Charging gun

Abstract

This application discloses a charging gun, comprising: a gun body, a locking hook, a locking member, and a support structure. The locking hook is used to interlock with a vehicle's charging socket. The locking member includes a spring, a driving portion, and a driving rod. The support structure supports and fixes the locking member, having an opening and a cavity. The driving portion is disposed in the cavity, and the driving rod extends from the driving portion and passes through the opening. The locking member is configured to, in response to a locking signal, extend the driving rod via the driving portion, thereby rotating the locking hook from an unlocked position to a locked position, and, in response to an unlocking signal, retract the driving rod back to its initial position via the driving portion. The spring is configured to, when the driving rod is retracted by the driving portion, rotate the locking hook from the locked position to the unlocked position. In the unlocked position, the locking hook is disengaged from the vehicle's charging socket; in the locked position, the locking hook is interlocked with the vehicle's charging socket. The locking member simplifies the unlocking operation of the charging gun, improving the convenience and efficiency of unlocking the charging gun.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of new energy vehicles, and in particular to a charging gun for new energy vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] With the popularization of new energy vehicles, plug-in charging stations have become a critical infrastructure. Currently, the connection and disconnection between the charging gun and the vehicle's charging socket generally uses a mechanical latch and button unlocking method. In actual use, after charging is completed, the charging gun must be manually released by pressing a button. This operation method undoubtedly increases the user's steps and burden; at the same time, some buttons require a large amount of pressure due to their structural design, which is inconvenient for users with relatively weak hand strength, such as some female users, resulting in difficulty in operation, unlocking, and a poor user experience.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a solution to simplify the unlocking process of the charging gun, thereby improving the convenience and efficiency of unlocking the charging gun. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a charging gun that simplifies the unlocking process and improves the convenience and efficiency of unlocking the charging gun.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a charging gun is provided, comprising: a gun body; a locking hook rotatably disposed on the gun body and used for interlocking with a vehicle's charging socket; a locking member disposed within the gun body and configured to actuate the locking hook, the locking member including a spring, a driving portion, and a driving rod, one end of the spring being fixedly connected to the locking hook, and the driving rod being telescopically connected to the driving portion; and a support structure disposed within the gun body and used for supporting and fixing the locking member, the support structure having an opening on its surface opposite to the locking hook, and the support structure also having a cavity communicating with the opening; wherein the driving portion is disposed in the cavity. A drive rod extends from the drive portion and passes through an opening; wherein the locking member is configured to: extend the drive rod via the drive portion in response to a locking signal indicating that the charging gun is inserted into the vehicle's charging socket, thereby causing the locking hook to rotate from an unlocked position to a locked position; and retract the drive rod back to its initial position via the drive portion in response to an unlocking signal indicating that charging is complete; wherein a spring is configured to cause the locking hook to rotate from the locked position to the unlocked position when the drive rod is retracted by the drive portion; wherein in the unlocked position, the locking hook is disengaged from the vehicle's charging socket; and in the locked position, the locking hook is interlocked with the vehicle's charging socket.

[0006] According to the above solution, by incorporating a locking mechanism, the charging gun can automatically interlock with the vehicle's charging socket after the charging head is connected. Furthermore, once charging is complete, the locking mechanism automatically unlocks, returning the locking hook to the unlocked position and disengaging it from the vehicle's charging socket. This allows the user to remove the charging gun directly without manual unlocking.

[0007] Therefore, a charging gun with a locking mechanism can effectively simplify the unlocking operation of the charging gun and improve the convenience and efficiency of unlocking.

[0008] In one embodiment, a spring is sleeved on a drive rod, and the other end of the spring is fixedly connected to a support structure.

[0009] In one embodiment, the locking component is one of an electromagnetic lock, a cylinder, or a motor drive mechanism.

[0010] In one embodiment, the locking hook extends substantially along the length of the gun body, with one end of the locking hook serving as a locking tongue for interlocking with the vehicle's charging socket.

[0011] In one embodiment, the other end of the locking hook opposite the locking tongue in the extension direction is a button, which is configured to be at least partially exposed outside the gun body.

[0012] In one embodiment, the other end of the locking hook opposite the locking tongue in the extending direction is a joint portion, which is disposed in the gun body.

[0013] In one embodiment, the length of the locking hook does not exceed half the length of the gun body.

[0014] According to the above solution, the charging gun can achieve automatic locking and unlocking of the locking hook through the locking component. Therefore, the unlocking button in the existing technology can be eliminated in the structural design of the charging gun, thereby improving the aesthetics of the charging gun and also improving its sealing performance. In addition, reducing the overall length of the locking hook can effectively save the space occupied by the locking hook and optimize the internal structure of the charging gun.

[0015] In one embodiment, the charging gun further includes a gun head and a handle, with the gun body disposed between the gun head and the handle. The gun head has a shape adapted to the charging socket of the vehicle for insertion into the charging socket of the vehicle during charging.

[0016] In one embodiment, the charging gun further includes a control device disposed within the gun body, the control device being configured to: in response to a locking signal indicating that the charging head is inserted into the charging socket of the vehicle, control the drive portion of the locking member to actuate the drive rod, thereby causing the locking hook to rotate from the unlocked position to the locked position; and in response to an unlocking signal indicating that charging is complete, control the drive portion of the locking member to retract the drive rod back to the initial position.

[0017] In one embodiment, the charging gun further includes at least one sensor disposed near the gun head, the at least one sensor being configured to detect the insertion state of the gun head relative to the charging socket of the vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To better understand the above and other objects, features, advantages, and functions of this utility model, reference can be made to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same parts. Those skilled in the art should understand that the drawings are intended to schematically illustrate the preferred embodiments of this utility model and do not limit the scope of this utility model in any way; the parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a charging gun according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the locking hook is in the locked position; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a charging gun according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the locking hook is in the unlocked position; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a charging gun according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein part of the housing of the charging gun is omitted and the locking hook is in the locked position; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: Detailed Implementation

[0021] Now, with reference to the accompanying drawings, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. The embodiments described herein are merely preferred embodiments based on the present invention. Those skilled in the art can conceive of other ways to implement the present invention based on the preferred embodiments, and such other ways also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0022] In particular, all directions used herein are relative directions, which are intended only to exemplify the relative positional or kinematic relationships between different components in the embodiments and are not restrictive. Those skilled in the art should understand that as long as the components involved in the embodiments can achieve the specific functions or play the specific roles described herein, even if the aforementioned relative positional or kinematic relationships are changed or modified, the resulting technical solution still falls within the scope of this utility model.

[0023] This utility model provides a charging gun. For example... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the charging gun 100 includes a gun head 1, a gun body 2, and a handle 3. The gun head 1 is mounted in the gun body 2 and partially protrudes forward from the gun body 2. The gun head 2 has a shape adapted to fit a vehicle's charging socket for docking with, for example, inserting into, the vehicle's charging socket during charging. The handle 3 extends rearwardly from the gun body 2. Preferably, the housing of the gun body 2 can be a molded part.

[0024] Figure 3 The diagram shows the charging gun 100 with the locking hook 4 in the locked position. As shown, the charging gun 100 also includes the locking hook 4 and the locking member 5. The locking hook 4 is disposed on the gun body 2 and is used to interlock with the vehicle's charging socket. The locking member 5 is disposed inside the gun body 2 and can be configured to actuate the locking hook 4, causing the locking hook 4 to interlock or disengage from the vehicle's charging socket.

[0025] For example, the locking member 5 can be configured to actuate the locking hook 4, thereby allowing the locking hook 4 to rotate relative to the gun body 2 from the unlocked position to the locked position. Figure 4 As shown, the locking member 5 may further include a spring 51 disposed within the gun body 2. One end of the spring 51 is fixedly connected to the locking hook 4. The spring 51 may be configured to, after the locking member 5 releases the force applied to the locking hook 4, use elastic force to rotate the locking hook 4 relative to the gun body 2 from the locked position back to the unlocked position. Specifically, when the locking hook 4 is in the unlocked position, it is disengaged from the vehicle's charging socket; and when the locking hook 4 is in the locked position, it is interlocked with the vehicle's charging socket.

[0026] The locking component 5 may further include a driving part 52 and a driving rod 53. The driving part 52 may be configured to actuate the driving rod 53, thereby extending the driving rod 53 to actuate the locking hook 4, ultimately causing the locking hook 4 to rotate relative to the gun body 2 from the unlocked position to the locked position under the action of the driving rod 53.

[0027] The locking member 5 can be supported and fixed by the gun body 2. For example, the gun body 2 may include a support structure 6 for supporting and fixing the locking member 5. The support structure 6 can be disposed inside the gun body 2 and located below the locking hook 4. An opening 61 is provided on the surface of the support structure 6 opposite to the locking hook 4, and the support structure 6 also has a cavity 62 communicating with the opening 61. The driving portion 52 of the locking member 5 can be disposed and fixed in the cavity 62, and the driving rod 53 of the locking member 5 can extend from the driving portion 52 and pass through the opening 61.

[0028] The support structure 6 can be a molded part that is formed separately from or integrally with the gun body 2.

[0029] Spring 51 can be sleeved on drive rod 52. The other end of spring 51, opposite to the end connected to lock hook 4, can be fixedly connected to drive part 52. Preferably, the other end of spring 51 is fixedly connected to support structure 6.

[0030] The locking component 5 described herein may be one of an electromagnetic lock, a cylinder, a motor drive mechanism, or any other device suitable for actuating the locking hook 4 and causing it to rotate.

[0031] The locking and unlocking process of the lock hook 4 in this embodiment of the present invention is described below using an electromagnetic lock as an example.

[0032] When the charging gun 100 is not inserted into the vehicle's charging socket, that is, when the gun head 1 has not yet docked with the vehicle's charging socket, the locking hook 4 is in its initial state. In this initial state, the locking hook 4 is in the unlocked position. At the same time, the spring 51 is in its natural state without elastic deformation.

[0033] Once the user inserts the charging gun 100 into the vehicle's charging socket, i.e., the gun head 1 is connected to the vehicle's charging socket, the locking component 5 (electromagnetic lock) is energized. The drive rod 53 (the push rod of the electromagnetic lock), driven by the drive part 52 (the coil of the electromagnetic lock), extends through the spring 51 toward the locking hook 4. As the push rod extends, the locking hook 4 gradually rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position, while the spring 51 is continuously stretched. Until the locking hook 4 reaches the preset locked position, the locking hook 4 completes the interlocking with the vehicle's charging socket. Throughout the vehicle's charging process, the push rod remains in its final extended position, thus keeping the locking hook 4 in the locked position.

[0034] Once charging is complete, the electromagnetic lock is de-energized, the push rod retracts, and the locking hook 4 loses the support of the push rod. The spring 51, which is in a stretched state, pulls the locking hook 4 back to the unlocked position. At this point, the locking hook 4 is completely disengaged from the vehicle's charging socket, and the user can unplug the charging gun 100 from the vehicle's charging socket at any time.

[0035] In an exemplary embodiment, the drive unit 52 may automatically actuate the drive lever 53 in response to the docking state between the nozzle 1 and the vehicle's charging socket. For example, the electromagnetic lock may be automatically energized in response to a locking signal indicating that docking between the nozzle 1 and the vehicle's charging socket is complete.

[0036] The locking component 5 can also automatically retract the drive lever 52 in response to an unlocking signal. For example, the electromagnetic lock can automatically de-energize in response to an unlocking signal indicating that charging has ended.

[0037] In this embodiment, the locking signal indicating the docking status of the charging head and / or the unlocking signal indicating the end of charging can originate from the detection results of at least one sensor, user operation, or a combination thereof. In addition to responding to the locking or unlocking signal, one or more additional locking or unlocking conditions can be set for the locking member 5. For example, the locking member 5 can be configured to actuate the locking hook 4 only when the charging head 1 has docked with the vehicle's charging socket and at least one additional locking condition is met, thereby rotating the locking hook 4 to the locked position. Similarly, the locking member 5 can also be configured to retract the drive lever 52 only when the vehicle has finished charging and at least one additional unlocking condition is met, thereby restoring the locking hook 4 to the unlocked position. The additional locking or unlocking conditions can be virtual operations performed by the user in the application, the status of the user's related virtual account, etc.

[0038] For existing charging guns, after charging is complete, the user usually needs to manually press a button on the charging gun to disengage the locking hook from the vehicle's charging socket and pull out the charging gun. This operation method increases the user's steps and burden. Furthermore, due to the button's structural design, it may require the user to apply considerable pressure to complete the pressing operation. This can be inconvenient for users with less hand strength, such as some female users, resulting in difficulty in operation, unsuccessful unlocking, and a poor user experience.

[0039] The charging gun 100 provided in this embodiment of the utility model, by providing a locking component 5, can automatically interlock the locking hook 4 with the vehicle's charging socket after the gun head 1 is connected to the vehicle's charging socket. Furthermore, when charging is complete, the locking component 5 can automatically unlock, causing the locking hook 4 to return from the locked position to the unlocked position and disengage from the vehicle's charging socket, thus allowing the user to directly remove the charging gun 100 without manual unlocking.

[0040] Therefore, the charging gun 100 with the locking component 5 can effectively simplify the unlocking operation of the charging gun and improve the convenience and efficiency of unlocking.

[0041] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4The locking hook 4 may be a long rod extending approximately along at least a portion of the length of the gun body 2. The locking hook 4 may include a button 41 and a latch 42. As an example, the end of the locking hook 4 near the handle 3 is designated as the button 41, while the other end near the gun head 1 is designated as the latch 42. The locking hook 4 is rotatably mounted on the gun body 2. For example, the locking hook 4 may also include a connecting hole 43 between the button 41 and the latch 42, through which a rotating shaft fixed to the gun body 2 passes, allowing the locking hook 4 to rotate relative to the gun body 2 between an unlocked position and a locked position about this rotating shaft.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the length of the locking hook 4 can be approximately the same as the length of the gun body 2, wherein the locking tongue 42 at least partially protrudes from the gun body 2, and the button 41 is located near the junction of the gun body 2 and the handle 3, and is at least partially exposed to the outside of the gun body 2, for example, extending at least partially from the housing of the gun body 2. In this case, the locking member 5 and the support structure 6 can be disposed below the button 41, and one end of the spring 51 can be fixed to the inner surface of the button 41. When the locking hook 4 is in the locked position, as Figure 3 As shown, one end of the drive lever 53 is engaged with the button 41.

[0043] Preferably, the locking hook 4 may not have a button 41. For example, one end of the locking hook 4 is a locking tongue 42, and the other end is an engagement portion. The engagement portion may be at least partially or completely located within the gun body 2. When the locking member 5 actuates the locking hook 4, the drive rod 53 may engage with the engagement portion to rotate the locking hook 4 relative to the gun body 2 via the engagement portion.

[0044] The length of the locking hook 4 can be approximately the same as the length of the gun body 2, or it can be less than the length of the gun body 2. For example, the length of the locking hook 4 can be 20% to 80% of the length of the gun body 2. Preferably, the length of the locking hook 4 does not exceed half the length of the gun body 2.

[0045] The charging gun 100 provided in this embodiment of the utility model can realize the automatic locking and unlocking operation of the locking hook 4 through the locking component 5. Therefore, the unlocking button in the prior art can be eliminated in the structural design of the charging gun 100, thereby improving the aesthetics of the charging gun and also improving the sealing performance of the charging gun. In addition, reducing the overall length of the locking hook 4 can effectively save the space occupied by the locking hook 4 and optimize the internal structure of the charging gun.

[0046] In addition, the charging gun 100 may also include a control device disposed inside the gun body 2. The control device may be configured to control the drive part 52 of the locking member 5 to actuate the drive rod 53 when the gun head 1 is connected to the charging socket of the vehicle, that is, after the gun head 1 is inserted into the charging socket of the vehicle, thereby causing the locking hook 4 to rotate from the unlocked position to the locked position.

[0047] The charging gun 100 may also include at least one sensor disposed near the gun head 1. The at least one sensor may be configured to detect the docking state between the gun head 1 and the vehicle's charging socket, for example, the insertion state of the gun head 1 relative to the vehicle's charging socket. When the sensor detects that the gun head 1 has completed docking with the vehicle's charging socket, the sensor may send a locking signal to the control device indicating the docking state of the gun head. The control device may, in response to the locking signal, control the locking member 5 to actuate the drive rod 53.

[0048] The control device can also be configured to, after charging is complete, control the drive portion 52 of the locking member 5 to return the drive lever 53 to its initial position. The control device can also receive an unlocking signal for unlocking the lock hook 4 and, in response to the unlocking signal, control the locking member 5 to retract the drive lever 53.

[0049] The above description of various embodiments of this utility model is provided for descriptive purposes to a person skilled in the art. It is not intended to exclude or limit the utility model to a single disclosed embodiment. As taught above, those skilled in the art will understand that various alternatives and variations of this utility model are possible. Therefore, although some alternative embodiments have been specifically described, those skilled in the art will understand or relatively easily develop other embodiments. This utility model is intended to include all alternatives, modifications, and variations of the utility model described herein, as well as other embodiments falling within the spirit and scope of the utility model described above.

Claims

1. A charging gun, characterized in that, The charging gun (100) includes: Gun body (2); A locking hook (4) is rotatably mounted on the gun body (2) and is used to interlock with the vehicle's charging socket; A locking member (5) is disposed within the gun body (2) and configured to actuate the locking hook (4). The locking member (5) includes a spring (51), a driving part (52), and a driving rod (53). One end of the spring (51) is fixedly connected to the locking hook (4), and the driving rod (53) is telescopically connected to the driving part (52). Support structure (6), the support structure (6) is disposed in the gun body (2) and is used to support and fix the locking member (5). The support structure (6) has an opening (61) on the surface opposite to the locking hook (4), and the support structure (6) also has a cavity (62) communicating with the opening (61). The drive part (52) is disposed in the cavity (62), and the drive rod (53) extends from the drive part (52) and passes through the opening (61). The locking member (5) is configured to: In response to a locking signal instructing the charging gun (100) to be inserted into the vehicle's charging socket, the drive rod (53) is extended via the drive portion (52), thereby causing the locking hook (4) to rotate from the unlocked position to the locked position; and In response to an unlock signal indicating that charging is complete, the drive lever (53) is retracted back to its initial position via the drive section (52); The spring (51) is configured to rotate the locking hook (4) from the locked position to the unlocked position when the drive rod (53) is retracted by the drive part (52); In the unlocked position, the locking hook (4) is disengaged from the vehicle's charging socket; in the locked position, the locking hook (4) is interlocked with the vehicle's charging socket.

2. The charging gun according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spring (51) is sleeved on the drive rod (53), and the other end of the spring (51) is fixedly connected to the support structure (6).

3. The charging gun according to claim 2, characterized in that, The locking component (5) is one of an electromagnetic lock, a cylinder, or a motor transmission mechanism.

4. The charging gun according to claim 3, characterized in that, The locking hook (4) extends substantially along the length of the gun body (2), and one end of the locking hook (4) is a locking tongue (42) for interlocking with the vehicle's charging socket.

5. The charging gun according to claim 4, characterized in that, The other end of the locking hook (4) opposite the locking tongue (42) in the extension direction is a button (41), which is configured to be at least partially exposed outside the gun body (2).

6. The charging gun according to claim 4, characterized in that, The other end of the locking hook (4) opposite to the locking tongue (42) in the extending direction is a joint, which is located inside the gun body (2).

7. The charging gun according to claim 6, characterized in that, The length of the hook (4) is no more than half the length of the gun body (2).

8. The charging gun according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The charging gun (100) also includes a gun head (1) and a handle (3), with the gun body (2) disposed between the gun head (1) and the handle (3). The gun head (1) has a shape adapted to the charging socket of the vehicle for insertion into the charging socket of the vehicle during charging.

9. The charging gun according to claim 8, characterized in that, The charging gun (100) also includes a control device disposed within the gun body (2), the control device being configured to: In response to a locking signal indicating that the gun head (1) is inserted into the charging socket of the vehicle, the drive portion (52) of the locking member (5) is controlled to actuate the drive rod (53), thereby causing the lock hook (4) to rotate from the unlocked position to the locked position; as well as In response to an unlock signal indicating that charging is complete, the drive portion (52) of the locking member (5) is controlled to retract the drive rod (53) back to its initial position.

10. The charging gun according to claim 9, characterized in that, The charging gun (100) also includes at least one sensor disposed near the gun head (1), the at least one sensor being configured to detect the insertion state of the gun head (1) relative to the charging socket of the vehicle.

Images