Device for closing and releasing an energy charging connection of a motor vehicle

Abstract

Device (1) for closing and releasing an energy charging connection (L) of a motor vehicle (F), comprising a cover part (2) which, by means of a guide device which is fixed to the vehicle in the ready-to-use state, can be moved between a closed position closing the energy charging connection (L) and an open position releasing the energy charging connection (L), comprising a manually operable emergency actuation device for moving the cover part (2) into the open position, as well as a drive device (A) for the driven control of the movement of the cover part (2) between the closed position and the open position, and comprising a coupling device (7) for activating the emergency actuation device and for deactivating the drive device (A), wherein the coupling device (7) is mechanically operatively connected to the emergency actuation device, characterized in thatthat the coupling device (7) is assigned a mechanical safety device (12) which interacts with the emergency actuation device in such a way that, when the emergency actuation device is deactivated, the safety device (12) effects an additional coupling positive connection to ensure power transmission of the drive device (A), wherein the additional coupling positive connection is canceled when the emergency actuation device is activated.

Description

The invention relates to a device for closing and releasing an energy charging connection of a motor vehicle, having a cover part which can be displaced between a closed position closing the energy charging connection and an open position releasing the energy charging connection by means of a guide device which is mounted in a vehicle-mounted state in ready-to-use fashion, having a manually operable emergency actuating device for displacing the cover part into the open position, and having a drive device for drivenly controlling the displacement of the cover part between the closed position and the open position, and having a clutch device for activating the emergency actuating device and for deactivating the drive device, wherein the clutch device is mechanically operatively connected to the emergency actuating device.Such a device for closing and releasing an energy charging connection of a motor vehicle is known from DE 10 2020 209 609 A1. The energy charging connection has a depression in the region of an outer skin of a vehicle body, which depression can be closed by a cover part. The cover part is guided on a guide device fixed on the vehicle body side in a displaceable manner between a closed position, in which the cover part closes the depression, and an open position, in which the cover part releases the depression. An electric drive device is provided for displacing the cover part. The drive device is assigned a clutch device which can be transferred by means of manual actuation of an emergency actuation device between a clutch state in which the drive motor is operatively connected to the cover part in a force-transmitting and motion-transmitting manner by means of the clutch device, and a disconnected state in which the operatively connection between the drive device and the cover part is disconnected.The object of the invention is to provide a device of the type mentioned at the beginning which permits reliable functioning of the emergency actuation device independently of the weather.This object is achieved in that the coupling device is assigned a mechanical securing device which interacts with the emergency actuation device in such a way that, when the emergency actuation device is deactivated, the securing device brings about an additional coupling positive engagement for securing a force transmission of the drive device, wherein the additional coupling positive engagement is canceled when the emergency actuation device is activated.The solution according to the invention ensures that there is no unintentional opening of the coupling device. This ensures functional reliability even in the case of high forces which act on the clutch device. In the prior art, it was possible to occur that, owing to icing of the cover part, very high loads could act on the clutch device, which could not be compensated for by the clamping of the known emergency actuation device. The function of the drive device for opening the cover part was thus no longer guaranteed. According to the invention, a high level of functional reliability is ensured, since it is ensured during normal operation of the drive device that the emergency actuation device remains deactivated. Thus, the drive device can also transmit large drive forces without the clutch device unintentionally becoming out of function, as is the case in the prior art. The solution according to the invention is intended for all types of motor vehicles which are provided with at least one energy charging connection. In this case, both a connection piece for fuel refueling and a connection piece for hydrogen refueling and an electrical power connection for charging an energy carrier on the vehicle side with electrical energy can be provided as the energy charging connection. The cover part closes the energy charging connection preferably flush with a body outer skin of the motor vehicle. The energy charging connection is preferably provided in a depression of the vehicle body, so that the cover part in the closed position covers the depression of the vehicle body flush. The cover part serves on the one hand as a protection against unauthorized use of the energy charging connection and on the other hand as a protection of the energy charging connection against weather-related influences such as rain, snow, ice or the like.In one embodiment of the invention, the emergency activation device and the securing device are arranged so as to be movable relative to one another in order to achieve or cancel the additional securing by the securing device. Preferably, either the emergency actuation device or the safety device are positioned in a fixed position and the respective other functional device, i.e. the safety device or the emergency actuation device, are arranged movably relative thereto.In a further embodiment of the invention, the safety device is arranged in a fixed position and the emergency actuation device is mounted movably between the activation position and the deactivation position. This is a particularly advantageous embodiment, since the emergency actuation device can be operated manually in any case and consequently, in the event of a failure of the drive device, must be moved manually in order to bring about an opening of the cover part. With such a movement, the safety device is thus automatically deactivated, so that the emergency actuation device can assume the corresponding opening function of the cover part.In a further embodiment of the invention, the emergency actuation device has a clamping housing which surrounds the coupling device in a force-limiting manner and is arranged such that it can be pivoted about a coupling rotational axis, and the clamping housing is coupled to an actuation element which can be manually engaged in order to exert a pivoting movement on the clamping housing. The pivoting movement of the clamping housing leads on the one hand to deactivation of the securing device and on the other hand to activation of the emergency actuation device, because the pivoting movement leads the clamping housing of the emergency actuation device into an activation state in which, upon further manual actuation of the emergency actuation device, the drive device is decoupled from the controller of the cover part.In a further embodiment of the invention, the actuating member is coupled to the clamping housing by means of a sliding joint. The sliding joint has a dual function in that it allows the pivoting movement of the clamping housing on the one hand and allows the coupling device to be opened when the actuating member is displaced in a corresponding linear manner on the other hand. The sliding joint consequently functionally forms a sliding-rotary joint.In a further embodiment of the invention, the sliding joint has a slotted guide which is oriented at least in sections inclined with respect to a longitudinal extent of the clamping housing of the emergency actuation device. The slotted guide is preferably of rectilinear design and, in the release position of the clamping housing in which the coupling device is prepared for decoupling the drive device from the cover part, extends coaxially with respect to a linear displacement direction of the actuating member.In a further embodiment of the invention, the clamping housing has at least one elastically flexible clamping tab enclosing the coupling device radially on the outside in sections, and the securing device has a securing cam which contacts the clamping tab radially on the outside in such a way that, in the deactivation position of the emergency actuation device, the clamping tab is positively blocked against radial expansion outwards, and, in the activation position of the emergency actuation device, the clamping tab is released for radial elastic expansion outwards. This is a particularly simple and functionally reliable configuration. A radially outer outer contour of the clamping tab is preferably curved in the shape of a circular arc concentrically with respect to the axis of rotation of the coupling device. The securing cam projects radially with respect to this axis of rotation from the outside onto the clamping tab.Further advantages and features of the invention are evident from the claims. A preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is described below and illustrated with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a detail of an embodiment of a device according to the invention in the region of a vehicle body of a passenger vehicle and in a closed position of a cover part, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the device according to FIG. 1 in an open position of the cover part, FIG. 3 shows an enlarged perspective illustration of the device according to FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 4 shows a partial region of the device according to FIG. 3 in a deactivation position of an emergency activation device, FIG. 5 shows the illustration according to FIG. 4, but in an activation position of the emergency activation device, FIG. 6 shows an enlarged illustration of a partial region of the device according to FIG. 4, FIG. 7 shows the partial area according to FIG. 6, but in an activation position of the emergency activation device, FIG. 8 shows the representation according to FIG. 7 with deactivated clutch device and thus activated emergency activation device, and FIGS. 9 to 11 are perspective views of the device according to FIGS. 1 to 8 in different functional positions of the emergency actuation device.A motor vehicle F in the form of a passenger vehicle has a vehicle body K which is provided on a body side, in the present case on a left-hand body side in the vehicle direction, with a body depression T which has an energy charging connection L. The body depression T and the energy charging connection L are assigned a device 1 for closing and releasing the energy charging connection L. The device 1 has a cover part 2 which is guided so as to be linearly movable between a closed position illustrated in FIG. 1 and an open position shown in FIG. 2 in the vehicle vertical direction (Z direction according to the vehicle-side coordinate system x-y-z). A corresponding guide device for displacing the cover part 2 can be seen from FIG. 3, but is not designated in more detail. For displacing the cover part 2 between the closed position and the open position, a drive device A is provided, which comprises an electric drive motor 3 and a transmission 6 visible with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. The cover part 2 is fixedly assigned a toothed rack which meshes with an output pinion of the transmission 6 of the drive device A. The construction and function of the device 1 are identical to the device according to DE 10 2020 209 609 A1 except for the differences described below, so that with regard to the disclosure of construction and function of the device 1, reference is expressly made in supplementary fashion to the disclosure of DE 10 2020 209 609 A1.As in DE 10 2020 209 609 A1, the cover part 2 is oriented flush with the surface of body sections of the vehicle body K surrounding the body depression T in its closed position. In the open position, the cover part 2 is displaced outwards in the vehicle transverse direction Y and downwards in the vehicle vertical direction Z. Alternatively, depending on the location of the body depression T and / or the design of the corresponding vehicle-mounted guide device, the cover part can be displaced alternatively upwards, inwards and forwards and / or rearwards in the vehicle longitudinal direction X in the open position.The drive device A has an electric drive motor which is operatively connected to the cover part 2 in a force-transmitting and motion-transmitting manner. The operative connection serves for transmitting drive forces and / or movements from the drive motor 3 to the cover part 2. for supplying electrical operating energy, the electrical drive motor 3 is connected to an electrical on-board power supply of the motor vehicle F in a manner not shown in more detail.In the event of a disturbed energy supply of the drive motor 3 or another malfunction of the drive device A, the cover part 2 is displaced manually between the closed and the open position by an emergency actuation device, as can be seen with reference to FIGS. 3 to 11. In order to prevent damage or adverse effects to the device 1, the device 1 has a clutch device 7 assigned to the drive device A, which can be displaced between a clutch state and a disconnection state by means of the emergency actuation device. In the clutch state, the drive motor 3 is operatively connected to the cover part 2 in a force- and motion-transmitting manner by means of the clutch device 7. In the separated state, this operative connection is separated.The gear 6 has an output pinion, not designated in any more detail, which meshes in a manner likewise not designated in any more detail with a rack section, which is arranged on a guide slide, which in turn carries the cover part 2. The guide slide is movably mounted along a guide device of a device housing 4 fixed to the housing. The device housing 4 is fixedly connected to the vehicle body K in the region of the body depression T in the vehicle-fixedly mounted state according to FIGS. 1 and 2.A drive shaft of the drive device A is mounted rotatably about a rotational axis D in the device housing 4. The clutch device 7 is designed as a positive-locking clutch and brings about a positive-locking connection about the axis of rotation D between the output pinion and a drive pinion of the drive shaft of the transmission 6, wherein the output pinion and the drive pinion are positioned and driven coaxially with respect to the axis of rotation D. In other words, the positive-locking coupling is arranged between the drive shaft and the output shaft coaxial thereto. The positive-locking coupling, i.e. the coupling device 7, has two coupling jaws which are mounted to be movable to a limited extent in the radial direction of the axis of rotation D relative to the drive shaft and thus relative to the axis of rotation D and are permanently connected to the drive shaft in a torque-proof manner. The clutch shoes are prestressed outwards in the radial direction by means of a spring arrangement. Corresponding spring elements of the spring arrangement are designed as leaf springs which exert a permanent load radially outwards on the clutch shoes. When the clutch jaws are moved outward accordingly, the output shaft and thus the output pinion are released, whereby the form fit between the clutch jaws and the drive shaft is canceled. The clutch device 7 is thus transferred into the disconnected state.In order to keep the positive-locking coupling in the coupling state, the emergency actuation device has a clamping housing 8 which is provided with an elastically resilient, circular-arc-shaped and latching-nose-like clamping tab 11 which, together with corresponding clamping portions of the clamping housing 8, holds the coupling jaws of the coupling device 7 in the coupling state in which the drive device A exerts a drive transmission on the guide slide of the cover part 2. This clutch state is shown with reference to FIGS. 4, 6, 7 and 9, 10.In order to prevent the clamping tab 11 from being unintentionally pressed outwards in the coupling state of the coupling device 7 due to external loads occurring, whereby the clamping housing 8 can be displaced in the vertical direction relative to the axis of rotation D and the operative connection between the drive device A and the cover part 2 is unintentionally canceled, an additional securing device is assigned to the clamping housing 8, which is part of the emergency actuation device, which securing device has a securing cam 12 arranged fixedly on the housing of the device 4. In the securing state (see in particular FIG. 6 ), in which the clamping tab 11 is blocked against elastic outward expansion by the securing cam 12, the clamping housing 8 is rotated by an acute angle relative to the vehicle vertical direction. In this position, the emergency activation device is deactivated. Above the clamping section surrounding the coupling device 7, the clamping housing 8 has a carrier extension formed integrally on it, which is provided with a slotted guide 9 which is aligned obliquely upwards at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal extension of the clamping housing 8. A slotted guide pin 10 is guided rotatably and longitudinally displaceably in this slotted guide 9, so that the slotted guide 9 and the slotted guide pin 10 form a sliding joint for the emergency activation device. The connecting rod pin 10 continues upwards into an elongate actuating member 5 which is provided with an actuating handle at an upper front end. The actuating member 5 is likewise part of the emergency actuating device and is mounted so as to be linearly movable relative to the device housing 4 in the vertical direction of the vehicle.If, starting from the deactivation position of the emergency activation device according to FIG. 6 or FIG. 9, the activation member 5 is now manually pulled upward in the vehicle vertical direction, the sliding joint inevitably causes the clamping housing 8 of the emergency activation device to pivot downward in the clockwise direction (according to FIG. 6 ) about the axis of rotation D, as a result of which the clamping tab 11 also inevitably slides downward with its arc-shaped outer contour, which is concentric to the axis of rotation D, along the stationary securing cam 12 of the securing device. In this position (FIG. 7 ), the clamping tab 11 can thus already elastically deflect radially outwards as soon as the clamping housing 8 is pulled upwards with respect to the coupling device 7. A manual upward tension of the actuating member 5 inevitably causes a tensile load on the clamping housing 8 in the vehicle vertical direction upward via the connecting rod pin 10 arriving at the upper end of the connecting rod guide, as a result of which the coupling device 7 comes out of the clamping by the clamping section and the clamping tab 11 of the clamping housing 8 (see FIGS. 5 and 8 and FIGS. 11 ). In this position, the coupling device 7 is aired, since the leaf springs press the coupling jaws radially outwards. The clamping housing 8 of the emergency actuation device is provided, analogously to the device according to DE 10 2020 209 609 A1, with a toothing in the region of the elongated inner contour of the clamping housing 8, which toothing drives the output pinion during the displacement movement of the clamping housing 8 upward and thus transfers the cover part via the guide slide and the associated rack section into an open position. This corresponds to the activation function of the emergency activation device.In order to transfer the emergency actuation device from the activated position back into its deactivation position, the actuation element 5 is pressed downward again in the vehicle vertical direction, as a result of which a linear movement along the slot of the clamping housing 8 is first of all carried out downward again via the sliding joint 9, 10 on the clamping housing 8 until the coupling device 7 is again inserted into the clamping sections and the clamping tab 11 of the clamping housing 8 and the coupling device 7 is again coupled in a positive-locking manner to the drive device A. When a further linear application of pressure to the actuating element 5 in the vertical direction of the vehicle is exerted downwards, the clamping housing 8 is necessarily pivoted back about the axis of rotation D in the counterclockwise direction (from FIG. 7 in the direction of FIG. 6 ), whereby the securing cam 12 of the securing device blocks the clamping tab 11 again radially outwards. A release of the clutch device 7 from the drive device A is excluded in this position. This position again corresponds to the deactivation position of the emergency activation device.

Claims

Device (1) for closing and releasing an energy charging connection (L) of a motor vehicle (F), having a cover part (2) which can be displaced between a closed position closing the energy charging connection (L) and an open position releasing the energy charging connection (L) by means of a guide device which is fixed to the vehicle in the ready-to-use state, having a manually operable emergency actuating device for displacing the cover part (2) into the open position, and having a drive device (A) for drivenly controlling the displacement of the cover part (2) between the closed position and the open position, and having a clutch device (7) for activating the emergency actuating device and for deactivating the drive device (A), wherein the clutch device (7) is mechanically operatively connected to the emergency actuating device, characterized in that, the coupling device (7) is assigned a mechanical securing device (12) which interacts with the emergency actuation device in such a way that, when the emergency actuation device is deactivated, the securing device (12) brings about an additional coupling interlocking for securing a force transmission of the drive device (A), wherein the additional coupling interlocking is canceled when the emergency actuation device is activated.Device (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the emergency actuation device and the securing device (12) are arranged so as to be movable relative to one another in order to achieve or cancel the additional securing by the securing device (12).Device (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that the securing device (12) is arranged in a fixed position and the emergency actuation device is mounted movably between the activation position and the deactivation position.Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the emergency actuation device has a clamping housing (8) which surrounds the coupling device (7) in a force-limiting manner and is arranged such that it can be pivoted about an axis of rotation (D), and in that the clamping housing (8) is coupled to an actuating element (5) which can be manually engaged in order to exert a pivoting movement on the clamping housing (8).Device (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that the actuating member (5) is coupled to the clamping housing (8) by means of a sliding joint (9, 10).Device (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the sliding joint has a slotted guide (9) which is oriented at least in sections inclined with respect to a longitudinal extent of the clamping housing (8) of the emergency actuation device.Device (1) according to one of Claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the clamping housing (8) has at least one elastically flexible clamping tab (11) which surrounds the coupling device (7) radially on the outside in sections, and in that the securing device has a securing cam (12) which contacts the clamping tab (11) radially on the outside in such a way that, in the deactivation position of the emergency activation device, the clamping tab (11) is positively blocked against radial expansion outwards, and in that, in the activation position of the emergency activation device, the clamping tab (11) is released for radial elastic expansion outwards.

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