motor vehicle

Abstract

Motor vehicle (1), comprising a charging socket (4) for a battery (2) installed in the motor vehicle (1), in particular a traction battery, a body with a rear wheel house (6) of a rear wheel, above which the charging socket (4) is installed in the body, and a charging flap module (5) with an inwardly opening charging flap (22) covering the charging socket (4) outwardly, characterized in that the wheel house (6) has an inner body section (8) which delimits an inner dry area (9), and an outer body section (10) which separates a wet area (11) located between the inner and outer body sections (8, 10) from an outer side of the motor vehicle (1), such that the wet area (11) is expanded upwards to form a charging socket area (12), wherein the charging socket (4) is installed in an installation opening (17) of the inner body section (8) with connecting cables (19) leading out into the dry area (9). is,the charging flap module (5) with the closed charging flap (22) is installed in the outer body section (10) covering the charging socket (4), and the motor vehicle (1) further comprises an adapter (7, 7') bridging a distance between a connection area of ​​the charging flap module (5) and a connection area of ​​the charging socket (4) in the charging socket area (12) and sealing against moisture.

Description

The invention relates to a motor vehicle, having a charging box for a battery installed in the motor vehicle, in particular a traction battery, a body having a rear wheel arch of a rear wheel, above which the charging box is installed in the body, and a charging flap module having an inwardly opening charging flap which covers the charging box outwards.Electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids which have a battery which can be charged from the outside and is installed in the motor vehicle, in particular as a traction battery, usually comprise a charging box which is covered by a charging flap and via which the motor vehicle can be connected to a charging device which is external to the motor vehicle, for example a charging column, in order to charge the battery. It has been proposed to provide the charging socket in a region of the motor vehicle, i.e. on its outer skin, in which the fuel filler flap with the fuel opening arranged behind it could be found up to now. Usually, this is above a rear wheel on one side of the motor vehicle.In order to avoid adverse effects due to a tailgate protruding from the motor vehicle, it has already been proposed in the prior art to use tailgates which open inwards, for example in the manner of a sliding door. This has been proposed, for example, in DE 10 2015 206 715 A1, which relates to a device for opening and closing a tailgate of a vehicle, in which the tailgate is arranged within the tailgate in the open state and is guided on a guide device arranged within the tailgate in such a way that it can be displaced in the manner of a sliding door under the outer skin surrounding the tailgate opening. DE 20 2021 001 685 U1 relates to a vehicle flap with an opening and closing device, by means of which an opening in a vehicle contour can be exposed or closed. In this case, a sliding movement of the vehicle flap in the direction of the vehicle interior or vice versa in the direction of the vehicle contour can be realized by means of a drivable sliding and pivoting device.Such inwardly opening tailgates are preferred since a larger cutout in the outer skin is required in the case of outwardly opening tailgates and design relevance is also otherwise provided. The motor vehicle is also more vulnerable to vandalism or accidental damage and the degree of innovation is considered unobserved by the users.Vehicles with a charging flap opening inwards have already been proposed in principle in the prior art. However, both the charging flap and the charging socket are located in a wet region of the body of the motor vehicle and are mounted from below out of the wet space. In the vehicle body, therefore, a large, tall wheel arch is required at the rear. The arrangement of the charging box in a wet region, however, entails disadvantages, such as, for example, higher requirements for the tightness of the charging box and costs arising as well as the need to locate high-voltage lines in the wet region, which is undesirable, in particular in the case of concepts which seek to arrange all high-voltage components completely in a dry region. Large wheel houses intended to accommodate such a combination of charging box and charging flap module with charging flap also have disadvantages, for example more complex components and mullability, higher weight / higher costs and the restriction with regard to components which can be installed in the interior / dry space.DE 10 2021 108 061 A1 relates to a hybrid or electric motor vehicle having a body, a body wall which separates a vehicle interior region representing a dry region from a body exterior region representing a wet region, a through opening in the body wall which couples the vehicle interior region to the body exterior region, a charging socket unit which closes the through opening and which comprises a charging socket having a charging plug connection, and a bumper which has an access opening and is mounted on the body in such a way that the access opening is aligned at least in sections with the through opening and the charging plug connection is accessible for plugging in a charging plug through the access opening. The basic idea is followed here of providing the charging socket unit in a bumper.DE 10 2021 104 519 A1 relates to a device for opening and closing an access opening in a vehicle body, wherein the access opening leads into an interior space with a charging interface. A cover can be adjusted by means of a guide device arranged in the interior between a closed position and an open position in which the cover is located in the interior.DE 10 2017 212 402 A1 relates to a charging device and an assembly method, wherein, for the purpose of sealing a space located between a wheel arch and a side frame of a motor vehicle, the charging pot has at least one sealing means on its side facing the charging pot, which sealing means is arranged at least partially between the charging pot and the wheel arch on its side facing away from the charging pot.DE 694 21 754 T2 describes a design of a connection for charging the vehicle applied to a vehicle, such as an electric vehicle, a connection for charging a vehicle and a container which encloses the connection for charging the vehicle. In order to provide improved operability and prevent entry of water, a terminal is proposed having a recessed connector container formed in a vehicle body, a container lid mounted on the container for closing and opening an opening of the container, and a connector housing mounted on a rear wall of the container and having an opening opened for opening the container. The connector housing has a connector cover that closes and opens the opening thereof. An abutment member is provided between an inner surface of the pivotally mounted container lid and an outer surface of the pivotally mounted connector lid, the abutment member abutting against the container lid and the connector lid when the container lid is closed, to press the connector lid to fully close the opening of the connector housing, and to maintain the connector lid in its closed position by the abutment member while the container lid is maintained in its closed position.The invention is based on the object of providing an improved possibility for installing the charging socket for an inwardly opening charging flap.To achieve this object, in a motor vehicle of the type mentioned at the beginning, the wheel arch has an inner body section which delimits an inner dry region, and an outer body section which separates a wet region located between the inner and the outer body section from an outer side of the motor vehicle in such a way that the wet region is widened upward to form a charging socket region, wherein the charging socket is installed in a mounting opening of the inner body section with connecting cables discharged in the dry region, the charging flap module with the closed charging flap is installed in the outer body section in a manner covering the charging socket, and the motor vehicle furthermore has an adapter which bridges a distance between a connecting region of the charging flap mode and a connecting region of the charging socket in the charging socket region and seals it against moisture.According to the invention, it is therefore proposed to install the charging socket in an inner body section, which ultimately bounds the motor vehicle interior as a dry space, despite the existing spacing from the outer body section providing the outer surface of the motor vehicle, which makes it possible for the corresponding cabling, and therefore the connection cables with their charging socket-side connections, to be installed completely in the dry space. Complicated measures due to high-voltage components in the wet region can be dispensed with. The tailgate, together with the components providing the mechanism as tailgate module, is furthermore installed on the outer side, i.e. in the wet room, so as to cover a corresponding tailgate opening of the outer body section. In other words, it can also be said that the subcomponents of the charging flap module and the charging socket according to the present invention, which were previously considered as associated structural units, are decoupled in order to combine the inwardly opening charging flap with a charging socket in the dry region.The tailgate module is located on the outside in the wet region of the wheel arch. The connections of the charging socket and the connecting cables are in the dry area. In order to bridge the corresponding distance, which usually arises due to design considerations, the use of an adapter is proposed according to the invention, which seals in the wet region and at the same time offers the possibility of using the charging socket when the charging flap is open, for example by connecting a plug.The present invention provides a small, inwardly opening tailgate of pleasing design, protection against damage and innovation. However, the charging box can be located and mounted in the dry area, is therefore less complex and less expensive and enables in particular battery concepts with high-voltage lines which are situated completely in the dry area. The wheel arch can be made compact at the rear on the inside and thus provides more installation space in the motor vehicle interior, i.e. in the dry area.The adapter can have a housing, in particular made of plastic, as a wet protection. The adapter thus performs a sufficient sealing function with respect to the remaining wet region in the wheel arch. The housing can be, for example, a plastic casting. The housing can be adapted in its shape to a corresponding attachment region of the charging flap module and / or of the charging socket, so that the adapter can be simply "inserted" and nevertheless provides adequate tightness in the wet region due to the adapted shape. In particular, a form-fit holder and / or a force-fit holder can also be provided on at least one side, for example by friction.For the specific embodiment of the adapter, it can be provided that the adapter and / or the charging flap module has an electrical contact of the charging socket to the connection region of the charging flap module via an electrical adapter unit extending over at least part of the distance and / or a guide section extending over at least part of the distance and adapted at least partially to the shape of a charging plug. Expediently, the adapter can thus comprise an electrical adapter unit, in particular within the housing, such that the adapter can be easily inserted into the charging socket, for example, and provide corresponding electrical contacts to the charging socket, for example for a charging plug of a charging device external to the motor vehicle, closer to the outside, in particular since, in conventional structural units, the charging socket would be expected. In particular, the impression can then arise for a user that the charging box would actually be directly and easily accessible behind the flap, even though it is installed in the drying area. Alternatively or additionally, however, at least a part of the distance can also be bridged by a guide section, which is formed in particular from the housing, of the adapter, which is preferably at least partially adapted to the shape of a charging plug. Despite an optionally increased distance from the electrical contacts behind the charging flap, the charging plug can then be introduced comfortably. In other words, the adapter therefore extends the electrical contacts of the charging socket, to which a charging plug is to be connected, toward the charging flap and / or provides an insertion aid for the plug into the electrical contacts further away from the charging flap. Embodiments are also conceivable in which the electrical adapter unit and / or the guide section are provided at least partially by the tailgate module. In particular, it is also conceivable to provide the adapter merely as the sealing housing.Expediently, the charging box, in particular on the bottom side in a charging trough comprising electrical contacts, can have a liquid discharge, in particular into the wet region, for discharging liquid introduced from the outside via the adapter. Such liquid discharges into loading troughs are already known in principle, in particular in the case of loading troughs directly adjoining open loading flaps. Within the scope of the present invention, a liquid discharge in the charging socket constitutes a suitable supplement for sealing protection of the adapter from the wet region and protects high-voltage contacts and high-voltage components from wetting, for example by exciting or the like.Advantageously, the charging socket can be installed by means of a sealing device to seal the installation opening in the inner body section and thus the dry region against the wet region. This creates excellent sealing conditions, especially in the area of the high-voltage connections and connecting cables of the charging socket. In this case, the sealing device can comprise, for example, a planar sealing means and / or a sealing ring. In this context, it can be provided with particular advantage that the or a further sealing device is installed on the adapter. A sealing device already provided on the adapter can comprise, for example, a portion with a circumferential sealing flange that protrudes through the installation opening into the drying region. For example, the adapter can then first be inserted, so that the sealing flange abuts on the inside, and the charging socket can then be mounted. In this way, the charging socket can be provided as the same component, regardless of the use in the wet room or in the dry room, without any special necessary modifications. Further sealing devices on the adapter can also relate to a seal against the charging socket.In addition to the tailgate, the tailgate module expediently comprises a guide device for at least partially guiding the tailgate during opening, in particular in the manner of a sliding door, under the portion of the outer surface of the motor vehicle surrounding the opened opening. Purely by way of example, a configuration as described, for example, in the aforementioned DE 10 2015 206 715 A1 can be used. An embodiment according to DE 20 2021 001 685 U1 has also proven to be expedient. In both cases, however, it is expedient and preferred if the tailgate is laterally displaceable in the guide device for opening. In this way, too much upward widening of the wheel arch can be expediently avoided and lateral installation space can be used, which is then usually present in any case to a sufficient extent, since the wheel arch can be widened upward, for example, over a greater part of its width in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Thus, an openability to the side, i.e. in particular a displacement at least substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, influences the external design of the motor vehicle and the otherwise available installation space the least.The inner body portion separates the wet region from the dry region. It can be implemented in different ways, thus for example comprising at least one body component, in particular made of metal, and / or a partition plate and / or a plastic mounting part. The use of a plastic mounting part makes it possible, for example, to save or expand an inner body component of the wheel arch for producing the load cell region, after only the plastic mounting part then has to be attached to the inner body component of the rear wheel arch. However, it is also conceivable to continue the inner body component of the wheel arch upwards and / or to supplement it by a supplementary body component. In some configurations, a simpler implementation than a separating plate can also be provided, in particular if only light forces or no forces have to be carried.Expediently, the tailgate module can be enclosed by a side wall frame. This means that the outer body section can, as has already been proposed in the prior art, comprise a side wall frame of the motor vehicle, in which the tailgate opening is provided for installing the tailgate module. The side wall frame can be formed by a body component. For example, the side wall frame can be formed as a mounting part, in particular made of plastic or metal, and / or form a type of rear fender. In principle, it is also conceivable to form the outer body portion ultimately in a multi-layered manner, for example to provide the side wall frame and an outer body component of the rear wheel arch in a partially overlapping manner.Further advantages and details of the present invention are evident from the exemplary embodiments described below and on the basis of the drawing. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic diagram of a motor vehicle according to the invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in the region of a rear wheel arch, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of components in the rear wheel arch region, FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of an adapter, and FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a sealing device provided as part of an adapter.FIG. 1 shows a schematic schematic diagram of a motor vehicle 1, here an electric motor vehicle. The electric motor vehicle 1 has an electric battery 2 as a traction battery for operating an electric drive machine. The electric battery 2 is therefore a high-voltage battery. This can be charged by means of a vehicle-internal charging device 3 (on-board charger) and a charging box 4 from an external charging device, for example a charging column. A tailgate module 5 with a tailgate which is provided above a rear wheel on the side of the motor vehicle 1 provides closable access to the charging socket 4, which is installed in a dry region of the rear wheel arch 6, which is only indicated here, and is connected to the tailgate module 5 in a wet region, bridging the distance from the tailgate module 5. This is shown in more detail in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2.FIG. 2 shows a simplified cross section through an upper portion of the rear wheel arch 6, which is here bounded by an inner body section 8 to a dry region 9 corresponding to the motor vehicle interior and outwardly by an outer body section 10 in such a way that a wet region 11 is formed between the inner body section 8 and the outer body section 10, which wet region is extended upwardly by a load cell region 12. In this case, the inner body section 8 is formed in the present case by body components 13, 14, namely a body component 13 "rear inside wheel arch" and a body component 14 "rear inside side". In other exemplary embodiments, the body component 14 can also be supplemented or replaced by a plastic mounting part.The outer body section 10 comprises in the present case a body component 15 ("wheel arch at the rear outside") and a side wall frame 16.The inner body component 14 has a mounting opening 17, in which the charging socket 4 is installed in such a way that its connections 18 and the associated (high-voltage) connection cables 19 are situated completely in the drying region 9. The dry region 9 is additionally sealed with respect to the wet region 11 by means of a sealing device 20 which can comprise, for example, a flat sealing means which comes to lie between a shoulder of the charging socket 4 and the body component 14. Other configurations of the sealing device 20 are also conceivable. For example, the sealing device 20 can also be fastened directly to the adapter 7, and can therefore be provided as part of the adapter 7. The sealing device 20 can then have, for example, a portion projecting through the installation opening 17 with a sealing flange abutting the body component 14 on the side of the drying region 9.In a tailgate opening 21 of the outer body portion 10, the tailgate module 5 is installed in such a way that it is enclosed by the side wall frame 16. It comprises the tailgate 22, which is shown here in the closed position flush with the side wall frame 16, and a device for opening and closing the tailgate 22, which device in particular has a guide device 23 (only indicated in FIG. 2 ), in which the tailgate 22 is guided in such a way that it can be laterally displaced in the manner of a sliding door under the surrounding motor vehicle outer surface, in particular the outer body portion 10.The charging socket has electrical contacts 24 in a connection region, which are provided at a distance from a desired connection region of the charging flap module 5. Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment shown here, the adapter 7 has not only a housing 25 made, for example, of plastic, which acts sealingly against the wet region 11, but also an electrical adapter unit 26, which can be plugged onto the contacts 24 and bridges the distance at which corresponding electrical contacts 27 of the electrical adapter unit 26 are again provided on the other side.In order to discharge any liquid penetrating through the charging flap module 5 and the adapter 7, the charging socket 4 can have a liquid discharge 28 into the wet chamber. Alternatively, the liquid discharge 28 can also be provided in the adapter 7.FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view for installing adapter 7 and charging socket 4, wherein body component 15 is not shown for the sake of better clarity. As can be seen, the charging flap module 5 is already installed in the side wall frame 16 and the adapter 7 is placed on the charging socket 4. The sealing device 20 is also shown. In order to achieve the installation state, the adapter 7 and the charging socket 4 are to be inserted through the installation opening 17 according to the arrow 28.FIG. 4 shows a further, modified embodiment of an adapter 7', which, instead of the electrical adapter, has a guide section 29 formed in the present case from the housing 25 for a plug to be connected to the charging socket 4. Embodiments are also conceivable in which the adapter 7, 7' has both an electrical adapter unit 26 and a guide section 29, which respectively bridge parts of the spacing.FIG. 5 schematically shows an embodiment in which the sealing device 20 is provided on the adapter 7 and has a portion extending through the installation opening 17 with a sealing flange 30.

Claims

Motor vehicle (1), having a charging box (4) for a battery (2) installed in the motor vehicle (1), in particular a traction battery, a body having a rear wheel arch (6) of a rear wheel, above which the charging box (4) is installed in the body, and a charging flap module (5) having an inwardly opening charging flap (22) covering the charging box (4) towards the outside, characterized in that the wheel arch (6) has an inner body portion (8) which delimits an inner dry region (9), and an outer body portion (10) which separates a wet region (11) located between the inner and the outer body portion (8, 10) from an outer side of the motor vehicle (1), in such a way that the wet region (11) is widened upwards to form a charging box region (12), wherein the charging box (4) is installed in an installation opening (17) of the inner body section (8) with connecting cables (19) discharged in the drying region (9), the charging flap module (5) is installed with the closed charging flap (22) in the outer body section (10) so as to cover the charging box (4), and the motor vehicle (1) further has an adapter (7, 7') which bridges a distance between a connecting region of the charging flap module (5) and a connecting region of the charging box (4) in the charging box region (12) and seals it against moisture.Motor vehicle (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the adapter (7, 7') has a housing (25), in particular made of plastic, as a moisture protection.Motor vehicle (1) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the adapter (7, 7') and / or the charging flap module (5) has an electrical contact (24) of the charging socket (4) to the connection region of the charging flap module (5) via an electrical adapter unit (26) which extends over at least part of the distance and / or a guide portion (29) which extends over at least part of the distance and is at least partially matched to the shape of a charging plug.Motor vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the charging box (4), in particular on the bottom side in a charging trough comprising electrical contacts, has a liquid discharge, in particular into the wet region, for discharging liquid introduced from the outside via the adapter (7, 7').Motor vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the charging box (4) is installed by means of a sealing device (20) to seal the installation opening (17) in the inner body section (8) and thus the dry region (9) with respect to the wet region (11).Motor vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tailgate module (5) has a guide device (23) for at least partially guiding the tailgate (22) during opening, in particular in the manner of a sliding door, under the portion of the outer surface of the motor vehicle (1) surrounding the opened opening.Motor vehicle (1) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the tailgate (22) is laterally displaceable in the guide device (23) for opening.Motor vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner body section (8) comprises at least one body component (13, 14) and / or a separating plate and / or a plastics mounting part.Motor vehicle (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tailgate module (5) is surrounded by a side wall frame (16).

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