Charging connection system for motor vehicle

Abstract

A charging connection system for a motor vehicle. The invention relates to a charging connection system for a motor vehicle, comprising a vehicle-side charging socket designed to be coupled to a charging plug, and comprising an electrically activatable locking device associated with the charging socket for fixing the charging plug in the charging socket. According to the invention, the locking device has a mechanical emergency unlocking unit which can be activated by means of a teletransmission cable which is coupled to a manually actuatable actuating element which is movably mounted on the vehicle side. Use for a passenger vehicle having an electric drive.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a charging connection system for a motor vehicle, comprising a charging socket on the vehicle side which is designed to be connected to a charging plug and having an electrically activatable locking device associated with the charging socket for fixing the charging plug in the charging socket. Background Art

[0002] Charging connection systems of this type are generally known for passenger cars. A passenger car has a fixed charging socket in the area of ​​the outer body surface, which can be closed by a charger flap. If a charging plug of a charging cable is inserted into the charging socket, unauthorized removal of the charging plug from the vehicle and therefore from the charging socket of the passenger car must be prevented. For this purpose, an electrically activatable locking device is provided, which secures the charging plug in the charging socket. After charging is completed, the locking device is electrically deactivated again, thereby allowing the charging plug to be removed from the charging socket. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object underlying the present invention is to provide a charging connection system of the type mentioned at the outset which allows the charging plug to be disconnected from the charging socket even in the event of a power failure or a power interruption caused by other circumstances.

[0004] This object is achieved in that the locking device has a mechanical emergency unlocking unit which can be activated by means of a remote transmission line which is connected to a manually operable actuating element which is movably mounted on the vehicle side. The solution according to the invention is suitable in a particularly advantageous manner for passenger cars, in which the corresponding charging socket is accessible from the outer vehicle side and is closed by a cover or a flap when not in use. However, the charging connection system according to the invention can also be used for other motor vehicles on land, on water or in the air. The solution according to the invention allows the charging plug of a charging cable located in the charging socket to be removed, even when a power failure or a power interruption at the motor vehicle or in the area of ​​the charging station leads to a malfunction in the electrical activation or deactivation of the locking device.

[0005] In one embodiment of the invention, the locking device has a mechanical switching element, which is arranged on the outer side of the housing of the locking device and is rotatably mounted around a swivel axis between a blocking position for locking the charging plug relative to the charging socket and an open position for releasing the charging plug to be removed from the charging socket, and the emergency unlocking unit has a control element, which is positively clamped around the switching element and is coaxially rotatably mounted to the switching element on the vehicle side. The switching element of the locking device can be electrically moved between its blocking position and its open position. The electrically movable section of the switching element is preferably arranged on the inner side of the housing of the locking device. The switching element on the outside allows the mechanical termination of the block and therefore allows the mechanical termination of the fixed state of the charging plug relative to the charging socket. For this purpose, a control element is provided, which is positively clamped on the mechanical switching element arranged on the outside. Due to the coaxial rotatability of the control element and the switching element, the rotational movement of the control element in at least one direction inevitably leads to a switching operation of the switching element, preferably resulting in the switching element moving out of the blocking position and into the open position. The form-locking clamping of the control element around the switching element is preferably designed such that the control element also moves the switching element out of the blocking position in the direction of the open position. At the same time, however, sufficient free space is provided at the control element, in particular in the form of a cut-out region, which allows the switching element to be pivoted between the blocking position and the open position by appropriate electrical activation while the control element remains stationary, without the control element blocking this electric pivoting of the switching element. The control element is therefore specifically designed to pivot the switching element out of the blocking position and into the open position in the event of a power failure. The control element then automatically pivots back into its initial position, wherein the free space already mentioned above allows the control element to pivot back into its initial position without the switching element also being unintentionally moved backwards in the direction of the blocking position.

[0006] In a further development of the invention, the control element is mechanically coupled to the remote transmission line.Preferably, the remote transmission line is designed to be flexible, preferably in the form of a rope, cable or Bowden cable, advantageously in the form of a metal wire rope or a high-strength plastic rope, respectively.

[0007] In a further embodiment of the invention, the remote transmission line is designed to be flexible, a fixed bearing element is provided, the fixed bearing element has a guide element for linearly guiding the remote transmission line, and the end area of ​​the remote transmission line at a distance from the actuating element is mechanically connected to the control element. The movement of the actuating element is correspondingly transmitted by the remote transmission line to the movement of the control element, resulting in that the switching element of the locking device can be moved from the blocking position to the open position. Preferably, the actuating element is arranged on the vehicle side so that in the event of a power failure occurring in the motor vehicle, the actuating element can be approached from the outside of the vehicle. The actuating element can also be arranged in the area of ​​the interior lining of the vehicle or in the area of ​​the luggage compartment lining of the front or rear vehicle luggage compartment. Alternatively, the actuating element can be arranged in the area of ​​the outer contour of the vehicle, preferably making it impossible to approach without authorization. The guiding element of the bearing element is preferably designed as a groove or a pipe section for linear guidance of a remote transmission cable, in particular a rope or a cable.

[0008] In a further embodiment of the invention, the guide element of the carrier element has a deflector for the remote transmission line, and the circumferential side outer contour of the control element has a circular arc-shaped guide for the remote transmission line, which extends coaxially to the swivel axis of the control element. The deflector serves to permanently apply a tensile load to the remote transmission line, which is oriented such that, as an unavoidable consequence, the switching element is forced to swivel in the direction of the open position.

[0009] In a further embodiment of the invention, the deflector of the carrier element is configured as a 180° deflector for the remote transmission line, and the transition of the remote transmission line from the carrier element to the circular arc-shaped outer contour of the control element is designed in such a way that the flexible remote transmission line enters tangentially into the outer contour of the control element. The tangential engagement of the remote transmission line with the circumferential outer contour of the control element ensures a particularly low expenditure of force for pivoting the control element, since the remote transmission line engages the control element with a maximum lever arm.

[0010] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the remote transmission line is designed as a wire Bowden cable, which is mechanically connected at its opposite ends to an actuating element on one side and to a control element at the other side. The wire Bowden cable can be formed by wire strands, plastic strands or also by wires or plastic cables. At the end, the wire Bowden cable is advantageously connected to the actuating element or the control element in a form-locked manner by means of a closing element with an enlarged diameter.

[0011] In a further embodiment of the invention, the carrier element has a bearing extension for rotatably mounting the control element. Thus, the control element is mounted exclusively on the carrier element, so that existing locking devices can also adopt a retrofit solution.

[0012] In a further embodiment of the invention, the carrier element has an end stop for limiting the rotatability of the control element, which end stop is matched to the pivot path of the switching element between the blocking position and the open position, so that, depending on the direction of rotation, the control element does not come into contact with the respective end stop until the control element has moved the switching element into the open position or the blocking position. The switching element is moved from the blocking position into the open position by a corresponding mechanical actuation of the control element and from the open position into the blocking position by a corresponding resetting by means of a return spring. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Further advantages and features of the invention can be found in the claims and in the following description of preferred examples of the invention explained on the basis of the drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 Schematic representation of a detail of an exemplary embodiment of a charging connection system according to the invention for a passenger vehicle, wherein an actuating element in the region of a luggage compartment lining is shown, Figure 2 The charging connection system in the region of the fender of a passenger vehicle is shown in an enlarged perspective representation from the inside. Figure 3 A detail of the charging connection system in the region of the locking device with the mechanical emergency unlocking unit is shown in an enlarged perspective representation, wherein for a better understanding the representation is in accordance with Figure 5 and Figure 6 The following representations show different alignments, Figure 4 Shown in perspective exploded view Figures 1 to 3 Emergency release unit for the locking device of the charging connection system, Figure 5 A side view showing Figures 1 to 3 charging connection system, and Figure 6 Show according to Figure 5 The charging connection system is however in parallel with Figure 5 in the cross-sectional plane. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] exist Figures 1 to 3 The passenger car shown only in section in FIG. 1 is provided with an electric drive. The electric drive can be used exclusively for the movement of the passenger car or can be provided as an additional drive in addition to the combustion engine. For operating the electric drive, a power storage device in the form of a rechargeable battery is provided in the passenger car. For charging the battery, a charging connection system according to the invention is provided. Figures 1 to 6The embodiment shown in . The charging connection system has a vehicle-side charging recess L accommodated in a lateral fender K. The charging recess L can be closed by a cover 1, which is preferably in the form of a charger flap, which is flush with the outer body surface of the passenger car in its closed position covering the charging recess L. The charging recess accommodates a charging socket 5, which is connected to the battery via a power cable in a manner not shown in detail. The charging socket 5 is provided for receiving and inserting a charging plug of a charging cable, which is routed from the outside of the vehicle to the charging recess L and inserted into the charging socket 5. In the figure Figure 2 The outer side is arranged on the side facing away from the rear.

[0016] In order to prevent the charging plug from being removed from the charging socket 5 in an unauthorized manner when inserted into the charging socket 5 in its charging state, a locking device 6 is provided at the charging socket 5, which is attached to the outer side of the housing of the charging socket 5 and engages in a manner not shown on the inner side of the charging socket 5 by means of at least one locking element in order to positively secure the charging plug in its charging state when inserted into the charging socket 5. The movement of the locking element into the locking position or into the release position is achieved by electrical activation of the locking element.

[0017] In order to allow the release of the charging plug in the charging socket 5 in order to remove the charging plug from the charging socket 5 even in the event of a power failure or power interruption, the locking element of the locking device 6 is mechanically coupled to a switching element 7, which is pivotally arranged on the outside of the housing of the locking device 6. The switching element 7 is pivotally mounted in two different end positions, one of which corresponds to the locked state of the locking element of the locking device 6 and the other of which corresponds to the released position of the locking element of the locking device 6.

[0018] In the event of a power failure or power interruption, the switching element 7 is mechanically actuated by an emergency unlocking unit, which is described in more detail below and in Figures 1 to 6 The details are shown in Figure 4 , the emergency unlocking unit has a control element 11, which is provided with a receptacle 13 designed as a cutout, which is clamped on the switching element 7 in a form-fitting manner in at least one rotational direction. The control element 11 is coaxially rotatably mounted to the switching element 7. For this purpose, the control element 11 has a bearing journal 18, which is rotatably mounted in a bearing bushing 16 of the carrier element 9. The carrier element 9 is firmly connected to the housing of the charging socket 5 in the assembled operating state, so that the carrier element 9 is permanently mounted in the vehicle in the ready-to-operate state.

[0019] The control element 11 has a partial arc section, which protrudes eccentrically from the bearing journal 18 and radially to the axis of rotation of the bearing journal 18, and on the circumferential side outer contour of the partial arc section, a guide profile 14 for laying the Bowden cable 10 is arranged, as described in more detail below. The guide profile 14, the arc section and the bearing journal 18 are made of plastic and are integral. The receptacle 13 in the arc section has a lateral edge contour that matches the outer contour of the switching element 7 in the direction of rotation of the control element, so as to allow flush and planar contact of the receptacle 13 with the switching element 7.

[0020] from Figure 5 It can also be seen that the receptacle 13, which surrounds the switching element 7 in a form-fitting manner in at least one rotational direction, is cut out so that the control element 11 can be pivoted back to the initial position again by the restoring force of the restoring spring 12 after the switching element 7 has been moved into the unlocked release position, without the switching element 7 having been moved back again. The receptacle 13 is significantly longer than the thickness of the switching element 7 in the rotational direction of the control element, and therefore forms a free path for the control element 11 with its cut-out area. Only when the charging plug has been inserted into the charging socket 5 again does the switching element 7 inevitably pivot back to its blocking position, without the control element 11 having been moved. This is because, as soon as the tensile load manually applied to the remote transmission line in the form of the Bowden cable 10 has been removed, the switch has already automatically pivoted back to the initial position, i.e. the blocking position of the switching element 7, by the restoring force of the restoring spring 12. The cut-out area allows pivoting back to the initial position.

[0021] The carrier element 9 is also a one-piece plastic component. The bearing bushing 16 is supported by a fastening section 22, which serves to fasten the carrier element 9 to the housing of the charging socket 5. An arcuate guide section 15, which is axially offset from the bearing bushing 16 relative to the axis of rotation of the bearing bushing 16, is integrally molded on the fastening section 22 and is located in the radial plane of the circular arc section of the control element 11 in the assembled state. The arcuate guide section 15 surrounds the outer circumference of the circular arc section of the control element 11 on part of its circumference. The arcuate guide section 15 is provided with a guide profile 21 on its outer circumference, which guide profile 21 also serves to guide the Bowden cable 10. In addition, a deflection profile 20 is provided on the outer side of the freely protruding extension nose of the arcuate guide section 15, which deflects the Bowden cable 10 by 180°. The fastening section 22 is also provided with a guide eyelet, not indicated in detail, which guides the Bowden cable axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the bearing bushing 16 as far as a radial plane of the guide profile 21 .

[0022] The laying of the Bowden cable 10 is Figure 4 It is easily identifiable. Figure 4, the Bowden cable 10 passes through the guide eyelet of the fastening section 22 from above, then deflects on the outer periphery of the arc-shaped guide section 15 into the radial plane of the guide profile 21, and finally deflects 180° in the area of ​​the deflection profile 20 and is introduced into the guide profile 14 of the circular arc section of the control element 11, which can rotate in the same radial plane as the arc-shaped guide section 15. As a result, the Bowden cable extending from the deflection profile 20 is tangentially guided to the circular arc outer contour of the guide profile 14 of the circular arc section of the control element 11. The end closing element of the Bowden cable 10 is fixed in a positive locking manner in the end guide section of the guide profile 14 on the control element 11.

[0023] In the assembled and ready-to-operate state, relative to Figure 4 As shown, the bearing journal 18 is inserted from the bottom into the bearing bushing 16, wherein, once the bearing journal 18 has been completely coaxially inserted into the bearing bushing 16, the bearing journal 18 is fixed in the bearing bushing 16 by means of a corresponding ring 17 which engages in an annular groove of the bearing journal 18 in the upper region of the bearing bushing 16. The return spring 12 designed as a torsion spring arranged coaxially to the axis of rotation of the bearing bushing 16 permanently exerts a torque on the control element 11 in the direction of the blocking position of the control element 11 and thus in the direction of the locking end position of the switching element 7.

[0024] In the case of a tensile load on the Bowden cable 10 in the state laid out ready for operation, the control element 11 is thus rotated counterclockwise about the axis of rotation of the bearing bushing 16 out of its rotation according to Figure 5 The initial position and enter Figure 6 Due to the pivoting of the control element 11, the switching element 7 is inevitably also moved from its locking position to its release position, in which the locking element of the locking device 6 releases the charging plug. The charging plug can thus be removed from the charging socket.

[0025] In order to apply a tensile load on the Bowden cable 10, which represents a remote transmission cable in the sense of the present invention, the end section of the Bowden cable 10 opposite to the closing element is provided with a further closing element mechanically connected to the actuating element 4. Both closing elements have a larger diameter than the wire of the Bowden cable. The actuating element 4 is movably mounted on the vehicle side of the lining section 2 of the front trunk. The front trunk can be closed by a trunk cover 3, which is part of the outer body surface of the passenger car. In the example shown, the actuating element 4 is rotatably mounted. Since the front closing element of the Bowden cable 10 is firmly connected to the actuating element 4 at a distance from the axis of rotation of the actuating element 4, the rotational movement of the actuating element 4 inevitably leads to the required tensile load on the Bowden cable 10, thereby achieving the required rotation of the control element 11.

[0026] The control element 11 and the carrier element 9 have mutually complementary stop profiles (not indicated in detail) which form end stops for limited rotatability of the control element 11 relative to the bearing extension of the fastening section 22 supporting the bearing bushing 16 in both rotational directions of the control element 11 . Figure 5 and Figure 6 Two different end positions of the control element 11 relative to the carrier element 9 are shown.

Claims

1. A charging connection system for a motor vehicle, comprising a charging socket (5) on the vehicle side, which is designed to be connected to a charging plug, and an electrically activatable locking device (6) associated with the charging socket for fixing the charging plug in the charging socket (5), characterized in that The locking device (6) has a mechanical emergency unlocking unit which can be activated by means of a remote transmission line (10) which is coupled to a manually operable actuating element (4) which is movably mounted on the vehicle side.

2. The charging connection system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking device (6) has a mechanical switching element (7), which is arranged on the outer side of the housing of the locking device (6) and is mounted so as to be rotatable about a swivel axis between a blocking position for locking the charging plug relative to the charging socket (5) and an open position for releasing the charging plug for removal from the charging socket (5), and the emergency unlocking unit has a control element (11), which is clamped in a form-fitting manner around the switching element (7) and is mounted coaxially and rotatably to the switching element (7) on the vehicle side.

3. The charging connection system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control element (11) is mechanically coupled to the remote transmission line (10).

4. The charging connection system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The remote transmission line (10) is designed to be flexible, a fixed bearing element (9) is provided, the fixed bearing element has a guide element (a guide profile (21), a deflection profile (20) and a guide eyelet (22)) for linearly guiding the remote transmission line (10), and the end area of ​​the remote transmission line (10) at a certain distance from the actuating element (4) is mechanically connected to the control element (11).

5. The charging connection system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The guide element of the carrier element (9) has a deflector (20) for the remote transmission line (10), and the circumferential outer contour of the control element (11) has a circular arc guide (guide profile (14)) for the remote transmission line (10), which extends coaxially to the rotation axis of the control element (11).

6. The charging connection system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The deflector of the supporting element (9) is constructed as a 180° deflector for the remote transmission line (10), and the transition of the remote transmission line (10) from the supporting element (9) to the circular arc-shaped outer contour of the control element (11) is designed so that the flexible remote transmission line (10) enters tangentially into the outer contour of the control element (11).

7. A charging connection system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that A return spring (12) is associated with the control element (11), which exerts a permanent torque on the control element (11) in the direction of the blocking position of the switching element (7).

8. A charging connection system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The remote transmission line (10) is designed as a wire Bowden cable which is firmly connected at its opposite ends to the actuating element (4) on one side and to the control element (11) on the other side.

9. The charging connection system according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that: The carrier element (9) has a bearing extension for rotatably mounting the control element (11).

10. The charging connection system according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that: The supporting element (9) has an end stop for limiting the rotatability of the control element (11), and the end stop matches the rotation path of the switching element (7) between the blocking position and the open position, so that depending on the rotation direction, the control element (11) does not contact the corresponding end stop until the control element (11) has moved the switching element (7) to the open position or the blocking position.

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