Charging base housing and charging base

Abstract

A charging base housing (1) for a charging base and a charging base are described herein, the charging base housing (1) comprising: a housing body (10) configured to house an electrical connector of the charging base; and a top cover (20) removably arranged at an open end (11) of the housing body (10) and configured to abut to the housing body (10). A circumferential edge (12) of the housing body (10) adjacent to the open end (11) is provided with at least one groove portion (13) extending inwardly and bent, and at least one protrusion (21) extending outwardly is provided on a lateral outer surface of the top cover (20), each protrusion (21) being slidably fitted within a corresponding groove portion (13).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a charging base housing and a charging base, particularly a charging base housing and charging base for charging electric vehicles, for example, in the field of new energy vehicle charging equipment technology. Background Technology

[0002] In the prior art, electric vehicles are equipped with charging sockets for insertion and engagement with external electronic devices such as charging guns. A charging socket typically includes a charging socket housing, an electrical connector housed inside the housing, and terminals extending from the connector to the outside of the housing. The charging socket housing is fixed to the vehicle body sheet metal. Specifically, to charge an electric vehicle, the charging plug (or charging gun) of a charging station is generally inserted into the charging socket mounted on the vehicle body.

[0003] In the assembly process of charging docks, end caps are typically assembled onto the charging dock housing when it leaves the factory. When the charging dock is transported to the customer's final assembly workshop, the top cap is quickly removed from the charging dock housing. The top cap is then reassembled after the customer-customized component (e.g., a conductive component such as a conductive aluminum rod that is electrically connected to the busbar of an electrical connector) is installed into the charging dock housing. This secondary assembly process introduces an intermediate disassembly and reassembly process for removing the cover to accommodate the customer-customized component, resulting in repeated assembly and disassembly. Furthermore, considering that the existing assembly method between the top cap and the charging dock housing is typically a snap-fit ​​or threaded connection, the need for intermediate disassembly and reassembly introduces additional complexity to the disassembly and reassembly process. Moreover, the existing assembly method is prone to causing secondary damage to parts, leading to reduced design reliability.

[0004] In the prior art, in order to improve the assembly reliability of secondary assembly caused by the intermediate disassembly process of introducing customer-customized parts and to avoid unexpected damage to parts, there is an urgent need for an improved charging base housing and a correspondingly improved charging base, which is suitable for inserting a groove with a protrusion (e.g., a cylindrical pin) to replace the snap-fit ​​of the prior art. This aims to solve the problem of repeated assembly and disassembly during the intermediate disassembly process without causing secondary damage to parts and increasing design reliability. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to solve at least one aspect of the aforementioned problems and defects in the prior art by providing a charging base housing and charging base with a simple structure that enables a convenient intermediate assembly and disassembly process.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this disclosure provides the following technical solution:

[0007] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a charging dock housing is provided for a charging dock, the charging dock housing comprising: a housing body configured to receive an electrical connector of the charging dock; and a top cover removably disposed at an open end of the housing body and configured to abut against the housing body. The housing body has at least one inwardly extending and bent groove at a circumferential edge adjacent to the open end, and the top cover has at least one outwardly projecting protrusion on its lateral outer surface, each protrusion slidably engaging within a corresponding groove.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one groove includes: a plurality of grooves formed on opposite side surfaces of the housing body and open at the circumferential edge of the opening end, each groove bending from its starting end open at the circumferential edge and extending inward to its blind end; and the at least one protrusion includes: a plurality of protrusions formed on corresponding opposite side surfaces of the top cover to be mounted to the housing, each groove being configured to receive the corresponding protrusion to form a first assembly feature to constrain the translational degrees of freedom of the top cover tangentially along the blind end and vertically orthogonal to the tangent of the blind end relative to the housing body.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the housing body further includes at least one fastening feature arranged spaced apart from the at least one groove, and the top cover further includes at least one mating fastening feature arranged spaced apart from the at least one protrusion, and the at least one fastening feature and the at least one mating fastening feature are configured to assemble into a second assembly feature in response to the top cover abutting against the housing body.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, each groove includes: a first groove segment that opens outward and extends obliquely inward from the starting end located at the circumferential edge of the opening end; and a second groove segment that communicates with the first groove segment at an angle and terminates at the blind end.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, the first and second slot segments of each slot have a continuous and smooth profile, and there is a smooth transition from the first slot segment to the second slot segment at their adjacent points.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, the corresponding protrusion sliding into each slot is a cylindrical pin; and the dimensions of the first slot segment and the second slot segment are configured to accommodate the cross-section of the pin and guide the pin inward toward the blind end and outward from the blind end toward the circumferential edge.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the second groove is arranged orthogonally to the longitudinal direction along which the housing body extends; the first groove is at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction along which the housing body extends; and the second groove is arranged orthogonally to the longitudinal direction of the housing body and configured to guide a corresponding protrusion to slide into the first groove.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, each fastening feature is aligned with and shaped to fit a corresponding mating fastening feature to be assembled together.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, the charging housing further includes at least one fastener, and each fastening feature is configured to assemble with a corresponding mating fastening feature and be fixed relative to each other by the pressing action of the corresponding fastener, so as to constrain the lateral translational degree of freedom of the top cover relative to the housing body, which is orthogonal to both the tangential and vertical directions at the blind end.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one fastening feature is at least one first lug extending outward from the housing body, each first lug having a through first hole; the at least one mating fastening feature is at least one second lug extending outward from the top cover, each second lug having a through second hole; and each fastener is configured to, in response to the alignment of the respective first lug and the respective second lug with each other, secure the respective first lug and the respective second lug together by sequentially inserting into the first hole through the respective first lug and the second hole through the respective second lug.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, in response to the first hole of each first lug and the second hole of each second lug being arranged axially aligned and one of them being a threaded hole, the at least one fastener is at least one threaded element; and in response to the first hole of each first lug and the second hole of each second lug being arranged axially aligned and both being smooth and tapered through holes, the at least one fastener is a tapered pin.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, the housing body has a first engaging portion recessed from the circumferential edge, and the sidewall of the top cover has a first latching member extending outward and adapted to be received by the first engaging portion. The first engaging portion is configured to receive the first latching member to form a latching engagement, which cooperates with the first assembly feature and the second assembly feature to constrain at least one rotational degree of freedom of the top cover relative to the housing body.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, the housing body has a second snap-fit ​​extending from the circumferential edge, and the sidewall of the top cover has a second engaging member recessed inward and adapted to receive the second snap-fit, the second engaging member being configured to receive the second snap-fit ​​to form a snap-fit ​​engagement, the snap-fit ​​engagement cooperating with the first assembly feature and the second assembly feature to constrain at least one rotational degree of freedom of the top cover relative to the housing body.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the housing body further includes an elastic member at the transition portion where the first groove segment and the second groove segment of each groove are adjacent to each other.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the elastic element is a spring sheet additionally provided on the inner wall of the transition portion of each groove, the spring sheet being configured to switch between a free state extending into the groove and a compressed state being pressed against the inner wall of the transition portion; or the elastic element is a spring coil arranged in an embedded or partially embedded manner at the transition portion of each groove, and the transition portion having a recess formed to at least partially accommodate the spring coil, and the spring coil being configured to switch between a free state partially extending into the groove and a compressed state at least partially pressed into the recess.

[0022] In a second aspect, this disclosure provides a charging dock, the charging dock comprising: a charging dock housing as described above; and the electrical connector, housed within the charging dock housing. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the description, help to explain some principles associated with the disclosed embodiments. In the drawings,

[0024] Figure 1A and Figure 1B The illustrations show schematic perspective views of the charging dock housing according to the embodiment, viewed from different angles. Figure 1C As shown in the diagram Figure 1A and Figure 1B An exploded view of a schematic portion of the charging dock housing shown;

[0025] Figures 2A to 2F The diagrams show, respectively, the following: Figure 1A Front view, rear view, top view, bottom view, left view, and right view of the charging dock housing;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a partial enlarged view of a charging base housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a first assembly feature formed by a single groove and a corresponding protrusion, which includes an elastic member located at a transition portion between a first groove segment and a second groove segment. Detailed Implementation

[0027] This disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided as illustrative examples to enable those skilled in the art to practice this disclosure. It is important to note that the following drawings and examples are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure to a single embodiment, but rather to enable other embodiments by means of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Furthermore, where certain elements of this disclosure can be implemented using known components in part or entirely, only those portions of such known components necessary for understanding this disclosure will be described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components will be omitted so as not to obscure this disclosure. Unless otherwise stated herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that embodiments described as being implemented in software are not intended to be limited to this, but may include embodiments implemented in hardware or a combination of software and hardware, and vice versa. Embodiments showing a singular number of components in this specification should not be considered limiting; rather, unless expressly stated otherwise herein, this disclosure is intended to cover other embodiments including a plurality of identical components, and vice versa. Furthermore, the applicant does not intend for any terminology in this specification or claims to be relegated to an uncommon or particular meaning unless so expressly stated. In addition, this disclosure covers current and future known equivalents of known components mentioned herein with the aid of illustrations.

[0028] Unless otherwise specified, the terms "bottom" and "top," "upper" and "lower," etc., used in the contents of this disclosure concerning the socket housing are all relative concepts. Specifically, as shown in the figure, the upper and lower directions refer to the corresponding top and bottom ends.

[0029] Figure 1A and Figure 1B The illustrations show schematic perspective views of the charging dock housing according to the embodiment, viewed from different angles (for simplicity, fasteners used for fastening features and mating fastening features are omitted), and Figure 1C As shown in the diagram Figure 1A and Figure 1B An exploded view of a schematic portion of the charging dock housing shown; Figures 2A to 2F The diagrams show, respectively, the following: Figure 1A The front view, rear view, top view, bottom view, left view, and right view of the charging base housing (for clarity, a fastener used to fasten the fastening feature and the mating fastening feature has been removed), among which Figure 2E The enlarged view in the middle shows the first assembly feature formed by the cooperation of a single groove and a corresponding protrusion.

[0030] According to a general technical concept of this disclosure, as shown in the figure, a charging dock housing 1 for a charging dock is provided, the charging dock housing 1 comprising: a housing body 10 configured to receive an electrical connector of the charging dock; and a top cover 20 removably disposed at an opening end 11 of the housing body 10 and configured to abut against the housing body 10. As an example, the terminals of the electrical connector extend outward from the opening end 11. At least one inwardly extending and bent groove 13 is provided on the circumferential edge 12 of the housing body 10 adjacent to the opening end 11, and at least one outwardly protruding protrusion 21 (specifically, for example, a pin having a constant cylindrical cross-section or a frustum-shaped gradually changing cross-section) is provided on the lateral outer surface of the top cover 20, each protrusion 21 slidably engaging within a corresponding groove 13.

[0031] This design enables an insertion fit between a groove and a protrusion (e.g., a cylindrical pin) to replace the snap-fit ​​fit of the prior art. This aims to solve the problem of secondary damage to parts caused by repeated assembly and disassembly during the intermediate assembly and disassembly process between the charging base housing 1 and the top cover 20, thereby increasing design reliability.

[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown, for example, the at least one groove 13 includes: a plurality of grooves 13 formed on opposite side surfaces 14 of the housing body 10 and open at the circumferential edge 12 of the opening end 11, each groove 13 bending from its starting end 1301 open at the circumferential edge 12 and extending inward to its blind end 1302 (e.g., the tangential X at the blind end 1302 is parallel to the circumferential edge 12); and the at least one protrusion 21 includes: a plurality of protrusions 21 formed on corresponding opposite side surfaces of the top cover 20 to be installed on the opposite side surfaces 14 of the housing. Furthermore, each slot 13 is configured to receive a corresponding protrusion 21 to form a first assembly feature 31, thereby constraining the translational degrees of freedom of the top cover 20 relative to the housing body 10 in the tangential X direction along the blind end 1302 and the vertical Z direction orthogonal to the tangent plane of the blind end 1302; for example, the shape and size of each slot 13 are determined to receive the corresponding protrusion 21 to form the first assembly feature 31.

[0033] With this arrangement, based on the corresponding protrusion 21 inserted into each slot 13, at least the translational degrees of freedom of the top cover 20 relative to the housing body 10 can be constrained in the tangential direction (e.g., marked as the X direction as shown) along the blind end 1302 of each slot 13, and in the vertical direction (e.g., marked as the Z direction as shown) orthogonal to the tangential plane at the blind end 1302. In other words, the protrusion 21 is limited in the X and Z directions to achieve the limitation of the top cover 20 including the protrusion 21 relative to the housing body 10 in the X and Z directions.

[0034] Furthermore, as an example, the top cover 20 also has an inner rib for insertion into the charging housing 1. This further ensures that the translational freedom of the top cover 20 relative to the housing body 10 is constrained in the transverse direction (e.g., marked as the Y direction, perpendicular to the plane of the paper) orthogonal to both the X and Z directions. This, for example, avoids the phenomenon where a single protrusion 21, although inserted into the corresponding slot 13 (e.g., a blind end 1302) and constrained in the X direction to prevent sliding out of the slot 13 and in the Z direction to prevent vertical jumping (e.g., up-and-down jumping), still moves laterally (e.g., left-and-right) along the slot. In other words, the protrusion 21 is also limited in the Y direction to achieve the limitation of the top cover 20 including the protrusion 21 relative to the housing body 10 in the Y direction.

[0035] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, further, for example as shown in the figure, the housing body 10 also includes at least one fastening feature 15 spaced apart from the at least one groove 13, and the top cover 20 also includes at least one mating fastening feature 2215 spaced apart from the at least one protrusion 21; and the at least one fastening feature 15 and the at least one mating fastening feature 2215 are configured to assemble into a second assembly feature 32 in response to the top cover 20 abutting against the housing body 10.

[0036] With this arrangement, for example, the first assembly feature 31 and the second assembly feature 32 work together to ensure that all translational degrees of freedom of the top cover 20 relative to the charging base housing 1 are eliminated, ensuring a reliable connection between the top cover 20 and the charging base housing 1, and a reliable connection in which each protrusion 21 is guided to slide into the corresponding groove 13, avoiding any relative translation.

[0037] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, for example as shown, each groove 13 is arranged in two segments, including, for example, a first groove segment 131 that opens outward and extends obliquely inward from the starting end 1301 located at the circumferential edge 12 of the opening end 11; and a second groove segment 132 that communicates with the first groove segment 131 at an angle and terminates at the blind end 1302.

[0038] According to an alternative exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, as an example, each slot 13 is arranged in a single-segment curved configuration, more specifically, for example, curved in an arc or involute shape, and the tangential X direction of the blind end 1302 is substantially parallel to the circumferential edge 12 of the charging housing 1. Anything that can equally effectively guide each slot 13 as a guide rail for the corresponding protrusion 21 is acceptable.

[0039] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, for example as shown in the figure, the first groove segment 131 and the second groove segment 132 of each groove portion 13 have a continuous smooth profile, and smoothly transition from the first groove segment 131 to the second groove segment 132 at their adjacent points.

[0040] As a more specific example, for instance, the first slot segment 131 and the second slot segment 132 have a constant cross-sectional area. Alternatively, as a more specific example, the cross-section of at least one of the first slot segment 131 and the second slot segment 132 may gradually increase or decrease, provided that the cross-section of the first slot segment 131 smoothly transitions to the cross-section of the second slot segment 132. For example, the cross-section of the first slot segment 131 is constant, and the cross-section of the second slot segment 132 adjacent to the first slot segment 131 is equal to the cross-section of the first slot segment 131, and the cross-section of the second slot segment 132 is gradually changing. Or, the cross-section of the first slot segment 131 is gradually changing, and the cross-section of the first slot segment 131 adjacent to the second slot segment 132 is equal to the constant cross-section of the second slot segment 132. Alternatively, the cross-sections of the first groove segment 131 and the second groove segment 132 are both gradually changing, and the cross-section of the first groove segment 131 adjacent to the second groove segment 132 is equal to the cross-section of the second groove segment 132 adjacent to the first groove segment 131.

[0041] Through the above configuration, a smooth transition between the first groove segment 131 and the second groove segment 132 is achieved, so as to facilitate the smooth guidance of the entire groove 13 as a slide rail to the protrusion 21 (i.e., including the introduction from the open starting end 1301 to the blind end 1302, and the extension from the blind end 1302 to the open starting end 1301).

[0042] According to a further exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, for example as shown, the corresponding protrusion 21 sliding into each slot 13 is a cylindrical pin; and the dimensions of the first slot segment 131 and the second slot segment 132 are configured to accommodate the cross-section of the pin and guide the pin inward toward the blind end 1302 and outward from the blind end 1302 toward the circumferential edge 12. This achieves smooth guidance of the cylindrical pin, which serves as the corresponding protrusion 21, by each slot 13.

[0043] Regarding the specific configuration of the two-segment arrangement of each slot 13, as shown in the figure as an example, the first slot segment 131 is angled relative to the longitudinal direction along which the housing body 10 extends; and the second slot segment 132 is arranged orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the housing body 10 and is configured to guide the corresponding protrusion 21 to slide into the first slot segment 131. Preferably, for example, the second slot segment 132 is parallel to the circumferential edge 12 of the housing body 10, and the first slot segment 131 is inclined at an angle relative to the second slot segment 132. The larger the angle value, the faster the transition of the protrusion 21 between the first slot segment 131 and the second slot segment 132 is completed, for example, between 10 and 80 degrees, preferably between 15 and 45 degrees, and more preferably between 30 degrees, so as to achieve a smoother guidance without causing the protrusion 21 to slide rapidly from the first slot segment 131 into the second slot segment 132 or from the second slot segment 132 to the first slot segment 131.

[0044] According to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, for example, each fastening feature 15 is aligned with and form-fitted with a corresponding mating fastening feature 2215 to be assembled together, more specifically, for example, in a snap-fit ​​configuration, thereby achieving reliable mutual engagement between each fastening feature 15 and the corresponding mating fastening feature 2215 without the need for additional components. This confines the translational degree of freedom of the top cover 20 relative to the housing body 10 along the lateral Y direction, which is orthogonal to both the tangential X and vertical Z directions at the blind end 1302.

[0045] Alternatively, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, such as as shown in the figure, the charging housing 1 further includes at least one fastener 40, and each fastening feature 15 is configured to assemble with a corresponding mating fastening feature 2215 and be fixed relative to each other by the pressing action of the corresponding fastener 40, so as to constrain the translational degree of freedom of the top cover 20 along the lateral Y along both the tangential X and the vertical Z at the blind end 1302 relative to the housing body 10.

[0046] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, for example as shown in the figure, the at least one fastening feature 15 is at least one first lug 150 extending outward from the housing body 10, each first lug 150 having a through first hole 151; the at least one mating fastening feature 2215 is at least one second lug 220 extending outward from the top cover 20, and each second lug 220 having a through second hole 221; and each fastener 40 is configured to, in response to the alignment of the respective first lug 150 and the respective second lug 220 with each other, secure the respective first lug 150 and the respective second lug 220 together by sequentially inserting them through the first hole 151 of the respective first lug 150 and the second hole 221 of the respective second lug 220.

[0047] According to a further exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, for example as shown, in response to the first hole 151 of each first lug 150 and the second hole 221 of each second lug 220 being arranged axially aligned and one of them being threaded holes, the at least one fastener 40 is at least one threaded element. In an alternative, further exemplary embodiment, in response to the first hole 151 of each first lug 150 and the second hole 221 of each second lug 220 being arranged axially aligned and both being smooth through holes with a tapered cross-section, the at least one fastener 40 is a tapered pin.

[0048] With the above configuration, in addition to the first assembly feature 31 resulting from the cooperation between each slot 13 and the corresponding protrusion 21, a second assembly feature 32 is achieved between each fastening feature 15 and the corresponding mating fastening feature, for example by means of an optional fastener 40. This further ensures that, in addition to constraining the translational degrees of freedom of the top cover 20 relative to the housing body 10 in the X and Y directions, the translational degrees of freedom of the top cover 20 relative to the housing body 10 are also constrained in the transverse Y direction (for example, marked as the Y direction as shown in the figure, pointing perpendicular to the paper) which is orthogonal to both the X and Z directions. This avoids, for example, the phenomenon that a single protrusion 21, although inserted into the corresponding slot 13 at, for example, the blind end 1302 and constrained in the X direction to prevent it from sliding out of the slot 13 and in the Z direction to prevent it from jumping vertically in the Z direction (e.g., jumping up and down), still moves along the slot in the transverse Y side (e.g., moving left and right).

[0049] Regarding the constraint on the rotational degree of freedom between the housing body 10 and the top cover 20, according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, as shown in the figures, the housing body 10 has a first engaging portion 50 recessed from the circumferential edge 12, and the sidewall of the top cover 20 has a first latching member 60 extending outward and adapted to be received by the first engaging portion 50. The first engaging portion 50 is configured to receive the first latching member 60 to form a latching engagement. This latching engagement, in conjunction with the first assembly feature 31 and the second assembly feature 32, constrains at least one rotational degree of freedom of the top cover 20 relative to the housing body 10, typically constraining all rotational degrees of freedom. As a more specific example, an additional latching engagement exists between the housing and the top cover 20 to engage with the threaded component to cancel the rotational degree of freedom.

[0050] According to an alternative exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, as an example, the housing body 10 has a second snap-fit ​​member (not shown) extending from the circumferential edge 12, and the sidewall of the top cover 20 has a second engaging member (not shown) recessed inward and adapted to receive the second snap-fit ​​member. The second engaging member is configured to receive the second snap-fit ​​member to form a snap-fit ​​engagement, which cooperates with the first assembly feature 31 and the second assembly feature 32 to constrain at least one rotational degree of freedom of the top cover 20 relative to the housing body 10, typically constraining all rotational degrees of freedom. As a more specific example, an additional snap-fit ​​engagement exists between the housing body 10 and the top cover 20 to engage with the threaded member to cancel rotational degrees of freedom.

[0051] By means of the above configuration, all translational and rotational degrees of freedom between the housing body 10 and the top cover 20 are essentially eliminated by means of a simple construction, ensuring that a reliable but manually removable connection is formed between the two, and avoiding unintended damage to the components.

[0052] Figure 3 This is a partial enlarged view of a charging base housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a first assembly feature formed by a single groove and a corresponding protrusion, which includes an elastic member located at a transition portion between a first groove segment and a second groove segment.

[0053] As a supplement or alternative to the engagement of the fastening feature 15 and the mating fastening feature 2215 by means of optional fasteners 40, in an exemplary embodiment according to this disclosure, the housing body 10 further includes, as an example, an elastic member 70 provided at the transition between the first groove segment 131 and the second groove segment 132 adjacent to each other in each groove 13. As an example, when the sliding movement of the corresponding protrusion 21 guided by each groove 13 passes through the transition between the first groove segment 131 and the second groove segment 132, for example, the protrusion 21 pushes against the elastic member provided at the transition to deform it and allow normal movement through. After the protrusion 21 passes and disengages from the elastic contact with the elastic member, the elastic member returns to its free state by its own elastic restoring force, thereby preventing, for example, a retracting sliding withdrawal action of the protrusion 21, ensuring effective limiting.

[0054] In a specific exemplary embodiment, for example, the elastic element is a spring additionally provided on the inner wall of the transition portion of each groove 13, the spring being configured to switch between a free state extending into the groove 13 and a compressed state being pressed against the inner wall of the transition portion.

[0055] In alternative specific exemplary embodiments, for example, the elastic element is a spring coil arranged in an embedded or partially embedded manner at the transition portion of each groove 13, and a recess is formed at the transition portion to at least partially accommodate the spring coil, and the spring coil is configured to switch between a free state in which it is partially extended into the groove 13 and a compressed state in which it is at least partially pressed into the recess.

[0056] With this configuration, the elastic member with elastic force can be pushed without hindering the protrusion 21 from being guided into the corresponding groove 13, but it will elastically recover to limit the protrusion 21 and prevent the protrusion 21 from sliding out unexpectedly due to external vibration, thereby ensuring reliable limiting.

[0057] Compared with the prior art, the charging base housing 1 for the charging base, based on the above-described configuration, has a simple design and is easy to manufacture. It is suitable for replacing the snap-fit ​​type of the prior art with an insertion fit between a groove and a protrusion (e.g., a cylindrical pin). This aims to solve the problem of repeated assembly and disassembly during intermediate assembly and disassembly processes without causing secondary damage to parts, thus increasing design reliability. Furthermore, the fit between each groove 13 and its corresponding protrusion 21 results in a first assembly feature 31, and the fit between each fastening feature 15 and its corresponding mating fastening feature, for example by means of an optional fastener 40, creates a second assembly feature 32. The first assembly feature 31 and the second assembly feature 32 work together to ensure the elimination of all translational degrees of freedom of the top cover 20 relative to the charging base housing 1, ensuring a reliable connection between the top cover 20 and the charging base housing 1, and a reliable connection where each protrusion 21 is guided into the corresponding groove 13, avoiding any relative translation. Furthermore, by cooperating with the first assembly feature 31 and the second assembly feature 32, all rotational degrees of freedom of the top cover 20 relative to the charging dock housing 1 are compromised. This ensures reliable positioning and prevents unintended relative displacement or even loss of contact between the top cover 20 and the housing body 10 due to external influences such as vibration.

[0058] According to another aspect of this disclosure, as an example, this disclosure also provides a charging dock, including: the charging dock housing 1 as described above; and the electrical connector, housed within the charging dock housing 1.

[0059] Furthermore, considering that the charging dock provided in another aspect of this disclosure includes the aforementioned charging dock housing 1, it also possesses the advantages of the aforementioned charging dock housing 1, which will not be elaborated here.

[0060] The charging base housing 1 and the charging base in the foregoing embodiments of this disclosure can be used to charge electric vehicles or other electric devices. The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Although this disclosure has been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the drawings are intended to exemplify preferred embodiments of this disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the disclosure. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that modifications can be made without departing from the overall concept and spirit of this disclosure, and the structures described in the various embodiments can be freely combined without structural or principle-related conflicts.

[0061] The breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited to any of the embodiments described above, but should be defined only by the following claims and their equivalents.

[0062] It should be noted that the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the words "a" or "an" do not exclude multiple. Furthermore, any element reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A charging dock housing (1), the charging dock housing being used as a charging dock, and comprising: The housing body (10) is configured to accommodate the electrical connector of the charging dock; and A top cover (20) is removably disposed at the opening end (11) of the housing body (10) and configured to abut against the housing body (10). The feature is that the housing body (10) has at least one inwardly extending and bent groove (13) at the circumferential edge (12) adjacent to the opening end (11), and the top cover (20) has at least one outwardly protruding protrusion (21) on its lateral outer surface, each protrusion (21) being slidably fitted into the corresponding groove (13).

2. The charging base housing (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one groove (13) comprises: a plurality of grooves (13) respectively formed on opposite side surfaces (14) of the housing body (10) and open at the circumferential edge (12) of the opening end (11), each groove (13) bending inward from its starting end (1301) open at the circumferential edge (12) to its blind end (1302); and The at least one protrusion (21) includes: a plurality of protrusions (21) respectively formed on the respective opposite side surfaces of the top cover (20) to be installed onto the opposite side surface (14) of the housing; and Each slot (13) is configured to receive a corresponding protrusion (21) to form a first assembly feature (31) to constrain the translational degrees of freedom of the top cover (20) in the tangential (X) direction along the blind end (1302) and in the vertical (Z) direction orthogonal to the tangential plane of the blind end (1302) relative to the housing body (10).

3. The charging base housing (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing body (10) also includes at least one fastening feature (15) spaced apart from the at least one groove (13), and the top cover (20) also includes at least one mating fastening feature (22) spaced apart from the at least one protrusion (21), and The at least one fastening feature (15) and the at least one mating fastening feature (22) are configured to assemble into a second assembly feature (32) in response to the top cover (20) abutting against the housing body (10).

4. The charging base housing (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each slot (13) includes: A first groove segment (131) opens outward and extends obliquely inward from the starting end (1301) located at the circumferential edge (12) of the opening end (11); and A second slot (132) that is angularly connected to the first slot segment (131) and terminates at the blind end (1302).

5. The charging base housing (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first groove segment (131) and the second groove segment (132) of each groove (13) have a continuous smooth profile and smoothly transition from the first groove segment (131) to the second groove segment (132) at their adjacent points.

6. The charging base housing (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The corresponding protrusion (21) that slides into each groove (13) is a cylindrical pin; and The dimensions of the first slot (131) and the second slot (132) are configured to accommodate the cross-section of the pin and guide the pin inward toward the blind end (1302) and outward from the blind end (1302) toward the circumferential edge (12).

7. The charging dock housing (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, The first groove segment (131) extends at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the housing body (10); and The second groove (132) is arranged orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the housing body (10) and is configured to guide the corresponding protrusion (21) to slide into the first groove (131).

8. The charging dock housing (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that, Each fastening feature (15) is aligned with and in shape fits the corresponding mating fastening feature (22) to be assembled together.

9. The charging base housing (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The charging housing (1) further includes at least one fastener (40), and each fastening feature (15) is configured to assemble with a corresponding mating fastening feature (22) and be fixed relative to each other by the pressure of the corresponding fastener (40) to constrain the translational degree of freedom of the top cover (20) relative to the housing body (10) in the lateral (Y) direction, which is orthogonal to both the tangential (X) and vertical (Z) directions at the blind end (1302).

10. The charging dock housing (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that, The at least one fastening feature (15) is at least one first lug (150) extending outward from the housing body (10), each first lug (150) having a through first hole (151). The at least one mating fastening feature (22) is at least one second lug (220) extending outward from the top cover (20), and each second lug (220) has a through second hole (221); and Each fastener (40) is configured to secure the corresponding first lug (150) and the corresponding second lug (220) together in response to the alignment of the corresponding first lug (150) and the corresponding second lug (220) with each other by sequentially inserting the first hole (151) through the corresponding first lug (150) and the second hole (221) through the corresponding second lug (220).

11. The charging dock housing (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that, In response to the first hole (151) of each first lug (150) and the second hole (221) of each second lug (220) being arranged axially aligned and one of them being threaded holes, the at least one fastener (40) is at least one threaded element; and In response to the first hole (151) of each first lug (150) and the second hole (221) of each second lug (220) being arranged axially aligned and both being smooth and longitudinally tapered through holes, the at least one fastener (40) is a tapered pin.

12. The charging base housing (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The housing body (10) has a first engaging portion (50) recessed from the circumferential edge (12), and the sidewall of the top cover (20) has a first latching member (60) extending outward and adapted to be received by the first engaging portion (50). The first engaging portion (50) is configured to receive the first latching member (60) to form a latching engagement, which cooperates with the first assembly feature (31) and the second assembly feature (32) to constrain at least one rotational degree of freedom of the top cover (20) relative to the housing body (10).

13. The charging base housing (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The housing body (10) has a second snap member extending from the circumferential edge (12), and the sidewall of the top cover (20) has a second engaging member recessed inward and adapted to receive the second snap member. The second engaging member is configured to receive the second snap member to form a snap engagement, which cooperates with the first assembly feature (31) and the second assembly feature (32) to constrain at least one rotational degree of freedom of the top cover (20) relative to the housing body (10).

14. The charging base housing (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The housing body (10) also includes an elastic member (70) at the transition portion where the first groove segment (131) and the second groove segment (132) of each groove (13) are adjacent to each other.

15. The charging dock housing (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that, The elastic element is a spring additionally provided on the inner wall of the transition portion of each groove (13), the spring being configured to switch between a free state extending into the groove (13) and a compressed state pressed against the inner wall of the transition portion; or The elastic element is a spring coil arranged in an embedded or partially embedded manner at the transition portion of each groove (13), and a recess is formed at the transition portion to at least partially accommodate the spring coil, and the spring coil is configured to switch between a free state in which it is partially extended into the groove (13) and a compressed state in which it is at least partially squeezed into the recess.

16. A charging stand, characterized in that, The charging dock includes: Charging base housing (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15; and The electrical connector is housed within the charging base housing (1).

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