Charging connection device for motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a charging connection device for a motor vehicle, having a charging connection block which is fastened to the vehicle in the ready-to-operate state and which has at least two different charging connections, of which the charging connections are closed by means of a cover, the cover is movably supported relative to the charging coupling block between a closed position closing the charging coupling and an open position releasing the charging coupling. The cover is guided on two opposite sides in each case in a guide rail so as to be displaceable in parallel between a closed position and an open position, and the guide rails are arranged in a stationary manner relative to the charging connection block and are provided with a drive device, the drive device displaces the cover between the closed position and the open position by means of a stretch-resistant and compression-resistant drive transmission element. The invention also relates to the use of a passenger vehicle with a battery-powered drive.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a charging connection device for a motor vehicle, the charging connection device having a charging connection block which is fixed to the vehicle in a state ready for operation, the charging connection block having at least two different charging connection parts, at least one of the charging connection parts being closable by means of a cover, the cover being supported movably relative to the charging connection block between a closed position which closes the at least one charging connection part and an open position which releases the charging connection part. Background Art

[0002] Such a charging connection device is known from DE 10 2021 109 283 A1. The cover is mounted so as to be pivotable relative to the charging connection and is opened or closed depending on the closing and releasing of a recess in which the charging connection block is arranged on the body side of the motor vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a charging connection device of the type mentioned at the outset which enables or prevents access to the charging connection, regardless of whether the charging connection block is entirely covered or released.

[0004] This task is solved in the following way, that is, the cover is guided in a parallel displaceable manner between the closed position and the open position in a guide track on two opposite sides, wherein the guide track is arranged fixedly relative to the charging connection block and is provided with a drive device, which displaces the cover between the closed position and the open position by means of a tensile and compression-resistant drive transmission member. As a result, the closing or release of the charging connection part is independent of whether there is also a closing part for covering the entire charging connection block. The solution according to the invention realizes a space-saving and particularly safe and stably guided displacement of the cover between the closed position and the open position. The solution according to the invention is particularly suitable for charging of battery-electrically operated motor vehicles in a particularly advantageous manner, wherein the charging connection block has not only a charging connection part that can be operated with direct current, but also a charging connection part that can be operated with alternating current or three-phase current. As a result, in addition to charging with three-phase current or alternating current at a household socket or a wall-mounted charging box on the house side, fast charging is also achieved. For the charging process, usually either one charging connection part or another charging connection part is required. In order to increase the safety of the charging process, according to the present invention, the charging connection parts that are not required during the charging process are closed by means of a cover, or are already closed by means of a cover at the beginning of the charging connection. The solution according to the present invention is applicable to both motor vehicles with a purely battery-electric travel drive and to motor vehicles with hybrid operation, in which the travel drive is carried out via an internal combustion engine and additionally via a battery-electric travel drive. In both variants, the charging connection block of the charging connection device according to the present invention is preferably fixed to the vehicle in the area of ​​the vehicle outer contour and arranged in a charging groove on the vehicle side, and the charging groove can be closed flush with the vehicle outer skin by a cover. However, the solution according to the present invention is also applicable to the following charging connection device, which is accessible on the vehicle side without the need to be closed by a corresponding groove cover. The drive device is preferably implemented in the form of an electric motor, which transmits the corresponding driving force to the drive transmission member by means of a suitable transmission mechanism, and the drive transmission member in turn displaces the cover in the guide track. As the drive transmission member, a thread pitch cable or a flexible rack laid along the guide track can be provided. Alternatively, as explained below, the drive transmission member is formed by a plurality of dimensionally stable disks connected to one another in the manner of a chain, which extend transversely between opposite guide rails and are displaceable in parallel in the guide rails together with the cover element. The disks are connected to one another in an articulated manner.

[0005] In one embodiment of the invention, the guide rail has at least one bend, preferably a bend at an angle of 90°, and the drive transmission member is designed so flexibly that it can be guided along the at least one bend in a linearly movable manner. The at least one bend enables a particularly space-saving arrangement of the guide rail and the drive transmission member, so that the charging connection device can be designed compactly.

[0006] In another embodiment of the invention, the drive transmission element is implemented as a shape-stable disk, which is connected to each other in an articulated manner via an articulated axis transversely to its displacement direction, and a guide pin that protrudes outward beyond the side edge of the disk is provided on the opposite side of the articulated axis, and the guide pin is guided in a linearly movable manner in the guide track. If the articulated axis is not implemented as a virtual axis, but as an actual axis or rod axis, these axes or rod axes can be extended in a simple manner beyond the side edge of the disk and thus form an outwardly protruding guide pin with its opposite end face end area. It is also advantageously possible that the guide pin is constructed in one piece with the disk. The articulated axis is also advantageously an integral section of the disk.

[0007] In another embodiment of the invention, opposite guide rails are arranged on both sides of the disk at opposite side edges, and the guide rails are designed as guide channels with guide grooves open toward the side edges of the disk, in which the guide pins are received. The guide channels are fixedly mounted and therefore stationary and are open toward opposite sides facing each other, so that a disk extending between the opposite guide channels can be received flush between the guide channels and can be guided in the guide channels by means of its guide pins.

[0008] The object on which the present invention is based is also achieved in that the sealing element is supported on the cover so that it can be moved in a limited manner between a sealing position resting on the charging connection and a release position spaced apart from the charging connection. This allows a particularly reliable closure of the charging connection to be achieved in the closed position of the cover. This allows a moisture-proof closure of the charging connection to be achieved by the cover in the sealing position of the sealing element. The sealing element is held on the cover and is therefore displaced together with the cover between the closed position and its open position. In the closed position of the cover, the sealing element is transferred into the sealing position by allowing a limited movement of the sealing element relative to the cover.

[0009] In one embodiment of the invention, a mechanical forced guide for the sealing element is provided in the cover in order to displace the sealing element between the sealing position and the release position. The sealing element itself preferably has an elastically yielding sealing surface, which is in particular formed from an elastomeric material, which is pressed onto the charging connection in the sealing position.

[0010] In another embodiment of the present invention, the forced guide is permanently elastically loaded in the direction of the release position. This embodiment ensures that the forced guide always moves back to the release position or remains in the release position in a forced manner without external force loading.

[0011] In another embodiment of the present invention, a sealing drive member is provided, which is coupled to the forced guide to transfer the sealing element from the release position to the sealing position. The sealing drive member and the forced guide act together, wherein the coupling structure between the sealing drive member and the forced guide is mechanically implemented.

[0012] In another embodiment of the invention, the seal drive member is coupled to the drive for the cover element in such a way that the seal drive member is activated as soon as the cover element reaches its closed position. In a correspondingly converse manner, the seal drive member is also activated again when the cover element leaves its closed position. This is because the sealing element must then be transferred again from the sealing position into the release position.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, the seal drive element and the forced guide are designed as mutually coupled slide rail guides, wherein the slide rail guides can move orthogonally to each other. With this embodiment, a double slide rail guide is formed, wherein the movement of one slide rail guide causes the orthogonal movement of the other slide rail guide.

[0014] In another embodiment of the present invention, the sealing drive member is implemented as a rail guide with at least one rail track extending obliquely to the movement direction of the sealing drive member, and the rail guide for the forced guide of the sealing element has at least one rail element interacting with the rail track in a form-fitting manner. Preferably, the rail track is implemented as a rail groove, and the rail element is implemented as a rail pin, which engages in the rail groove.

[0015] In another embodiment of the present invention, the guide rail guide for the forced guide of the sealing element is fixedly connected to the sealing element and can be displaced linearly together with the sealing element transversely to the movement direction of the cover. For this purpose, the cover preferably has a linear guide fixedly arranged on the inner side of the cover, along which the sealing element can reciprocate relative to the corresponding charging connection in the closed position of the cover.

[0016] In another design of the present invention, the slide rail guide of the sealed drive member is held on the front disc adjacent to the cover. Therefore, the sealed drive member is driven to move by the disc used as the drive transmission member, wherein the slide rail guide of the sealed drive member is directly arranged on the front disc directly adjacent to the cover. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Further advantages and features of the invention emerge from the claims and from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention, which are illustrated with reference to the drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 An embodiment of a charging connection device according to the invention is shown with a cover for the charging connection part, the cover being in its closed position,

[0019] Figure 2 Shown according to Figure 1 a charging connection device, wherein the cover is in an open position where it releases the charging connection portion,

[0020] Figure 3 Show according to Figure 1 A side view of a charging connection device,

[0021] Figure 4 Show according to Figure 2 A side view of a charging connection device,

[0022] Figure 5 and Figure 6 Show according to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , but shown in a partially cutaway view,

[0023] Figure 7 The enlarged view shows the penetration at the height of the guide channel for the cover according to Figures 1 to 6 A longitudinal section of a charging connection device,

[0024] Figure 8 The cover is also shown in section in a section plane with Figure 7 Similar illustrations,

[0025] Figure 9a Shown through for according to Figures 1 to 8 A cross-sectional view of a partial region of a drive transmission element of a charging connection device in the form of a disk,

[0026] Figure 9b Show according to Figure 9a A front view of a partial portion of Figure 9a and 9b shows the disc in a curved section,

[0027] Fig.10a and 10b Shown with Figure 9a and 9b A similar diagram, but in the straight section of the disk,

[0028] Fig.11 The cover is shown in an enlarged sectional view in the closed position according to Figure 8 a charging connection device, in which the sealing element located in the cover is in its sealing position in the closed position, and

[0029] Fig.12 Show according to Fig.11 , but with the sealing element in its released position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] according to Figures 1 to 12 The charging connection device of the invention has a charging connection block 1 which is arranged in the region of a charging recess on the body side of a motor vehicle in a ready-to-operate mounted state. The charging recess is positioned on the outside of the vehicle in order to enable easy access to the charging connection block 1 by an operator. The charging connection device is provided for charging an electrical energy accumulator for a travel drive of a motor vehicle. The charging recess can be closable by a cover in the form of a flap or the like.

[0031] The charging connection block 1 has two charging connections 2 and 3, which are connected according to Figure 1 and Figure 2The charging connection block 1 shown in the figure is fixed in the assembled state on the vehicle and positioned above each other. The charging connection part 2 is formed by a charging socket, which is designed for charging with alternating current or three-phase current. The charging connection part 3 located below is designed for charging with direct current. Both charging connections 2 and 3 are implemented as charging sockets, into which corresponding charging plugs can be inserted, and the charging plugs can be connected to a charging station or other current supply devices via a charging cable. The charging connections 2 and 3 are connected to the vehicle-side current storage device, in particular a rechargeable battery pack, via electrical conductors in a ready-to-operate assembled state in a manner not shown in detail. The charging connection block 1 forms a dimensionally stable housing, in which the charging connections 2 and 3 are accommodated.

[0032] In order to be able to close the charging connection 3 when it is not needed for the current charging process, a cover 4 is provided which is closed according to Figure 2 The opening position and basis Figure 1 The closed position of the Figure 2 As can be readily seen from the diagram, in the open position the cover 4 completely releases the charging connection 3. Figure 1 In the closed position, the cover 4 covers the charging connection 3 so that the charging connection 3 is not accessible.

[0033] The cover 4 is guided on opposite sides in two fixed guide channels 5 for its displacement between the closed position and the open position, which are arranged fixedly relative to the charging connection block 1. The guide channels 5 form a guide track in the sense of the invention. The guide channels 5 are oriented parallel to one another and are designed in an L-shape in a side view (see FIG. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The two guide rails 5 have upper end regions on opposite sides of the charging connection 3 and lead downwards from there parallel to the front surface of the charging connection block 1. Below the charging connection block 1, the two guide channels 5 are bent backwards by 90° parallel to each other and transition into a straight guide region extending orthogonally backwards ( Figure 3 and Figure 4 ).

[0034] If with the help of Figures 5 to 7 As can be seen, the cover (which is implemented as a square housing shell open to the front surface of the charging connection block 1) has two support pins 10 spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and extending outward in the lateral direction on the opposite longitudinal sides, and the support pins can be guided in the corresponding guide grooves of the guide channel 5 in a linearly movable manner. Therefore, the cover 4 is guided in a longitudinally movable manner in the guide section of the guide channel 5 extending parallel to the front surface of the charging connection block 1, thereby ensuring the longitudinal displacement of the cover 4 between the closed position and the open position (see Figure 3 and Figure 4 ).

[0035] In order to displace the cover 4 between the open position and the closed position, a drive device is provided, which has an electric motor drive 7. The electric motor drive 7 is connected via a drive pinion to a dimensionally stable toothed rack 8, which is guided in a linear guide (not shown in detail) parallel to the lower guide section of the guide channel 5 so as to be longitudinally displaceable. The toothed rack 8 is connected at the end to a chain of disks 6 arranged one behind the other ( Figure 5 and Figure 6 ), which serve as drive transmission elements in the sense of the invention. The rack 8 can also be integrally molded on the rearmost disk adjacent to the driver 7. The guide channel 5 then necessarily also forms a linear guide for the rack 8 or a linear guide for the toothing molded on the rearmost disk, which forms the rack. The disk 6 (see Figure 1 and Figure 2 as well as Figures 9a to 10b ) are each designed to be dimensionally stable and extend transversely between the opposing guide channels 5 over a width that corresponds to the spacing of the opposing guide channels 5 relative to one another. The disks 6 are connected to one another in the manner of an articulated chain via an articulation axis 9. The articulation axis 9 is constructed as identical cylindrical and straight rod profiles that extend over the entire width of the disk 6 and protrude outwardly beyond the side edges of the disk 6 on opposite longitudinal sides. The articulation axis can also be a one-piece component of the disk. The outwardly protruding end face end region of the articulation axis 9 forms a guide pin in the sense of the present invention, which is guided in a parallelly movable manner in the guide groove of the guide channel 5 similarly to the support pin 10 of the cover 4. The disk 6 is provided on its inner side facing the charging connection block 1 with an integrally molded receptacle that is not shown in detail, in which the articulation axis 9 is held. By means of the articulated axes 9 and their mounting in the opposite guide channels 5, a continuous chain of disks is formed for the disks 6, which extends between the cover 4 and the rear rack 8 and can follow the right-angled bend of the channel 5 due to its articulation. The disks 6 are designed in such a way that they preferably form a closed surface in the linear guide section of the guide channel 5 (see Fig.10a and Fig.10b ). The disk 6 is connected to the cover 4 via the front disk. In this case, the front disk is guided in a limited longitudinally movable manner in the longitudinal grooves 11 of the corresponding side walls of the cover 4 by means of the opposite side guide pins 10a. On the rear side, the rearmost disk 6 is connected to the toothed rack 8 or forms the toothed rack. The limited movability of the front disk relative to the cover 4 results in additional functions that are described in detail below.

[0036] Each guide channel 5 forms a guide groove 12 in which the bearing pin 10 of the cover 4 and the guide pin of the hinge shaft 9 of the disk 6 are guided in a parallel and movable manner. The guide groove 12 is open toward the inside and thus toward the cover 4 in order to be able to receive the bearing pin 10 and the guide pin. The hinge shaft 9 is preferably integrally molded on the corresponding disk 6, so that each hinge shaft together with its opposite guide pin and the corresponding disk 6 form a one-piece component, which is preferably made of plastic.

[0037] In order to achieve a particularly safe closure of the charging connection part 3 in the closed position of the cover 4, the cover 4 is equipped with a sealing element 3 on the inside, which can completely cover the front side of the charging connection part 3 and has an elastically yielding surface. The elastically yielding surface is held on a plate-shaped section of a dimensionally stable carrier part 14, which is supported in a limited reciprocating stroke movement relative to the cover 4. For this purpose, the cover 4 has a linear guide 16 on its inner side, which is provided with a guide groove, in which the guide pin 15 of the carrier part of the sealing element 13 is guided in a linearly movable manner. The linear guide 16 is fixed to the cover 4 on the inside.

[0038] The guide pin 15 is furthermore guided in a guide guide 18 of the sealing drive member 17. The guide guide 18 is formed by a guide section which is inclined at about 45° with respect to the direction of movement of the cover 4 and which continues on both sides into end sections which are guided parallel to the direction of movement of the cover 4. The sealing drive member 17 is fixedly connected to the front disk 6, which in turn is arranged in the cover 4 in a limited manner relative to the cover 4 via the pin 10a and the guide groove 11.

[0039] By means of the limited linear mobility of the sealing drive member 17 with its slide rail guide 18 and the sealing element 13 via the linear guide 16 and the slide rail pin 15, a double slide rail guide is obtained as a forced guide for the sealing element 13. The limited relative mobility of the disk 6 relative to the cover 4 makes it possible to activate the forced guide as soon as the cover 4 is transferred into its closed position, in which the upper support pin 10 of the cover 4 stops at the end side in the guide groove 12 of the guide channel 5. When the closed position of the cover 4 is reached, the disk 6 can still follow over a limited stroke. This following movement causes the sealing element 13 to move from the closed position according to Fig.12 The release position is shifted to the position according to the forced control. Fig.11 in the sealed position.

[0040] A return spring (not shown in the figures) permanently acts on the carrier part of the sealing element 13 in order to hold the sealing element 13 in the released position as long as the cover 4 has not yet reached its closed position at the upper end of the guide channel 5 .

[0041] The displacement of the disc 6 is carried out by means of an electric motor drive 7 and a toothed rack 8 according to the direction of rotation of the electric motor drive 7, thereby forcibly driving the cover 4 in the direction of its closed position or in the direction of its open position. Even when the cover 4 reaches the closed position, the activated electric motor drive 7 causes the disc 6 to move slightly further, thereby generating a relative movement between the disc 6 and the cover 4 already in the closed position. The sealing element 13 is thereby pressed against the front side of the charging connection 13. The forced guide formed by the double slide rail guide is implemented as a self-locking, so that as long as the electric motor drive 7 is not driven in the reverse direction of rotation, the sealing element 13 remains in its sealing position. Once driven in the reverse direction of rotation, the sealing element 13 moves away from the charging connection 3 again. This is supported by the return spring described above, which acts between the inner side of the cover 4 and the sealing element 13. The double slide rail guide also helps to transfer the sealing element to its release position in the cover 4 again. The cover 4 can then be moved to the open position.

Claims

1. A charging connection device for a motor vehicle, the charging connection device comprising a charging connection block (1) which is fixed to the vehicle in a state ready for operation, the charging connection block having at least two different charging connection parts (2, 3), at least one of the charging connection parts (3) being closable by means of a cover (4), the cover being movably supported relative to the charging connection block (1) between a closed position for closing the at least one charging connection part (3) and an open position for releasing the charging connection part (3), characterized in that The cover (4) is guided on two opposite sides in a guide rail so as to be displaceable in parallel between the closed position and the open position, wherein the guide rail is arranged in a fixed position relative to the charging connection block (1) and is provided with a drive device, which displaces the cover (4) between the closed position and the open position by means of a tensile and compression-resistant drive transmission member.

2. The charging connection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide path has at least one bend, preferably a bend at an angle of 90°, and the drive transmission member component is designed to be flexible in such a way that it can be guided along the at least one bend in a linearly movable manner.

3. The charging connection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The drive transmission element is implemented as a dimensionally stable disk (6), which is connected to each other in an articulated manner via an articulated axis (9) transversely to its displacement direction, and a guide pin is provided on the opposite side of the articulated axis (9) and protrudes outwardly beyond the side edge of the disk (6), and the guide pin is guided in the guide track in a linearly movable manner.

4. The charging connection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: Opposite guide rails are arranged on both sides of the disk (6) at opposite side edges and are implemented as guide channels (5) with guide grooves (12) open toward the side edges of the disk (6), in which the guide pins are received.

5. A charging connection device according to the preamble of claim 1 or according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that A sealing element (13) is mounted on the cover (4) so ​​as to be movable in a limited manner between a sealing position resting on the charging connection (3) and a release position spaced apart from the charging connection (3).

6. The charging connection device according to claim 5, characterized in that: A mechanical forced guide for the sealing element (13) is provided in the cover (4) in order to displace the sealing element (13) between the sealing position and the release position.

7. The charging connection device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The positive guide is permanently spring-loaded in the direction of the release position.

8. The charging connection device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that: A sealing drive member (17) is provided, which is coupled to the positive guide portion in order to transfer the sealing element (13) from the release position to the sealing position.

9. The charging connection device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The sealing drive member (17) is coupled to a drive device for the cover element (4) in such a way that the sealing drive member (17) is activated as soon as the cover element (4) reaches its closed position.

10. The charging connection device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The sealing drive member (17) and the forced guide are designed as mutually coupled slideway guides, wherein the slideway guides are movable orthogonally to each other.

11. The charging connection device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that: The sealing drive member (17) has a slide rail guide with at least one slide rail track extending obliquely to the movement direction of the sealing drive member (17), and the slide rail guide for the forced guide of the sealing element (13) has at least one slide rail element that interacts with the slide rail track in a form-fitting manner.

12. The charging connection device according to claim 11, characterized in that: A slide rail guide for the forced guide of the sealing element (13) is fixedly connected to the sealing element (13) and can be displaced together with the sealing element (13) in a linear manner transverse to the movement direction of the cover (4).

13. The charging connection device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The guide rail guide of the sealing drive member (17) is held on a front disk (6) adjacent to the cover (4).

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