ELECTRICALLY POWERED MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH A MULTI-SOCKET CONNECTION BLOCK

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric motor vehicle, said vehicle comprising a battery supplying a motor of said vehicle, a multi-socket connection block (1) connecting said battery to a generator, said block comprising a cylindrical core (3) provided with a plurality of connectors (4) distributed circularly on its surface and a rotating housing (6) receiving said core in a recess (7), said housing supporting a first (8) and a second (9) diametrically opposed socket provided with pins (10, 11), said recess being provided with reciprocal connectors (12, 13) distributed circularly and connected to said pins, said housing being actuable relative to said core between a first position (A) where reciprocal connectors (12) come into contact with a first set of said connectors and a second position (B) where other reciprocal connectors (13) come into contact with a second set of said connectors. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN MOTOR VEHICLE PROVIDED WITH A MULTI-SOCKET CONNECTION BLOCK

[0001] The invention relates to an electrically powered motor vehicle provided with a multi-socket connection block.

[0002] It is known to produce an electrically powered motor vehicle, said vehicle comprising: - an electric motor for propelling said vehicle, - a power supply battery for said motor, - a block for connecting said battery to an external electrical generator - connected in particular to a domestic socket, in the case of a single-phase current generator (slow charge), or to a terminal socket, in the case of a three-phase current generator (fast charge) -, - an electrical power supply cable provided with a plurality of conductive wires, said cable being connected on the one hand to said battery - generally indirectly - and on the other hand to said block.

[0003] With such an arrangement, the problem arises of charging the battery with two types of generators whose sockets are different from each other, the connection block having to be able to adapt easily to said sockets and this while presenting optimal compactness.

[0004] The aim of the invention is to propose an arrangement making it possible to respond to this problem.

[0005] To this end, the invention proposes an electrically powered motor vehicle, said vehicle comprising: - an electric motor for propelling said vehicle, - a power supply battery for said motor, - a block for connecting said battery to an external electric generator, - an electrical power supply cable provided with a plurality of conductive wires, said cable being connected on the one hand to said battery and on the other hand to said block, said block being in the form of a multi-socket connection block which can be plugged on two types of external generators, said block comprising: - a cylindrical core provided with a plurality of connectors distributed circularly on its surface, said core defining an axis of symmetry, each of said connectors being respectively connected to one of said wires, - a housing having a cylindrical recess receiving said core, said housing being mounted in axial rotation on said core, said housing supporting a first and a second diametrically opposed socket provided respectively with a plurality of first and second pins, the internal face of said recess being provided with a plurality of first and second reciprocal connectors distributed circularly and each connected to a respective first or second pin, said box being actuable by bringing said core between: - a first angular position where said first reciprocal connectors come into contact with a first set of said connectors, so that a connection of said first socket to an external generator of suitable type allows the charging of said battery, - and a second diametrically opposite angular position where said second reciprocal connectors come into contact with a second set of said connectors, so that a connection of said second socket to an external generator of suitable type allows the charging of said battery.

[0006] With the proposed arrangement, a user of the vehicle simply has to rotate the housing half a turn to enable operational connection of the connection block to the type of generator chosen to charge the battery.

[0007] It is specified here that, throughout the description, the circular positioning marks (axial, radial, diametrically, etc.) are taken with reference to the axis of symmetry of the core of the connection block.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the multi-socket connection block is provided with a means for reversibly locking the housing in each of its angular positions, said means being manually actuable towards an unlocking configuration.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the locking means comprises: - a ring mounted so as to move in axial translation on the core, said ring being provided with two diametrically opposed locking projections, - two housings for receiving a respective projection provided in said housing, - a spring means for actuating said ring in the locking position where said projections are housed in said housings when said housing is placed in the first or second angular position.

[0010] With such an arrangement, the housing is unlocked in rotation by axial traction carried out on the ring against the spring means.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the housing is provided with a visual signaling means making it possible to identify which socket is operational.

[0012] In particular, the signaling means may comprise a light provided in the ring, the case being provided with two diametrically opposed zones of different colors inserted into said ring and appearing one or the other through said light depending on the angular position adopted by said case.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the housing can be provided with a digital screen intended to communicate information to a user of said vehicle.

[0014] The invention will be further detailed by the description of non-limiting embodiments, and on the basis of the appended figures illustrating variants of the invention, in which: [Fig.l] is a schematic representation of a multi-socket box according to one embodiment, said box being represented in first (A) and second (B) angular position in radial view (on the left, said box being associated with a power cable) and in axial view (on the right), [Fig.2] is a schematic sectional view according to an embodiment of a means for locking the housing in each of its angular positions, said means being shown in the unlocking configuration.

[0015] An electrically powered motor vehicle is now described with reference to the figures, said vehicle comprising: - an electric motor, not shown, for propelling said vehicle, - a battery, not shown, supplying power to said motor, - a connection block 1 of said battery to an external electric generator, - an electrical power supply cable 2 provided with a plurality of conductive wires, not shown, said cable being connected on the one hand to said battery and on the other hand to said block, said block being in the form of a multi-socket connection block which can be connected to two types of external generators - in particular single-phase or three-phase -, said block comprising: - a cylindrical core 3 - in particular made of molded plastic material - provided with a plurality of connectors 4 - seven in number, according to the embodiment shown - distributed circularly over its surface, said core defining an axis of symmetry 5, each of said connectors being respectively connected to one of said wires, - a housing 6 - in particular made of molded plastic material - having a cylindrical recess 7 receiving said core, said housing being mounted in axial rotation on said core, said housing supporting a first 8 and a second 9 diametrically opposed socket provided respectively with a plurality of first 10 and second 11 pins - said first pins being male and said second pins being female, according to the embodiment shown -, the internal face of said recess being provided with a plurality of first 12 (black filling in [Fig.l]) and second 13 (no filling in [Fig.l]) reciprocal connectors distributed circularly and each connected to a first 10 or second 11 respective pin, said box being actuable by bringing said core between: - a first angular position (A) where said first reciprocal connectors come into contact with a first set of said connectors - three in number, according to the embodiment shown -, so that a connection of said first socket to an external generator of appropriate type - in particular single-phase current using three wires - allows the charging of said battery, - and a second diametrically opposite angular position (B) - obtained by 180° rotation of said housing - where said second reciprocal connectors come into contact with a second set of said connectors - at number of seven, including three of said first set, according to the embodiment shown -, so that a connection of said second socket to an external generator of suitable type - in particular three-phase current using seven wires - allows the charging of said battery.

[0016] According to the embodiment shown, the multi-socket connection block 1 is provided with a means for reversibly locking the housing in each of its angular positions (A, B), said means being manually actuable towards an unlocking configuration.

[0017] According to the embodiment shown, the locking means comprises: - a ring 14 mounted to move in axial translation on the core 3, said ring being provided with two diametrically opposed locking projections 15, - two housings 16 for receiving a respective projection 15 provided in said housing, - a spring means 17 for actuating said ring in the locking position where said projections are housed in said housings when said housing is placed in the first (A) or second (B) angular position.

[0018] According to the embodiment shown, the housing 6 is provided with a visual signaling means 18 making it possible to identify which socket 8,9 is operational.

[0019] In a partially represented manner, the signaling means 18 comprises a light arranged in the ring 14, the housing 6 being provided with two diametrically opposed zones of different colors inserted into said ring and appearing one or the other through said light according to the angular position (A, B) adopted by said housing.

[0020] According to an embodiment not shown, the housing 6 can be provided with a digital screen intended to communicate information - for example the charge rate of the battery - to a user of said vehicle.

Claims

1. Claims Electrically powered motor vehicle, said vehicle comprising: - an electric motor for propelling said vehicle, - a power supply battery for said motor, - a connection block (1) of said battery to an external electric generator, - an electrical power supply cable (2) provided with a plurality of conductive wires, said cable being connected on the one hand to said battery and on the other hand to said block, said vehicle being characterized in that said block is in the form of a multi-socket connection block which can be connected to two types of external generators, said block comprising: - a cylindrical core (3) provided with a plurality of connectors (4) distributed circularly on its surface, said core defining an axis of symmetry (5), each of said connectors being respectively connected to one of said wires, - a housing (6) having a cylindrical recess (7) receiving said core, said housing being mounted in axial rotation on said core, said housing supporting a first (8) and a second (9) diametrically opposed socket provided respectively with a plurality of first (10) and second (11) pins, the internal face of said recess being provided with a plurality of first (12) and second (13) reciprocal connectors distributed circularly and each connected to a respective first (10) or second (11) pin, and in that said housing is actuable by bringing said core between: - a first angular position (A) where said first reciprocal connectors come into contact with a first set of said connectors, so that a connection of said first socket to an external generator of suitable type allows the charging of said battery, - and a second diametrically opposite angular position (B) where said second reciprocal connectors come into contact with a second set of said connectors, so that a connection of said second socket to an external generator of suitable type allows the charging of said battery.

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the multi-socket connection block (1) is provided with a means for reversibly locking the housing (6) in each of its angular positions (A, B), said means being manually actuable towards an unlocking configuration.

3. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the locking means comprises: - a ring (14) mounted so as to move in axial translation on the core (3), said ring being provided with two diametrically opposed locking projections (15), - two housings (16) for receiving a respective projection (15) provided in said housing, - a spring means (17) for actuating said ring in the locking position where said projections are housed in said housings when said housing is placed in the first (A) or second (B) angular position.

4. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the housing (6) is provided with a visual signaling means (18) making it possible to identify which socket (8,9) is operational.

5. Vehicle according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the signaling means (18) comprises a light provided in the ring (14), the housing (6) being provided with two diametrically opposed zones of different colors inserted into said ring and appearing one or the other through said light according to the angular position (A, B) adopted by said housing.

6. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the housing (6) is provided with a digital screen intended to communicate information to a user of said vehicle.

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