Motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle (1), comprising: a charging socket (4) for a battery (2), in particular a power battery, mounted in the motor vehicle (1); a vehicle body having a rear wheel housing (6) of a rear wheel, the charging socket (4) being mounted in the vehicle body above the rear wheel housing; the invention relates to a motor vehicle (1) having a charging socket (4), a charging cover module (5) having an inwardly open charging cover (22) covering the charging socket (4), the wheel housing (6) having an inner body section (8), which delimits an inner dry zone (9), and an outer body section (10), which separates a wet zone (11) located between the inner body section (8) and the outer body section (10) from the outside of the motor vehicle (1), the wet area (11) is expanded upwards to form a charging socket area (12), the charging socket (4) is mounted in a mounting opening (17) of the inner body section (8) and forms a connecting cable (19) led out in the dry area (9), and the charging cover module (5) covers the charging socket (4) by means of a closed charging cover (22) and is mounted in the outer body section (10). The motor vehicle (1) also has a moisture-tight adapter (7, 7 ') which spans the distance between the connection region of the charging cover module (5) and the connection region of the charging socket (4) in the charging socket region (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle, which comprises: a charging socket for a battery installed in the motor vehicle, in particular a power battery; a vehicle body with a rear wheel housing having rear wheels, the charging socket being installed in the vehicle body above the rear wheel housing; and a charging cover module having a charging cover that covers the charging socket outwardly and opens inwardly. Background Art

[0002] An electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle has a battery installed in the motor vehicle, in particular a power battery, which can be charged from the outside. An electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle usually includes a charging socket covered by a charging cover. The motor vehicle can be connected to a charging device outside the motor vehicle, such as a charging pile, through this charging socket to charge the battery. It has been proposed here that the charging socket is arranged in an area of the motor vehicle, that is, on its outer shell, where a fuel tank cover with a fuel tank opening arranged behind it has been arranged so far. Usually, it is arranged on the motor vehicle side above the rear wheels.

[0003] In order to avoid interference caused by the charging cover protruding from the motor vehicle, it has been proposed in the prior art to use a charging cover that opens inwardly, for example, in the form of a sliding door. This has been proposed, for example, in DE 10 2015 206 715 A1, which relates to a device for opening and closing a vehicle charging cover, wherein the charging cover is arranged in a charging groove in the open state and is guided on a guiding mechanism arranged in the charging groove in such a way that the charging cover can be displaced under the outer shell surrounding the charging groove opening in the form of a sliding door. DE 20 2021 001 685 U1 relates to a vehicle cover with an opening and closing device, by means of which an opening in the vehicle contour can be exposed or closed. Here, a sliding movement of the vehicle cover towards the vehicle interior or vice versa towards the vehicle contour can be achieved by means of a drivable sliding and swinging device.

[0004] Such an inwardly opening charging cover is preferred because a larger notch is required in the outer shell for an outwardly opening charging cover and there are also other design correlations. In addition, the motor vehicle is more vulnerable to vandalism or accidental damage, and users are not satisfied with the degree of innovation.

[0005] Vehicles with an inward-opening charging flap have in principle already been proposed in the prior art. However, here, both the charging flap and the charging socket are located in the wet area of the motor vehicle body and are assembled from below the wet cavity. Therefore, a high and large wheel arch is required at the rear in the vehicle body. However, the arrangement of the charging socket in the wet area causes the following disadvantages, such as higher requirements for the sealing of the charging socket, the resulting costs, and the necessity of positioning high-voltage lines in the wet area, which is particularly undesirable in concepts that aim to completely arrange all high-voltage components in the dry area. The large-sized wheel arch that is to accommodate this combination of the charging socket and the charging flap module with the charging flap also has the following disadvantages, such as more complex components and manufacturability, higher weight / higher costs, and limitations in terms of components that can be installed in the interior / dry cavity.

[0006] DE 10 2021 108 061 A1 relates to a hybrid or electric vehicle having: a vehicle body; a vehicle body wall that separates the interior area of the vehicle, which is a dry area, from the exterior area of the vehicle body, which is a wet area; a through-hole in the vehicle body wall that connects the interior area of the vehicle to the exterior area of the vehicle body; a charging socket unit that closes the through-hole and includes a charging socket with a charging plug connection portion; and a bumper that has an access opening and is arranged on the vehicle body such that the access opening is at least partially aligned with the through-hole, and the charging plug connection portion for inserting a charging plug can be accessed through the access opening. Here, the basic concept of arranging the charging socket unit in the bumper is followed.

[0007] DE 10 2021 104 519 A1 relates to a device for opening and closing an access opening in a vehicle body, where the access opening leads to an interior chamber having a charging interface. The cover can be adjusted between a closed position and an open position by means of a guiding mechanism arranged in the interior chamber, and in the open position, the cover is located in the interior chamber.

[0008] DE 10 2017 212 402 A1 relates to a charging device and an assembly method, where, in order to seal the space between the side frame of the motor vehicle and the wheel arch in the area of the charging device, the charging tank has at least one seal on the side facing the charging socket, and the at least one seal is arranged at least partially sealingly between the charging socket and the wheel arch on the side facing away from the charging tank. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide improved possibilities for installing a charging socket for an inward-opening charging flap.

[0010] To achieve the above object, in a motor vehicle of the type described at the beginning, according to the present invention, the wheel housing has an inner body section and an outer body section. The inner body section defines an inner dry area, and the outer body section separates the wet area located between the inner body section and the outer body section from the outside of the motor vehicle, such that the wet area extends upward to form a charging socket area. A charging socket is installed in the mounting opening of the inner body section and is configured with a connecting cable led out in the dry area. The charging cover module covers the charging socket with a closed charging cover and is installed in the outer body section. The motor vehicle also has a moisture-proof sealed adapter that spans the distance between the connection area of the charging cover module and the connection area of the charging socket in the charging socket area.

[0011] Therefore, according to the present invention, although there is a distance from the outer body section that provides the outer surface of the motor vehicle, the charging socket is installed in the inner body section that finally defines the inner compartment of the motor vehicle as a dry cavity. This enables the corresponding cable line, and thus the connecting cable together with its connection part on the charging socket side, to be completely installed in the dry cavity. Complicated measures due to high-voltage components in the wet area can be omitted. In addition, the charging cover, together with the component that provides the mechanical structure as the charging cover module, is installed on the outside, that is, in the wet cavity, in a manner that covers the corresponding charging cover opening of the outer body section. In other words, it can be meant that the sub-components of the charging cover module and the charging socket, which have hitherto been regarded as an associated structural unit, are separated according to the present invention in order to combine the inward-opening charging cover with the charging socket in the dry area.

[0012] The charging cover module is located outside the wet area of the wheel housing. The connection part of the charging socket and the connecting cable are located in the dry area. To span the corresponding distance that is usually formed due to design considerations, the application of an adapter is proposed according to the present invention. The adapter is sealed in the wet area and at the same time provides the possibility of using the charging socket, for example, by connecting a plug when the charging cover is open.

[0013] The present invention enables the design of an aesthetically pleasing, damage-proof and innovative inward-opening small charging cover. However, the charging socket can be positioned and assembled in the dry area, so it is less complicated and more cost-effective, and in particular, it enables a battery design solution with a high-voltage line completely located in the dry area. The wheel housing can be designed compactly inside at the rear side and thus provide more structural space in the inner compartment of the motor vehicle, that is, in the dry area.

[0014] Here, the adapter can have a housing, in particular a housing made of plastic, as a moisture protection. Thus, the adapter ensures a sufficient sealing function relative to the remaining wet areas in the wheel housing. The housing can be, for example, a plastic injection molded part. The shape of the housing can be matched to the corresponding connection areas of the charging cap module and / or the charging socket, so that the adapter can simply be "plugged in" and provides sufficient sealing in the wet area despite the matching shape. In particular, a form-fitting bracket and / or a force-locking bracket, for example by friction, can also be provided on at least one side.

[0015] Specific design solutions for the adapter can provide that the adapter and / or the charging cap module have an electrical adapter unit that extends the electrical contacts of the charging socket via at least a part of the spacing to the connection area of the charging cap module and / or a guiding section that extends at least through a part of the spacing and is at least partially matched to the shape of the charging plug. Thus, suitably, the adapter can include an electrical adapter unit, in particular in the housing, so that the adapter can, for example, simply be plugged into the charging socket, and the adapter provides electrical contacts corresponding to the charging socket, for example for the charging plug of an external charging device for a motor vehicle, closer to the outside, in particular where a charging socket is required in a conventional structural unit. In particular, for the user, the impression can be formed that the charging socket is actually directly and easily accessible behind the cover, although the charging socket is installed in a dry area. However, alternatively or additionally, at least a part of the spacing can also be spanned by a guiding section of the adapter, in particular formed by the housing, which is preferably at least partially matched to the shape of the charging plug. Although the spacing from the electrical contacts behind the charging cap may increase, the charging plug can be comfortably inserted. Thus, in other words, the adapter extends the electrical contacts of the charging socket (to which the charging plug should be connected) to the charging cap and / or provides an insertion aid for inserting the plug into the electrical contacts remote from the charging cap. Design solutions can also be considered in which the electrical adapter unit and / or the guiding section are at least partially provided by the charging cap module. In particular, it can also be considered to provide the adapter only as a sealed housing.

[0016] Suitably, the charging socket can have, in particular on the bottom side in the charging trough including the electrical contacts, a liquid outlet for discharging liquid introduced from the outside via the adapter, in particular a liquid outlet leading into the wet area. Such a liquid outlet in the charging trough is in principle known, in particular in a charging trough directly connected to an open charging cap. Within the scope of the present invention, the liquid outlet in the charging socket is a suitable supplement for the sealing protection of the adapter relative to the wet area and protects the high-voltage contacts and high-voltage components from moisture, for example due to rainwater ingress, etc.

[0017] Advantageously, the charging socket can be sealed in the mounting opening in the inner body section by means of a sealing device and thus the dry area can be sealed off from the wet area. Excellent sealing conditions are thus achieved particularly in the area of the connecting cable of the charging socket and the high-voltage connection. Here, the sealing device can for example comprise a flat seal and / or a sealing ring. It can be particularly advantageously provided in this regard that the said or another sealing device is mounted on the adapter. The sealing device already provided on the adapter can for example comprise a component passing through the mounting opening into the dry area, which has a surrounding sealing flange. In this case, for example, the adapter can first be inserted so that the sealing flange is located inside, and then the charging socket can be assembled. In this way, the charging socket can be provided as the same component regardless of whether it is used in a wet cavity or in a dry cavity, without the need for special necessary modifications. Other sealing devices on the adapter can also relate to the sealing of the charging socket.

[0018] In addition to the charging cover, the charging cover module expediently comprises a guiding mechanism which is used to guide the charging cover at least partially under the outer surface part of the motor vehicle surrounding the released opening when it is opened, in particular in the form of a sliding door. By way of pure example, a design described, for example, in the already mentioned DE 10 2015 206 715 A1 can be used. The design according to DE 20 2021 001 685 U1 has also proven to be expedient. However, in both cases it is expedient and preferred that the charging cover can be displaced laterally in the guiding mechanism for opening. In this way, it is possible to expediently avoid the wheel arch extending upwards excessively and to use the lateral structural space which mostly already exists in a sufficiently large size in this case, since the wheel arch can for example extend upwards over a larger part of its width in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Thus, the lateral opening possibility, i.e. in particular at least substantially a displacement in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, has a minimal impact on the external structural design of the motor vehicle and the other available structural space.

[0019] The inner body section separates the wet area from the dry area. The inner body section can be used in different ways and methods and thus for example comprises at least one body component, in particular a body component made of metal and / or a partition and / or a plastic fitting. The application of a plastic fitting can for example enable the saving or expansion of the inner body component of the wheel arch to manufacture the charging socket area, and thereafter it is only necessary to place the plastic fitting on the inner body component of the rear wheel arch. However, it can also be considered that the inner body component of the wheel arch extends upwards and / or is supplemented by additional body components. In some designs, simpler embodiments than partitions can also be provided, especially in cases where only light forces or no forces need to be borne.

[0020] Advantageously, the charging flap module can be surrounded by a sidewall frame / sidelining frame. This means that the outer body section can include the sidewall frame of the motor vehicle, as has already been proposed in the prior art, in which a charging flap opening for mounting the charging flap module is provided. The sidewall frame can be formed by body components. The sidewall frame can be designed, for example, as a fitting, in particular a fitting made of plastic or metal and / or form a rear mudguard. In principle, it can also be considered that the outer body section is ultimately formed in multiple layers, for example, the outer body components of the sidewall frame and the rear wheel arch are provided partially overlapping. Description of the Drawings

[0021] Other advantages and details of the present invention result from the embodiments described below and from the figures. Shown in the figures are:

[0022] Figure 1 A simplified schematic view of a motor vehicle according to the present invention,

[0023] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view in the region of the rear wheel arch,

[0024] Figure 3 A perspective view of the components in the region of the rear wheel arch,

[0025] Figure 4 An alternative design of the adapter is shown, and

[0026] Figure 5 A schematic view of a sealing device provided as part of the adapter is shown. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic view of a motor vehicle 1 according to the present invention, here an electric vehicle, is shown. The electric vehicle 1 has a battery 2 as a power battery for operating the power motor. Therefore, the battery 2 is a high-voltage battery. The battery can be charged by an external charging device, such as a charging pile, via a charging device 3 (on-board charger) and a charging socket 4 inside the motor vehicle. A charging flap module 5 with a charging flap provides a closable access to the charging socket 4. The charging flap is arranged on one side of the motor vehicle 1 above the rear wheel. The charging socket is installed in the dry area of a rear wheel arch 6 shown only schematically here and is connected to the charging flap module via an adapter 7 in the wet area to bridge the distance to the charging flap module. This is shown in more detail in the cross-sectional view of Figure 2 .

[0028] Figure 2The upper cross-section of the rear wheel housing 6 is shown in a simplified manner. It can be seen here that the wheel housing is delimited relative to the dry area 9 corresponding to the interior of the motor vehicle by the inner body section 8 and outwardly by the outer body section 10 in such a way that a wet area 11 is formed between the inner body section 8 and the outer body section 10, and this wet area extends upward to the charging socket area 12. Here, the inner body section 8 is formed by the body members 13, 14, that is, the body member 13 "inside behind the wheel housing" and the body member 14 "inside behind the side". In other embodiments, the body member 14 can also be supplemented or replaced by a plastic fitting.

[0029] Here, the outer body section 10 includes the body member 15 ("outside behind the wheel housing") and the sidewall frame 16.

[0030] The inner body member 14 has a mounting opening 17, in which the charging socket 4 is mounted in such a way that its connection part 18 and the associated (high-voltage) connection cable 19 are completely located in the dry area 9. Furthermore, the dry area 9 is sealed relative to the wet area 11 by a sealing device 20, which can for example include a flat seal, which is located between the shoulder of the charging socket 4 and the body member 14. Other design variants of the sealing device 20 can also be considered. For example, the sealing device 20 can also be fixed directly on the adapter 7 and is thus provided as part of the adapter 7. The sealing device 20 can for example have a part protruding from the mounting opening 17, which part has a sealing flange that abuts the body member 14 from the dry area 9 side.

[0031] The charging cover module 5 is mounted in the charging cover opening 21 of the outer body section 10 in such a way that the charging cover module is surrounded by the sidewall frame 16. The charging cover module includes the charging cover 22 shown here in the closed position flush with the sidewall frame 16 and means for opening and closing the charging cover 22, which in particular has a guide mechanism 23 (only shown schematically in Figure 2 ), in which the charging cover 22 is guided in such a way that the charging cover can be laterally displaced in the form of a sliding door under the surrounding outer surface of the motor vehicle, in particular under the outer body section 10.

[0032] The charging socket has electrical contacts 24 in the connection area, which are arranged at a distance from the desired connection area of the charging cover module 5. Thus, in the embodiment shown here, the adapter 7 not only has a housing 25 made of plastic, for example, which seals the wet area 11, but the adapter also has an electrical adapter unit 26, which can be plugged onto the contacts 24 and bridges this distance, in which distance corresponding electrical contacts 27 of the electrical adapter unit 26 are arranged on the other side.

[0033] To drain off any liquid that may have penetrated the charging cover module 5 and the adapter 7, the charging socket 4 may have a liquid drain 28 that leads into a wet chamber. Alternatively, the liquid drain 28 may also be provided in the adapter 7.

[0034] Figure 3 Fig. shows a schematic perspective view of the adapter 7 and the charging socket 4 installed, with the body member 15 not shown for the sake of clarity. It can be seen that the charging cover module 5 has been installed in the sidewall frame 16 and the adapter 7 has been placed onto the charging socket 4. The sealing device 20 is also shown. To achieve the installed state, the adapter 7 and the charging socket 4 are inserted through the mounting opening 17 in accordance with the arrow 28.

[0035] Figure 4 Fig. shows another modified design of the adapter 7', which instead of an electrical adapter has a guide section 29, formed here by the housing 25, for a plug that is to be connected to the charging socket 4. A design can also be considered in which the adapters 7, 7' have an electrical adapter unit 26 and a guide section 29, each spanning part of the spacing.

[0036] Figure 5 Fig. schematically shows a design in which the sealing device 20 is provided on the adapter 7 and has a part with a sealing flange 30 that extends through the mounting opening 17.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle (1), the motor vehicle comprising: a charging socket (4) for a battery (2) installed in the motor vehicle (1), in particular a power battery; a vehicle body having a rear wheel housing (6) with rear wheels, the charging socket (4) being installed in the vehicle body above the rear wheel housing; a charging cover module (5) having a charging cover (22) that opens inward and covers the charging socket (4) outward, characterized in that the wheel housing (6) has an inner vehicle body section (8) and an outer vehicle body section (10), the inner vehicle body section defining an inner dry area (9), and the outer vehicle body section separating a wet area (11) located between the inner vehicle body section (8) and the outer vehicle body section (10) from the outside of the motor vehicle (1), such that the wet area (11) extends upward to form a charging socket area (12), wherein the charging socket (4) is installed in an installation opening (17) of the inner vehicle body section (8) and is configured with a connecting cable (19) led out in the dry area (9), the charging cover module (5) covers the charging socket (4) by means of the closed charging cover (22) and is installed in the outer vehicle body section (10), and the motor vehicle (1) further has a moisture-proof seal adapter (7, 7') that spans the distance between the connection area of the charging cover module (5) and the connection area of the charging socket (4) in the charging socket area (12).

2. The motor vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the adapter (7, 7') has a housing (25), in particular a housing made of plastic, as a moisture-proof protection member.

3. The motor vehicle (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the adapter (7, 7') and / or the charging cover module (5) has an electrical adapter unit (26) that extends the electrical contacts (24) of the charging socket (4) through at least a part of the distance to the connection area of the charging cover module (5) and / or a guiding section (29) that at least extends through a part of the distance and is at least partially matched to the shape of the charging plug.

4. The motor vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the charging socket (4) has, in particular on the bottom side in a charging slot including electrical contacts, a liquid outlet for discharging liquid introduced from the outside via the adapter (7, 7'), in particular a liquid outlet leading into the wet area.

5. The motor vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the charging socket (4) is sealed in the installation opening (17) in the inner vehicle body section (8) by means of a sealing device (20), and thus the dry area (9) is sealed relative to the wet area (11).

6. The motor vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the charging cover module (5) has a guiding mechanism (23) for guiding the charging cover (22) at least partially under the outer surface part of the motor vehicle (1) around the released opening when opened, in particular in the form of a sliding door.

7. The motor vehicle (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that The charging flap (22) can be displaced laterally in a guide mechanism (23) in order to be opened.

8. The motor vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner body section (8) comprises at least one body member (13, 14) and / or a partition and / or a plastic fitting.

9. The motor vehicle (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the charging flap module (5) is surrounded by a sidewall frame (16).

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