Charging box

Abstract

A charging box includes: a lock portion (30) that receives a control signal and locks a connector to a power receiver (20); a release part (40) that is provided inside the housing (10) and releases the lock by the lock part (30); a fastening member (50) releasably attached to the first wall (13); and a wire (60) including one end portion coupled to the release portion (40) and the other end portion coupled to the fastening member (50) in the longitudinal direction. The fastening member (50) includes a free rotation mechanism that is free to rotate with respect to the other end of the wire (60) when the fastening member (50) is rotated, and the wire (60) operates the release portion (40) to release the lock when the fastening member (50) that has been released is moved in a direction away from the housing (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging box for a vehicle that can be charged by an external power source. Background Art

[0002] The vehicle is provided with a charging box that charges the battery by having a charging gun connected thereto (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-84891). For safety reasons, the charging box is provided with a locking portion that locks the charging gun so that the charging gun cannot be disengaged during charging, and the locking portion operates upon receiving a control signal from a controller. Summary of the invention

[0003] Problems to be solved by the present invention If a lightning strike occurs during charging, for example, a control signal cannot be correctly sent from the controller to the lock portion, resulting in failure to release the lock. In addition, although a release portion for manual operation is provided in the charging box, the charging box must be disassembled to operate the release portion.

[0004] The present disclosure is mainly directed to this point, and its purpose is to easily release the connector lock in the charging box.

[0005] Means used to solve problems A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a charging box attached to a vehicle body frame and capable of receiving power from an external power supply device, comprising: a power receiver, which is arranged on a first wall exposed to the outside of a shell and is configured to be coupled to a connector of the external power supply device; a locking portion, which receives a control signal and locks the connector to the power receiver; a releasing portion, which is arranged in the shell and releases the lock made by the locking portion; a fastening member, which is attached to the first wall in a releasable manner; and a wire, which includes i) one end in a longitudinal direction coupled to the releasing portion and ii) the other end coupled to the fastening member, wherein the fastening member includes a free rotation mechanism, which freely rotates relative to the other end of the wire when the fastening member rotates, and when the already loosened fastening member moves in a direction away from the shell, the wire operates the releasing portion to release the lock.

[0006] Furthermore, a fastening member may be attached to a through hole penetrating the first wall, the other end of the wire may be coupled to a distal end portion of the fastening member, and when the wire is pulled through the through hole by the already loosened fastening member, the wire may operate the release portion to release the lock.

[0007] Furthermore, the fastening member may further include a head that contacts the front surface of the first wall and accommodates the driver, and a threaded portion that engages with an internal thread formed in the first wall, wherein a distal end portion of the fastening member may be located within the housing.

[0008] Furthermore, the release portion may include a displaceable rod, and one end of the wire may be coupled to the rod.

[0009] Furthermore, a spherical body may be provided to the other end portion of the wire, and the spherical body may be rotatably inserted into the cavity at the distal end of the fastening member.

[0010] Furthermore, a restriction portion for restricting the spherical body from falling out of the cavity may be provided to the distal end of the fastening member.

[0011] In addition, the release portion can be arranged at a position adjacent to the rear surface of the first wall inside the shell, and the charging box can also include a guide portion, which is arranged at a position farther away from the rear surface than the release portion and extends a portion of the wire near one end along the normal direction of the rear surface.

[0012] Furthermore, the guide portion may include a hollow portion through which the wire is inserted, and the hollow portion may support the wire pulled by the tightening member that has been loosened.

[0013] Furthermore, the wire may be made of metal.

[0014] Effects of the Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily release the connector lock in the charging box. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the charging box 1 to which the charging gun 100 is attached.

[0016] Figure 2 It is a front view of the charging box 1.

[0017] Figure 3 1 is a schematic diagram showing the locking portion 30 and the releasing portion 40 of the charging box 1 .

[0018] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the fastening member 50 and the wire 60 .

[0019] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the free rotation mechanism 70 .

[0020] Figure 6 1 is a schematic diagram showing a mode of rotating the fastening member 50 with the screwdriver 150 when the charging gun 100 is attached to the charging box 1 .

[0021] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a state of the release portion 40 when the fastening member 50 is pulled.

[0022] Description of Reference Numerals 1: Charging box 10: Shell 13: Anterior wall 13c: Through hole 20: Power Receiver 30: Locking part 40: Release Department 45: Release lever 47: Guidance 50: Fastening components 54: Distal part 60: Wire 66a: spherical body 70: Free rotation mechanism 72: Cavity 74: Restricted section 100: Charging box DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] <Charging Case Structure> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the charging box 1 to which the charging gun 100 is attached. Figure 2 It is a front view of the charging box 1. Figure 3 1 is a schematic diagram showing the locking portion 30 and the releasing portion 40 of the charging box 1 . Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the fastening member 50 and the wire 60 . Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the free rotation mechanism 70. It should be noted that Figure 3 In the figure, for the convenience of description, a part of the charging box 1 is shown.

[0024] The charging box 1 is a device for receiving power from an external power supply device. Specifically, the charging box 1 charges the battery using power received via a connector of the external power supply device. The charging box 1 is coupled to the battery via a cable. The charging box 1 is mounted on a vehicle having a frame structure, such as a vehicle body frame of a truck or a bus. Therefore, the charging box 1 is exposed to the outside.

[0025] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the charging box 1 includes a housing 10 , a power receiver 20 , a locking portion 30 , a releasing portion 40 , a fastening member 50 , and a wire 60 .

[0026] The housing 10 is box-shaped. The housing 10 is fixed to the vehicle body frame via a bracket. Figure 1 As shown, the housing 10 includes a body 12 , covers 14 a and 14 b , and a collar portion 16 .

[0027] The main body 12 here has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The locking portion 30, the release portion 40, etc. are arranged inside the main body 12 (see Figure 3). The front wall 13 of the main body 12 is provided with a power receiver 20 to which the charging gun 100 as a connector of an external power supply device can be coupled. Figure 1 As shown, the front wall 13 may be exposed to the outside of the housing 10 .

[0028] The covers 14a and 14b are openable / closable covers. The covers 14a and 14b cover the charging port of the power receiver 20 when closed. The charging gun 100 is coupled to the charging port of the power receiver 20 in a state where the covers 14a and 14b are opened. Each of the covers 14a and 14b opens and closes around a hinge.

[0029] The annular portion 16 is formed in a square shape to surround the covers 14a and 14b. One axial end ( Figure 1 The front end in the front-to-rear direction shown in FIG. 1 is an opening. The charging gun 100 is inserted through the opening. The other axial end of the collar portion 16 is coupled to the front wall 13 of the body 12. It should be noted that although Figure 1 Although not shown in the figure, a door is provided which can close or open the opening of the ring part 16. When charging is not performed, the ring part 16 is closed by the door.

[0030] The power receiver 20 receives power from an external power supply device. The power receiver 20 has a charging port to which the charging gun 100 can be coupled. The power receiver 20 receives power from an external power supply device by having the charging gun 100 coupled to the charging port. The power receiver 20 is located at the center of the front wall 13 of the housing 10.

[0031] The locking part 30 locks the charging gun 100 to the power receiver 20. The locking part 30 receives the locking command as a control signal for locking, and locks the charging gun 100 to the power receiver 20. Figure 3 As shown, the locking portion 30 is provided in the housing 10. The locking portion 30 is provided at a position opposite to the power receiver 20 when viewed from the front wall 13. Specifically, the locking portion 30 is provided to contact the rear surface 13b of the front wall 13 of the housing 10.

[0032] The locking portion 30 includes an actuator 35 including a motor and a gear therein. For example, upon receiving a lock command, the actuator 35 operates the motor to engage the engagement member with the charging gun 100, thereby locking the charging gun 100 to the power receiver 20. In addition, upon receiving a release command as a control signal for releasing the lock, the actuator 35 releases the engagement of the engagement member with the charging gun 100, thereby releasing the lock of the charging gun 100. Here, the locking portion 30 receives a control signal (lock command and release command) from an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle.

[0033] The release part 40 releases the lock of the charging gun 100 by the lock part 30. Figure 3 As shown, the release portion 40 is provided in the housing 10 to be adjacent to the locking portion 30. For example, if a lightning strike occurs during charging, the ECU cannot send a release command to the locking portion 30. In this case, the operator operates the release portion 40 to release the charging gun 100.

[0034] The release portion 40 has a displaceable release lever 45. The release portion 40 is disposed in the housing 10 at a position adjacent to the rear surface 13b of the front wall 13. The release portion 40 is configured to be manually operated by an operator. Specifically, the operator can release the locking of the charging gun 100 by the locking portion 30 by pulling the release lever 45 in a direction away from the rear surface 13b of the front wall 13 (in other words, toward the center of the housing 10).

[0035] The fastening member 50 is attached to the front wall 13 in a releasable manner. Here, the fastening member 50 is attached to the through hole 13c penetrating the front wall 13 from the front surface 13a to the rear surface 13b. Here, the fastening member 50 is a screw. Figure 4 As shown, the fastening member 50 includes a threaded portion 52 , a distal portion 54 , a washer 56 , and a head 58 .

[0036] The threaded portion 52 is formed with an external thread. The fastening member 50 is fixed to the front wall 13 by engaging the threaded portion 52 with an internal thread formed in the through hole 13c of the front wall 13. The operator can remove the fastening member 50 from the front wall 13 by rotating and loosening the fastening member 50 using a driver.

[0037] The distal end portion 54 is a shaft portion that is closer to the distal end than the threaded portion 52 in the axial direction. The distal end portion 54 is located inside the housing 10. The distal end portion 54 is coupled to the wire 60. No threads are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion 54. The diameter of the distal end portion 54 is smaller than the diameter of the threaded portion 52. As described later, the distal end portion 54 is provided with a free rotation mechanism 70 in which the fastening member 50 is freely rotated relative to the wire 60 when the fastening member 50 is rotated.

[0038] The head 58 contacts the front surface 13a of the front wall 13. The head 58 is located in front of the front surface 13a. A drive receiving portion ( Figure 6 The washer 56 is a waterproof sealing washer. The washer 56 is made of an elastically deformable material. When the fastening member 50 is tightened, the washer 56 is compressed between the head 58 and the front wall 13. The washer 56 is compressed in this way, thereby preventing water from entering the housing 10 through the through hole 13c of the front wall 13.

[0039] like Figure 3As shown, the wire 60 couples the release lever 45 of the release portion 40 and the distal end portion 54 of the fastening member 50. Figure 4 As shown, wire 60 includes a wire portion 62 , one end 64 , and another end 66 .

[0040] The wire portion 62 is made of metal. For example, the wire 60 is made of stainless steel due to its tensile strength, wear resistance and firmness. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the wire 60 may be made of nylon or polypropylene, which is a synthetic fiber.

[0041] One end 64 of the wire 60 in the longitudinal direction is coupled to the release portion 40, and the other end 66 of the wire 60 in the longitudinal direction is coupled to the fastening member 50. Specifically, one end 64 of the wire 60 is coupled to the release lever 45 of the release portion 40 (see Figure 3 ), and the other end 66 of the wire 60 is coupled to the distal end portion 54 of the fastening member 50 (see Figure 5 ). When the fastening member 50 is attached to the front wall, the wire 60 is located inside the housing 10.

[0042] like Figure 4 As shown, one end 64 of the wire 60 is provided with a spherical body 64a. One end 64 is coupled to the release lever 45. When the wire portion 62 is pulled from the other end 66, the release lever 45 coupled to one end 64 is pulled, thereby releasing the lock. It should be noted that one end 64 does not have to be provided with a spherical body 64a.

[0043] like Figure 5 As shown, the other end 66 of the wire 60 is provided with a spherical body 66a. The spherical body 66a has the same size as the spherical body 64a. The spherical body 66a is inserted into the distal end portion 54 of the fastening member 50. Specifically, the spherical body 66a is inserted into the free rotation mechanism 70 provided on the distal end portion 54.

[0044] The free rotation mechanism 70 is a mechanism in which, when the fastening member 50 is rotated, the fastening member 50 is freely rotated relative to the other end 66 (spherical body 66a) of the wire 60. Specifically, when the operator loosens or tightens the fastening member 50, the free rotation mechanism 70 allows the fastening member 50 to remain fixed relative to the other end 66. This prevents the wire from being twisted due to the rotation of the fastening member 50. Figure 5 As shown, the free-pivoting mechanism 70 includes a cavity 72 and a restricted portion 74 .

[0045] The cavity 72 is formed in the distal end portion 54 of the fastening member 50. The cavity 72 is formed as a recessed portion by forming a recessed portion having a predetermined depth in the distal end surface of the distal end portion 54. The spherical body 66a of the other end portion 66 of the wire 60 is inserted into the cavity 72. The diameter of the cavity 72 is larger than the diameter of the spherical body 66a of the other end portion 66 of the wire 60. Therefore, the spherical body 66a can rotate in the cavity 72.

[0046] Figure 6 1 is a schematic diagram showing a mode of rotating the fastening member 50 with the screwdriver 150 when the charging gun 100 is attached to the charging box 1. As described above, if a lightning strike occurs during charging and the ECU fails to send a control signal (a command for releasing the lock) to the lock portion 30, the operator loosens the fastening member 50 with the screwdriver 150 to manually release the lock. That is, the operator rotates the fastening member 50 with the screwdriver 150 engaged with the head 58 of the fastening member 50.

[0047] If the wire 60 is not coupled to the fastening member 50 as in the present embodiment, the wire portion 62 will be twisted because when the operator rotates the fastening member 50 (e.g., tightens or loosens the fastening member 50) with the screwdriver 150, the rotational force is transmitted to the wire portion 62 of the wire 60. In particular, if the wire portion 62 is made of metal, the wire portion 62 is likely to be twisted.

[0048] In contrast, in the case of the present embodiment, the wire portion 62 of the wire 60 can be prevented from being twisted because when the operator rotates the fastening member 50 with the screwdriver 150, since the spherical body 66a is rotatable in the cavity 72, the rotational force of the fastening member 50 is not transmitted to the wire portion 62. If the wire portion 62 is made of metal as in the present embodiment, the effect of preventing the wire portion 62 from being twisted is more effectively exhibited.

[0049] The limiting portion 74 limits the spherical body 66a from falling out of the cavity 72. The limiting portion 74 is formed at the distal end of the distal end portion 54. Specifically, the limiting portion 74 has a shape in which the distal end of the distal end portion 54 is bent toward the center thereof to reduce the inner diameter of the cavity 72. Thus, when the operator pulls the fastening member 50, the spherical body 66a is caught by the limiting portion 74, thereby preventing the spherical body 66a from falling out of the cavity 72. Therefore, when the operator moves the fastening member 50 toward the front, the wire portion 62 also moves toward the front.

[0050] In the above description, the free rotation mechanism 70 includes: i) a cavity 72 in which the spherical body 66a can rotate; and ii) a limiting portion 74, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The free rotation mechanism 70 may have another structure as long as the fastening member 50 can freely rotate relative to the wire 60 when the fastening member 50 rotates.

[0051] The fastening member 50 and the wire 60 are included so that the operator can release the lock without disassembling the housing 10. When the loosened fastening member 50 moves away from the housing 10, the wire 60 pulls the release lever 45 to operate the release portion 40 to release the lock.

[0052] Figure 7 1 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the release portion 40 when the fastening member 50 is pulled. The operator pulls the screwdriver 150 in a direction away from the housing 10 (toward the front), and the head 58 of the loosened fastening member 50 is attracted to the screwdriver 150 by the magnetic force, whereby the fastening member 50 also moves away from the housing 10. As the fastening member 50 moves toward the front, the wire 60 coupled to the fastening member 50 also moves toward the front. When the wire 60 is pulled through the through hole 13c of the front wall 13 by the fastening member 50, the wire 60 pulls the release lever 45 to operate the release portion 40, thereby releasing the lock. In this way, the operator can release the lock by loosening and pulling the fastening member 50 coupled to the release lever 45 via the wire 60.

[0053] like Figure 7 As shown, the release portion 40 is provided with a guide portion 47 that guides the position of a portion of the wire 60 near one end 64. The guide portion 47 extends the portion of the wire 60 near one end 64 along the normal direction of the rear surface 13b of the front wall 13. The guide portion 47 is provided at a position farther from the rear surface 13b of the front wall 13 than the release lever 45. The guide portion 47 has a hollow portion through which the wire portion 62 of the wire 60 is inserted.

[0054] The guide portion 47 is provided, so the wire portion 62 of the wire 60 in the housing 10 can maintain a folded posture at the guide portion 47. In addition, a hollow portion is provided in the guide portion 47 so that the hollow portion serves as a support portion for supporting the wire portion 62 when the fastening member 50 is pulled, so the wire portion 62 can be kept taut and easily pulled. This allows the wire portion 62 to easily pass through the through hole 13c when the fastening member 50 is pulled, and thus easily pull the release lever 45.

[0055] <Effects of Embodiment> In the charging box 1 of the above embodiment, the fastening member 50 includes the free rotation mechanism 70, and when the fastening member 50 rotates, the free rotation mechanism 70 freely rotates relative to the other end 66 of the wire 60. Then, when the loosened fastening member 50 moves away from the housing 10, the wire 60 operates the release portion 40 to release the lock.

[0056] The above configuration allows the wire 60 coupled to the fastening member 50 to be prevented from being twisted when the operator loosens the fastening member 50. Then, the operator pulls the fastening member 50 toward the front without twisting the wire 60, so the wire 60 can operate the release portion 40 to properly release the lock. Therefore, the operator can manually release the charging gun 100 without disassembling the housing 10.

[0057] The present disclosure is explained based on exemplary embodiments. The technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope explained in the above-mentioned embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, all or part of the device can be configured with any unit that is functionally or physically dispersed or integrated. In addition, new exemplary embodiments generated by any combination of them are also included in the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, the effect of the new exemplary embodiment brought about by the combination also has the effect of the original exemplary embodiment.

Claims

1. A charging box attached to a vehicle body frame and capable of receiving power from an external power supply device, comprising: a power receiver disposed on a first wall exposed to the outside of the housing and configured to be coupled to a connector of the external power supply device; a locking portion that receives a control signal and locks the connector to the power receiver; a release portion, the release portion being disposed in the housing and releasing the locking by the locking portion; a fastening member releasably attached to the first wall; as well as A wire material including i) one end in a longitudinal direction coupled to the release portion and ii) the other end coupled to the fastening member, wherein the fastening member includes a free rotation mechanism which freely rotates relative to the other end portion of the wire when the fastening member rotates, and When the tightening member that has been loosened moves in a direction away from the housing, the wire operates the release portion to release the lock.

2. The charging box according to claim 1, wherein: the fastening member is attached to a through hole penetrating the first wall, The other end of the wire is coupled to a distal end portion of the fastening member, and When the wire is pulled through the through hole by the tightening member that has been loosened, the wire operates the release portion to release the lock.

3. The charging box according to claim 2, wherein: The fastening member further comprises: a head portion contacting the front surface of the first wall and accommodating a driver; and a threaded portion that engages with an internal thread formed in the first wall, wherein The distal end portion of the fastening member is located within the housing.

4. The charging box according to claim 1, wherein: The release portion includes a displaceable rod, and The one end of the wire is coupled to the rod.

5. The charging box according to claim 1, wherein: a spherical body is provided to the other end of the wire, and The spherical body is rotatably inserted into a cavity at a distal end of the fastening member.

6. The charging box according to claim 5, wherein: A limiting portion for limiting the spherical body from falling out of the cavity is arranged at the distal end of the fastening member.

7. The charging box according to claim 1, wherein: The release portion is disposed in the housing at a position adjacent to the rear surface of the first wall, and The charging box also includes: A guide portion is provided at a position farther from the rear surface than the release portion and extends a portion of the wire material close to the one end portion along a normal direction of the rear surface.

8. The charging box according to claim 7, wherein: The guide portion includes a hollow portion through which the wire is inserted, and The hollow portion supports the wire pulled by the tightening member that has been loosened.

9. The charging box according to claim 1, wherein: The wire is made of metal.

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