate synchronously through the damping component; under the interference of external force, the locking pin (2) can overcome the damping force of the damping component and thus rotate relative to the transmission shaft (1).

2. The electronic lock emergency unlocking mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive shaft (1) is provided with an annular boss (101), and the locking pin (2) is provided with a slot (203) on the side facing the motor. The annular boss (101) is located in the slot (203), and the two ends of the elastic element abut against the side wall of the annular boss (101) and the bottom surface of the slot (203) respectively.

3. The electronic lock emergency unlocking mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic element is a disc spring (3), a conical spring, or a friction damping pad.

4. The electronic lock emergency unlocking mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking component is a locking nut (4) or a snap ring.

5. The electronic lock emergency unlocking mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer periphery of the locking pin (2) is provided with a tool operating part (202) for receiving rotation driven by an external unlocking tool.

6. An electronic lock, comprising a motor (7) and an emergency unlocking mechanism, characterized in that: The emergency unlocking mechanism is an electronic lock emergency unlocking mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-5; the output end of the motor (7) is connected to the transmission shaft (1).

7. A charging gun, comprising a gun shell (5), a locking hook assembly (6), and an electronic lock, wherein the locking hook assembly (6) comprises a locking hook body, one end of which is provided with a button, and the other end is provided with a hook for engaging an external charging interface, characterized in that: The electronic lock is the electronic lock as described in claim 6.

8. The charging gun as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The locking pin (2) has a contact portion (201) that abuts against the locking hook assembly (6).

9. The charging gun as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The gun casing (5) has an unlocking hole (501) on its side wall. The unlocking hole (501) corresponds to the tool operating part (202) on the locking pin (2), allowing the unlocking tool to pass through and drive the tool operating part (202) so that the locking pin (2) rotates from the locked position to the unlocked position. When the locking pin (2) is in the locked position, the contact part (201) abuts against the button to lock the latch; When the locking pin (2) rotates to the unlock position, the limit on the button is released.

10. The charging gun as described in claim 9, characterized in that: The unlocking hole (501) is equipped with a dust cover.

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