Hatch of a charging system of a motor vehicle comprising a trim secured to a cap fitting a socket of the charging system

Abstract

This hatch (6) of a charging system of a motor vehicle (1) comprises a trim (9) and a cap (10) fitting a socket (2) of said charging system when said hatch (6) is in a closed position, the hatch (6) being characterized in that the trim (9) and the cap (10) are fixed integrally to each other. Figure for the abstract: Figure 3

Description

Title of the invention: Hatch of a charging system of a motor vehicle comprising a trim secured to a cap fitting a socket of the charging system Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a hatch of a charging system of a motor vehicle. Prior art

[0002] In automotive vehicle charging systems, it is necessary to keep the charging socket protected from dirt and external elements to ensure its proper functioning and durability. Vehicles are therefore usually equipped with a waterproof hatch or cap that protects the socket. In addition, in order to prevent unauthorized access to the charging socket, the hatches are generally designed to be lockable, thus ensuring the security of the system.

[0003] In the prior art, the locking function is generally performed by means of two separate actuators: a first actuator intended for the hatch and a second actuator intended for a charging gun.

[0004] Furthermore, in the prior art, the sealing of the charging socket is usually ensured by a peripheral seal arranged on an inner face of the hatch. The wear of such a peripheral seal can compromise the sealing of the charging socket.

[0005] The separation of the locking and sealing functions involves additional complexity, with an increase in the number of parts and an increase in the assembly time required. In addition, current configurations also result in increased weight of the hatches, which can have an impact on the overall performance of the vehicle in terms of fuel efficiency. Statement of the invention

[0006] To overcome the problems posed by the state of the art, the invention aims to propose a hatch having improved sealing, reducing the number of parts and optimizing the weight.

[0007] The subject of the invention is a hatch of a charging system of a motor vehicle comprising a trim and a cap fitting a socket of the charging system when the hatch is in a closed position.

[0008] The hubcap and the cap are fixed integrally to each other.

[0009] Such a hatch does not need to be hinged and thus has an optimized weight and a reduction in the number of parts. Furthermore, ergonomics are improved because the opening of the hatch and the release of the sealing cap are achieved by a single movement. In addition, the seal is achieved as close as possible to the grip by the cap footwear.

[0010] For example, the trim and the cap are made of a rigid and flexible plastic material, respectively. The rigid plastic can be precisely formed to perfectly fit the desired shape of the trim. The flexible plastic makes it easier to install and remove the cap without damaging the charging socket. Such a cap has sufficient flexibility to perfectly fit the charging socket and therefore ensure the sealing of the socket, for example against dust or water splashes.

[0011] According to one characteristic, the fixing of the trim and the cap is carried out by co-molding, by gluing, by crimping, by clipping or by assembly using at least one element of the screw or pin type.

[0012] Advantageously, the cap is provided on a lateral surface with an orifice intended to accommodate a locking member of the socket, so as to lock the hatch in the closed position. This configuration makes it possible to prevent unauthorized opening of the hatch.

[0013] Preferably, the cap is provided with a sealing collar extending radially outwardly of the cap and intended to surround the socket when the cap is fitted onto the socket. This configuration further improves the sealing of the socket.

[0014] According to another characteristic, the sealing collar is provided with at least one notch. The presence of at least one notch on the collar facilitates the extraction of the cap by reducing the risk of a vacuum being created when the cap is removed. In addition, the presence of at least one notch aims to prevent the air contained in a gap surrounding the socket from being pressurized when the cap is mounted on the socket, thus facilitating the mounting of the cap on the socket.

[0015] Advantageously, the trim is provided with gripping means. The presence of such gripping means facilitates handling of the hatch.

[0016] According to another characteristic, the hatch is provided with centering means intended to ensure a predetermined relative positioning between the hatch and the socket when the hatch is in the closed position.

[0017] Preferably, the hatch further comprises a hatch bowl, adapted to be mounted on a body of the motor vehicle around the charging system socket, the centering means abutting at least partly against stop means provided on the hatch bowl when the hatch is in the closed position. Such a configuration makes it possible to have good perceived quality by ensuring that the trim is flush with the structure of the bodywork.

[0018] According to another aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a charging system provided with a hatch as defined above. Brief description of the drawings

[0019] Other aims, characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0020] [Fig-1] is a partial perspective view of an exterior side of a motor vehicle equipped with a hatch of a charging system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0021] [Fig.2] is a partial perspective view of the vehicle of [Fig.l] to which a charging gun is connected;

[0022] [Fig.3] is a sectional view along axis III-III of [Fig.l] with the hatch in the closed position;

[0023] [Fig.4] is a perspective view of a removable portion of the hatch of [Fig.l] to [Fig.3]; and

[0024] [Fig.5] is a sectional view along the VV axis of [Fig.4]. Detailed description of at least one embodiment

[0025] As shown in [Fig.l], a charging system of a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention comprises a charging socket 2 carried by a base 3 installed in a housing 4 provided in a structure of the bodywork 5 of the vehicle 1. The housing 4 can be closed by a hatch 6. In [Fig.l], the hatch 6 is shown in an open position of the housing 4 intended to allow the connection of a charging gun 7 ([Fig.2]) to the socket 2 in order to recharge a tank of the vehicle 1.

[0026] The housing 4 is closed when the hatch 6 is in a closed position ([Fig.3]) which protects the socket 2 from dirt and which prevents unauthorized access.

[0027] It should be noted that identical or similar elements bear the same references from one figure to another.

[0028] The hatch 6 comprises a trim 9 and a cap 10 particularly visible in [Fig. 3]. The cap 10 fits the socket 2 of the charging system when the hatch 6 is in a closed position. In other words, when the hatch is in the closed position, the cap 10 envelops the socket 2 ensuring its sealing. The cap 10 is fixed integrally to an inner surface 11 of the trim 9 located opposite the charging socket 2. The cap 10 is thus located between the socket 2 and the trim 10.

[0029] The cap 10 and the trim 9 may be molded in one piece, for example by co-molding. Alternatively, the attachment of the trim 9 and the cap 10 is achieved by gluing, by crimping, by clipping or by assembly using at least one element of the screw or pin type.

[0030] Preferably, the trim 9 and the cap 10 are made of rigid and flexible plastic material respectively. For example, the cap 10 is made of rubber. Such a cap can be easily manufactured by a conventional molding process using, for example, a core and two shells.

[0031] The hatch 6 further comprises a hatch bowl 8 arranged in the housing 4 around the base 3 of the charging socket 2. The hatch bowl 8 is adapted to be mounted on a body of the motor vehicle 1 around the socket 2 of the charging system. For example, the hatch bowl 8 can be fixed by peripheral clipping on a dedicated opening provided on a wing of the vehicle.

[0032] The hatch bowl 8 constitutes a non-removable part 6a of the hatch 6. The trim 9 and the cap 10 constitute a removable part 6b of the hatch 6. To prevent the removable part 6b from being lost during loading phases, a plastic link 6c can be provided connecting the removable part 6b to the non-removable part 6a ([Fig.2]).

[0033] As illustrated in [Fig. 3], the cap 10 is provided on a lateral surface 12 with an orifice 13 intended to accommodate a locking member 14 of the socket 2 so as to lock the hatch 6 in the closed position. Advantageously, the locking member 14 is adapted to ensure the locking of the charging gun 7 in a charging position.

[0034] Preferably, the cap 10 is provided with a sealing collar 15 extending radially towards the outside of the cap 10 and intended to surround the socket 2 when the cap 10 is fitted onto the socket 2. The collar 15 constitutes a substantially annular sealing means 16 of a gap 17 surrounding the socket 2, when the hatch is in the closed position.

[0035] The sealing collar 15 is provided with at least one notch 18, particularly visible in [Fig. 4]. Here, the collar 15 is provided with two notches 18. Alternatively, it remains possible to provide a different number of notches 18. Each notch 18 allows air to escape when the cap 10 is fitted onto the socket 2. Each notch aims to prevent pressurization of the air in the gap surrounding the socket 2 when the cap is mounted on the socket 2. Each notch also aims to prevent depressurization of the air in the gap surrounding the socket 2 when the cap is removed from the socket 2.

[0036] Preferably, the trim 9 is provided with gripping means 19, so as to facilitate the handling of the hatch 6.

[0037] The hatch 6 comprises centering means 20 adapted to guarantee a predetermined relative positioning between the hatch 6 and the socket 2, when the hatch 6 is in the closed position. The predetermined relative positioning allows the locking of the hatch 6 by the locking member 14 of the socket 2. In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 5], the rotational centering of the hatch 6 is ensured by the complementarity of shape between the cap 10 and a plug 2a of the socket 2. Indeed, the inner surface 10a of the cap 10 must match the outer surface of the plug 2a so that the hatch 6 can reach the closed position. Here, the cross-sections of the plug 2a and the inner surface 10a of the cap 10 are “D” shaped. Different cross-sections can be envisaged to ensure rotational centering, for example cross-sections without an axis of symmetry or with a single axis of symmetry so as to allow rotational indexing.

[0038] When the hatch 6 is in the closed position, the centering means 20 abut at least partly against stop means 21 provided on the hatch bowl 8, so as to ensure the translational centering of the hatch 6.

[0039] Preferably, the centering means 20 comprise lugs 22 arranged on a circumference of the trim 9 and oriented axially towards the hatch bowl 8. The stop means 21 comprise stop surfaces 23 arranged on a circumference of the hatch bowl 8. In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 3], the lugs 22 abut against the stop surfaces 23 when the hatch 6 is in the closed position. The centering means 20 are intended to ensure that the trim is flush with the structure of the bodywork 5 of the vehicle 1, which may be a wing, in particular front or rear.

[0040] In another embodiment not illustrated, the hatch bowl 8 is provided on a circumference with centering grooves intended to cooperate with the centering means 20 of the trim 9, so as to allow the insertion of the hatch 6 towards the closed position only in a predetermined relative position between the trim 9 and the centering housings 21. Such a configuration advantageously allows correct positioning of the cap 10 relative to the socket 2. The flexibility of the rubber allows angular dispersions to be taken up if necessary.

[0041] Although the detailed example provided in the description focuses on an electrical charging system, it should be emphasized that the invention is not limited to electrical charging systems. Thus, in a particular embodiment, it relates to an access hatch for filling a windscreen washer reservoir in the case of a fixed hood. Those skilled in the art will easily recognize the possibility of adapting the cap to the end of the windscreen washer reservoir spout, while providing an appropriate rotational indexing mechanism.

Claims

Claims

1. Hatch (6) of a charging system of a motor vehicle (1) comprising a trim (9) and a cap (10) fitting a socket (2) of said charging system when said hatch (6) is in a closed position, characterized in that the trim (9) and the cap (10) are fixed integrally to each other.

2. Hatch (6) according to claim 1, in which the trim (9) and the cap (10) are made of rigid and flexible plastic material respectively.

3. Hatch (6) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the fixing of the trim (9) and the cap (10) is carried out by co-molding, by gluing, by crimping, by clipping or by assembly using at least one element of the screw or pin type.

4. Hatch (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the cap (10) is provided on a lateral surface (12) with an orifice (13) intended to receive a locking member (14) of said socket (2) so as to lock the hatch (6) in the closed position.

5. A hatch (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cap (10) is provided with a sealing collar (15) extending radially outwards from the cap (10) and intended to surround the socket (2) when the cap (10) is fitted onto the socket (2).

6. Hatch (6) according to claim 5, in which the sealing collar (15) is provided with at least one notch (18).

7. Hatch (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the trim (9) is provided with gripping means (19).

8. Hatch (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, provided with centering means (20) intended to ensure a predetermined relative positioning between the hatch (6) and the socket (2) when the hatch (6) is in the closed position.

9. A hatch (6) according to claim 8, further comprising a hatch bowl (8), adapted to be mounted on a body of the motor vehicle (1) around the socket (2) of said charging system, the centering means (20) abutting at least partly against stop means (21) provided on the hatch bowl (8) when the hatch (6) is in the closed position.

10. Motor vehicle (1) comprising a charging system provided with a hatch (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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