Plug socket and charging station with such a

Abstract

Plug socket (4), - which has a holder (12), a socket (6) and a lock (14), - wherein the socket (6) has an opening (22) for inserting and removing a charging plug (8) for an electric vehicle, - wherein the socket (6) is movably connected to the holder (12) such that the socket (6) can be tilted about a transverse axis (Q) from a plug-in position downwards into a rest position and vice versa, - wherein the locking mechanism (14) is designed such that the socket (6) is locked when tilted into the rest position, so that the charging plug (8) is held in the socket (6) to prevent it from falling out, and that the socket (6) is unlocked when tilted into the plug-in position, so that the charging plug (8) can be removed.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a plug receptacle and a charging station with such a receptacle.

[0002] Charging stations are regularly used to charge electric vehicles. These vehicles use an electric motor for propulsion, which is powered by a battery, which is also part of the electric vehicle. To charge the battery, it is connected to the charging station. Typically, the charging station has a charging cable with a charging plug attached to one end. This plug can be plugged into a complementary charging socket on the electric vehicle.

[0003] When not in use, i.e. when the electric vehicle is not connected, the problem arises that the charging plug must always be stowed away and is also exposed to various environmental influences, such as rain and dust.

[0004] CN 108 501 763 A shows a charging station with a plate that has a recess. A charging cable with a charging plug can be hooked into this recess, ensuring that the charging plug rests on the plate and does not fall off. Additionally, a hood serves as a rain guard that covers the charging plug when inserted. The hood can be rotated around a transverse axis to allow the charging plug to be removed from the recess.

[0005] CN 207 449 638 U shows a charging station with a compartment containing a charging cable and charging plug, protecting them from rain. A socket is located in the compartment to hold the charging plug. The socket is oriented so that the charging plug can be removed diagonally downwards.

[0006] CN 107 054 152 A shows a charging station on which a charging cable with a charging plug is positioned on the side and outside.

[0007] DE 20 2012 003 864 U1 describes a charging station with a socket that can be swivelled.

[0008] US 9 277 191 B2 and US 9 352 652 B2 each describe a charging station in which a locking element in the plug can be used to secure the plug to the charging station. A control element is attached to the plug for release.

[0009] WO 2012 034 216 A1 describes a charging station in which a plug in a socket is additionally covered by a cover.

[0010] DE 20 2019 102 315 U1 shows a plug that can be inserted into a holder by pivoting. When locked, two connecting elements can form a positive connection, preventing unlocking in the opposite direction to the insertion direction.

[0011] Against this background, it is important to protect a charging plug from environmental influences. Furthermore, the charging plug should be as easy to handle as possible.

[0012] The object is achieved according to the invention by a plug receptacle having the features of claim 1 and by a charging station having the features of claim 12. Advantageous embodiments, further developments, and variants are the subject of the subclaims. The statements regarding the plug receptacle also apply mutatis mutandis to the charging station, and vice versa.

[0013] The plug receptacle is used to hold a charging plug, i.e., for storing it when not in use. The plug receptacle and charging plug are preferably parts of a charging station for charging an electric vehicle battery. For this purpose, the charging station has a charging cable with a charging plug attached to one end. This plug can be removed from the plug receptacle for charging and inserted into a complementary charging socket on the electric vehicle. After charging, the charging plug can be reinserted into the plug receptacle.

[0014] The charging station is preferably stationary, i.e. permanently mounted at a specific location. In a suitable embodiment, the charging station is designed as a charging column or as a so-called wall box for mounting on a building wall or similar, e.g. in a garage. When used as intended, the charging station is connected to a power grid, via which energy is provided for charging the electric vehicle. In this context, an electric vehicle is generally understood to be a vehicle with an electric drive, specifically a motor vehicle, preferably a car or truck, with an electric drive. The term "electric vehicle" also includes hybrid vehicles.

[0015] The plug receptacle has a holder, a socket and a lock. The holder serves on the one hand for the particularly stationary mounting of the plug receptacle, e.g. on a housing of a charging station or on a wall and generally on a mounting surface. On the other hand, the holder serves to hold the socket. For this purpose, in a practical embodiment the holder has a U-shaped socket receptacle, e.g. a fork or a bowl, with two side parts, e.g. two wings or two arms which encompass the socket on opposite sides. The socket is, for example, disc-shaped, spherical, cuboid-shaped or the like. The socket has an opening for inserting and removing the charging plug. The opening is delimited by an inner side of the socket and is accessible in one plug-in direction. The charging plug is therefore inserted into or removed from the opening in the plug-in direction.The opening is preferably designed to complement the charging plug, so that it fits snugly into the socket when inserted. For this purpose, the inside has a corresponding contour, also referred to as a plug-in contour, which is particularly similar or identical to the charging socket on the electric vehicle.

[0016] The socket is now movably connected to the holder in such a way that the socket can be tilted about a transverse axis from a plugged-in position downwards into a rest position and vice versa, i.e. it can also be tilted from the rest position upwards into the plugged-in position. The transverse axis runs horizontally in particular. The plugging direction is perpendicular to the transverse axis and is tilted accordingly with the socket. The locking mechanism is designed in such a way that the socket is locked when tilted into the rest position so that the charging plug is held in the socket to prevent it from falling out. Furthermore, the locking mechanism is designed in such a way that the socket is unlocked when tilted into the plugged-in position so that the charging plug can then be removed. The plugged-in position is therefore used for inserting and removing the charging plug, whereas the rest position is for storing it.

[0017] A key idea of ​​the invention is in particular that the socket can be tilted downwards to store the charging plug. “Down” is generally understood to mean “in the direction of gravity,” and “up” accordingly “against gravity,” whereby oblique directions are also included. In a preferred embodiment, the socket is oriented horizontally in the plug-in position, i.e. perpendicular to gravity, and the plug-in direction is therefore also horizontal. In the rest position, the socket is tilted downwards relative to the plug-in position, in particular by a tilt angle of greater than 0°, i.e. inclined. The tilt angle is at most 90°, in which case the plug-in direction is then perpendicular to gravity. However, a tilt angle in the range of 30° to 60°, in particular 45°, is particularly preferred.Such tilt angles ensure particularly comfortable handling of the charging plug, as it is typically bent and therefore has an angled handle.

[0018] By tilting downwards, the opening and the charging plug located therein generally point downwards in the resting position, effectively preventing the ingress of dirt such as rain, dirt, dust, small animals or similar environmental substances, as such dirt predominantly falls from above, namely in the direction of gravity. When tilting into the resting position, any dirt that may have collected in the opening when the charging plug is plugged in and removed is automatically ejected from the socket due to gravity, i.e. falls or flows out. The ingress of dirt is further advantageously prevented in particular by the charging plug preferably being positively seated in the socket.If the charging plug fits snugly against the inside of the socket, a drainage slot or channel is conveniently designed into the opening to eject dirt when tipped over. Overall, the charging plug is then particularly well protected from environmental influences.

[0019] In the resting position, the charging plug hangs downwards out of the socket. The locking mechanism secures the charging plug in this resting position. The locking mechanism then advantageously prevents the charging plug from falling out of the socket when in the resting position. In this respect, the locking mechanism makes the advantageous downward tilting of the socket possible in a sensible way. When tilted downwards into the resting position, the locking mechanism is automatically activated and conversely when tilted upwards into the plug-in position, it is automatically deactivated. The locking mechanism is therefore linked to the tilting action, so that the socket is automatically locked or unlocked when tilted, and the charging plug is held or released respectively. This ensures optimal and clear securing of the charging plug in the socket.

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment, the locking mechanism has a locking pin which is movably mounted in the socket. When tilted into the rest position, the locking pin moves into the opening, i.e. out of the socket, engages with the charging plug and thereby locks the socket. Preferably, the locking pin engages in a recess, a feedthrough or an opening in the charging plug. Standard charging plugs, in particular for electric vehicles, usually already have one or more suitable recesses, feedthroughs or openings. Conversely, when tilted into the plug-in position, the locking pin moves out of the opening, i.e. into the socket, releasing the charging plug and thereby unlocking the socket. In a suitable embodiment, the locking pin moves in and out laterally, i.e. parallel to the transverse axis, and for this purpose is mounted and guided in a side wall of the socket.

[0021] In an advantageous embodiment, the locking pin is mounted in a passage that extends from an inner side, i.e., starting from the opening in the socket, to an outer side of the socket. The locking pin is mounted in this passage by means of a locking spring, which presses the locking pin towards the outer side. In a suitable embodiment, the locking pin extends through the locking spring, and this is mounted in the passage on the one hand on the inside of the socket and on the other hand on a flange of the locking pin towards the outside, similar to the spring mechanism of a ballpoint pen. In order to realize automatic locking and unlocking when tilted, the holder is specially designed as follows: in the rest position, the holder covers the passage and thereby prevents the locking pin from extending; in the plug-in position, however, the holder exposes the passage, e.g.by creating a recess in the holder, thereby enabling the locking pin to be extended by means of the locking spring; the holder also has a ramp which is arranged and designed in such a way that when tilted into the rest position it sweeps over the passage and thereby moves the locking pin towards the inside against the locking spring, or more precisely against a spring force of the locking spring. The ramp therefore initially provides an escape space on the outside for the locking pin, which is continuously reduced when tilted, so that the locking pin is driven inwards. In the rest position the locking spring then presses the locking pin against the holder from the inside, so to speak. In this way, a purely mechanical and particularly simple but at the same time particularly secure locking mechanism is realized.

[0022] Alternatively or in addition to the purely mechanical locking mechanism described above, in a suitable embodiment, the locking mechanism is designed such that the locking pin is moved electrically. For this purpose, the locking mechanism comprises, in addition to or instead of the locking spring, an actuator, e.g., an electric motor, a servomotor, or a relay, which moves the locking pin depending on the position. The connector receptacle expediently further comprises a sensor that detects a tilting movement and a control unit, e.g., a microcontroller, which controls the actuator accordingly in response to the tilting movement.

[0023] In a practical embodiment, the locking mechanism is lockable, meaning that it can only be deactivated with a specific authorization, so that only specific persons can remove the charging plug and use the charging station. The locking mechanism is thus locked in the resting position with a lock, either manually or automatically. In one variant, the locking bolt itself is the lock. Authorization can be, for example, a key for the lock, a password, or the entry of a payment method.

[0024] In an advantageous embodiment, the locking mechanism is further designed such that the socket is locked in the plug-in position when the charging plug is removed in order to prevent it from tipping into the rest position. This locking mechanism fixes the position of the socket relative to the holder. This prevents the socket from tipping downwards again after the charging plug has been removed, which would make it more difficult to reinsert the charging plug into the socket. In this respect, the additional locking mechanism, particularly preferably in the horizontal direction, improves handling. Locking and unlocking is fundamentally independent of the locking mechanism, but expediently the locking mechanism is released precisely when the charging plug is inserted into the socket and then tilted downwards, i.e. immediately before tilting and before the socket is locked.

[0025] In an advantageous embodiment, the locking mechanism comprises a locking pin, which is movably mounted in the socket by means of a locking spring. Furthermore, the holder comprises a locking recess, which is arranged and configured such that, in the plug-in position, the locking pin is pressed into the locking recess by the locking spring when the charging plug is removed, thereby locking the socket.

[0026] In a suitable embodiment, the locking bolt extends parallel to the transverse axis and along a passage in a side wall of the socket, similar to the locking bolt. However, the locking bolt is not movable in the direction of the transverse axis like the locking bolt, but perpendicular to it, in particular in the plug-in direction such that the locking bolt is moved by the charging plug when it is plugged in and is pressed out of the locking recess against the locking spring. The locking spring is mounted on the socket in particular towards a rear wall of the latter and accordingly presses the locking bolt forwards along the plug-in direction, i.e. in the direction of the opening and to the side of the socket into the locking recess, which in this case forms a stop for the locking bolt. The locking bolt is expediently firmly connected at right angles to a longitudinal bolt.The longitudinal bolt then serves to couple the locking bolt with the locking spring in the plug and improves the guidance of the locking bolt. For this purpose, the longitudinal bolt is guided in the plugging direction through a passage in the rear wall of the socket and mounted against the rear wall by means of the locking spring. The passage leads forward into the opening so that the longitudinal bolt protrudes into the opening when the charging plug is removed. The locking bolt then extends laterally from the longitudinal bolt to the outside of the socket. When the charging plug is inserted, it presses against the locking spring on the longitudinal bolt, which then takes the locking bolt with it and pushes it out of the locking recess, allowing subsequent tilting around the transverse axis. This overall result is a particularly simple, reliable and purely mechanical locking mechanism.

[0027] Analogous to the electrical locking, an electrical locking is also conceivable and suitable as an alternative or in addition to the purely mechanical locking.

[0028] In an advantageous embodiment, a guide pin is arranged on the bushing which is in particular carried along by the bushing when it is tilted, i.e. is in particular rotated on a circular path around the transverse axis. In a suitable embodiment, the guide pin extends parallel to the transverse axis and through a side wall of the bushing. The holder has a guide groove to guide the guide pin when the bushing is tilted. The guide groove expediently runs in a circular arc around the transverse axis. The guide groove has two stops for the guide pin which define the rest position and the plug-in position and limit tilting of the bushing about the transverse axis. If the guide pin hits one of the stops, the plug-in position or the rest position is reached and further tilting is not possible. The guide groove thus limits the tilt angle described above to a certain angular range.

[0029] In a particularly expedient embodiment, the guide pin is also the locking pin, i.e. they are identical and designate the same part, and the locking recess is part of the guide groove. This dual use results in a particularly simple mechanical design with few components, which advantageously combines several functions and, further advantageously, also puts these functions into an operative relationship with one another. The functions here are, on the one hand, locking the socket in the plug-in position and, on the other hand, guiding the socket during tilting and limiting the tilt angle. The locking recess is preferably formed at the end of the guide groove, namely starting from the stop which defines the plug-in position.The guide groove is thus roughly L-shaped overall, with a straight base extending in the plug-in direction and forming the locking recess, and a guide arm adjoining the base and, relative to the base, particularly longer, which extends in an arc along a circular path around the transverse axis. Starting from the plug-in position, when the charging plug is inserted, the guide pin is pushed from the locking recess into the guide arm. Conversely, when the charging plug is removed, the locking spring drives the guide pin into the locking recess at the stop.

[0030] In an advantageous embodiment, the socket can also be pivoted about a vertical axis and locked into place in a number of locking positions. The vertical axis runs in particular perpendicular to the transverse axis and from top to bottom, i.e. parallel to the force of gravity. This provides additional pivoting capability, which makes the plug receptacle more flexible when handling. The locking positions represent predefined angular positions with respect to pivoting about the vertical axis. For adjustment, the holder has a hinge, the actuation of which requires a certain amount of force to pivot the socket from one locking position to the next. For example, the locking positions are each defined by a recess or similar in a disc as a first arm of the hinge and around the vertical axis, e.g. in an angular range of 180° and e.g. in steps of 30°.A spring-loaded pin or ball is then attached to a second arm of the hinge, which is pressed into a respective recess and thereby engages the hinge in the corresponding locking position.

[0031] In an advantageous embodiment, the plug receptacle has a light element that indicates whether the socket is locked or unlocked. The light element is, for example, an LED that indicates the locking state, e.g., color-coded.

[0032] In an advantageous embodiment, the plug receptacle also features an approach light, which is automatically activated by a proximity sensor when an electric vehicle approaches for charging. This is particularly advantageous at night.

[0033] The charging station according to the invention has a plug receptacle as described above. The charging station is designed for charging an electric vehicle. In one possible embodiment, individual or multiple elements of the plug receptacle are positioned elsewhere in the charging station and are therefore not necessarily part of the plug receptacle. The charging station further comprises a charging cable, to which a charging plug is attached at one end. The charging plug is generally preferably standardized, i.e., a standard charging plug, in particular for an electric vehicle.

[0034] As an alternative to using the plug receptacle as part of a charging station, a reverse design is also conceivable and advantageous, in which the plug receptacle is mounted on an electric vehicle, i.e. if the vehicle has a charging plug which is plugged into a charging socket of a charging station for charging. The use of the plug receptacle in an electric vehicle is also advantageous, in which the socket of the plug receptacle is the charging socket into which the charging plug of a charging station is plugged. The rest position is then expediently also a charging position, in which electrical contact is made with the battery in order to charge it. Since the socket is securely locked in the rest position, the charging plug cannot be accidentally removed during charging, which correspondingly improves charging safety.

[0035] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing. The drawings schematically show: Fig. 1 section of a charging station with a socket, Fig. 2 the charging station Fig. 1 with the socket in a different position, Fig. 3 the charging station Fig. 1 with the socket in another position, Fig. 4 a sectional view of a connector receptacle in plug-in position, Fig. 5 the section view Fig. 4 with charging plug inserted, Fig. 6 a sectional view of the connector receptacle Fig. 4 in rest position, Fig. 7 a side view of the plug-in receptacle Fig. 4 in plug-in position, Fig. 8 the side view Fig. 4 with the plug socket in rest position, Fig. 9 another side view of the connector receptacle Fig. 4 in plug-in position, Fig. 10 the side view of the Fig. 9 with charging plug inserted, Fig. 11 the side view of the Fig. 9 with the plug socket in the rest position, Fig. 12 a variant of the plug socket.

[0036] In the Fig. 1 to 3 show a detail of a charging station 2, which has a plug receptacle 4 with a socket 6 for a charging plug 8. The charging station 2 is stationary here and designed, for example, as a charging column or as a so-called wall box for wall mounting. The plug receptacle 4 generally serves to accommodate the charging plug 8, which in turn is used to charge a battery of an electric vehicle (not shown in detail). For this purpose, the charging station 2 has a charging cable 10, to which the charging plug 8 is attached at one end. For charging, the charging plug 8 can be removed from the plug receptacle 4 and plugged into a complementary charging socket on the electric vehicle. After charging, the charging plug 8 can be inserted back into the plug receptacle 4 for safe and secure storage.

[0037] In addition to the socket 6, the plug receptacle 4 also has a holder 12 and a locking mechanism 14. The holder 12 serves, on the one hand, for the stationary mounting of the plug receptacle 4 on the housing 16 of the charging station 2 and, on the other hand, to hold the socket 6. The holder 12 shown generally has a U-shaped socket receptacle 18 with two side parts 20 that encompass the socket 6 on opposite sides. The socket 6 has an opening 22 for inserting and removing the charging plug 8. The charging plug 8 is inserted into or removed from the opening 22 in a plugging direction S. In the present exemplary embodiment, the opening 22 is designed to be complementary to the charging plug 8, so that it sits positively in the socket 6.

[0038] The socket 6 is connected to the holder 12 so that it can be tilted around a transverse axis Q, so that the socket 6 can be moved from a plug-in position as in Fig. 1 shown downwards into a resting position as shown in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. In the illustrated embodiment, the bushing 6 is also pivotable about a vertical axis V as can be seen from the Fig. 1 to 3. However, the tilting and pivoting are independent of each other. In this case, the transverse axis Q runs horizontally, the plug-in direction S is perpendicular to the transverse axis Q and is tilted around it together with the socket 6. Furthermore, the plug-in direction S in the rest position is perpendicular to the vertical axis V and is generally pivoted around it together with the socket 6.

[0039] The locking mechanism 14 is designed such that the socket 6 is locked when tilted into the rest position, so that the charging plug 8 is held in the socket 6 and prevented from falling out. Furthermore, the locking mechanism 14 is designed such that the socket 6 is unlocked when tilted into the plug-in position, so that the charging plug 8 can then be removed. The plug-in position is therefore used for inserting and removing the charging plug 8, while the rest position is used for storing it. In the rest position, the socket 6 is tilted downwards relative to the plug-in position by a tilt angle W of greater than 0°. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the tilt angle W is approximately 45°, as can be seen from the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Due to the bent design of the charging plug 8, comfortable handling of the same is ensured in both positions.

[0040] As can be seen from the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the opening 22 and the charging plug 8 seated therein generally point downwards in the rest position, so that the ingress of dirt is prevented. The charging plug 8 hangs downwards out of the socket 6. At the same time, when tilted into the rest position, any dirt that may have accumulated in the opening 22 when the charging plug 8 is in the plugged-in position and when the charging plug 8 is removed is automatically ejected from the socket 6. The ingress of dirt is further prevented by the fact that the charging plug 8 sits positively in the socket 6. The locking mechanism 14 prevents the charging plug 8 from falling out of the socket 6 in the rest position. When tilted downwards into the rest position, the locking mechanism 14 is automatically activated and, conversely, when tilted upwards into the plugged-in position, it is automatically deactivated.

[0041] An embodiment of the locking mechanism 14 is described below with reference to Fig. 4 to 11, which show different views of the plug receptacle 4 with the socket 6 in different positions. Fig. 4 to 6 show a sectional view along the transverse axis Q and the plug-in direction S. The Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 the plug-in position so that the vertical axis V is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing, and Fig. 6 shows the rest position, in which the vertical axis V is tilted accordingly. Fig. Figures 7 to 11, however, each show a side view of the plug receptacle 4 with the socket 6 in different positions. Here, the vertical axis V and the plug-in direction S lie in the plane of the drawing, and the transverse axis Q is perpendicular to it. Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 show a locking and unlocking of the socket 6 on one side of the plug receptacle 4. Fig. 9 to 11 show the activation and deactivation of a locking mechanism of the bush 6 in the holder 12 on the opposite side. Fig. 7, Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 show the plug-in position, Fig. 8 and Fig. 11 the resting position.

[0042] As can be seen from the Fig. 4 to 8, the locking mechanism 14 in the embodiment shown has a locking pin 24 which is movably mounted in the socket 6. When tilted into the rest position, the locking pin 24 moves out of the socket 6 on an inner side 26, i.e. into the opening 22, and engages the charging plug 8 as shown in Fig. 6 and thereby locks the socket 6. Conversely, when tilted into the plug-in position, the locking pin 24 moves out of the opening 22, i.e. into the socket 6, thereby releasing the charging plug 8 and thereby unlocking the socket 6. In the embodiment shown, the locking pin 24 moves in and out laterally, i.e. parallel to the transverse axis Q, and for this purpose is mounted and guided in a passage 28 in a side wall 30 of the socket 6. The passage 28 extends from the inner side 26 to an outer side 32 of the socket 6.

[0043] The locking pin 24 is mounted by means of a locking spring 34, which presses the locking pin 24 towards the outer side 32. For this purpose, the locking pin 24 runs through the locking spring 34, which is mounted on the bushing 6 towards the inner side 26 and on a flange 36 of the locking pin 24 towards the outer side 32. In order to realize the automatic locking and unlocking when tilting, the holder 12 covers the passage 28 in the rest position, as shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 8, and thereby prevents the locking pin 24 from being extended. In the plug-in position, however, the holder 12 releases the passage 28 by means of a recess 38 in the holder 12, and thereby enables the locking pin 24 to be extended by means of the locking spring 34, as in Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig. 7. Furthermore, the holder 12 has a ramp 40, which is Fig. 4 to 6 is not recognizable, but in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 is clearly visible. The ramp 40 is arranged and designed such that, when tilted into the rest position, it sweeps over the passage 28 and thereby moves the locking pin 24 toward the inner side 26, counter to the locking spring 34. The ramp 40 therefore initially provides an escape space on the outside for the locking pin 24, namely the recess 38, which is continuously reduced during tilting, so that the locking pin 24 is driven inward. In the rest position, the locking spring 34 then presses the locking pin 24, so to speak, from the inside against the holder 12.

[0044] In an embodiment not shown, the locking mechanism 14 is alternatively or additionally configured such that the locking pin 24 is moved electrically. For this purpose, the locking mechanism 14 has an actuator that moves the locking pin 24 depending on the position. Furthermore, a sensor is arranged that detects a tilting movement and a control unit that then controls the actuator accordingly in response to the tilting movement.

[0045] In an embodiment also not shown, the locking mechanism 14 is designed to be lockable and can only be deactivated with a specific authorization, so that only certain persons can remove the charging plug 8. The locking mechanism 14 is thus locked in the rest position with a lock, either manually or automatically.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, the locking mechanism 14 is additionally configured such that the socket 6 is locked in the plugged-in position when the charging plug 8 is removed, preventing it from tipping into the rest position. This locking mechanism fixes the position of the socket 6 relative to the holder 12 and prevents the socket 6 from tipping downward again on its own. In the present case, this locking mechanism is released precisely when the charging plug 8 is inserted into the socket 6 and then tilted downward, i.e., immediately before tipping and before the socket 6 is locked.

[0047] For locking, the locking mechanism 14 has a locking pin 42, which is movably mounted in the socket 6 by means of a locking spring 44. Furthermore, the holder 12 has a locking recess 46, which is arranged and designed such that, in the plug-in position, the locking pin 42 is pressed into the locking recess 46 by means of the locking spring 44 when the charging plug 8 is removed, thereby locking the socket 6.

[0048] In the embodiment shown, the locking pin 42 extends parallel to the transverse axis Q and along a passage 48 in a side wall 50 of the socket 6, similar to the locking pin 24, only on the opposite side. Furthermore, the locking pin 42 is not movable in the direction of the transverse axis Q like the locking pin 24, but perpendicular to it, namely in the plugging direction S. As can be seen from the Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 as well as 9 and 10, when the charging plug 8 is inserted, the locking pin 42 is pushed out of the locking recess 46 against the locking spring 44. For this purpose, the locking spring 44 is mounted towards a rear wall 52 of the socket 6 and thereby pushes the locking pin 42 forward and to the side of the socket 6 into the locking recess 46, which in this case forms a corresponding stop.

[0049] In this case, the locking pin 42 is firmly connected at right angles to a longitudinal pin 54. The longitudinal pin 54 is guided in the insertion direction S in a passage 56 in the rear wall 52 and is mounted against it by means of the locking spring 44. The passage 56 leads forward into the opening 22. The locking pin 42 extends laterally from the longitudinal pin 54 to the outer side 32 of the socket 6.

[0050] In the illustrated embodiment, the locking pin 42 is also a guide pin 58; however, in a variant not shown, these two parts are implemented separately. The guide pin 58 is arranged on the bushing 6 and, when tilted, is carried along by the bushing 6 on a circular path around the transverse axis Q. In the present case, the guide pin 58 extends parallel to the transverse axis Q and through a side wall 50. The holder 12 has a guide groove 60, in this case circular, for guiding the guide pin 58 when the bushing 6 is tilted. The guide groove 60 has two stops 62 for the guide pin 58, which define the rest position and the plug-in position and limit tilting of the bushing 6 about the transverse axis Q to the tilt angle W.

[0051] As can be seen from the Fig. 9 to 11, the locking recess 46 is formed at the end of the guide groove 60, namely starting from the stop 62 which defines the plug-in position. The guide groove 60 is thus generally approximately L-shaped, with a straight foot which extends in the plug-in direction S and forms the locking recess 46, and with a guide arm which adjoins the foot and is longer relative to it and which extends in an arc along a circular path around the transverse axis Q. Starting from the plug-in position, when the charging plug 8 is plugged in, the guide pin 58 is then pushed by the locking recess 46 as shown in Fig. 10 shown. Conversely, when tilting into the plug-in position, the guide pin 58 is driven from the stop 62 into the locking recess 46 by the locking spring 44 when the charging plug 8 is removed.

[0052] As already described, the bushing 6 can also be pivoted about the vertical axis V. The bushing 6 can be locked into several locking positions, which represent predefined angular positions with respect to the pivoting about the vertical axis V. For adjustment, the holder 12 has a hinge 64, the actuation of which requires a certain amount of force in order to pivot the bushing 6 from one locking position to the next. Fig. 1 to 3, the locking positions are defined by a recess 66 in a disc 68 on a first arm of the hinge 64, and a spring-loaded pin or ball (not explicitly shown) is attached to a second arm, here the socket receptacle 18, of the hinge 64, which is pressed into a respective recess 66 and thereby locks the hinge 64 in the associated locking position.

[0053] In the present case, the plug receptacle 4 additionally has a light element 70, which indicates whether the socket 6 is locked or unlocked. The light element 70 here is an LED, which color-codes the locking state. In an embodiment not shown, the plug receptacle 4 alternatively or additionally has an approach light, which is automatically activated by a proximity sensor if an electric vehicle approaches for charging.

[0054] In Fig.12 shows a variant of the plug receptacle 4 in which the locking mechanism 14 is hidden, i.e. not visible from the outside. The socket 6 is designed here as a disk which is cut off at the front, so that a front surface is formed into which the opening 22 for the charging plug 8 is made. The disk is positively encompassed on its flat side walls 30, 50 by the fork-shaped socket receptacle 18. The socket receptacle 18 is rotatably connected as one arm of a hinge 64 to another, here fork-like arm of the hinge 64, so that the socket 6 can also be pivoted about a vertical axis V. The fork-like arm has a plurality of unspecified mounting holes for mounting to a housing or a wall. List of reference symbols 2 charging stations 4 plug socket 6 socket 8 charging plugs 10 charging cables 12 bracket 14 Locking 16 housings 18 socket receptacle 20 side panel 22 Opening 24 locking bolts 26 Inside 28 Feedthrough (for locking bolt) 30 side wall 32 Outside 34 locking spring 36 flange 38 Recess (in the holder) 40 Ramp 42 locking bolts 44 locking spring 46 Locking recess 48 Feedthrough (for locking bolt) 50 side wall 52 rear wall 54 longitudinal bolts 56 bushing (for longitudinal bolts) 58 guide bolts 60 guide groove 62 stop 64 Hinge 66 trough 68 disc 70 lighting elements Q transverse axis S Plug direction V vertical axis W Tilt angle

Claims

[1] Plug socket (4), - which has a holder (12), a socket (6) and a lock (14), - wherein the socket (6) has an opening (22) for inserting and removing a charging plug (8) for an electric vehicle, - wherein the socket (6) is movably connected to the holder (12) such that the socket (6) can be tilted about a transverse axis (Q) from a plug-in position downwards into a rest position and vice versa, - wherein the locking mechanism (14) is designed such that the socket (6) is locked when tilted into the rest position, so that the charging plug (8) is held in the socket (6) to prevent it from falling out, and that the socket (6) is unlocked when tilted into the plug-in position, so that the charging plug (8) can be removed. [2] Plug receptacle (4) according to claim 1, wherein the locking device (14) has a locking pin (24), - which is movably mounted in the bushing (6), - which, when tilted into the rest position, moves into the opening (22), engages in the charging plug (8) and thereby locks the socket (6), - which, conversely, extends out of the opening (22) when tilted into the plug-in position, thereby releasing the charging plug (8) and thereby unlocking the socket (6). [3] Plug receptacle (4) according to claim 2, wherein the locking pin (24) is mounted in a passage (28) which extends from an inner side (26) to an outer side (32) of the bushing (6) and in which the locking pin (24) is mounted by means of a locking spring (34) which presses the locking pin (24) towards the outer side (32), wherein the holder (12) - in the rest position, the bushing (28) is covered and thus prevents the locking bolt (24) from being extended, - in the plug-in position, the bushing (28) is released and thus the locking pin (24) can be extended by means of the locking spring (34), - a ramp (40) which is arranged and designed in such a way that, when tilted into the rest position, it sweeps over the passage (28) and thereby moves the locking pin (24) towards the inner side (26) against the locking spring (34). [4] Plug receptacle (4) according to one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the locking mechanism (14) is designed such that the locking pin (24) is moved electrically. [5] Plug receptacle (4) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the locking mechanism (14) is designed to be lockable. [6] Plug receptacle (4) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the locking mechanism (14) is further designed such that the socket (6) is locked in the plug-in position when the charging plug (8) is removed in order to prevent it from tilting into the rest position. [7] Plug receptacle (4) according to claim 6, wherein the locking device (14) has a locking bolt (42) which is movably mounted in the bushing (6) by means of a locking spring (44), wherein the holder (12) has a locking recess (46) which is arranged and designed such that in the plug-in position the locking bolt (42) is pressed into the locking recess (46) by means of the locking spring (44) when the charging plug (8) is removed, whereby the socket (6) is locked. [8] Plug receptacle (4) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a guide pin (58) is arranged on the bushing (6), wherein the holder (12) has a guide groove (60) for guiding the guide pin (58) when tilting the bushing (6), wherein the guide groove (60) for the guide pin (58) has two stops (62) which define the rest position and the plug-in position and limit tilting of the bushing (6) about the transverse axis (Q) [9] Plug receptacle (4) according to claim 8, wherein the guide pin (58) is also the locking pin (42) and wherein the locking recess (46) is part of the guide groove (60). [10] Plug receptacle (4) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the socket (6) is additionally pivotable about a vertical axis (V) and can be locked in several positions. [11] Plug receptacle (4) according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein it has a lighting element (70) which indicates whether the socket (6) is locked or unlocked. [12] Charging station (2) having a plug receptacle (4) according to one of claims 1 to 11.

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