Charging socket of an at least partially electrically powered vehicle with a charging socket cover serving as an interchangeable cover

Abstract

A charging socket unit of an at least partially electrically powered vehicle is provided, wherein the charging socket unit has: a first charging socket serving as an AC charging socket with an AC plug face, and a second charging socket arranged adjacent thereto and serving as a DC charging socket with a DC plug face, wherein the DC plug face differs from the AC plug face, and a charging socket cover which is formed in such a way that it has a plurality of webs on a rear side which, after the rear side has been plugged onto one or the other of the charging sockets, are in frictional contact with at least parts of their plug face, wherein the webs are formed in such a way that the charging socket cover can be plugged onto both charging sockets in a comparable orientation in such a way that it closes them in a sealing manner.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a charging socket cover serving as an interchangeable cover for covering a charging socket of a charging socket unit of an at least partially electrically powered vehicle.

[0002] An at least partially electrically powered vehicle is, for example, an electric or hybrid vehicle that has an energy storage device designed as a high-voltage storage device and an electric motor to drive the vehicle. The vehicle's electrical energy storage device is charged via a special charging socket unit that has an alternating current connection (AC charging socket) and / or a direct current connection (DC charging socket). The charging socket unit is arranged in a holder that is located in the so-called charging flap system and behind an opening in the outer skin of the vehicle. When not in use, both charging sockets of the charging socket unit are covered by a charging flap attached to the outer skin of the vehicle.

[0003] There are countries that have two different charging standards for AC charging and DC charging. This means that AC charging has a different connector face than DC charging, so two different charging sockets must be provided to accommodate both charging options. To protect the charging sockets from external influences and accidental contact, each is covered by a matching charging socket cover. Normally, two charging socket covers are provided, one of which can be attached to each of the charging sockets. This means that there is a separate charging socket cover for each connector face—for the AC connection and the DC connection.

[0004] If the charging flap is sealed, one of the two charging socket covers can be omitted. This means that only the charging socket that is not in use is covered with a charging socket cover. To allow only one charging socket cover to be used, it is already known to use a charging socket cover that fits both charging sockets. For this purpose, the charging socket cover can be designed so that one front side fits the connector face of one charging socket and one back side fits the connector face of the other charging socket. This way, the charging socket cover only needs to be flipped over to be applied to the other charging socket.Furthermore, DE 10 2021 123 417 A1 discloses a charging socket unit of an at least partially electrically powered vehicle, wherein the charging socket unit has a first charging socket serving as an AC charging socket with an AC plug face, and a second charging socket arranged adjacent thereto serving as a DC charging socket with a DC plug face, wherein the DC plug face differs from the AC plug face. Furthermore, a charging socket cover is disclosed which is designed such that it can be applied to both charging sockets by turning. A disadvantage of such known charging socket covers is that operation is generally unergonomic and complex.

[0005] CN 2 19 937 454 U discloses a charging socket unit of an at least partially electrically powered vehicle, wherein the charging socket unit has a first charging socket serving as an AC charging socket with an AC plug face, and a second charging socket arranged adjacent thereto, serving as a DC charging socket with a DC plug face, wherein the DC plug face differs from the AC plug face. Furthermore, a charging socket cover is disclosed which is formed such that it has a plurality of webs on a rear side which, after the rear side has been plugged onto the DC charging socket, are in frictional contact with at least parts of the plug face thereof. The webs are formed such that the charging socket cover can be plugged onto both charging sockets in a comparable orientation such that it closes them in a sealing manner.

[0006] Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a charging socket cover for at least partially electrically powered vehicles that is improved compared to the prior art. This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0007] A charging socket unit of an at least partially electrically powered vehicle is provided, wherein the charging socket unit has: a first charging socket serving as an AC charging socket with an AC plug face, and a second charging socket arranged adjacent thereto and serving as a DC charging socket with a DC plug face, wherein the DC plug face differs from the AC plug face, and a charging socket cover which is formed in such a way that it has a plurality of webs on a rear side which, after the rear side has been plugged onto one or the other of the charging sockets, are in frictional contact with at least parts of their plug face, wherein the webs are formed in such a way that the charging socket cover can be plugged onto both charging sockets in a comparable orientation in such a way that it closes them in a sealing manner.

[0008] Furthermore, it is provided that the charging socket cover is formed from a hard material, and wherein regions of the webs which are in frictional contact with the plug face comprise a soft material.

[0009] Furthermore, it is provided that the charging socket cover has at least one further web on the back that serves as an insertion web and is arranged in such a way that it only allows the charging socket cover to be plugged on in a predetermined orientation.

[0010] Furthermore, it is intended that the edges of the webs are provided with insertion bevels.

[0011] Furthermore, it is provided that the charging socket cover has an outer edge provided with a sealing element with a geometry by which both charging sockets and associated bulges are sealed.

[0012] Furthermore, it is provided that the charging socket unit further comprises a charging flap which seals the charging socket unit.

[0013] Furthermore, a method for providing a charging socket cover for a charging socket unit with two charging sockets is provided such that the charging socket cover can be plugged onto both charging sockets in a comparable orientation, wherein the charging socket unit has a first charging socket serving as an AC charging socket with an AC plug face, and a second charging socket arranged adjacent thereto and serving as a DC charging socket with a DC plug face, wherein the DC plug face differs from the AC plug face, wherein the following steps are carried out.In a first step, the geometries of the two plug-in faces of the charging sockets are placed on top of one another in a predetermined orientation such that their outer circumferences overlap, and from this an outer edge of the charging socket lid is determined, and in a second step, locations are determined at which a free space is formed at the same point in both superimposed plug-in faces, and in a third step, a predetermined number of webs corresponding to at least some of the free spaces are provided on a rear side of the charging socket lid to be plugged onto the plug-in face such that these webs penetrate into an associated free space when the charging socket lid is plugged onto one or the other of the charging sockets and form a frictional connection with the part of the plug-in face.

[0014] Furthermore, it is intended that areas of the webs which are in frictional contact with the mating face are provided with a soft material.

[0015] Furthermore, it is intended that the number of webs is determined based on a specified insertion force to be applied for insertion and removal.

[0016] Furthermore, it is provided that in the third or a subsequent step, additional webs are formed which, when the charging socket cover is plugged onto one of the charging sockets, dip into an associated free space, wherein these webs are formed as insertion aids in such a way that they allow the charging socket cover to be plugged onto the respective plug face in only one orientation.

[0017] Furthermore, an at least partially electrically driven vehicle is provided, comprising an electrical energy storage device and an outer skin in which an opening with a charging device located therein, formed as a charging socket unit with two charging sockets which have different plug faces from one another, wherein the charging socket unit has a charging socket cover formed according to the described method.

[0018] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of an AC charging socket with associated plug face and a DC charging socket with associated plug face according to the prior art. Fig. 2 shows a charging socket cover covering the AC charging socket according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 shows a charging socket cover covering the DC charging socket according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 shows a schematic representation of the device for providing the webs and insertion webs for the charging socket lid according to a further embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 shows the back of a charging socket cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 shows the front of a charging socket cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 shows a flowchart of the method for providing a charging socket cover according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] In the following descriptions of the figures, the same elements or functions are provided with the same reference symbols.

[0020] The basic concept of the invention is to provide a charging socket cover 3 serving as an interchangeable cover, which can be used in a comparable orientation (ie without or with minimal change in its orientation) on two charging sockets 1, 2 of a charging socket unit, which have different plug faces from each other, as in Fig. 1. Thus, the charging socket cover 3 can be used as a removable cover without turning it over, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. One of the charging sockets 1 of the charging socket unit is an AC charging socket with an associated AC connector face, i.e. corresponding components such as power and signal connections inside. The other charging socket 2 of the charging socket unit is a DC charging socket with an associated DC connector face, i.e. corresponding components such as power and signal connections inside. The DC connector face differs from the AC connector face, so that two separate charging sockets 1, 2 must be provided. These two charging sockets 1, 2 are arranged adjacent to one another and covered by a common, sealed charging flap. During the charging process, the charging flap is open. One connector face (AC or DC) is covered by the charging gun and protected from environmental influences. The other connector face must be covered by a charging socket cover.

[0021] An example of two different plug faces in charging sockets 1, 2, to which the charging socket cover 3 according to the invention fits, are charging sockets 1, 2 used in China or Japan for AC charging and for DC charging. The standards used there have very different geometries of the AC and DC plug faces in the charging sockets 1, 2, as shown in Fig. 1 to 4 show examples of an AC charging socket 1 according to the J1772 charging standard and a DC charging socket 2 according to the Japanese CHadeMO charging standard. This example describes the method for providing a charging socket cover 3 serving as an interchangeable cover. A flowchart is shown in Fig. 7 shown.

[0022] As already mentioned at the beginning, the charging socket cover 3 is designed such that its geometry on the rear side can be inserted onto both charging sockets 1, 2 and engages with the mating faces there for its attachment. Essentially, the charging socket cover 3 consists of a hard material that has a front side 31 as the operating side and a rear side 30 from which a geometry in the form of webs 302 protrudes. These webs are inserted into the mating face of the charging socket 1, 2 to be covered in order to attach the charging socket cover 3 there.

[0023] To create this interchangeable lid, as in Fig. 4, in a first step S1, the geometries of the two plug faces of the charging sockets 1, 2 are superimposed, e.g., in a technical drawing program, so that their outer circumferences overlap. The plug faces of the charging sockets 1, 2 are superimposed in an unchanged orientation, i.e., they are not rotated but placed on top of each other in the orientation in which a charging plug is to be inserted or a charging socket cover 3 is to be applied without or with only minimal rotation (changing the orientation). Essentially, the plug faces of the charging sockets 1, 2 are shifted parallel until they lie on top of each other, as shown in Fig. 4. By this superimposition, the outer contour of the charging socket cover 3, i.e., its outer edge 301, is determined and formed accordingly during production. This outer edge 301 serves to close the charging sockets 1, 2 to the outside. It is formed in such a way that it covers both the AC charging socket 1 with any recesses 10 present in an outer region of this charging socket 1, as well as the DC charging socket 2 with any recesses present, as shown in Fig. 4. If recesses 10 are provided on the outer areas of the charging sockets 1, 2, the outer edge 301 of the charging socket cover 3 is shaped accordingly so that it also covers these, as shown in the figures. In one embodiment, a sealing element 5, e.g., a sealing ring, is provided around the outer edge 301 of the rear of the charging socket cover 3, so that the interior of the charging sockets 1, 2 is better sealed to the outside.

[0024] The rear side 30 of the charging socket cover 3, which is to be engaged with both mating faces without or with minimal change in the alignment of the charging socket cover 3, is constructed in such a way that protruding webs 302 are formed on the rear side 30 (i.e. in the direction of the mating face). These webs are constructed in such a way that they can be inserted into the mating faces of both charging sockets 1, 2. For this purpose, in a second step S2, locations are determined at which a free space is present at the same location on both mating faces lying one above the other. Depending on the number of free spaces available, a corresponding number of webs 302 are provided on the rear side 30 (third step S3), which are constructed in such a way that they fit into the free spaces and, when inserted, create frictional contact with components of the charging sockets 1, 2, such as in Fig. 5 for the Fig. 1 to 4. Thus, a charging socket cover 3 can be constructed whose webs 302 fit into both plug-in faces, so that the charging socket cover 3 does not need to be changed in its orientation or only needs to be changed minimally when plugged in.

[0025] The charging socket cover 3, including the webs 302 that fit into the free spaces, is made of a hard material so that it does not deform when plugged onto the charging socket 1, 2. Such a material is advantageously a hard plastic such as polycarbonate.

[0026] Due to the frictional contact between the webs 302 and the components of the mating face of the charging socket 1, 2, the charging socket cover 3 is held in place after being plugged onto the mating face, thus preventing it from falling out on its own. The force required for plugging and unplugging, and thus the required friction surfaces (number and design), can be calculated using a suitable computer program or determined through testing.

[0027] Since the charging socket cover 3 is made of a hard material, one embodiment provides for tolerance compensation for plugging in, as it can be difficult to manufacture the hard material so precisely that both plugging in and unplugging are possible. Furthermore, it is useful to provide a defined plugging force (frictional force for plugging in and unplugging) in order to prevent the charging socket cover 3 from falling out automatically, as well as to be able to adjust the force required to pull out the charging socket cover 3. Therefore, in one embodiment, the webs 302 have a soft material 4 in areas where they are plugged into the free spaces and come into mechanical contact with the components of the charging socket 1, 2, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. This soft material 4 is advantageously molded onto the webs 302 to fulfill the aforementioned tasks. For this purpose, the webs 302 are, of course, formed such that they are not form-fitting with the free spaces, but rather leave space for the soft material 4.

[0028] The number and arrangement of the webs 302 is selected by the specialist depending on the force required to attach and detach the charging socket cover 3, as well as the shared clearances. Therefore, the number of webs 302 does not necessarily have to correspond to the number of clearances.

[0029] Since it may happen that the resulting geometry of the webs 302 on the rear side 30 of the charging socket cover 3 also allows the charging socket cover 3 to be plugged in a different orientation, so that the charging socket cover 3 would no longer sit on the charging socket 1, 2 as designed, one or more additional webs serving as insertion webs 303 can be provided to prevent incorrect plugging. The insertion webs 303 are arranged such that they allow the charging socket cover 3 to be plugged in in only one orientation in the plug faces. These insertion webs 303 are also arranged on the rear side 30 of the charging socket cover 3 and fit into common free spaces in the plug faces. Like the charging socket cover 3 and the webs 302, they are formed from a hard material and, like the webs 302, are preferably formed integrally from the charging socket cover 3.However, they do not need to have a soft material 4, since they do not need to make frictional contact with the components of the charging socket 1, 2, but merely serve as an insertion aid for the correct alignment of the charging socket cover 3. Therefore, they are also designed in such a way that they can be inserted into the corresponding free space with a certain amount of play.

[0030] In order to facilitate the insertion of the webs 302 and insertion webs 303, one embodiment provides that the edges of the webs 302 and optionally also those of the insertion webs 303 are provided with insertion bevels.

[0031] In one embodiment, the front side 31, i.e. the operating side, of the charging socket cover 3 has a handle 310, as in Fig.6. The design of the handle 310, in particular its shape, can essentially be freely selected, taking into account the available installation space, and advantageously providing the simplest and most ergonomically advantageous operation possible. In one embodiment, the handle 310 has a shape that dictates that the handle 310 is grasped in a specific manner, so that the alignment of the webs 302, 303 is correct, i.e., the charging socket cover 3 can be plugged onto the plug face as it lies in the hand.

[0032] The charging socket cover 3 according to the invention, which serves as an interchangeable cover and, with a plug-in geometry (webs 302) on its rear side 30, fits into the plug-in faces of two charging sockets 1, 2 with different charging standards as a "one fits two" solution with no or minimal change in its orientation when switching between the charging sockets 1, 2, ensures ergonomic and easy handling. Furthermore, the provision of the insertion webs 303 can provide a simple way to prevent incorrect plugging, thus ensuring the tightness of the cover of the charging socket 1, 2.

[0033] The charging socket unit with the two charging sockets 1, 2, which have different plug faces, is used in an at least partially electrically powered vehicle, i.e. a vehicle with an electrical energy storage device. For charging the electrical energy storage device, an opening is provided in the outer skin of the vehicle, in which opening the charging socket unit is provided to provide a connection between the electrical energy storage device and an external charging device. As a rule, a charging flap is provided as part of the outer skin, which closes the charging socket unit (sealing it) when not in use. In order to protect both the unused charging socket 1, 2 from external influences and to protect contacts from accidental contact, the charging socket cover 3 produced by the described method is provided, which closes the charging socket 1, 2 not in use for charging. List of reference symbols 1 AC socket with AC plug face 2 DC socket with DC connector face 3 charging socket covers 30 Back 31 Front 301 outer edge 302 bridges 303 insertion bars 310 handle 4 Soft material 5 Sealing element 10 recess

Claims

[1] Charging socket unit of an at least partially electrically powered vehicle, the charging socket unit comprising: - a first charging socket (1) serving as an AC charging socket with an AC plug-in face, and a second charging socket (2) arranged adjacent thereto serving as a DC charging socket with a DC plug-in face, wherein the DC plug-in face differs from the AC plug-in face, and - a charging socket cover (3) which is formed in such a way that it has a plurality of webs (302) on a rear side (30) which, after the rear side (30) has been plugged onto one or the other of the charging sockets (1, 2), are in frictional contact with at least parts of their plug-in face, wherein the webs (302) are formed in such a way that the charging socket cover (3) can be plugged onto both charging sockets (1, 2) in a comparable orientation in such a way that it closes them in a sealing manner. [2] Charging socket unit according to claim 1, wherein the charging socket cover (3) is formed from a hard material, and wherein regions of the webs (302) which are in frictional contact with the plug face comprise a soft material (4). [3] Charging socket unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the charging socket cover (3) has on the rear side (30) at least one further web serving as an insertion web (303), which is arranged in such a way that it allows the charging socket cover (3) to be plugged on only in a predetermined orientation. [4] Charging socket unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein edges of the webs (302, 303) are provided with insertion bevels. [5] Charging socket unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the charging socket cover (3) has an outer edge (301) provided with a sealing element (5) with a geometry by which both charging sockets (1, 2) and associated bulges (10) are sealed, and / or wherein - the charging socket unit further comprises a charging flap which seals the charging socket unit. [6] Method for providing a charging socket cover (3) for a charging socket unit with two charging sockets (1, 2) such that the charging socket cover (3) can be plugged onto both charging sockets (1, 2) in a comparable orientation, wherein the charging socket unit has a first charging socket (1) serving as an AC charging socket with an AC plug-in face, and a second charging socket (2) arranged adjacent thereto and serving as a DC charging socket with a DC plug-in face, wherein the DC plug-in face differs from the AC plug-in face, wherein the following steps are carried out: - in a first step (S1), the geometries of the two plug-in faces of the charging sockets (1, 2) are placed one above the other in a predetermined orientation such that their outer circumferences overlap, and from this an outer edge (301) of the charging socket cover (3) is determined, and - in a second step (S2), locations are determined at which a free space is formed at the same point on both superimposed mating faces, and - in a third step (S3), a predetermined number of webs (302) corresponding to at least some of the free spaces are provided on a rear side (30) of the charging socket cover (3) to be plugged onto the plug-in face in such a way that, when the charging socket cover (3) is plugged onto one or the other of the charging sockets (1, 2), said webs dip into an associated free space and form a frictional connection with the part of the plug-in face. [7] Method according to claim 6, wherein regions of the webs (302) which are in frictional contact with the plug face are provided with a soft material. [8] Method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the number of webs (302) is determined based on a predetermined insertion force to be applied for insertion and removal. [9] Method according to claim 6, 7 or 8, wherein in the third or a subsequent step additional webs (303) are formed which, when the charging socket cover (3) is plugged onto one of the charging sockets (1, 2), dip into an associated free space, wherein these webs (303) are formed as insertion aids in such a way that they allow the charging socket cover (3) to be plugged onto the respective plug face in only one single orientation. [10] At least partially electrically driven vehicle, comprising an electrical energy storage device and an outer skin in which an opening with a charging device located therein, formed as a charging socket unit with two charging sockets (1, 2) which have different plug faces from one another, wherein the charging socket unit has a charging socket cover (3) formed according to one of claims 6 to 9.

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